251–260 of 390 posts
I sold my bike and gave up riding because it was just too dangerous. It's not just that people don't see you, they're not even looking anymore, they're on their phones.
Ooooh what a title In 2019 I was a bicycling a lot, and really wanted to get something with a motor, so I could be a bit faster/farther/not so sweaty with my trips. I had access to a car but rarely used it. I really don't like many inherent safety issues with motorcycles and never seriously considered obtaining one, but kept wanting a two-wheeled vehicle with a motor. I'd ridden a 50cc scooter in 2019 for a few days,…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
If you read the article then you will see that the accelerometer is a feature that makes it safer. Apparently, motorcycles can brake even if you don't use the brake, and then you really want the lights to turn on.
> Apparently, motorcycles can > brake even if you don't use > the brake They've even made cars with that "motorcycle" feature, it's most commonly activated by moving a sort of "stick" situated between the driver and passenger seat.
It's not even specific to the ones with the stick. I happen to enjoy and prefer vehicles with three pedals, but I can say from personal experience that a Ford AODE, 4R70W, or 4R100 will hit hard enough to scare passengers when you drop a gear at highway speed.
A Chrysler 45RFE on the other hand will make a lot more noise but basically no braking effort when you downshift.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Motorcycle fatality rates have been trending upwards, not downwards[1]. Brake lights on helmets may illuminate one of the culprits: An ever increasing number of American trucks with poor visibility. Sitting on a bike, you're even shorter than a pedestrian and more likely to be completely out of sight. Perhaps its time to start regulating for better visibility, as Europe has done. [1] https://www.iii.org/fact-statisti…
As an almost-daily motorcyclist with 15k miles on my current machine (Suzuki DL650), I absolutely agree that the increased proportion of pickup trucks on the road increases the risks for riders, however I suspect it is mainly because the larger, heavier vehicles aggravate the effects of a general deterioration in driving skills and attitudes. One thing about riding a motorcycle is that you are, unless you have a deat…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
And bike power. Sportsbikes are often road-legal versions of actual racing bikes, with all that it entails. If a third of cars on the road were tuned-down Ferraris and McLarens, you bet they'd crash left right and center.
Weirdly, an adventure bike with higher horsepower will have cheaper insurance than a race replica with less horsepower.
On a sorta dual sport like a Kawasaki KLR650 you get peak torque from the engine at around 2500 RPM, which is comfortably in school zone speed limit territory.
Something like the Yamaha R6 won't really start feel like it's pulling until you get the engine above 8000 RPM at least and then you getting peak torque until around 12,000 RPM. By then you're doing 70kph to 90kph in first gear.
Sports bikes are more comfortable ridden aggressively. Unfortunately that also gives a lot of riders a false sense of skill; right until they moment run into a situation above their skill level and they crash while panicking.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Do those two bikes have a higher / more upright riding position that a typical sportbike?
Sportbikes are lower, but they're not typical. Sportbikes sales trended way down over the past decade, with models being discontinued entirely in some regions. Current sporty-style bikes are generally more upright seating and share engines and platforms with non-sport models. Dual sport/off road bikes have trended upwards, even for riders who never go off pavement, because they're cheap to run and very practical as g…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
True enough, but I would take it one farther and say that a properly executed hand splice is arguably preferable to solder if vibration is a factor. Also, even less tools needed, though not everyone carries a little tube of conductive grease with their electrical tape. (But they should, it makes a decent splice immune to corrosion and a solid, “permanent” repair. ) I have had many, many soldered splices fail on gener…
I thought electrical wire was generally ~100% Cu. Some of this also comes down to harness design and how it's put back together after the splice. Ideally, the exposure of the splice itself to flexing is very low. I reckon if it's strain relieved/mechanically fastened well and encapsulated, it doesn't really matter what style of splice you use.
I agree that soldering probably won’t produce any issues if the wire is not subjected to significant flexure or vibration, or if it properly strain relieved and secured to a bulkhead so there is no movement at the limit of solder wicking. It’s just that I’m usually too lazy to do that perfectly, so I tend towards more forgiving solutions in vehicles and equipment. But sometimes, solder is the one true way, and I always feel better about soldered joints even if I know I’m statistically wrong.
As for wire being 100 percent copper? I’m not sure, but I have definitely noticed different rigidity of copper fibers. Might be impurities, annealing, or work hardening from the drawing process… but there is definitely variation. Some wire can be really susceptible to fatigue cracking, while others seem relatively immune. Not sure of the why.
Also, don’t even get me started on copper plated aluminum fiber wires.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
If you have a hub generator system, they sell rear lights with controllers which detect changes in the frequency of the wheel rotation and start pulsing when you decelerate.
That is so cool! Do you know of any brands/models?
[1] https://www.rivbike.com/products/dyno-rack-light?srsltid=Afm...
Lower the center of gravity, reduce the weight, increase the wind protection, make the riding stance really comfortable.
Make it easily accommodate a backpack, or a passenger, or both.
And you have a scooter!
They're unconventional in the greater usa, but wildly fun.
Generally, it seems like one can entertain the best parts of a bicycle, feet, and a car, and a motorcycle, all in one.
I wrote a bit of an ode to scooters, here: https://josh.works/scootering
I wish more of my friends rode scooters!
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Sportbikes are lower, but they're not typical. Sportbikes sales trended way down over the past decade, with models being discontinued entirely in some regions. Current sporty-style bikes are generally more upright seating and share engines and platforms with non-sport models. Dual sport/off road bikes have trended upwards, even for riders who never go off pavement, because they're cheap to run and very practical as g…
Yes your enduros and such are taller than sport bikes, but a Harley would be much lower, yes?
I don't have a brake light on my helmet on motorcycle but I added DOT-C2 tape to the back and sides of it, stuff like this: https://www.amazon.com/THKULKME-Reflective-Reflector-Waterpr...