Thread: 2nd hand bike advice

yes headlight on also a legal requirement-if have not done much riding treat every one out there as if they are trying to kill you - catch their eye at intersection and make sure they have seen you - and this sounds silly but get of on left hand side not the right - a must put your side stand out first and make sure its all the way forward and anchored i.e wont slip into the ground before you get off ( now ask me how I know yes did not put stand out first and bike over - hard way to learn )

Welcome to the love and lunacy of two wheels. One I don't think I see mentioned here is a honda CB400 super four. Possibly a little small for your frame, but not as small as some others - nor is it the traditional Emu rooting a budgie sports bike riding position. I never managed to swing a leg over one but a fair few years ago I was lusting after a triumph street triple, I think they made a LAMS version but I see they have a few others out there.

There is no one ideal bike, it's a bit like rifles - but it is very fun to be over gunned sometimes. I once had a 525 EXC and commuted around brisbane on it with supermotard wheels... Highly impractical, speed wobbles on a motorway weren't great but on the streets for dodging idiots and zapping through roundabouts it was something else. Had a go on a GSXR1100 and gave myself a hell of a fright when I clicked into third gear and looked down - 140kph and rising rapidly - decided pretty quick I wasn't mature enough for that kind of power at the tender age of 22. Gave it up and started riding two stroke enduro bikes instead! Haven't been on a bike in a while, I miss it sorely.

Many years ago i had a nice RD350. It went 'rather well' shall we say. I had added a new expansion chamber exhaust system for a wee bit more power.
Then one day i bought a UK motor bike magazine, and it had an article on porting the RD350.
OK...say no more...I am a mechanic so had all the gear needed.
The job was done in about 4 hours (also bunged in a new set of rings just while I was in the mood).
The article also said to remove 1mm off the bottom of the piston skirt (on the intake side) for a street bike.
Remove a max of 3mm for a race bike they said...so I removed just 2mm!
Ummm, wow comes to mind. At an indicated 90mph it would gently lift the front wheel as the power band came on. Very controllable.
When standard it would do an indicated 106mph in 6th gear. Now it went past that still in 5th gear.
Loved that wee bike. Can I have it back?
My thoughts? Everyone should have an RD350 in their life.

Originally Posted by Grey Kiwi

Many years ago i had a nice RD350. It went 'rather well' shall we say. I had added a new expansion chamber exhaust system for a wee bit more power.
Then one day i bought a UK motor bike magazine, and it had an article on porting the RD350.
OK...say no more...I am a mechanic so had all the gear needed.
The job was done in about 4 hours (also bunged in a new set of rings just while I was in the mood).
The article also said to remove 1mm off the bottom of the piston skirt (on the intake side) for a street bike.
Remove a max of 3mm for a race bike they said...so I removed just 2mm!
Ummm, wow comes to mind. At an indicated 90mph it would gently lift the front wheel as the power band came on. Very controllable.
When standard it would do an indicated 106mph in 6th gear. Now it went past that still in 5th gear.
Loved that wee bike. Can I have it back?
My thoughts? Everyone should have an RD350 in their life.

I was a blue smoke owner when I was younger. Yamaha ITs and YZs, then on the road, an RD400 was my first. Followed by an RZ350, RZ250, then the ultimate, an RG500. It would be great to have them all back.

GT250, then GT550 with aftermarket expansion chambers. How we made it to 20 years old i'll never fathom

A good helmet helps on those days when, to quote Author Lee Hughes: "He dismounted in the horizontal starfish position"

A mates' got a helmet like that bottom right one: stood up on the uphill side of a 300 when live capturing... another inch and it would have all been for naught

Originally Posted by XR500

A mates' got a helmet like that bottom right one: stood up on the uphill side of a 300 when live capturing... another inch and it would have all been for naught

I was trying to imagine how a helmet could get that kind of damage pattern. I suppose that's a possiblity.

Nah, that one is the rider trapped under the handlebars and has skidded along the road.

I had one like the top right one. Honda Goldwing spat me off into an overhead bridge. The old plastic Nava helmet from 1975 split down the centre breaking my glasses. Thought I'd gone blind. Immediately sold the Honda and bought the first of the Kawasaki Z 1000's. Good old days.

Originally Posted by outlander

I had one like the top right one. Honda Goldwing spat me off into an overhead bridge. The old plastic Nava helmet from 1975 split down the centre breaking my glasses. Thought I'd gone blind. Immediately sold the Honda and bought the first of the Kawasaki Z 1000's. Good old days.

Ouch. Nothing like leading with your forehead.

Originally Posted by Max Headroom

Well done.
Just in case nobody's included this bit of advice:
Keep your headlight on while you're riding, regardless of whether it's day or night. A bike is a small target for a distracted driver to pick up. Being lit helps.

Many of the newer bikes dont bother with a off switch for the headlight - hard wired on.

I am in two minds regarding this law. - Yes I always ride with my headlight on, but no I do not think it should be compulsory. As soon as it is compulsory, the driver that hit you can claim "I didn;'t see him- his light cannot have been on' making it the riders fault he is a victim. That was tried here in hch not so long ago when a harley rider was killed by a lady backing out of a driveway....claimed he was riding without his light so it was his fault....right up until the HD salesman testified that that year and model of Harley did not have an Off switch and the light was always on. Manslaughter it is then....

With this law it seems to make the rider prove they are not guilty before checking if they were even at fault....

Originally Posted by Delphus

Well I ended up with a RE Himalayan 450. A year old and 7K on the clock. I spent a bit more, but I wanted to start with something reliable that was still in warranty should anything go wrong. I very happy with it so far! Should last me a good few years before I feel the need to upgrade (I hope!)

Attachment 282672

Good choice. I did not think you would get one of those in budget, but even if you paid a bit mre, this brand holds its value and if you go tot sell you shoul dget a decent price for it back. I have a mate with one and he loves it (and I am a little jealous....)

Another bit of advice. Dont ride like a fukwit, save it for the race track....