Posted on Thursday, September 17, 2009 - 06:01 pm:
here in italy on the road during the week end is full of guys doing kneesliders on t-max's. This thing goes really fast and corners really good to. With a little tuning it's fast like an XB from traffic light to traffic light. And even in twisty road.. damn! this thing is fast! and i'm not really a "riveted pole" if you guys can understand what I mean.. LOLZ
Yep, it's a T-Max. I think the T-Max is the only machine where the "scooters are like fat chicks" rule doesn't apply.
My fat a$$ it doesn't apply. 480lbs? For a SCOOTER? $8,500??? I can think of no less than a dozen motorcycles that, for the same money or less, will outperform that thing and be just as comfortable in an urban environment.
XL: Outperform? Probably... but nobody buys a scooter to be the fastest kid on the block, so it's a moot point.
Just as comfortable in an urban environment? Depends on your urban environment, but other than the Aprilia Mana, Yamaha FJR1300A, or Honda DN-01, nothing else comes to mind (and they're all more expensive than the T-Max).
Go back and reread what I wrote... 2 1/2 hours of playing in the "friction zone." Even with the 1125R's hydraulic, vacuum assisted clutch, my left forearm was in AGONY!
Somebody posted a link to an Ebay item that was a semi-automatic clutch for Sportsters. You still have to shift, but it works like a centrifugal clutch. You could sit, stopped, in gear without pulling in the clutch too. Same principle as mechanical slippers?
""XL: Outperform? Probably... but nobody buys a scooter to be the fastest kid on the block, so it's a moot point.""
as I told in a previous post a T-Max is really a badass bike, this things seems to be really fun even in twisties. And yeah, here in Italy people buy a t-max to be the fastest kid in the block. But Since Tazio Nuvolari, every italian (douchebag or not) HAS TO BE faster than everyone. LOL
But seriously, if you live in a chaotic city, a scooter is the best option. Space, comfort, easy. In the USA I have never seen a car with manual gearbox, tell me why. Because it's tremendously annoiyng, that's way. When american people will start to use manual gearbox in traffic jam, I'll admit that a motorbike is better than a scooter in the city.
anyway, never heard of the Suzuki Burgman 650? it seems to be a little bigger than the USS Enterprise, but it has a button like manual gearbox. Maybe it's imported only in europe..
Oh no, the Burgmann is available here. I've ridden one and if I had the money and garage space, I'd have one for sure. For EXACTLY the reason I started this thread.
Posted on Saturday, September 19, 2009 - 07:39 am:
Exactly. Picture riding your 1125R for 40 miles at speeds between 5 - 15 mph. In order to maintain those speeds not only are you NEVER going to get out of first gear, but you have to keep slipping the clutch to keep your speed down that low.
Shifting is amazingly NOT fun under those circumstances.
Posted on Saturday, September 19, 2009 - 09:32 am:
I ride in and out of my neighborhood daily. Speed limit is 15, I do 14-17 mph in second gear at 1600-1800 rpm just fine, no clutch slipping. I can go as low as 7mph in 1st without clutching...
Also, I have a Jeep a Camaro and a Fiero, all manual shift.
I used to commute on the 1125R from garden city-bronx-soho-garden city, daily (for about a year). I agree that NY traffic is interesting. There definitely were times when my forearm was burning from having to engage the clutch so much. I do think that New Delhi, Bangkok, Tokyo, and Manila are worse though.
I drove in NYC a couple of times, Manhattan or something. Natives can't drive. Very unpredictable. Cabbies, I knew what they were going to do a block ahead.
I don't like traffic, no way I could live in the Northeast. Main reason I left California.
I've seen Manila traffic and I understand why my father never had a problem driving in the city. Hell, he probably felt right at home! Those guys are just NUTS over there!
Red lights meant "Slow before proceeding anyway." The painted lines on the road apparently meant NOTHING at all, and cars shared the roads with bicycles, oxen, and horses.
And it's one thing to see motorcycle splitting lanes, but in Manila the friggin' BUSSES were driving between cars. Every time we had to go somewhere I cowered in the back seat of the car and covered my eyes. Definitely not for me!
i have an older XR650L - great for city driving. Potholes, bumps, curbs, etc all taken in easily by the suspension. Not super fast, not super powerful, but a fun bike. Partially converted to supermoto (need rims/tires). I'd look like silly on a moped at 6'8".
"I love my 1125R, but yesterday I learned one thing: It is NOT the perfect motorcycle for a NYC commuter; not by a long shot.
I had to attend a usergroup meeting in Jersey City. According to Garmin, it is less than 38 miles door-to-door. That ride took me TWO AND A HALF HOURS and I was (illegally) splitting lanes! If I were in a car it probably would've taken me four hours to do that commute. I could've BICYCLED there faster!!
I also did the highest stoppie of my life when the van in front of me slammed on his brakes for no apparent reason. I thought for sure I was going to loop the bike over! Almost lost my footing when the rear wheel came back down, too.
At the end of the ride my legs, hips, shoulders, neck and hands were SCREAMING in pain. My thighs lost about five pounds each of water through sweat from engine and frame heat. If I had to do this ride every day it wouldn't be long before I was on the roof of a very tall building with a high powered rifle!
Either that, or I'd trade the 1125R for a Suzuki Burgmann or an Aprilia Mana. The traffic around here is INSANE!! I'd rather go 90 miles EAST than 20 miles west from where I live.
Damn.
Okay, I got that off my chest and I feel a lot better. Carry on."
>>>At least that front binder prevented a head on...
After I had one serious head on...I am partial to throwing it away and sliding.
Surgery sucks.
When I purchased this 08 11 new in Florida, I normally sat for over 3 hours in stop and go traffic. Read archives, I whined a bit...
...but dealt with it.
If your arse/legs hurt, sign up @ the local gym. It will help.
Or just hop in a cage which you will do soon up north.
After 13k miles and all the drama, this bike is the best sport bike that I have owned or ridden. Hands down, I'll be on an 11 versus any other offering to date.
And finally...FWIW, mopeds, scooters/ect...have no place next to the almighty Buell 11!!!!!!!
I particularly love the guys who change lanes two or three at a time without ever touching their directional signals.
Also, if the light turns yellow, watch your rear-view mirrors because the guy in the 6,000 lbs SUV behind you might decide to run the light whether you're there in front of him or not.
Now you know why I have been rockin the motard. The husky eats up the the traffic on the LIE, and the city. By far the best commuter bike I have owned.
Posted on Wednesday, September 30, 2009 - 12:26 am:
> Uhh... have you ever been to the States??? Plenty of standard transmissions here.
Overall, they are relatively rare compared to automatic ones, at least in terms of numbers.
In particular for someone traveling here, I *dare* you to find a standard transmission car at any airport rental facility.
Standards are pretty much the domain of performance sports cars and work-duty vehicles in the US. Sure, there are exceptions, but by and large, that's the case.
Posted on Wednesday, September 30, 2009 - 02:20 am:
here in the UK we prefer manual transmission although since everyone is getting lazier automatics are creeping in. A car for me is just a box with four wheels and something to keep the shopping in and keep the snow out.
Posted on Wednesday, September 30, 2009 - 08:30 am:
The invention of the automatic transmission was originally viewed as a way to target female drivers in the US.
Now that most of what one does in a car is sit in a traffic jam, I have to say I prefer an automatic transmission in a car, or my case, my "1500" truck.
If I owned a performance car -- something I'd want to run on the track from time to time -- sure, I'd much rather have a stick. But America long ago got over it's love for standard transmissions in regular day-to-day cars.
Also, I'd say the average competence level of drivers in American is relatively lower than other places I've traveled to. Our licensing isn't very strict at all -- almost anyone can pass the simple test.
The American approach to cars is to allow almost anyone to drive, and to keep speed limits artificially low and appeal to the lowest common denominator. That leads to a pretty widespread preference for automatic transmissions
