RubberSideDown

I also feel badly for the guy, but, looking at it objectively, his footwear and pants were useless as safety gear, and his gloves weren't very good either (one came off his hand, which wouldn't have happened with gauntlets with a dual wrist-closure set-up).

I also find it strange that he wasn't wearing a helmet (if that was indeed the case), but that's how it appears- it could have been a half-helmet that was torn off in the impact, but it's not in evidence in the pics, which showed a fairly large area around the crash.

I'm not trying to be morbid or disrespectful of the rider, but the way he was geared-up and how that may have affected the outcome is an important point for motorcyclists.

^

Did you see the accident pics? If he'd been wearing a helmet, it would probably have been destroyed (and certainly filled with blood) based on the condition of the rider's head- I very much doubt anyone grabbed it (unless it was attached to the rear with a bungee cord or been in one of the cases and escaped major damage- I really don't think the rider was wearing it based on the photos of the injury).

I would certainly believe someone took his wallet, though.

It looks like he wasn't wearing a helmet, and it appears a head injury was the cause of death- RIP, fellow rider, and hopefully a few people will learn from your example and make more of an effort to protect themselves.

He was also wearing tennis shoes (which stayed on his feet) and jeans that were split from shin to hip, completely exposing his leg.

Thanks- I guess I need to change my plans.

Is that confirmed? Very disappointing if that's the case...

^

I'm running the S20R as well (they're the stock tire for my bike)- they're a little squirrelly before they get up to temperature, but once they warm up they grip really well- I will probably go with another set when my current ones are done.

Here's some good info from GTR (note it's from a few years ago when it was actually easier to bring a bike into LOS)- be sure to click on the links at the bottom where you can read about the actual experiences of others:

http://www.gt-rider.com/motorcycles-in-thailand/importing-motorcycles-into-thailand/motorcycle-import

I still plan to go if it's held, but I've also seen pics of the huge numbers of political protesters that have been gathering there (especially on the weekend, when I would be attending) and I don't want do deal with that kind of massive crowd impacting what will be a well-attended biking event that doesn't need the stress of a large group that's there for other reasons and couldn't care less about negatively impacting the bike and gear exhibition.

Has anyone heard if it's still going on as scheduled, or if it might be postponed or cancelled?

Poor ergonomics, no midrange, and mediocre brakes- it doesn't sound like Ducati is paying them off for the review.

When they say it's 'better' than its big brother, they mean for the street- if you've watched any of their longer comparison videos (and these guys know bikes, and they can all ride very well), they don't really love the Panigale off the track (which jibes with what other reviewers say re: its narrow focus).

They have a conventional swing-arm in every market.

If you're fairly tall you'll fall a bit out if love with it when you sit on it- I was practically looking down at the front tire when I tested the ergonomics at the Motor Show.

Last week Red Baron had a new 2012 full-power US-spec CBR-1000RR on their FB page for 658K- no derestriction necessary, and a really good deal.

^^

Obviously it's not unusable on a track- that's why I specifically mentioned 'anywhere but a track'- the narrow power band makes it a poor choice for the street.

On the ones I rode, I was thinking, 'Where's the power?' until, suddenly, BANG, there it is- you can't ride that bike like it needs to be ridden 95% of the time on the street.

I also referenced the V-Due, which was the last attempt by a major manufacturer to put a two-stroke on the street- it was a disaster (it pretty much destroyed Bimota), and I very much doubt we'll be seeing another anytime soon- the FI system was the problem- the only way to get it to run properly was by removing it and replacing it with carbs (which also meant failing a sniffer test)- even though FI systems have improved since '97, the nature of a two-stroke combined with more stringent emissions laws mean it's a losing proposition.

The problem with those engines was the light-switch powerband- they made a lot of horsepower, but only in an extremely narrow range, and they were dogs until they were on the boil (I had the opportunity to ride a few of the street-legal two-strokes in Japan- I rode a Bimota V-Due in California, but it was a mess due to emissions restrictions- I wouldn't have wanted to live with any of them)- as a collectible they're very cool, but as an actual motorcycle for use anywhere but a track they're pretty poor.

I thought mine @ Bt.3800 to be a reasonable price.

I got the same one at HomePro for 3500 baht last year- it was a steal and a great thing to have in the house- I might upgrade to a larger-capacity compressor in the future as it's better for running air tools, but that little one is very handy for the reasons you already mentioned (and I'm anal about tire pressure and check and adjust it before every ride;)).

^

No abrasion resistance unless they're some sort of Kevlar-reinforced jeans- you can wear pads over or under regular jeans, but you will always risk losing a serious amount of skin depending on how you land. There are plenty of motorcycle-specific jeans and there's a recent thread on the subject.

I wear perf leather pants (which you won't wear) weather-permitting, and I've got Drayko jeans (which I plan to replace with A* or Dainese jeans) and a pair of A* A-10 Air-Flo textile pants which zip to my A* jacket.

I just looked at my Dainese and A* mesh jackets- the area of cordura on the sleeve is wider where I would expect it to hit the road, but they both still have good (though not as much as the Tornado) ventilation.

I've got nothing against Rev'It and I think they make quality gear, but I agree that this particular jacket might be a bit compromised for the sake of comfort. The Tarmac Air looks to be exactly the same construction as my other jackets and (as they both work very well in hot weather and I'm sure this one does as well) I'd would choose it over the Tornado, which I think has too much mesh on the sleeves.

^

Of course, but I think if I hit the Tarmac I'd rather be wearing A* or Dainese for the same price as they flow air very well but look like they would hold up better in a crash- the fact the pads might have moved isn't an excuse for the stitching to come apart, and it wasn't only the mesh that ripped, but the cordura as well.

RevIt also has some light coulored jackets with high airflow, eg. the Tornado for 8k Baht at PandaRider. Imo this money is well spent.

Just FYI on the Tornado jacket- there's a crash-test review with pics on GTR- it didn't hold up well at all in a low-speed low-side and the seams opened up more than I would have expected- it's in the 'safety jackets' thread- I don't want to link to another forum, but you can search for keyword 'Tornado'.

Never mind- I will take the advice of a poster on here that I respect quite a bit and just sit back and enjoy the show.

dogpoo?

Swing and a miss...

599K I believe- it's 629K for the Ninja 1000 (no luggage).

Never mind- I will take the advice of a poster on here that I respect quite a bit and just sit back and enjoy the show.

Revzilla has the Rukka Airbob and Airway (both originally $900) for $500 and $750 respectively- not many sizes left for the Airbob, but lots for the Airway- you first.

Buy it there as it will be way cheaper (there are currently some great deals on the RF-1100, which will be phased out for the RF-1200)- a helmet will fit in a large suitcase without a problem- just roll it in some bubble wrap to protect it from clumsy baggage handlers.

Way cheaper? Not in brick and mortar stores.

On internet sites of course, there's lots of sales and some really amazing deals so that way you can save lots of money. Saw a Bell RS online recently for $99, unfortunately they didn't ship to Thailand. That helmet is normally $400 and in Thailand around 13,900 baht. Then again you really need to try out a helmet and also helmets bought online might be several years old.

Arais I see here are usually around USD 600 - 700, same price as in the USA.

Of course online- about the only people in the US or Canada who buy helmets through 'brick and mortar stores' are those getting one free or heavily discounted with the purchase of a motorcycle (unless it's a brand-new model that isn't being discounted anywhere yet).

Note anything shipped to LOS will be subject to import taxes, and helmets don't slip through unnoticed, and, as you mentioned, authorized Shoei distributors (among others) can't ship overseas due to a clause in their contract with the manufacturer- places that specialize in close-outs and unauthorized eBay merchants will, though.