RubberSideDown

I have a friend who may or may not have been on the yellow DR in the video (he certainly can't confirm something like that considering the law enforcement attention, but he has attended that annual ride for years...). He hates NYC drivers with a passion, and even he says the bikers were at fault and caused the situation but riding moronically and creating a road hazard.

Jackasses- the highway patrol in NY will be cracking down on riders for weeks over this- as usual, decent motorcyclists will suffer because of the actions of morons- that same group has been intentionally disrupting the roads for years, and something like this was going to happen sooner or later.

No shock that most of those bikes aren't running plates- they were looking for trouble from the start.

I looked into one, but the tongue weight capacity of my truck couldn't handle my bike- I wasn't able to find an actual purpose-built unit in any case.

As BSJ said, they're mostly good for something like a dirt bike unless you have a full-size truck ( which you can't get in LOS).

I'm a bit cramped from the pegs to the tank cutout, so I got a set of 1" lower pegs as a stop-gap until I pick up some rearsets. Very nice quality (beautiful, actually) though a bit pricey at $150 + shipping.

Slow-motion crash on a Top Fuel bike- watch as his leathers smoke when he hits the deck:

Over-rated waste of money.

The next day, Sean and I were feeling restless, so took the V-Strom and CB500X up Angeles Crest Highway to grab lunch at Newcomb’s Ranch. I rode the CB500X on the way up there, he rode it back. It was just a jeans-and-jackets casual ride, but on the way up the mountain I did my usual thing, passing supposedly larger, faster bikes — this time an R1200GS and a guy in a really unfortunate leather onesie on KTM 990 Super Duke. The little Honda proved a willing companion for fast riding, its height and upright riding position affording a great view around corners and cars and its Pirelli Scorpion Trail tires delivering plenty of confidence even over the melted tar snakes on this very hot day. A lot like the other 500s, just with better forks and vision.

Then, on the way down, I hopped on the V-Strom and followed Sean. That mid-capacity Suzuki is one of our favorite all-round bikes. It’s light and manageable in the city, all-day comfortable on the highway and, most surprisingly, a blast on twisty roads like this one. But man, after that Honda, it felt positively portly. It felt heavy to push around, slow to steer and its more powerful engine was less willing to rev match downshifts and just wasn’t as able to play along with spirited riding than the smaller Honda. Wow.

For the first time ever, I actually had a hard time keeping up with our very own Captain Slow, as he just merrily scooted down the mountain, with no idea that I was trying hard, but still falling back.

Back in town, things got even worse. A bike that we’d previously considered a good companion for splitting heavy traffic suddenly felt large and cumbersome trying to keep up with the dinky Honda. The CB500X would just scoot through gaps that were simply too small for the V-Strom to fit through at all.

Don’t get us wrong, the larger Suzuki is going to be the more capable tourer, but in town or on a mountain road, the little Honda is the much more capable machine.

http://rideapart.com/2013/08/rideapart-review-honda-cb500x/

Depending on which magazine or review you're 'riding', so's the Honda (in the 'R' configuration) in comparison to the Ninja 300:

I'm probably gonna buy an MSX-125 next month, and if I do I'm gonna mod the crap out of it just for fun (and it will be nice not to have to import my accessories for a change).

I am at a loss to understand why people Re posting comments that are just ridiculous, I was not blocking the road, I was behind 3 cars!

They all know what happened better than you, it seems.

We've all been in situations like that, where a cage makes a stupid move and nearly kills us. It seems like the guy reacted to your use of the horn (you probably leaned on it- I would have done the same thing). It's upsetting and produces an adrenaline rush, and you vented a bit on TD expecting to receive a bit of sympathy and some 'been-there-done-that's'- frankly, I think you're being treated unfairly here by people who are making assumptions beyond what you posted.

You lived to ride another day, and you and your passenger are unscathed after an encounter with a typical A-hole whose behavior transcends nationality- it could have been worse, and now you've got a good story to tell.

I still want to change my wheels and add rear-sets and a quick-shifter, and I haven't finished programming my ECU- I'm also thinking about a suspension upgrade- there will always be something I'll want to change or improve- to me, that's part of the fun of owning a bike (though I can understand leaving it stock as well).

The first pic isn't my actual bike (though it's the same color in the right light), but it's what I started with.

The appearance mods I listed cost maybe 10K total (and, really, only the heel guards are 100% cosmetic- everything else has another function)- I have several other performance modifications, and that's what I spent the bulk of my aftermarket money on.

I couldn't care less if what I've done has no positive effect on resale value- I've got all the stock parts and can replace everything if necessary with OEM stuff- my goal was to create the best possible bike for my own personal desires- there's nothing I've done that I regret.

I've added CF heel guards, a Driven fuel cap, a Zero Gravity Double Bubble in dark smoke, and Devil preload adjusters. I've also got a Back-Off brake-light modulator.

Before and after shots:

Heel guards:

Fuel cap (stickers also removed):

Screen:

Adjusters:

though Ninja 14r turns me off its way to big, and by big I mean fairings make bike looks fat.

It's true she ain't skinny, but she's no Road Glide either.

I will never understand not changing the filter on the first oil change, which seems to be common practice at dealerships in LOS- any bits of metal that were tossed off the brand-new engine will be trapped in it, and can potentially clog the filtration element.

Because there is no financial incentive to bring it over, only nostalgia value can justify

bringing a bike here.

A friend checked with importing a victory hammer?, the bike cost $14k, but when imported to thailand after duty tax it was $31k.

Everyone i've read about bringing part of their household regret dearly they ever started when custom demanded their share, which was more than the worth of whatever was in the container

A victory hammer can be bought here for app 37k$ or 1.15 mill baht so if that 31k$ is total price maybe worth doing.

http://www.victorymotorcyclesthailand.com/choose-bike.php

I believe it's 31K + the initial 14K purchase price.

^

I ordered my bike without having seen one in person either;)

I think the price is damned good for LOS (certainly lower than I would have guessed)- I doubt it will drop, and if it goes down 20K in a year, so what? I'd rather have and enjoy the bike for a while than wait for a possible price drop that might never come.

Good for you- you'll dig the V-Strom.

There's one motorcycle accessory website that has a tie in with a company called Borderfree. Apparently the company relies on government to government agreements to increase US exports. They take care of everything so if the goods get stopped at customs, they get them out without additional taxes being paid.

JCPenny's, Macy's and some other big American companies are signed up with them so I think they're legit.

As I shouldn't post links here I just Googled "Motorcycle accessories borderfree" to find.

All these companies do is add an estimated customs fee to your order- they don't save you anything, and sometimes add more than you'd actually pay at the post office in LOS- you're actually way better off trying your luck with Thai customs.

Add a few things to your cart and check the price at checkout (you'll have to register on the site)- I just tried with an 11K pipe, and they asked for 4K in customs duty upfront (so 37%, which is exactly what the rate should be in Thailand)- I'd rather take my chances.

nowadays they check the price from internet at customs so showing less value might not help.

mostly it costs the Thailand price after shipping and taxes.

better buy them from panda rider or paddock. 320 sp products are fake.

I never had that happen (where the price of gear or accessories was checked on the net against an invoice or customs declaration)- a couple helpful dealers (who have known me for years) have been very accommodating as far as packaging and documentation is concerned, and it's saved me quite a bit (though I'm not saying it never happens- it just hasn't been my experience).

You'll almost certainly get hit with taxes even if it goes via USPS- the best you could do would be to put a lower declared value on the customs form, but most shippers won't do that a it limits their insurance coverage in the event of a loss.

I've had a LOT of gear shipped over the last year via a few different shipping methods, and- unless it's in a small box- it almost certainly won't make it through without an inspection unless it's labeled in a way to attract less attention from customs.

It was brought in for me- I had no idea it might be an issue- it sailed right through without a problem, though.

I had this 3-step cleaner/lube/wax brought over from the States, and I tried it out today- it works really well- I sprayed the cleaner on, hosed it off after a minute, and didn't have to scrub it at all- the lube and wax are supposed to have very little fling according to reviews- I'll ride tomorrow and see how it goes. It's made by Maxima and was only $28 for all three cans- I would guess I'll get about eight rounds with it.

Quick question about the ramp, is it long enough for a 4x4 Hilux?

I would have thought so. Just a steeper angle. I will take measurements tomorrow. Ok

Taninthai. If you need anymore pictures let me know asap. Ok

sent from my Wellcom A90+

I know that this is an old thread.... but I am looking to buy a ramp like that. Can you please provide the name/location or contact info of the shop? Or even better... if by any chance, that ramp is still available, I'll buy it. I'm located in BKK.

3590 baht at Real Motosports:

http://www.realmotosports.com/index.php

The advantage is with ape hangers you can be sure your shopping bags, when hung, will clear the top of the tank!

I want to say something in support of "apehangers", The most control you can have with handlebars are when they are at shoulder height and most handlebars are situated below the that. above that then it becomes more dangerous.becuse when you "steer" the bike you are actually pushing on the bars.

thanks for listening to my theory

WHAT?!?!?! That is NOT the case- not even close. Pushing on low-mounted bars (called 'counter-steering') is the best and most stable way to get your bike around a corner.

There is a lot of info out there- great books, training videos, etc- please educate yourself a bit if you're on two wheels.