mark131v

Yet another couple of very positive review this time from the UK....

http://www.visordown.com/road-tests-first-rides/first-ride-yamaha-r3-review/26529.html

http://www.bennetts.co.uk/bikesocial/reviews/bike-reviews/yamaha/yamaha-r3-first-ride/#.VS_S5rHRZD8

to be honest I have seen very few negatives in any of the reviews from either UK or US

How is it at high speeds Mark? I've heard a couple of Thai guys say to me that it's unbalanced and not stable.

I also saw one this week and the fuel tank (in the area a tank pad would normally go) was all scratched up and he couldn't have had it for more than a couple of weeks. I know the tank is completely plastic but I thought it would be more hard wearing and because of the shape of it I don't think a standard tank pad could fit it

Hi Mac, tbh I have only managed to play for a couple of days before going back to work but I did some fairly high speed stuff on my own and 2 up and it felt really planted, I had it 2 up with the Missus at 150 for a long blast along the 36 and it was really stable so I definitely don't know where that opinion is coming from. I have a CBX as well and I felt no real difference from that

I did not want to push it really high but when I get home I will see how quick it is and if there is anything strange going on at high speed. I think it is the gray plastic cover over the tank that you mean as the rest of the tank is steel, it seemed pretty durable to me and I guess you could put a normal tank pad over it as I envisage it could get scratched with zips and stuff but then again easy enough to buy a new plastic cover

It is really early days and a bit frustrating as I want to get out on it again but what I can say is I am really happy with it and the missus has been using it whilst I have been here and she too really likes it, It is a massive uplift from the Ninja 250 in every conceivable way and it also has some nice touches that my CBX doesn't have, I would also think it could be a good alternative to the CB500 series as it is a much more involving ride

3 weeks to go cant wait...!!

Yet another couple of very positive review this time from the UK....

http://www.visordown.com/road-tests-first-rides/first-ride-yamaha-r3-review/26529.html

http://www.bennetts.co.uk/bikesocial/reviews/bike-reviews/yamaha/yamaha-r3-first-ride/#.VS_S5rHRZD8

to be honest I have seen very few negatives in any of the reviews from either UK or US

Some good stuff on filtering well worth a look at the link at the bottom to the ridetowork. org survey

http://www.mbike.com/news/2011/07/study-lane-splitting-is-safe/

http://www.ridetowork.org/files/docs/LANE_SHARING_A_GLOBAL_SOLUTION_FOR_MOTORCYCLE_SAFETY.pdf?utm_source=Ride+To+Work+-+Main&utm_campaign=9bf87c1b14-RTW_7_25_2011_main&utm_medium=email

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

In a moment of clarity inspired by my good black friend, Johnny, I realised that this thread should be whether big bike riders are safer than scooter riders, Yes, it's about the rider more so than the bike (although it's undisputed that a rider of both a scooter and a big bike would be safer on the latter).

BB riders on the other hand don't worry about this, simple because they are riding ahead of the traffic. How many times do we read about BB's being rear ended? I've not come across one such incident. To me, this proves conclusively that BB riders are, on the whole, safer than scooter riders.

.

1. Undisputed? Remember it takes only one black sheep to prove that all sheep are not white.

2. Data from USA indicate that he commonest serious injuries & deaths to bike riders occur from cars rear-ending cyclists who are stopped.

Wantan & Dutchbiker: please stop making sense;

it confuses & upsets the dogmatists & alcoholics & maybe Allan.

The reason for the US stats is their retarded laws on filtering through traffic where the motorcycle just has to sit in traffic thus building up congestion and waiting for some car driver to run in the back of them, I have no proof but I would think that if you checked the stats from the civilized world where filtering is allowed (ie most of it!!) the number of deaths and injuries from being rear ended would be way less

On a separate note the missus ran over a big dog on her ninja 250, it appeared from nowhere and she ended up going over it, it was sad but there was nothing she could do about and I watched the whole thing happen in front of me, no damage to the bike and no accident probably due to her not having time to panic but I think it would have been a very different story on a moped

I have an air compressor I keep on the CBX and plug into the power socket it does away with guessing at places that don't have a working gauge which seems to be the majority of places it also allows me to do all the bikes at home, I think it is a really good investment, I did not find the Michelins an hard ride and I did check the psi when I got home and it was right which was a pleasant surprise that I was not expecting...!

Hi No Name I reckon it is a good idea if you are maybe thinking of keeping both bikes, gives you the option of if you aren't happy with the tires then you can put them on the CBR and maybe ask a bit more for it when you sell it, they are also way better than the stock IRC you have on already

Really cant say much bad about the Michelins other than they did feel harder and less grippy they are also brand new and maybe needed more scrubbing in but they just don't feel as good as the Pirreli Sport Demons and they felt awesome from the moment they were fitted, they totally transformed the bike in both the wet and the dry and gives you way more confidence

There are better tires out there but for smaller sports bikes they are a good middle of the road option and I am really happy with them, If I had not had experience of the PSD's I may have been happy with the Michelins but what I can say is both are streets ahead of the IRC stock tires. Have no knowledge of the Sport Dragons other than I seem to recall they were a budget offering primarily for the Asian market other than that I have no idea if they are good or not

Enjoy the R3 when you get it, its an awesome little bike!!

We are swapping the Michelins with the Pirelli Sport Demons off the Ninja 250 before we sell it, the Michelins are noticeably harder and don't seem to offer anywhere near the amount of feedback, not saying they are bad they just aint as good as the Pirellis then again I only had a couple of days on the R3 before going back to work but it was still long enough to know the stock tires could be better, it is a shame to limit a sporty bike like this through being cheap though all the companies appear to do it with their smaller bikes then again I guess many value mileage over grip, something I cant really understand but there you go....

edited to say that the Michelins are still way better than the IRC's I had in the past, they were just plain dangerous but I heard they have made a newer compound which is better, I will not be buying any to find out as there are plenty of known good options out there where you do not have to take a gamble

My R3 has ABS as standard I did not see an option to buy without ABS in Thailand

Good idea...

but what's the point when many bike riders do not bother with bike rider tuition, driving tests and licences.

Just another law to be ignored.

Where I came from Michigan, USA and all other states, 14-16 shoulder of the road very small bikes, 16 you got a drivers licence for a car and a special one for a motorcycle. Once you were using a motorcycle you never ever go between cars to get to the front of the traffic, you stayed behind the car and wait your turn. And you don't ride sidewalks or go the wrong way of traffic!!!!!!!!s

I agree with what you say about going the wrong way and riding on pavements but the whole world except many parts of the USA, several of whom are the same ones that still allow their citizens to ride without a helmet have already mastered filtering and have realized it is not some dangerous black art but the most safe and effective use of the road space for a motorbike

It is proven to be safer and also cuts down on congestion so unless the US knows better than the whole of Europe and virtually all the rest of the world I will stick to filtering. I certainly wont be sitting behind you in a traffic jam waiting to get rear ended by another car driver too busy texting or popping zits....

Nope don't agree, I too ride on the roads and motorways here on bikes and cars and have no problem at all keeping up with and passing traffic comfortably without screaming and struggling, the CBX and the R3 both easily gets 150kph 2 up and top out at about 170-80 so just how fast do you need a bike to be capable of to use a motorway here...

I have a CBX and an R3 that can both easily and very quickly reach and surpass the national speed limit with plenty left for overtaking so I think your 600cc argument is fundamentally flawed

edited to say the Ninja 250 we have can also easily reach and trounce the speed limit as well and gets there much quicker than many 4 wheeled vehicles, going with the flow at 120-30-40 no problem at all for any of them with much faster speeds easily possible if required

As I said I think the looks are very subjective but for me the R3 was the nicer looking bike against the Ninja though I did not bother having a proper look at the CBR as the power and everything else is down on that over the other two. I really did not notice any of the points mentioned and thought fit and finish was very nice just as all the other online reviews have

It is a really nice ride with ABS as standard and a better set of tires as standard in the Michelin Street Pilots though they too seemed a bit of a harder compound so a set of Pirreli Sport Demons is on the horizon as it is hard to go back to lower quality tires after having good ones. We tried it 2 up and it got to an easy 150 in no time and with lots left so it is certainly not slow

It was really bought for the missus as an upgrade from the Ninja 250, she is a short arse so there are not too many options but it completely blows away the old bike in all respects and I reckon it is a good alternative to the Honda 500's and is a much more involving ride. I like it and as I said we are very happy with it in all regards but then again it is early days, that said Yamaha have a good rep for reliability so I really don't foresee any issues but never say never...

I got it from the Yamaha shop across Suk from Big C South Pattaya just a couple of meters through the traffic lights in the Jomtien direction, to be honest they were not that organized and did not have the helmets for the bike in but I can live with that and they will let us know when they arrive, they also are going to organize some lessons chucked in as well

It got a lot of attention in the short time I have been on it so far as it is completely different looking to the other 2 it also has a really nice comfortable seat and riding position and also has a much nicer pillion position and seat than her old Ninja, you get the picture, like it..!!

Had to look it up but I am still confused

otw:

You must know Carol Jidzada,

British cycle-roadcraft instructor of repute, yes?

You both preach the same catechism.

I cannot see any preaching at all, they have just taken the time to pass on what is being taught in UK and Europe from somebody who has actually worked in the motorcycle training industry in what is an incredibly difficult, expensive and time consuming country in which to get a motorbike licence, they have then backed up reasoning by giving the justification as to why it has been taught this way for many years

It is advice, you can take it or leave it but personally I think this is useful and I will take onboard what I think may help then again I don't profess to know it all and I am always willing to listen to well thought out information especially on something that could save my life....

I picked up a red R3 today and I am very happy with both its handling and its quality, looks are subjective but most of the other reviews on-line are positive as well, very nippy and when I was following on the missus Ninja 250 I could not keep up and she said she was not pushing. Not quite the top end of my CBX but a good fun little bike with some really nice features such as the gear indicator and upshift light. Problem now is I have to go back to work today and pine for it for 5 weeks. Package we got from Yamaha in Pattaya came to just shy of 200,000 baht otd with insurance a free helmet which they don't have in yet and a free bike class for the Missus

Thai Police..........Thai police......joke!!!!!! got to say Thailand is a beautiful country but the corruption is scary!!!

Defamatory post removed. Be careful what/how you type, as defamation is a very real charge, both criminal and civil, in Thailand with serious consequences, irrespective of whether what you write is true or false.

This is not about moderation but In my opinion a country who will prosecute you, or allow others to prosecute you for writing the truth has big, big problems, unfortunately after a few years here most people already know that but the sheer amount of people who were lucky to be born in a democracy who forget this is a bit scary really...

literally every country in the world has anti-terrorism laws which allow the detention incommunicado for x # of days, weeks, years.

?what is the problem here?

she was NOT dragged kicking and screaming. she went knowing full well she had committed crimes against the country.

if found guilty in a court of law, i believe she is a prime candidate for the death penalty.

apologists for the shin klan should give their head a shake.

back in 2010 i witnessed the murder of a young guy in bkk, around midnight when the reds hijacking buses and propane trucks to create an inferno which would have possibly incinerated hundreds of children and elderly folks. he was killed while screaming at them to stop.

i hardly regret getting out of there as fast as i could.

http://blogs.sacbee.com/photos/2010/05/bangkok-burns.html

RED stands for murder, bombing , bloodshed and terrorism.

thank Budda for prayuth having the courage to stand up for thailand.

the murder and mayhem going on long before the coup should not be tolerated in any country.

and lets not forget the FACT that most posters here are not entitled to vote anyway,

wow, i could go on and on, but TV thai bashers take the cake for having their collective head up their collective anus.

of course, in my humble opinion

Are you on drugs?...no really...

You think an unelected dictator who cannot open his mouth without inserting one or both feet is the answer, that a load of yes men and flunkies who patently haver trouble with what day it is aid the situation and make for a fairer better society??

I am not sure if the world does actually see the complete and utter drivel that is spewed on a daily basis from the junta and maybe to the rest of the world it aint that important in the grand scheme but personally I think it is sad that the military and the Thai elite are being allowed to walk all over the majority of their own people

I truly believe you and a lot of other westerners born into democracy and with the gift of free speech have truly lost it........

There you go:

https://www.facebook.com/MityonKawasakiBigbike

https://www.facebook.com/HondaBigWingPattaya

Mityon also hold the Big Wing franchise but in Pattaya they seem to do it better from a service and facilities point of view at least in my limited experience though of course yours may vary

No but every little helps and a plastic half face pot is even worse so actually it makes the best of a shitty situation, finding anything at all even half decent in kid sizes is damn near impossible and if it is DOT certified so the US has deemed it fit for purpose

I have had the exact opposite service from Pattaya Kawasaki to the point where I wont buy a Kawasaki due to the clowns who work there. Only a couple of episodes but first impressions matter, first my wife's Ninjette needs some new stickers on one side of the fairing, orders it in as they don't hold any stock, no problem why we are there she tried to get the number plate resecured and tidied up but in the end after they had set about it with a pair of mole grips I ended up redoing it myself at home

Finally the sticker arrives and she gets the call to bring the bike in so off she goes, bloke sets to work with the hair dryer to remove the scratched graphics gets it done then realises he has ordered the wrong side, no proper apology and the wife is a bit unhappy as she now has to ride around for the next 2 weeks with half the bike as bare plastic as they have not got any other spares so must be ordered again

Gets the call again to come in and they make a complete hash of putting on the new stuff when they had finished it has loads of bubbles and creases in the finished article and it looks like it has been done by 5 year old. They then tried to charge her for both sides including the side they had ordered in error to which the missus loses it and tells them she wants to see the boss, boss comes out she tells him that she wants it redoing as it looks like an complete amateur has done it

It was finally done a week or so later but when you compare that to the professional service we have had from Big Wing they really don't compare, shame really as I really like their bikes but I would not want to rely on Pattaya branch for servicing, Beardog I don't know if you have any dealings with Pattaya Big Wing but if not it is worth popping over to see what a clean organised servicebay looks like as the Kawasaki one isnt which is a shame if the mechanics are as good as you say

ps edited to see if anyone knows of any other Kawa dealers in Rayong/Pattaya/Siracha sort of area

Thanks for all the help and advice, i brought one from the place NanLaew mentioned, 650 each, much better to have s full faced than open which is what i had before.

Thanks

This is first place I have ever seen in Thailand for full face helmets for kids, the Index one we got for the sprog is DOT certified and way better than the open face one she had before so cheers for the heads up!

Have look at Seaview Resort, that's were I normally stay on KC, but it must be a year or two since was last there

http://www.seaviewkohchang.com

its not a new resort been there for years, but I like it

Seaview it is where we always stay too and have never had a bad experience there, we have even taken my parents and my brother and his family when they visited and they where blown away by it, well worth the cost

Nokia (now windows phone) offer free offline mapping using their here map system which is preloaded on all their phones, no need to use data or pay to download anything it is free and available all the time even without a sim card in plus they generally have good battery life times

I have used this system for ages now and when coupled with a rammount phone holder and getting a usb power socket fitted it is a really good solution. Somebody mentioned using an old car garmin, I tried this and gave it up as a bad job as screen visibility when mounted on the bike is rubbish and I found it to be unworkable