Topic: New Biker....ME!! Well kinda.....

[ktm525]

Carbs don't like sitting. If it gets used regular then it would ok. Bikes carbs are simple things unlike the emission controlled monsters from cars in the 70s/80s.

Yes just make sure to dump some fuel stabilizer in it if will sit more than a month and you will be fine. Also jet a teensy lean at your lowest elevation and unless spending tons of time in Colorado  you will be just fine.

[dirtyjeffer]

Carbs don't like sitting. If it gets used regular then it would ok. Bikes carbs are simple things unlike the emission controlled monsters from cars in the 70s/80s.

Yes just make sure to dump some fuel stabilizer in it if will sit more than a month and you will be fine. Also jet a teensy lean at your lowest elevation and unless spending tons of time in Colorado  you will be just fine.

oh yea, forgot about that...one advantage of fuel injection is if you are riding in areas where the elevation varies...not an issue around here, but out west it may be if you ride in the mountainous regions...FI will automatically adjust your air/fuel mixture as needed.

[ktm525]

Its not a huge deal. My 300 jetted for 3500' Calgary is rideable down to 2000' (sea level may be getting a little lean) and it can get to 7000-8000' where it is getting fat and noticeable. I have not touched the jetting on the old 300 for 15 years and it has been here and there and everywhere. Just a little "off" sometimes. Fuel injection tends to always be crisp and gives better fuel economy. Not surprising since I think I tend to jet fat which keeps engine temps down.

[dirtyjeffer]

Its not a huge deal. My 300 jetted for 3500' Calgary is rideable down to 2000' (sea level may be getting a little lean) and it can get to 7000-8000' where it is getting fat and noticeable. I have not touched the jetting on the old 300 for 15 years and it has been here and there and everywhere. Just a little "off" sometimes. Fuel injection tends to always be crisp and gives better fuel economy. Not surprising since I think I tend to jet fat which keeps engine temps down.

sounds good...i know FI can help with ensuring the best air fuel mixture, but i've never had an FI bike and there are no mountains here so i've never experienced it personally (don't know how much of an issue it may be).

[rrocket]

Its not a huge deal. My 300 jetted for 3500' Calgary is rideable down to 2000' (sea level may be getting a little lean) and it can get to 7000-8000' where it is getting fat and noticeable. I have not touched the jetting on the old 300 for 15 years and it has been here and there and everywhere. Just a little "off" sometimes. Fuel injection tends to always be crisp and gives better fuel economy. Not surprising since I think I tend to jet fat which keeps engine temps down.

sounds good...i know FI can help with ensuring the best air fuel mixture, but i've never had an FI bike and there are no mountains here so i've never experienced it personally (don't know how much of an issue it may be).

Yep...I had nothing but carb bikes for what seemed like forever. Never an issue on a single carb bike.

[Fobroader]

And I agree, you will grow out of a 300 fairly quickly.

I was going to argue against this, but it's Alberta where you go forever between curves and I wish I had a bike with more power. I'm glad I'm going back to BC where 300s are FUN.
[/quote]

See and if we lived in BC there is no freaking way I wouldn't be looking at a Vstrom 650 at minimum because of all the hills, turns and such, it would suck to have a small displacement bike you can't pass traffic on all those narrow back roads.

[dirtyjeffer]

See and if we lived in BC there is no freaking way I wouldn't be looking at a Vstrom 650 at minimum because of all the hills, turns and such, it would suck to have a small displacement bike you can't pass traffic on all those narrow back roads.

you can still pass someone on a bike...even small bikes are relatively quick...you may not have a ton of top end, but they usually get up and go reasonably well...a $12k 600cc class sportbike will likely destroy pretty much every car sub $150k.

[Fobroader]

See and if we lived in BC there is no freaking way I wouldn't be looking at a Vstrom 650 at minimum because of all the hills, turns and such, it would suck to have a small displacement bike you can't pass traffic on all those narrow back roads.

you can still pass someone on a bike...even small bikes are relatively quick...you may not have a ton of top end, but they usually get up and go reasonably well...a $12k 600cc class sportbike will likely destroy pretty much every car sub $150k.

I'm not talking about a 600cc crotch rocket, I'm talking about a 300 or lower.

[dirtyjeffer]

I'm not talking about a 600cc crotch rocket, I'm talking about a 300 or lower.

i still wouldn't be that concerned, although the larger engine sized bikes will certainly be quicker...when i had my 250 cc scooter, i never had any issues zipping around most vehicles at legal speeds...yes, Mustang GTs and Z28s beat me, but the scooter beat regular cars with relative ease...now, regular cars are much faster today than they were in the 80s, but i'd guess most 300ish cc bikes would likely be in the range of 8-9 seconds for a 0-60 mph time...but like what was said earlier, the advantage of a larger bike is you are more likely to keep it longer...if you are a bigger guy, it is quite likely you'll tire of a small bike after your first riding season...that's why there are so many for sale every spring and fall...many are purchased by first time riders.

[dkaz]

See and if we lived in BC there is no freaking way I wouldn't be looking at a Vstrom 650 at minimum because of all the hills, turns and such, it would suck to have a small displacement bike you can't pass traffic on all those narrow back roads.

you can still pass someone on a bike...even small bikes are relatively quick...you may not have a ton of top end, but they usually get up and go reasonably well...a $12k 600cc class sportbike will likely destroy pretty much every car sub $150k.

I'm not talking about a 600cc crotch rocket, I'm talking about a 300 or lower.

I've never felt lacking in power on a 300. How slow do you think 300s are? My old CB300F was the slowest in its class and still topped out at 156 km/h with a 0-60 in the 7s. My R3 I've topped out to 181 km/h and the 0-60 is in the high 5s.

300s aren't the most ideal on the QEII and Coquihalla Hwy, they can do it just fine but often at high RPMs with little wind protection. But believe me they're an absolute blast to drive on twisty 2 lane roads. Westside Road in Kelowna which is my favourite road, the speed limit is 60-70 km/h and the real challenge is not going past 99 or 109 km/h or else my bike will get impounded if I'm caught.

There are quite a number of 600cc and litre sport bike riders who have 125cc Groms for bombing around the city on or riding on long before they take their big bikes out in May when it's warm enough that their tires will actually have traction.

[Fobroader]

I'm not talking about a 600cc crotch rocket, I'm talking about a 300 or lower.

i still wouldn't be that concerned, although the larger engine sized bikes will certainly be quicker...when i had my 250 cc scooter, i never had any issues zipping around most vehicles at legal speeds...yes, Mustang GTs and Z28s beat me, but the scooter beat regular cars with relative ease...now, regular cars are much faster today than they were in the 80s, but i'd guess most 300ish cc bikes would likely be in the range of 8-9 seconds for a 0-60 mph time...but like what was said earlier, the advantage of a larger bike is you are more likely to keep it longer...if you are a bigger guy, it is quite likely you'll tire of a small bike after your first riding season...that's why there are so many for sale every spring and fall...many are purchased by first time riders.

Oh the amount of 300, 250 and 125 crotch rockets for sale is ridiculous. All my friends warned of staying away from them as I would lose interest very quickly. I want a learner bike, but not something that I won't want after a month.

[PJungnitsch]

There's a lot of difference in those bikes, ie a Versys 300 makes 40hp compared to my TW200 which makes 16.

The TW200 was great for commuting in Medicine Hat and would be fun in BC, but is a bit small for the Henday. I took it from MH to Lethbridge and back once (16hp!) but it was an experience, especially against the wind going west

If you are going to be commuting to work I'd think ABS might come in useful in our traffic/oily roads. If you are going to be doing road trips on the QE2 then something stable with wind protection is nice when the wind is up and the road is full of semi's

[Arthur Dent]

My TU250X has the same 16hp and I rode it on a 5k kms trip 

[Triple Bob]

See and if we lived in BC there is no freaking way I wouldn't be looking at a Vstrom 650 at minimum because of all the hills, turns and such, it would suck to have a small displacement bike you can't pass traffic on all those narrow back roads.

you can still pass someone on a bike...even small bikes are relatively quick...you may not have a ton of top end, but they usually get up and go reasonably well...a $12k 600cc class sportbike will likely destroy pretty much every car sub $150k.

I'm not talking about a 600cc crotch rocket, I'm talking about a 300 or lower.

I've never felt lacking in power on a 300. How slow do you think 300s are? My old CB300F was the slowest in its class and still topped out at 156 km/h with a 0-60 in the 7s. My R3 I've topped out to 181 km/h and the 0-60 is in the high 5s.

300s aren't the most ideal on the QEII and Coquihalla Hwy, they can do it just fine but often at high RPMs with little wind protection. But believe me they're an absolute blast to drive on twisty 2 lane roads. Westside Road in Kelowna which is my favourite road, the speed limit is 60-70 km/h and the real challenge is not going past 99 or 109 km/h or else my bike will get impounded if I'm caught.

There are quite a number of 600cc and litre sport bike riders who have 125cc Groms for bombing around the city on or riding on long before they take their big bikes out in May when it's warm enough that their tires will actually have traction.

I think you're making the same mistake as I called out earlier, what's right for you vs him.

He wants something he can tour on, maybe take off road, and is a regular sized bloke. 300cc isn't going to do it, and he doesn't want a rev happy sportsbike.

[dkaz]

I think you're making the same mistake as I called out earlier, what's right for you vs him.

He wants something he can tour on, maybe take off road, and is a regular sized bloke. 300cc isn't going to do it, and he doesn't want a rev happy sportsbike.

About a dozen posts up I agreed a 300 wouldn't be ideal for him in Alberta and that was that. But then he argued with me that a 300 is not ideal in BC so I had to argue back. 

[Triple Bob]

I think you're making the same mistake as I called out earlier, what's right for you vs him.

He wants something he can tour on, maybe take off road, and is a regular sized bloke. 300cc isn't going to do it, and he doesn't want a rev happy sportsbike.

About a dozen posts up I agreed a 300 wouldn't be ideal for him in Alberta and that was that. But then he argued with me that a 300 is not ideal in BC so I had to argue back. 

LOL, you made it look like i said that. 

[ktm525]

90% of the time you wants the torques..

[Gurgie]

90% of the time you wants the torques..

Exactly, torque makes you feel fast acceleration... hp makes you go fast 

[Fobroader]

There's a lot of difference in those bikes, ie a Versys 300 makes 40hp compared to my TW200 which makes 16.

The TW200 was great for commuting in Medicine Hat and would be fun in BC, but is a bit small for the Henday. I took it from MH to Lethbridge and back once (16hp!) but it was an experience, especially against the wind going west

If you are going to be commuting to work I'd think ABS might come in useful in our traffic/oily roads. If you are going to be doing road trips on the QE2 then something stable with wind protection is nice when the wind is up and the road is full of semi's

Thats the main reason for not wanting something with some small CCs, the Henday.

[Fobroader]

I already bought a helmet, gloves and boots. What do you guys think of/know of Klim gear?? I was thinking of them for jacket and pants.