Topic: What Motorcycle Have You Been Obsessing About Today?

[rrocket]

It looks very tall, what type of bike is it supposed to be?

Has an RC8 influence.

No idea, dude. Have read many things..nothing concrete. Supposedly a sport touring ADV hybrid.

Who knows...

[dirtyjeffer]

looks like Yamaha has announced a few new bikes.

MT-09 SP



Tracer 9 GT



Super Tenere ES

[Triple Bob]

Man, the FZ/MT-09 was never a looker to begin with, but boy are they making it uglier with every year that passes.

[dirtyjeffer]

Man, the FZ/MT-09 was never a looker to begin with, but boy are they making it uglier with every year that passes.

keep in mind, that's the SP version, but they do have a new headlight design (cyclops style), which i personally don't think looks as good.

here's the regular version:

[Triple Bob]

another review...that sweet triple sound:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4K1SIIwsFSY

I've watched half a dozen reviews now from that ride in Tenerife - they are all pretty much gushing - a few even apologizing for sounding like fanboys.  Is that at all normal for a new bike release?  It sure isn't with cars - but the review culture may be different with bikes - I dunno.

It's just a really good, easy to ride bike.

Most modern bikes are really good these days, you just buy the one you like to look at.

TripleBob's right, I suspect it's just because it really, truly is that great a bike.

As Rrocket mentioned earlier, I had a Street Triple a few years ago and it was definitely, by far the best bike I've had.  I don't often regret selling my toys and moving on to others, but that one I kinda do.  I hadn't even replaced the exhaust on it, but my god, the intake howl when you get into the middle and upper revs was intoxicating.  And there have been very, very few bikes I've ridden that handled like that thing.  It made even a mediocre rider like me look good, it was so easy and willing to go fast into corners.  If my Street Triple had looked as good as the new Triumph, I might not have gotten rid of it. 

Cheers gents. I do love the looks of it.  And the reviews do seem unanimous in describing it as easy to ride, but not boring to ride.  I expect that I'll find no aspect of riding a motorcycle boring, but it's good to know that even seasoned riders found this one fun, if not Street Triple levels of fun.    The whole balanced / forgiving / approachable aspect is definitely comforting to me conceptually as a noob.

OK, my $0.02CAD.

Of all the bikes we've chatted about, I think the Trident would be a great choice. It's light, confidence inspiring, has lots of modern tech, and has an engine with character. Yes you can get cheaper, and or 'more' reliable with a Japanese bike, but personally I don't believe they have the character of this bike. And 'character' in this sense doesn't mean stranded on the side of the road with an oil leak, as per 70's Triumphs.

Gear:
Helmets are a personal choice, find a brand that fits your head and watch some revzilla videos for each specific model. Personally I love Bell and AGV, Arai and Shoei are also excellent. Even through COVID, GP Bikes will let you try helmets on. The one thing I love about Bell is the photochromatic visor, it's so handy in the Summer, I wish every manufacturer had the same tech. When trying them on, it should feel tight, but not rip your ears off when you take it off. I don't think I've ever bought a helmet that was under $500, but you can get some good deals. I think my Bell was reduced from $550 to $300ish.

The Bell Star always goes on sale and is a great helmet: https://fortnine.ca/en/bell-star-dlx-mips-torsion-helmet

Oh and no helmet will protect you from wind noise. I ALWAYS wear earplugs, as you can damage your hearing very easily.

I have a few jackets, two textile and one leather. The leather one can be warm in the Summer, but is also the best all rounder I find. The last time I toured I took that one as it just fits me like a glove, and I also took a couple of additional layers for rain etc. Of the two textile ones I have, one vents very well so is great in warm weather, but gets chilly quickly, the other is the best one I've bought so far, got it this year. It has a ton of zips/mesh to control airflow. You can also get perforated leather which will be cooler than regular. Just remember that if your clothing is perfect for riding, you'll be sweating when you stop, that's just the way it is. If it's the right warmth for standing still, you'll be cold when riding, I've made that mistake a few times. I'd rather be hotter, being cold on a bike sucks and you lose concentration.  All jackets come with basic armour, I usually add a back protector too, which costs extra and is inserted into the lining.

Triumph make some nice jackets (retro style), as do Dainese (more racer fit). https://shop.triumph-motorcycles.ca/jackets/id-MLHS16502/Restore_Brown_Jacket

As for pants, I've tried a few overpant style protection, and never really got on with any of them. Now I just use armoured jeans. The latest tech is very good, but the adddition of kevlar type material does make them hotter than regular jeans, but that's the price. Most have removable knee and/or hip protection. Like everything else, see if you can try these on somewhere, although Fortnine has a great return policy.

These are both good:
https://fortnine.ca/en/klim-k-fifty-2-straight-riding-pants
https://fortnine.ca/en/revit-lombard-2-jeans (I have these)

Gloves, your main connection with the bike and controls. You don't need motoGP style racing gloves with carbon knucle protectors. I would highly recommend Klim or Held for gloves, both very well made, and both very comfortable.
https://www.gpbikes.com/held-emotion-evo-glove
https://www.gpbikes.com/held-desert-glove
https://www.gpbikes.com/klim-marrakesh-gloves

Boots. Go for proper motorcycle boots with good ankle protection. As with gloves, you don't need racing gear, but there is a massive difference in ankle protection between good motorcycle specific boots, and fashionable leather boots.
Something like: https://fortnine.ca/en/alpinestars-ridge-v2-drystar-boots
Not: https://fortnine.ca/en/alpinestars-sektor-shoes
Even these are 100x better than regular boots: https://fortnine.ca/en/tcx-x-blend-waterproof-boots

When it comes to bike gear, everything is a trade off between comfort and protection. Riding is a risky pastime. But the way I see it, less protection can turn a low speed crash into a life changing event, so personally I want to reduce that risk. And also, the more you pay, generally you get more protection AND more comfort/adjustability.

Everyone will have an opinion, but I hope the above helps!

P.S. American sites like Revzilla have a lot of brands with lots of reviews (both video and customer), way more than Canadian sites, so I always use them for research, then buy in Canada. Between Fortnine and GP Bikes you should be able to find what you need.

[Jaeger]

Holy crap Rob - really appreciate you putting the time into all that info! I will read and re-read. I chuckled when I read your helmet list - looks just like the wish list I created earlier today on the GP web site.    They also had a pretty freaking awesome Triumph leather jacket.

[rrocket]

I prefer all my gear to have Level 2 protection/pads. Most decent gear is good for abrasion resistance so impact resistance is what I look for these days. Personal experience bears this out for me.

SHARP is a good research tool for helmet ratings. Basically NHTSA crash testing for helmets.  https://sharp.dft.gov.uk/

[Triple Bob]

Holy crap Rob - really appreciate you putting the time into all that info! I will read and re-read. I chuckled when I read your helmet list - looks just like the wish list I created earlier today on the GP web site.    They also had a pretty freaking awesome Triumph leather jacket.

No probs! That jacket looks great!

[dirtyjeffer]

Holy crap Rob - really appreciate you putting the time into all that info! I will read and re-read. I chuckled when I read your helmet list - looks just like the wish list I created earlier today on the GP web site.    They also had a pretty freaking awesome Triumph leather jacket.

that jacket does look solid (i assume it's a decent jacket as i doubt Triumph would sell a pretty, but useless motorcycle jacket)...Rob's got lots of good points (and Ron's suggestion about impact is good too, since abrasion is likely more important the higher the speeds, which we'll assume you'll be responsible enough to keep in check).

when i started riding, i had a basic Shoei helmet (have a basic HJC now) and if i were to buy another bike, i'd get a new helmet (they are much better now, and my helmets were relatively basic ones)...some of the more expensive ones get lighter too, which is nice (but they can get pretty pricey)...looking at all the gear can get pretty intimidating, but it is a good idea to invest in stuff...i never had pants, boots or protective gloves (leather riding gloves, but no impact protection) and i never needed it (in that, i didn't go down and regret it)...but that's the thing, it only takes one incident to make you regret it (Sir 'O wiped out on his ride home from picking up his bike and i think he dislocated his shoulder?)...you can't make yourself immune to damage, so you still need to be careful, aware and smart when you ride, but having good gear truly is worth it's weight in gold...especially now that we're all older...we're not as indestructible as we were when we were 20. 

regarding the bike, i think it looks to be a fantastic bike and definitely should be a top contender in this category of bike...if i were buying, i'd have a serious look at it too for all the same reasons Rob mentioned...one of the biggest is the ease of riding it...i'm not a first time rider, but i have no interest in 300 km/hr supersport bikes, and while i do like cruisers, they are typically "slow" and heavy...the Trident seems to be a decent beginner/novice bike, that provides enough sportiness to be fun, but still tuned to be easy to ride around town...it's also not overly expensive and the engine size isn't too huge so insurance and running costs shouldn't be too bad (although, we do get boned for insurance rates on bikes here)...plus it looks good (let's be honest, that counts for something too)...you can also get a few accessories if you want (heated grips would interest me) and things like protection accessories (sliders, etc) can help prevent/minimize minor scrapes and dents if you do put it down (low speed drops, won't save the bike if you ghost ride it into the back of a dump truck).

[blur911]

Helmets are a personal choice, find a brand that fits your head and watch some revzilla videos for each specific model. Personally I love Bell and AGV, Arai and Shoei are also excellent. Even through COVID, GP Bikes will let you try helmets on. The one thing I love about Bell is the photochromatic visor, it's so handy in the Summer, I wish every manufacturer had the same tech. When trying them on, it should feel tight, but not rip your ears off when you take it off. I don't think I've ever bought a helmet that was under $500, but you can get some good deals. I think my Bell was reduced from $550 to $300ish.

The Bell Star always goes on sale and is a great helmet: https://fortnine.ca/en/bell-star-dlx-mips-torsion-helmet

Oh and no helmet will protect you from wind noise. I ALWAYS wear earplugs, as you can damage your hearing very easily.

Perhaps consider a modular helmet (flip-up),   handy for communicating, scratching your nose, having a drink,  etc.

https://fortnine.ca/en/agv-sportmodular-carbon-stripes-helmet

This is also handy if trying on helmets, or if it's cold.
https://fortnine.ca/en/gears-coolmax-balaclava

Last helmet I bought is an LS2 dirt bike helmet, it's not bad for the price and actually Snell rated.

[Jaeger]

Holy crap Rob - really appreciate you putting the time into all that info! I will read and re-read. I chuckled when I read your helmet list - looks just like the wish list I created earlier today on the GP web site.    They also had a pretty freaking awesome Triumph leather jacket.

that jacket does look solid (i assume it's a decent jacket as i doubt Triumph would sell a pretty, but useless motorcycle jacket)...Rob's got lots of good points (and Ron's suggestion about impact is good too, since abrasion is likely more important the higher the speeds, which we'll assume you'll be responsible enough to keep in check).

when i started riding, i had a basic Shoei helmet (have a basic HJC now) and if i were to buy another bike, i'd get a new helmet (they are much better now, and my helmets were relatively basic ones)...some of the more expensive ones get lighter too, which is nice (but they can get pretty pricey)...looking at all the gear can get pretty intimidating, but it is a good idea to invest in stuff...i never had pants, boots or protective gloves (leather riding gloves, but no impact protection) and i never needed it (in that, i didn't go down and regret it)...but that's the thing, it only takes one incident to make you regret it (Sir 'O wiped out on his ride home from picking up his bike and i think he dislocated his shoulder?)...you can't make yourself immune to damage, so you still need to be careful, aware and smart when you ride, but having good gear truly is worth it's weight in gold...especially now that we're all older...we're not as indestructible as we were when we were 20. 

regarding the bike, i think it looks to be a fantastic bike and definitely should be a top contender in this category of bike...if i were buying, i'd have a serious look at it too for all the same reasons Rob mentioned...one of the biggest is the ease of riding it...i'm not a first time rider, but i have no interest in 300 km/hr supersport bikes, and while i do like cruisers, they are typically "slow" and heavy...the Trident seems to be a decent beginner/novice bike, that provides enough sportiness to be fun, but still tuned to be easy to ride around town...it's also not overly expensive and the engine size isn't too huge so insurance and running costs shouldn't be too bad (although, we do get boned for insurance rates on bikes here)...plus it looks good (let's be honest, that counts for something too)...you can also get a few accessories if you want (heated grips would interest me) and things like protection accessories (sliders, etc) can help prevent/minimize minor scrapes and dents if you do put it down (low speed drops, won't save the bike if you ghost ride it into the back of a dump truck).

Much appreciated.     I absolutely agree that the bike has to look good as a starting point.  By far not the most important factor but I'm not going to buy a bike that looks fugly to me.

I was chatting with Rob today about accessories that make sense and those that don't. He convinced me that frame sliders make sense.

[Jaeger]

Helmets are a personal choice, find a brand that fits your head and watch some revzilla videos for each specific model. Personally I love Bell and AGV, Arai and Shoei are also excellent. Even through COVID, GP Bikes will let you try helmets on. The one thing I love about Bell is the photochromatic visor, it's so handy in the Summer, I wish every manufacturer had the same tech. When trying them on, it should feel tight, but not rip your ears off when you take it off. I don't think I've ever bought a helmet that was under $500, but you can get some good deals. I think my Bell was reduced from $550 to $300ish.

The Bell Star always goes on sale and is a great helmet: https://fortnine.ca/en/bell-star-dlx-mips-torsion-helmet

Oh and no helmet will protect you from wind noise. I ALWAYS wear earplugs, as you can damage your hearing very easily.

Perhaps consider a modular helmet (flip-up),   handy for communicating, scratching your nose, having a drink,  etc.

https://fortnine.ca/en/agv-sportmodular-carbon-stripes-helmet

This is also handy if trying on helmets, or if it's cold.
https://fortnine.ca/en/gears-coolmax-balaclava

Last helmet I bought is an LS2 dirt bike helmet, it's not bad for the price and actually Snell rated.

I've seen a few modular helmets that I like and one or two were favorably reviewed by fortnine. They do seem a bit bulkier overall than full face helmets though.

[PJungnitsch]

Count me as one against leather jackets. They look cool, and they do work (I crossed the country in one), but they have a combination of being hot in the summer while also not being waterproof, both of which are a PITA

Prefer a good mesh jacket with quality armour for running around town or hot weather. For touring a quality waterproof fabric type like Aerostich is useful as you don't have to stop and throw on a rainsuit at every shower on the horizon

Whatever jacket you have, if it's a hard impact only an airbag will make a huge difference

Like armoured jeans, have the advantages/disadvantages of mesh (light, not too warm, will actually wear, but...good for one major fall). Always a useful safety thing if they zip together to whatever jacket you have

Modular helmets are especially nice if you ride with glasses as you don't have to thread the arms. Integral sunshields are a useful helmet feature too

[rrocket]

Whatever jacket you have, if it's a hard impact only an airbag will make a huge difference

Disagree with that 100 percent with data to prove.

Some armor is superior to airbags. A level 4 back protector is superior to most any airbag on the market. Most airbags are Level 2. And some aren't even that.

The data is out there...you can see for yourself.

Fortunately, European gear manufacturers seem to take this stuff much more seriously than North American manufacturers with real data and real standardized testing.

I'll say it again...minimum safety rating on any gear should be ECE Level 2

As for airbags, I still prefer the Hit-Air. One of the few that provides neck stabilizing.

[PJungnitsch]

The data is out there...you can see for yourself.

Link? Doesn't seem to be easily findable

[rrocket]

The data is out there...you can see for yourself.

Link? Doesn't seem to be easily findable

Give me a few.

Yes, sadly it's not always readily found.

But it IS usually on the label of the garment itself (if it's a Euro garment).

Any specific airbag you want me to dig around for?

[PJungnitsch]

comparison studies airbag vs back protector would be great, whatever airbag

When I had my last accident I crushed my chest so hard I could hardly breath or move for a couple days, never mind the broken shoulder blade/ribs/collarbone

I had full aerostich armour with back protector at the time, always thought an inch or two of airbag would have been worth more than a 1/4 inch of back armour, no matter how good

That being said, I did have a Forcefield back protector plus the Hit-air airbag vest after

[rrocket]

comparison studies airbag vs back protector would be great, whatever airbag

When I had my last accident I crushed my chest so hard I could hardly breath or move for a couple days, never mind the broken shoulder blade/ribs/collarbone

I had full aerostich armour with back protector at the time, always thought an inch or two of airbag would have been worth more than a 1/4 inch of back armour, no matter how good

That being said, I did have a Forcefield back protector plus the Hit-air airbag vest after

They won't have a comparison study vs. a specific garment. They just rate them for force transmitted in a lab test with a contraption that has an anvil. I'm sure you've seen similar test with helmets and other gear.

Garments with armor are either Level 1 or Level 2. Unless stated, many jackets come with cheap Level 1 (basically foam). Better jackets come with the newest reactive cell armor which is Level 2. Breathable and very light. Pliable too..after a couple minutes it molds to your back/hip/elbow/shoulder/whatever.

The standards that cover airbag vest specifically is EN 1621-4:2013 (FWIW, regular chest and spine armor is EN 1621-2) And that will be Level 1 or Level 2 certification. Level 2 is preferred.

Level 2 is below 9kN and nothing above 12kN.


My "good" Forcefield back armor was under 4kN.

But I typically ride with FULL chest, rib, shoulder and back Level 2 (Forcefield Extreme Harness)

My most painful injury was taking a handlebar and in the rib. Man...that really, really, REALLY hurt. But I'm not sure an airbag vest would have prevented that injury?

But I agree with you. It seems like the "bounce" an airbag provides would reduce some of the initial shock. I'm definitely a believer in them.

Some airbag manufacturers say you don't need to wear additional back armor with a vest...though like you...I'd feel a bit naked without it.

Sounds like your current set up is about as safe as one could be for most any situation.

I'm sure it's a mental bridge for me...but I don't "trust" the tetherless air bags.  What about you?

Oh..And as I've gotten older with much slower healing I tend to care more about protection these days. Especially off road and supermoto...where a spill is the norm.

[PJungnitsch]

I'm sure it's a mental bridge for me...but I don't "trust" the tetherless air bags.  What about you?

Would sure be nice if they work, the tether is a bit of a pain in the butt.

This one seemed to work (the slow mo is quite something)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwa_xQXiRBQ&feature=emb_err_woyt

As did this one on the street:

https://www.motorcycle.com/editorial-2/why-ill-never-ride-without-a-motorcycle-airbag-again.html

[TheHire]

My dad grew up in India in the 1960s-1970s and lusts after the Royal Enfields. I've been sort of toying with the idea of picking one up.

It's been a year or two since I was on a bike; I think the last one I reviewed was the BMW RnineT Scrambler.