Bandit Alley

GENERAL MOTORCYCLE FORUMS => GENERAL MOTORCYCLE => Topic started by: stormi on March 22, 2018, 03:18:01 AM

Title: As David Bowie said: bike “Ch-ch-changes”
Post by: stormi on March 22, 2018, 03:18:01 AM
Well, the KTM 200 is going. Last summer we had an “incident” that cemented the decision to move to a smaller dirt bike again.  After seeing a young guy ruin thousands of $ in braces / dental work hitting the cross bar on his bike, I rode for about 20 mins before a jump bested me (arms “buckled” and I pitched forward) and I felt the chin bar of my helmet hit the cross bar of my ktm.  While that’s disconcerting to say the least, the fact that my brain went “oh yeah, that happens” bothered me more.  It really bothered Ryan so this year the Kaboom is for sale and we already have a Husky TC85 on the bench waiting for its 105 kit and big wheels.  Ryan swears to me that this won’t be slower or “screamy” in the extreme.

Of course that got me thinking - I dropped the vfr twice last year - once at a stop and once in a low speed U-turn and undid some of my confidence.  Add to that a somewhat goobered right wing (rotator cuff issues)  and the 550lbs of baby cow, er...vfr is getting to be a lot for everyday riding.

Soooo, this weekend, we’re due to look at a 2018 Yamaha R3 and a 2017 KTM RC390 side by side   Anyone here have any experience with either of these? There’s talk of race school and track days and I want something I can do shorter scoots on that won’t always win in a battle of wills.  Having sat on both, I might not even have to lower either of them to fit my short @ss and they feel SO light! I won’t get rid of the vfr, I can’t see wanting  to ride either of those bikes to Jasper for instance, so the vfr will still see use.
Title: Re: As David Bowie said: bike “Ch-ch-changes”
Post by: interfuse on March 22, 2018, 09:30:20 PM
Writen like someone with a motorcycle problem.  :motorsmile:
Title: Re: As David Bowie said: bike “Ch-ch-changes”
Post by: stormi on March 22, 2018, 11:33:20 PM
Writen like someone with a motorcycle problem.  :motorsmile:

LOL! You're not kidding!

*stands up*  Uhm... Hi!  I'm stormi (real name concealed to protect the guilty) and I have a motorcycle addiction... and an apparent fear of heights.
Title: Re: As David Bowie said: bike “Ch-ch-changes”
Post by: stormi on April 03, 2018, 02:27:10 AM
We opted for the KTM. :)  It came home on Saturday - and we still have a "few" feet of snow.  I. Can't. Wait.
Ryan has us scheduled for "performance riding school" this summer and I need to get the bike past its first 1000 kms and first service first.
Gonna be a busy summer.
Title: Re: As David Bowie said: bike “Ch-ch-changes”
Post by: interfuse on April 05, 2018, 07:13:20 PM
Looks like a great little bike.  :congrats:
Title: Re: As David Bowie said: bike “Ch-ch-changes”
Post by: stormi on April 10, 2018, 05:25:49 PM
Thanks!  I can't wait for the snow to go away so I can do something more than start it up to hear it.  LOL!
Title: Re: As David Bowie said: bike “Ch-ch-changes”
Post by: stormi on September 01, 2018, 03:51:18 AM
Ride report: 

Lol!  O.m.g.  What a fun little bike!  It’s at about 1100kms now and almost 10% of that was a track day / performance riding class 2 weekends ago.   I might be hooked - don’t tell r_outsider!  And, if I’d been braver - I’d even have managed to pass that r6 in the corners (only to be passed back in the straights....)

I’ve seen the pics and it wasn’t all that impressive but there sure was a lot of grinning (when I wasn’t hollering in fear!) in my helmet.   Apparently I thought some grass needed mowing in one particular corner though, so I’m going to need some more practice. ;)
Title: Re: As David Bowie said: bike “Ch-ch-changes”
Post by: interfuse on September 06, 2018, 10:26:31 PM
Oh that does sound like fun. I'd imagine it would be addictive.

I tore a tendon in my forearm in April and haven't been able to ride. :banghead:  I think its mostly healed now so I'm hoping to get out in the fall.
Title: Re: As David Bowie said: bike “Ch-ch-changes”
Post by: stormi on September 07, 2018, 02:21:33 AM
It definitely is addictive.  You learn how to handle the bike instead of it handling you - which is a problem sometimes for me because of my stature - especially on the VFR. The notion of fairly safe high speed riding that doesn’t earn you points on your license doesn’t suck either....

Ouch! Hopefully you are completely healed - don’t rush it though.  It will mean even more recovery time if you re-injure it.   I goobered my rotator cuff last year, and it took almost a year and a cortisone injection.  It’s still not 100% but I can finally take off a hoodie that doesn’t zip open again.  Before, I needed help getting it over my head.  :roll: Strangely, riding didn’t hurt it much because leaning into the bars supported it, whereas it was dangling sorts of positions that really set it off.