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44MPG, Convertible, $3850, 14.5 in the quarter mile

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snooper2 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-06-08 02:30 PM
Original message
44MPG, Convertible, $3850, 14.5 in the quarter mile
fuck the oil companies... :)





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endarkenment Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-06-08 02:31 PM
Response to Original message
1. Riding in winter sucks
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Squatch Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-06-08 03:10 PM
Response to Reply #1
13. Only for pussies.
:evilgrin:

I was lucky enough to ride nearly every day this winter in DC. I just get bundled up, throw my iPod on, and roll.

When I started seeing more super-shiny bikes hit the roads with me a couple months ago when the weather started getting nice, I looked at my trusty, war-torn Suzuki and gave it a mental "thumbs up".
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snooper2 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-06-08 03:42 PM
Response to Reply #13
17. The politically correct term is:
fair weather riders :)

or, you can use pussy :rofl:

I had to ride for a whole winter in Missouri from DeSoto to St.Louis 60-miles in snow, rain everything as I was poor and couldn't get my car running. Did that on a 79' 750F super sport with the huge fairing...
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Squatch Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-06-08 03:46 PM
Response to Reply #17
18. Salute to you, my two-wheeled brother!
:patriot:
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endarkenment Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-06-08 03:50 PM
Response to Reply #13
19. what you have in DC is not 'winter'
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OwnedByFerrets Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-06-08 02:33 PM
Response to Original message
2. What is it....not many new bikes out there for 3850 unless
they are too small to carry my big butt.:evilgrin:
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snooper2 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-06-08 02:40 PM
Response to Reply #2
5. not a picture of mine, but identical...
I got a Yamaha 650-Vstar classic 2003 model with 7700 miles for $3850 last September...

Has a very wide seat for larger bottoms :)
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deadmessengers Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-06-08 02:34 PM
Response to Original message
3. And fat chance getting life insurance. n/t
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Mountainman Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-06-08 02:40 PM
Response to Original message
4. I don't know of any bike for $3,850.
Edited on Tue May-06-08 02:42 PM by Mountainman
Most people should not ride motorcycles and I have been riding for 25 years. They will more than likely kill themselves if they don't have the reflexes and ability to make snap decisions.

My Kawasaki Mean Streak cost $10,900 in 2003. Best bike I ever had. I have 28,000 miles on it.
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snooper2 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-06-08 02:42 PM
Response to Reply #4
7. see post 5
I would think about half the population can ride a bike safely. I know some folks who I never would have thought can ride, but took the training classes and do just fine.
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melm00se Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-06-08 02:58 PM
Response to Reply #4
9. Ninja 250
will carry most adults (even me at my heaviest - 6'2" and 310 pounds - I tested one for a neighbor who was looking buy a used one) and it runs for $3499 and gets outstanding gas mileage. In fact, unless the rider is in the football lineman or college basketball size or larger range, most bikes will fit.

American bikers, as a general rule, have displacement envy. it wasn't too overly long ago that a "big" bike was a 1200cc and a regular sized bike was in the 500-800cc range. If you look at the mainstream offerings in Europe and the Far East you see lots of sub 800cc bikes and they seem to work fine.

I do agree that a lot of people shouldn't be on bikes, especially heavyweight cruisers and the high performance sport bikes, but most standards and all 250's, with a mature hand on the throttle, will do quite nicely for a lot of people.

The biggest concern out there is not the rider, but the cager: yakking it up on the cell phone, drinking their latte and plain old flat out not paying attention. if more people had to hope on a bike to do things, they'd be a hell of a lot more careful in their cage.

As to riding in the winter: unless there is snow or ice on the ground, if you dress warmly, you are fine. The last time I was in London (late winter - it snowed on a few days), scooters and bikes were all over the place.

Insurance can be daunting but if more folks rode, the risk would be spread wider and more insurance companies would get into the game, driving down costs.
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snooper2 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-06-08 03:39 PM
Response to Reply #9
16. Those get like 60 MPG as well...
Great bikes...really good around city. not good for over 80 miles or so...ass hurts!
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CRF450 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-06-08 07:53 PM
Response to Reply #9
35. A friend of mine let me ride his Ninja 250
It was way underpowered for my liking but it was still a fun bike to ride. The Ninja 500 I believe gets a little bit less mpg, but MUCH better on power delivery. I'd like to get a Yamaha R6 but I just bought a new dirtbike reciently, so street riding on two wheels will have to wait a while.
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DS1 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-06-08 02:41 PM
Response to Original message
6. I'd rather live the entire mile
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IronLionZion Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-06-08 02:43 PM
Response to Original message
8. donor cycles
lots of life-saving organs harvested from motorcyclists.
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SoCalDem Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-06-08 03:53 PM
Response to Reply #8
20. Young healthy livers, kidneys & hearts
:(
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lumberjack_jeff Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-06-08 03:05 PM
Response to Original message
10. That's great.
... so where do the groceries go?

j/k

Here's mine.


No room for groceries on it either. That's why this 25 year old bike only has 15k miles.
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melm00se Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-06-08 03:09 PM
Response to Reply #10
12. bungee cord
a milk crate on on the bitc..err..passenger seat.
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snooper2 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-06-08 03:36 PM
Response to Reply #12
15. yep
bungee cords are your friend.. :)

I've got the brackets for saddle bags but haven't shelled out the $275 for them yet...
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melm00se Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-06-08 06:00 PM
Response to Reply #15
29. $275 for bags?
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Occulus Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-06-08 03:08 PM
Response to Original message
11. Ah, a murdercycle.
Thank you, but I don't think I'll be riding one of those anytime soon.
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Sundoggy Donating Member (489 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-06-08 03:55 PM
Response to Reply #11
22. Check this out
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snooper2 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-06-08 04:24 PM
Response to Reply #22
25. That is bad - ass...
you can order them already?



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Sundoggy Donating Member (489 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-06-08 04:27 PM
Response to Reply #25
26. Yes - even used ones on Ebay n/t
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snooper2 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-06-08 04:30 PM
Response to Reply #26
27. Well, thanks!
I know what I am doing on May 30th, they have an open road test at North Texas Yamaha :)
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Sundoggy Donating Member (489 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-06-08 04:31 PM
Response to Reply #27
28. Not a problem
See you on the road.
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melm00se Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-06-08 06:01 PM
Response to Reply #27
30. i am hitting that
demo ride in Myrtle beach this weekend
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Occulus Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-06-08 06:06 PM
Response to Reply #22
32. Huh.
Interesting. I'll have to look at that site in detail.
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melm00se Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-06-08 03:21 PM
Response to Original message
14. one final thought
I have been riding for 23 years and as of the last time I ran the numbers I have north of 500K miles under my belt. To date, I have had 1 wreck (truck stopped short to miss a kid and I had to go off road to miss him and high sided - leathers, gloves and a helmet all eared their pay that day)
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KG Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-06-08 03:53 PM
Response to Original message
21. i prefer music and air conditioning.
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Dr.Phool Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-06-08 03:59 PM
Response to Original message
23. My Prius gets better mileage than my '97 Harley.
But, the Hawg's a lot more fun!
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spinbaby Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-06-08 08:20 PM
Response to Reply #23
36. Mine, too
And it's much safer than a Harley. On a side note, I was at our Toyota dealer today and they said they'd sold their entire monthly allotment of Prius (Priuses?) before they even came in.
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hootinholler Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-06-08 04:22 PM
Response to Original message
24. NOT a convertable! n/t
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CRF450 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-06-08 06:04 PM
Response to Original message
31. My car does low 13's in 1/4 mile
Edited on Tue May-06-08 06:07 PM by CRF450
But gets half the fuel milage. Now, crotch rocket bikes are soo much faster and also get around 40 to 50mpg.

Oh yeah, my dirtbike gets around 30mpg

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Frank Cannon Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-06-08 06:08 PM
Response to Original message
33. I literally saw a motorcyclist's head spill open the freeway
I honestly don't know if he was wearing a helmet or not, since I was behind him about a hundred yards and in the far left lane, but I was glancing at him when he dumped his bike (for whatever reason) and I saw the region of his head exploding into a red spray.

I won't go near one of these things. I know there are a million ways to die, but this is really not my preferred way to go.
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Spike89 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-06-08 06:16 PM
Response to Original message
34. That's my bike, sorta
Bought a brand new 2007 VStar 650 just like in the picture this past January, except red for $5,100. Got some $50 saddlebags from Jafrum online and have no problem hauling groceries (unless I try and shop Costco!) I get about 45 mpg, got a windshield so I could ride in the rain more comfortably, and only pay $8.25 a month in insurance.

Now my wife, who's never riden, wants to get a cruiser or larger scooter. I've been riding since I was 13 (legally once I turned 16). Ride aware and keep your bike in good shape and they aren't that dangerous for an experienced rider...but surviving the learning curve is the challenge. Anyone have advice beyond sending my wife to a weekend riding school (which we're doing this month?)

Btw - winter riding is ok, if you can afford good gear...riding in real snow or ice is just silly.
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Freddie Stubbs Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-06-08 08:26 PM
Response to Original message
37. Dr. Ilizarov thinks that's funny
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texastoast Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue May-06-08 10:57 PM
Response to Original message
38. Pussy here finding a different way to fuck the oil companies
I'm looking forward to one of these.

"TH!NK city demands very little of you. In fact, not much more than a mobile phone. Just an overnight power top-up, and it’s ready to go in the morning. It can travel up to 200 kilometres (124 miles) in city driving on a fully charged battery, with a top speed of 100km/h. It is fun, clean and simple."

http://www.think.no/var/think/storage/images/press-pictures/picture-gallery/photos/th!nk-i-city-i/th!nk-city-2/2336-8-eng-GB/TH!NK-city-2_imagelarge.gif



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