Recently made a 17 day trip in the Himalayas. Three riders, all on Himalayan 450. Bikes were awesome. Really made for the terrain.

As the photos demonstrate, we had the perfect weather. Just an hour of monsoon rain as we approached Shimla was enough to get the flavour

Seasonally light rains blessed us with conditions that enabled us to tackle further reaches of altitude and remote gravel

The Sach Pass was a particular highlight, as was the loop from Kaza to Komic and Demul. Few other vehicles, full gravel and epic scenery. Hard to beat as riding days go

The Spiti Valley is often called ‘Little Tibet’ and with good reason. Buddhism is the prevailing way of living and it makes for a genuinely beautiful experience

For my part this is one of the finest trips I’ve ever made. As Peter generously described the tour: ‘a home run’

I’ll take that

Happy to share the route if there’s interest

This is just a reminder to everyone.

In the US, half of multi-vehicle motorcycle incidents that result in a fatality for the rider are due to a car turning left (their left, across your lane) without seeing you. Always be expecting this to happen at intersections and have a plan for dealing with it even if it appears as if the driver is staring directly at you.

The reasons why this happens have to do with how the brain optimizes repetitive tasks and how our eyes move left to right. A person in a car can stare directly at you and not actually "see" you because the brain becomes habituated to scanning for larger vehicles. Our eyes also move in jumping motions when scanning, called saccades, and one jump to the next jump can be enough to fully pass over the thinner profile of a motorcycle.

One of the best ways to ride safer is to try to remain close to other cars when riding through intersections (the turning vehicle may not see you, but they will see the car you are next to). Simply slowing down a little more at intersections, especially if a car is waiting to turn across your lane, can be effective as well.

Outside of going wide in a curve, this is the most likely reason to lose your life on a motorbike.

NHTSA Motorcycle Accident Data

It kicks over as it should, feels like it has good compression, but zero chance it will start without some work. It was sitting in my dad's shed for the last 30 years and has some rust. He got it as a project bike but his Harleys had his interest. My mom wants to get his old shed cleaned out but thought I'd post here as a goodbye.

Recently did the math on all the gear I've purchased since I started riding a few months ago and it all adds up to almost $3000. A lot of that was for safety related apparel like my helmet and my airbag backpack, and I do feel like it's all high quality stuff that's worth the price. Still, a part of me wonders if maybe I shouldn't have gone out and spent this much. It's not like I can't afford it, but it almost feels... reckless? How much did you guys spend on gear when you started out?

I was given this bike bv a familv friend, had a title, but wasn't running and had so manv problems its hard to even rember. Main ones were, carbs clogged, one wasn't fillina. broken carb float. no breaks, broken master cylinder/front reservoir, 9in stretch, dentec front and rear wheel. horrible chain, and the vaulves were out of spec. And had a carb fire ar one point so burnt eletrical. However. has less than 18k miles. and had good comprehension on all four cylinders, and it was free. So 4 months latter and 2.5 arand I have this. This is my second bike, and first ever full frame off restoration so I probably made some mistakes but I am incredibly happy with the results. Stil waiting on a pair of wheels at a paint shop, and a master link tool which is whv the chain is so slack. and the current rims are still dented and crapy. I dic use a clip master link for a bit, and the motor ran areat on all cvlinders, had no issues after about a week.

I attended a BMW Motorrad even at Barber Motorsports Park near Birmingham this past weekend. For those who haven't been, it's an outstanding track called the "Augusta National of motorsports tracks" because of its beautiful rolling hills. The event included a vintage race for bikes of all makes and lots of vendors and bike displays. BMW, Triumph, the big 3, and others had very large bike displays and demo rides.

What sets the track apart is the Barber Motorcycle Museum, which is right next to the course. Over 1,000 motorcycles on display and another several hundred in storage. Largest motorcycle museum in the world covering 5 floors. Absolutely incredible if you're a bike fan. Because we had BMW VIP tickets, we got to attend a night in the museum event that included drinks, food, and the run of the museum. They have an on-site restoration facility. A huge majority of the bikes run. They have some bikes that are irreplaceable. Also the icons of past days - Yamaha TZ750s, Honda RC30s and RC45s, Britten Grand Prix bike. Anything you can imagine.

I highly recommend seeing it in your lifetime. Some pics attached. Cheers!

Has anyone here learned to ride a motorcycle before a car? I’m trying to get my license for my motorcycle because I don’t have a car nor anyone to teach me how to. Is it recommended to know how to drive a car before hopping on a motorcycle?

For some context I was in line at the store today and got to hear a massive scream fest between a mom and what looked to be a 16 to 17 year old. Essentially it ended with I hate you and whatever lol . From somebody whose dad road most of his life and whose mom repeatedly said I could never own one, I told her that I'd be buying one with my own money got hit with "not under my roof"and said that I'll move out at 18. I later came back and said do you want to have two years of me riding where you can see how I act or just not know when I've moved out. Ended up getting one at 17 with my own money on my birthday. I won't lie I didn't go past a permit for a few years so I was extra careful since I couldn't afford to get pulled over. But 9 years into riding I still am careful because I know there's no recovering after a 160mph crash in a way that's worth it. And people just don't see you when you're on a bike a lot of the time. Also I'll be damned if the last thing I see is the coexist sticker on the back of some bottle blondes Kia soul. Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

Thanks everyone for your advice!

I'm absolutely loving it so far. Such a beautiful bike, and riding it is an absolute pleasure.

And while I still have my Royal Enfield Classic 350, I couldn't resist taking a photo of these two beauties together before the Royal finds its new owner.

Just wanted to share a little bit of my excitement! :)

Hi all,

I'm currently debating taking my R3 to college with me. I already started at my school, but since they don't offer parking permits to first years, I didn't bring it. I'm would be riding from Washington to California, so excited about the riding weather & lane filtering!

Now, I have a upperclassmen friend who's willing to store it in their garage for $50/month. I would love to have it down here but the real issue is the commute. It's a 850 mile drive from me to my college. My bike is a 2021 R3 with 3600 miles on it. I would be basically adding 20% to the odometer every ride there or back, not to mention the 13 hour drive on a r3. I'm kind of planning on upgrading, so I don't really want to devalue the bike that much.

My parents may be able to drive down with a trailer sometime when they visit, but that might not be for a while. I also considered shipping it, but it would be 20% of the bikes value to ship.

What would be the best way to go here? Try to find someone making the same commute with space for a bike? Don't bring it at all?

So I kind of have a love/hate relationship with the engine braking on my bike (For the record I am a fairly new rider with about 4 months experience).

On the one hand I feel like I would like as little engine braking as possible in first gear because of how severe it is and how it must make slow speed manoeuvres with the clutch a lot smoother if the engine just gradually rolls off.

But on the other side of the coin I am something of a fan of using engine braking over the brakes at higher speed to slow down.

So really my question is, those of you whose bikes offer the ability to configure your engine braking to be more/less severe, what do you set it to and why do you think that's better?

Edit: For those confused, I am talking about the electronic engine management units many more modern bikes have that allow you to have configure how powerful (Or not) the bikes engine braking is. This is independent of the gears, clutch or clutch control.

Picked up a Navi for the wife to ride around at the camps. It’s on like donkey Kong.

After 10 years of honorable service, my $80 Pakistani saddlebags, which were only supposed to last one season, have finally decided to retire.

Naturally, I took this as an excuse to spend a bit more on their replacement. What do you reckon — a worthy upgrade, or have I officially lost the plot?

( after and before)

Hello guys,

Im sure there’s been a couple of posts like these, but for a first bike without motorcycle driver license so I can only ride up to 125cc in my country, I’m about to buy a Honda CBR125 used.

What tips should I know, what should I consider, how many km/miles should be a No buy?
Also, when seeing the bike for first time, what should I ask to see or try?
Or the most common issues you’ve found?

I really like the newish style of the CBR125 so I would buy bikes from 2020 onwards.
I’m really excited to get into motorcycle world!

If there’s any hints please I’m all ears.
Thank you all 🫂

So i have my bike its a 2010 Yamaha 950 v star and i had recently got my bike into running condition and it dawned on me me its been over a year since i changed the oil on her and i feel bad about it because she been sitting for too long and when i rode her i pushed as hard as the motor would let me some times
But to the main question is what oil should i use for vegas area i know it takes 10w40 and my dad used 10w50 before he gave me the bike is there any good oil i can use that can give it a fighting change from the abuse its been taking

So since it’s drawing to that time of year I’m wondering what cover yall would reccomend for winterizing. I know there are many options depending on how you store the bike and I’m not tryna get one that ends up being crap.
DETAILS:
- 2023 ninja 400
- will be stored in a garage(garage isn’t heated if that matters)
- will be put on a rear stand maybe a front one also

So, im getting ready for a trip, about 600 miles total over 2 days. Mountain trip. Anyone that has run this tire. Would I be able to get those 600 miles without issues? I’ve seen mixed reviews about tire mileage between 1500 (aggressive - track) and 3000 for some commuters. The 2k miles on this tire have been mostly getting familiar with the new bike plus some aggressive backroads.
Bike: Aprilia Tuono v4

I might be able to get the tire replaced tomorrow if need be but there’s a slight chance I might take my other bike due to the weather. Just wanted to see if anyone has experience with this tire and how far I might be from the white section to start showing

TIA

Over the weekend i had gone riding and noticed the throttle completely cutting out in the higher rpm range after the bike was hot. When I stopped, there was a small amount of coolant coming from the overflow. I let the bike rest so I could ride home with no issues on the way back, went out again the next day and the same symptoms showed.

So far I have checked the water pump, it seems to be fine. Have gutted the thermostat and put in new coolant as well as checked spark plug condition. (There is no bubbling in coolant or smoke from exhaust)

I just wanted to see from the community if there is any additional recommendations on what to do / check to identify the cause as I'm fairly handy but not a mechanic.

I have a gen 4 mt-09 and recently noticed that I can feel a high frequency pulsating/tapping in handlebars when decelerating in 4th gear below 4k rpms.

It stops if I pull in the clutch, upshift, or downshift. Also goes away above 4k and below 3k rpms. Is this something I should be worried about? Early sign of something wrong or just engine characteristic/resonance? Chain slack and wheel alignment seem fine. Bike only has 5k miles on it.

I was just looking at my workshop manual, in the service intervals, and noticed I should be replacing my brake lines every four years. My bike is a 2016 SV650, and on the back brake hose in white writing I see the number "2016", which leads me to believe they are the original.

I'd like to replace them with some braided lines, but something close to stock is fine.

Ive been Googleing "2016 SV650 brake lines", and "Gen 3 SV650 brake lines", but not much is comming up that fills me with confidence.

Im not sure if there isn't much to find, or if I need to know the lengths of the hose and buy the four individual hose, or if I go to a internet sight order them, or I need to make them myself. I feel like I'm missing something very simple, can anyone help?

I’ve been riding for a bit over 2 years now, and I’m hoping to get a track day in before the winter (I ride year round but learning on cold road in the frigid weather is probably not for me). None of the gear I daily is track ready except for my gloves and airbag, so my bank account has been getting rinsed lately. I’m looking for a random beater pit bike to get around and just mess around on between heats, could be a pocket bike because it will literally never see a road other than maybe the one I live on (dead end). I see the random 300 dollar ones online, but I’m looking for recommendations that anyone has for one that will actually run with an adult on it (I’m 5’8 145 lbs) that I won’t have to shrimp pose on.