knyte

Which is your: Subjective Opinion I am very well aware of what the technology offers, it just doesn't excite me. It so happens I don't own something with that many assists, and I'm happy with what I have - don't need anything more (so far). The value is there for me. I didn't say I was more skilled than necessary - in reality, the opposite is true - I can't wait for my next bike course. Training, skill, and experience is far more important to me than a lean angle sensor, or even ABS. I can sum it up for you simple terms: a decently trained & skilled rider will rarely, if ever, reach the limits of the assists, emergency or otherwise. I get that it's supposed to be for a dire situation, but good strategizing & training will keep you out of said situations. Full Stop. Feel free to insert your favourite facepalm gif here, I don't mind. By your logic, how has anyone with a class 6 survived until today? They should all be pancakes and telephone pole stains. Geeze, my uncle toured the US perimeter - twice - and most of Mexico - on a Honda 750 4 - made it home every time. My dad toured New Zealand on a Honda in the 70's. No ABS then, either. Carbureted, no less. I find this line of reasoning, but more so the tone, beyond pedantic, and outright patronizing. This is an argument already lost, because you're trying to reason with that which is clearly only important to you - not necessarily the person actually shopping for a bike. It's up to the RIDER to make the informed decision on what model, generation, and ergonomics is a good fit for them. So, with that, I wish you good day, sir!

More bells and whistles equate to what, exactly? Safety?? While ppl fiddle with menu wheels that tend to fall apart, for unnecessary features? Squint at displays that are too small? No thanks. What, exactly, makes newer models, as you insist, "safer"? It's still subjective.

I agree with everything you just said, @betoney. My '15 does me just fine. I don't even really have want or need for an ECU flash. I can see tuning or otherwise rebuilding some aspects of the suspension, but I've read that others seem to like it fine. I've no need for a longer swingarm; I'll never reach speeds where that would matter - so, I'll take the slightly more agile handling around the city in return. Works for me. CC would be a nice to have, but it's not a need to have - a throttle lock is good enough. As mentioned, it's all subjective. No one can say which generation is 'best', only what features & price work best for them. All things considered, IMHO no matter which generation you choose, based on features and personal preferences, you really can't go wrong. They're all great bikes. So, it's up to the OP to ask the right questions, learn about what each model features. Everything else is opinion.

Sounds like a great day!!

What a great trip on a bike!! I've driven it several times, all the way past Duffey Lake, Lillooet, and on to HWY 97. You can't really go wrong with either route - Sea to Sky, or HWY 1 north and on to HWY 97. The Fraser Canyon is spectacular, and I can't wait to ride it. Really sad that HWY 8 washed out between Merritt & Spences Bridge (not to mention the loss of homes), it was a beautiful, twisty, quiet route. Thanks for the pic & vid...MAN you make me miss BC more than I already do... Subbed!

The most recent iterations of the replacement CCT may make a bit of a rattle now and again - mine hasn't rattled much beyond about 2 - 3 minutes, at idle. Rev it up a bit, or go for a ride, and it's quiet for months. I can only assume this is the auto tensioner doing exactly what it should. I can only hear it once or maybe twice per season.

Welcome to the forum! Great choices in bikes

Welcome back!

Yep, definitely sucks being on the injured list. Give yourself some time and the room to think on it before making any decisions...you might change your mind, and have a new approach. Good luck with the healing!

Very nice! Oh, to combine work and play like that. Well done, sir!

Personally I do not have one, but there are a few threads here that discuss installation and whatnot.

You stumbled on an advanced technique

Interesting; I wouldn't have expected a magnetic bag to work with our bikes.

Exactly. They might not be able to look it up by make/model/year, but if you have the old bearing, they can measure the OD / ID and find you a match.

I, too, am recovering from a leg break - I'm not sure I'll be able to ride at all this season, but let's just say I've been doing some of my own physio to be as strong and prepared as possible when the time comes for weight-bearing on my broken leg. I REALLY want to get at least one bike trip in, possibly two, and as much off road / gravel as possible before the end of the season, however much or little that might be. I was chatting with an uncle (in his mid 70's) who recently had a knee replaced. He told his surgery team that he often lifts heavy things like hay bales, and has a hobby farm + equipment he maintains. Hearing this, they gave him a larger artificial knee than he'd otherwise require. I've a friend who had both knees replaced because of all the years and miles of hardcore cycling he's done. In both their examples, the doctors never once told them to change their lifestyles or do anything differently. The medical community wants us to live how we want to live, to continue to do the things we enjoy, even if some of those things might be a bit dangerous. Living this way allows us to live LONGER. If we give up a lifestyle we love, we simply languish. Our life expectancy drops dramatically. To be honest, I did contemplate selling the 250 while en route to the hospital. After several weeks of thinking about it, I'm keeping it. I'm getting right back on this horse. I know what I did wrong, and what do to to fix it (as usual, it's mostly about mindset, but I was also wearing the wrong gear that day). I run the very real possibly of breaking something again, not because I'm reckless, but because my bones are thin and I'm basically made of eggshells. It doesn't have to mean the end of the road, it just means I have to adjust to suit. So, no tabletops or supermans for me , but I can still have all kinds of fun. Like you, I've been considering becoming an instructor - possibly a retirement job / career. The small town where I plan on retiring doesn't have any training, nor is there any nearby, so a thoughtful business might do well there. I wish to have as much experience as I can achieve as a rider before taking that on, and that means riding as many different types of bikes as possible, dangerous or not. All that said, your BIL's decision to move forward makes sense to me. There comes a point where, as you say, we may have to evaluate what we're doing and determine if it's worth it or not, for us, but also (mostly) for our families. For him, it may mean leaving two wheels behind and moving on to something else he enjoys, and I sincerely hope he finds it. Having hobbies and passions is what makes us feel alive, it's what helps fuel us, gives us drive. I'm glad you were there, kept your presence of mind, and were able to assist. That likely helped him far more than if he were alone, even with people stopping and whatnot.

Welcome! Interesting fleet you have there.

I've wondered about this, too. I bet the rear tires' sipes are as you'd expect to channel it away from the centre of the tire.

I tried something like that in my FJ, and it just rattles it's way out so as it looses the connectivity and doesn't charge at all

Picked up an 80L waterproof rollie a while back with no regrets: https://fortnine.ca/en/givi-ut804-ultimate-t-range-waterproof-cargo-bag It's been through some severe rain with zero issues. It came with a couple of bungees that can be used to strap it down, but I generally prefer the webbing.

Who wants the bike that was hurriedly assembled on a Friday

not sure if this helps, but I had to replace more than just 10 & 17 (I would think 11, too):

Yeesh, I sure hope it's not fuel. That would be very unusual!

Slava Ukraini!

lol, exactly, like the KLR650.

...OR they're messing with the prices per customer, a la Amazon hahaha I gotta say, those Dunlop RSIII's are starting to look better and better. I've been enjoying the Michelin R5's, but...whew they ain't cheap.