My New Bike

I got my new bike!!


After finding out my Ninja was a write-off, I started looking at Craigslist and other places for a replacement. I wasn't really looking for anything in particular, and was actually considering buying a standard cruiser like a Harley Sportster or a Triumph Bonneville. However, I saw the ad for this Bandit, and I was intrigued. After asking the selling the history and condition of the bike, and settling on a very reasonable price, I couldn't pass it up.

It's a GSF650SAK7, better known as a 2007 Suzuki Bandit 650S ABS. The Suzuki Bandit is a long running series from Suzuki, and is quite a popular bike in most places in the world. The interesting thing about this bike is that the 2007 model was the first year of the new liquid-cooled, fuel-injected 650cc motor. However, it was also the final year the 600-class Bandit was sold in North America. In fact, the U.S. never got this model. And after a one year hiatus, Suzuki brought the GSX650F to North America. The new bike is in fact just a full fairing version of the Bandit I have now. So basically, I got the same thing as the new bike, but without the pretentious super-sport looks.

This bike is heavy. about 100 lbs or so heavier than most of its competitors in its class. It's because it has a full primeter frame, and it was also build to support a 1250cc motor. In fact this bike has more load capacity than a Honda Goldwing.

The ABS is a good option for me to have on this bike, considering it might have helped when I slipped on gravel on my last bike. With the kid now, I won't have as much time riding, but I hope I do get a chance to enjoy this bike a bit. In fact, the Wee Bandit can make a very good light Sport Touring bike, which is what I originally wanted to get into when I started riding. I'm considering putting some hard cases on it and hopefully go for a long ride sometime.

My Bike is a Total Loss

Just got the call from insurance today. They decided to write the bike off. :(

In reality, all they needed to do is to bend the rear brake lever back, replace the bent right clip-on, bar end, and get a new front fairing so we can remount the turn signals, and the bike would be perfectly safe and street-able. Yes, I know the brake lever was scratched up. Yes I know the rear right fairing and mufflers are scratched. And there are probably many more things we need to do for the bike to be "perfect" again. However, the bike wasn't perfect to begin with. In fact, that's part of the reason why I bought it; it's my first bike.

So it's the start of the season and I don't have a bike anymore. That's the sad part. However, I can also look at the good. I was thinking about selling my bike this season or the next anyways to get something different, and my declared value is about right for what I'd hope to sell it for anyways. So it's like I didn't have to look for a buyer. Plus now when I have some free time, I can spend it more with my kid.


Well, so long my Ninja. You've been a great first bike, and I'll always remember you.

My Motorcycle Oops

Well, I had planned to do this for a while, but today, I finally got around to cleaning my air filter on my bike. I had not done this since I bought the bike, and figured it was about time. I had all the cleaners and oils ready to go for a while, and have read the instructions here a few times. So off I went to take the bike apart.

Old bikes, gotta love them. You have to remove your gas tank just to get to the air filter... and to most everything else for that matter...

Anyways, the filter was definitely dirty, but everything went pretty smooth. I put the bike back together, and figure I'd go for a short test ride and get some gas.

Unfortunately, I didn't make it back home in one piece. Well, I did, but the bike didn't. There's been some construction near the off ramp to my home, and there was some gravel in the middle of the turn. I let go of the brake and straighten up as much as I could, but since I was already engaged into the turn, going straight would mean a head-on collision with the giant exit sign.


Anyways, the bike went down, and me along with it. My gear did it's job and protected me for the most part. However, since I was wearing jeans, and not proper riding pants, guess where I got hurt? Yup, my knees. The padding on the palm of my gloves were shredded. If I didn't have gloves, that would have been my hand. The shoulder armour took a good impact and slide. Aside from my knee being cut open a little, all I had was a bit of bruising on the side of my waist. I'm a believer! Wear gear when you ride!!

LED Gauge Lights for the Bike

My buddy decided to change his car dome lights to white LEDs. However, within the batch he ordered, there were some that were a bit too 'blue' for his liking. So I took his 'leftovers' and put them behind the gauges of my bike. So I guess this qualifies as the first mod for my bike.

These are nice T-10 wedge base bulbs with 4 SMDs on each bulb. Very wide angle and very bright. Yes these had a noticeable tinge of blue, but They're still mostly white. So the redline on the tach and temp gauge is not washed out by blue and is still clearly distinguishable. The before and after photos are taken with a point and shoot, but the ISO, exposure and shutter speed settings were set the same. You can tell by the matching ambient lighting in front of the bike as well as the glare off the warning lights in both photos. So the photos are an accurate representation of the LEDs brightness.



The results are great. Many cheaper LED bulbs are either too dim or the angle is too narrow. These SMDs doesn't have either of the problem. I followed the simple directions here for the install. And it took very little time. I don't ride at night too often, and the riding season is almost over for me. But I still enjoy the results.

Popular Mechanics Compares Fit to Ducati

I've had this article bookmarked for a while. It's obviously a tongue-in-cheek type of comparison since these two vehicles can never substitute for one another, and therefore not in competition what so ever. But the basic premise of this article is to see which vehicle is better suited for the current down economy with rising fuel prices, yet still provides the enthusiast owner with the most fun ownership experience, for under $20,000. Being both a rider and a Fit owner, I thought it was pretty funny.

Here's the article: Two Wheels or Four? Ducati Bike vs. Honda Fit

2010 Vancouver Motorcycle Show

This is the fourth year I've been to this show now. The first year was before I even got my license. I had just got my Christmas gift that my family and friends were helping me go to riding school. I knew nothing about motorcycles, and really didn't know what I was looking at that year.

The 2008 show comes along, and by now I'm a fully licensed rider. But that really means nothing since I've only been on the school bikes. I now know the basics, ad maybe a bit more. But without owning a motorcycle of my own, I still considered myself and "outsider" at the show.

When I went to the 2009 show, I had finally purchased my own bike. I have a proper answer now when people at the show ask what I ride. In reality however, I purchased the bike at the end of the 2008 riding season, and promptly put it into storage insurance. So I really haven't ridden since I graduated from riding school in August 2007. But I now know exactly what I'm looking at, what's new, and whatever info I can gather from reading up on line or in the magazines.


Finally this year, in 2010, I felt like I belonged at the show. I've had a full season of riding under my belt. Had ridden during the day, night, 2up, commuted on the bike. Now I'm a rider!! My wife and the same friend who came with me last year also came along this year. He looks ready to ride. I wouldn't be surprised if he enrolls at a school very soon.

I noticed I'm throwing my leg over bigger bikes this year than previous years; both in displacement, and height. I find that I like many different types of motorcycles, and find myself wanting a varied collection of bikes; I want the Triumph Bonneville T100 on days I want to cruise around town and feel "cool". I want Kawasaki's new Z1000 for those "fun" rides. Add a Yamaha WR250X to the stable for quick jaunts and in-town commuting, and maybe the Honda CBF1000A for those longer tours. How's that for variety. And you'll notice, no cruisers on that list. Trust me, I tried a few cruisers. I don't look like I belong on any of them. My friend on the other hand, perfect on a cruiser!

I also got to meet Jason Britton from Team No Limit, Host of SuperBikes on Speed. He is a very friendly guy, and took the time to talk with people about their own riding, his riding, or anything you wanted to chat about.

I can't wait 'til the riding season starts again.

Triple Show Weekend

So, this past Sunday, I had a really tough choice to make. You see, there were three major events happening on the exact same day. There was the Annual Great Canadian Volkswagen Show; the largest Volkswagen gathering in the entire northwest, maybe the whole west coast. It was a must attend event for me when I had my Audi. I even entered it a couple of years and did pretty well (won my class).

Then, there was the Annual Gastown Motorcycle Show and Shine organized by the British Columbia Coalition of Motorcyclists (BCCOM). This is the 4th year of this event where they actually close off Water St. Entirely for this show, and parts of a few streets leading down to Water St. for dedicated, FREE motorcycle parking. The show is mainly a custom bike affair, but totally open to the public in a tourist area of town. So the atmosphere is definitely unique.

Last there was the annual Revscene Summer Meet. Revscene is THE forum for local spo-com/euro gearheads and the annual summer meet brings out all the wild rides from all over the Greater Vancouver Region to one place. Vancouver has quite a few wildly modified Honda Fits, and this would be the venue they're headed to. (like Felix's car pictured here)

It was a tough choice, but in the end, I decided to gear up, hop on my bike, and head down to the Gastown Motorcycle Show and Shine. The main reason being that it was the only event I had not attended previously. And plus now that I'm finally riding regularly this year, I feel like I wouldn't feel like such an outsider anymore. (plus I'd know what I'm looking at now).



I was not disappointed. The event was big (although I was told it's smaller than previous year), and took up pretty much the entire length of Water Street (minus maybe 1/2 block). Mostly custom cruisers and choppers, but there were a few vintage bikes and sport bikes mixed in. The amount of work that went into some of these motorcycles is just insane! I'm certain many of the bikes on display had more man hours on them than the cars at the other two shows. I highly recommend this event to anyone who has the time. Even if you don't know motorcycles that well, you'll be able to enjoy the works of art on display. And if you really want to know more, the owners, or even others who know, will gladly share their knowledge. Just don't touch or sit on the bikes without the owners consent first.

--------------------------------------------
Links to some photo galleries of the events (not mine)
Great Canadian Volkswagen Show
Gastown Motorcycle Show and Shine
Revscene Summer Meet

My Other Car has Two Wheels

The reason I haven't updated in a while is partly because I've been thinking more about my other vehicle lately. The summer weather is finally here, and I've been taking the bike out at least once or twice a week.

Some of you might remember back in August 2007 that I had finished my Motorcycle riding training and had passed my road test for a motorcycle license. Well, since then, I had ridden a motorcycle only ONCE, during a BMW test ride around April of 2008. And by then, I haven't been on a bike in half a year. Given my limited prior experience, I stalled the demo bike twice before leaving the lot. But once I got moving, it all started to come back, and I really enjoyed the test ride.


It wasn't until October 2008 that I ended up purchasing a bike, a 2005 Kawasaki Ninja 500R; A bike that has essentially not changed for the past two decades, but remains one of the top picks as a beginner sport motorcycle. However, since I purchased the bike in October, it was immediately put into storage policy and sat over the winter with the battery removed and fuel stabilizer in the tank.

I finally got the bike insured for the road in the beginning of May 2009, almost two years since I got my license. I was worried I wouldn't remember how to ride, but again, it all came back to me as I started riding. I think I did 140km on my first day riding just going around town aimlessly. I'm loving it, as the motorcycle has that acceleration I miss from my modded turbo days. Something the Fit just can't give me.

It's Official, I'm a Licensed Rider

Well, It's official. I'm now a fully licensed rider in British Columbia. Thanks again to all the wonderful people at Pacific Riding School, and my family and friends for sending me there. I passed with only a single mark on the sheet for keeping my signal on too long once, and was told by the examiner that I was a very safe rider. That's really all that I was after.

Now I'm hooked and legally allowed to dive into yet another potentially expensive hobby. It's time to start playing the lotto.

My Lame Excuse for Not Updating

Wow, I haven't updated this blog for a while. The reason is, I have not spent any time online looking on Fit related information.

Remember back in my New Years post, I had mentioned that my family and friends were sending me to motorcycle riding school as my Christmas present. Well, I got my Learners in January, but since then, had not done much more about it. Anyways, I finally called up the school and booked myself in July.

I was picking between BCSC and Pacific for schools, mainly due to their proximity. Both had good reputations, but when I finally decided to book my class, BCSC had lost their use of Boundary Bay Airport, and wasn't sure where their lot sessions were going to be held yet. So I went with Pacific. After going through their course, I would highly recommend them. They didn't really teach you how to ride a bike, but how to think when you ride a bike. I had so much fun all the way through the course.

Anyways, Since I completed the course, all I've been looking at online are motorcycle related things. what type of bike, what kind of gear, etc.. I've already went to a few local shops trying out all brands and models of helmets trying to figure out which one fit my head, and sat on a few bikes and read up on what's best for a beginner. So far, I've narrowed my choices down to either a 2003+ Suzuki SV650, or a 2006+ Kawasaki Ninja 650R. I also know that aside from the expensive Shoei helmets, the HJCs fit me best.

Now comes the tough part, picking designs/colours. Motorcycling is all about looking good, let's be honest. If you don't want to be seen, you'd sit inside a car; it's much safer. So now that I know which helmet, I need to pick a design, then the rest of the gear like jacket, gloves, etc as well. It all has to be somewhat neutral in colour since I don't know what colour bike I will get yet, and don't want to have to buy new gear to match each new bike. But the gear still has to look good. Tough huh?

Anyways, my motorcycle road test is next Friday, and it will have been almost a month since I've been on a bike (I don't already have a bike to practice on, unlike some of my classmates), so I'm a bit nervous. We'll see.

And oh, I sold my old Mazda Today.

Happy New Year

Happy new year everyone! I hope everyone had a great holiday break. Aside from a small incident with my Fit, I had a great time. Tons of food, and a wonderful gift from my family and friends.

Alright, the Fit first. I was on my way to my sister's apartment for Christmas Eve dinner with my wife. While at a redlight, a mid 90's Jaguar hit me from behind. I wasn't sure if he couldn't quite stop intime, or was already stopped behind me, and just let go of the brake for a second. I'm inclined to believe the latter since the impact wasn't severe and I didn't hear any hard braking behind me. Anyways, once I showed him there was in fact damage on my bumper, we pulled over and exchanged information. Originally he said he'd pay for the repairs himself. At the time we both thought it was just paint damage. However, the next morning, when I got a better look at the rear bumper in the light and dry weather, I noticed the dent was more severe than I had expected, and there was actually a crease in the bumper.


After talking with my good friend Christmas night during dinner, he sugggested I report it to insurance anyway. He would still have the option of paying the insurance company on his own to avoid his rates from going up. So I reported it next morning. I felt it was better this way because then it will be a third-party assessing the damages. I don't want him to feel like I'm taking advantage of him by claiming extra damage we wouldn't see at the scene at night, in the rain. So I called him and let him know I had reported it. My appointment with the insurance adjuster is tomorrow morning. We'll see what they say.

And for Christmas, my family and friends pooled their money together to give me a pretty incredible gift... They're sending me to motorcycle riding school! I've wanted to learn how to ride a motorcycle for a very long time. I'm the type of guy who chose to learn to drive on a manual transmission car, and want to know how to operate a motorcycle just so that whatever place or situation I'm in, I can always drive, or ride any vehicle that are available to me. Some places on vacation are better explored on two wheels, while other places won't be able to rent you an automatic vehicle at all. And since my family and friends know my desire, they figured it was safer for me to learn to ride properly, through a certified motorcycle riding school. I am so happy about this gift, and I know this wasn't cheap either. I'm getting ready to contact a couple of schools that are closer to my residence for their 2007 schedules, and to start studying for my class 6 learners license.