training_wheels
Well-known member
you dont need to bring your trasponder... just let them know that the bike is the same owner as the car regestered and you wont get charged video fees
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Kawi Wednesdays!!!
- Thread starter training_wheels
- Start date
you dont need to bring your trasponder... just let them know that the bike is the same owner as the car regestered and you wont get charged video fees
xyphur
Well-known member
Tell me about it. Maybe the snow didn't get the memo about it officially being spring... I dunno if anyone else caught this, but they said on the news the other night that last year at this time we were sitting at about 21 degrees! Ugh... if only!
Hey Everyone!!
Great job xyphur!!
Can't wait to meet and finally be able to ride with you all. Paper work is being completed this week for me and by next week I'll be a proud owner of a new Ninja 300!!!
Welcome! And thanks
Good choice on the 300 btw, I'm sure you'll love it. Be sure to post up a couple pics so we know what to keep an eye out for Lookin' good Highway. Believe me, I itch so often lately that I'm starting to think I spend more time in the garage than in the house. Also, your mention of fairing repairs reminded me that I should mention here I've become somewhat well-versed in ABS welding repairs, so if anyone needs any help in that regard, I'm your guy. Soldering iron and some ABS pipe, and some sandpaper, and you're golden. Guarantee you can't tell what was fixed on my bike when you see it.
... Its just a little too cold right now to sit in the garage and work on the bike lol !
You need a propane heater... turns a double-wide garage into an oven in sub-freezing temps if you don't turn it off within 15-20 min. Most of my winter was spent in the garage as a result
-------------------
So, new mirrors are en-route. '07/08 GSXR 1000 with integrated turn signals. Just gotta trace the old mirror's base and fab up some aluminum adapter plates, and the bike will be done.
Also finally found someone who sells the right Yuasa battery for my bike at a reasonable price (YTX14L-BS @ Flying Squirrel Motorcycle in Toronto. Great guy btw), and grabbed some new Pro Grips while I was there too. Old ones were looking... well, like 18 year old rubber tends to.
A new pair of Alpinestars gloves (SP-X in black) are on their way as well. About time I stop riding in padded mechanix gloves..... yeah :roll:
The first rideable Wednesday we get, training_wheels just needs to name the time & place, and I'm there. Come on spring weather!
xyphur
Well-known member
Well, I dunno about everyone else, but I literally just got back from a nice 2 hr ride, 2nd of the season.
training_wheels
Well-known member
I try to start when yhe salt/brine is off the roads... when th road cracks aren't white
SeaBreez
Well-known member
Hello everyone. Just about ready to get out of winter hibernation... Pretty tempted to throw the battery back into the beast....I barely remember what my pipes sound like anymore. Its been a long winter. +1 A little rain might help to wash the salt off the roads though.
xyphur
Well-known member
Do it! I was still riding in December last season when it was 6-8 degrees (albeit with mighty cold hands), and I've been out twice in the last week as well in similar temps. Just can't lean and gotta be real smooth and reserved with throttle/brakes, but it scratches the itch all the same!
I'll definitely be out there tomorrow and Saturday if it's as nice as they're calling for. Just did an air filter & oil change today too, so she's now officially ready for the season. If anyone wants to meet up for a quick coffee to shoot the 5h!t on Saturday, I'm game. I'll probably head up to Hockley Rd if it's really nice...
xyphur
Well-known member
Bad, bad news everyone. I went out for a nice leisurely ride on Friday afternoon, ended up in the city along Lakeshore. Decided I should head home, so made mental plans to get on the Gardiner at the next ramp. I'm headed east on Lakeshore between Bay and Young, when some idiot decides he's going to cut off the guy in front of me. I wouldn't have had any issue with this normally, because I always leave sufficient room, and don't ride fast in traffic... the problem in this situation is that he decided to pull this manoeuvre at the same exact moment I was doing a right-side headcheck in preparation for a lanechange so I'd be able to get on the Gardiner. I headcheck, and when my vision returns forward, the SUV in front of me has come to a complete stop from our 30km/h cruising speed, and I (stupidly) go for my brakes. Instinct in this case completely overpowered what I know i should've done.... I should've squeezed brakes while looking for an out, but instead I grabbed a complete handful. Before I knew it, the front end had washed out toward the right, I was hands-first into the pavement, and 600 lbs of bike was coming down on my left leg. That was the worst part of the whole ordeal because....
...I now have a tibial plateau fracture. An extremely painful, and extremely long recovery time injury. I'm still not sure if I require surgery. I was brought to Mt. Sinai by ambulance, had x-rays taken, bloodwork, given plenty of Percocet, a CT scan, then admitted overnight for possible surgery the following morning/afternoon. I was on a morphine drip overnight (without it, I never would've slept). The orthopedic doctors on duty discussed my case with a few colleagues in other departments and the consensus was that surgery should not be required, but that I need to return in a week after swelling has subsided for an MRI to gain even more detail and a look into the inner bone structure to see how bad a fracture it really is. I may still require two plates and many screws to buttress the tibia just below the knee joint, but they (and I) are hoping not because of possible complications and how invasive it would be.
As of right now, I'm on crutches, and have a splint on my leg. I have been strictly ordered that under no circumstances is there ANY weight to be put on my left leg, so I'm basically bed-ridden. Regardless of whether surgery is required or not, I can still expect to be in crutches and in a splint for at least the next 6-8 weeks, and then for the 3 or 4 months following that I'll probably still not be doing anything but walking lightly on it, probably with a cane.
In essence, my summer has just been ruined. It's also entirely possible that I will have a bum knee for the rest of my life that will affect many of the activities that I used to take for granted (XC MTB'ing, hiking, etc). I also drive a manual car, so even that has been ruined for at least the foreseeable future.
The bike wasn't in very good shape last I saw it when it was being lifted by some random passers-by (speaking of, thanks goes out to everyone who helped, from the two guys who lifted me to the sidewalk, to the woman who called the ambulance & police, to the group of people who uprighted the bike and rolled it to the sidewalk. Wherever these kind people are, they all deserve a medal). Mechanically and frame-wise the bike is probably fine (save for a bent front brake rotor, still not sure how that happened), but the freshly-painted front bodywork, turn signals, windscreen, new front fender, possibly even left handlebar and clutch lever, are all smashed to hell. I had it towed home at a cost of $200 (Toronto to Brampton = $$$, apparently), and it was put in the garage by someone else. I haven't looked at it yet. I'm not sure I will for some time And yes, I cried.
Keep yourselves safe out there people, and watch out for EVERYONE. I always ride like I'm invisible and everyone is actively trying to kill me, and I still managed to get caught off guard. Thankfully I was wearing all my gear, as I usually do, and I managed to keep the helmet from touching ANYTHING (not a single mark on it anywhere). The new SPX gloves did a fantastic job of protecting my hands. Not a scratch or bruise on them. Joe Rocket textile overpants & jacket held up well too, essentially untouched. Had I not been wearing my gear, I'd have far more injuries to contend with, this I'm sure of. Lesson: WEAR YOUR GEAR.
Sorry to have to dampen the beginning of the season for others, but I felt that a shot of reality may help keep other novice riders from being complacent going into their sophomore season. I made a strong effort to start this season off relaxed and mindful of all the things I learned last season. Sometimes being as careful and responsible as you can be, you can still be unlucky and affected by someone else's idiocy.
I hope all of you have an enjoyable, but most of all, uneventful upcoming season. Be safe everyone.
-Mark
P.S: Once I've healed up and assessed & repaired the damage to the bike, I will be getting back on her. Don't think for a second this is going to affect my love of riding. It won't.
...I now have a tibial plateau fracture. An extremely painful, and extremely long recovery time injury. I'm still not sure if I require surgery. I was brought to Mt. Sinai by ambulance, had x-rays taken, bloodwork, given plenty of Percocet, a CT scan, then admitted overnight for possible surgery the following morning/afternoon. I was on a morphine drip overnight (without it, I never would've slept). The orthopedic doctors on duty discussed my case with a few colleagues in other departments and the consensus was that surgery should not be required, but that I need to return in a week after swelling has subsided for an MRI to gain even more detail and a look into the inner bone structure to see how bad a fracture it really is. I may still require two plates and many screws to buttress the tibia just below the knee joint, but they (and I) are hoping not because of possible complications and how invasive it would be.
As of right now, I'm on crutches, and have a splint on my leg. I have been strictly ordered that under no circumstances is there ANY weight to be put on my left leg, so I'm basically bed-ridden. Regardless of whether surgery is required or not, I can still expect to be in crutches and in a splint for at least the next 6-8 weeks, and then for the 3 or 4 months following that I'll probably still not be doing anything but walking lightly on it, probably with a cane.
In essence, my summer has just been ruined. It's also entirely possible that I will have a bum knee for the rest of my life that will affect many of the activities that I used to take for granted (XC MTB'ing, hiking, etc). I also drive a manual car, so even that has been ruined for at least the foreseeable future.
The bike wasn't in very good shape last I saw it when it was being lifted by some random passers-by (speaking of, thanks goes out to everyone who helped, from the two guys who lifted me to the sidewalk, to the woman who called the ambulance & police, to the group of people who uprighted the bike and rolled it to the sidewalk. Wherever these kind people are, they all deserve a medal). Mechanically and frame-wise the bike is probably fine (save for a bent front brake rotor, still not sure how that happened), but the freshly-painted front bodywork, turn signals, windscreen, new front fender, possibly even left handlebar and clutch lever, are all smashed to hell. I had it towed home at a cost of $200 (Toronto to Brampton = $$$, apparently), and it was put in the garage by someone else. I haven't looked at it yet. I'm not sure I will for some time
And yes, I cried.Keep yourselves safe out there people, and watch out for EVERYONE. I always ride like I'm invisible and everyone is actively trying to kill me, and I still managed to get caught off guard. Thankfully I was wearing all my gear, as I usually do, and I managed to keep the helmet from touching ANYTHING (not a single mark on it anywhere). The new SPX gloves did a fantastic job of protecting my hands. Not a scratch or bruise on them. Joe Rocket textile overpants & jacket held up well too, essentially untouched. Had I not been wearing my gear, I'd have far more injuries to contend with, this I'm sure of. Lesson: WEAR YOUR GEAR.
Sorry to have to dampen the beginning of the season for others, but I felt that a shot of reality may help keep other novice riders from being complacent going into their sophomore season. I made a strong effort to start this season off relaxed and mindful of all the things I learned last season. Sometimes being as careful and responsible as you can be, you can still be unlucky and affected by someone else's idiocy.
I hope all of you have an enjoyable, but most of all, uneventful upcoming season. Be safe everyone.
-Mark
P.S: Once I've healed up and assessed & repaired the damage to the bike, I will be getting back on her. Don't think for a second this is going to affect my love of riding. It won't.
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