Tundras live: Dumb Dad Jokes, Incorrect Opinions, and Relationship Advice.

MSF = Motorcycle Safety Foundation

 

www.msf-usa.org should be their website.

 

So much to say about the aviation stuff, but I have to …


As for the comment about “the real person” coming out when they drink, I have a test for that.

Imagine a pendulum. The arm straight down, no motion, represents the real you. Who you want to be.

All the pressures of life pull the pendulum up one direction. Alcohol is what releases it. The farther away from center you are the bigger the alcohol-induced swing.

Not a perfect example but it pretty well describes how I behave when I am ripped.

 

@T-Rex266 you might check out one of the ride day events to get a free ride on a bike to see if you actually like it. https://msf-usa.org/ride-day/

 

This is more accurate and truthful to what bike brands deliver compared to your first comment that claimed KTM's are unreliable or unsafe. In reality, riding any bike is unsafe and only as safe as the operator. Faster bikes are safer in my opinion because they give you the tools to use properly when people driving around people in cages who don't see you. Having a power band to use and be more able to avoid things actually makes you safer. Riding a slug takes that out of your toolbox. Dependable, we could go on for days but KTM has never been considering unreliable. Do they require more intensive maintenance because they are over engineerd? Maybe, but maintenance is crucial to being on top of for any bike and the more time you spend doing it keeps your understanding of its needs at your fingertips. To just start a bike and ride away without regularly looking it over only increases the risk.

 

I won't sue you for not wanting to perform maintenance on a bike. I'll just make fun of you for it instead. Doing maintenance on a bike actually keeps you more safe. It's a death sled why wouldn't you want to know everything about its intricacies and wearing parts? Kinda like your logic applied to the Boeing topic above. Stay on top of it if you want to stay alive.

Same with trailering one. There are people who love their bikes so much that trailering them seems counterintuitive to why we ride them in the first place. There are also people that have reasons for trailering them and are commonly made fun of for doing so. Nothing new here in the motorcycle community. If you trailer it, get used to people poking fun of you for it. No matter your reasons for doing so.

Like you, I am highly opinionated. I know my opinions are mine and not everyone will see the world through my lens. It's not personal against you, it's just that we disagree. Which is in the agree to disagree thread. And I know for a fact that KTM makes the best bikes around that bring the most smiles per mile. So there is that.

 

I didn't say KTM were unsafe. I said Sean would kill himself on one. That's because pound for pound they are powerful as hell. Look at how the EU does it because they have tons more motorbikes and it's a more common form of transport rather than a luxury/hobby thing that it is over here. They limit the CCs a new rider can use until they get more experience. Now, I love the freedom model we have that lets you ride anything you can afford, I do, but with Sean's propensity to push it I feel that having the bike not be a super rocket to start with would be a better idea. Also, if he can show his wife the reviews saying a bike is slow and boring, she is more likely to green light his purchase. Baby steps. He can get to the big ol' KTM liter bikes in time.

Even a "slow" bike is faster than most cars and way more agile. IMO, the agility will save you far more than any amount of speed.

KTM has a reputation for being unreliable. Ask non KTM people why they don't have one and you'll usually get one of two answers: 1) They're always broken. 2) Their ugly. The looks are subjective, but the reputation of reliability issues isn't completely unfounded. It's also not exactly expected on lost of models. Nobody is surprised when a formula 1 car needs it's engine rebuilt or replaced every 1500-2000 miles, and KTM is performance oriented. The 690 engine is pushing a 12.5:1 compression ratio vs hondas that are only breaking the 11.0:1 ratio in their top end sport bikes and sitting at the 10.7:1 ratio in something like my CB500X. Higher compression needs higher octane and generally indicates a shorter lifespan. These are generalities here, and there are exceptions to the rule. It doesn't mean we disregard the trend. Just use it to make an educated decision.

Yes, inspecting and working on the bike is needed, regardless of the bike. However, a bike that has to be gone over more often because it is more prone to going out of spec. is something that should be considered. I don't have a garage or shop, so if I can have a bike that goes 6-8K miles between oil changes vs one that needs it done every 3K miles, that will factor in for me. I still check the oil. I still do the maintenance.

Overall, there's a bike for just about everyone. I'm in the far more casual rider category and don't need breakneck speeds, so the increased maintenance of potential reliability issues of the bikes that offer it are not for me. There are plenty of riders who adore them. KTMs are great for KTM people, Hondas are great for Honda people, etc. Just gotta figure out what kind of bike person you are and shop appropriately.

 

I do the maintenance. I just hate the chains so I got rid of it. If you hate working on diesels so you get a gasser that doesn't mean you don't inspect your vehicle or work on it. It means you have a preference.

If it's poking fun that's one thing. You actually said I should not be listened to because I trailered my bike on a trip where the bike could not be ridden. That's like saying "your bike experience is useless and you should be disregarded because you're not grocery shopping on it at costco." That's illogical and due to the lack of logic it's going beyond poking fun and crosses into being personal attack. Sarcasm and jokes at my expense for trailering are fine. Trying to say my experience or knowledge is lesser than yours because I HAD to trailer my bike to give a friend's kid a ride is not. You do you, but I'm not going to be a doormat about it and will push back when it crosses the line.

 

Agree with most of this. The 690 is no rocket though. It's still a 690 even with someone who wants to push it. Fall down at 35 or fall down at 60, it's still gonna hurt and possibly break some stuff. Now when you get into the v twins all that changes. I did 5 k oil change intervals on both my Ktm's just like my kawi's and Hondas. Did It take a little longer sure. But that was time I had, that I liked to spend. And when you consider someone like Sean, I can almost guarantee he wants to spend time with his machine. I still reject your claim that Ktm's are unreliable. Especially since your source is other people saying it. Maybe those other people were the same folks who didn't do proper maintenance on a passenger airliner though. I'm not sure

 

Eh, KTM has had some electrical issues as and recalls for them as well. My bigger concern with them now is that they are starting to outsource the manufacturing, and even on KTM forums people are saying they've seen quality slip.

It's less the total speed that is the problem and how fast it gets to that speed. On a really snappy bike it's easier to get into trouble. A linear power curve is just easier on a beginner.

 

Nobody expects you to be a doormat. I apologize if I struck a nerve with you. I wasn't trying to say your experience is lesser, nor did I directly say that. I was poking fun of it in a manner that did cross the line because your opinions come across as all knowing at times and I allowed it to get to me. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you went out and bought a new v8 gasser because the taco didn't pull the trailer well right after that trip. Isn't that enough evidence that it wasn't just the kid in your ride that time, but implies that you'll be trailering it in the future as well?

Thank god we're not in a third gen thread here. This could've have gone way worse.

 

I have strong opinions, but they are just opinions and everyone is free to ignore them. That's always the case. I bought the V8 because I will tow the trailer and possibly a larger one in future. Whether the bike is on it or a fridge/furniture on it, etc. I would much prefer to ride the bike if it's going somewhere, but if it were to ever breakdown it'd be on the trailer for a tow. Also, I may well tow it in future and ride from there. Camping for example.

That particular trip it was only towed because I was taking a passenger. Otherwise I would have been riding it.

A minor kerfuffle, which I suspect is primarily due to the lack of intent/tone that is indicative of text communication. Lots is lost when there's no audio or visual aspect to the communication. I thought you were getting heated because you love KTM, so I took your writings as hostile.

I apologize if that was incorrect.

 

Well I do love ktm. But as noted, a lot is lost in writing because my tone and me smiling while talking shit isn't available. Minor indeed.

 

Texas outlawed them a few years ago.

Britain has them, but some young drivers found a way to take a poke at the local politicians. They'd rent a car matching the one the politicians drive, photoshop a license plate, and blow past the camera at high speed.

 

Legit question here, how far do you thing you'd ride a bike? Just joy rides around town, or do you plan on doing hundreds of miles a day?

 

Ok, then you could definitely get something lighter with a smaller tank. Any dirt in your future or are you strictly on pavement?

 

Interesting. Next question.

Budget goal? Is that price including gear, or can you buy gear on top of that?

 

Sean.. get something dirty!?

 

Right, but like ballpark? Are you thinking a cheap used bike at like $2K or you think she'd let you go up to something more like $5K-$8K?