Budget is not one of my limitations. My real obstacle to a motorcycle is living in a place where there is zero interesting riding within ~500 miles / 800km. That and the insanity of Florida’s drivers. They’re either senile, or snorting cocaine. Sometimes both.
From an engineering perspective, I’m surprised about the Verge’s rim motor. Unsprung weight is always a bad thing, and so putting the heavy motor elsewhere would be the typical choice. Buy Dayum is it cool-looking!
Great report on the Zero there, @Bullitt. Thank you. Niche manufacturers are always a challenge for any dealership or network to deal with. It might not be very ominous news. Or it might be.
Zero might have painted themselves into a corner with AC only charging and seemingly a lack of willing support for owners.
The category is really waiting on lighter batteries with longer range - charging with DC is pretty much fixed - very quick.
The smaller EV city scoots are already prevalent in China - power of a single party system to make change mandatory
I’m waiting on a small Burgman EV in the works…
I put 100k km on Burgman 650s and loved the ride but heavy.
Form factor is perfect for EV.
Really liked the brakes in both hands.
Hoping for a $5k price point with 150 km range but at 77 don’t have that many years riding left.
Sure hard to eat and drink on a bike with full drop bars but no problem on any sport tourer like my CBF1000.
Sport bikes are a declining category as riders age and upright seating preferred. Sport bike not the kind of bike you take on multi-day long distance tours and look silly when you try.
ADV bikes with upright seating is the hot category.
I’ve used cupholders on all my bikes for years as well as tank bags…was happy to scored a dual attachment tank bag from Nelson-Rig… both strap and magnetic.
Tank bags are great. Definitely easier to eat and drink on a sport tourer like my old BMW R1200RT. And when I was doing Iron Butt rides (nothing serious, only Saddle Sore 1000s and 1500s), with a flip face helmet, food and drink in my tank bag, and a small wallet on a string around my neck, I never had to dismount from the bike. Gas stops were easy without dismounting.
I also had a simple device for doing a #1 while riding. As long as nobody was behind me, that is. It worked really well.
When trying to cover long distances, you really lose a lot of time dismounting from the bike when getting gas.
I feel like those hubless wheels have popped up every five years or so since I first started paying attention in the mid 80s. The electric motor is a new twist this time, but I feel like it’s the same playbook. Make your bike look like Tron.
Thank you everyone for your input on helmets. I’m sure I have a really long post in me to try and sort out my thoughts, but I’m still waiting on more information before writing that.
One of the big negatives of the modular helmet I’m considering is that it only comes in glossy or matte black. Something that makes me less visible at night is exactly what I don’t want. Does anyone have experience with reflective helmet stickers? Does that seem like an easy way to mitigate the problems with a black helmet?
Any heat concerns with a black helmet? I’ve always had light colored helmets.
ETA: Oops, this wasn’t really meant as a reply to @MacDoc . I had some stuff I was going to write about electric motorcycles, but deleted it.
You can definitely get reflective sticker kits. Black isn’t great for heat, but ventilation is more important. Which modular are you considering that only comes in black? Helmets are usually more varied to bordering on garish for the race replicas.
The Sedici Sistema 3 Parlare is the one I’ve been looking at. The Parlare one has the built in Bluetooth, and only comes in black. I have more helmet choices if I go with an add on Bluetooth unit, but that increases the total price by $70-150 over getting an integrated system. There are benefits to a removable Bluetooth kit, but that only benefits future me.
I have a black jacket, and it is well ventilated, but I really wish I had a different color.
I know I can get sticker kits, I’m wondering if anyone is experienced with them. I’m sure some are much better than others, but if even the best ones are bad, and don’t increase visibility, then there really isn’t any point.
Yeah, the Schuberth C5 comes very highly recommended, but once I’m up to that price point it all of the sudden opens up a whole bunch of other premium helmets I have to compare it to. Also, the Schuberths sold in the US are only DOT certified.
I’m really trying to keep things under $500. No price on safety, but more money doesn’t mean more safety.
I do appreciate everyone’s thoughts. When I’m pushing back I’m trying to circle in on an answer, not just being contrarian.
I’ve been riding for 61 years and started when helmets were not required nor have I ever taken a motorcycle test …always grandfathered into open class approvals. I have many 100,000 kms on a variety of bikes and gear.
I’m a bit jaded on helmets tho I adopted early with a Bell Star…serious claustrophobia. I’ve owned many over the years, 3/4, FF, convertible - 3/4 are the quietest. I figured if a 3/4 Bell was good enough for car racing…
In general I think lids are overpriced and know they will last far beyond the ridiculous “change every 5 years” which only benefits the makers.
The fundamental protection of helmets…the shell and shell primary crush liner is good for decades unless damaged in an accident. IT DOES NOT DETERIORATE.
The loose padding helmet liner is replaceable on all helmets and washable and can wear out.
I’ve generally learned to buy a size up as one of the things you want to add is a thin balaclava, easy to wash, easy to slip the helmet on.
I used an Oxford silk balaclava for years and still have as a backup.
It’s very thin
Lately a CHcycle but may not be available. Keeps my IEMs in place perfectly.
I wondered why I’d not heard of Sedici and see they are RevZ house brand…a good thing…I’ve never been disappointed with them, price, service returns etc.
I’d not over think this as RevZ allows returns.
Get a white one and be happy with good viz.
I prefer IEMs to in helmet speakers - even when I was sharing a SENA comm with my kid I’d plug them into to IEMs for sound quality and noise attentuation with foam tips and and a good seal. No in helmet system can match the quality. IMNSHO
Oh, thanks. I’ve been riding almost that long, if you count mini-bikes. (I think I got my first one when I was five, though my mom once said I was four. I think she was wrong.) Mom insisted I wear a helmet. It was a gold metal-flake Bell open-face helmet with a bulbous face shield. My first time on the Taco 44, I went up the sidewalk four houses down to my friend’s house. I didn’t know how to turn around. I crashed into a retaining wall, and the shield saved my face from the rose bushes. But thanks for reminding me how old I am.
Now that you mention this, I now remember another reason why I moved back to a standard full-face helmet from my modular. I couldn’t find colors/graphics that I liked on the modular. Shoei apparently decided that modular folks want fewer choices. The traditional helmet I ended up getting was white, blue and orange. A combo that sounds weird but for whatever reason I really liked.
Welp, my bike decided it didn’t want to go anywhere yesterday. Shifting to second from a stop light, the clutch didn’t close, the chain popped off both sprockets, and a whole lotta oil spontaneously dumped on the ground. I’m not sure what exactly happened, as getting it home and then the Fourth have been distractions, but it’s going on the stand this weekend. I’m leaning towards something with the transmission or clutch given the timing, but dumping most, if not all, of the oil is concerning, to say the least.
I really like the look of that Sedici Sistema. I use a Parlare now, but next year will probably be time to replace it.
Was out for a couple hours with the brand new Nolan 808 I scored for $50. !!!
But my sun visor which is spring loaded won’t work…I can pull it down with my fingers but will not come down with the slider on the side.
Was working when I first rode the helmet home from purchase.
I did miss being able to drink on the fly. Might work out a tube.
This will work
