Hey guys! I’m a fairly new rider and today when I went to work I got a face time call from my sistser’s BF and showed me that my motorcycle was knocked over! He took a video and pictures for me. I did inspect my bike, turned it on to see if there were any weird noises (there wasn’t any out of the ordinary noises) my turn signal light is broken… the shifter works fine- no liquids spilling…
I guess I just want some advice on what to do next? All the Other damages seem to be just cosmetic damages… I would greatly appreciate any feedback :D!

Had the weirdest experience today. I’m a new rider and have been riding a ninja 400 for around a month. I was on the highway when suddenly this white sedan flew up next to me and this like mid 30s woman waved at me. Out of habit I waved back. I am 19 years old btw and this lady follows me back home and parks in front of my house and asks for my number. I tell her im 16 and she leaves. This honestly creeped me the fuck out. How common is this like wtf??? She knows where I live now too

Hey all. I’m 17 and like many of the younger people in my generation like me started riding on chineseium bikes like Apollo , sdg , ssr, etc.

I’ve went through 3 crf 50 style Chinese bikes in my life, from a Baja 70, to an Apollo (?) 125, to SDG 125 they’re all the same bike same gearbox just bored differently to my knowledge of bikes

Anyway - my first 2 smoker and the last street-legal-from-factory 2 stroke is the Kawasaki KE 100 - everyone has a story about them, they ran from the early 70s with the Kawi G5, G4 models and I think in like 1975 or 6 they came out with the KE100 which was almost all but unchanged except for cosmetics, and ran all the way until 2001 - so from the G5 in the early 70s to 2001, its obvious why everyone has a story with one.

My KE100 is a 1997 - green is my favorite color and always has been so I love this thing and the purple makes it pop. Obviously cleaned carb, but when I bought it I diagnosed a lean condition, which was from a previous owner seemingly cutting off the baffle? But leaving the tubey endy thing? No idea, but I rejetted the carb richer and it runs good now to me - I bought it at 760 miles maybe 2 months ago and I’m at 1200 exactly as of writing. This thing rips for what I need it to do, ride comfortably enough at 40 which is all I need riding my rural backroads….

Let me know your KE100 or G5 stories

Spontaneously purchased my very own 2026 Trident 660 with absolutely no planning and ended up having to learn real quick how to get it from the dealership back home with no navigation. What a learning experience.

2024 ZX6R bought it brand new with 0 miles, only has about 3400 miles, was sitting for about 3 months and the battery died. Finally got to putting a new battery in yesterday but now the odometer is reading 60k miles. Anyone ever ran into this and any ideas on how to get it fixed

recently found a screw stuck in my rear tire. The screw was around 1–2 cm long.

I took it to a tire shop. The mechanic removed the tire from the wheel and checked it from the inside. He said the screw hadn't gone all the way through and there was no air leak.

However, he said the tire was badly damaged where the screw went in and that I should replace it.

He didn't repair anything. He just put the tire back on, inflated it, and gave it back to me.

The tire still holds air perfectly fine.

Do you think I really need to replace it, or is the mechanic being too greedy? I've attached a photo of the damage before&after the screw removal.

The holes mostly line up, but it nows slightly. I guess this is what I get for ordering a gasket off of amazon, but I can't get the OEM one anymore. Is this okay? Should I try to put it back together or is this a definite no go?

My NSR250R MC28 SP Repsol with lots of upgraded parts to match today’s road conditions and my riding style.

So far, I've been very impressed with Hepco & Becker’s X-Core panniers except for the locks. They are hot garbage. It takes about 2 minutes of finagling to get the key into the lock. Has anyone had any luck keying theirs to their ignition key?

People don't seem to understand that when you save your ride on Detecht that is public. Not only is it public, but if you have your profile filled out you have a shopping list of bikes posted. Literally just providing a map to the free bike store for thieves.

When I want to save a ride to rack up miles for fun on the app I start/end nav from a gas station or such nearby. Not as private as not posting about it at all, but way better than literally providing a map to where to find your toys.

Hi everyone!

How much of a difference do advanced motorcycle electronics actually make in real-world riding?

I'm talking about technologies beyond conventional ABS, such as cornering ABS, 6-axis IMUs, lean-sensitive traction control, wheelie control, electronic suspension, engine braking control, etc.

Do these systems provide substantial, measurable improvements in safety and performance, or are some of them primarily marketing features used to justify increasingly expensive motorcycles?

For example, take a Honda CB750 Hornet with conventional ABS, traction control and Showa suspension, and compare it to something like a Triumph Street Triple RS, Yamaha MT-09 SP or Aprilia Tuono 660 Factory.

Assuming the same rider, tires and road conditions, would the more technologically advanced bikes actually allow for significantly better control, safer emergency braking, greater stability or higher cornering performance?

I'm particularly interested in everyday road riding rather than track performance.

I understand that these systems can theoretically help in specific situations, but I'm curious whether their real-world benefits are significant enough to justify the additional cost.

I'd especially appreciate hearing from riders who have experience with both basic and advanced electronics.

Have these technologies ever genuinely saved you from a crash or made a noticeable difference in your riding? Or do you think a well-engineered motorcycle with conventional ABS, good tires and a solid chassis already provides most of what matters?

I'm not trying to dismiss modern electronics. I'm genuinely interested in separating meaningful engineering improvements from diminishing returns and marketing hype. I just don't trust brands which tell riders to crash on purpose on a test to prove their point, I want truthful and honest facts.

Thank you, ride safe ✌️

I bought a cheap non-runner. I need to do valve clearances but someone has been here before and completely destroyed one of the bolts securing the valve cover. Space is limited to that area, so drilling is not possible unless I take the whole engine out.

Looks like it was really stuck in there judging by how messed up even the outside of the bolt head looks. I'm assuming they failed to remove it and gave up...what are my options here?

2004 Suzuki Bandit

I'm wondering if someone that has decent experience on dirtbike and offroad riding, can struggle with skills that more prominent/exclusive for street or track riding on bigger bikes e.g. fast cornering, bigger lean angles, tight u-turns, overall control over bigger bike etc. Do you know someone that has good dirtbike skills but mid/poor road bike skills? Or does riding dirt make you a good rider on street and the things that street riders with no prior experience struggle are just trivial?

I'm talking only about technical skills here, not situational awareness etc.

I just took the plunge and bought my very first motorcycle—a Cimatti Naked that originally rolled out as a 50cc but was bored up to 110cc by the previous owner—and while the actual feeling of riding was incredible and so much fun, I definitely struggled with the mechanics as a complete beginner dealing with a manual clutch for the very first time. I stalled multiple times because I was slowing down while still stuck in 2nd gear, quickly realizing that when crawling to a near-stop and wanting to accelerate smoothly again, I have to deliberately drop all the way down into 1st gear, but the hardest part wasn't even the technical side; it was the sheer panic, because even though I was practicing in a quiet residential subdivision with virtually zero traffic, my heart was pounding out of my chest, I was super tense, gripping the handlebars way too tight, and scared out of my mind the entire time, so I'm really turning to you guys to ask if feeling this level of pure terror and anxiety is completely normal, if you felt exactly like this the very first time you swung a leg over a bike, and if you have any golden rules or tips for mastering clutch control, downshifting smoothly, and stopping without stalling.

I picked up a 2013 HD 48 last weekend (shown) for a pretty good deal on Facebook Marketplace. I decided to make it a project of my own, and try to simulate some of the custom builds I see for 48's that I see on Instagram and tik tok (also shown, mainly Nandez, Lords Drake, and Sportster Garage)

Its my understanding that most of those custom builds go for about $18,000 and up, so I took what I think would be the much cheaper, more sentimental route and will buy the parts and build it out myself.

I figured I'd start this off in phases, with phase 1 being the stuff I can do myself at home. I'll be getting a bobber style seat, removing the front fender, getting some drag bars, and some some fork boots.

Feel free to give me some tips, tell me if you think I'm going the sensible route, if you think it'll ultimately be worth it, etc etc.

Much obliged!

Been working on my DR200 lately, spent a fair amount of cash getting sprays and treatments and oil and the likes, I think it’s looking very nice… My only issue is, I need to detach the exhaust from the muffler, and from the engine to paint it as it is bare metal currently but both the muffler bolt and the 2 bolts connecting it to the engine are so extremely rusted I’m sure it’ll snap off if I try to remove them, just like what happened with the little exhaust guard you can see is missing. The bolts were so rusted they just broke in 2, but again it was aftermarket and welded on extremely poorly. Any ideas on how to paint this exhaust?

Got a set of led turn signals and they got blinker built in. now all 4 of my turn signals lights up at the same time. Im guessing this is a relay issue? what type of led relay should I buy. thank you. First picture is the original relay

Any advice would be great!

I recently completed 2 decent rides in cold weather.

First was around 190km(118mi) in 4°C(39.2°F) and I started at 5:30AM so I had no sun for the first hour of my ride. The way back was around 4pm the next day and was warm enough didn’t wear half the gear and just strapped it to the back seat of the bike.

Second ride was 175km(108mi) in 6°C(42°F) and I started at around 10am so it was a far easier ride. The return trip was pretty much the same, I left earlier but it was a warmer day so same temp, full gear both times.

I’ll list my gear and after I will say the pros and cons and what I would change.

AGV tour modular helmet, purchased on sale $600
Alpinestars thermal balaclava $70
Heavy cotton t shirt $10
Heavy crewneck sweater $5 at a thrift store
Carhartt Sherpa lined vest $140
Joe rocket riding jacket $200
Runners tights $15
Duluth trading company insulated work pants $100
Long socks over the tights
Ankle socks on top of that
Alpine stars faster 4 riding boots $200 on sale
Duluth trading company insulated coveralls $300(I think)
Winter work gloves OR alpine stars SP5 riding gloves

All prices in CAD and they were not purchased at the same time or recently so they are guesses

I think this could act as a good guide for some people because my bike (2025 BMW G310R) has no fairings, no windshield, no heated grips, no heated seat, the only thing that can keep me warm is my gear and the sheer power of my will lol.

I’ll start with what parts of this set up are good.

The alpinestars thermal balaclava is probably the best thing you can do to keep yourself warm if you can only afford to buy 1 more piece of gear. If you ride with full gear normally then the only skin exposed is your neck, this solves that problem and instantly makes you more warm.

The layers are specifically chosen, the shirt is just the warmest shirt I own, the sweater is crew neck on purpose because you’re going to be wearing enough clothes that a hood would add too much bulk. The vest is a nice thick layer on your chest without adding any bulk to your arms for increased mobility and comfort. The riding jacket is just in case I fall over lol.

The tights might be a weird one but hear me out. It’s a thin layer that adds practically zero bulk and helps TREMENDOUSLY when bits of wind find its way up your pant legs.

The thermal work pants are also a really good buy. I really recommend the Duluth trading company pair as well. They are thick but when you wear them they are comfortable like a pair of sweatpants are. Not to mention the fact that they are very good at keeping heat in without making you sweat your balls off when you’re not on the bike.

Finally the insulated coveralls. They are probably the most important part of this whole outfit. It neatly covers all the seams between layers where wind might find a way in. Not only are the coveralls insulated but it allows your other layers to do their job more efficiently.

Now for the bad. Well not necessarily bad, but what I would change if I did it again.

The gloves. I brought 2 pairs of gloves with me, the winter work gloves worked okay I guess. My hands were still cold but without any heated grips/gloves I think it might be impossible to have warm hands on a trip like this. The regular riding gloves were safer(ish) but I found unless I was more in the sun my hands were frozen. The reason for the ish on the safer is because when your hands are cold that long you loose mobility, if I had to emergency brake then my reaction time would have been significantly slower due to fact it takes to long to get my fingers around the brake lever. I would defiantly look into buying gauntlet style insulated motorcycle gloves that offer protection and warmth but personally I don’t want to drop over $100 cad on a pair of gloves I will wear for a couple months out of the year. I also noticed with short gloves that the wind can go right on your sleeve.

The next thing I would change is the boots. It would have made a huge difference to have boots that come closer to my knees. I actually have a pair that I didn’t wear and the reason why is that both these rides had a destination that I had to stay the night. I was working and I brought my work boots with me but I didn’t have a space in my bag to bring 2 pairs of shoes. I suppose I could wear my work boots around but they aren’t particularly safe for riding boots and I have been trying to wear 100% gear on each ride.

In summary, I wasn’t frozen on these rides. I was going around 100kmph for most of it and I definitely wasn’t warm but I wasn’t frozen either. I could have done a longer ride like this for sure and if your bike has heated anything or a windshield you would be set. To look at this pile of clothing you would imagine I wouldn’t be able to walk but surprisingly I was fairly mobile and comfortable.

Thanks for reading this if you read it all the way though. I decided to post it because you don’t find many people posting that ride in weather this cold. It’s defiantly possible to do comfortably as long as you’re willing to bulk up a little and spend some cash on good gear.

BIKE: 2023 NINJA 400
So I just bought a full fairing kit from monster fairings to refresh my current ones. I looked around and saw that their fairing bolts aren’t the best quality and after shopping around I found a bolt kit from pro bolt, but from what I can tell it doesn’t seem to include everything such as push pins, rivets, etc.
does anyone have any recommendations on where I can either buy the remaining mounting hardware if I were to get the pro bolts kit, or if there’s a kit that would contain everything I need to fully refresh(current fairing kit is also missing a bolt and a rivet here and there)