Just took an epic 3 hour nap so I can’t go back to sleep. Was looking at bikes on Craigslist when I realized how shitty so many deals are. I mean I know I’m cheap, but half of these people think their bikes are worth WAY more than what they really are. This is why over the weeks I see the same bikes posted over and over, thinking to myself “No one’s going to buy your bike bro” with about 95% of these posts. Figured I might as well write something up to help you out if you’re looking to get on two wheels. Now this mainly applies to the sport bike market because that’s what I have experience with, but I’m sure it could work for other bike types as well.

Also, side rant: why is it with every bike with cosmetic damages on Craigslist… has been laid down by previous owner?! While I’m sure a fair amount have been, I’m sure a lot have been dropped by the current owner who doesn’t want to man (or woman) up to it. I don’t think a buyer cares who dropped it; it was dropped and that’s all that matters. I don’t know, it was just a small observation I made since I spend a fair amount of time watching the bike market on Craigslist. Ok, on to the main post.

Bikes and Craigslist

To get an idea, or a baseline if you will, I spent $2800 on my F4i, $3800 on my ‘05 600RR, and $4500 on my ‘07 600RR. All of these bikes had clean titles, and all of these bikes were in great condition when I bought them; both cosmetically and mechanically. No huge milestone maintenance that was soon needed that would cost an arm and a leg to perform to keep them running well. Prices will vary from state to state and country to country (I know Canada prices just suck balls haha). You may ask: How do you know you these were good deals? Those numbers don’t sound all that great. My answer: because I know the market. In my location, these ARE the good deals. There isn’t a day that passes where I don’t look at the listings, whether I’m actively trying to get a bike or not. It has just become a habit. Call me a daily Craigslist window shopper if you will.

Right now I’m not looking for any specific bike; just anything that is fuel injected so I can start to stunt/track in peace. It could have a rebuilt title for all I care, as long as it runs well and is within my set price I’m buying it. I search in the morning quickly when I get into work, I search on my lunch break, I search when I get home, and I search before I go to sleep. I’m searching right now as I’m writing this post. This is how you get a good deal on a bike: Persistance and patience. If someone posts a bike for a REALLY good deal, generally they will be contacted by multiple people within the same hour of it being posted. Every minute matters because a lot of people do first contact first serve. You think you’re the only person out there looking for a good deal? Nawwwww, there are MANY others out there just like me, waiting to steal that deal from right under your nose. If you want to get a GOOD deal on a bike, you need to look multiple times a day and hit up a person as soon as you come across a potential listing. I mean, like right when you see the listing. Not after you shower, not after dinner, not tomorrow. If you have the money in hand and you’re dead set on buying a bike, call them or email them as soon as you see the listing. Also, be prepared to go see the bike as soon as it’s convenient FOR THEM. You wait until it’s convenient for you and the bike will be gone by the time you get there.

Cash in hand makes the world go around. I say this because people are less skeptical when you come with cash as opposed to a cashier’s check or money order. They can’t get screwed over with cash, so bring it. Also, a lot of people list their bikes at prices slightly over what they are expecting to get. They figure people will be cheap asses (me), and will try to lower the price, so they take that into account. Even when people say FIRM, show them the cash. If they still say they’re firm on the price, don’t push it anymore. It’s disrespectful to keep trying after the first attempt. Either take it or leave it at that point.

If you’re a new rider, bring a friend. Bring an experienced friend who knows what to look for. Obviously any bike is going to look delicious to you because you are a new rider, but trust me, there are LOTS of little things that can be wrong with a bike that will cost you more time and money in the long run to fix. 

Uhhh, I think that’s all I’ll write for now. I might have missed some stuff, BUT I’M SO FUCCKING HUNGRYY. Time to figure out what to eat! Good luck on your searches guys!

Q:You have Lupus?! How do you deal with it? (If you don't mind me asking that is.)

Anonymous

I actually do not mind you asking this at all. I did a “Ask Me Anything” recently, which you can find here: 

http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA//comments/rmmny/iama_22_year_old_with_autoimmune_diseases_that/

With something like this I can have discussions for days, and as you can see I answered every single question that was asked of me. It really does help to talk about it. Feel free to ask me more questions on here though if you have any, I don’t mind at all. I don’t want people to feel sorry for me (cause shieeeet, people out there have conditions way worse than me), but I also don’t want people to get this impression that I have this super glorious life filled with a nice house, motorcycles, a good pay job, etc. Nothing is ever as perfect as it seems sadly :/

Why to keep hands on the tank and not the rider.

vee- replied to your photo: Hands on the tank, not on the rider.

Mind me asking, why is that?

Having the passenger’s hands on the tank makes it feel like nobody is riding on the bike with you (besides having the extra amount of weight). You don’t feel the passenger pull, push, and knock helmets with you every time you accelerate, come to a stop, or take turns. It also lets them push themselves back to prevent them from sliding down from their seat and onto yours.

Q:I was looking through your posts of your bike, and it seems like you put in A LOT of work. Wouldn't it have been more cost-effective to buy a different bike?

Anonymous

The money and work put into my bike, and for any bike for that matter, happens over a period of time. While it’s true that it would have been more cost-effective to buy a different bike from the start, I didn’t have enough money at the time. I had enough money for my bike and I knew it would take a bit more time, money, and work to get it to how I wanted it to be. I wasn’t willing to put off riding while I gathered more funds, I was already without a bike for 2 weeks after selling my F4i and I really wanted something to get back riding again. Also, it doesn’t hurt to get a bike that needs work. Gives you the chance to gain the knowledge and experience of working on a bike.

Q:Do you stunt? Also, as a fellow sport bike rider, what do you think of the stereotype that we are young, dumb and are going to get ourselves killed?

Anonymous

I don’t stunt, but stunting is something I would like to get into in the near future (responsible stunting that is, as in not on the streets). The only thing holding me back at the moment is the funds. I want a dedicated stunt bike before I start, I’d never risk the purity of my street bike and its clean title to the dangers of stunting. This is the exact same reason why people have dedicated track bikes; if you crash it and screw it up it’s not your beautiful street machine.  

As for the stereotype, I just do my best to change other people’s perspective on us. On the road I’m for the most part responsible. I do the minor speeding and passing here and there, but nothing that you wouldn’t see a typical person in a car doing. I don’t excessively speed or cut people off, lanesplit, etc. The stereotype sucks but just exhibit the opposite behavior of what people expect and give them something to be surprised about.

Q:What are you going to school for?

Anonymous

I’m not in school anymore, I graduated last summer. I got an engineering degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics, hence the Daft Punk themed Aero/Astro shirt in my latest picture :D

Q:You obviously think HJC makes quality helmets since you recently bought one. I have an HJC FS-10 and I'm extremely happy with it. Most riders I've talked to have told me HJC is crap compared to names like Shoei and Arai. What's your take?

Anonymous

HJC may be crap to them because they probably have a head shape that doesn’t fit the HJC profile. When that happens they may be experience discomfort from wearing it and noise levels may be louder because their heads aren’t fitting snug all the way around the helmet, allowing more than usual amounts of air to enter. Helmets that are DOT and Snell approved have been tested using two separate standards to ensure they can protect a rider in the event of a crash; the Snell standard having higher performance requirements than the DOT. This is why you should always get a DOT AND Snell approved helmet. After that, protection levels will be relatively the same. I do not believe a Shoei or an Arai would protect my head any better in the event of a crash than my HJC, or even my old Scorpion as a matter of fact. They’ve been around longer so they have established a name for themselves, but over time HJC as well as the other newer helmet companies will join them as long as they keep on producing quality helmets.

Q:Your last post about working hard was very inspirational! I'm a junior in high school at the moment, and college is always on my mind. Just wondering, what kind of a student were you in high school? What college did you graduate from?

Anonymous

Haha, thanks! As for your question, I was Rank 1 in my high school graduating class. But honestly that didn’t mean much for my school, here are some of the stats; I was class of 2007. It wasn’t like I was a super genius nerd or anything, I just did my homework and classwork. I didn’t ever really study (maybe that’s why I got a 1 on my AP US History test and a 2 on my AP Calculus test HAHA). My school was ranked 344/405 of the high schools in WA. Take note of the statewide performance as well as the free/reduced lunch stats. Now, I didn’t grow up in Compton or anything, but my hometown is pretty ghetto and I’m actually one of those free/reduced lunch numbers; the majority of my high school was low income and that included me.

When I got to college it was a new playing field. Everyone was as smart as me, OR EVEN SMARTER! What the fuckkkk?? My high school grades and class rank meant NOTHING. If you’re in high school now and not doing too well don’t sweat it, you can turn it around in college; I’ve seen plenty of people do it. That goes both ways; if you’re doing good in high school now don’t let your guard down; college is a new level and most of your achievements in high school don’t mean shit after you get in. I graduated from the University of Washington in Seattle with a degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics. Given that my mom was a single mother of two kids AND she’s not a US citizen AND she worked minimum wage jobs her entire life… I know people can do well for themselves regardless of their situation. Some situations just require more effort than others. Your mileage may vary.

Q:What do you do for a living? How do you have so many bikes and constantly buy all this stuff?

Anonymous

Haha, first lets clear this up. I don’t own ALL those bikes that you might have seen posted. I own 1 and 1/2 bikes; the ‘05 600RR and half of the ‘07 white 600RR. My older brother owns the other half and parks his own white ‘07 600RR at my place because my house has a large garage and we can do work on the bikes easily. My two older step brothers also ride so that makes 5 bikes; Honda family ftw.

As for what I do: I’m a fresh college graduate, class of 2011, and I’m an engineer. I’m definitely not rich or anything, but man they really didn’t lie; hard earned college degrees WILL get you careers where you’ll be seeing money like you’ve never seen in your entire life. I also live with roommates in my friends house so rent is cheap as hell. I have no college debt so all the money I make I can spend as I wish. If I lived at home with my parents I’d have double my play money but fffffffffuuuuuuuck that haha.

I’ve received multiple messages from people saying they are jealous of my bikes and stuff like that. There’s no reason to be jealous because it’s not like I’ve achieved the unachievable. Here’s some words of wisdom. 99% of all people have to work. You can choose to work hard early in life and have it easy down the road or have it easy early in life and work hard [for a LONG TIME] down the road. I worked my ass off up until this point and now I’m set with a career and pretty stress free. Most of my friends that decided not to work hard in high school and college now work their asses off in retail or something along those lines for shitty pay and no benefits… and they’ll probably be doing that for a long time to come. Really what it comes down to is YOUR choice of when you decide you want to work hard. 

Keep in mind: I understand that there are exceptions to every situation but for the majority of cases I think my reasoning is valid. Sorry for the early morning rant/lecture. A lot of this generation just needs to stop whining and complaining about their first world problems and legitimately work hard for once. I see kids going on Tumblr complaining about the dumbest shit and I can just tell they’re lazy and don’t work hard… but at the same time they’re posting all these pictures of nice cars, mansions, motorcycles, beautiful girls, etc. I guess no one told them… You don’t get ANY of that shit without working hard. THATS. ON. SOME. REAL. TALK.

Now if you’d excuse me, I’d like to enjoy the rest of this weekend morning eating Lucky Charms and watching Full House.

-Danny aka Relate-A-Moto

Q:Love the new icon pic! I was also wondering if you're as into cars as much as you're into bikes?

flowmit92

Thanks! I never really got into cars. Even when I got my MR2, which is a N/A US chssis swapped with a jdm 3S-GTE engine and stock turbo by the previous owner, I was never heavily modding it like my brother was with his (he dropped SO much money on his MR2. Every mod possible he either did or considered doing it). I’m kind of obsessed with bikes though and can spend hours reading on them and I’m willing to spend to mod mine and gear up. He on the other hand is the opposite. He just likes riding to ride and doesn’t really go much further than that. We both have nice bikes as well as nice cars (both that are definitely good money and time sinks haha) but one just happens to like cars more and the other bikes more :D

Our cars (black mine, white his) smack dab in the middle at a 50+ MR2 meet

Our bikes before mine got a makeover :D

New frame sliders came in (actually came in a couple of days ago, but took me forever to write this up). No more spiked sliders; my bike is almost fully un-gothed! Got these bad boys from China for $14, and I’ll be talking about them for today’s little info session. Don’t worry, even tho they’re from a Chinese seller, you can’t really mess up on Allen bolts, washers, and delrin pucks.  So we all know that frame sliders are there to protect your bike; they stick out so that when you tip your bike or go down while riding, the slider will hit the ground first as opposed to your fairings, handlebars, mirrors, foot pegs, etc, thus saving them. If you lowside without frame sliders, chances are you aren’t going to be able to ride your bike home afterward because at least one of the parts I listed above will break. If you are somehow lucky and don’t break anything while riding without sliders, your plastics will for the most part be FUBAR. A full set of brand OEM fairings will run you for over $1000, and aftermarket will be around half of that. So yea, in short, sliders are a cheap and effective investment. That was the pros of frame sliders. Now, lets talk about the cons since there ARE cons that are usually overlook. First one is obvious, and although I personally think it’s dumb, it’s one of the main reasons that people don’t get frame sliders: aesthetics. People don’t like the look of cylinders coming out the side of their bike and most sliders require CUTTING YOUR FAIRINGS; some people just aren’t down with that. For me it’s meh, doesn’t make a bike look worse at all.They do make no cut frame sliders but I’m going to tell you now that I’ve heard nothing but bad things about them. They’re fairly weak because they require a bracket to displace where the sliders stick out. When the bike goes down, instead of all the stress transferring right to the frame from the slider, it goes from the slider to the bracket, then to the frame. Most of the time the load is too large and the bracket just breaks. Not only do they break easier, but since they are displaced from the frame they usually hover over important parts like the engine casing, radiator, fluid lines, etc, causing damage to them too when the bracket breaks and the pucks are  forced inward towards the bike’s internal organs. Frame sliders also have a small chance of getting caught in the road when you go down. Should this happen, and the bike is traveling at a quick enough speed, the bike can violently flip and tumble. This is also why you never get metal frame sliders; always go for plastic because in the event of a crash they will melt down and absorb some of the impact energy rather then completely transfer it straight to the frame which has a higher probability of both cracking the frame and flipping the bike. Don’t get me wrong, plastic sliders won’t make your bike flip proof. I’ve gone down with plastic sliders at only 35 MPH and my bike still flipped, I was just unlucky. Well, in retrospect I was actually REALLY lucky because even though my bike flipping was a low probability occurrence, less than $100 worth of damage was done. My forks and wheels could have easily bent, swingarm could have broken, etc., but fortunately the bike gods were looking over me that day; must have been that Gremlin bell. So what should you do? Sliders or no sliders? My personal opinion is to go with sliders. CUT SLIDERS that is. Stay away from the no cut sliders, I’ve read too many bad things about them, and after thinking it through logically, it would make sense why they are inferior. Think about the probability of your bike being tipped over in a parking lot or going down at relatively low speeds compared to the likelihood of high speed crashes. Low speed tips are more likely to occur so you should insure yourself for what would probably happen more. Yup, that’s my $0.02 about frame sliders. Hope anyone that actually read this entire thing actually got something useful out of it. 
Pop-upView Separately

New frame sliders came in (actually came in a couple of days ago, but took me forever to write this up). No more spiked sliders; my bike is almost fully un-gothed! Got these bad boys from China for $14, and I’ll be talking about them for today’s little info session. Don’t worry, even tho they’re from a Chinese seller, you can’t really mess up on Allen bolts, washers, and delrin pucks. 

So we all know that frame sliders are there to protect your bike; they stick out so that when you tip your bike or go down while riding, the slider will hit the ground first as opposed to your fairings, handlebars, mirrors, foot pegs, etc, thus saving them. If you lowside without frame sliders, chances are you aren’t going to be able to ride your bike home afterward because at least one of the parts I listed above will break. If you are somehow lucky and don’t break anything while riding without sliders, your plastics will for the most part be FUBAR. A full set of brand OEM fairings will run you for over $1000, and aftermarket will be around half of that. So yea, in short, sliders are a cheap and effective investment.

That was the pros of frame sliders. Now, lets talk about the cons since there ARE cons that are usually overlook. First one is obvious, and although I personally think it’s dumb, it’s one of the main reasons that people don’t get frame sliders: aesthetics. People don’t like the look of cylinders coming out the side of their bike and most sliders require CUTTING YOUR FAIRINGS; some people just aren’t down with that. For me it’s meh, doesn’t make a bike look worse at all.They do make no cut frame sliders but I’m going to tell you now that I’ve heard nothing but bad things about them. They’re fairly weak because they require a bracket to displace where the sliders stick out. When the bike goes down, instead of all the stress transferring right to the frame from the slider, it goes from the slider to the bracket, then to the frame. Most of the time the load is too large and the bracket just breaks. Not only do they break easier, but since they are displaced from the frame they usually hover over important parts like the engine casing, radiator, fluid lines, etc, causing damage to them too when the bracket breaks and the pucks are  forced inward towards the bike’s internal organs.

Frame sliders also have a small chance of getting caught in the road when you go down. Should this happen, and the bike is traveling at a quick enough speed, the bike can violently flip and tumble. This is also why you never get metal frame sliders; always go for plastic because in the event of a crash they will melt down and absorb some of the impact energy rather then completely transfer it straight to the frame which has a higher probability of both cracking the frame and flipping the bike. Don’t get me wrong, plastic sliders won’t make your bike flip proof. I’ve gone down with plastic sliders at only 35 MPH and my bike still flipped, I was just unlucky. Well, in retrospect I was actually REALLY lucky because even though my bike flipping was a low probability occurrence, less than $100 worth of damage was done. My forks and wheels could have easily bent, swingarm could have broken, etc., but fortunately the bike gods were looking over me that day; must have been that Gremlin bell.

So what should you do? Sliders or no sliders? My personal opinion is to go with sliders. CUT SLIDERS that is. Stay away from the no cut sliders, I’ve read too many bad things about them, and after thinking it through logically, it would make sense why they are inferior. Think about the probability of your bike being tipped over in a parking lot or going down at relatively low speeds compared to the likelihood of high speed crashes. Low speed tips are more likely to occur so you should insure yourself for what would probably happen more. Yup, that’s my $0.02 about frame sliders. Hope anyone that actually read this entire thing actually got something useful out of it. 

Q:What do you look like?!?! Post a picture of your face!

Anonymous

HAHA! Why do you guys care about what I look like so much?? I want to keep it a fun mystery, kind of like The Stig on Top Gear ya know?? Also, I don’t even have that many followers. Maybe one day when I get enough followers and [if] my blog evolves into something great I can do an epic unveiling of some sort, but until then, you’ll just be seeing me behind my mirrored visor :D

Q:SHOW US YOUR FACE!

Anonymous

I think it’s fun to keep it a mystery, ya knowww?!? like the Stig!! One day… maybe :P