Farewell for now, VFR World

Wow! I am happy you are OK and you haven't been put off riding!

The Ninja 1000 is nice bike. Please, hang around and let us know how you like the new ride after you have more seat time.

 

Sorry about the accident! Congrats on the new Kawi! I know well that they make some fine products.
(And the good folks here still tolerate me even though I don't have my VFR anymore so they will certainly allow YOU to hang out!)

 

Well let me tell ya Reg, it is a sweet bike. My boss has me on one of his 800 XC's (indefinite loan). A great motor, typical Triumph engineering, and ABS to boot.

 

Thanks for all the positives guys. I'll be dead before I give up riding. Not my first rodeo, hopefully the last. I always say, 'If I'm not dead, I'm on two wheels.'

Keager - sure you can have them. Email me on my cell - sjczjr@gmail.com
I actually have quite a nice helmet collection, mostly Bell Stars, so I have bags for the new ride. You do know that the liners are basically the width of half the bag? They fit behind the straps. My Bell Star bags fit the entire bag since they're wide enough for a helmet.

Again, anyone wants a Sargent seat I'll let it go for a song. Don't do me any good no more. Only had it for 3 months anyway. I also have a good stock seat and the rear cowling for it (black). I also have the stock screen (a bit scratchy and yellow), and a perfect ZG stock replacement (no bubble, dark smoke - pretty much opaque).

Sheesh! That video about sums it up for me! I was hit at about 35-40mph.

I'll look into what Sargent has coming out for the Ninja. Nothing yet. Maybe a Laminar Lip for the screen, but honestly it's the first stock screen I've ever owned that I can actually recommend and say it works fabulous in all positions. Very clean wind coming over it no matter the position you put it in. My next purchase will be a U-Clear headset for my phone. It does it all so only one item to sync.

So far, really an impressive bike. Feels lighter than the VFR. Back end's a bit squirley, but I am waiting to get the bags mounted to tune the suspension. Did a left turn in city traffic yesterday coming home from work. Rolled the throttle coming out in second gear and it lifted the front off (squidy). I really didn't give it much...lol. Pretty surprised it did that. But it's all in getting used to it. It's got more power than I'll use for sure. Doesn't feel as planted as the VFR but I think that's the higher center of gravity. I'm actually thinking about clip-ons for this bike. It's almost too sit up and beg for me. Hugging close to the tank you do feel way more planted than sitting back on the seat, that's for sure.

 

You did ask the insurance company for reimbursement for your underwear right?? Very glad you are ok, that sounds like a pretty good whack you took. You can always sue her in civil court right?

Rollin

 

Back muscles still spasm a bit, but as far as the right ankle fractured cuboid and the compression fracture on the tibia, the torn ACL and other tendons and ligaments in my ankle. They sound bad but I am not limping anymore, the swelling has gone back down to normal so I can bend it all the way again without pain. My jaw was swolllen a bit and it's normal now. The right eye was black but that went in a couple days.

For an old fart I heal fast. I always say I bounce well.

Sue her? Nah... she'll have enough trouble. Ya gotta figure someone that can only get PIP insurance usually is low income, and probably more problems than just a shitty driving record. I'm not a sue happy kinda guy. I just want to be made whole. Maybe my attitude can change her luck too, ya never know.

Her insurance company I do have to say is handling it very nicely and they are very friendly and accomodating. To get $8k for my 2006 because I found a dealer on Cycletrader with my exact bike for that price is actually awesome, and they didn't flinch on it. The Bell RS-1 helmet was $350 and the shield was the $120 photchromatic.

Even though the medical bills are a few grand more than the $10k liability max, they also know that they'll haggle it down almost half. I told them if they settle the med bills for less than the $10 to send me the check for the difference and call it possble future expenses. They agreed, no problem.

Life goes on. Maybe someday I'll get me another VFR, but I just didn't care for the VFR 1200. I shy away from bikes that offer automatic trannies, claim to be a sport tourer, but yet for $15k they don't give you hard cases?!. What fun is that? If in the end I just don't aclimatize to the Kaw, then I'll look for another Interceptor. plenty of new 6th gen out there still.

 

I sent you a PM on the Sargent

 

Personally I think you deserve some P&S.

[[video=youtube;Ul0elQ9jp-U]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ul0elQ9jp-U&feature=player_embedded[/video]

 

[video=youtube;lHqeneKr5_c]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHqeneKr5_c&feature=related[/video]

 

Amen to that, Randy. I hate it...period. Even when I'm in my cage and see that kind of behaviour, I think, "What if I was on my bike I'd be pissed." Then...well I find myself as pissed as I would have been!

Glad you're going to be ok, brother Wrabbit...Ninja or not!!

 

You can't get blood from a turnip, as the saying goes. I always give the cell phone cagers a queer look through my helmet. dumb-asses usually going slow or drifting in and out of lanes, or backing up and making people brake behind them. I think they should treat texting like a DUI. Take yer friggin' license for 3 months automatically and see if you learn anything. Get caught again and make it a whole year's suspension. Let mom take a bus everywhere for a while. Better yet, there should be a nation-wide ban on cell phone usage in a cage unless it's hands free. Auto makers will fight that big-time with all the new tech going into a lot of vehicles. My brother bought a new Ford truck with all the toys and God, he was playing with his master screen showing it all to me while he was DRIVING! Sheesh! Maps, phone dialer, iPod! Just shoot me now!

The Ninja's a good bike. I rode 150 miles to visit my brother and I was comfy the whole time. I did find that the screen in race position was actually best on the hiway at 80mph+. Weird, but in middle position you can feel the wind hit right below the collar of the helmet - created a bit more helmet noise but really not that much more. In full upright I felt a bit of helmet bobble at 80mph+ speeds. I do attribute that to my Scorpion helmet though. I could feel the helmet also press back into my face at higher speeds. Negative pressure inside the helmet due to the fact that at higher speeds the Scorpion just can't move enough air through it fast enough to keep up. My Bell Star and Bell RS-1 don't have any of the problems I've mentioned. Overall, the windscreen did great and I was not fatigued for the 3 hour ride. The seat was also comfy the whole time. The reach to the bars I still find a bit odd as it's more sit-up-and-beg than I am used to. I am still considering regular clip-ons. It'll also put more weight up front and the bike will be and feel more planted that way too. The forums already recommend raising the bars (I say dropping the front end) 5mm. To me, that's doing the same thing as putting on lower bars - weight shift.

I got around 43-45mpg on the highway. My fuel warning came on at 175 miles. That means 1.1 gallons left to empty according to the manual. 5 gallon max tank capacity on this one. Fuel gauge sucks on this bike. I put 100 miles on it before it even loses one status bar on the dash! 125 miles and two status bars gone. This means it's telling me I have more than half a tank left at this point, and that's bullshit. I talked to them at the dealership and the mechanic said that Kawasaki fuel gauges do that a lot. Nothing wrong with it. It's just going to rapidly go through the gauge once you get to half a tank on the gauge. Still, that's stupid, IMO.

 

I was seriously looking at the Ninja 1000 as a replacement for my 98 VFR however, the Minister of Finance (my loving wife), did not approve the expenditure for this fiscal year or a couple to come by her tone. ha!

I figure I'll get a new ride in 2013...I turn 50 (September) so maybe I can use that line on the missus. By that time, the 2011 model maybe supplanted in my mind by some other machine. You got a sweet deal. I never had a bike with heated grips or had hard luggage...something to consider in my next purchase.

I look forward to hearing more about your new baby.

Cheers!

 

So Randy, did you change your mind about riding with VFR Chica aka " The Ton Texter" ?

 

Looking also into getting a set of Yoshi's to replace the plastic cans the bike comes with, but the sound from them is very nice. Surprisingly quiet bike. More vibes at the foot pegs and hand grips than a VFR 800. Overall a way more sit-up position than the VFR even with aftermarket bars or risers. Shorter seat front to back than the VFR. No aftermarlet as yet for that. I'm 6'2" and have a 36" inseam. Sitting back in the seat is plenty roomy. Shorter riders probably won't sit that far back. any questions about the bike i'd be happy to answer.

I still think about myn poor VFR. I think if any of the Honda shops near me had an new one on their floor I would have bought it again, but sadly no one had one, let alone with the Givi bags.

The Givi's on the Ninja are nicer than the Givi's on the VFR. same capacity, but the opening mechanism is nicer and doesn't have a lever tha can scratch the case. You press two buttons and the lid simplyn opens downwards. They don't have 'Ninja' plaques on them but they come with side and rear reflectors. I am not sure, but I think the rear can be wired for lights. I have to check into that.

This will be my first bike with heated grips. most people think I am nuts since I live in Florida, but we do have a few weeks a year that I ride in and even the heaviest gloves get unbearable in a matter of about an hour. I ride every day, rain or shine, to work. I go out on weekends to enjoy. I usually put 15k on a bike per year. I have a 2007 Hyundai Elatra with 16k on it...lol. The battery died twice on it because it sits so long. I bought it for an ex-girlfriend and she put 12k on it in 6 months...lol. She was gone after that but I have the car. I think it needs a tarp. The car that is.

 

Lmao................