A.R.S.E.

So I got my bike learners not long ago, got some super and bought a CMX 500 S rebel and it's bloody brilliant!

So it's a 500 (471cc), 46 horsepower, 6 speed bobber style cruiser. It's got a slipper clutch, ABS and that makes it perfect for n00bs such as me. Weighs about 193 kilos.

It's my first bike so got nothing to compare it too but I can say it's a bloody easy bike to ride. I'm only 170 cm so the low seat height suits me. Mid mount foot controls feels right. Even the bar position feels right. I find it a comfy place to be. All the power seems to be in the low end, though I am still running it in with 350 k's on the clock. It does 110 k's but I have had it no faster. It does stop pretty good but the front does dive some what. It rides the bumps well with those big tyres. It's got LED lights and the display is nice. It's doesn't have a tacho but it's got a fuel gauge, gear indicator, two trip computers, it will even tell me the fuel economy of the reserve fuel.

The slipper clutch is awesome. Stole this bit off the interweb... A slipper clutch (also known as a back-torque limiter) is a specialized clutch with an integrated freewheel mechanism, developed for performance-oriented motorcycles to mitigate the effects of engine braking when riders decelerate... I hardly have to engage the clutch on change down and you can operate it with one finger.

I don't find this bike intimidating to ride being a new rider. It's not done anything unexpected yet I have enough power to ride the damn thing around Australia. A litre Honda would scare nine shades of shit out of me but not the rebel.



Since taking these pics I have removed the pillion and pegs.

Nice Doc! Never keep learning about minimising hazards while riding and making yourself seen.

I have had a few bikes but my old body couldn't do litre bikes anymore. I've had a Suzuki M90 Boulevard for a few years now. I ride about 10-12,000ks a year so needed something comfortable for longer stints.

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Santaria wrote: Never keep learning about minimising hazards while riding and making yourself seen.

The 2 day learner course was really good about hazard minimising and being seen. So I have been putting that to good use. Using lane positioning, brake set up. Around these parts there are a lot of nice country roads, bloody rough ones too and wildlife. I found it best to back off at times and just keep scanning a head. Also being a learner, I have to wear a high vis vest for 12 months and I also have a white helmet to be seen.

So glad I went a cruiser though. Got to be comfy like you said.

I thought P platers needed high vis too, today I learnt.

Get yourself into a casual riders group. Stay away from sports bike groups until you're more confident but you'll be shunned anyway on a cruiser, lol. Sports bike groups are all about the speed rush, cruiser groups are more about the journey and the chat afterwards.

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That's a really nice looking bike. I've never been into them much, but the blacked out mechanical looking ones kinda make me want one

Hey Doc, Pic of the helmet......

The helmet doesn't suit it as I was going for a sports bike....

The helmet is fine. Don't ever go open faced. I have a Shark as well. Fluro green abstract markings on a black background.

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I would never go open face. The one I have was $200 and I didn't want to spend big right away. It's doing the job but I will get a better helmet in time.

I was hoping Matt Black, still that's why spray cans were invented.

Yeah do it, spray it matt black!

Dr. Pain wrote:I would never go open face. The one I have was $200 and I didn't want to spend big right away. It's doing the job but I will get a better helmet in time.

How much is your brain worth? Although there's a compliance they all meet, more expensive helmets are comfier and less wind noise which helps with fatigue etc. Shark, Kabuto and AGV over about $400 are the go to brands for most riders I know. My shark was $450 and it's chalk and cheese to my brothers $200 LS2 and my old $250 Kabuto.

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I do plan to get a better helmet than what I have. I have noticed some of it's bad points now that I am riding out on the country roads.

Not really my type of bike but I suppose I never really tried one, I had a 250 Suzuki Across as my learner bike and then went to a 750 GSXF but haven't ridden for over 10 years now after a fairly big accident. The GSXF was a good sorta cross and was more comfy than a full on sports bike.
The licensing/training up this way was really good when I did it, even got to do some laps of Hidden Valley on my 250

It was fucking cold this morning riding back from my girlfirends. Had a 35 k ride with the feels like temp at -1C. I did find it hard to brake at one point as my fingers wouldn't work. But I wouldn't trade it for anything as I was loving it even if I was cold. Such a nice bike to ride.

Rising while cold sucks. If it's something you do often, rain gear generally blocks out the cold while being cheaper. Get some winter gloves and summer gloves. I'm in Central QLD. Never gets below 5 really and it's a 25k ride. I suck it up mostly.

Got a heap of new mods for my bike too. New exhaust, fuel mapper, bar end mirrors, debadged and some of the chrome blacked out. Looking for a lowering kit now.

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All my gear is winter gear but I think I need some thermal inners for the glove while it's cool. I do have to shop for summer gear over the next few weeks.

I took the pillion stuff a while ago and it looks much better. Badly needed a bath as I did some wet weather riding and it was filthy!

Looks good Doc!

Mine is on the right, brothers new purchase Vn900 on the left.

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Nice ride Santa. Not sure I would leave my helmet there though. Normally put mine on the right foot peg.

Got a Shoei neotec 2 helmet. It's chalk and cheese when compared to my Shark helmet. It is so much quieter, fits great and sits so nice in the wind. I can see better and turn my head better. I feel so much secure and more confident when riding. It wasn't cheap but damn it is well worth it.

Dr. Pain wrote:Got a Shoei neotec 2 helmet. It's chalk and cheese when compared to my Shark helmet. It is so much quieter, fits great and sits so nice in the wind. I can see better and turn my head better. I feel so much secure and more confident when riding. It wasn't cheap but damn it is well worth it.

Helmets are definitely one of the get what you pay for items.

I've put my helmet there for years and years. Never had an issue. You'll drop your helmet one day, it's par for the course, lol.

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So I'm thinking about buying one of these, a new KTM RC390, I mean I've pretty much made the decision but I'm just giving the wife a bit of time to get used to the idea
There's really no good roads in Darwin so it'll just be for the occasional weekend blast to clear the head but mostly to take down to Hidden Valley for ride days which run about 7 times a year. I'm not looking to be a track star or anything but doing some laps on a track is a heap of fun and these have a good reputation for a small, cheap track bike.

I actually first started thinking about a kit car, something like a clubman but whether building or buying pre-built it was going to be too much. The idea was much the same, something for some weekend drives and track days but then I got the brilliant or not so brilliant idea about getting a bike

Sarsippius wrote:So I'm thinking about buying one of these, a new KTM RC390, I mean I've pretty much made the decision but I'm just giving the wife a bit of time to get used to the idea

KTM-RC390.jpg

There's really no good roads in Darwin so it'll just be for the occasional weekend blast to clear the head but mostly to take down to Hidden Valley for ride days which run about 7 times a year. I'm not looking to be a track star or anything but doing some laps on a track is a heap of fun and these have a good reputation for a small, cheap track bike.

I actually first started thinking about a kit car, something like a clubman but whether building or buying pre-built it was going to be too much. The idea was much the same, something for some weekend drives and track days but then I got the brilliant or not so brilliant idea about getting a bike

Is it your first bike mate?

If it is, don't buy new. You could get a 2014-2016 Ninja 300 for around those dollars and they're generally cheap to repair, plenty of bits and pieces and bomb proof. They're super comfy and go like the clappers. So many people buy them new and then upgrade when they get their bigboy licenses so most only have around 15,000ks and less on them.

Better than Austrian Dirt bike engines in road bikes (RC390 is single cylinder). In saying that, buy what you want, but please ride it first. You'll be surprised how cramped a lot of them are but don't look it.

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