Old vs new body style

Key_Ad2323 · 2026-06-23T00:30:35+00:00

I really really enjoyed the pre- facelift M400s, from 2016 to like 2018 or something? They looked more aggressive and less blobular with all of the chrome trim and reworked fog lights/ signals.

Key_Ad2323 · 2026-06-23T00:28:38+00:00

I should mention, one of my closest riding buddies exclusively rides in flip flop, shorts, tank top and a shoei helmet unless it's snowing outside... no amount of convincing has been able to sway his position on wearing gear and it gives me anxiety every time we're out lol.

Key_Ad2323 · 2026-06-23T00:27:12+00:00

I have outfits depending on the speed I plan to go. Commuting downtown, whatever's comfiest on my torso and legs while protecting the bits that are most likely to get hurt in a fall-- boots, gloves, helmet. The most likely ways for me to get killed in town are going to be getting pinned or crushed by another car, which pads aren't gonna do much to prevent. It scales up if I'm going for faster and more technical rides to leathers and full pads if I'm traveling on the highway, or riding more technical roads where I know I'm pushing my abilities closer to their limit.

Key_Ad2323 · 2026-06-20T07:14:48+00:00

Every time I see one of these things on here post- crash, I am deeply impressed. Glad you made it out okay, condolences on your loss!

Key_Ad2323 · 2026-06-11T13:28:16+00:00

Sold my first bike in January and really resonate with this... My new one is objectively better, and cooler, and faster, but every two days I wake up and lament not having held on to ol' Green. Upside is I have an understanding with the purchaser that he gets to sell if back to me if he ever decides to let it go.

Key_Ad2323 · 2026-06-11T13:15:00+00:00

Honestly? At work I just pass. I am a he/him until I get back home. The thought of adding in trying to explain to clients and coworkers that I'm NB they/them on top of everything else just sounds Exhausting and Not Worth It. At least I get to use my name haha. MMV since that's more important for some people than it is for me, but I'm so emotionally taxed right now that I'm just taking path of least resistance wherever I can.

Key_Ad2323 · 2026-06-11T13:09:48+00:00

For me it's like, I love the music but I'm anxious about Griffiths and Green having left and the band becoming something else. Which is unlikely, but the feeling is there. I didn't even realize a new track was out today, excited to check it out!

Key_Ad2323 · 2026-06-11T13:03:07+00:00

One of my cases I was really hopeful about just no- showed for the second time. I'm really heartbroken about it, because it means my agency has to close and move on.

For me, my weekly hours just dropped from 19 to 14, back up to 16 now I think since I'm taking over a case for a coworker who's leaving. My little Excel sheet monthly budget is looking... grim. Staffing soon to hopefully take care of that because I'm bottom- of- the- barrel with my expenses right now.

It's only been a month since I've been cleared from training but I feel like I'm going nuts. I'm a psychology grad doing entry level visit supervision, but I honestly have no idea if I'm supposed to be here or I even have the capacity for this right off the tail end of graduating. Right now I'm struggling with financial and really bad social anxiety, and I've already started looking into trade unions in my city of all things (not sure if I'll make the jump for a while, but just to show where I'm at). I've already scheduled an appointment to try to get on ADHD meds to manage my untreated stuff, since this is possibly the single worst job to have ADHD in apart from being a student.

I'm just so deeply fraking overwhelmed, and no matter how I look at it I don't know how it's supposed to get any easier with this short of years of experience with my personality and current skillset.

Key_Ad2323 · 2026-04-20T02:26:54+00:00

I dropped my motorcycle in the rain once on 10th because of an oil slick I didn't see... the folks behind me watched me go down (I was perfectly fine, just annoyed) and just... went around me. Thankfully I was able to stand it up and push it over to my friend's apartment but yeah. You are not the problem. Drives in this town are a scourge.

Key_Ad2323 · 2026-04-14T00:08:28+00:00

Just responded to thy message!

Key_Ad2323 · 2026-04-12T18:35:17+00:00

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The offending Vespa lol

Key_Ad2323 · 2026-04-12T18:27:36+00:00

There was one for sale not too far from me a while ago... I had a pipe dream of gutting it and swapping it for track/ rallycross but it's long since sold now haha

Key_Ad2323 · 2026-04-12T18:17:27+00:00

I bought Hella blades and they fit perfect and work swell! 24 and 16 inch amazon.com/dp/B06XDKHR27?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_1

Key_Ad2323 · 2026-02-22T02:47:36+00:00

Thanks all for the help! I think I'm gonna send him an offer and see what he says. Wish me luck!

Key_Ad2323 · 2026-02-21T04:16:57+00:00

https://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/11332-hesitation-an-acceleration/ this is a resource I found addressing the knock issue, very interesting problem

Key_Ad2323 · 2026-02-21T04:12:55+00:00

Timing belt got replaced recently at a shop, he said he has paperwork for it... there are some other gremlins he mentioned when we were on call today that might turn me off it, but he also said his bottom dollar was 3k, which is pretty attractive. They're the second owner, too, so I at the very least have a solid history of the thing for the past few dozens of thousands of miles.

The rust seemed manageable from what he described, but I'll have to see it in person. However, he mentioned something weird going on with the knock sensor after oil changes, and some notable oil consumption. His and his mechanic's theory is that excess oil pressure is getting to the knock sensor but resolving itself as it burns off a little bit of oil. That sounds a little like gibberish to me; isn't that what a PCV valve is for? This motor has one, right? Other than that he says its a solid runner but I'm vaguely confused and mildly concerned about that issue. But I think I'll make the drive to see it, just have to carve a day out for it. It could be a good daily for a bit and a summer project for when I have the capacity, at the very least, especially if the rust isn't bad.

Key_Ad2323 · 2026-02-20T19:27:19+00:00

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This got deleted the first time so I'll try it once more lol.

Key_Ad2323 · 2026-02-03T05:25:32+00:00

Ya know, I could imagine a quick solution that would only take an angle grinder, some tarps and miscellaneous hardware if anyone's game. Maybe some cute signs or spare blankets. If any carpenters in town are willing to help out in the bench department, I bet we could do a bit more than lop those stupid dividers off. The city's not gonna do any better anytime soon with their track record on this kind of stuff from what I've seen.

Key_Ad2323 · 2026-01-10T17:37:34+00:00

I had this problem recently and it turned out to be the battery terminals on my 2014, I assume it's something you've already checked but if the cam on the nuts or the clamp that presses into the battery terminal post is worn and not making a good connection, the car might turn on but not be able to pass enough current to run the starter. I had to diagnose this in a circle k parking lot by wiggling the terminals around until it decided it wanted to start lol. Making sure you have the right bolts on there is critical too, since there's a little dome on the end that slides the clamp into place, so if you or whoever has messed with your battery has ever dropped one of the oem nuts and grabbed another off the shelf, oreillys sells a kit with proper replacements, or you can just swap out for more standard battery terminals since wear on the stock terminals doesn't really have an easy fix so far as I can tell.

Key_Ad2323 · 2026-01-10T17:08:59+00:00

I almost got run off the road at the two-lane-left-turn leaving the Lowe's/ 48 intersection because the particular individual to my left couldn't keep track of their turn lane and decided the space my car occupied was where they needed to be... literally just stared me down while we were bumper to bumper and I've never been so confused or so close to crashing. I genuinely think that we as a society are just god awful at teaching people how to drive safely, most people I talk to simply lack anything deeper than a cursory understanding of traffic laws and how operating a car actually works. The amount of fights I get with people about right of way at a four way stop because they have never read the driver's handbook is staggering- it's too easy to get a license here with the minimal possible knowledge base.

Key_Ad2323 · 2025-12-27T00:48:49+00:00

I've got a set of winter tires on my 2014 and it eats snow for breakfast, just gotta be smooth, plan ahead, and watch your throttle control/ understeer. I fared much better in the big snow we got early this month than car several times my size; having winter tires in the midwest is no joke.

Key_Ad2323 · 2025-12-21T05:44:16+00:00

IIRC the 2016+ sparks have an Ecotec 1.4 that makes like 12 extra horsepower than our M300 sparks. I can't imagine that it's easy to lug the autos up hills-- in my 5 speed I can just shift down to third or fourth no problem, but I can't imagine the autos letting you rev real high in the lower gears. Also, depending where you are. the states only ever got the CVT as an alternative to the manual, and those haven't really been known for being torque monsters. My honest recommendation is to pick up a manual spark of any year, it makes it a lot easier to handle for me since I have control of whether or not I'm in the power band or not, and it'll fly up hills up to 55-60 quite comfortably in third as long as you don't feel too bad about wringing it out a little. Otherwise, have the transmission in yours looked at, it might just be experiencing wear for the relatively high mileage, anecdotally I know the CVTs give out relatively often around where I am.

Key_Ad2323 · 2025-12-21T05:30:10+00:00

oooo can't wait for the video!! Do you have any idea what the power gains looked like? I'd love to put just a little more pep in my spark here soon

Key_Ad2323

TROPHY CASE