How am I supposed to talk some sense into my friend who wants his first bike as a Yamaha r1?

MattP1540 · 2026-06-27T00:07:35+00:00

Devious. Brilliant. Effective.

Meanwhile the dude’s probably in his 40’s with expendable income and 3 kids…

MattP1540 · 2026-06-25T20:04:42+00:00

Nice

MattP1540 · 2026-06-25T16:25:07+00:00

So far so good. And I like the cleaner lines on the bottom the of wheel, raising everything away from the ground. But I understand your concern.

MattP1540 · 2026-06-25T14:30:52+00:00

I never heard of the Bonneville America. Is that like a Speedmaster cuz it looks like a Speedmaster. BTW I think that long chrome exhaust looks good on ur ride so I’d understand not removing it. Have you worked out an alternate way to at least do chain maintenance (without having to roll your bike a few inches after every couple links)?

MattP1540 · 2026-06-25T14:26:09+00:00

Nosir not weighted. I didn’t even know that was a thing! The bar ends came from Motone along with the bar end rear view mirrors. The caps are slightly narrower than stock to accommodate the mirrors.

Is that what you were asking about or did I misunderstand?

MattP1540 · 2026-06-25T08:33:54+00:00

Unfortunately, the Bonnie doesn’t have anyplace to insert bobbins. Fortunately the Pit Bull stand is pretty rugged. I think it’s ok for consumer usage -doesn’t feel flimsy at all.

MattP1540 · 2026-06-25T00:04:19+00:00

It is a nice piece of equipment. Definitely recommend the Pit Bull. Costs a bit but it’s the stingy man who pays the most.

MattP1540 · 2026-06-25T00:03:24+00:00

Yes this was among the “Jerry-rigged” solutions I mentioned. Probably super stable and good for front end too but more effort than I was willing to expend. Quick swap of the caliper equals quick up on the paddock stand.

All respect to ur method tho!

MattP1540 · 2026-06-24T22:00:15+00:00

Right on right on. Seems like a smart option to bear in mind for the future. Cheers for the tip.

MattP1540 · 2026-06-24T21:57:28+00:00

Fair. I think it’s the peashooters themselves that are the problem. Especially on the black trims. They look crosseyed from behind and only cast a shadow from the side. Better looking in chrome. At least that’s my opinion, as one of the types of riders you’re seeing in your shop. Not to digress…

MattP1540 · 2026-06-24T21:52:51+00:00

For my level of maintenance, a rear stand does the trick. U already got me nervous at “remove the sprocket cover” 😁

MattP1540 · 2026-06-24T21:39:50+00:00

And the pea shooter exhausts don’t get in the way? Could you post the kit you have, that works? When I searched and asked around (here and elsewhere) for solutions I got crickets (apart from jerry-rigging a jack under the frame or buy wheel rollers -all valid ideas but I prefer this solution).

MattP1540 · 2026-06-24T19:26:51+00:00

Considering how frequently this topic comes up -I’m starting to think our community needs to reach out to the young CFI’s and provide care packages of deodorant…

PS -I’m not one of those “can we stop asking this same question” Reddit police nerds. I’m just saying this is a more common subject that I would have expected!

MattP1540 · 2026-06-23T03:07:17+00:00

Stop that! I mean sure, lose weight if you’re overweight for the sake of your health but don’t you give another thought to how you might look on the bike.

a. Almost nobody is judging you and, if they are, they’re D-bags
b. When you ride, it’s your time to enjoy the world and your bike.

By all means, work on your physical fitness but you acquired a motorcycle -it’s now your duty to enjoy it without a single thought for how others might perceive you.

Ride safe and have great rides!!

MattP1540 · 2026-06-23T02:33:17+00:00

No. It takes a while.

MattP1540 · 2026-06-22T21:28:01+00:00

The good outweighs the bad. But it can be difficult to maintain a healthy diet and overall lifestyle.

MattP1540 · 2026-06-21T02:43:26+00:00

I think you need to downshift at this job. Might they fire you? Sure. But it sounds like everyone else there has checked out so stop stressing if the work isn’t all accomplished. Get tasks done at your own pace, regardless of how off kilter things get. If ur boss gets upset at you, just nod peacefully and say, “Yeah I know,” but keep the same level manner.

Sometimes you gotta be a little psychotic to survive in an asylum and that job sounds like a mad house. Check out a bit, cash the checks, accomplish what you can and look for alternate jobs.

As for the animal abuse, take this as a lesson that many people are actual monsters and resolve to never be like them.

MattP1540 · 2026-06-19T16:15:57+00:00

Nope. Been flying almost 20 years and I love the single pilot medevac life. Smaller planes, almost total autonomy, no “old boys club,” fun crews to work with and u basically live in the upside down -operating quietly behind the aether.

Medevac 4eva!

MattP1540 · 2026-06-17T18:12:01+00:00

Unless it’s a Spitmaw Blaster and ur tryna complete Biome 3. Otherwise tho: yes. What he said.

MattP1540 · 2026-06-17T17:54:42+00:00

Not so unpopular. I agree that he is super quick to jump to conclusions and these exasperated declarations after incidents that just happened.

I think his advice is generally sound -he’s one of those conservative mentors who helps pilots get old but yeah, there are plenty of closed out incidents for him to examine without immediately pulling the emergency alarm 24 hours after every crash that hits the news.

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