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111 mph: Brevard Deputy of the Year avoids arrest under Florida ‘Super Speeder’ law (www.clickorlando.com)
submitted 2 months ago by to c/nottheonion@lemmy.world
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[–] 2 points 2 months ago (4 children)

Damn it sounds like it's easy over there. I get AM category (scooters up to 50cc) free on the account of having B category, but I have to go through a course costing over 600 euros and then do the full theoretical + riding exams like I did for B cat (those cost a bit of money too, not too much). This is also cheaper than getting it from scratch which would be 900 euros for the course (more theory lessons) and be limited to 250cc at first.

I've been contemplating it for a few years now, but something important is that if I want to get an exam time the same year, I'd have to do the course in March or April (when it might still be snowy lol) because exam times are always booked up... And particularly last few years since I'm not working full-time or even half-time due to burnout, I'm broke as hell after winter because of the heating costs and dropping nearly a grand on getting a license and then another grand or 2 on a fixer-upper first bike doesn't seem like a great idea anymore :/ Will have to wait until mid-life crisis.

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  • [–] 2 points 2 months ago (3 children)

    There's a reason USians are known to buy 1000ccs as starter bikes and yeehaw into a coffin. They generally only need either a 15 hour class or 6 month permit on a 125-250cc to be qualified for any motorcycle at all.

    I will support "beginner" bikes forever. 90% of the "little bike" woes of my 250 ended up being skill issues. You know what 250s won't do on whiskey throttles when poor grip on the throttle and poor core body reaction tilts your torso back and pulls a little throttle jolt into a full throttle expedition? They won't power wheelie. I always see them say just use self control, but that's hard to do when your body is physically not experienced for a 3 second 0-100kmh rocket that only contacts your fingers and taint.

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  • [–] 2 points 2 months ago

    MotoGP's Moto3 class is 250 cc currently, and was 125 cc in the past. That should tell people all they need to know.

    (Apparently the classes are made much closer in displacement and power gradually from 2019 to 2028. And the top class will actually lower the displacement from 1L to 850 cc next year.)

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  • [–] 1 point 2 months ago (1 child)

    The "beginner" bike I want is actually nowhere close to 125cc, but it's not a deadly liter bike either. I'm looking at a 620cc Ducati Monster. Why? Because it looks nice, sounds nice and despite the Monster name, it doesn't seem to be the "one mistake and you're dead" kind of bike, has a more forgiving throttle response from what I've heard. And I already buy ridiculously depreciated German luxury cars for funsies and fix them when shit breaks, I think I could handle anything an Italian bike throws at me too, especially since it wouldn't even be my primary vehicle.

    But then when I start thinking about the finances, it no longer makes sense. Besides the license and the bike itself, I'd also obviously need gear (ATGATT after all) and I'm hoping to lose some 50 kilos in the next few years so that also means buying expensive pants and a jacket again. Might put it off for another year or 2 at this rate so things align better.

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  • [–] 1 point 2 months ago

    I do love the Monster on paper (and by ear, and by eye) but I've generally signed off on Ducati for now and the foreseeable future. I could see it being my 3rd or 4th concurrent bike. Even my Honda needs maintenance that I seem to defer a little too much. While I have experience with depreciated Jaguars, I don't have the time to do that luxury maintenance on them all. In good weather, I just want to ride, in bad weather, I handle more pressing chores. But I did chase the sound with a VFR (V4) sport tourer. While Honda has two V2s, they're both sport/race oriented (VTR1000, RVT1000). And yet, I beleive I already have a street bike, so my dream is a 1098 sport, not a monster. Of course, you could always just get a 300 or smaller Japanese bike and have two bikes!

    Anyway, since I haven't followed the Monster with any serious thought, I'd recommend just seeing if it's a wheelie machine. The Suzuki Sv650 (definitelynotaMonster) is twitchy in that regard. The SV won't loop in 3rd gear, probably not even 2nd without a clutch-up, but it's known to lift the wheel in spirited cross-traffic turns. Not so deadly, but can still ruin your day.

    The weight fluctuation with atgatt struggle is real. The timing worked out well for me where I was down a fair amount after a rough couple years when I picked up riding. Only 10 kilos down though and could stand to lose another 10. While I wouldn't want to wait 2 years, I do acknowledge 50 kilos is a bigger swing. Sometimes the gear is tight in early spring, sometimes it's baggy by fall. Surely I think I'll make it down a full size for next season, but winter takes a toll. With regret at the time, I've already re-bought all my gear at about the same sizes because the first set wore out (all textiles, regular wear and tear, couple mild slides).

    I was an adult when I started. I wish I started as a good, but I've accepted starting as a teen would have come with consequences. I've been active on bicycles all my life and credit that for good understanding of bi-cycle physics. Antics on a pedal bike cost less. Learning countersteering on pedals to command lean is invaluable to me. Everybody countersteers to lean, but most people think they're just leaning their torso. They're inducing a countersteer every time without realizing it because bi-cycle geometry is already worked out for the.

    Stay shiny side up, wherever the road takes you.

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