Sigh...
- bike had its first fall today. fell over the right side. driven by a friend. there was some liquid oozing out near the radiator. hope all is well. will check tomorrow morning.
- rim stickers are torn, peeling out, not evenly stuck on.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Weekend Ride to TT Jaya, Shah Alam
Finally, the weekend. Rode to TT Jaya, Section 7 in Shah Alam. Even with Google Maps, I got lost 3 times. Took a premature turn off, but arrived there in the end.
Shop is run by what seems like a Chinese family, where the prices were quoted by a pleasant looking lady boss.
Saw four other FX150i there, one was modded beyond identification...
This is what I got:
A MHR visor for RM70:
And the "bodykit" of the suspension covers, cowling (sampan), rear hugger/mud guard and red wheel lining stickers. Here's a pic of Before and After:
--------------------------------------------
More PICS:
Shop is run by what seems like a Chinese family, where the prices were quoted by a pleasant looking lady boss.
Saw four other FX150i there, one was modded beyond identification...
This is what I got:
A MHR visor for RM70:
And the "bodykit" of the suspension covers, cowling (sampan), rear hugger/mud guard and red wheel lining stickers. Here's a pic of Before and After:
--------------------------------------------
More PICS:
Monday, August 22, 2011
Week 3
The start of week 3:
- Drove to USJ, Shah Alam, KL, PJ. Federal Highway motorcycle lanes can be quite treacherous, especially at the 222 intersection. It always floods there.
- Pumped another RM10 petrol at Shah Alam today.
- After a late night snack at Aman Suria, said good bye to the gang and rode off. After a few meters, I stopped by the side to zip up my jacket (it was a chilly night). When I started to ride again, a lady walking in the opposite direction suddenly clutched her bag closely to herself. LOL...
- The wound on my arm was accidentally scratched off by my son today, *ouch*
- Called TTJaya on Sunday, but by 3.30pm, they were already closed. Interested in getting the fork cover, "Sampan" and rear mud guard.
- Drove to USJ, Shah Alam, KL, PJ. Federal Highway motorcycle lanes can be quite treacherous, especially at the 222 intersection. It always floods there.
- Pumped another RM10 petrol at Shah Alam today.
- After a late night snack at Aman Suria, said good bye to the gang and rode off. After a few meters, I stopped by the side to zip up my jacket (it was a chilly night). When I started to ride again, a lady walking in the opposite direction suddenly clutched her bag closely to herself. LOL...
- The wound on my arm was accidentally scratched off by my son today, *ouch*
- Called TTJaya on Sunday, but by 3.30pm, they were already closed. Interested in getting the fork cover, "Sampan" and rear mud guard.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Week 2
Travelled 214 KM on the bike already. Fuel gauge at middle ground. The full tank is around RM20. This is an estimated 5 cents per KM. That's half the consumption of my car.
Note: Petrol price is RM1.90 per liter.
Note: Petrol price is RM1.90 per liter.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Hand vs. Exhaust
Got my first bike injury today. While seated on the bike, I wanted to examine the front tyre pressure. In my lazy & futile efforts, my arm came in contact with the exhaust piping from the engine. Psssssssssss... *burns*
*aduh* sakitnya...
*aduh* sakitnya...
Bikers 101
Had my first practical lesson on biking today. It was fairly easy to ride the Demak kap chai around the track.
Figure 8, bridge aka "titi", plastic cones, long stretch, emergency brake, sharp corners, hand signals.
After an hour of practise I'm "ready" for the exam, LOL. Although I did make a couple of mistakes, it was easier than expected. Hence, I'm upgrading to take the B-Full license. Admin staff said I just need to top-up the amount, resubmit documents and they can arrange the L-license change. Yippee!
Lastly, some pics of the boy on the bike:
Too cute...
Figure 8, bridge aka "titi", plastic cones, long stretch, emergency brake, sharp corners, hand signals.
After an hour of practise I'm "ready" for the exam, LOL. Although I did make a couple of mistakes, it was easier than expected. Hence, I'm upgrading to take the B-Full license. Admin staff said I just need to top-up the amount, resubmit documents and they can arrange the L-license change. Yippee!
Lastly, some pics of the boy on the bike:
Too cute...
Friday, August 12, 2011
Riding and Helmets
A motorcyclist's view of the road is very different from a car driver. A small error, or a slight nudge from a car, could literally be the "end of the road" for the motorcyclist.
Now every time I drive in my car, I'm more careful and aware about the motorcyclist that I pass (or passes me). I'm no longer irritated by these pesky drivers or angry at their zooming in and out of lanes or squeezing through our side mirrors. However, I am concerned about those who ride 3 or 4 people on the bike, where the kids are the ones without helmets.
On another note, I finally got a full face helmet. Not a Nolan, but a MHR from Jalan Sentul. Initially wanted to get a matching red full face helmet, but settled for a matte black one coz it looked too good. Its a flip-up full face with double visor. Here are some pics:
Lastly, I love riding at night, especially after the rain :)
Now every time I drive in my car, I'm more careful and aware about the motorcyclist that I pass (or passes me). I'm no longer irritated by these pesky drivers or angry at their zooming in and out of lanes or squeezing through our side mirrors. However, I am concerned about those who ride 3 or 4 people on the bike, where the kids are the ones without helmets.
On another note, I finally got a full face helmet. Not a Nolan, but a MHR from Jalan Sentul. Initially wanted to get a matching red full face helmet, but settled for a matte black one coz it looked too good. Its a flip-up full face with double visor. Here are some pics:
Lastly, I love riding at night, especially after the rain :)
Monday, August 8, 2011
FZ150i on the road...
Today I spotted 8 FZ150i's on the road. Two of them were parked on the way to lunch, and saw 6 of them in the jam coming home from work today. One was a yellow Sprint highway official, and another white police bike. Yummy...
Anyway, some information on Counter Steering. On a bicycle, when you wanna go left, you turn left. On a motorcycle travelling above 10mph, you will need to turn right (slightly) to go left. This video shares the info and my experiences prove it:
Anyway, some information on Counter Steering. On a bicycle, when you wanna go left, you turn left. On a motorcycle travelling above 10mph, you will need to turn right (slightly) to go left. This video shares the info and my experiences prove it:
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Tyres...
Alot of forums, especially the Singaporean bikers forum advise to upgrade the stock tyres to better tyres. I guess the original made-in-China Kenda tyres aren't grippy enough.
Pop quiz, what's the maximum load the FZ150 can take? The answer is... 205kg (452lb). However, the tyres max load rating is slightly lower, where the rear tyres are at 185kg only.
Here are some boring specifications:
Front:
- Tubeless 2.75-17 (most forummers say 2.75 is 80/90)
- 41P - Load index & speed rating: 41 means max load is 145kg (stated on the tyre as well), P means speed rating of 150km/h
- Max Load 145kg
Rear:
- 90/90-17
- 49P - Load index & speed rating: 49 means max load is 185kg (stated on the tyre as well), P means speed rating of 150km/h
- M/C - I'm guessing Motor Cycle...
- Max Load 185kg
Both tyres note:
- Max Pressure - 33PSI / 225kPa
- Thread 2 Plies Sidewall 2 Plies
From the Owner's Manual:
- Recommended tyre pressure is 175 kPa or 25 PSI for the front tyre and 200 kPa or 29 PSI for the back
- After "extensive tests" only the Kenda tyres above have been approved by Yamaha for the FZ150i (huh?)
- Both front and back are Casting Wheels
- Front rim size = 17 x 1.60
- Rear rim size = 17 x 1.85
Pop quiz, what's the maximum load the FZ150 can take? The answer is... 205kg (452lb). However, the tyres max load rating is slightly lower, where the rear tyres are at 185kg only.
Here are some boring specifications:
Front:
- Tubeless 2.75-17 (most forummers say 2.75 is 80/90)
- 41P - Load index & speed rating: 41 means max load is 145kg (stated on the tyre as well), P means speed rating of 150km/h
- Max Load 145kg
Rear:
- 90/90-17
- 49P - Load index & speed rating: 49 means max load is 185kg (stated on the tyre as well), P means speed rating of 150km/h
- M/C - I'm guessing Motor Cycle...
- Max Load 185kg
Both tyres note:
- Max Pressure - 33PSI / 225kPa
- Thread 2 Plies Sidewall 2 Plies
From the Owner's Manual:
- Recommended tyre pressure is 175 kPa or 25 PSI for the front tyre and 200 kPa or 29 PSI for the back
- After "extensive tests" only the Kenda tyres above have been approved by Yamaha for the FZ150i (huh?)
- Both front and back are Casting Wheels
- Front rim size = 17 x 1.60
- Rear rim size = 17 x 1.85
Storage...
There can never be enough storage space. Especially in a house. Riding a bike like the FZ150i has almost ZERO compartment space. You can fit a romance novel under the seat, and that's about it. Where am I gonna keep my helmet, padded jacket, gloves, rain coat, windbreaker, extra helmet, etc?
Looks like the only solution is to install boxes. Most of the rear boxes are unpleasant to the eye:
And the side boxes make the bike too wide and are quite expensive. So how?
Sigh...
* Note, side box pics are from Taj, more pics HERE
Looks like the only solution is to install boxes. Most of the rear boxes are unpleasant to the eye:
And the side boxes make the bike too wide and are quite expensive. So how?
Sigh...
* Note, side box pics are from Taj, more pics HERE
Day 2
I've clocked 99km in 2 days. Driving to SS2, home, KL, church, home, church, Kelana Jaya, Desa Kiara, home, etc. Must say I'm satisfied with the bike. Only 2 issues now:
1. My left wrist hurts from using the cluth and body leaning.
2. The sweating on the road is worsening my fever. Yesterday was 38C and this evening is 38.3C. This was from a late Friday night session at OverTime...
Contemplating to install the visor, carry boxes, bottom cowl (also known as "sampan") and other aesthetic upgrades. As these cost money, I will need to prioritize carefully...
1. My left wrist hurts from using the cluth and body leaning.
2. The sweating on the road is worsening my fever. Yesterday was 38C and this evening is 38.3C. This was from a late Friday night session at OverTime...
Contemplating to install the visor, carry boxes, bottom cowl (also known as "sampan") and other aesthetic upgrades. As these cost money, I will need to prioritize carefully...
The journey...
It was just last Saturday (30 July 2011) when my wonderful wife agreed to let me ride, and Sunday (31 July 2011) was the bike theory course. After about 6 hours of watching the videos and learning some basic bike stuff, I got my L-license on Thursday (4 August 2011) and collected the bike on Saturday (6 August). All this within a span of 1 week. A great timeline!
Here's the scary part, I've never rode a manual bike in my entire life. Good thing for Youtube Motorcycle Riding instructional videos. This guy has got 2.5 million viewers for a reason: There are alot of ppl around like me.
After watching 3 parts of his videos, checked out another guy called BlinkyCab:
I believe I was ready to take the bike home!
-----------------------------------
I woke up the Saturday morning earlier than usual. Put on my riding gear (T-shirt, Jeans and Loafers) and drove out. The plan was to go for my first riding lesson at the driving school and then get my wife to drop me at the bike shop. Plan failed as the driving school was packed with others waiting for their bike lessons. So I drove straight to the bike shop (PJ Wong Motor) in Section 14, PJ. They are an authorised Yamaha dealer.
After checking out the bike, I took it for a quick spin around Section 14, and was pretty confident that I could ride it back home. So I left my car there, and rode to Sea Park's petrol station to fill up the petrol tank. As it was my first time, I didn't know how much to pump, so I just pumped RM4. After the fuel pump, I couldn't figure out how to close the petrol lid on the tank. HAha...
Then was the ride home, which had to pass the dreaded Rothman's round about. That turned out relatively easy, compared to the initial learning of the manual gear system. When I reached home, I was drenched in sweat from the helmet and took some pics:
Wanting to ride more, so I called Dez for breakfast and we met at Kayu SS2, where he took this pic:
In the afternoon, I picked up a windbreaker and rode to Permata Complex in the heart of town. It was my first time on the highway's motorbike lane, and first time travelling at 80km/h. Negotiating traffic in a jam is the trickiest part of riding in KL/PJ. My bike died a couple of times. Thank God for the electric starter... *phew*
Upon reaching Pertama, I didn't know where to park, as the bike parking was super packed and the drive way was extremely narrow. Somehow I managed to squeeze into a slot and went shopping for:
- A protective jacket
- Gloves
- Full faced helmet
I only got the jacket, coz had to rush of to music practise at 4:30pm. As there is no compartments in the bike to carry stuff, I had to wear the HOT jacket on top of the windbreaker and t-shirt. By the time I got to my destination, I was dripping with my own sweat :(
Day 1 of my riding adventures. Thank Jesus for no untoward accidents!
Here's the scary part, I've never rode a manual bike in my entire life. Good thing for Youtube Motorcycle Riding instructional videos. This guy has got 2.5 million viewers for a reason: There are alot of ppl around like me.
After watching 3 parts of his videos, checked out another guy called BlinkyCab:
I believe I was ready to take the bike home!
-----------------------------------
I woke up the Saturday morning earlier than usual. Put on my riding gear (T-shirt, Jeans and Loafers) and drove out. The plan was to go for my first riding lesson at the driving school and then get my wife to drop me at the bike shop. Plan failed as the driving school was packed with others waiting for their bike lessons. So I drove straight to the bike shop (PJ Wong Motor) in Section 14, PJ. They are an authorised Yamaha dealer.
After checking out the bike, I took it for a quick spin around Section 14, and was pretty confident that I could ride it back home. So I left my car there, and rode to Sea Park's petrol station to fill up the petrol tank. As it was my first time, I didn't know how much to pump, so I just pumped RM4. After the fuel pump, I couldn't figure out how to close the petrol lid on the tank. HAha...
Then was the ride home, which had to pass the dreaded Rothman's round about. That turned out relatively easy, compared to the initial learning of the manual gear system. When I reached home, I was drenched in sweat from the helmet and took some pics:
Wanting to ride more, so I called Dez for breakfast and we met at Kayu SS2, where he took this pic:
In the afternoon, I picked up a windbreaker and rode to Permata Complex in the heart of town. It was my first time on the highway's motorbike lane, and first time travelling at 80km/h. Negotiating traffic in a jam is the trickiest part of riding in KL/PJ. My bike died a couple of times. Thank God for the electric starter... *phew*
Upon reaching Pertama, I didn't know where to park, as the bike parking was super packed and the drive way was extremely narrow. Somehow I managed to squeeze into a slot and went shopping for:
- A protective jacket
- Gloves
- Full faced helmet
I only got the jacket, coz had to rush of to music practise at 4:30pm. As there is no compartments in the bike to carry stuff, I had to wear the HOT jacket on top of the windbreaker and t-shirt. By the time I got to my destination, I was dripping with my own sweat :(
Day 1 of my riding adventures. Thank Jesus for no untoward accidents!
Why FZ150i?
After many months of yearning, finally bought a bike.
It all started when Sam Tan bought his scooter and was sharing his wonderful riding experiences in the old church office at Kompleks Kemajuan. I started looking around since then...
After much consideration, I've decided on the Yamaha FZ150i for the following reasons:
1) price & resale value
Its the cheapest 150cc compared to the Kawasaki Ninja 150 and Honda CBR150. If resale value wasn't an issue, I would buy a Naza Blade 250 (which looks pretty good!)
I bought it slightly above market value, due to the convenience of the workshop near my house and quick availability.
2) looks
The "naked" bike / street fighter concept looks rugged and super stylo. Still considering whether to add some aesthetic panels & visor & carry boxes. Hmm...
These are all Yamaha FZ150i, some modified beyond recognition:
* Image linked from: http://fz150i.blogspot.com/
3) ride comfort
The FZ150i is the most upright among the 2 other Kawasaki and Honda bikes. I still have to lean very slightly forward, and causing strain to my wrists. I guess time will be my best teacher on this.
4) environmentally friendly
This bike is equipped with a 4-stroke engine and fuel injection technology. Gone the the white smoke from the 2-stroke engines and inefficient carburetors. From Wikipedia: "The primary difference between carburetors and fuel injection is that fuel injection atomizes the fuel by forcibly pumping it through a small nozzle under high pressure, while a carburetor relies on low pressure created by intake air rushing through it to add the fuel to the airstream."
Some find fuel injection systems unresponsive, but I don't find any lag on the FZ150i. But thats just me, a 1 day biker...
Cons:
- Performance: Slower than the Kawasaki Ninja and Honda CBR and Suzuki Belang
- "Naked" bike looks bare compared to the 2 superbike looking bikes above, also no visor.
It all started when Sam Tan bought his scooter and was sharing his wonderful riding experiences in the old church office at Kompleks Kemajuan. I started looking around since then...
After much consideration, I've decided on the Yamaha FZ150i for the following reasons:
1) price & resale value
Its the cheapest 150cc compared to the Kawasaki Ninja 150 and Honda CBR150. If resale value wasn't an issue, I would buy a Naza Blade 250 (which looks pretty good!)
I bought it slightly above market value, due to the convenience of the workshop near my house and quick availability.
2) looks
The "naked" bike / street fighter concept looks rugged and super stylo. Still considering whether to add some aesthetic panels & visor & carry boxes. Hmm...
These are all Yamaha FZ150i, some modified beyond recognition:
* Image linked from: http://fz150i.blogspot.com/
3) ride comfort
The FZ150i is the most upright among the 2 other Kawasaki and Honda bikes. I still have to lean very slightly forward, and causing strain to my wrists. I guess time will be my best teacher on this.
4) environmentally friendly
This bike is equipped with a 4-stroke engine and fuel injection technology. Gone the the white smoke from the 2-stroke engines and inefficient carburetors. From Wikipedia: "The primary difference between carburetors and fuel injection is that fuel injection atomizes the fuel by forcibly pumping it through a small nozzle under high pressure, while a carburetor relies on low pressure created by intake air rushing through it to add the fuel to the airstream."
Some find fuel injection systems unresponsive, but I don't find any lag on the FZ150i. But thats just me, a 1 day biker...
Cons:
- Performance: Slower than the Kawasaki Ninja and Honda CBR and Suzuki Belang
- "Naked" bike looks bare compared to the 2 superbike looking bikes above, also no visor.
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