Fatter tyres after motorway scare

[Ben2talk]

and come to a stop just an inch from the car's bumper.

DJCAT,

Maybe your problem was fixation? A PCX only needs about 1/2 car's width you could have ridden down the inside of the car in front? Instead of avoidance you chose fixation ?

Just asking.

No, it wasn´t. No, I couldn´t. And avoidance is worse than braking, most people trying to avoid stuff end up hitting something else or loosing control completely.

Both rather simplistic. At any given moment you should have multiple escape plans. Braking is good, but judging it to an inch or two in stopping distance sounds scary, I'd rather brake and aim at the side of the car than straight at the bumper.

One time on my GSX I did this, and my front tyre lost grip (traffic lights - some grease on the road) and I couldn't stop short of the bumper, and I couldn't fit between the cars. I bumped the rear brake light with my left side, and the right side hit the rear brake light on the car on my right... result - little damage on 2 impacts paid for by insurance, no pain to myself, and very limited damage to the bike (no bent forks from straight on impact...).

Every situation needs judging in realtime, and being there is the only way you can make a judgement.

[iceman]

I'm seriously considering getting a pair of Hood custom Kevlar jeans (proved to be tougher and longer lasting in falls and scrapes on tarmac at high speed than leathers). About £119 or £150 with soft armour (hardens on impact and then softens again for comfort). But I see you can get some nice Kevlar style protection to slip over most trousers and kevlar gloves which may be good under winter mitts.
http://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?cat ... +knee+pads
http://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?cat ... ext=kevlar

[Ben2talk]

In the city the bike is fine, pull away from the lights easy (until the bigger bikes scream behind you)

Lolz. I thought it was the scooter riders who were always screaming, wide open throttle, so they can grin because they beat the Lada to the other side of the road. My GSX could go from 0 up to 120km/h in first gear. It couldn't be regarded as 'screaming' until it got past 80km/h by which time it's no longer operating on 'torque', the intake ports open up and scream it up from 8000 to 13000 rpm. If you did this behind a PCX, then they wouldn't hear you coming - they'd just get splashed across the windscreen.

In practice, by the time my GSX started to scream it'd already be five seconds after the green light (you'd possibly be approaching 60km/h) half a mile in front of you, probably accelerating in second gear from 120 to 200km/h.

The only time a PCX can actually get ahead of a big bike is 1). Big bike rider is useless (this covers 90% of them, they would mostly be better off on scooters) or 2) the PCX can't fit through a gap (same width as GSX) but can turn between two stationary cars and pass them on the passenger side (i.e. turning circle).

In terms of high and low speed stability, PCX loses. In terms of readiness - you find that on a small bike you're just much more awake and ready to try to keep ahead so you don't need to lose that precious speed.

[gregsta]

I have done motorway trips many of times and all I can say you need to clinch your butt cheeks together and get on with it, yes it is scary I have Michelin city grip, I think a lot of time its to do with the state of mind. I mostly do 67 on the motorways I don't like overtaken lorries so I stay behind, and I do have a rather large wind screen. If its the only transport you have and it is for me and you need to live as in work, you get use to having the living shit scared out of you, but Carrie on no matter what, as you know you have to get to work to earn money, rain winds and motorways.

[pcx150man]

I have done motorway trips many of times and all I can say you need to clinch your butt cheeks together and get on with it, yes it is scary I have Michelin city grip, I think a lot of time its to do with the state of mind. I mostly do 67 on the motorways I don't like overtaken lorries so I stay behind, and I do have a rather large wind screen. If its the only transport you have and it is for me and you need to live as in work, you get use to having the living shit scared out of you, but Carrie on no matter what, as you know you have to get to work to earn money, rain winds and motorways.

I completely agree,as I only have the scooter these days. The freeways can be diabolical to say the least!

[you you]

I'm seriously considering getting a pair of Hood custom Kevlar jeans (proved to be tougher and longer lasting in falls and scrapes on tarmac at high speed than leathers). About £119 or £150 with soft armour (hardens on impact and then softens again for comfort). But I see you can get some nice Kevlar style protection to slip over most trousers and kevlar gloves which may be good under winter mitts.
http://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?cat ... +knee+pads
http://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?cat ... ext=kevlar

I use hood jeans. They are great

[easyrider]

Pcx 150 best speed is 35-45 mph. When you get up to 50mph (+) brakes and stability become questionable. A car is designed for 125mph but doing that can be suicidal..Same with the PCX.. After 50 mph things get dicey . I have the stock windscreen and just a tweek of my body affects stability and handling due to the wind forces hitting my like a wall. Highways are not meant for this scooter..enter at your own risk .

[Oyabun]

Pcx 150 best speed is 35-45 mph. When you get up to 50mph (+) brakes and stability become questionable. A car is designed for 125mph but doing that can be suicidal..Same with the PCX.. After 50 mph things get dicey . I have the stock windscreen and just a tweek of my body affects stability and handling due to the wind forces hitting my like a wall. Highways are not meant for this scooter..enter at your own risk .

I have a completely different opinion. If the PCX would not be safe at it's top speed it should be banned to be sold - but it is clearly not the case.

I agree that the PCX has been optimized for city traffic (e.g. stock variator power band, wheelbase, weight, fuel capacity) and it is mainly a commuter bike not a touring scooter. However I don't think it would be inherently non-capable of doing stretches of highway riding as part of the commute.

Let me try to give you a few hints:

First of all - in most parts of Asia the PCX is one of the higher-end bikes and people clearly use it for loaded long distance travels also. Now I understand that it looks clearly different if you look at the PCX relative to a 100cc carbureted bike from the stone age or a top of the line liter bike but objectively it is still the same bike.

Many (or so to say almost all) big naked bikes have a LOT worst aerodynamics than the PCX. I don't know if you have ridden any of those -I did quite a few- and can tell to you that already any 400cc naked bike puts lot more aerodynamic drag and turbulence on the rider's body than the PCX. Not to mention the larger ones like a CB1300 or a 170hp Aprilia Tuono which are easily capable of speeds over 200kmph. Do we question that these bikes would be highway capable because lack of stability?

I'm also pretty sure that even in it's stock form the PCX can outbrake any loaded lorry getting on highways, and also outsprint most of those. Yet they are considered as absolutely highway capable.

I'm not saying that the PCX would not benefit from simple upgrades in the above two respect (and I'm one of the few who have done these upgrades as a complete package on both front and rear suspension and brakes) but I'm saying that the above are not at all limiting factors for the PCX to get on highways.

If anything it would be the lack of power what is clearly not allowing to get into serious and quick overtaking maneuvers at highway speeds. However the same is valid for the before mentioned lorries as well. I agree that it feels bad to feel oneself on the bottom of the traffic value chain outside on the highway - but the situation changes quickly when it comes to crowded city streets. And I'm a lot more happy to do my commute on the PCX than any larger bike.

I believe that safe riding is down to rider skill and right assessment of both rider and ride capabilities rather than an inherent lack of capacity of the PCX.

[easyrider]

Yes, pushing the limits on most anything pushes the skill factor as well.. PCX as you say is a commuter bike and that's its primary comfort zone..35-45mph. Going 50 -65 mph is equivalent of a car doing 125 and does in fact push the skill limits however also negatively affects the comfort and stress levels accordingly if you are a responsible rider. A 300 lb bike will not do well in a strong buffeting wind or hitting a road impediment at 65mph and braking as mentioned by others is seriously impacted. Maybe its not so much skill factor as it is a naïve risk taking exercise.

[Oyabun]

Well. In fact motorcycle riding in general is a "naïve risk taking exercise" :-)

[DailyRider]

I like that the PCX 150 has enough power to do the freeway in a pinch. Sometimes there is no other way to get between 2 places. But I wouldn't have chosen it for regular freeway riding, myself.

However, I totally respect those who try to push the limits of their machines.
If I wanted to go this route, I would try to improve the rear brake first. It seems inadequate for freeway handling.

[easyrider]

Well. In fact motorcycle riding in general is a "naïve risk taking exercise" :-)

Risk Exponentially increases with speed and ratio to size.. Be careful! Its not what is known that will get you ?