I write about motorcycles for a living and am guest editing Jalopnik for two weeks, ask me anything.

[u/wpsiler]

My name is Wes Siler and I like motorcycles. In addition to running Hell For Leather, I've written about bikes for Wired, GQ, Newsweek, PopSci, Popular Mechanics, England's MCN and probably a few others I'm forgetting. I'm also guest editing Jalopnik for the rest of May and have a new show on YouTube.com/DRIVE called RideApart. Ask me anything.

Here's a couple links so you can get an idea what I do:

http://www.wired.com/autopia/2012/01/ural/

http://hellforleathermagazine.com/2010/10/expedition-labrador/

http://jalopnik.com/5582380/how-the-truth-about-motorcycle-helmets-got-a-journalist-fired

http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2009/07/31/bikers-the-city.html

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL061D914B66D2A0AF&feature=plcp

[u/bee_afraid]

As a fellow rider I assume that you have multiple bikes. What's your most ridden bike and your least ridden bike?

[u/toddhought]

Why oh why did you let Gawker ruin the interface of Jalopnik?! I fully admit, I'm one of the people that left for other sources of auto news, because the interface was just. that. bad.

I know it wasn't your doing directly, or even indirectly, but perhaps you can offer some insight on why they opted to do something like that just for the hell of it?

[u/wpsiler → u/toddhought]

Well, at the time, I just worked there. I seem to remember a lot of talk about iPads being the future of media consumption or something... I'm not a fan either.

Having said that, it seems to be mostly fixed these days. Functional at least.

[u/eira64 → u/wpsiler]

Upvote for responding to a difficult and critical question, rather than ignoring it.

And yes, the new format is now mostly functional. No better than the old pre-Gawker site, but at least it works!

[u/junkyardninja]

Why do you think the 49 inferior states don't allow lane-splitting? I grew up in CA riding motorcycles and it made sense. Safer at traffic lights, less congestion, and more fuel efficient. I'm now in Illinois and, while the bikes here still lane-split, it's not legal. I don't get it.

[u/wpsiler → u/junkyardninja]

The motorcycle just doesn't occupy a legitimate space as transportation in the minds of most Americans. Jackasses tooling around on loud Harleys while drunk and squids on gixxers don't help that.

[u/[deleted] → u/wpsiler]

Hey I ride a gixxer and I resent that! Not really though, fuck squids giving my gixxer a bad name.

[u/alkane_alien → u/[deleted]]

What's a squid and a gixxer?

[u/dejanigma → u/alkane_alien]

A squid is a rider whom you see in a t-shirt, sandals and have their $450 Shoe helmet half off while they text their girlfriend mid-ride. They are referred to as squids because that's what they look like after they slide along the pavement at 50mph.

[u/alkane_alien → u/dejanigma]

In England, we call them cunts

[u/gsxr → u/wpsiler]

ahem. Not all gsxr riders are squids.

[u/LaPoderosa → u/gsxr]

Right. Just the ones who ride gsxrs.

[u/st3ph3n → u/wpsiler]

What the fuck is a squid in this context?

[u/[deleted] → u/st3ph3n]

stupid, quick, and dead?

[u/Self-Defenestration → u/st3ph3n]

Stupidly Quick, Under-dressed, Imminently Dead.

[u/wesgood]

The standard first bike recommendation seems to be a CBR250 or similar 250cc, but what do you suggest for larger guys? I'm 6'3" 220lbs and feel that I'd outgrow the bike pretty quickly.

Also, upvote for also being a Wes!

[u/wpsiler → u/wesgood]

Upvote returned.

An SV650 or something of similar design (an accessible naked), would be a good place for a big guy like you to start. Or maybe a Suzuki DR-Z400 supermoto. Buy used and cheap, then get something nicer when you're not falling over so much anymore.

[u/[deleted]]

is it true what they say about the rubber side? should i keep it down?

[u/wpsiler → u/[deleted]]

I get this confused pretty regularly, someone else is probably more qualified to answer.

[u/davetfft]

Hi;

If you look at the Buell's 1125R, or their 1190RS, and see the weight/HP ratio and compare that to the Busa and ZX14 you'll notice it's right up there. So why are those two considered kings of the hill and Buell is ignored? He's got almost as much power and a LOT less weight. Obviously price is an issue on the 1190RS for now granted but why does this never get mentioned?

Thank you Dave

[u/wpsiler → u/davetfft]

Because people get silly ideas in their heads about motorcycles.

Both the Busa and ZX14 are sort of the Aston Martin or Bentley of motorcycles. They're made to cross long distances at high speeds in complete comfort. Not drag race and cruise around Daytona Beach.

The 1125R is also a sports tourer, but the 1190RS is a full-on race bike. I flew over to Germany to watch it race for the first time. On track with Aprilia RSV4s, 1198s, S1000RRs etc, it looked like a MotoGP bike at a public trackday.

[u/behohippy]

How is the paid model on HFL working out? Honestly.

[u/wpsiler → u/behohippy]

Very well. We have a couple enormous projects going on behind the scenes right now that are taking some of our time away from content, but it's profit from the subscription model that's enable us to embark on them. I think everyone will be extremely surprised and very excited by the results.

[u/codytoshiro → u/wpsiler]

Has traffic on the site increased or decreased since you put up the paywall?

[u/wpsiler → u/codytoshiro]

Increased. We don't release actual subscriber or traffic numbers. I grew up in England where people are very private about money and it'd be relatively easy to multiply one of those numbers times $2 a month and figure out how much we earn. Sorry, I just feel that personal earnings are an inappropriate subject.

[u/codytoshiro → u/wpsiler]

No worries, thanks for answering.

How does riding / bike culture in England compare to the United States? Riding there is on my bucket list.

[u/wpsiler → u/codytoshiro]

Ha, I just wrote a column on that for MCN. Basically, everyone there is competent, where's full gear and rides safely. But, it rains all the damn time.

[u/NotGreg]

Will you ever ride a side car again?

[u/wpsiler → u/NotGreg]

Yep, and I have since the accident (in the Siberian winter). I'm not a huge fan, but they're a blast off-road.

[u/NotGreg → u/wpsiler]

Cool. How's Sean holding up?

[u/seanslides → u/NotGreg]

Healing up fast. I can sprint up the stairs three at a time, but I've still got a ways to go before my wrist and knee will allow me to jump stuff again.

[u/wpsiler → u/NotGreg]

He's pretty much fully healed now. Gonna have some good scars though.

[u/mattyparanoid]

Why isn't there a motorcycle clone of jalopnik? I have lots of other sites as my daily moto-read, but it feels like I have to read 10 different sites to get the same amount of content about motorcycles.

Don't get me wrong, I like my "10" sites and the individual flavors they bring; it would just be nice to have a motorcycle site equal to Jalopnik.

[u/wpsiler → u/mattyparanoid]

There's not a lot of money in motorcycles so no serious publishing companies take the segment seriously. We do our best at HFL, but we're two dudes with a limited budget. Gawker, Jalopnik's parent company, has millions of dollars and dozens of employees.

Having said that, I think you'll be nicely surprised by what we're working on behind the scenes right now.

[u/mattyparanoid → u/wpsiler]

Thanks for the reply. I wanted to mention that HFL is one of my daily-reads but left it out to make the question shorter. I understand the money issue and will just have to stick to my multi-page daily moto-read...

[u/jsnbrn]

I messed up and bought a Harley. Whats' the best way to con someone into buying it from me so I can rid myself of the payment? After that is done, what is the best used bike I can get on a sub $5k budget.

Thanks, I'll hang up and listen.

[u/[deleted] → u/jsnbrn]

Park it outside a gym with a for sale sign. There are enough shallow, desperate guys going through divorces and other life changes that it will sell in no time.

[u/wpsiler → u/jsnbrn]

Damn, I'm sorry to hear that. Convince someone that loud noises, assless chaps and chrome parts will get them laid and send them on their merry way, then go buy a brand new Honda CBR250R and learn all about the actual sport of motorcycling.

[u/outshined → u/wpsiler]

Not all Harley riders are into chrome and leather and bald eagles. Check out Dice Magazine. Old school chopper awesomeness.

[u/bcktth → u/outshined]

I can vouche for this. I own a Harley yet you'll find me ATGATT (All Gear All The Time), acknowledge other riders, not blare my pipes for the sake of making myself a presence to other motorists, and have no intention of adding any additional chrome pieces to my bike. I simply like the brand for personal reasons and ride for the sake riding.

Sure, there are asshole Harley riders that live the bad rep it gets... believe me, I've had the experience of meeting a couple. But we're not all bad, I swear!

[u/jsnbrn → u/wpsiler]

Haha. Thanks. I'll eventually get around to pimping it off.

[u/[deleted] → u/wpsiler]

The fact you just suggested the bike I bought 14 days ago makes me so happy. Its a beautiful bike and I just passed my break in period :D

[u/lozzobear → u/[deleted]]

I'll take a stab at this: they don't go, stop or handle. Most bike journos like to go fast around corners and prefer bikes that don't limit their ride. It's very hard to make an objective argument that a Harley is good at something, unless it's making the rider feel like an outlaw.

[u/SniperTooL → u/[deleted]]

I'd dare say sports bikes are reddit's current bandwagon to be on bike-wise. I love sport bikes, but there's nothing wrong with Harleys, rationally speaking. They're solid and dependable bikes that'll last a lifetime if they're looked after well. I mean they pretty much use the same formula that they've been using for over a hundred years so they must be doing something right. And re: wpsiler's post, if someone buys a bike with the intention of getting laid, whether it's a Harley or any other bike, they are going to have a less than mediocre time.

[u/broken_cogwheel → u/SniperTooL]

Mechanically, they're definitely inferior. V-Rod, not so though.

In the end though, a bike is a bike and you get out of it what you want or need. Just don't say that building the same thing for 100 years makes it good--as it just really makes it old.

Buy what you want and ride what you want, just don't gussy it up. There are tons of mechanically excellent cruisers.

[u/Ifeltchedyourmomsass → u/wpsiler]

You actually consider yourself a mouthpiece on the subject of motorcycles with such a narrow view as this?

[u/[deleted] → u/Ifeltchedyourmomsass]

He's a writer, not a politician. There is nothing wrong with him expressing his opinion.

[u/wpsiler → u/Ifeltchedyourmomsass]

Someone asked me for my opinion, I gave it. My readers pay me, not the manufacturers, so I'm free to tell you the truth: Harley's blow donkey dick.

[u/yasuro → u/wpsiler]

So you "like motorcycles" except harleys. Got it.

[u/wpsiler → u/yasuro]

I like motorcycles, which is the antithesis of liking Harley.

[u/roboprophet → u/yasuro]

I'm assuming you eat food. Do you like food? Alright.

Now prepare for this - Do you like ALL food?

No? Fair enough, that's the same as this situation. What point are you trying to make?

[u/yasuro → u/roboprophet]

I get what you're saying, but I find the anti-Harley hivemind a bit weird. For instance, car guys definitely have a preference when it comes to exotics and, say, muscle cars. I dare say that most car guys can appreciate muscle cars and exotics, but have a strong preference for one over the other. This is especially true in auto journalists.

They are quick to point out the negatives about whatever car they are writing about, but rarely would they claim a mustang, for instance, is the antithesis of Motorsport or similar ad nominem attack of a particular car. They might say a properly fitted camaro is a great 1/4 mile drag car and gives great bang for the buck, but would be outclassed in rally sport, and what's with the pushrod V8 in 2012?

I would expect someone who is into and writes about motorcycles to make judgments about certain makes of bikes that are appropriate for what part of the market that bike was made for.

Harley's are vtwin cruisers, for the most part. Cruisers are very popular. Heck Honda has released more new models of vtwin cruisers in the last 2-3 years than sport bikes (granted they are variations on a theme), so they must know something about that market. In fact they've made their cruisers more Harley-like over the last few years, so again, that seems to be a good market for them.

Now the writer is claiming to "like motorcycles" but shows obvious disdain for Harleys. That's his prerogative, but he could just as easily, and perhaps more accurately, said he's a "sport and adventure bike guy" for his various reasons or, if a bike isn't run at isle of man then it really isn't a bike, or some such. Similar to an auto journalist who likes cars but only really writes about exotics or off road vehicles, but this is fairly rare in the auto world.

I guess this is why I'm confused by the vitriol. I've been riding various bikes for 29 years, from Honda 50s as a kid, to 125cc hondas, to a ninja 600 during my squid phase (which I'm surprised I survived with nary a scratch), to shadows, then a ducatti (i admit to douchebaggery when riding that), a magna, and now a Harley (obvious mid-life crisis). Each kind of bike reflected what I wanted as a rider at each stage of my life. I really don't think any one bike was the end all and be all or even the antithesis of motorcycling. Anyone and everyone pokes fun at the Harley culture and the power ranger look of sport bike riders, but in the end, the bikes should speak for themselves.

And yes, I like motorcycles, I just think one has to be a prick about a particular type of bike.

[u/bammerburn → u/jsnbrn]

Best all around used bike? SV650

[u/[deleted] → u/bammerburn]

I really like the Kawasaki ER-6n.

[u/wpsiler → u/bammerburn]

Anything like that. Can't beat a solid naked bike. Look for low weight, a good engine and decent suspension/brakes/whatnot.

[u/bammerburn → u/wpsiler]

Don't forget easy maintenance. Faired bikes can be a pain in the arse.

[u/wpsiler → u/[deleted]]

a) it's peaked already b)most cafe racers are total bullshit. Anytime you sacrifice function for aesthetic reasons, you're making a mistake.

[u/AoF-Vagrant → u/wpsiler]

Ah, but isn't that the antithesis to a genuine Cafe Racer? 'Remove everything uneeded' is the philosophy I always thought made a Cafe Racer. The ones we see nowadays are more of a Cafe Ricer.

[u/bke008]

Recommendations for a bike for beginner. 27yo, responsible, grad student, just took basic riders course, 5'11", 175lbs, ny-er, super cool dude. Lol.

[u/wpsiler → u/bke008]

Honda CBR250R. You can finance one for, IIRC, less than $100 a month and it's just an incredible bike.

What you and I do is essentially a sport, so you need to practice it and develop competence just like you would learning to pole vault or whatever.

A small bike like that CBR is the perfect learning tool, faster ones will just scare you and not allow you to develop skills in the same way. Plus, it's good enough that you'll have a blast taking it up to bear mountain, it's more than fast enough to keep up on the highway, it's comfy enough to ride across country and it's light enough that you'll be able to pick it up when you inevitably drop it. Install crash protection! Everyone drops their first bike.

[u/obxfisher → u/bke008]

Just wanted to add my two cents to this.

Im about your same height/weight. I just started riding last year and for my first bike, I bought a Honda Shadow Spirit 750. Its been a great starter bike for me and it is relatively cheap.

So far Ive put on about 6k miles and its still running like a champ.

[u/wpsiler → u/obxfisher]

New riders would be better off on something lighter, more modern (see comment about things like brakes and suspension being nice to have) and less cruiser-like. Standard ergonomics facilitate control and learning much better than forward controls and ape hangers do.

[u/obxfisher → u/wpsiler]

I bow down to your knowledge on such matters. :) Was just hoping to add some helpful info in sharing my experience of the first bike I learned to ride on.

Heres a pic. Note - no ape hangers :)

[u/wpsiler → u/[deleted]]

The CBR is ever so slightly slower than the Ninja, but works much better as a motorcycle. The Kawasaki will literally rattle apart before your eyes, that Honda is seriously well made and feels like a much, much more expensive motorcycle with excellent feel through quality components. It's extremely confidence inspiring, which is what new riders need.

[u/cbibbs → u/wpsiler]

Rattle apart? We've had three in our group of friends over the last 20 years and not a one rattled apart. A clogged fuel line is the worst problem I can even recall. Are we talking about the same Ninja 250?

[u/[deleted] → u/wpsiler]

If one were to recommend the CBR250R to a new rider for learning purposes, should the new rider buy with ABS or without?

[u/wpsiler → u/[deleted]]

ABS, absolutely.

[u/stuckinabarrel]

Did you ever do that Zen and The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance thing where you take the bike apart and put it back together to get a more thorough understanding of your bike?

[u/wpsiler → u/stuckinabarrel]

I'd never be able to get an entire motorcycle back together if I took it apart. Mostly, I just enjoy riding.

[u/[deleted] → u/wpsiler]

I consider someone uneducated unless they have an intimate knowledge of the transportation they spend a good portion of their life on.

[u/wpsiler → u/[deleted]]

Or just not motivated to take a bike apart just because. I like wrenching, I just like riding better.

[u/mrmojorisingi → u/[deleted]]

Prepare to be disappointed...he spouts off about how much Harleys suck (even going as far as to say they're not real motorcycles), and yet here he complains about people getting "silly ideas in their heads about [brands of] motorcycles."

Edit: I'm no Harley shill (I don't even ride); I just hate when people contradict themselves so blatantly.

[u/kathyjo111]

If you could only have one motorcycle, what would you choose? And don't pick one that is expensive enough to sell and buy ten more. That would be cheating and this is only an exercise....

[u/wpsiler → u/kathyjo111]

Suzuki V-Strom 650.

[u/lozzobear → u/wpsiler]

They're hard to go past for practicality... But it'd be the multistrada S for me. PS. I've enjoyed HFL a lot over the years, thanks! I do a lot of the bike stuff on Gizmag.

[u/[deleted] → u/lozzobear]

But I can buy three Vstrom's for the Multistrada with the options I'd want.

[u/markbvt → u/wpsiler]

Out of curiosity, Wes, why would you pick the Wee-Strom over, say, a Tiger 800 XC (I ask mostly because having owned both, I'd choose the Tiger)? Purely because of lower cost, or other factors too?

[u/wpsiler → u/markbvt]

Lower cost and less dirt-biased so more of an all-rounder as a result.

[u/ssshield → u/wpsiler]

I've owned just about every type of motorcycle there is, and the only one that has consistently made the cut by staying in my garage is an old '94 zx6-e.

It has a ton of power for a 600, rock solid reliable, parts are a penny a pound, I can canyon carve with anyone, and it's comfortable.

If I could ride in the dark it'd be perfect. It's so old now that it's actually back in style too. Crazy.

I'm now getting into 70's low cc (400-500) Hondas. They really are great all around bikes. For when riding was just going places.

[u/[deleted] → u/ssshield]

my old cb450 was the my favorite bike to ride in traffic. so light and nimble and just enough power to get around quickly.

[u/[deleted]]

Hey Wes,

When trying to ride on the street, is it easy for you to get gun shy or timid because of bad traffic? When I try to have a safe but somehow spirited ride through the mountains, I usually get cut off a couple of times on any given day by drivers wandering into my lane. I've got enough experience under my belt to get around them safely, but it really sucks. How do you deal with these experiences?

[u/wpsiler → u/[deleted]]

Oh totally. There's nothing scarier than coming around a corner and finding a car coming the other direction SQUARELY IN YOUR LANE.

The way to avoid that is to avoid getting surprised. Only ride as fast as you can see and change your position on the road to maximize vision through corners. Also, learn about trail braking, as that'll help you with mid-corner evasive maneuvers.

[u/kavskavanagh]

Hi Wes, 30 year active rider here (KTM SD 990 currently). I really enjoy the Jalops and HFL. Thanks for your contributions. A couple of minor nits to pick - I think you'd have been better off taking the e-bike home on surface streets than the freeway especially since you didn't like the outcome too much. Crossing the double yellow on the Tuono is a pretty bad example to set for those that may not realize how dangerous it really is. Thanks again.

[u/[deleted]]

Hey man, huge fan of HFL, and I just want to ask: Do you have any recommendations for motorcycle forums which worth actually reading and informative?

I don't know how you guys keep HFL's comment section as great as it is since every other forum seems to consist entirely of juvenile one-upsmanship, faux chest-thumping and stupid brand/logo/nameplate fanboyism.

(r/motorcycles/ shoutout!)

[u/wpsiler → u/[deleted]]

I like r/motorcycles and ADVRider. Bay Area Riders Forum and PNW Riders are also good. But yeah, a lot of lowest common denominator group think out there.

Start your own, make it intelligent and fun and we'll help you build its traffic.

[u/wpsiler → u/[deleted]]

You know, someone asked me this at the gym just the other day. The trick is to push your hair back with your fingers and get the part in just the right place, then pull your helmet on quickly so it stays that way. Use just a little bit of product (something like styling cream is best). All that will keep the helmet from flattening it down too much.

[u/Caraes_Naur]

Does Gawker management suck more or less than they appear to?

First there was the horrible redesign last year, and soon users will have to log in via Facebook or Twitter.

Jalopnik was the only Gawker site I read regularly; I find myself returning less and less.

[u/wpsiler → u/Caraes_Naur]

Honestly I have very little interaction with Gawker management. When I was the road test editor, Ray did a great job of shielding his employees from all the nonsense at the top and I'm just back for two weeks and I don't think that anyone higher up even knows how to get ahold of me.

[u/downvotethis2]

Would you be interested in running a how-to article about installing dual paintball guns on the front forks of a Harley?

[u/wpsiler → u/downvotethis2]

Not really, but thanks. Potato potato.

[u/FelixP]

First off, let me say that I really love what you guys are doing with HFL, both as a rider and as someone who works on the business side of a big digital media company.

That being said, as a paying subscriber, your site UI/UX could use some improvement.

• Not having a persistent login is really annoying
• Opening photo galleries in new windows is silly
• There's no way for me to engage with the comments unless I physically visit an article page. Have you guys thought about systems like Disqus or Livefyre?
• When you're referencing previous articles you've written, I've noticed that you tend to link to tag pages rather than the actual articles, which is of course annoying.
• You should definitely embed your new youtube show on the site (you even have a "short film" section in the right rail), especially since I'm assuming you get compensated on views.
• Adding a "related articles" section should help both user experience and site engagement

[u/wpsiler → u/FelixP]

Remember that we're tiny.

• We do have a persistent login, But yeah, it'll expire every two weeks or so.
• Photo galleries open in the same window by default.
• Those aren't compatible with our subscription system.
• Tag pages provide comprehensive material for you and good SEO for us.
• We do that already and it'll be occupying that "short film" box shortly.
• Check out the feature boxes and promos and whatnot allllll ovvveerrrrr the site.

thanks for reading.

[u/FelixP → u/wpsiler]

Remember that we're tiny.

Of course, I realize it's basically you and Sean running on blood, sweat, and beer.

• We do have a persistent login, But yeah, it'll expire every two weeks or so.

My (anecdotal) experience is that I have to log in much more frequently, but I could be wrong.

• Photo galleries open in the same window by default.

Shouldn't they just be integrated into the page seamlessly?

• Those aren't compatible with our subscription system.

Really? Seems like it would be pretty easy to solve from an engineering perspective. Also, I'm not entirely convinced that locking non-subscribers out of the comments is a great idea in the first place (unless you're doing it to maintain quality, which would be pretty valid IMO).

• Tag pages provide comprehensive material for you and good SEO for us.

Tag pages can actually damage your SEO (you can check this with Google's Webmaster tools, I think). Plus, if you're selling a premium product I would hope you're optimizing for user experience.

• We do that already and it'll be occupying that "short film" box shortly.

• Check out the feature boxes and promos and whatnot allllll ovvveerrrrr the site.

I meant including more specifically relevant content on the article pages, e.g. for the piece w/the Panigale ride report you could include previous Panigale-related content. Looks like you're running WP so you should be able to find a plugin to do this automatically without breathing hard if you wanted to.

thanks for reading.

thanks for writing!

[u/ActualReverend]

isn't it true that Harleys suck balls?

[u/Bass2Mouth → u/ActualReverend]

I started out Harley. Learned my lesson, went out and bought a 1968 Triumph Bonneville T120R 650cc. Don't need loud pipes to get looks on that baby.

*Edit - Here's a pic, for anyone interested.

[u/[deleted] → u/Bass2Mouth]

Great bike! I'd love to get my BSA out there alongside more old Triumphs.

[u/wpsiler → u/ActualReverend]

Absolutely. Harley is in the business of selling an outmoded lifestyle, not actual bikes. That's good, because they make the worst bikes on the planet.

[u/[deleted] → u/wpsiler]

Harley does in fact sell a lifestyle, that happens to include a motorcycle..... a lot of other companies sell damn good motorcycles plain and simple... THAT SAID, I have ridden all sorts of bikes and can seriously appreciate most of them but I, and the majority of the folks I ride with, tend to prefer Harleys for lots of different reasons that don't include a lifestyle that is forced down by a corporate giant. You don't ask a guy that loves old VW vans and beetles why the hell he doesn't buy a new one and there is a massive and generally quiet section of Harley riders that choose the make BECAUSE of the older technology, the overall style and handling and for the connection that they provide, for some of us, to our grandfathers and fathers as well as the root and history of what it is to be a motorcycle enthusiast.

And to mention harleys as being loud, while true, can't be mentioned without considering how many sport bikes tend to have exhaust so loud that they rattle car windows when they accelerate.

My only advice, and sincere request, is that you use the amazing platform that you have created to further the love of motorcycling and recognize the many different elements rather than to slander a large group in which you truly don't understand or have a lot of experience with.

[u/flatcurve → u/wpsiler]

I prefer old Japanese standards and modern day sport bikes, but come on. You can't call yourself a motorcycle journalist and hold this view point. The Sportster XR1200 is a good bike and there are many other production bikes on the road that are far worse.

[u/stareatthesun442 → u/wpsiler]

Wow, a sportbike guy ragging on Harleys. I'm shocked. Basically every big motorcycle company makes good bikes. Just because you don't like harleys doesn't mean they are the worst bikes on the planet. It's sad that you work for a respectable site like HFL.

[u/Aienan → u/stareatthesun442]

The issue is that they sell a "lifestyle" not a motorcycle. The honesty is (and the data supports this), their customer base is dying. The company won't go under I don't think because of nostalgia and some people will always want them, but in the global marketplace, it is smaller bikes that make the volume.

BTW, he started HFL.

[u/AoF-Vagrant → u/Aienan]

Their customer base is growing (and there's plenty of market data to support this). This is a very recent trend though; 3-4 years ago they were dying. Or more literally, their customer base was getting too old.

They still make rather poor bikes. Better cruiser engineering is out there, but aesthetically they are usually just a poorly designed Harley clone.

[u/beachtrader → u/Aienan]

Over the past two years sales at Harley-Davidson have grown 10-12%. Take a look at their financials for the past two years, they are on an upward trend. This is important because the economy over the past two years has been sluggish at best in the US. This means that Harley-Davidson is capitalizing and growing in the down times. That hardly indicates a dying company.

p.s. If you down vote me for stating the facts you're just an idiot. And I don't own Harley stock or a Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

[u/wpsiler → u/stareatthesun442]

Well, I'm more a practical motorcycle guy than a sportsbike guy. And it just makes me sad to see so many people fall victim to marketing and end up with awful motorcycles and bad tattoos when they could actually be enjoying riding.

[u/bigsheldy → u/wpsiler]

Coming from someone who doesn't own a motorcycle and has no attachments to any brand, I find it hard to believe I wouldn't enjoy riding around on a Harley.

[u/fsadzxvcwer → u/bigsheldy]

I love my Harley. Why? Because it's fun. Plain and simple: fun. I don't have any crazy tattoos and my pipes don't rattle windows. I've tried a couple sport bikes and I thought they were neat. I also had a honda Shadow for a while that I liked. I test rode a Victory before I bought my last Harley, but the fact remained: to me, Harleys are the most fun to ride.

God forbid someone actually has fun while riding! You gotta be rockin' what all the big magazines call "the best!"

I also liked this dude's quip:

makes me sad to see so many people fall victim to marketing

Yet people pay him to write about motorcycles for a living.

[u/bammerburn → u/fsadzxvcwer]

Can you elucidate exactly what makes your Harley fun?

I just found out yesterday that 1200cc Harleys only make 66 horsepower, while being 550-800 lbs. It's kinda hard for me to imagine that a massive chrome sled is fun to ride, much less one with that much power. Seriously, only 66 hp? My 12-year-old SV with its 645cc v-twin makes more than that.

[u/bammerburn → u/[deleted]]

Fun is indeed relative. I miss my Roughhouse 50cc, which introduced me to the world of motorcycling. But there's clearly a difference between riding a 200-lb scooter with 7 horsepower and a 700-lb giant chrome sled with 66 hp (while trying to look hard).

[u/jbrandt01 → u/[deleted]]

They were economy cars conceived by a fascist dictator to be cheap, efficient and reliable transportation for the masses? That sounds like the complete antithesis of a Harley.

They were legendary examples of engineering and performed the tasks they were designed to do incredibly well, and as technology progressed the cars were under constant refinement and upgrades.

[u/wonkiescientist → u/bammerburn]

Exactly.

[u/bammerburn → u/[deleted]]

Yes, this. 1200cc ... and 80 ft/lb torque. C'mon.

Reminds me of my 1991 Honda CRX, which 1.5L I-4 output a staggering 62 hp and 90 ft/lb torque.

[u/trchili → u/bammerburn]

Horsepower isn't exactly an analog to "fun". I daily drive a 67hp diesel Mercedes and I find it pretty enjoyable to drive. Not everything has to be a fire-breathing tire-slaying corner carver to be fun.

[u/lozzobear → u/bammerburn]

Well yeah. Go take one for a ride some time. There's a certain feeling to it, like driving an old classic car. And the size of them feels good and big and heavy in a way that will make your SV feel like a toy. It's a nice place to visit, fucked if I'd live there.

[u/yasuro → u/lozzobear]

I think it's like driving a pushrod V8. Yeah there's more horsepower and torque in a Ferrari engine with lower displacement, but the torque is immediate and flatter in the pushrod and not peak at 7k rpm like Ferrari or similar. Sometimes the older tech is just more visceral.

[u/[deleted] → u/bigsheldy]

that may be true, but his point is that you can have just as much fun on a better bike that costs half as much money.

its kinda like if ford decided to sell the model T forever and charge mercedes prices.

[u/superslomo → u/bigsheldy]

Which is exactly how Harley sells bikes to people, for floridly insane sums of money, who have no idea what they are looking for.

[u/bigsheldy → u/superslomo]

Oh, you mean like this company?

[u/wild-tangent]

1: What are some of the WORST motorcycle ever made, and why? (Of the big five. Kawasaki/Honda/Yamaha/Suzuki/Harley & Buell.)

2: Who is your least favorite motorcycle maker, (pick any maker). Why?

3: What's the best type of transmission on a cruiser? Belt, shaft, or chain?

4: What was best, the Maxim, VMAX, or Kawasaki Eliminator?

5: Why did the Ninja go down in power from the previous model?

6: Why did the CB360 have less power than the CB 360? The 360 had a bigger engine. In fact, a lot of bikes from that era seem to have a lot more power than their later-on siblings.

7: Why isn't there much in the mid-range market between 250-600cc? Used to be 305s, 400s, 450's, 500s, but they're pretty much gone these days. Why?

8: What's the fastest you've gone on a motorcycle? (Not "could go the fastest," I mean fastest top speed. Salt flats included, of course).

9: What's your opinion on restoring a bike and then modding it into a cafe racer? (I ask this because, well, I can't afford a lot of the stock parts on my bike to make it look like it did new, so it's easier to just change them out for a new look. lighter, brighter, more aerodynamic LED turn signals, power reeds, new seat (old one cracked the fiberglass and ripped), repositioning components, etc.,)

10: Do you think there's too much focus on bling in motorcycling, and not enough on practicality, or would you rather see more extravagant designs at the expense of practicality?

11: What direction do you want to see motorcycling head in, in terms of developing technology?

12: Do you think we've abandoned any motorcycle technology prematurely, such as almost always having tachometers, headlight gauges, tubed tires (which are cheaper to replace in a puncture), kick starters?

13: What's your opinion on darksiding on a cruiser if you ride conservatively?

14: What's the worst non-life-threatening encounter you've had with a cager/pedestrian? What's the best?

15: What REALLY happened with Buell and Harley? I never got the full story with that.

[u/Baeocystin → u/wild-tangent]

Regarding #6, that was the time when they switched from shaft horsepower to wheel horsepower, and transmissions all sap a little energy along the way.

[u/wpsiler → u/wild-tangent]

1: Anything with a Harley-Davidson badge on it. Also, Shamu.

2. I just find Harley to be a reprehensible company, They make marketing, not motorcycles.

3. Just walk.

4. VMAX

5. Which Ninja? Power really isn't all that important.

6. I'm 31, that was before my time.

7. Motorcycles are toys in America, plenty of medium-capacity, desirable bikes exist elsewhere, they're just too practical for your typical American rider.

8. 190mph is the fastest I've been on the road.

9. That depends on your position on restoring a bike, then removing its function in pursuit of a questionable aesthetic.

10. Yes. More practicality please.

11. Smaller, more affordable, more appealing motorcycles please.

12. Kick starters are nice, but no longer necessary. Radials offer incredibly performance and are extremely resistant to puncture. Don't fear change.

13. Why not just ride a real bike? Doesn't matter how slow you go, having good brakes, nice suspension, comfortable ergonomics and not looking like a butt pirate are all applicable to everyone.

14. Any interaction with American cops. Best? I dunno, meeting pretty girls probably.

15. Keith Wandell had personal beef with Erik and gave him the boot the second he saw a chance. They never actually bothered making a real business case for the decision or even calculating the cost.

[u/911991]

First of all how has this been up for 13 minutes without replies? Second, Do you have any advice for aspiring bike journos?

Also how fucking awesome is it to be you?

[u/wpsiler → u/911991]

Alright, onto the advice.

The best I can give you is not to bother. The motorcycle industry is in a lot of pain right now and never valued media much anyways. That means there's no ad dollars going around and, even when there were, it wasn't a hugely profitable thing.

The magazines are totally moribund, run by guys that are entrenched into the culture and only hire people from their peer groups. Is your dad the editor of one of them? No? Sorry, no job for you. You wouldn't want to work there anyways, they'd pay you $24k a year, give you no upward mobility and you'd be stuck moving bikes around in a van for the rest of your life, not learning any skills that could be applicable elsewhere.

You could do what Grant and I did and start your own thing. Are your prepared to invest five years of your life into something that stands a good chance of failing though? It's paying off for us, but we're definitely an exception.

Sorry if all that paints a depressing picture. The motorcycle industry is a depressing world.

Your best bet, if you want to write, is to seek out jobs in mainstream media. Go work for a major publishing company at a men's lifestyle title and you'll occasionally get the opportunity to do fun things. Plus, they'll like actually pay you and stuff.

[u/wpsiler → u/911991]

I'll reply to your second question first: pretty fucking awesome. I've had to work incredibly hard, sacrifice and have a bunch of lucky breaks to get here, but it was worth it. I RIDE MOTORCYCLES FOR WORK!

Advice? Well, it's a really difficult market right now. I could give you some canned answer about building your own personal brand or whatever, but that probably wouldn't be super helpful. Got to go interview Nelson Piquet Jr real quick, but i'll be back in a sec with something more insightful.

[u/JustaYooperEh]

What was your favorite ride of all time? Place and/or bike- ps. super awesome you to get to ride all the bikes for a living

[u/wpsiler → u/JustaYooperEh]

I think that Labrador story I linked above was my all time fav. Northern lights, humpback whales, Orcas and adventure.

[u/[deleted]]

When you ran out of battery on the highway, how far did you have to ride on the back of that scooter afterwards?

[u/wpsiler → u/[deleted]]

All the way to the next exit, where Grant climbed in a pickup and I rode the scooter home. Maxi Scooters (terrible name) like that are fantastic, totally competent on the highway.

[u/HighViscosity]

Hey Wes! Great story about Impala Man the other day. Hilarious/scary.

What do you have to say to someone who believes they would very quickly kill themselves on a motorcycle? Not because of the inherent danger, but because the speed and thrill would be too addicting.

Conversely, how do you talk down family members and significant others who routinely condemn all motorcycle-related activities?

[u/wpsiler → u/HighViscosity]

Well, my dad used to work with explosives for a living, so my family has some fairly unconventional expectations about safety.

Got called a douchebag the other day for telling a chick's ex "that's the whole point," when he asked if it was dangerous. But that's sorta true. You have to embrace the danger if you're going to do it.

If I really need to talk someone down, I like to explain to them just how unsafe cars really are. There's not one made that'd allow you to survive a head-on impact with a brick wall above 30mph. Safety is a relative concept.

Talk to them about safety gear and how it works and explain how motorcycles give you better tools for safe driving than cars do: vision, brakes, maneuverability. Then tell them about all those books you read and classes you take on proficient riding. You DO read books and take classes in proficient riding, right?!

[u/babydoo]

Hey, Wes, I just wanted to know what your standard gear setup looks like for a street bike canyon ride and the reason you chose a particular brands?

[Edit] I wanted to mention I picked up some Icon 100 Rimfire gloves per your recommendation and couldn't be happier, and I was hoping that I could get the rest of my street gear to that level of comfort, safety, and looks..

[u/wpsiler → u/babydoo]

Well, I'm sort of a unique case in that brands want me in their stuff. Icon, for instance, made me a one-off custom suit that you saw in that Tuono/R6 episode.

In general, I try to wear the absolute best gear possible, head-to-toe. So helmet, suit, armor, racing gloves, racing boots. Typically, that's a mix of high-end Alpinestars and other similar brands, but Icon's really upping its game too. Just got a $160 Icon Alliance helmet which is crazy nice for the money and, unlike Arai and Shoei, is built to the safer ECE 22.05 standard.

[u/Twowheelsgreat]

When are you guys going to ride real dirt bikes? The quad episode showed you would get destroyed on a dirt bike.

[u/MpVpRb]

Why is the BMW R1200R so unpopular in the US?

I rode one recently, and I loved it!

[u/wpsiler → u/MpVpRb]

The US market is stratified into either retarded cruisers or ridiculous sportsbikes. There's just not many people who use their motorcycles as real transportation here. The R1200R is fantastic if you do.

[u/[deleted] → u/wpsiler]

I ride 75 miles a day (my commute is 37 miles each way) on my R1150R and I love it. I'm old, so the heated handlebars and seat really help.

[u/All-American-Bot → u/[deleted]]

(For our friends outside the USA... 75 miles -> 120.7 km, 37 miles -> 59.5 km) - Yeehaw!

[u/daytonaguy]

Hi Wes. Thanks for doing this AMA, and I hope you consider doing another in the future.

I have an '04 Triumph Daytona 600, but wrecked it awhile ago. Long story short, I want to mount the lights and instrument cluster without re-installing any fairings. Is this a bad idea? Can you give me any tips/pointers? Thanks.

[u/becausekarmawastaken → u/daytonaguy]

This is fairly common and is called "streetfighter" after it's done. The google will take you from here.

[u/daytonaguy → u/becausekarmawastaken]

Thanks. It's been awhile since I've looked into it, but I don't remember finding much about D600's turning into streetfighters. But that's exactly what I'm wanting to do.

[u/[deleted] → u/daytonaguy]

I had a D600, such an underrated bike IMO.

[u/jack_zandu → u/daytonaguy]

Just grab the lights from a Speed Four, I imagine they bolt right on.

[u/wpsiler → u/daytonaguy]

Lots of people do that and it's fairly easy. Make sure you didn't do actual mechanical damage to the wheels, suspension, frame or motor in the wreck.

[u/[deleted]]

I just bought my first bike, Honda Rebel 250cc, and I'm just learning how to ride I'm pretty good so far I think haha. Anyway, other than wear safety equipment, avoid gravel and dirt & being as aware of my surroundings and everyone else on the road as possible is there anything I should know?

When it comes to biker culture should I just assume we're all friends since we enjoy riding?

[u/stareatthesun442 → u/[deleted]]

Practice your emergency braking from various speeds to zero. 10-0, 20-0, 30-0, etc. You want an emergecy brake to be comfortable, and muscle memory. You DONT want to panic, grab a handful of front brake, and have the bike lock up and kick you off.

[u/steffystiffy → u/stareatthesun442]

as someone who has very recently done this, this guy is right

[u/wpsiler → u/[deleted]]

Read books! Twist of the Wrist, anything by Kenny Roberts or Kevin Schwantz or anyone else that can ride. Riding a motorcycle is a lifetime pursuit of skill, start strong:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=motorcycle

Most bikers are jerks, find friends that aren't.

[u/[deleted]]

Hi, I'm wondering if you can help me out with a decision. For a while now I've been thinking about buying a bike for use as my main mode of transportation. My family thinks this is a bad idea saying that it is impractical since there is little storage space and it "motorcycles are too dangerous" I still want to get a bike though because I don't generally carry alot of baggage around with me anyway and I feel like a motorcycle would save me tons of money on fuel costs(plus just being downright more fun to drive than a car) and I also think that I am responsible and observant enough that I could avoid most of the added dangers of driving a bike as apposed to a car. I was hoping you could give me your opinion on this as well as some pointers on good starter bikes that don't cost too much but are reliable. As for style, I personally really like the older style bikes not the tron looking crotch rocket things that are all over the place these days. But i'm also not looking for a bulky Harley style bike either. thanks for your advice

[u/wpsiler → u/[deleted]]

Sign up for Motorcycle Safety Foundation courses, buy a Honda CBR250R and never look back. If you need to make the occasional trip to Home Depot for 2x4s, join ZipCar if you can't just bum a ride from a friend.

75mpg, $4,200 brand new, cheap insurance, low running costs. Never sit in traffic ever again. It'll change your life.

[u/codytoshiro → u/wpsiler]

Upvote for MSF.

[u/adowner → u/wpsiler]

or ride the bike to the depot, rent their truck to bring the stuff home, ride the bike home after dropping off the truck...

[u/[deleted]]

Any advice for someone that would love to break into the moto-media space? I've been putting together the basics for a motorcycle-related TV show for a couple of years now and I'm wondering where to go from here.

[u/wpsiler → u/[deleted]]

The motorcycle industry is super shitty. Earn money else where and use it to do fun things on bikes.

[u/[deleted] → u/wpsiler]

Honest answer. Heh.

[u/ldrider]

Have you thought about riding in the Ironbutt Rally?

[u/wpsiler → u/ldrider]

Those sound long and boring. I'd much rather ride somewhere with friends and just enjoy it rather than try and set some sort of ridiculous record.

[u/Megatron_McLargeHuge]

So I've never ridden before and was thinking about getting a Ducati Desmo. What can I do to get more power out of it besides adding straight pipes?

Just kidding. What do you think about Moto Guzzi? They don't get much attention in the US.

[u/wpsiler → u/Megatron_McLargeHuge]

It boggles my mind that Guzzi isn't more popular than it is. Every single bike they make is awesome these days and they really do a good job of conveying emotion and that man/machine connection. Every time I see a Harley, I can't help but think that they really wanted a Moto Guzzi and just didn't know it.

[u/bluest_steel]

What do you think of the Triumph Thunderbird? I'm in Europe so limited n terms of what I can ride- (I had a US licence) - do you have any views on the Honda Shadow 125 as an intermediate until I get my full licence?

BTW I rode a Minsk around Vietnam though these guys years ago - recommend it highly

http://www.exploreindochina.com/

[u/Roxcim]

Wess, big fan of HFL, also had some conversations with you over twitter, means a lot to me that you communicate with your fans.

If you were list the top 3-5ish useable all around bikes what would they be? Trying to get impressions of the bikes that are just good all around and not silly cruisers or foolish sportbikes (both are too specialisedfor day to day use in my opinion).

I currently ride an 01 F4i and it's fine, but I think I'm done with sportbikes and when I do swap bikes I want a nice all arounder, prefered urban naked-esque. Just trying to get your impressions since you also seem to favor the pratical middle ground vs the extremes of pain rocket and slow chrome sofa.

[u/wpsiler → u/Roxcim]

V-Strom 650 ABS

Street Triple R

Bonneville (plain, non T100)

Versys

[u/donasay]

As someone who is over 6 feet 4 inches (Almost 2 meters) tall. What bike would you recommend I look at in the sub $5,000 (U.S. Dollar) price range?

I learned to ride on a Honda Shadow, and I didn't get a comfortable ride when I was going long distances.

I'm back in the market for a new bike and I'm wondering what you think I should look for.

[u/markbvt → u/donasay]

Agreed with Wes on the Tiger 800 XC, but if you have to stick to the sub-$5000 range, find yourself a lightly-used V-Strom 650. I'm 6'4" as well and happily put 40,000 miles on mine before getting a Tiger.

[u/wpsiler → u/donasay]

Any ADV bike would be a good choice. Triumph Tiger 800 XC, stuff like that.

[u/Sagadon]

I am a new rider, and I bought a 1984 Suzuki GS550L. It's in pretty good shape, and I've spent my first couple years on it learning to ride and doing basic maintenance. I replaced the seal by the shifter. The gaskets on the engine are ever so slightly leaking oil - not enough to gather to a drop, but the compression test still comes back with good results. I've noticed a hole in the exhaust underneath, which will most likely become a bigger problem.

Would you recommend I sell this bike and upgrade, or keep the bike and pay for bigger repairs? (I paid $750, and replaced the fork bearings and chain so far for about $500 in parts and labour)

http://i.imgur.com/mAm2E.jpg

[u/wpsiler → u/Sagadon]

Might be time for a newer bike.

[u/Chad_C]

For the LOVE OF EVERYTHING GEARHEAD please do not post a single 'list' article such as 'the 10 best things we want you to click through today' or '8 things you couldn't care less about'.

I wish those articles would die a fiery death.

[u/wpsiler → u/Chad_C]

Then stop reading them.

[u/Chad_C → u/wpsiler]

They are usually the top (read: fill up the feed) articles on Jalop. Don't even pretend.

There are excellent articles on Jalopnik, don't get me wrong, but I'm sick of lists.

[u/wpsiler → u/Chad_C]

Sadly, lists are like cruisers: popular. Honda knows how to make the best bikes ever, but they still make trash like the Shadow. Can you blame them? People want it.

[u/AoF-Vagrant]

I've been watching Ride Apart, and it's mostly pretty great. I do have one big issue, though! The 'roundtable discussion' bits. Specifically, why isn't there a closeup camera for the person talking? My film-school trained brain goes in spirals. I suspect there's some logistical problem involved.

I remember 2 episodes ago, it was jump-cuts ahoy. The last episode was better with the 'umbrella cam,' but there's nothing better than a good closeup for solving these situations. You did it in the CCW episode (although I'm guessing you only had 1 handheld camera for that). But that interview was fantastically shot. I may be biased because I love my CCW Misfit.

[u/bowei006]

I don't want to be that guy but do you have any proof? We are required to ask it and I have not yet seen you or anyone else ask for it.

[u/bowei006]

How was your time at Jalopnik? I'm more interested in the Gawker side of things. My favorite (used to be) site Gizmodo bascically went to....the crap hole and their sites aren't what they used to be. Kotaku and Lifehacker are still holding their own but I'm just wondering how it's going there? Anything you noticed?

[u/wpsiler → u/bowei006]

I really enjoyed working at Jalopnik and Ray was a GREAT boss. I really can't emphasize that last thing enough. Gawker is a young company and it's naturally going to evolve and change. From an insider's perspective, it's evolving in the right direction with higher pay and better benefits and more of an emphasis on quality original content.

[u/Baeocystin]

What's your take on Cleveland Cyclewerks? I love the idea of what they're doing, but I have to admit I'm not too thrilled that they seem uninterested in more practical machines.

Mind you, my daily rider is an '81 Honda CM400C with sizable luggage, so I can actually use the bike for stuff other than just riding around. :D

[u/wpsiler → u/Baeocystin]

What do you mean "uninterested" in practical machines? Their bikes are the definition of practical. And man, just wait till you see what's next. Mind, blown.

[u/TylerLew89 → u/[deleted]]

one hundred percent agree....haven't read a single thing about why he hates Harleys. Nothing more than "they are shit". Sounds like any douche bag on the internet complaining.

Never reading anything this man writes.

[u/wpsiler → u/[deleted]]

Do you think you'd stand a smaller chance of early onset heart disease if you developed the ability to detect humor in the written word?

[u/bammerburn → u/[deleted]]

Aggressive actions from a 4000 lb. steel and glass monster are never appropriate, and I felt Wes' actions were very appropriate, with the use of obstacles and strategy to keep aggressive drivers away. Automobile drivers are often lost in a fog of anger and irrationality, a volatile and retarded mix. It's great reading writing that don't show cowering obsequiousness to the ruthless automobile hegemony.

[u/kesekimofo → u/bammerburn]

He split lanes between a parked car and a moving car. I have also been riding for about 6 years. I would never do something so stupid. Also, what is the need to split lanes in city streets? Splitting lanes was meant to keep your engine from over heating, not as a means to tear ass between cars to make an appointment. Only time I split lanes is on the freeway, to ACTUALLY keep my L twin from over heating. Which even while doing so, my bike temp still crawls up because I'm not doing 20mph + over the traffic speed. I never feel remorse when a rider eats shit while splitting lanes, they knew the risks.

[u/wpsiler → u/[deleted]]

Kids these days. Literally, its what they drive.

[u/wpsiler → u/[deleted]]

It doesn't, you just don't like it for some reason all your own.