Chicken strips

Brilliant set of responses to a simple question based on what I read in mcn. Cheers guys, but cool it on the personal shit, alright? no call for that when I wasn't offering my own opinion
 
There's a funny trend becoming more and more known here in Czech Republic. Place your bike on a stand so your rear wheel is in the air (use central or service stands). Start your bike, shift to the 3rd gear, grab your pile, and scrub those chicken stripes off! Now your riding skills have skyrocketed by thousands of percents and you're ready for MotoGP race!

At least those mentals are doing it only to show how skilled they are. Skilled with pile, I guess.

I'm not sure if the tool I'm talking about is "pile" in english but I mean this tool:
image037.jpg
 
O8ride said:
Brilliant set of responses to a simple question based on what I read in mcn.
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I heard once that Asian girls had sideways vaginas and they felt better. Imagine my surprise when I was dating a Japanese girl and found out the truth. Hers was vertical just like all the others. From that point forward I didn't believe everything that other people told me without thinking about it myself to determine if it made sense. Anyone that knows anything about riding a motorcycle should know that the MCN "expert" was full of shit. Quit listening to MCN. They're almost always full of shit.
 
Kryten - I'll make up my own mind on whether to accept the view provided by a renowned motorcycling magazine versus someone I have no idea about. If I'd quoted some random motovlogger you may have a point. You're coming across as exceptionally arrogant and knowitall. But I suspect it is more defensive
 
O8ride said:
Kryten - I'll make up my own mind on whether to accept the view provided by a renowned motorcycling magazine versus someone I have no idea about. If I'd quoted some random motovlogger you may have a point. You're coming across as exceptionally arrogant and knowitall. But I suspect it is more defensive
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The biggest problem with that statement is the number of people who have already agreed with him, especially so considering you're the only one I have seen defending the rag. I rather enjoy some of their articles, but when they said "Sure it rusted in a year, but we'd recommend people buy it anyway" about a bike, they totally lost me. Why take it so personally anyway? You asked for peoples opinions, and then even cited your source of (bad) information. Did you expect people to suddenly say "Oh, a magazine found some guy who has a different opinion, I must change mine!"?
 
Different opinions are great and I want to hear them - but just slagging off the "comic" or using silly anecdotes that have no purpose and add zero value is like getting into petty political debates (my ideas are better than yours; oh no they're not).

BTW, it was not an MCN employee that wrote it, it was an opinion proffered by someone they interviewed and I was interested in hearing some reasonable arguments for and against. I'm glad it's led to a debate.

As for thinking about it myself, as Kryten suggested, I can think of a few things, some or all of which may be right or wrong. Again, differing opinions would be great.

On the pro side, the specific rider may be a very good rider and may have set the bike up very well for themselves, plus the bike can handle it.

On the downside, the rider may be a thrillseeker but not very experienced, may have enough money to be able to cover the cost of repairing mishaps which could be aesthetically good but the bike could have major underlying problems, could be selling because they know the bike will very soon require a major overhaul or be on its last legs, or could be trying to use their own riding expertise in order to gain some awe-factor hoping for someone paying over the odds for an average bike.

But I found it interesting the guy said he would walk past such bikes pretty much without a second thought, while many conversations on this site cover getting your knee down, track days, and improving your own abilities and confidence using speed and vision.

The guy seems to be considering the bike (rather than the rider) based on his perception of the style of riding it has endured, rather than determining the bike must be in good condition because of his perception of the style of riding it has endured due to the competence of any specific rider.
 
O8ride said:
Different opinions are great and I want to hear them - but just slagging off the "comic" or using silly anecdotes that have no purpose and add zero value is like getting into petty political debates (my ideas are better than yours; oh no they're not).
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I made references to sideways Asian vaginas. Most people would realize I was mainly joking. You need to quit taking yourself so seriously. And in this matter my ideas are better than yours. Anyone that would even consider judging a bike solely by whether the tires have "chicken strips" clearly knows very little about bikes. The whole idea is ludicrous. I hate even hearing the term "chicken strips". Very shitty riders can have no chicken strips while other very good riders who ride their bikes hard can have quite large chicken strips. That very fact proves the term chicken strips is stupid to begin with.

I wasn't slagging you off. I was trying to show you that your expert was a moron and help you make an informed decision. You got defensive. The only thing rude I said is that I wouldn't want to sell my bike to you or your "expert" and that's just the truth. Anyone that would be hesitant to buy my bike because of the lack of chicken strips doesn't deserve it and I wouldn't want them to have it. They would most likely hurt themselves or someone else and they should probably start on a smaller bike or a scooter for their own protection and the safety of others not to mention the well being of my bike, which I would hate to learn had been totaled and possibly used to hurt the buyer or other innocent people.

O8ride said:
BTW, it was not an MCN employee that wrote it, it was an opinion proffered by someone they interviewed and I was interested in hearing some reasonable arguments for and against. I'm glad it's led to a debate.
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You asked a ridiculous question. People gave you an answer that went against your established opinion. Then you came back with your MCN quote from a "professional" based on his "experience" to defend your opinion. The guy is obviously not an expert. No expert on motorcycles would base their opinion on the condition of a bike solely on the tires. That's the most retarded thing I've ever heard.

It hasn't lead to a debate. The only person that seems to be debating anything is you. The rest of us all seem to agree it was a ridiculous premise to begin with.



O8ride said:
I found it interesting the guy said he would walk past such bikes pretty much without a second thought
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I didn't find that interesting. That's the reason I say the guy is an idiot. If I was in a seminar about how to determine whether you should buy a bike and the speaker said what that guy said, that would be the point where I would get up and leave the room because nothing he said after that could be trusted or of any value and to stay would just be wasting my time. The fact that MCN even printed this guys opinion hurts their credibility as a provider of useful information concerning motorcycles.

O8ride said:
The guy seems to be considering the bike (rather than the rider) based on his perception of the style of riding it has endured, rather than determining the bike must be in good condition because of his perception of the style of riding it has endured due to the competence of any specific rider.
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The guy was paid by MCN to say something and pulled a bunch of shit out of his ass apparently. I only a few millimeters of "chicken strips" on my rear tire and I take very good care of my bike. I've only ever even come close to redline once and that was in a riding course where I was instructed to do so on a runway just to see how much power the bike had and to learn what it was capable of and how to control it. I've even been told I ride too cautiously and I should push it closer to the limit. The irony is that I've also had people look at my back tire and tell me I must be awesome because I don't have big chicken strips!

I don't rag my bike out and it's in very good condition. I would hop on it right now and go on a cross country trip without bringing any tools other than what's necessary to repair a punctured tire and I'm confident I would have no problems. Your expert would walk away from my bike after looking at the tires. I'm not sure what other factors he would look at but he would pass up a lot of good bikes if the first thing he checks are the tires. He may even buy a ragged out piece of shit if he was buying from someone that only ever rode fast in a straight line. Hayabusa, anyone?

If you really want to know whether a bike has been well cared for look at the sprocket and chain. Are they fairly clean and lubricated? They may need replacement soon but have they been cared for up until this point. Is there a ton of crud built up around the front sprocket? Look at the body work. Is it cracked or scratched? Is the frame dented, cracked or otherwise damaged? Is the gas tank dented from a tank slapper? Are the bar ends and footpegs bent or scratched severely. A few scrapes on the footpegs means they've leaned it hard but it doesn't mean they've ragged it out. Does it start up quickly on the first try without shooting a smoke cloud out of the exhaust? Does it run rough?

If everything else checks out the last thing you do is look at the tires. Are they flat in the middle? Is the tread nearly gone? If so tell the seller you'll have to buy new tires soon and have him knock a little off the price for new tires. Otherwise the tires tell you very little and really shouldn't be a determining factor in the purchase of a bike.

When I bought my first used bike I had a more experienced friend go with me to look at bikes. He showed me what to look for and he was there when I bought my GSXR. I passed up a few bikes before it that were clearly not as good. I got a really good deal on my GSXR and it has been an awesome bike since the day I bought it. If you have riding buddies with more experience get one to go with you to look at bikes. You'll get a better bike and you'll learn a thing or two to look for so you can do it by yourself next time or even help one of your less experienced riding buddies later.

Lastly don't take anything I say personally. I like to joke and fuck with people and often fail to realize how some people will react. That's just my character. I've actually seen some of my pasts post on other forums and thought man that guys an asshole only to realize I was reading one of my old posts I had forgotten about. Jokes don't go over very well in text but don't get butthurt about it. That just makes you look like a bitch.

If you're looking for a used bike I hope you find a decent one with big fat chicken strips just for added peace of mind. ;)
 
Ok. So I just watched some of your videos and realized you're a scooter rider. Don't take the scooter comment in my last reply the wrong way. :D

I'm actually considering a scooter for commuting. I have nothing against scooters.
 
I got it wrong, apologies. It wasn't MCN, it was MCM - Motor Cycle Monthly. Just had to fish it out of the recycling bin, and it's rather wet.

Page 24 of the May 2014 edition, "How to buy a Bike", and the guy who is Mark Hardy, ex-racer.

Generally, you can tell if a bike's honest the moment you see it - if the owner's taken the time to polish it and the brake fluid, coolant and oil are nice and clear, it's more likely a good one. I like a bike with an inch of unworn tyre at the edges - it's a good sign it hasn't been ridden hard, as are undamaged hero-blobs (the pegs sticking out of the bottom of the footpegs)......[mentions many other things to look out for]....other possible tells of a race or track bike are well-used suspension adjusters and damage to the rims caused by excessive tyre changes.

Run your hand over the brake discs: racers use hard pads, which put grooves in the discs, and a lip on the edge. If the clock says 3000 miles, but the discs have that kind of wear, the bike's spent a lot of time on the track......Check the tyres - not just for wear, but are they on the right way round.
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The guy, an ex-racer, has a clear view that bikes used on a race track and ridden hard are what he would avoid, and he sees a clear tell based on the wear of the tyres.

Hence my questions.
 
O8ride said:
The guy, an ex-racer, has a clear view that bikes used on a race track and ridden hard are what he would avoid, and he sees a clear tell based on the wear of the tyres.
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Well him being a racer explains a lot, and he's right, you CAN tell a lot by the wear of the tires, but the chickenstrips alone don't really say much for all the reasons above. My riding style leads to tiny strips, but I would never call myself fast and my bike certainly hasn't been abused. The other wear patterns say more. If the center is flat but there's no strips, the bike spends most of its time on the highway and has probably been ridden by someone like me, who uses all the tire. If the tires are more like pyramids then the bike has spent a LOT of time leaned over, and probably has been ridden harder than normal more often than not. If the tire is bald on the sides, or there's visible graining left over then I'd definitely walk away. The rest of his points seem pretty spot on to me. Something else to bear in mind though. Most of what he's talking about relates to sportbikes. They're literally built to be ridden hard. Everything about them is intended to take quite a bit of punishment. I wouldn't pass on a bike just because it's seen use as a track bike if it was a model I really wanted. I don't mind having to do some fiddling with the thing to keep it going if something breaks, so long as it's not catastrophic and I have a garage to work with. Hell, if I was buying a bike with the intent to use it as a track bike I'd actually look for someone who's selling one that's been beat to hell, it'll be cheaper to buy. :)

The most important thing is to consider the intended use of the bike you're wanting to buy. If you want a daily rider you want one in a specific condition, if you want something to bash on, well you can get away with one that's been abused a bit more. You also need to consider why the guy they interviewed is buying it. If he is indeed a professional buyer, then he's likely buying them for a dealership of some sort, and they aren't going to make any money trying to resell a beater.
 
holy shit aha, it would become nil and void asoon as the tyres are replaced so you couldnt tell eitherway, just know what else to look for and your golden
 
if there are no chicken strips, but the frame and panels looks right, Why not

If my life depends on a machine, and i know im going to be leaning into corners etc, I will look after my stuff a little better.

If the guy hasnt worn off some of them, chances are he babied the bike. That also isnt such a bad thing...
 
O8ride said:
I got it wrong, apologies. It wasn't MCN, it was MCM - Motor Cycle Monthly. Just had to fish it out of the recycling bin, and it's rather wet.

Page 24 of the May 2014 edition, "How to buy a Bike", and the guy who is Mark Hardy, ex-racer.
Generally, you can tell if a bike's honest the moment you see it - if the owner's taken the time to polish it and the brake fluid, coolant and oil are nice and clear, it's more likely a good one. I like a bike with an inch of unworn tyre at the edges - it's a good sign it hasn't been ridden hard, as are undamaged hero-blobs (the pegs sticking out of the bottom of the footpegs)......[mentions many other things to look out for]....other possible tells of a race or track bike are well-used suspension adjusters and damage to the rims caused by excessive tyre changes.

Run your hand over the brake discs: racers use hard pads, which put grooves in the discs, and a lip on the edge. If the clock says 3000 miles, but the discs have that kind of wear, the bike's spent a lot of time on the track......Check the tyres - not just for wear, but are they on the right way round.
Click to expand...


The guy, an ex-racer, has a clear view that bikes used on a race track and ridden hard are what he would avoid, and he sees a clear tell based on the wear of the tyres.

Hence my questions.
Click to expand...

To me this post sort of explains the error in your analysis and question about chicken strips.
Basically you will eventually need to accept that there are many things to learn and think about. There is no one thing to judge or verify or think about and then everything else is automatically okay. That would be less thinking, that would be less work, but that is not how life works in my experience.

Here it seems you've sort of targeted and fixated on something in an article that is easy to remember and understand. You then took it out of context and only asked about that one point here. Everyone disagreed with the premise. You then seemed to take the ridicule of the premise and article (as you inaccurately presented it) personally, perhaps because you found that things were not going to be so easy. This easy "rule" was not the fix-all you had hoped for. There are many other things to learn about and consider when looking over a bike.

Now that you've revealed a bit more of the article and some other things the expert actually said (although not all the points) the point about chicken strips makes more sense and agrees (as I understand things) with much of what everyone else has basically said: Look at several things and for several issues, then make an educated decision. Do not just focus on one point and think that is all you need to do to make a reasonable assumption about the bike (or anything in life for that matter). A broader platform of information is better and more useful than a narrow one, even though a narrow one is easier and faster.

Your post is not what the ex-racer said.
Your post is the one thing you asked about.

Good luck.

Just my opinion of course.
There's a chance I've totally misunderstood everything.
 
You're probably right Shadow.

But I wrote the original after skimming the article and taking from it what I remembered, then chucking the mag. It was only the responses that led me to see if I still had it somewhere.

What I took from the article was that the guy kept coming back to tyres and tyre wear. Time and again. He mentioned a lot of other things, but he majored on the tyres and how it gave an indication of a bike being raced or run around hard, and how he essentially would not want a bike like that. As there are threads on this site about track days, racing, and chicken strips, I felt it was a fair question to ask.

I don't have a problem with the responses, I am enjoying what people are saying and I am learning a lot more than what I previously knew. And I'm looking for a bigger bike too, so all the views and comments are very welcome to give me an idea what to look for
 
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