The only real damage I did was to the left side peg (snapped off), Bent the handle bars, dinged the tank and bent the shifter. The only thing I could fix was the handle bars. Problem is my dumbass dropped my helmet after getting home from the test ride I did after fixing everything but the ding in the tank and the handle bars.
I do not want to wait a month to ride until I can afford both a new helmet and new bars. Any advice on where I could get a deal on both?
Hmm, depending on how far the helmet fell, it may be ok.
Bars? I've got $20 Moose ATV bars on my Monster. They are a bit wider & taller than OEM, but are great.
As for the dent, I recommend bullet hole stickers:
(http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn168/the_journeyman/Molly/DSC_0004-1200.jpg)
JM
CJr,
I dropped my 696 in my driveway on the brake side and bent the foot lever. I took off the lever, and put the toe end in a vice. Then applied slow and steady pressure to the other side, enough to bend it back. You don't want to bend it back too quickly, as the aluminum will shear. Also, it will never be in the original shape, so just bend it back far enough to ride, and order a new one at the same time. I am thinking about order a spare brake and shifter just to keep on hand, because this won't be the last time this happens.
Cheap helmets could be found at Pep Boys at one time, though I'm not sure they still carry them because I don't see them on the PB website. They're not pretty. They're not sexy. But at $60 or $70, they're hard to ignore.
A study I read a couple of years ago says they're as safe as more expensive helmets in most situations and are actually better for low speed crashes. The study didn't convince me to abandon Arai (which I wear because their Quantum/Corsair shell shape fits me more comfortably than any other helmet I've ever found), but they made a very convincing arguement.
You can read the article I mentioned if you follow the link, below. It was published by Motorcyclist magazine and goes into great detail about various testing regimens and why they may or may not reflect real world performance of crash helmets.
http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/gearbox/motorcycle_helmet_review/index.html#13093654329621&DISPLAYINTERSTITIAL_15 (http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/gearbox/motorcycle_helmet_review/index.html#13093654329621&DISPLAYINTERSTITIAL_15)
As to the remainder of the damage, replace the bars, ignore the tank, and go to work!
Advance Auto still carries Helmets, but from a glance as I walked past today I think they're dirt-oriented.
JM
if you're looking for a cheap quality helmet, i would say you would have a hard time finding a better deal than the bell arrow:
http://www.webbikeworld.com/r2/motorcycle-helmet/bell-arrow/ (http://www.webbikeworld.com/r2/motorcycle-helmet/bell-arrow/)
it's about $99 so $30 more than the cheapest helmets... but you're getting a solid name and prob better features.
search craigslist if your looking for cheap