hey, so who here rides a bike? i was considering getting one, but its just so hard to convince myself when i see pictures of peoples brains smeared on the ground. so for those of you who ride a sportbike, or i guess any type, how often do you come in close calls with cars and things on the road? also, have you ever been hit or....died? i know i probably shouldnt get a bike, so i probably wont, but i need some fun in my life, even though im still very young....[but responsible! (it needed to be said)].
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Anyone ride a motorcycle?
- Thread starter dotcom173
- Start date
i agree, id start off with a beater 250 or something, learn on that for a good while, then move up to a cbr600rr or something. trust me, im willing to take advice from experienced riders on this, if they say ill kill myself or drop the bike, i probably will. id rather learn the right way with a forgiving bike, than learn on a faster bike and potentially not actually learn how to ride properly, EDIT: or kill myself.
halik
Lifer
I've ridden sport bikes for the pat 5-6 years and motorcycles since i was 10 or so.
I've owned two CBRs, 03 gixer and now I have a 2005 R6 Raven. As far as close calls - people trying to merge into me and similar idiotic driver moves. I've also nearly ate it couple of times on cold tires and flopped on gravel and such.
I've died once, one the inside, when my professor in college tried to explain some CS concept with a kingon/startrek reference. But that's nor here or there....
I've owned two CBRs, 03 gixer and now I have a 2005 R6 Raven. As far as close calls - people trying to merge into me and similar idiotic driver moves. I've also nearly ate it couple of times on cold tires and flopped on gravel and such.
I've died once, one the inside, when my professor in college tried to explain some CS concept with a kingon/startrek reference. But that's nor here or there....
Dont get a sportbike as your first bike..
Even a 600 is faster than 95% of production vehicles you can buy. I dont care how mature you think you are with it.. 100 in second gear makes most people a little not mature..
I bought a Triumph Daytona 675 in 2006. It was my first sportbike after riding a early 70's Honda CB350 since i was 16. I turned 25 and bought the Triumph.
Why wait so long? INSURANCE! If you are under 25 and going to get a sportbike, good luck. I could not find insurance for less than 1200 a year, and i live in michigan with a 6 month riding season. I could not justify it.
Close calls, any biker has had a few. You have to assume that nobody in cars can see you and always be ready to bail out if need be. No matter what you kind of bike you get, spend the money and buy the gear. No matter how cool you think you are rolling in your wife beater/shorts and flip flops, when we both crash, i can gaurentee that my skin wont be jacked up for the rest of my life.
Even a 600 is faster than 95% of production vehicles you can buy. I dont care how mature you think you are with it.. 100 in second gear makes most people a little not mature..
I bought a Triumph Daytona 675 in 2006. It was my first sportbike after riding a early 70's Honda CB350 since i was 16. I turned 25 and bought the Triumph.
Why wait so long? INSURANCE! If you are under 25 and going to get a sportbike, good luck. I could not find insurance for less than 1200 a year, and i live in michigan with a 6 month riding season. I could not justify it.
Close calls, any biker has had a few. You have to assume that nobody in cars can see you and always be ready to bail out if need be. No matter what you kind of bike you get, spend the money and buy the gear. No matter how cool you think you are rolling in your wife beater/shorts and flip flops, when we both crash, i can gaurentee that my skin wont be jacked up for the rest of my life.
how often do those close calls happen, and when they do, is it you who gets out of the way, or them who realize their mistake? ive had that crap happen to me in my car, where people will merge into you, but im always paying attention and see those skin-flute players before they can do damage.
Its always been me getting out of the way,
I had some dumb cell phone talking chick almost run into the side of me when i was turning onto a rural road from a 4 lane road. It was close, probably a foot or less, i gased it to get out of the way and made a slight course adjustment to discuss my displeasure with her. She just said she was sorry and that she was not paying attention.
You have to remember you have a vehicle that can change direction and accelerate much faster than a car. Your better off to get yourself out of the way then to try and let the car move.
I had some dumb cell phone talking chick almost run into the side of me when i was turning onto a rural road from a 4 lane road. It was close, probably a foot or less, i gased it to get out of the way and made a slight course adjustment to discuss my displeasure with her. She just said she was sorry and that she was not paying attention.
You have to remember you have a vehicle that can change direction and accelerate much faster than a car. Your better off to get yourself out of the way then to try and let the car move.
the thing with that is, im afraid to go fast on a bike, im the kinda person who doesnt like going too fast on a skateboard because i worry a rock will get jammed under my wheel and ill go flying. sure, id prolly open her up on nice straights with a smooth road under me, but im more of the kinda kid who likes bikes because its a hobby and for the solitude; same reason i like to drive, i just like the relaxation. sure, im into curvy roads and corners, but not to the extent where im gonna pretend im a pro racer and drag my knees along the asphault. my point is, im too scared to do anything stupid....
as far as gear, id buy the best stuff i could....im more worried about getting rocks under my skin that i am about crushing my skull....at least with the latter i wont have to deal with it later (bad attitude, i know).
mooseracing
Golden Member
Search the forum, there is a newbie bike thread every day it seems
The only think i will say is that you have no idea how fast your are going, espically on a highway. Just running up though the gears will get you into tripple digets faster than you have ever been in your life. I am not trying to call you a liar or anything like that, you just need to understand how fast the machine you are on is. 100 miles an hour is nothing.
Thats good that you will get the gear, buy as much as you can afford, i probably have 1500 bucks into just my leathers/gloves/helmet and boots.
Thats good that you will get the gear, buy as much as you can afford, i probably have 1500 bucks into just my leathers/gloves/helmet and boots.
halik
Lifer
About as often as when you're driving a car. I get out of the way, catch up and proceed to yell obscenities and/or hand gestures of the same meaning.
Riding fast is lame IMO, when you hit 100+ you can't feel your hands form the vibration and all you hear is the wind noise. There's nothing better than testing 0-60 in 3 seconds from one turn to another.
A 250 IMO is too small to learn on. It makes no torque and all the power is up high in the rev range. It fun because its light and forgiving, but if I was going for light, fun bikes I'd pick up a DRZ or other supermoto-type bike instead.
Starting on a 600 is more expensive due to fairing damage from drops, falls, etc. They aren't that beastly, despite what the previous posters are claiming. It not until you get into the modern 1ks, where it starts becoming intimidating to ride. Just buy a nice used 600, one you wont mind scratching the plastics, keeps the revs down and enjoy.
Gear-wise, if you going to trackdays and so forth, you'll need a suit. Personally I don't like buying off the rack suits, as I don't fit the slim Italian male profile that these manufacturers seem to cater to. YMMV. For street use, most textiles are fine, along with decent helmet, gloves and boots onsale should be no more than $6-700.
Starting on a 600 is more expensive due to fairing damage from drops, falls, etc. They aren't that beastly, despite what the previous posters are claiming. It not until you get into the modern 1ks, where it starts becoming intimidating to ride. Just buy a nice used 600, one you wont mind scratching the plastics, keeps the revs down and enjoy.
Gear-wise, if you going to trackdays and so forth, you'll need a suit. Personally I don't like buying off the rack suits, as I don't fit the slim Italian male profile that these manufacturers seem to cater to. YMMV. For street use, most textiles are fine, along with decent helmet, gloves and boots onsale should be no more than $6-700.
Same in Michigan
It did not have any effect on my insurnace rates however.
There were people in my class that had never been on a bike before. It was a little scary to be next to them. The course i took they provided the bikes, it was funded by the state and only cost 25 bucks to take..
It did not have any effect on my insurnace rates however.
There were people in my class that had never been on a bike before. It was a little scary to be next to them. The course i took they provided the bikes, it was funded by the state and only cost 25 bucks to take..
EightySix Four
Diamond Member
Have you ever ridden a bike, ever?
I don't mean to be rude, but from the things you are saying you don't seem to really know what you're going to get yourself into on a motorcycle. I rode dirt bikes for a few years as well as driving street bikes for about a year now on and off. Honestly I don't know how I could have started on street bikes, the dirt prepares you for so many different surfaces and situations compared to what you'll "learn" at a training course.
You say you're responsible and afraid of speed, but the second that "bug" gets you, you won't be able to keep yourself from winding it out every once and awhile and be playful in the corners. Bikes are fast, like truly fast. I have driven and been around some serious performance cars for quite some time and a bike just shatters them all.
Traffic rarely cares or knows you are there and you have to drive defensively at all times, unlike in a car, you will NOT EVER win in a wreck. The other vehicle ALWAYS wins. There is a small bit of safety in the speed and maneuverability on a bike but you better be prepared at any moment for something to go wrong. Situational Awareness is key.
I'm not trying to discourage you but there are a lot of things you have to consider and be prepared for. You WILL lay your first bike down, and you will have to replace plastics and any other damage you do it, so go ahead and consider that in your costs. Insurance will likely equalize your bike payment with the car payment of a nice car. If you really want to go for it, do it, it's a blast... but be ready for what you're getting into.
I don't mean to be rude, but from the things you are saying you don't seem to really know what you're going to get yourself into on a motorcycle. I rode dirt bikes for a few years as well as driving street bikes for about a year now on and off. Honestly I don't know how I could have started on street bikes, the dirt prepares you for so many different surfaces and situations compared to what you'll "learn" at a training course.
You say you're responsible and afraid of speed, but the second that "bug" gets you, you won't be able to keep yourself from winding it out every once and awhile and be playful in the corners. Bikes are fast, like truly fast. I have driven and been around some serious performance cars for quite some time and a bike just shatters them all.
Traffic rarely cares or knows you are there and you have to drive defensively at all times, unlike in a car, you will NOT EVER win in a wreck. The other vehicle ALWAYS wins. There is a small bit of safety in the speed and maneuverability on a bike but you better be prepared at any moment for something to go wrong. Situational Awareness is key.
I'm not trying to discourage you but there are a lot of things you have to consider and be prepared for. You WILL lay your first bike down, and you will have to replace plastics and any other damage you do it, so go ahead and consider that in your costs. Insurance will likely equalize your bike payment with the car payment of a nice car. If you really want to go for it, do it, it's a blast... but be ready for what you're getting into.
ive never rode a bike for an extended period of time. i think ive rode small dirtbikes around the block, but never for long periods. im not expecting to be good, which is why id get a pos bike, beat it up a little, and move on. im pretty good at learning, dont have a problem with some hard work and practice, and am always aware of my surroundings on the road....which is why ive never been in an accident...especially during the crucial teenage years where you're bound to crash. im not saying i think im just gonna hop on and go, and a week later be a pro. im expecting a year of riding a beater, which i think will be plenty of time, especially if thats my only vehicle up at school. i think a bike would be perfect for san luis obispo roads, considering its a fairly small town with really empty highways.
EightySix Four
Diamond Member
With that being the case, go for it bro! You won't regret it. I agree with 250's being to small these days personally, at highway speeds they give you very little play room to get out of a bad situation. Get you an older Honda CB to learn on or something along those lines.
mooseracing
Golden Member
Must be nice, I almost never get side swiped in my car, but daily they try to do it to me on the bike. Sucks driving in bumper to bumper traffic at 40-60mph.
I hit triple digits quite awhile ago, but I agree its boring for me. I can't hold onto the bike for long. I have a naked cruiser with 120hp, the wind is unbearable at 140.
I on the other hand enjoy the corners and stoplight to stoplight. I have deep gears, 6 grand at 60, so it makes it a fun bike to get up to the speed limit quickly.
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