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Going for my motorcycle permit today

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2Xtreme21

2Xtreme21

Diamond Member
Hi guys, first post here. I'm going to take advantage of PA's free motorcycle training course for something cool to do over the summer, but I need a permit first. I have never ridden any kind of motorized bike so this'll be a brand new experience for me. I've wanted to do it for a while, and ever since I started my new job where everyone on my team rides motorcycles, they've been bugging me to get out and try it.

Here's to hoping I don't kill myself! :beer:
 
The permit test is easy. Just read through the handbook first and you'll do fine.

What kind of bike are you thinking of getting?
 
How you expose yourself & trust the common driver sharing the road with you is beyond me. Surely it's fun though, I considered it, for a minute.
 
Well I went to the DMV and all their testing stations were down (???) so I waited for an hour to not be able to take it until tomorrow... bleh.

Anyway, I'm not sure of the bike I want to get. I know the Kawasaki Ninja 250 is supposed to be THE bike to start on, but I don't want to ride a crotch rocket to be honest. A guy I work with who's been riding for 25 years recommended I start off with a Suzuki sv650, but I'm worried about the power. I think I'm going to see how I do on the training course first before I start picking out bikes.
 
Good luck with the new adventure. I have been riding bikes since I was 15 off and on. Just know going in that there alot of things that go with it.
1. High cost of ownership.
Sure a good bike will cost you around 5 grand but thats not total cost of ownership. Bike dealerships are high dollar when it comes to repairs. Tires are expensive as well up to a couple hundred for one tire. Parts the same way.
2. Your going to have to insure it as well.
If you get some kind of sport bike insurance can be several hundred dollars a month for full coverage(which you'll have to have if financed.)
3. Idiot drivers.
I was always confident in my own abilities as a rider but you can never trust the lady next to you texting or on the phone. Trust me I've been run off the road several times.

After many years of riding just last year I sold my last bike. They can be loads of fun especially with friends theres nothing like em.
 
Originally posted by: rh71
How you expose yourself & trust the common driver sharing the road with you is beyond me. Surely it's fun though, I considered it, for a minute.
Click to expand...

Try it, you'll understand.
 
the MSF course is actually kind of fun. i took it a few years ago at the westmoreland county CC with a friend. they have a bunch of different 250's to ride from "standard" (some honda - best mix of comfort and easy to ride), "cruisers" (small suzuki 250 -- way too small for me to ride) and "street/trail" bikes (street legal dirt bike, tallest of the bunch).

my first and current bike is a yamaha 1100 cruiser. i wouldn't be afraid of a big displacement cruiser as long as you're comfortable with the weight. remember that bikes only go as fast as you want them to go. even hayabusas can be putted around town.

the SV650 is a great all-around bike. takes the best of the sport bike technology and packages it in an easy to ride setup.
 
I got my permit on Thursday- the test (here, anyway) isn't hard at all. Read through the manual and you'll be fine.

Originally posted by: JDub02
the MSF course is actually kind of fun. i took it a few years ago at the westmoreland county CC with a friend. they have a bunch of different 250's to ride from "standard" (some honda - best mix of comfort and easy to ride), "cruisers" (small suzuki 250 -- way too small for me to ride) and "street/trail" bikes (street legal dirt bike, tallest of the bunch).

my first and current bike is a yamaha 1100 cruiser. i wouldn't be afraid of a big displacement cruiser as long as you're comfortable with the weight. remember that bikes only go as fast as you want them to go. even hayabusas can be putted around town.

the SV650 is a great all-around bike. takes the best of the sport bike technology and packages it in an easy to ride setup.
Click to expand...

I :heart: my SV! I rode for 4-5 hours this afternoon before work...it's a joy to ride.
 
Everyone is going to tell you to start out on a small cc bike...but not me. I am not going to tell you to go out and get a large cc bike but I wont call you an idiot for doing so either. I started out on a SV1000s about 14 months ago and have never looked back. I have ridden different bikes since getting mine (500cc, 600cc, 650cc, and another 1000cc) and I am really glad I started out on the bike I did. The truth is, anyone can start out on anything provided they have common sense and a certain degree of SELF CONTROL!!!! People get on bikes and they want to show off. If you can identify your limits, resist from being succumbed by peer pressure and control the urge to twist your wrist open then you can go out an jump onto a ZX-14 if you wanted...provided you are big enough to lift that ugly piece of shit. I have nothing against people who want to start out small, its just that I am glad I didnt. Plus everyone I know who started out on a 250 got bored with it very quickly want wanted something bigger.

After saying that, if your not looking for a big bike, SV's are really good bikes, especially the SV650. They are cheap, powerful but not too powerful and just overall really fun.
 
I started with a SV650 2002 loved it!

Sold it and wish I still had it for shits and giggles.

Wear gear and steer clear from queers
 
Originally posted by: zylander
Everyone is going to tell you to start out on a small cc bike...but not me. I am not going to tell you to go out and get a large cc bike but I wont call you an idiot for doing so either. I started out on a SV1000s about 14 months ago and have never looked back. I have ridden different bikes since getting mine (500cc, 600cc, 650cc, and another 1000cc) and I am really glad I started out on the bike I did. The truth is, anyone can start out on anything provided they have common sense and a certain degree of SELF CONTROL!!!! People get on bikes and they want to show off. If you can identify your limits, resist from being succumbed by peer pressure and control the urge to twist your wrist open then you can go out an jump onto a ZX-14 if you wanted...provided you are big enough to lift that ugly piece of shit. I have nothing against people who want to start out small, its just that I am glad I didnt. Plus everyone I know who started out on a 250 got bored with it very quickly want wanted something bigger.

After saying that, if your not looking for a big bike, SV's are really good bikes, especially the SV650. They are cheap, powerful but not too powerful and just overall really fun.
Click to expand...

and the problem is that when people start twisting the throttle, both of those frequently go out the window.
 
Originally posted by: zylander
Everyone is going to tell you to start out on a small cc bike...but not me. I am not going to tell you to go out and get a large cc bike but I wont call you an idiot for doing so either. I started out on a SV1000s about 14 months ago and have never looked back. I have ridden different bikes since getting mine (500cc, 600cc, 650cc, and another 1000cc) and I am really glad I started out on the bike I did. The truth is, anyone can start out on anything provided they have common sense and a certain degree of SELF CONTROL!!!! People get on bikes and they want to show off. If you can identify your limits, resist from being succumbed by peer pressure and control the urge to twist your wrist open then you can go out an jump onto a ZX-14 if you wanted...provided you are big enough to lift that ugly piece of shit. I have nothing against people who want to start out small, its just that I am glad I didnt. Plus everyone I know who started out on a 250 got bored with it very quickly want wanted something bigger.

After saying that, if your not looking for a big bike, SV's are really good bikes, especially the SV650. They are cheap, powerful but not too powerful and just overall really fun.
Click to expand...

Everyone around here thinks you need to start on a 250 with a bad choke. I agree with you, buy whatever the hell you want and ride it.
 
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