Help me find / buy a motorcycle!

[kag]

Why do you keep saying "You *will* drop it"?
I got my bike license like 5 weeks ago, and I rode my dad's '97 Virago 1100, and now his '01 V-Star Classic 1100 (he traded his Virago for this one) every now and then... on the highway, in the traffic, and I never dropped it, or even almost dropped it...

And it's the first bike I ride... I've never had any bikes when I was younger (I'm 17 years, 6' and 205 lbs.). You just gotta be careful. And don't go too fast when you aren't used to your bike (I'm not really used to the new V-Star so I don't try to make anything weird with it)

 

[TerreApart]

kag don't take this personal, but dropping a motorcycle whether your super-duper careful or not it is likely to happen.
Your 17? be honest that's not alot of experience you have there... Over time things happen...

-You make a rookie mistake
-Nature grabs you-(sand, dirt, rocks, trash on a corner)
-Car hits you
-You hit car
-They pull out infront of you
-You hit a fellow biker-(riding to close)
-Fellow biker hits you-(no way any extra carefulness on your part will save you here)
-Just plain ole unlucky

Here is a story I found, fellow biker-(female) just cleaning her bike. What could happen right?



<< &quot;Well I guess it happens to the best of us! I cant believe it! Five minutes into my routine maintinance I was just lubing my chain, backed it up, more lube, then it happens; the %^&amp;^%$#$# kickstand came up an bam! My previously pristine 2000 sv650 went down.lost the clutch lever and scratched the bar end.Boy this really pisses me off! I know this is relatively minor in the scheme of things but I pride myself on the condition in which I keep my bike. Oh well I fell a little better having vented.... &quot; >>



Please don't give people the idea if they are extra careful they will never drop a bike... Happens to the best of us.

 

[kag]

<< Your 17? be honest that's not alot of experience you have there... >>

That's my point... I guess you are more likely to have an accident when you don't have that much experience...

But I guess you are right :



<< Please don't give people the idea if they are extra careful they will never drop a bike... Happens to the best of us. >>


I don't like to think how mad my dad will be *when* I drop his bike hehehe... even though he dropped his Virago (it's his 7th bike, with like 20 years of experience) last month : he parked the bike in a gravel driveway and when he was sure it was stable, he got off the bike... but he's not very flexible and his feet accidently hit the saddle and the bike fell down. Luckyly, there was only a very minor scratch, about 1/4&quot; on his spot lights

 

[TerreApart]

Sorry to hear bout dad's accident. *shakes head*-bummer.

 

[The Stigenator]

KAG> accidents can happen. I crashed recently, though the problem was due to the engine cutting me out, still I was too hot into the curve even though I was going like 30-40 miles an hour. When the engine cut out my rear wheel jammed and then I held the clutch in until I could parallel it into the curb.

The bike has $3000 worth of damage and is sitting in the shop. The only reason I walked out unscathe was my previous riding experience.

So just take it slow around curves. Choppers/cruisers are easier to handle in the curves IMHO.

Just ride carefully.. you will do fine..

TGG

 

[Pliablemoose]

Thought about suggesting something smaller, am just accustomed to being ignored about first bike suggestions, most people are like me and buy more than they can handle, I bought a Yamaha 850 Special @ age 18.

Ideally, it would be 500 cc's or smaller, single cylinder usually cost effective.

One of my favorites (copied the idea from an instructor trainer) was my Kawasaki 650 KLR Dual Purpose, with street tires, &amp; modded carburator, intake &amp; exhaust. Talk about a bunch O fun, like riding a giant mutant rat that had tennis shoes on. It would run down the interstate @ 70 fairly stable, yet could jump curbs, botts dots, parking dividers, and corner like it was on rails. Having so much fun talking about it, think I need to go build another one, maybe a Honda XR250R with a Baja Designs Street Legal Kit, White Bro jet kit, Supertrapp exhaust, Mod the ftont &amp; rear sprokets so it'd work better @ highway speeds.....

Time for a cold shower