Looking to get into motorcycling

[kamikazekyle]

No problem just stay safe and remember the MSF will not get you up to speed for the freeway. I took the class again because I have been off a bike for a long time and top speed in the class was about 25/30MPH. Now go from that to 65-75MPH and toss in cars/semi's around you and it can get scary for a new rider. My point is get what you like but I would do city/hwy roads for a little while before jumping on the freeway because it's a new game out there. You get 20+MPH winds and have a semi go by you the first time and it can get intimidateing till you get used to it.

By the way the Ninja 250 with your build should do about 95 to 110MPH, the insurance is cheap and resale is very good. You can google Ninja 250R on the freeway and get some good video on it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7Pno4ZOjas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNgQJ9o91xo

The more I think about it, the more I'm leaning towards a 250cc bike, at least to start with. Plus, it's a decent chunk o change cheaper than a 500/600cc, even by new model MSRPs. Assuming I stick to this region as far as the Interstate goes, I should be just fine as I'll probably top out around 65-70 assuming traffic is light enough. But during rush hour (if I'm ever up then), I'll be crawling along with everyone else anyway. If I go outside the region I'll hit 80-90 MPH traffic but I probably won't be doing that for some time -- in those cases I'm usually doing something that needs cargo or passenger capacity anyway.

I'm also probably going to take some more advanced courses later on once I get some experience behind my belt driving locally. I know that the people I'm trying to get back in touch with have taken those courses and enjoyed them.

DASH. CAM. holy crap i want to smack those guys.

Yeesh, those helmcams make me nasous. But this one is even worse:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TidHA-8aGJw&feature=related
Taken using a cellphone at top speed. /sigh


Now if I can just get registered for the class. Seems I have an account already with VCCS but not with the Peoplesoft portion (even though I have a login ID for it...), which is used to register the classes. On the flip side I think I somehow accidentally logged into the college's VCCS peoplesoft system account and register it for the class, so it now owes $135. Whoops. Guess that's what happens when you use the system account as a temporary account for users selecting classes before actually having the user create or login to an account. I also can't get to the support page anymore to let them know since my session is stuck.

Bah, looks like I'll have to get up early/stay up late so I can make some phone calls.

 

[kamikazekyle]

Digging through Craigslist for my area and it's pretty darn sparse. Decent number of cruisers and Harleys, but not much else. I found a 2011 Ninja 650R for $5250, 2004 Honda CBR600 for $4500, and a 2006 GSX 750 Katana with only 3700 miles but has been sitting for two years for $2500 (includes helmet and jacket for free).

That GSX Katana seems like a decent deal (it's at bluebook value); ditto for the 2011 Ninja. That CBR looks overpriced, though, given it has 17k miles and is stock.

I suppose the Ninja 650R and Katana would be a bit too much for me for a starting bike, eh? I only found two things in the 250 cc range -- a 2008 Ninja for $3500 (erm...) and a GZ250 for $2000.

 

[jlee]

Where are you?

 

[pauldun170]

That CBR looks overpriced, though, given it has 17k miles and is stock.

Stock bikes on the used market are usually better.

The CBR600 is the power house of the bunch you listed.
The Ninja 650r is equivalent to the SV-650
The Katana 750 is more of an archaic sport tourer kind of bike. It has plenty of grunt but its a bit porky compared to the latest and greatest.

In other words, the smallest one on your list is the one you cant handle yet and more bike than many experienced riders know how to use.

FYI: CBR600 are VERY good bikes and last a long time. I know one guy with over 200K on his.

 

[anti.machine]

I am glad to hear you want to get into the world of bikes it is a great way to go especially with today gas prices.

The MSF BRC is a fantastic course for new riders, they will take you from the basics to getting you comfortable to cornering and breaking. I definitely recommend you take one of their follow on courses such as the Sport bike riders course. If you can use a school bike I would suggest that just in case you do wipe out you don't damage your new bike.

As for motorcycle selection, there are many factors to consider and most importantly I would say what your personality is. For example could you buy a sport bike and not ride beyond your limits? or would you be too temped to see how fast you can go. Another question would be do you have any previous riding experience to include dirt bikes? I have known many people buy sport bikes for their first bike and are just fine. I do not recommend a hyabusa. If you want a good starter bike I recommend the Suzuki SV650 it is a good balance between price performance and comfort.

For gear i, generally speaking, believe you get what you pay for. If you buy cheap gear as I did when I first got a bike after a year of daily use it was worn out and needed to be replaced, do your research and if possible try the gear on at your local shop.

Finally, keep in mind there are two kinds of riders. Those that have fallen, and those that are going to fall.

 

[hanoverphist]

Stock bikes on the used market are usually better.

The CBR600 is the power house of the bunch you listed.
The Ninja 650r is equivalent to the SV-650
The Katana 750 is more of an archaic sport tourer kind of bike. It has plenty of grunt but its a bit porky compared to the latest and greatest.

In other words, the smallest one on your list is the one you cant handle yet and more bike than many experienced riders know how to use.

FYI: CBR600 are VERY good bikes and last a long time. I know one guy with over 200K on his.

all of this. and the cbr600s are damn fun bikes. once you can handle them. i just helped a buddy get one running that he picked up for 900 bucks. he rode it for a week and decided to sell it, it was too fast for him.

 

[kamikazekyle]

I thought about it more after I posted, and yea, I'm sticking with a 250cc bike to start with. A 600+ is not only overkill for my daily use, I'm worried that it'll simply be too much for me starting out. Unless I happen to stumble across a used Ninja or maybe GT250R or if I"m really lucky a CBR250, I'm probably just going to spring for a new Ninja 250. I thought about going with the CBR250 new as I've ready it's about as newbie friendly as you can get in a sports-like body, gets awesome gas mileage as it's fuel injected, and also has performance very close to that of a Ninja 250, but it caps out at a top speed somewhere in the upper 80's ballpark. As much as I'd like to go with the CBR250, I think a Ninja would be a bit more versatile if I take the interstate. I also looked a bit into the vStar 250, but while I like the style and reviews I dunno if I like it enough for the price tag.

Did wind up getting the MSF course scheduled. I could take it tomorrow, but I already promised the missus this weekend and have to work next, so it's going to be a while. I also think I broke their system since I saw a tidbit about their online system being down for maintenance

Jlee, I'm in the Hampton Roads, VA area and work at Langley. I usually stick locally on the Peninsula, though travel out past Williamsburg and Richmond every now and then which necessitates the interstate. I checked back a few weeks on CL for "motorcycle," but didn't get much in the way of hits. I didn't search TOO deep, however. I haven't actually checked dealerships yet.

Anywho, thanks all again. I might go window shopping this weekend and see what the dealers might have in the way of used bikes and see if anyone has any good deals on clearance gear. There's a lot of seasonal riders here and it's getting close to year end, so I'm hoping that some of the dealerships will have sales.

 

[*kjm]

Found these nere your place if they are still for sale.

http://norfolk.craigslist.org/mcy/2623261298.html

http://norfolk.craigslist.org/mcy/2577852017.html

http://norfolk.craigslist.org/mcd/2620427691.html

 

[saratoga172]

Those last two are pretty good deals.

 

[kamikazekyle]

I saw the first two when I was browsing for a few hours the other night -- dealers within 120 miles had zilch in the 250cc used range and CL was the last place I found anything. If I want a cruiser style later on I can just throw a dart and find something for sale cheap. Used Harleys and cruisers are bursting at the seams here.

But, since Kawasaki is running a special knocking off $200 MSRP for a new 2012 the ODU one is less attractive. That 2nd one has visible damage to the fairing, and it posted after I looked. It might be good if the rest of the bike is well upkept. The last one is kinda pointless -- even after reasonable freight/assembly + tax/tag a brand new 2012 is less out the door. I'm kinda ignoring the "special edition" colors, though, that go for more MSRP.

Of course, that whole reasonable bit is kinda hard to find around here. I did some digging into the dealerships, and there isn't a reputable Kawasaki motorsports dealer within 100+ miles. Their prices are MSRP+10-25% with minimal to no negotiation and approximately $700 freight and assembly. Same for Honda (except for one). Most of the good dealerships that were highly regarded were Harley places or Ducati only. Even if you ignore the prices on the poor dealerhips, their service and sales teams seemed horrid.

I decided to go with a Honda CBR250R, in the end. It's better in city traffic, a bit more nimble, better gas mileage, fuel injected, and even a bit easier to turn than the Ninja from what I've researched. I did find an older mom and pop kinda place run by a retired police officer and got good reviews. He sold me a new CBR250 for $4660 out the door and 10% off all gear compared to over $6500 OTD at the other places I looked at. Plus, the parts/gear shop worker was a year-round rider with even snow experience and identical to my build so he helped pick out good gear that'll help for the upcoming colder season (not that I'm going to be riding in snow). Overall the best experience I've ever had a dealership.

I had to special order the jacket I wanted, but if it doesn't fit or I'm not happy they'll reorder a new size for me for free or apply the 10% off to any other jacket I want to try. There's also a great gear shop from what I understand not too far from that dealership, but haven't had time to head down that way yet. I still need a set of overpants, but I can't decide between leathers with armor and raingear or a half-as-expensive ballistic nylon pair with armor and a water/windproof lining. I'll look into more "airy" gear when warmer weather rolls around.

I didn't really want to get a new bike since I know I'm going to drop it, and I didn't want to get one before I actually passed the MSF. But if everything goes totally south and I have to unload the bike, I'm sure I can make most of it back if those Ninjas are actually moving at those prices. Even if I post it at MSRP I'd imagine it'd sell considering most dealer prices in this area.

Anywho. My friend also decided to get a class M when I mentioned I'm getting one, though I had to talk him down from financing a new vStar 950 touring model as his first motorcycle (with no moto/dirt experience and he hasn't ridden a bike in over a decade), and he eventually settled on a vStar 250. He lives 3.5 hours away, though, so it's too bad we can't really ride together. I'll head down his way eventually since there's a senic, very low traffic, mostly dead straight roads route that I can take, but not for some time until I develop my skills and experience more.

 

[jlee]

Congratulations!

 

[DirthNader]

I think you'll be happy with the CBR250R. I bought a used '11 Ninja 250R back in April, but if I had to buy new I probably would have gone for the CBR. Fuel injection is nice, but there were other little things about the Honda that were a step up - the instrument cluster, for example.

I've put a little over 2000 miles on mine, and while I'm not bored with it I would like to get something bigger.

 

[Zap]

Congratulations on your purchase!

I've read about the bike and have to admit that FI sounds pretty nice for the beginner - no need to fiddle with stuff or remember the choke when starting up a cold engine. Just fire up and go!

 

[SViper]

Congrats and welcome to the biker's club.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Congrats and welcome to the biker's club.

Well, he needs to submit his riding resume to Alkemyst for approval before he can be considered a "real" biker.

Everyone knows this.

 

[pauldun170]

I usually shop newenough (google it) for gear. end of season sales are pretty decent (Picked up a new 300+ alpine stars jacket for 110)

Congrats on the purchase.

Now get ready for everyone telling you the "I know someone who knew someone that died on one of those" story and the occasional "I used to ride one of those but..." story.

I've found the best way to get gear is try on at the store and buy online.

Check you oil on a regular basis.
Get some chain wax spray and keep the chain lubed (every 300-500 miles). Inspect regularly.
Read your owners manual and follow the recommendations.

 

[*kjm]

Gratz on the new bike I'm sure your going to love it.... great price also! The fuel injection is great on a cold morning I love it on mine. Let us know how you like the ABS and don't forget to post pictures.

 

[kamikazekyle]

Thanks all. They're delivering the bike Tuesday morning; it's fresh from the factory and has zero miles on it. Since I'm a little outside their normal free delivery area but they're delivering it for free, I'm letting their general manager ride the bike to my house. Seeing as how their GM has over 40 years experience on motorcycles, I figure if anything seems off he'll figure it out. They also gave me a 10% off discount card for life, so they knock off 10% for all gear/gear orders and mechanical work. I hear their service prices are already really competitive, so that'll be a good boon.

Well, he needs to submit his riding resume to Alkemyst for approval before he can be considered a "real" biker.

Everyone knows this.

Ah, damn. First the insurance application, then the MSF application, then the DMV...

I usually shop newenough (google it) for gear. end of season sales are pretty decent (Picked up a new 300+ alpine stars jacket for 110)

Congrats on the purchase.

Now get ready for everyone telling you the "I know someone who knew someone that died on one of those" story and the occasional "I used to ride one of those but..." story.

I've found the best way to get gear is try on at the store and buy online.

Check you oil on a regular basis.
Get some chain wax spray and keep the chain lubed (every 300-500 miles). Inspect regularly.
Read your owners manual and follow the recommendations.

The jacket I placed an order for is out of stock, so I wound up ordering one very close to it, but is instead full textile (AR-800) instead of mostly leather and has a removable insulated liner. Saved some money on that as well. The parts/gear shop guy said it'd be fine for winter since he owned a similar jacket from the same company made of the same material and he was fine during the winter. So long as it blocks the wind, I'm good.

I'll check out that site, though. Still need overpants and some odds and ends like an anti-fog insert/spray and a bit or two of rain gear. I also probably need to get some under armor or good fleece for cold weather. And thanks for the tidbit about maintenance. I'm planning on keeping a good eye on it as I don't have a garage (weather-durable cover should be here by Friday) and am planning on riding in everything but snow/ice. I used to ride a roadie bicycle in all sorts of weather, so I learned to keep an eye on it before/after every ride to make sure I don't get a surprise in traffic.

Gratz on the new bike I'm sure your going to love it.... great price also! The fuel injection is great on a cold morning I love it on mine. Let us know how you like the ABS and don't forget to post pictures.

EFI kinda helped me lean in that direction. I plan on doing all-season riding so dealing with a carb at 11:15pm while hoping a neighbor doesn't scream at me wasn't on my to-do list I also didn't like the carb lag on the Ninja in stop-and-go traffic like around here.

I didn't get the ABS option, however. It wasn't really the extra $500, but rather the fact that the ABS also makes the rear brake a combined brake. You can't use just the rear brake as it engages the extra front piston when you engage the rear brake no matter what. If it was plain ABS I'd go for it in a heartbeat, but with a linked brake system and how many maneuvers at slow speeds benefit from just a bit of rear brake only use, I decided to pass.

I'll see about some pics, but it's just a stock black model (wanted red, but didnt' like the silver bits of the faring). But I did notice that it looked entirely different in the store than online. I wasn't too fond of the pics or the videos when I was researching compared to the Ninja, but once I actually got to the dealership I was shocked. I actually overlooked it thinking it was a CBR600 so I double-taked when the salesman pointed to the bike sitting behind him. Even though it's physically small, it looks and feels like a larger bike. Seating was still comfy on my 5'8" 126lb frame, though.

 

[halik]

I'm late to the party - did we cover turbo busa yet?

edit: Bah, late i am.

 

[kamikazekyle]

Well, after a one-day delay due to someone calling in, they got the bike here. I was surprised at how well it sounded in person (couldn't fire it up in the dealership). It's a bit deeper than I expected and smooth. Also it wasn't as loud as I thought. Course, I haven't driven it yet seeing as how my MSF course isn't for another one and a half weeks. My goal is to see about taking it around the block to the big, empty strip mall parking lot and practice.

Anyway, past my bedtime (go go third shift) so I haven't done anything but start it up. For those that called for pics, I got a 5 second one with the cell phone. Don't have time to dig out the SLR or stage a better shot

 

[*kjm]

My goal is to see about taking it around the block to the big, empty strip mall parking lot and practice.

Make sure thats legal.... it's not by me. Gratz on the bike it looks great in black! Keep us up to date... it will be hard once you start riding this time of year to stop riding... I just put 120 miles on mine last night after work because the weather rocked and I just needed a break. It did cost me $9.20 though in gas Thats with mods though... the bike gets around 70mpg stock and after opening it up ect. I'm at around 44mpg but way faster bike.

 

[kamikazekyle]

Make sure thats legal.... it's not by me. Gratz on the bike it looks great in black! Keep us up to date... it will be hard once you start riding this time of year to stop riding... I just put 120 miles on mine last night after work because the weather rocked and I just needed a break. It did cost me $9.20 though in gas Thats with mods though... the bike gets around 70mpg stock and after opening it up ect. I'm at around 44mpg but way faster bike.

It's just around the corner, so I can walk/truck it there, or if I can get ahold of my ex boss I can have her drive it there. Since the parking lot is private, if the owner's OK with me there then it's legal. Now if it was a public parking lot it'd be different

But I think I'll probably just wait. It's not the best of parking lots compared to some of the public parking lots that are further away, and I am still a newb. I do have a lot of exercises and practice stuff I want to do, but I'd still probably want to do that under supervision and on a bike I'm not responsible for paying for I'm hoping that some of my road and mountain bicycle experience can rub off in the slow speed portions and MSF tests.

In the meantime, I can at least practice a smidgen of clutch and throttle control in the driveway so long as my girlfriend doesn't park and block it(and have been doing so). The clutch on the CBR250 is smooth but has a pretty small friction zone (at least on mine). I also need to learn how to use the clutch in conjunction with travelling in first. I get it moving just fine without stalling even in the driveway, but it catches pretty quick in first with a fully engaged clutch. More experience with the clutch will help with that.

Now that I think about it, the CBR drives a lot like my Tiburon in 1st gear. Once you get going in 1st on my Tiburon you keep the throttle down, disengage the clutch to coast, or shift into 2nd. If you let off the gas it has a large engine drag in 1st, so when you reapply gas without finessing the clutch while moving in 1st, the car will lurch pretty significantly. My old Sentra didn't quite have that drag in 1st so less lurch if you gassed with a fully engaged clutch in 1st. And my really old Blazer with it's blown-to-hell-and-back-when-I-got-it clutch could go on or off the gas in 1st without feeling a thing.

Anywho, I think I should be fine so long as I don't panic under the pressure on the MSF tests. Right now there's only 2 other people registered for the class next weekend, and the other two classes that same weekend have zero registrants. So I'm hoping that tiny class size means extra practice time and hands on training

 

[infoiltrator]

The ninja 250 is a good idea, so is the idea of a used CB750, no valve adjustments,
For a city cummuter a Triumph Bonneville 900 (used) would work.
SV650 or Kawasaki ER650 are the best compromise after the Bonneville.
The Triumph is low saddle, easy to ride, low hp (by todays standards) fun to ride, acceptable by sports or cruiser crowd (as much as anything else is) good mileage.

 

[kamikazekyle]

Semi-necro. Finished the MSF course on Sunday and got the class M stuck on my license Monday. The class had good instructors and was a blast -- best money I've spent on anything in a long time. My confidence level has improved now that I've learned to fully trust the bike, and my safety awareness is levels above what it used to be.

They did put another guy and myself on dual sports with offroad tires which made the box test harder, but the duals had upgraded brakes and long travel soft suspension compared to the other 250cc cruiser-style bikes. This meant that I was able to stop in less than 10ft at 16MPH on the fast stop without locking tires. One student did lock her front tire and flew off the bike during that test, but was uninjured.

I've managed to put a few hours on the CBR250, and it handles just like reviews say. Torquey as all hell in low gear, so with a combined rider and bike weight of ~450lbs I can get off the line really quick, even with minimal throttle. It takes a lot of clutch feathering to keep the bike smooth at less than 20 MPH due to the torque and very strong engine braking at low gears. Once it's up in 3rd+ the torque really falls off, which increases its 0-60 time. I haven't pushed full throttle at all and am keeping RPMs at 6k or lower during the breakin period. Even so, still plenty fun for me and for a 250cc.

The bike also just flows with your body and is really nimble in corners. I've put 80-some miles on it and have yet to have the fuel guage go down, so I'm really looking forward to the mileage on this thing. It's also pretty quiet; my girlfriend didn't even hear me pull in to the driveway when I parked underneath the open window to the living room where she was watching TV.

Anywho. Loved the course, enjoying the CBR250 and I'm kinda glad I didn't go with a Ninja 250. I might get a higher cc sport bike eventually, but when 75% or more of my driving is at 50MPH or less it's hard to justify the cost. Maybe a cruiser instead since they're a dime a dozen on the used market after the primary riding season and it'll be a change of pace from a sport-ish bike.

 

[jlee]

Congratulations - glad you like it