Not a Car thread....a motorcycle thread!

[Soybomb]

So tell me about your experiences on motorcycles. In another thread DesignDawg was talking about his 11 second in the corner bike. This got me thinking. I've always known bikes are fast because of their low weight but how is riding them. I think I'd quite literally wet myself riding one doing some of the things I do in my car which is why I think it'd be hard to ever consider one. How is balancing too? I have qutie poor balance and think I'd die taking a corner someday when I tipped and slid under a semi.

 

[DesignDawg]

Balancing is nothing. It balances itself. When you first start to ride, you tend to make REALLY W I D E turns and stuff, because you are too timid to really lean into a turn. What you find out later on is that it is quite possible to turn so sharp your footpegs flip up (that's why they are hinged), and you could rub your taillights right off before the bike would go out from under you. Riding is a GREAT JOY, and though I have a bike that's high-performance, I NEVER drive fast. I accelerate pretty quickly sometimes, but never when there's someone in front of me or the possibility of someone pulling out in front. I would NEVER recommend getting a bike for doing stupid stuff. It's nice having the power under you, though. Bikes CAN be dangerous, but for the most part, the higher rate of danger is due to the people riding more than any inherent safety problems. I LOVE riding. When the weather allows, I won't TOUCH a car if I can ride a bike instead.

Ricky
DesignDawg

 

[Soybomb]

So for the uneducated bike person who wants to try one out for the dirt cheap what would I be looking for? I've got a 1980 Jeep CJ5 in the driveway that I love but I'm going to be like 5-6 hours away from any offroading spots for a couple years and am considering sellingi t for like $1500-2k this spring. Can I get a bike in that range or would it be crap?
Thanks

edit: although I do enjoy carving the corners I'd prolly leave that to the car, I'd want snappy acceleration over top speed anyday

 

[ArkAoss]

you could theoretically get a nice bike for that, just find a friend who knows bike to check it over with you first, my dad got a bike that had been literally baby'd by a friend of his, it was an 87, but it was brand new condition. But last october, he was rolling thru a stop sign, and had to restop, and didn't get his feet down in time, and he landed on his shoulder, and its messed up for life.

 

[DesignDawg]

Dude, you could get a hella-fine bike for that much. As a matter of fact, I'm selling one of mine for $1500 right now (but I may go as low as $1000 if it doesn't sell soon.) To start out, I wouldn't get a brand new, big-ass bike. Get something older, a little smaller (but not underpowered), and then when you get ready to graduate up to something bigger/better, you won't have a problem selling your old one. BRAND NEW bikes can be had for $6,000. GOOD ones. Of course, you CAN get a brand new bike for less than that, but nothing I would ever want to ride.

Ricky
DesignDawg

 

[Soybomb]

Wow very cool! Actually a bike might be great for the bad parking at the university.... So say $1000 to spend what age and engine size should I look for? Any brands to avoid or definatley look for? Better yet any good internet classifieds site for 'em? hehe
Thanks again
john


edit: anything like these d3ecent?

One
Two

 

[Cheapster]

I've been riding for 18 years and it's truly a joy. It's something that can't be taken lightly, you must respect the power because that same power that thrills you, can kill you. Riding a motorcycle requires you to be a very defensive driver, which will in turn make you a better car driver. Don't buy a bike to impress your friends, speed down the highway, etc. otherwise you'll be road kill, ride for the right reasons and you'll always get your chances to open the throttle.

There are two types of riders: those that have crashed and those that will

 

[Soybomb]

Cheapster: I'm only 19 but I like to think I'm a decent driver. Driving something like a 20 year old CJ5 will make you a pretty defensive driver too Besides like I said I'm quite sure my initial fright will make me ever so cautious too.

 

[DesignDawg]

COuldn't have said it better myself, cheapster. Very well said.

Soy,

FOr $1000, you would probably be looking right down the middle of the road engine-wise. Somewhere in the 500-750 range. Of course, it also depends on what KIND of bike you're gonna get. As far as brand to avoid go, I presonally would say avoid american and european bikes unless you LIKE maintenance work. Also, though this is PURELY a matter of taste, I prefer 4-cylinder straight engines rather than v-twins. V4's are b eter than V-twinc, but you're not gonna find one in that price range. V-twins are torquey, but also run very shakily (even brand new), and tend to rattle you and the bike all to hell. They are harder to maintain, and to me, don't sound or feel as nice. Any jap bike would be a good, dependable ride for you. The one I'm selling is this:
Not bad at all for a 20-yr. old bike.
It's cleaner now, new polish, and only has 14,000 miles. Good indicator of what you might be looking at in that prce range (but if you could go for $2000, you could probably get much nicer). Like cheap said, DON'T take a bike lightly. RESPECT.

Ricky
DesignDawg

 

[Jumpem]

Hey DesignDawg, what do you ride? I'm thinking(not real sriously though) about a 600-900cc sport bike.

 

[DesignDawg]

I posted a pic of one of them in my last post. That's a 1981 Suzuki GS550L. VERY nice cruiser. But my OVE is the 1981 Yamaha XS1100SF, also known as the "Eleven Special" It's called that because it does the 1/4 in 11 secs. NOT BAD AT ALL for a 20-yr. old jap cruiser!

NOT MINE, but the exact same year/model.
Another pic of the Eleven Special

Ricky
DesignDawg

 

[DaLeroy]

Been thinking about the bike thing for a while. Think I might just have to buy one soon as well. Jumped on my mates the other day in his workshop and it seemed to suit me damn well! He's got some Yamaha race bike that's he said I can take for a spin one day. Bout 10 seconds or so Should be very interesting, considering my lack of practise riding bikes..

 

[The Stigenator]

i was reading this and suddenly struck me .. I had a similar conversation with my counsellor at college. She rides everyday to school and has 20 years of experience. Then there was I and two other guys.
We got discussing about mobikes and things:

Soybomb: this is what I suggest get a 250 cc bike (a new 250cc honda rebel would cost you about 2500). Its plenty powerful and light enough for you to handle. It can get on to the freeway however you got to be careful when being overtaken/overtake bigrigs cause the weight of the bike could make it hard to over take. However its a good starting bike.

Now depending on where you are (state) there are motorcycle riding programs controlled by the Highway Patrol. Here in CA call "1-800-CC-RIDER" and ask for the nearest station for rider training.
Take the course, I did. It will not only teach you the basics of surviving it would lower your insurance (when you pass the test and show the card as proof) but also waive the DMV drive test. You only need to take the DMV written test for motorcycle and general traffic laws.

Riding is fun.. I love it. I still havent got a bike as yet. I am trying to find a good bike that fits my size, but I have ridden the Ninja 250/500 cc and they are lovely bikes. The 250 fits me good but the 500 is too big for me (arms dont feel comfy).

Good luck though.. and let me know if I can help you with it.

 

[Soybomb]

You haven't been in the market for a used Jeep have you? I've done alot of work to it hehe

Very cool information though, it sounds like a fun ride and perhaps one I could take to college with me as well as my car

 

[DesignDawg]

Haha. Interesting that you mention trading a jeep for it. My brother in law ALSO has the SAME JEEP, and is trying to sell it to buy a bike (possibly mine). No, sorry. No trades. As for the Rebel 250 suggestion, unless you are a WEE little man, that bike is gonna be WAY too small for you. 250 Rebel would have been my ideal bike at around age 12. How tall are you?

Ricky
DesignDawg

 

[Soybomb]

I'm about 6'2"-3" inches and about 250. I don't think that little bike is gonna suit me, besides its about 4x what I want to pay. If I could find something for like $800 its even better.....I could get it registered then hehe.

And so the search begins *trumpets sound*

 

[DesignDawg]

Dude, no way in HELL a 250 Rebel would fit you. It would come up to your KNEES, and sitting on it, your legs would be bent up like you were riding a tricycle. Haha. The bike I'm selling is about as big as you're gonna find for that little money. It's a 550, but it's a really LARGE bike for a 550. High and long. 550's nowadays are much smaller. About older bikes: Don't be afraid to buy an older bike. THey were very advanced even 20 years ago.... Many still run like new, and actually they are better-made some say. But if you look at bikes that are TOO old, keep in mind that., back int he 70's metallurgy wasn't anywhere near where it is today, and you may be looking at a ticking timebomb in that engine. Late 70's and up is a safe bet, if it's well-maintained, and has low miles.

Ricky
DesignDawg

 

[The Stigenator]

personally I am considering this:

Suzuki GS500E

I tried the Ninja as said, the 500 was a little to uncomfotable. I am going to go down to teh suzuki dealer on saturday and check that one out. I want a 500. Though my mind is set on teh Ninja I need to ride it again to see if I like it.

The 250 i definitly like, but the 500 seemed a little weird in position.

 

[DesignDawg]

tgg,

Well, I can definitely vouch for the GS line. Like I said, the first bike I posted a link to is a GS550L. If you look closely, you can see that the engine is practically the exact same. 20 years old, and still running solid as a rock. You must be a smaller guy?

Ricky
DesignDawg

 

[Soybomb]

Hmmmmmmm any good classified sites? I'm having trouble finding anything good Egay seems to be all models and ads, classifieds 2000 is a joke.....

 

[Mister T]

I ride a 94 Ninja 500 - my first bike
Pic of my Ninja.... mine is all black though

I have nothing but good things to say about it...

This bike is truly an amazing bike. For a 500 cc bike it can really haul some serious ass.
I can do 4 second 0-60 times. Most sport bikes force you to ride in a crouched position
which is not true of my ninja... I can just as easily ride upright like a cruiser.
The freakin gas tank is huge - 4.8 gallons which gives me a range of 250 miles... usually
my ass will start to hurt before I hit reserve. The bike weighs about 420 pounds and is
literally awesome in cornering.

My friend has a Ducati Monster 900 something and we were hauling ass through some serious county
roads and I had no problems keeping up.

My only complaints about the bike:
Vibration gets annoying after awhile on the highway... usually turn 7000 rpms in 6th to cruise @ 70mph
I wish my bike had a bigger ferring (sp?) to cut the wind on the highway.
Not much acceleration past about 110 MPH... I guess thats expected from a 500cc bike.

Soybomb, seriously consider getting a sports bike in the 500-650cc range.
They are plenty powerful

My next bike will probably be a sport Tourer like a Honda ST1100...
That baby was designed to cruise on the autobahn at like 120 mph all day long

 

[DesignDawg]

Interestingly, I found my first bike in a dealership on autotrader.com. They have a motorcycle section. Easy way to find bikes in your area. What is your area anyway?

Ricky
DesignDawg

 

[DesignDawg]

MisterT,

MMMMMMMMM...... ST1100..... NICE. VERY NICE INDEED. I'm not a big fan of sportbikes, but I would go with an ST in a heartbeat.

Ricky
DesignDawg

 

[Zenmervolt]

I've been riding for about a year now, bought a 1982 Honda CB450SC that was in beautiful condition (read: not so much as a paint scratch). Pratically stole it from the guy for $600. Yes, when you start out tipping over is a big fear, but after a while you realize that there is almost nothing you can to that will put the bike on its side. 450cc is the minimum size bike that I would reccommend, as my 450 gets uncomfortable after an hour or so of riding, plus it is straining to pull 75 mph on the freeway in sixth gear (it can pull 85 in 5th, but then it's redlining so I try to avoid that). That said, the 450 is just about perfect as a commuter bike, not huge like a full cruiser, but not too small either, it's pretty much a midsize bike. It has been very nice to learn on, and the inline twin is actually fairly smooth. Of course the guys who are helping me learn the ins and outs of riding have Harleys, so I may not have the best comparison for smoothness. New Harleys are actually quite reliable but they are incredibly expensive and the old Harleys do require that you bring along extra nuts and bolts to replace the nuts and bolts lost from vibrating loose while riding.

Zenmervolt

 

[Soybomb]

Checking out autotrader in a few
I'm in the 62801 zip, so southern illinois, about an hour east of st louis