Anyone With A Motorcycle?

[Badsight]

Safety is my main concern.

if thats true you wont get a road bike

instead you will spend the next year going on trail rides, or riding hire bikes at your local motocross track

get on the road only after you have learnt to control a sliding trail bike

[LeonOfTheDead]

Something tells me then he would try to slide all over New York.

[Badsight]

thats ok.

a rider who is well praticed at power sliding is safer than one who cannot

[LeonOfTheDead]

thats ok.

a rider who is well praticed at power sliding is safer than one who cannot

I have a hard time believing that.
You still need a working brain, skills are a secondary aspect.

[Badsight]

I have a hard time believing that.
You still need a working brain, skills are a secondary aspect.

yeah you wont survive on that attitude

riding bikes take more skill to operate than driving cars. although it is essential , being alert isnt going to keep you upright when your required to whip your bike across the road in a dodge

& the faster you go , the greater your skillset needs to be to pull off dodge manouvers

without the knowledge of how to push the front wheel, & how to control the back wheel - your just an accident waiting to meet the right circumstances

[Matra et Alpine]

I agree 100$ on the sliding control. A bike has handling characteristics that differ from cars. Especially it's compression of rear under power while a bike is leant WILL make it turn tighter without the rider doing anything.MILD rear wheel sliding is common and an easy indication of being near the limit. It's not speedway riding style or for showmanship.

I've witnessed many ( one being myself while learning ) where a rider will try to brake and pick the bike up and turn the bars instead of using throttle to turn which has lead to running wider than planned an in some cases exit in to hedges

Absolutely, tho', biek riding is a skilled activity and not a "sit and do". The latter will lead to tears and usually due to someone elses actions

[NSXType-R]

My father really wanted a motorcycle.

First off his mother really didn't want him to get one.

And second of all he's pretty short, so he couldn't really handle himself.

[coolieman1220]

Almost forgot I posted this and it's nice to see a decent amount of responses and I thank you all for your input but it's funny how few actually responded to my the thread title, "Anyone With A Motorcycle?" Despite your thoughts I still wish to get one because it's something I've wanted for a very long time.

I learned to ride on a 250, a Suzuki GZ250. It was VERY slow. Basic bike but it was just too slow and I feel as if I'll grow out of it very soon which in turn would be a waste of money. I also hated how rough the single cylinder is. Honda and Kawasaki have sport bikes with 250 motors but they just don't do it for me.

There are trillions of threads like this on the internet, and they all say the same thing; what I am about to say.

If a 600 is your first bike, you will drop it, and there is a fairly good chance you will be injured or even killed.

So what do you say to those who have started on 1000's and been fine?

My strong recommendation is that you start on something like a Honda 250, Triumph Bonneville, et al for your first season(s) or you may not be riding anymore.

Suzuki GX250? Been there done that.

I would also suggest you thoroughly look into injury/accident/death rates for new motorcycle owners, safety strategies, and all that shit.

Fully aware, I still want one. I love the feeling of riding

Motorcycle riding is far more dangerous than car riding, and a 600 is a death rocket - especially for a new rider. My friend is a very smart man and an excellent Googler and looked into motorcycle safety for months before he decided to get his licence and buy a bike. He decided to get a Honda 250 as his first bike, and then maybe graduate to a Monster 696 or 796. A 250 will still be pretty fast, and the feeling of riding a motorcycle will give you a greater sensation of speed than the same acceleration in a car.

I think a new 600 can hit 60mph in about 2.5-3 seconds. Also, I believe insurance will be ridiculously expensive on a bike like that.

Food for thought - do your homework, and make a smart decision.

Insurance for a 20 year old with a speeding ticket (70 in a 50) and a red light violation = 7 points (3 due to defensive driving course) $80 a month. (Liability only, full coverage is $200, equivalent to owning a car)

The rider controls the bike and the speed it travels at. You could ride a 2000cc bike, it's the rider who puts that power where it needs to be and when.

Yep, listen to the Canadian.

A 600cc bike is probably the worst option. A supercar-like performance delivered by an engine way too rev happy, will result in you always riding from 8.000 rpm on because under that rpm the power is much less. Thing is after that rev things start moving a bit too fast, not only for a novice.

As weird as it may sound, I think liter bikes are slightly safer for novice riders as there is power also at low revs. That said, I think street sportsbikes like the R1, GSX-R 1000 and the likes are basically nonsenses.

I was thinking the same thing about the 1000's which I wouldn't mind getting into a used one for that reason. I've always been used to lots of roll on power. Power in any gear to just pull without downshifting and revving her up

Some entry level Ducatis should be fine, not too much power and decent torque at low/mid revs. Talking about the Monster and the SuperSport (which was discontinued a long time ago).
I'd avoid all naked bikes from Japan. The same power of an R6 (or thereabout) with a softer chassis and suspensions? NO thanks. Same for all the others.

So exactly what Kidty said, I wouldn't advice buying anything more powerful than say 60/70 bhp, and that's plenty of power for something that weights 1/10th of a car. Probably too much already.

I'd love a Ducati just not yet...I'd go for a naked bike, upright stance. I like

Kitdy, you know a Triumph Bonnie is either a 790 or an 865, right? They're air cooled, so not so powerful as a water cooled 600 but still about 60bhp which is plenty in a bike. They're also rather heavy for a novice. 250cc is definately a good idea for a novice, especially if safety is your biggest concern. Get something relatively cheap so it doesn't matter when you drop it in the car park (we've all done it) then in 6 months or a year look at moving upwards. If you've not planning on flying down motorways, 250cc is heaps - my mate has a 250cc scooter that he's ridden very comfortably 3 hours up country, he had no issues with power.

Heck, if safety is your main concern you ought to be asking about protective gear and defensive riding techniques.

I do not plan on riding with anything other than full helmet full body jacket and pants w/ armor, gloves and riding shoes. fully covered. I like my skin and if anything happens I want to be protected. I already have taken defensive riding courses and such and when I get my own bike I will take more advanced courses.

BUT, you are in NYC ? I'd not ride the streets on ANY bike and wait and get a car license

Yeah NYC ain't the best place to ride but what can you do?

250cc, 250cc, 250cc, 250cc.

The other thing to keep in mind on this topic is that it's a lot like owning a super car. If you go and buy a Yamaha R1, or Ducati 1098 or (God forbid) a Hayabusa, you are never going to use more than about 25%-30% of its capability unless you go to a track. So while you'll never need or use the full power, virtually, ever; buy a 250cc and you'll be able to use a lot more of the bikes capabilities far more often which IMO makes for a more enjoyable experience unless you live in Germany or next to a track.

Also, and this is a point I didn't think of but I think needs reiterating since it's been mentioned, the insurance cost of a 1000+ cc machine will be insane... indeed the insurance on a 250cc will also be insane but not quite as horrifying.

Insurance isn't as horrifying as you think, or i thought. You're right about the power thing but I love the looks of a sportbike and the 250's come close but still don't look as good!

Coolie -

Just some quick food for thought.

I'm 22 now, but occasionally rode a 250 starting around age 14. With minimal experience, I bought a 2004 Yamaha FZ1 (1000cc) when I was 19.

I've never ridden a 600cc bike, but honestly, I handled the FZ1 just fine. It was big, heavy, and powerful - but I always respected it and never rode outside my capabilities, and never even attempted to test the limits of the bike or my own riding skill (besides accident avoidance, which you'll experience AT LEAST monthly).

It all comes down to your maturity level; nobody wants to admit that they themselves are an idiot, but you need to have the self-awareness to predict whether you're the type of person who will kill themselves on a motorcycle. I think if you truly comprehend what you're getting yourself into, as I did, then you'll scare yourself into being a safe rider.

Besides, it doesn't really matter what bike you're riding when some idiot is texting on his phone and abruptly turns in front of you, leaving you zero time to react. You become equally dead on a 250 or 1,000. I highly recommend watching motorcycle accident footage prior to making ANY purchase - you need to know the realities and the danger.

LiveLeak.com - Redefining the Media


Be warned ^^

I agree with you, I am scared of the power and i do not want to open a bike up, maybe on a track but they are ridiculously fast. I dont' want to die. I'm not gonna sell myself into a death trap...

coolieman, did you not just recently cruise at night in one of your cars at like 130 mph?

Guys, do you think that a guy that drives like that should ride a 600cc bike?

It was actually 145 to be exact....
Going fast in a car is a lot different than going fast on a bike....

if thats true you wont get a road bike

instead you will spend the next year going on trail rides, or riding hire bikes at your local motocross track

get on the road only after you have learnt to control a sliding trail bike

I wish i went motocrossing when I was younger as a child....

Something tells me then he would try to slide all over New York.

been done before by many others, i'm good

Thanks for all the input guys. I'll keep you posted on what happens. I'm currently looking at a leftover 2010 Honda CBR600rr. Getting a good price on it, brand new. I always loved Honda CBR's. I hear the Triumph Daytona is a nice bike but hard to find. More torque which is nice. I don't plan on revving the bike up anywhere near its redline anytime soon if i get it. CBR's hold value well.

My biggest gripe with a used bike is finding one in good condition close to stock. We'll see. I just want to ride, the open road, just you and the road, nothing else on your mind but you and the road. Being alert with whats going on around you and nothing else is on your mind but riding. No phone, no radio. Simple and pure. That's what i want. I've always enjoyed being on two wheels. It feels great

[Badsight]

been done before by many others, i'm good

moto GP riders get killed riding on the road

you really are in for a reality check once you start to push it regularly

[Matra et Alpine]

^ You thinking of Abe ? He was riding a scooter at the time.
Car u-turned in front of him.
Remember the discussions in bike groups back then that it may have been avoidable with a bike. Scooters don't turn as quickly nor brake as well as bikes
A great loss as he was a real character on the circuit but one who never really shone as strongly on the 4-strokes as he had on the 2s

But yeah, regardless new riders need to remember to keep their hea don a swivel , their eyes on stalks and their brains at 100% on the task in hand ( riding ). Not sure of equivalent in US, but get advanced rider training ( over here IAM and RoSPA are excellent )

[DesmoRob]

The main thing I go by when riding is to pretend I'm invisible and people can't see me. It makes for an ultra defensive riding style, and you find yourself pre-calculating what people around you could potentially do to screw you over. Of course nobody is god, and we can't control our environments, but the more defensive you learn to ride, the better off you'll be. Make that extra shoulder check, and be ready to brake in case the idiot in front of you decides to cut you off.
As far as engine size in a bike is concerned, its always good to have some form of motorized two-wheel experience before getting on something fast. That way you learn control, and reduce the chances of dropping the bike and embarrassing/hurting yourself. My form of experience consisted of years worth of Scooter riding before I got on my first bike, which was a 749. The scooter is arguably not an appropriate way to enter the two-wheel scene, but it all comes down to your confidence, and your common sense.
There is no rule that says a large bike is going to kill an inexperienced rider. Its in the clutch and the throttle. If you can handle those two things sensibly, then imo there is no reason you should be scared of getting a 600. If you have no experience whatsoever, I would suggest getting an old beater bike to learn on, and then shortly afterwards switching to the 600. Do not get a newer, low power bike as your only bike, because you will outgrow it within weeks and waste your money.
Don't be put off by all the bad thats happened to others. Riding is the greatest thing in the world, and I think everybody should have the privilege to enjoy it. Just be smart, think ahead, and have a blast.

So my $-.02 in a nutshell

1. Budget for cheap old beater for practice PLUS your nicer 600 and buy them both
2. Ride like you're invisible
3. have fun

To quote my favorite t shirt

"4 wheels move your body, 2 wheels move your soul" <-- best quote ever