I'm thinking about getting a motorcycle...

In My Humble Opinion
121

Good on ya for taking the class first. Get some good gear before you get a bike!

Other than that, a Katana is a decent starting point. Not the ideal started bike (it’s a little too quick for that), but not horribly intimidating either.

Shiny side up!

(BTW, gents, I bought that Schuberth Concept One helmet. It’s supercool!)

122

ah…just the thread I needed :slight_smile:

I am writing a book where one of the characters has a motorcycle, and I would love the opinions of people who know more about this stuff than me as to what sort of bike he should have. The character is 20 years old, 5 feet 8 inches tall, about 125 pounds, and not extremely strong (so he wouldn’t want a super charged rocket bike that takes a lot of strength to handle). He would have a small bike that would be capable of highway speeds but not 100 mph type speeds. It would probably be a little bit of an older, used type bike cause he would have inherited it from someone else (he’s a college student, so doesn’t really have the big bucks to spend on a new bike.) Also, it should be capable of having a passenger on it…between Benny and his passenger, there’s maybe about 300 pounds of weight. If people could provide links to pictures of the bikes they recommend for him, that would be great, cause I’m commissioning my artist friend to draw a pic of Benny and his girlfriend on the bike and I need reference for him.

Also…the reason I write about my character having a motorcycle is that I covet motorcycles terribly. I really want one, but I am worried that I wouldn’t be able to ride one because I have bad balance (I can’t ride a bicycle or use roller skates because I fall over really easily.) Does this really make it impossible for me to ride a motorcycle, or can i still dream?

123

Give him a 70’s vintage Triumph Bonneville that used to be his brother’s or something. You always see them in movies as the classic yuppy suburbanite bike, but I don’t think I have every actually seen one on the road.

124

Thanks Johnny L.A. for the link and information. I’m afraid that it will be too tall and heavy. Now I have narrowed it down to a Suzuki GSF400 if I can flatfoot it, or a cruiser, or a lowered Ninja250.

125

(Urrr … it’s getting late and I have to go to work, so I haven’t read the entire thread; sorry if I give redundant information.)

  • MSF: Very good idea
  • Full Face, appropriate jacket & shoes/boots: Mandatory
  • Always assume car drivers either hate you or cannot see you.
  • Your first bike should be used or very low priced, because you’ll likely drop it a lot (when parking it & possibly when coming to stops).
  • Smaller bikes (no smaller than 400 cc, IMO) are easier to learn how to pick up than heavier ones.
  • Beware oil slicks, sand & gravel.
  • Sport bike as your first bike: I wouldn’t do it; supporting your weight on your wrists for more than a couple of hours gets old really fast.
  • It’s really neat that you can wave (well, actually, acknowledge) complete strangers on other motorcycles and they’ll wave back.
  • The BMW 650 single is a good first bike, as are the various sizes of Bandits. As has been noted, the BMW 650 is good enough that many veteran riders hold them in high regard. Pretty much any “standard-looking” bike in the 400-600 cc range will be quite reliable and well-balanced.
  • Many women will not care about the specifics of the bike, so don’t pay extra $$ to get a Harley just for the babe factor unless you want a Harley for its other good qualities. (IMO, their belt drive and low CG are their best features, but overall, they’re a little pricey, even when compared to BMWs).

I started on a used Honda 550; didn’t get a new bike until my third; didn’t get as large as 700 cc until my fourth; now drive a BMW 750 cc. Never had a crash, though I dropped my first and second bikes quite a lot in parking lots. Been riding 19 years around Los Angeles & the rest of the west coast.

Motorcycling is really, really, really fun.

Really fun.

126

BMW K75S (and maybe all the bricks?).

Good beginner bikes? Depends, innit? Having said that, possibilities might include:

  • SV650
  • Bandit 6
  • F650 (a bit breathless, mind)
  • R1100S (if you’re happy with a weighty lump)
  • Any of the boring 500s (ER, GS, etc).
  • Gixer 'thou.

I started off about 15 years ago on an RD Yam, ‘progressed’ thru’ a Honda CX, on to a Beemer brick, latterly to a R1100RS. Never owned a car - well, until a few months ago. Alas and dammit, I now live somewhere where a bike just ain’t really feasible, and am a cager … for the moment only…

127

cherry: Don’t give up on a bike because of the official specs. Many of the older ones have been modified. You can always get a lower seat.

groo: The R1 is my first actual sportbike. There is some weight on my wrists, but it’s not so bad. I find that I tend to support myself with my knees. But as you said, a sportbike is a poor choice for a first bike.

Boldface Type: Where is the speedo cable on a K75?

128

…runs from the shaft bevel drive area up the RHS of the bike. (Theres a magnetic pickup that reads the movement of a toothed wheel inside the bevel drive, rather like an ABS sensor. The pickup is clearly visible on the top of the bevel box (or whatever you call the thingy that turns the shaft output thru’ 90 degrees)).

129

Ah, the bike thread is back! We should have one running on the first page of IMHO at all times, I think. Should be rule, dammit. :slight_smile:

meenie, that Bonneville suggested by Turbo Dog is a good “story bike”, although it’s a bit expensive for a college student. It’s like the MG-A of bikes: rare to find a good one, and expensive to run. How about a second hand Honda CB 500? Ultimate student bike if ever there was one!