Motorcycles - Routes to go?

In My Humble Opinion
1

For a while I’ve become interested in getting a motorcycle. I’m aware that there are previous topics related to this but none that are exactly what I will need opinions on.

  1. Since I’m only 17 and my parents wouldn’t be too happy with me getting a bike it might be a year or so ;). They refer to them as “death traps”. Anyways, what bike would people recommend to someone still young who doesn’t want to get in over his head? At this point I have $4000 saved up but will have made more by next year.

Of course before I did any of that I would take a class or two. I think I remember it mentioned that half of all motorcycle deaths were from new riders. I dont want to make that mistake.

Thanks in advance if people have any opinions and other tips.

P.S. Was debating whether this was an IMHO or GQ topic. If this is the wrong forum for this type of question…whoops :slight_smile:

2

I’ve been meaning to start a similar thread myself. Thanks for doing the work for me, Czaoth.

I’m particularly curious about how much bike is too much for me (that made sense, right?) I’m a 5’4" woman, about 145 lbs, and I’m in reasonably good shape, although I am legendary for my total lack of upper body strength. I’ve never been on a bike in my life, but I plan on taking all manner of saftey/road courses before I even think about buying one.

(When suggesting bike makes, bear in mind that I love (that’s l-o-v-e love) Indians. Yes, I know that the Chief is bigger than I could ever hope to handle. How about the Spirit or the Scout?)

3

I like the Japanese bikes myself. I just dont want to kill myself on a 1200 before I’m 20 :). Whenever I mention a motorcycle to people I get the usual talk about how I will die though. Gets disheartening after a while.

4

Go for a Japanese bike. Harleys and Indians are okay if you have a ton of money. A Ducati is super-cool. BMWs are reliable, but expensive. Triumphs are very British. But you get the most value for your dollar with Japanese. There are about half a dozen categories of bikes: Standard, sport, cruising, touring, off-road/motocross and dual-sport.

I learned to ride on a Yamaha Enduro which falls into the dual-sport category. Basically, it was a street-legal dirt bike. This would be a good choice if you like riding in the dirt but need to have a transportation vehicle as well. I ride a standard-class bike now, a 600cc Yamaha Seca II.

Standards are bikes that are not specialized. They aren’t very good in the dirt, they’re not the fastest or most maneuverable bikes, they’re not flashy, and they’re not as comfortable as other bikes. But they do a good job for everyday use. I bought my Seca II new in 1994 and have put 70,000 miles on it. It’s perfect for commuting. I don’t know if the Seca II is still in production, but Honda has the 750 Hawk (and I think the 250 Hawk) and I think Suzuki still makes the 600cc Bandit.

Off-road/motocross. These are toys. Serious toys to be sure, but they won’t get you down to the grocer’s (legally).

Cruisers are the “bad boys”, the bikes you ride for being seen on. These are the Harleys and Indians. There are also several Japanese cruisers. I think the “baddest” cruiser is Yamaha’s V-Max. Gobs of power and “bad boy” looks. It’s a “muscle bike”.

Touring bikes are designed for long rides. The best of them is the Honda Gold Winnebago – er, Gold Wing. A touring bike will get you places in comfort, but I think they’re kinda boring. Still, after a 1,200 mile roud trip on the Seca, I wouldn’t have minded making the trip on a Gold Wing.

Sport bikes are my favourite. Lots of power and razor-like handling. These are not as comfortable as Standards, but they perform much better. All the easier to get yourself dead. You may want to practice a bit before you get a sport bike.

Step one is to decide on the style. Personally I would suggest you get a used standard-class Japanese bike. They’re cheaper, they’re reliable, and they’re good for learning. You may also consider a used sport bike (keep it to 600cc or less), but just think of all that expensive plastic you’ll have to replace when you crash.

Oh, and you might want to take a riding course. I learned to ride on a small dirt bike in the middle of nowhere when I was a kid. I don’t know how many times I fell, but the sand is soft. If you’re learning how to ride in a city, a professionally-taught course is an excellent idea.

5

The rule of thumb I always heard was that a rider should be able to pick their motorcycle upright after a spill or laying it down. Makes sense, I should think.

6

Thanks for the tips Johnny and Tedster. None of my friends ride so im short on usefull tips.

While Sportbikes are cool looking, I’ll stick with a standard as my first bike. I just know that one of those superbikes will just get me into trouble and end up costing a lot. And cost will be important for my first :slight_smile:

I get to see a lot of cool bikes around where I live (Monterey) when the AMA Superbike race comes to Laguna Seca. Good area to see bikes certain times of the year.

I’ve actually seen a couple Seca II’s around and I like em. If I see any for sale later on it will be on the short list to buy.

7

Juniper

I doubt that trailbike would b a good idea for you as the seat height will likely be over 30 inches.

If you like cruisers then maybe you could try out some of the baby ones if they sell them over there in the US.

Honda do a 250 V-twin, Harley does one which sells under the name Blast!(complete with ! mark).
Something like a Honda CB250 is a great learner bike or the Suzuki GN250, you might even consider a scooter if you are sticking to round town but I think they are a bit naff.

It seems to me that most non-riders consider the cruiser style and the unfaired retro styes of machine to be ‘real’ bikes rather than the faired machines which are not necessarily all crotch rockets.It’s only when you get riding yourself at reasonable speed and over distance that folk begin to revise their opinions.
[fixed da bolding-Czarcasm]

[Edited by Czarcasm on 08-27-2001 at 11:02 PM]

8

I guess I’ll have to respectfully disagree here - a bike shouldn’t be lying on its side unless something has gone really wrong, anyway. In which case you’re allowed to scream for help - I wouldn’t let that form the basis of a buying decision. (And all 130 pounds of me could easily pick up my Bandit, no problem, after both my spills. Adrenaline is cool.)

Johnny L.A. gives really good advice. Buy a Jap standard, learn the ropes, decide where you want to go from there and buy your “real” bike after a season or two. It sucks buying an über-cool sportsbike and then realize that you’re actually more of a touring biker. You’ve picked the right bike when you realize that you’re riding it a lot.

I’m partial to the Suzuki 600 Bandit (owned one for three years), but honestly: All the Jap standards are good bikes by any definition - be it the the Seca II, the Bandit, the Nighthawk or the SV650 (if you’re into twins).

Juniper, you don’t have to be strong to handle a motorcycle (well, except for (wo)manhandling it when parking & such, but foresight helps a lot, there) - if you’re using a lot of muscle when riding, you’re doing something wrong. I think I’d wait a while before plunking down cash for an Indian, though - same advice as above, although, if you’re serious about cruisers, go for a small jap one as first bike like casdave suggests. Although I might add that 250 is very small - you might get tired of that rather soon.

And honestly: With a couple of years of experience, why shouldn’t you be able to handle the Chief ? I’ve seen small female riders ride friggin’ Goldwings onto ferries (about the meanest maneuver in the book - riding on wet, oily steel…) without losing their cool for a second. It’s a matter of balance, technique and confidence, not necessarily biceps.

S. Norman

9

Your 17 now and next year 18. I am assuming you are still living w/ your parents who will not approve of your bike. If you live on your own, pay your own rent or if your parents charge you fair market value for rent and you pay for all things yourself then this doesn’t apply (insurance, power, phone, cable, high speed internet, college, food, etc. etc. etc.).

Your parents will not be happy and your should not consider gettng a bike unless you are contributing your fair share of expenses to the household. If you are not - you are doing them a diservice (like a slap in the face) to the people who raised you.

Just because you are 18 and legally an adult doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want if you are still living under your parents roof as a child.

10

First of all, do take that course. I think it saved my life a few times as I was learning to ride. Can’t recommend it highly enough.

Second, if you like sportbikes, the Kawasaki EX-250
(250 Ninja) and EX-500 (500 NInja) are both great bikes. You can get an EX-250 new for $3,300 and probably half that used. Dunno what prices are on the EX-500, you can check MSRPs at the “Quack-a-socky” website, http://www.kawasaki.com

As a beginner, you’re probably thinking of getting at least a 600cc bike. Yamaha R6 or Honda F4 or something. I won’t try and stop you, but I will point out that an EX-250 is by no means a slow bike. It does 0-60 in 5.5 seconds, which is as fast as my Nissan 300ZX twin-turbo - a car which is only slightly slower than a turbocharged Porsche 911. In short, there’s no such thing as a slow bike. A lot of people think even a 600 will be underpowered. These people are probably the ones who end up as statistics. Bet they claim they can see just fine even with a 60 mile per hour wind throwing gravel into their eyes, too.

I learned on my EX-250, and if the IRS hadn’t screwed me last year, I’d still have it. It’s a hard bike to beat, particularly for a beginner. During my four years of owning it, I carved every canyon for 200 miles, took it to the racetrack, and did almost all my own work on it. It ran, and was still running when I sold it, like a top. I can’t recommend it highly enough. Put it on your list of bikes to consider, at least.
Oh yeah… expect the insurance companies to rape you. Hard.
-Ben

11

Thanks for all the good advice so far. All of the bikers I know, I know through correspondance, so I know I should probably spend some more time in the real world figuring out what I like and what fits. Still, now I know what numbers I should be looking at. :slight_smile:

BTW: I wasn’t thinking about buying an Indian as a first bike (seeing as how I won’t be able to afford one until I’m 50 anyway…) but a girl has to dream, right? This girl just likes to have some paramaters in place before she starts dreaming.

12

The schools are really good ideas, you can call your local C.H.P. station or 1-800-CCRIDER for more information. You could probably pick up a SecaII like you said or an older Honda 600F2 for a good price, either of which would be a reasonable 1st choice. Which ever way you go take it easy and ride safe and before no time you’ll be doing wheelies up and down the street. As far as your parents go, my mother hated it when I bought my bike and I was 26. They are worried for their son and responsible actions will speak louder than words.

13

:eek: Girl? Who wants to ride? How you doin’? Seeing anyone? You wouldn’t happen to like helicopters, would you? :smiley:

[sub]Yes, I know this is a shameless flirtation, but it never hurts…[/sub]

14

Like everyone else said, take the course. If you get in a good one, they’ll have a few different types of bikes and towards the end if you haven’t flipped one up on the roof Homer-style they’ll probably let you trade bikes with your fellow classmates and try out some different ones.

Me, I like touring bikes. I have a vagina, so I suppose that has something to do with my desire for boring safety and comfort versus a need for speed. My First Motorcycle was a Honda Silverwing, which is a standard bike that you can add fairing to and make it look like a mini-Goldwing. I just stuck a windshield on it. It handles very nicely and is comfy.

My next bike is an old Goldwing, complete with a painting on the trunk of happy little trees. That think handles like a brick balanced on 2 quarters, and if I were to go with the ‘must be able to pick it up’ rule I’d be screwed. It’s much too heavy for that; I can’t even get it on the center stand without a little help. But, I can flat-foot on it, and for any bike that’s important- be able to stand over the bike with both feet flat on the ground. My husband is about an inch shorter than I am but thought he should ride the Goldwing while I rode the Silver, even though he had to stand on his tiptoes when on the Gold. He was dissuaded from that notion when he spilled the thing right in front of my mom. So, we went all the way from Austin, Texas to Albuquerque, New Mexico and back with him on the smaller bike, and nary a spill. Some old bikers at Carlsbad made fun of us though. Nyaah.

He is more of a speed freak. His First Motorcycle was a Ninja 500, which feels like a little toy bike to me. It has much better zoominess and dodginess though, if that’s what you like.

The insurance companies will screw you. Take the course first, that will help. And young men on sport bikes make them laugh and wring their hands and plan to buy summer homes. You will save a mint in gas costs, though, compared to a car. You can also get a good deal from men who are getting married or whose wives are getting ready to have children; all the bikes we’ve gotten are from those situations and generally they’re just wanting to get rid of the bike as soon as they can. Shamelessly exploit this.

15

Although I’m a die-hard Yamaha fan, I used to have a Honda CX-500. The Bike That Refused to Die.

16

Fair enough… the 2-wheeler that allowed me to get the ‘M’ on my driver’s license was actually a Yamaha. It was a 180cc scooter, black with gold trim. I thought it was the coolest vehicle ever made and I still miss it sometimes. Boy, I loved that scooter. Strapped a milk-crate to the back of it, and I could go anywhere. (Mielikki dissolves in a puddle of college-days reminiscing…)

17

Flirt away, my good man. :slight_smile:

As for helicopters, it depends. I think military helicopters are bad-ass. On the civilian side…I’m still hoping someone will give me a surface-to-air missle for Christmas so I can take out the medivac chopper that lands 100 yards from my front door at all hours of the night.

All of the good bike advice is much appreciated, folks. I won’t be able to afford one for the next five years or so, but I want to educate myself so I’m not another idjit consumer/rider when the time comes.

Oh, and here’s a dumb question: when you get the motorcycle certification on my license, do you have to take the test on a bike you own, or what? I really have no idea of how it’s done. I know all states are different, but what was your experience getting the stamp?

18

Uhhh, that’s “when I get the motorcycle certification on my license.” If you thought you originally said something else, it was because you were brainwashed by the black U.N. helicopters. That is all.

19

Wow, thanks for the responses :slight_smile:

One more quick question. Where do you guys store your gear (helmet, pants/jacket/jumpsuit, gloves) if there is no place to put it? Lock it to the bike?

ModernRonin2 said -

Interesting points. You and casdave mentioned a 250. I will definitely keep a 250 in high consideration. My main concern early on is to not have something that will get me injured quick.

k2dave said -

With my parents I’m afraid it wont matter what I do around the house. Never hurts to try though and I will start pulling more weight around here before I go (or stay) for college.

ninja_rydr

I hear ya. Luckily I have 0 accidents/tickets driving a car and reasonable grades. Its funny, a year ago I would not even considered riding a bike. In the last couple months though the idea has grown on me.

20

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Czaoth *
**Wow, thanks for the responses :slight_smile:

One more quick question. Where do you guys store your gear (helmet, pants/jacket/jumpsuit, gloves) if there is no place to put it? Lock it to the bike?

[QUOTE]

A backpack is my friend-- at least when I’m out and about.

But then again, I drive a wimpy little 50 cc Yamaha scooter with zero storage capacity.