Motorcycles

[yipperzz 28]

i know there is a percentage of error on the speedometer. but unfortunately i can't clock myself with a radar gun while i'm riding my bike :P

[nspeen 0]

the kawasaki ninja 250 and 500 are very good starter bikes. i dont think its a good idea to jump on a full blown 600 sporbike at all for your first bike. the suzuki gs 500 (i think thats the name) is also a very good starter bike.

[yipperzz 28]

sv650 is a nice starter bike too. and so is the kawasaki 650 i think? it's the bike they released this year to compete with the sv. a 600 is okay to start out on but i wouldn't really suggest it. maybe an older 600 would be cool. my first bike was the f2. it was a 92 and it was fast but not as fast as today's 600's.

[nspeen 0]

yeah sv's are good bikes too. i think they are twin motors so they wont buck you off like an inline 4 will

[analog999 0]

Do not get a bike under 600 cc's unless you get something like my DRZ400S. You will be dissappointed. The Ninja 250's are like a scooter and you will definitely want more power. There are probably *some* 400 roadster/harley type bikes that would be OK, but I still say 600 is the minimum. My wife (5'3") started on a 650 Savage, I started on my FZR600.

[Eazy_b97 1]

Do not get a bike under 600 cc's unless you get something like my DRZ400S. You will be dissappointed. The Ninja 250's are like a scooter and you will definitely want more power. There are probably *some* 400 roadster/harley type bikes that would be OK, but I still say 600 is the minimum. My wife (5'3") started on a 650 Savage, I started on my FZR600.

Every MB and starters package I've read has said to stay under 500cc. Bikes retain their value well so he can easily upgrade when he feels a need to. 250 might be low, but there are alot of 400-500 bikes that would be good to start with.

[tokes 0]

I have doubts about the accuracy of any speedometer that high. Mine only goes to 165 I think, so I don't even know for sure if I was going 145.

Probably not. I setup a speedohealer on another buddies GPS and 185 on the speedo with stock sprockets wasn't even 170 on my garmin.

If you're serious about top speed shit, I bought my garmin etrex off ebay for 250 bucks brand new with serial cable. They make kits to mount them right off the bars but it's big enough to push your helmet up enough to get some serious wind buffeting when you get up to high speeds.

I think a few year old 600CC street bike is an appropriate bike for a mature rider. One buddy of mine has never been on a bike before, wants to get an R6 because of the cool factor, doesn't think he needs to take a course and thinks he'll be fine. He's a total squid, don't be like him. Take an MSF course, get in some experience, and try an older bike so that you're not doing thousands in damage when you put it down (And believe me; it's when, not if) and so that you don't have so much power on tap to get you in trouble.

[analog999 0]

I'm not saying buy an R1, but an R6 is managable for someone 5'8"+. You should take a beginner rider course first, where they teach you on 125cc's or something and then move up from there. That is what they do in Washington anyway if you take the riding courses. I started just riding around my 600 from the get go, didn't know how to ride, didn't have license. Man, I was so worried I was going to get pulled over. Seattle is a hilly town and in the beginning I would never be able to get going while up a hill.

After a few weeks I got good enough and went and took the test. Funny how you have to ride to it to take it :) I think I rode 60 miles to get to my test.

Anyway, if you get a 250, sure it will be easier but do not believe that bikes keep their value as much as you might think, unless you do buy used (which is a good idea for a beginner). I just think it will not be very long before you decide you want a bigger bike and now you've got to sell the one you have to get a bigger one. I had 3 friends learn to ride with my FZR600, so it is doable and easy. If you are an average sized guy, just get a bike where you can plant your feet squarely on the ground and it doesn't weigh 600 lbs and you'll be fine. (Crotch rockets usually weigh in the 350-450 range).

[yipperzz 28]

I think a few year old 600CC street bike is an appropriate bike for a mature rider.

i agree. i took the msf course and it helped out a lot. i recommend it for ANY rider out there.

[analog999 0]

You guys will enjoy this.. dumb showoff..

funny vid

[Eazy_b97 1]

http://www.beginnerbikers.org

This is a nice little motorcycle forum that helped me out with some searching last summer.

[analog999 0]

ThumperTalk

This is a great forum.. like Mod Squad Hockey for motorcycles..

[hip check 0]

My wife, at 5'4" tall and 115 lbs, had a terrible time finding something she could easily handle. The 600 sport bikes were a bit uncomfortable for longer rides because of the reach to the bars (and she was nervous with the amount of power on tap). She tried a Buell Blast, and it just shook too much at idle for her liking. Any dual-sports were too tall, unless she went with a really small bike. She didn't want a 250 because she would outgrow it too soon. A GS500 was just about perfect for her - then she went and got pregnant! <_<

I love the old dirt bikes. Keep those babies running, boys. I'll have to post a pic of the CT70!

[analog999 0]

My wife is 5'3" and she fits perfectly on the Suzuki LS650 Savage.. that is why we got the bike, for her, when she passed her safety course and got her license. We also picked up the two dirt bikes ;)

[steve66 45]

This VIDEO from my soccer morning show always got a laugh.

[freq019 0]

I had an 83 Honda cx 650 custom that I started on and had for about 10 years before I sold it. My dad at the same time had a BMW K75s which I got to ride occasionally. I was too young because his bikes prior to the Beemer were Suzuki GS1100e, Yamaha FJ1100, and Finally Honda CBR1100, so I never got to ride those, which is probably good I'd be a road pizza now if I had. I never had any problems with a lack of power on a 650 and for daily riding I think that would be more than enough to get yourself in trouble with. Once I move out of the city I'll probably get another bike at least that's the deal with the wife. I'll probably stick with a 650 or there abouts when I do buy again.

[Orange&Black 1]

My first ride: 05 Ninja 500- Chosen over the GS500 since it lays down more power. Also, it hauls plenty of ass. You'll beat just about any car on the road at a light, it's top speed is around 117mph. Nobody needs to be going 117 on public roads...period.

I actually like the 500, I bought it planning to move up to an 06 Gixxer 750 in a year, but I think I'm going to keep it for awhile, it does everything I need it to do...cheap...that includes my insurance premium.

You have to see the blue in person. I wanted the black because the blue looked so shitty in the pics, but it's nice in person.

I think anyone that suggests starting on a 600cc SS is insane. Between the power & the seating position you're asking for trouble. Most people have problems w/ low speed riding (parking lots, gas stations, u-turns etc.), rear-sets & ultra low clip-ons are a dangerous combination for a new rider...and a twitchy inline four throttle factored into that...it's probably not going to be pretty.

Of course there are exceptions to the rule, but some of them are worse riders then someone that works their way up the proverbial ladder since they never learned proper technique any way. Just my thoughts on the matter :)

[analog999 0]

Anyone notice that after you know how to ride motorcycles, going to a bicycle feels completely dangerous? They are so frigging light comparatively that it just feels like you're going to constantly crash.

[yipperzz 28]

I think anyone that suggests starting on a 600cc SS is insane. Between the power & the seating position you're asking for trouble. Most people have problems w/ low speed riding (parking lots, gas stations, u-turns etc.), rear-sets & ultra low clip-ons are a dangerous combination for a new rider...and a twitchy inline four throttle factored into that...it's probably not going to be pretty.

Of course there are exceptions to the rule, but some of them are worse riders then someone that works their way up the proverbial ladder since they never learned proper technique any way. Just my thoughts on the matter :)

you're right. there are exceptions to the rule. but for the most part, people who start out with the new 600+ sportbikes are asking for trouble. i always hear "oh but i'll take it easy with it." so what's the point of buying a liter bike if you're not gonna get the most out of it? in my opinion, you're better off starting with a smaller bike where you can learn to ride it hard and when you upgrade later in life you will have no problems with the newer, better bike.

yeah it's a little more costly but i think it's worth it because you'll gain a lot in skill starting off small. valentino rossi raced smaller bikes since he was a kid. i know he wasn't big enough to ride a liter bike, but i'm sure when he was older he could've had a choice to race 250's but still rode 50's until he took that class. and from there you move on to bigger and better things.

sorry. i just hate seeing motorcycle crashes especially when they can be avoided.

[analog999 0]

to each their own... I never rode a motorcycle until I bought my 600 and I was fine. I am 5'10" with a 31" inseam and weighed probably 190 at the time. Flat footed on the bike. I was fine.

[yipperzz 28]

to each their own... I never rode a motorcycle until I bought my 600 and I was fine. I am 5'10" with a 31" inseam and weighed probably 190 at the time. Flat footed on the bike. I was fine.

me too. my first bike was a 600. that's why i agreed with the statement that there are exceptions to the rule. but i've met MANY people who have started out on bigger bikes and have not been as lucky. and i don't think height has anything to do with it. i can't touch both feet on my new bike. i'm just talking about new riders with their new skills on a powerful bike.

[analog999 0]

well let me put it this way -- I wouldn't want my wife starting out on a 600 sport bike either, but a average sized guy who isn't a wimp should be able to handle one.

[Scstars524 0]

been racing dirtbikes since the age of four. my bike now is a kx 85

[Langenbrunner15 0]

I am getting a used quad once the person who is looking for it find it, I ride my friends old dirtbike around quite a bit too.

[Orange&Black 1]

It's not about height, weight, or being able to flat-foot your bike (which I can't do). It's not about being a wimp...it's all about skill & experience. When someone decides to start out on a 600cc Super Sport they put themselves at a disadvantage. They are very unforgiving machines and a newbie mistake that makes you say, "awe shit, that sucked" on a "beginner" bike can easily kill you on a SS.

Overly dramatic, maybe...but why do you think insurance premiums are so high on those bikes? The cool factor is too much for squids to resist and they get wrecked at an alarming rate. There's a saying that goes something like this,

"When you start riding you start with a Full Bag of Luck, and an Empty Bag of Experience. Your goal should be to fill the Bag of Experience before you Empty your Bag of Luck."

That bag of luck probably can empty real quick for a new rider on a 600cc+ SS. Like I said there are exceptions to the rule, but for every exception there are probably 20 wrecked cycles. We all have our opinions & motorcycling is a hobby that people are very passionate about...so our opinions are the same way. I'm a firm believer in starting small & working your way up, but I'm not going to belittle anyone that rides...too much anyway :) There aren't enough of us as it is...

Onto more fun stuff---

A friend of mine just got his Busa back, turbo-charged, lays down 500hp at the rear wheel. Next time I'm over there I'll try to get some pics, it's disgusting, in a very good way