Any riders on this board?

[KryptOng 9]

Just seeing who else on this board rides a motorcycle

I just got my license and bike last year and I love it. I've always wanted a bike when since I was a kid and when a good friend of mine got his, I went for it and eventually all our friends got their license and bikes.

Weather hasn't been that great but it's nice to be able to ride to and from work and not have to pay for street parking!

Currently riding a Kawasaki ZZR250, hoping to upgrade to an SS or Street Fighter bike next summer when I'm done school.

What's everyone riding and what got you into it?

[Darkbyte 0]

Im currently riding a K8 GSX-R1000. Previous bikes were 2000 GSX-R750 and a 2001 GPX250R.

Riding is something I always wanted to do. Mum spent 22 years trying to convince me that I couldnt do it. She wouldnt let me ride a bicycle on the road (I have hearing issues and awful balance). When my parents split, I decided to get my license. First lesson was interesting, I can barely ride a bicycle and had never used a clutch at that point (only driven automatic cars). Took a while, but I got there. I ride all year round as I dont own a car. It doesnt get cold enough here for ice to form on the roads, dont think I would want to ride on icey roads, turning up to work looking like a drowned rat, however is no problem.

Hockey gear on a bike isnt fun, all I can see in my mirrors are my skate pockets. lol.

I tend to do things the hard way..... like learning hockey while Im still learning to skate :P

[Leafsrule16 5]

Right now im looking at a motorcycle heavily actually, my dad has had bikes all his life from crotch rockets to cruisers, right now he has a brand new 2009 harley trike with pipes and stuff its a nice bike, my mom can drive it now. Im in the market for a bike now, I've rode dirtbikes and what not all my life, its between a yamaha yfz r6 and a buell 1125, the 1125 will be a monster but the yamaha is a sick deal for only 9000 for a brand new one, I should be trying out a yamaha soon. Ill probably post up pictures or something once i get it.

Right now im looking at a motorcycle heavily actually, my dad has had bikes all his life from crotch rockets to cruisers, right now he has a brand new 2009 harley trike with pipes and stuff its a nice bike, my mom can drive it now. Im in the market for a bike now, I've rode dirtbikes and what not all my life, its between a yamaha yfz r6 and a buell 1125, the 1125 will be a monster but the yamaha is a sick deal for only 9000 for a brand new one, I should be trying out a yamaha soon. Ill probably post up pictures or something once i get it.

[43%burnt 0]

triumph daytona 675 here. love it. ride safe.

[Master P 0]

I have a Suzuki SV650. I have been really happy with it. The daytona is a great bike. The Street triple is going to be my next bike.

[chk hrd 164]

I would like to ride on the street here, but Vegas is way to dangerous. I've had a guy on a Old Honda 550 T-bone our car (his fault), seen to many others plant themselves in into cars, seen cars pull in front of riders, know to many people hurt or killed street riding. It's just not worth the risk.

When I go to visit family out of town we usually take his bikes out for a spin. I enjoy it alot.

[Master P 0]

Forgot to ask..Krypt0ng..what are you hoping to get down the road? I'm a big fan of street fighters. Not so much SS bikes.

[RecLeagueHero 0]

Never really been interested in street bikes, but I've ridden dirt bikes since I was a kid. Currently I've got an '07 YZ250, but I've been tossing around the idea of maybe going with the thumper. Getting the extend engine life of the four stroke would be nice. Also be able to get a green sticker in Cali so I could do some riding with family down there, and maybe try my hand at an enduro or two.

[rogue 0]

its between a yamaha yfz r6 and a buell 1125

I've done alot of work on the R6 engines. It's a great engine and can stand up to a hell of a lot, has quite a bit of power and if you add an ecu piggyback to it. Haven't worked on the bike itself though, but any questions on the engine I can answer.

[figgifumi_11 3]

Starter bike was an Aprilia RS50. Right now my Dad and I share a 2008 Yamaha V-Star 650 Classic, but my wife has fallen in love with the joys of two wheel transit so I think we'll be buying our own soon. I am considering another V-Star 650 (because it's so damned comfy to ride), a Ducati Monster 696, or a Triumph Street Triple R.

[Leafsrule16 5]

Never really been interested in street bikes, but I've ridden dirt bikes since I was a kid. Currently I've got an '07 YZ250, but I've been tossing around the idea of maybe going with the thumper. Getting the extend engine life of the four stroke would be nice. Also be able to get a green sticker in Cali so I could do some riding with family down there, and maybe try my hand at an enduro or two.

Hate to burst your bubble but if you think your going to get extended life with a 4 stroke race bike your wrong. I had a 450 and it was actually worse for parts and maintenance then any of the 2 strokes i owned (yz85, suzuki quadracer 250r, yz125). They need a motor job as much, valve adjustments and what not and when they do go it cost a lot more to fix. I'd stick with the 2 stroke if i were you, love 2 stroke power.

[Race4LastPlace 31]

Currently have a yamaha virago xv535s. Still very new to riding. I really enjoy being on it, but have almost no confidence in riding (read: "surviving"). Really want to get into a MSF course. I've killed it more times than i'd care to mention... <_<

:D

[RecLeagueHero 0]

Hate to burst your bubble but if you think your going to get extended life with a 4 stroke race bike your wrong. I had a 450 and it was actually worse for parts and maintenance then any of the 2 strokes i owned (yz85, suzuki quadracer 250r, yz125). They need a motor job as much, valve adjustments and what not and when they do go it cost a lot more to fix. I'd stick with the 2 stroke if i were you, love 2 stroke power.

They do require great maintainence, of course you get a longer engine block life. But primiarily I want something I can get a green sticker for, which is a no can do with any two stoke bike that currently exists. I was thinking of getting WR450, but I've also considered keeping the YZ250 and just getting a something on the entry level side to take down to Californa with me.

[Master P 0]

I really encourage the MSF class. Its very helpful. I had a friend who took the Harley Riders Edge course. I would strongly advise against it. He had a horriable time at it. Unfortunately the MSF wasn't in his town. The Virage 535 is a good bike to learn on.

I have not ridden the new Ducati monster yet. I have about an hours riding time on a Triumph Street Triple R. Its a great bike.

[figgifumi_11 3]

I really encourage the MSF class. Its very helpful. I had a friend who took the Harley Riders Edge course. I would strongly advise against it. He had a horriable time at it. Unfortunately the MSF wasn't in his town. The Virage 535 is a good bike to learn on.

I have not ridden the new Ducati monster yet. I have about an hours riding time on a Triumph Street Triple R. Its a great bike.

I agree that a MSF course is essential for a new rider. I had ridden prior to taking the course and went into it with the metallity that there was nothing they could teach me that I didn't already know. Boy was that a reality check; I learned more in 3 days of that course than I had in 3 years of riding on the street. They really help with the whole idea of defensive riding which is an unfortunate necessity for surviving on the road these days with all of the idiots in SUV's and the like.

I have about an hour on the new Monster and absolutely loved it. Very crisp motor and steering, and a fairly comfortable riding position. I plan to look at the Street Triple R as the specs are very impressive and I have heard great things about the Triumphs over the years.

[Master P 0]

The closest Ducati dealership to me is an hour away. So I haven't had a chance to ride the new monster yet. I have some concerns about the Ducati. I think I would prefer the Street Triple over it. But I have not ridden the Ducati yet, so I have to withhold judgment. I think I would take the base Street Triple over the R version. It would be nice to have the fully adjustable suspension, but not a must have for me.

Have you seen the new Ducati Streetfighter?

[Leafsrule16 5]

Hate to burst your bubble but if you think your going to get extended life with a 4 stroke race bike your wrong. I had a 450 and it was actually worse for parts and maintenance then any of the 2 strokes i owned (yz85, suzuki quadracer 250r, yz125). They need a motor job as much, valve adjustments and what not and when they do go it cost a lot more to fix. I'd stick with the 2 stroke if i were you, love 2 stroke power.

They do require great maintainence, of course you get a longer engine block life. But primiarily I want something I can get a green sticker for, which is a no can do with any two stoke bike that currently exists. I was thinking of getting WR450, but I've also considered keeping the YZ250 and just getting a something on the entry level side to take down to Californa with me.

Hate to sound ignorant but whats a green sticker? Im Canadian.

Also, maybe for you but for some reason I always seem to get around the same length between motors on a 2 stroke or 4, however it may be something im doing different with driving?

[RecLeagueHero 0]

Hate to sound ignorant but whats a green sticker? Im Canadian.

Also, maybe for you but for some reason I always seem to get around the same length between motors on a 2 stroke or 4, however it may be something im doing different with driving?

In the mid-90's the state of California (indvidiually) came out with new environmental emission laws that in effect banned all two stroke bikes. It's not in the language that all two strokes are banned, they just can't meet the emission standards. This, naturally, pissed a lot of people off from Joe Rider to the dealerships that now couldn't sale the premier product lines. Also, and probably more of a factor in the reforms, the state was loosing a lot of money on bikes that weren't being registered. So around '98 the state came out with a red sticker and a green sticker. If you're bike has a red sticker you can ride it only in restricted locations and/or at certain times of the year. The green sticker allows you to ride anywhere, such as state parks. The family I have down there rides trails so have to have something that's approved for a green sticker. Yeah, I know, freaking California.

I'd imagine the differing types of riding do make a difference, as I would tend to agree if you're doing the same things with a thumper that you did with a two stroke it wouldn't hold out much longer.

[Krev 86]

What type of bike would you guys recommend for a 5'8" 155lbs guy? Always thought about getting a bike. I really like the Honda CBRs...

[Darkbyte 0]

What type of bike would you guys recommend for a 5'8" 155lbs guy? Always thought about getting a bike. I really like the Honda CBRs...

Whatever you like the feel of. Every bike handles differently, has a slightly different seating position, different gearing etc. Ride as many as you can and see what grabs you.

All modern "super" sports bikes will have adjustable suspension, so the bike can be tweaked to suit your weight <- well worth doing.

Dont worry about your weight. Height wise, you can touch the ground easy enough on pretty much anything, from memory the cbr is one of the tallest around anyway.

Even if you were to be on your tippy toes (like me), its not a huge issue once you know your limmitations.

[Krev 86]

What type of bike would you guys recommend for a 5'8" 155lbs guy? Always thought about getting a bike. I really like the Honda CBRs...

Whatever you like the feel of. Every bike handles differently, has a slightly different seating position, different gearing etc. Ride as many as you can and see what grabs you.

All modern "super" sports bikes will have adjustable suspension, so the bike can be tweaked to suit your weight <- well worth doing.

Dont worry about your weight. Height wise, you can touch the ground easy enough on pretty much anything, from memory the cbr is one of the tallest around anyway.

Even if you were to be on your tippy toes (like me), its not a huge issue once you know your limmitations.

I've never been on a bike, which is most unfortunate. My dad absolutely hates them. <_<

Thanks for the advice though, I guess I'll just have to go around and see what'd work best. I've had really good experiences with Honda and Acura cars, so I was hoping that would carry over to their sport bikes.

[Darkbyte 0]

Bikes are awesome and parents usually hate them. In my experiance, they just try to forget you own one.

Any of the big four brands are excellent, honda, yamaha, suzuki, kawasaki. You cant tell them apart in terms of build quality and longevity. Ive found there is the type of banter between followers of the different manufacturers as there is for pc and mac.

Your bike laws are quite different to ours. We are required to spend 1 year riding a 250. To be honest, I was glad to have started on a 250 (gpx250r <- ninja 250), I dropped that poor thing quite a few times, slid it down the road and then sold it to a guy who did the exact same things (on the other side of the bike).

Im guessing you will want something larger than that, if so, look at the 600 for a first bike. The new gsxrs have the ability to "restrict" the power by changing the map used by the ecu. It defaults to full power, and one always forgets to change the mode to restricted, so dont buy one thinking you would run it on restricted mode, because you wont.

Bike engines dont last as long as car engines, to generalise, a 4 stroke engine over 60,000kms will start to want some work e.g. cam chain tensioner, and be rebuilt around 80-100,000kms.

Get on a motorcycle forum, ask noobish questions and read about general maintenance, what type of safety equipment you should buy etc. Just like this place, I find the information very helpful if you find the right forum.

[Master P 0]

Krev.... Some of what our Australian friend darkbyte said doesn't pertain to us in the US. Here any new rider can go out and buy the fastest bike on the market. There are no restrictions. Other countries limited you to smaller bikes for a learning period. That said the best way to get into motorcycling is proper training, proper gear, and a reasonable powered first bike. Look for a Motorcycle Safety Foundation course in your area. There may be other course available in your area. I beleive Washington state does have a state sponsored motorcycle class. The beginning class is over a weekend. They provide the bikes and teach you the basics of riding. Its great fun and you will learn a lot. This is the best way to learn and see if its for you. Choosing a bike is the tough part. Sounds like you like the sportbikes. They are very powerful and very sensitive to drive. Imagine learning to drive a car using a Ferrari. Buy a smaller first bike then upgrade to a CBR, GSXR etc. A good first bike would be a Ninja 500 and 650R, Kawi ER-6N, Suzuki SV650, Suzuki Gladius. Check out the Yamaha FZ6R. Thats a new bike that is aimed for new riders.

Sorry for the long answer.

[Leafsrule16 5]

Hate to sound ignorant but whats a green sticker? Im Canadian.

Also, maybe for you but for some reason I always seem to get around the same length between motors on a 2 stroke or 4, however it may be something im doing different with driving?

In the mid-90's the state of California (indvidiually) came out with new environmental emission laws that in effect banned all two stroke bikes. It's not in the language that all two strokes are banned, they just can't meet the emission standards. This, naturally, pissed a lot of people off from Joe Rider to the dealerships that now couldn't sale the premier product lines. Also, and probably more of a factor in the reforms, the state was loosing a lot of money on bikes that weren't being registered. So around '98 the state came out with a red sticker and a green sticker. If you're bike has a red sticker you can ride it only in restricted locations and/or at certain times of the year. The green sticker allows you to ride anywhere, such as state parks. The family I have down there rides trails so have to have something that's approved for a green sticker. Yeah, I know, freaking California.

I'd imagine the differing types of riding do make a difference, as I would tend to agree if you're doing the same things with a thumper that you did with a two stroke it wouldn't hold out much longer.

Thanks for clarifying that, pretty harsh really. Canada is very slack with that kind of stuff. I heard the emissions crap was partially the reason of the demise of the banshees in the States but i wasnt 100% on that, but yeah. I will always prefer a 2 stroke over 4 for anything involving racing or going fast just because there so simple, im no mechanic by any means but i have no trouble doing a rebuild on a 2 stroke motor, but i would be lost with a 4 stroke

Also to the guy below, I've heard a lot of great things about the yamaha r6. There fairly light and very very quick with an insane redline, i got a chance to ride one and there wild. Im 5'10 and they fit me perfect, very low to the ground and stable and rev out like a f1 car.

[figgifumi_11 3]

The closest Ducati dealership to me is an hour away. So I haven't had a chance to ride the new monster yet. I have some concerns about the Ducati. I think I would prefer the Street Triple over it. But I have not ridden the Ducati yet, so I have to withhold judgment. I think I would take the base Street Triple over the R version. It would be nice to have the fully adjustable suspension, but not a must have for me.

Have you seen the new Ducati Streetfighter?

I have not yet seen the Streetfighter in person, but it sounds like a beast! 155 hp at 368 lbs is amazing. I really like the look of it as well; kinda like a cross between a superbike and a stretched out chopper. I plan to stop by the dealer this weekend to browse (they have Ducati, Triumph, KTM and Suzuki), but I do believe I will end up with the Yamaha. The wife wants to take a MSF course and start to ride, so the Ducati/Triumph may get put on the back burner for a while.