Any Motorcycle riders?

[Matt G]

I'm taking an MSF course right now to get started on a possible hobby of motorcycle riding. Luckily, I live in one of the safest states for motorcycle users and the traffic is very light on many roads.

I've got a pretty good handle on what to get right now, but any others with some introductory info would be appreciated. My wife is interested, too.

Anyhow, may we could start a thread on your equipment of the two-wheeled-and-motorized category.

[Mudman]

Congratulations on taking the MSF course. It is one of the most valuable things you can do if you are going to ride.

I took the course in Canada, where it lasted 6 weeks, and was offered a teaching position in the course "after I survived my first year."

I've got a list of good bikes for beginners. The main thing is to stay away from underpowered 250 cc bikes marketed towards beginners (Honda Rebel, etc.) In three or four months, you will be wishing for enough power to get out of your own way on some starter bikes.

On the other side of the coin, don't get the latest superbike (something with way too much power for a beginner.) Go for something that is middle of the road.

The only 250cc "beginner" bike that you won't outgrow is a dual-purpose bike like the Kawasaki Sherpa (the name may be wrong, but it is their onroad/offroad 250 cc bike.)

I'd look for something comfortable with around 500 cc after passing the MSF course.

If you can get a good bike used (Scan ebay to see if there are any in your area), you can save a ton of money.

I'm a fan of the "UJM" or universal Japanese motorcycle. While not as exciting as the latest sportsbike or as full of character as a Harley, UJM's are reliable, cheap and fun. (Suzuki GS series, Yamaha Radian--older series, and countless other great bikes.)

You WILL drop your new bike a few times in the first few months of ownership. This is a great reason for buying used and for staying away from the bikes that have lots of expensive plastic to break when the bike tips over in your driveway.

What models have you looked at?

My favorite ride is a tall Honda XL600V Transalp. It is a big dual-purpose bike that is comfortable enough for long-distance riding. It has a fairing to keep the wind off in cool weather. I also have two Yamaha RZ's (mid-1980's two-strokes that people like to race). One is a 500 cc and the other a 350 cc. The bike I want to sell is a 1986 Ninja 900. It is very uncomfortable for tall riders.

All of my bikes were purchased used, and none cost more than $3000. The one challenge is that used bikes require more maintenance. If the carbs are gunked up from sitting too long, it can cost $200 to have them cleaned if you aren't a mechanic.

Well . . . as you can see, I like to talk bikes!!!

feel free to send me a PM to swap bike talk

[tubatooter1940]

Mr. Gilcrist,
I hope you rode bicycles a lot as a kid because that experience will
serve you well.
I spent my childhood on bikes and at age fourteen rode motor bikes of
all types.At my age 63 I still have a 1976 Yamaha RD400 that will go
faster than I need to be going-given the state of my reaction time.
I will continue to ride as long as I don't endanger my fellow man and
enjoy the experience.
I wish you to have sufficient fun on your bike to justify the expense and
the wear and tear on the nerves of some family members,who ,for the
life of them will never understand why you ride.
See you out there,
Tubatooter1940

[Matt G]

Thanks for all of the responses so far.

I have looked at a few reasonable bikes. Mostly Honda's like the Shadow VLX (600CC) and the Shadow ACE-Type (750CC). I'm a pretty big dude (6'2" 54" chest 275#) but I do expect to buy used upfront because of the "Lay-down" factor.

I will wear a helmet, and most bikes now have a daytime running light but if not i will ride with the light on.

Thanks again folks!

[Chuck(G)]

1. Forget what's "fashionable", wear a helmet. I've seen more people killed or crippled due to not wearing one than the alleged broken neck cases you hear of.

My neighbor up the road is an ER doc and she tells me that common parlance among the urgent care folks is to call the things "donorcycles". So yeah, be very careful.

[CJ Krause]

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[Matt G]

The #1 reason I love Harley's is that you can always hear them coming. Other bikes are quiet on the highway and as an automobile driver, I usually see them before I hear them. With a Harley, I hear them before I see them.

With the bigger displacement bikes from Yamaha, Kawasaki, and Honda, you can put open pipes on these that will give you the same decibel threshold as any Harley.

My neighbor has a 1300CC Yamaha V-Star that is plenty loud. I do agree with the bumper stickers though that say "Loud pipes save lives".

Now nothing compares to the harley derivative motors that displace 130 cubic inches like the ones you see on custom shopper like West Coast Choppers and OCC. Those things are LOUD!!!!

I will take great care in riding. I will not be riding for the 'performance' aspect of riding a bike. I am riding just to enjoy some open air on the backroads on a sunday afternoon.

[ken k]

I used to ride back in the day.

I had dirt bikes as a punk kid. Then I had an RD350 in college. It was funny to see others who had one of these or still do. Don't think I'd want another though. The old 2 stroker ring-a-ding-ding and fouled plugs would grow old, especially now that I am older! It was a hoot to ride though. You had better be holding on tight when it hit 5,000 RPMs or you'd be off the back on the ground!
A true wheelie monster!

Then I mellowed and got a cruiser in the 80s...Yamaha Virago. It was nice and my wife could ride it too. It had a low seat and easy roll on power. We took a MSF course together. Of course, that was back when we were young and in love.....

Great course though. I took it after I had ridden dirt bikes and street bikes for years and learned a whole new way to ride. I still can't figure out how I rode all those years with out countersteering. Someone upstairs must have been looking down on me.

I am looking to get back into it, but my choice of ride is pretty tame. I actually want to look at one of the new big 600-700 cc scooters the Japs are making now. That would be great for riding to work every day. Supposedly they are fun to ride, especially for an old fart like me. I am not looking to drag and body parts anymore. A Honda NightHawk 750 would be nice too.

I am not a Harley biker-type guy. I can't stand loud pipes. I lived next to an a**hole Harley rider for too many years. So I can't even think of getting a Harley. They are pretty decent bikes nowadays though, much better than back in the day (when was "the day" anyway)

Good luck, stay safe and have fun.

ken k

[MaryAnn]

I rode bikes from when I was 19 to about 10 years ago, when I sold my last one due to lack of use. I got to the point where my fear factor was higher than my fun factor.

I disagree with those who say louder is better, because it will give you a false feeling of security thinking people can hear you. Nope. They cannot hear you and they cannot see you, and if you are not "already out of the way" they will just plain run over you. The biggest and best lesson for riders beyond learning to use the front brake properly is to learn that you are totally and completely invisible.

That said, I had a 160 Honda twin, a 350 Duke single (never did put me over the handlebars, but it did the previous owner,) a 500 Kaw triple (FAST!, I put 15k miles on it without ever going down OR over backwards), a 750 BMW, a couple loaners.... Ninja 900 (boy was THAT a fun bike!) a Ninja 750, somewhere in there a Honda 500 twin, and finally a Yamaha 500 Virago that handled the worst of anything I ever rode but it stopped well as long as you kept it straight.

I was musing about getting a bike again to get better gas mileage until a month ago when there was a MC accident right in front of my face. It was night, a busy street, some car changed lanes and forced a bike down. The passenger, a beautiful young blonde girl, got scraped off on her right side, probably hit the road and came to an immediate halt at 40 mph. She had on a helmet and that was why she was able to scream nonstop like an animal instead of being dead. Her limbs were not in the right place anymore on her right side, things were all at wrong angles, sticking up in the air....I will never forget. I took it as my "message from God" to not ride a motorcycle here in Tucson again. Some places may be reasonably safe, and I managed 25 years without an accident, but....no more.

Not trying to be a downer, because many people really love bike riding, and I still would if it weren't for the car factor. Just to be aware of what can happen.

MA

[CJ Krause]

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[CJ Krause]

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[MaryAnn]

My life experience has taught me that bikes were a lot more fun when I was younger!

But what I want anyway is a BMW 650 single. Assuming the seat is low enough to get my foot on the ground. A 29 inch inseam combined with the 100# dripping wet is not conducive to riding a really big and tall bike. Nonetheless the Ninja 900 was cool as long as I didn't get it in a spot where I had to back it up. Worst reach ever was a test drive on the orignal Honda 750 four...I had to slide sideways on the seat to get my toe on the ground. Good thing I never tipped it over! Back when husband #1 had the 600 BMW with the leg breakers on it, if I tipped it over it would roll over on its back with the wheels in the air, and I could not get it up.

I did get to ride a Low Rider once....brand new, 250 miles on it...owner kind of, ah, liked me. It was easier to get my feet on the ground than anything else.

MA

[cjk]

But what I want anyway is a BMW 650 single.

MA, I've sat on an F650 GS (not the Dakar version) and I could get both feet on the ground just fine (with my 30 inch inseam). BMW claims that the seat height is 30.7 inches so it might be close, but BMW dealers have or can order kits to lower the seat height.


Christian

[CJ Krause]

pulled

[TMurphy]

This is something I've always wanted to get into. Getting on a nice chopper, on the open road, something about it just looks like so much fun. Unfortunately, it's not a hobby I can afford to try right now, and perhaps more unfortunately, New Jersey is not the best place for motorcycles. In fact, given the insurance rates, it's probably one of the worst places for a bike. Oh well...maybe someday.

[Leland]

Relating to motorcycles, my experience has only taught me two things --

1. For whatever reason, I fit more comfortably on Japanese bikes than I did on any Harley I tried sitting on. My godfather took me to a bike show in Seattle, and among the 20-odd bikes I sat upon, not a single Harley felt "right".

2. I'll never own one. On my bedroom door back home, I've got a poster of Santa riding a Ninja, and I used to ride bicycles with my best friend to the motorcycle dealer to just hang out and look at bikes. But, there are too many idiots and unknowns out there, and the costs are too high for me. That's why I've got my riceburner hatchback instead.

[CJ Krause]

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[tclements]

DUDE! I've been riding for years. I throw my Gronitz' in the Cronkhite bag and last it to the back of the Harleys. No traccic problems, park anywhere, fun on the way to work. I couldn't imagine life WITHOUT bikes!

[MartyNeilan]

I took the MSF class and got my motorcycle endorsement about the same time I got married. SO, obviously I didn't have money then for a bike. Last fall I was feeling antsy so I finally bought an early 80's Honda CB750K with the DOHC inline 4. Well, the bike hardly ever ran right, and I rode it very little. I tore it down in the spring, got it running half decent, and sold it towards an F tuba. In all honesty, I will probably not buy another bike soon; a car is much more practical when you have 2 small children to schlepp around. I will just stick to my 17 yr old Specialized when I have the urge to go 2 wheelin'