Speaking of gear, I'll be replacing my 3 year old stuff this year. First up is a Shoei Hornet DS helmet
(I use darkish visors, sun glare in the eye is annoying).
Guys this may not be the popular opinion, but insisting on riding a 250 really isn't necessary. I'm not going to advocate buying a 600RR or anything like that as a beginner, but keep in mind you can do 45 and hit a tree on a 250 just as easily as on that RR. If you find a great deal on a 750 cruiser, or a mid range standard bike you should take it. I have had friends start on 500GSFs, 650r (great starter), and I started on a 600 shadow.
You can act like an idiot on any motorcycle, and while I appreciate the advice of taking it slow and riding within your means most of that is going to be between your ears, not the bhp between your legs .
Yep, I started on a 750cc Shadow (after taking the MSF Basic course on a 250) and had no problems.
Do any driving really high up above sea level where the air is thin? My friend had some trouble with his old bike on our norway trip but nothing bad really.
Yep, if you ride in the Rockies in the US, you get the same problem. You have to adjust the fuel mix richer to compensate for the thin oxygen.
So I've been wanting to get myself a motorcycle for a few years now and the timing has never quite worked out. I've never really rode one before (besides the dirtbike my buddy had in middle school) so I'm planning to take the safety course. However, reading this thread I'm starting to question how big a bike I might need.
I like the simple aesthetic of the standard and cruiser bikes and I'd been looking at something around 100-200cc mostly because they're cheap and cost is a factor. The Kawasaki EL125 was one of the main bikes I'd looked into. Should I be looking at something bigger even though I'll be a first time rider? I'm 6'5" and 205 lbs at my prime (closer to 230 now) so I'm a fairly big guy and I'd be using the bike to get to grad school in/around Chicago so I don't need anything off-road really.
As one big guy to another, I feel it behooves me to mention the other side of the coin of my 750 Shadow. While it had plenty of acceleration for me (especially as a first bike), it did have difficulty going past 100 mph on anything but a downhill slope. Admittedly, it's stupid to ride that fast, but in the interest of full disclosure, keep it in mind. Also, if you've got long legs, make sure you sit on a bunch of bikes before you decide on one. A lot of them are just plain uncomfortable for tall guys.
So I've been wanting to get myself a motorcycle for a few years now and the timing has never quite worked out. I've never really rode one before (besides the dirtbike my buddy had in middle school) so I'm planning to take the safety course. However, reading this thread I'm starting to question how big a bike I might need.
I like the simple aesthetic of the standard and cruiser bikes and I'd been looking at something around 100-200cc mostly because they're cheap and cost is a factor. The Kawasaki EL125 was one of the main bikes I'd looked into. Should I be looking at something bigger even though I'll be a first time rider? I'm 6'5" and 205 lbs at my prime (closer to 230 now) so I'm a fairly big guy and I'd be using the bike to get to grad school in/around Chicago so I don't need anything off-road really.
I rode a 250cc Rebel for a year, and the only power issue I had was going up hills on the freeway would require full throttle. For just driving around Portland and running errands it was great. However, I'm only 5'8" and I still felt like the bike was a little small. I'd get bored and ride on the pillion, for example. I'd recommend picking up a used one, riding it for a few months, and use that time to find a bigger bike that you'll ride for a while. You'll get back most if not all of what you paid for it. Heck, buy one now and sell in May, and you might turn a profit.
The main thing to look at on a starter bike is cylinders, not ccs... A 600cc 4 cylinder will mess you up far faster than a 1200cc v-twin. The twin is a lot smoother off the line and has most of its power at low rpm, whereas 4 cylinders are made to rev, and are unforgiving with the throttle. Most standards and cruisers will be twins, so you should be safe there. If you feel comfortable with the weight of the bike, you can probably go from the training course to a 600-900cc bike really quickly.
Wow, thanks for all the advice. I hadn't even considered how the number of cylinders would affect the bike, so that's good to keep in mind. Also, as a tall guy, I've pretty much resigned myself to some degree of uncomfort just like every other object in the world designed for people of average height. Is there going to be that big of a difference between seat heights or will it amount to "I can ride this one for 40 minutes before my knees hurt and this other one for 50 minutes"?
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Dhalphirdon't you open that trapdooryou're a fool if you dareRegistered Userregular
I was under the impression twins rev quite highly. I know the Kawasaki Ninja is widely known for being a high revving bike while the Honda CBR which is a 1 cylinder gets its power lower down.
It's not quite as simple as "more cylinders = higher revving" but it's a good rule of thumb. The Ninjas are inline twins and are high revving with a power curve at like 14k. Vtwins like harleys and shadows are going to redline at like 6k. My bike is a high displacement triple and redlines around 10k. It's engine design, the tune, displacement, and cylinders in comination.
cruisers = usually vtwins or parallel twins, higher displacement resulting in more torque and low redlines
standard bikes = inline or parallel twins, linear power curve, midrange redline
sports bikes = inline 4, high revving
and Jumpman: there are bikes that will fit you fine, Adjustable seat heights and rearsets will almost certainly accomodate you, but those sorts of features aren't going to be typical on entry level bikes. That doesn't mean you can't do a little configuring, but there is a bike out there that will fit you great (unless you're some freakshow NBA player tall...under 6'6")
One might also consider sinking that $7,000 into one's student loans that one posts all over the boards about, assuming they're still an issue.
I have been making my loan payments. Sallie Mae is once again off my ass.
I have about $2300 saved up. I don't pay rent and I have very few expenses.
It's always sunny over here in Arizona and I want to start riding again. Nothing wrong with that.
I'm glad you've got your business together. Honestly though, unless you need a jixxer you might look into other sports bikes. You can get a new Ninja 650 for ~$7,000. $7,000 for a 4 year old, used 600cc sports bike seems a bit high for my taste.
Poking around, I just noticed that there are only two standard bikes for sale by the big three for 2012; the Kawasaki Versys and the Yamaha FZ8.
That's kind of disappointing.
I dunno, how are you defining "standard?" I would think the Street Triple counts as well as the Monster. Neither are particularly sporty in their posture, they're not exactly prime touring material, and they're sure as hell not cruisers. The Triple might be considered a little too ballsy to be considered a standard, though.
Regardless, I agree with the sentiment - standards get no love here in the States and it blows. I'm pretty crestfallen Suzuki isn't selling the Gladius here anymore. I'm already looking at upgrading, and while it'd be easy enough for me to grab a Ninja 650r or an old FZ6 and strip it naked, or buy a used SV650/ER6N, it's a little disappointing that there are no affordable new bikes that are close to what I have in mind. I mean, just look at this thing:
Naked bikes don't sell for shit in the states, you can't blame the manufacturers for that. That said, the street triple is hooligan to the max and if you don't consider that when you're in that market what the hell is wrong with you.
There are not bikes that sound better than a triple, I really don't know if I will ever be satisfied without that sound again.
For whatever reason, Honda slipped my mind- funny that I don't think about them at all when I consider Japanese motorcycles. They still make a single, large displacement standard bike. So that's three!
One might also consider sinking that $7,000 into one's student loans that one posts all over the boards about, assuming they're still an issue.
I have been making my loan payments. Sallie Mae is once again off my ass.
I have about $2300 saved up. I don't pay rent and I have very few expenses.
It's always sunny over here in Arizona and I want to start riding again. Nothing wrong with that.
I'm glad you've got your business together. Honestly though, unless you need a jixxer you might look into other sports bikes. You can get a new Ninja 650 for ~$7,000. $7,000 for a 4 year old, used 600cc sports bike seems a bit high for my taste.
I have my heart set on a GSXR. I offered him $6500 and he accepted.
One might also consider sinking that $7,000 into one's student loans that one posts all over the boards about, assuming they're still an issue.
I have been making my loan payments. Sallie Mae is once again off my ass.
I have about $2300 saved up. I don't pay rent and I have very few expenses.
It's always sunny over here in Arizona and I want to start riding again. Nothing wrong with that.
I'm glad you've got your business together. Honestly though, unless you need a jixxer you might look into other sports bikes. You can get a new Ninja 650 for ~$7,000. $7,000 for a 4 year old, used 600cc sports bike seems a bit high for my taste.
I have my heart set on a GSXR. I offered him $6500 and he accepted.
Whats the real-world difference between a bike that is carburettor-fueled and one that is fuel-injected, given I'm in Australia where the fact that carbys struggle in cold weather isn't an issue.
My personal anecdote is that this is not the case at all. I live in Melbourne, and sold my Ninja 250 last year. I absolutely had to choke every time I started during the winter, even in summer I often had to use the choke. Having the bike stutter and stall while you're nursing up to temp not only gets old, but can be dangerous. You learn to work with it but it is an annoyance. The bike was brand new when I bought it and perfectly maintained. If I had to do it over, as much as I loved the ninja once it was warm I would get a bike with EFI. It pissed me off standing around letting the bike idle while my coworkers just jumped on their bikes and rode off.
Also keep in mind that the Ninja 250 isn't great if you do a lot of freeway riding. You can get the bike up to about 150km/h, which sounds fine when the freeway limit is 100km/h (in melbs it is) but at 100 you're in 5th and the bike is revving high already, if you need a squirt of power to avoid something quickly... well... it isn't there. You have no torque to play with really when you're already at 100. On 60/80 roads it's great though. Those are my only criticisms of the bike, once warm and under 100km/h it rides beautifully, is good on petrol & its a nice looking bike.
Last week it was looking like motorcycle season was only a week or two away. Then two nights ago we got a ton of snow. Last year I was riding by March 25th or so. I don't think that will happen this year.
I'm very jealous of those of you who can do that. Up here in Canadialand where I live, it is not an option. I trade my motorcycle in for a bicycle when it gets too cold. 2 wheels 4 life!
Posts
(I use darkish visors, sun glare in the eye is annoying).
Yep, I started on a 750cc Shadow (after taking the MSF Basic course on a 250) and had no problems.
As one big guy to another, I feel it behooves me to mention the other side of the coin of my 750 Shadow. While it had plenty of acceleration for me (especially as a first bike), it did have difficulty going past 100 mph on anything but a downhill slope. Admittedly, it's stupid to ride that fast, but in the interest of full disclosure, keep it in mind. Also, if you've got long legs, make sure you sit on a bunch of bikes before you decide on one. A lot of them are just plain uncomfortable for tall guys.
that's not a bad price, but that's a high revving bike...now I'm the guy talking you out of more
Find something with a more linear power curve so you aren't all of sudden upside down when you want to see how fast you can get to 60.
And a 750cc Shadow is completely different than a sport bike with a similar sized engine.
Let 'em eat fucking pineapples!
Yeah, my mistake. I thought we were still talking cruisers for some reason.
I rode a 250cc Rebel for a year, and the only power issue I had was going up hills on the freeway would require full throttle. For just driving around Portland and running errands it was great. However, I'm only 5'8" and I still felt like the bike was a little small. I'd get bored and ride on the pillion, for example. I'd recommend picking up a used one, riding it for a few months, and use that time to find a bigger bike that you'll ride for a while. You'll get back most if not all of what you paid for it. Heck, buy one now and sell in May, and you might turn a profit.
The main thing to look at on a starter bike is cylinders, not ccs... A 600cc 4 cylinder will mess you up far faster than a 1200cc v-twin. The twin is a lot smoother off the line and has most of its power at low rpm, whereas 4 cylinders are made to rev, and are unforgiving with the throttle. Most standards and cruisers will be twins, so you should be safe there. If you feel comfortable with the weight of the bike, you can probably go from the training course to a 600-900cc bike really quickly.
If no: Are you an organ donor?
cruisers = usually vtwins or parallel twins, higher displacement resulting in more torque and low redlines
standard bikes = inline or parallel twins, linear power curve, midrange redline
sports bikes = inline 4, high revving
and Jumpman: there are bikes that will fit you fine, Adjustable seat heights and rearsets will almost certainly accomodate you, but those sorts of features aren't going to be typical on entry level bikes. That doesn't mean you can't do a little configuring, but there is a bike out there that will fit you great (unless you're some freakshow NBA player tall...under 6'6")
I have ridden before and I am licensed.
I will either sell or give the new gear to someone else. I want my own jacket and helmet.
I have been making my loan payments. Sallie Mae is once again off my ass.
I have about $2300 saved up. I don't pay rent and I have very few expenses.
It's always sunny over here in Arizona and I want to start riding again. Nothing wrong with that.
Aaaaand I just saw the new Softail Slim.
Now I have a bona fide dilemma.
I'm glad you've got your business together. Honestly though, unless you need a jixxer you might look into other sports bikes. You can get a new Ninja 650 for ~$7,000. $7,000 for a 4 year old, used 600cc sports bike seems a bit high for my taste.
That's kind of disappointing.
Reminds me a bit of the MP3.
Let 'em eat fucking pineapples!
It's a funky looking thing for sure. Reminds me of the Vmax. Everyone else I know is beside themselves with adoration for it though. I dunno, how are you defining "standard?" I would think the Street Triple counts as well as the Monster. Neither are particularly sporty in their posture, they're not exactly prime touring material, and they're sure as hell not cruisers. The Triple might be considered a little too ballsy to be considered a standard, though.
Regardless, I agree with the sentiment - standards get no love here in the States and it blows. I'm pretty crestfallen Suzuki isn't selling the Gladius here anymore. I'm already looking at upgrading, and while it'd be easy enough for me to grab a Ninja 650r or an old FZ6 and strip it naked, or buy a used SV650/ER6N, it's a little disappointing that there are no affordable new bikes that are close to what I have in mind. I mean, just look at this thing:
the Yamaha R6, for example. Holy god is that an unbelievably good looking bike.
http://www.yamaha-motor.com/assets/content/images/600/09MS_YZFR6_blk_S3_930f547a.jpg
There are not bikes that sound better than a triple, I really don't know if I will ever be satisfied without that sound again.
I have my heart set on a GSXR. I offered him $6500 and he accepted.
My friend loves gixxers but he recently traded his for a Speed Tripple.
Well there you go! Congrats, and ride safe.
My personal anecdote is that this is not the case at all. I live in Melbourne, and sold my Ninja 250 last year. I absolutely had to choke every time I started during the winter, even in summer I often had to use the choke. Having the bike stutter and stall while you're nursing up to temp not only gets old, but can be dangerous. You learn to work with it but it is an annoyance. The bike was brand new when I bought it and perfectly maintained. If I had to do it over, as much as I loved the ninja once it was warm I would get a bike with EFI. It pissed me off standing around letting the bike idle while my coworkers just jumped on their bikes and rode off.
Also keep in mind that the Ninja 250 isn't great if you do a lot of freeway riding. You can get the bike up to about 150km/h, which sounds fine when the freeway limit is 100km/h (in melbs it is) but at 100 you're in 5th and the bike is revving high already, if you need a squirt of power to avoid something quickly... well... it isn't there. You have no torque to play with really when you're already at 100. On 60/80 roads it's great though. Those are my only criticisms of the bike, once warm and under 100km/h it rides beautifully, is good on petrol & its a nice looking bike.
As it turns out, they aren't black! As the mountain of crud came off I was like "wait...is that silver under there...?"
If you're including the Versys, the Suzuki VStrom is pretty much a direct competitor.
I bought a bunch of new gear, and then the temperature immediately dropped to below freezing and has stayed there. Curses.
I got my first snow ride on the way to work today. Nothing even close to sticking.... except to my $#$^% visor.
Seriously Portland? Snow in March?