The General Motorbikers Discussion Thread

[Spectre]

Heh.... Not too bad a list. I've had worse. eBay and make/model specific motorcycle support forums are your friend. Especially VJMC, because there's some people there who have some *really* weird parts collections that can help you.

I got the last parts I need to get mine running today, so I'm putting mine back together tonight: http://forums.finalgear.com/post-you...-3/#post717852

[Blind_Io]

Some of those parts you may be able to find second-hand online. The brakes won't be that bad, I can change mine out in less than an hour (mostly because I'm slow). Any bike horn should work.

See if you can find someone parting out a wrecked bike, you might find a gold mine of parts.

[Small Guy]

Originally Posted by klutch

Yessss....got my bike finished. Just in time for the shitty, rainy week of weather that seems to be heading my way. Brought it to a demo/dyno day at a local dealership, and smoked the competition. 163 corrected horsepower and 82.something torque at the wheel. Not bad for its first day on the road!

Omg i love the all black paint and that you have put the numberplate on the fender!

But just two questions: that thing on the fuel tank is that for a camera and why do you got slicks on it

But a very very nice bike you got there !

[MattD1zzl3]

Hey guys, been tossing around the idea of a cheap motorcycle (sub-$1000), and what do you all think would be my best bet?

I need a good learners bike that i could maybe take on the freeway, i was thinking a honda rebel 250CC...

[Spectre]

Rebel 250s are cruisers and as such aren't the greatest things to begin learning to ride on.

In the US, here's a not-all-inclusive list of recent models to consider as learner/starter bikes:

Honda Nighthawk 250
Suzuki GS500E
Suzuki Bandit 400
Kawasaki Ninja 250 (EX250)
Kawasaki Ninja 500 (EX500)

Of these, the Ninjas (yes, despite the name and the looks, they're not sportbikes) will be the most common and available. On top of that, every large urban area has *the* EX250 or EX500 - a Ninja that's had umpteen dozen different owners because they bought it to pass the motorcycle test or to learn to ride on and sold it 6 months later.

[Blind_Io]

I disagree, I learned to ride on a cruiser. They have a lower center of gravity and those smaller cruisers ( < 500 cc) are pretty nimble.

All the ones Spectre listed are great starter bikes, but if you are not interested in sport bikes then the Rebel is a fine alternative. I never felt the desire to ride the "tank huggers" so my first bike was a Shadow 500, then a series of 750cc Magnas.

I think my next bike will probably be something like a VFR.

[Karoug]

^

[Blind_Io]

Yes, yes. I know I'm a Honda Fanboy. It's not like I set out to be one, it just happened. I like their bikes and my Civic is the most reliable car I've ever owned (and fuel efficient, and fun to drive). Even Honda's motorcycles are known for being low maintenance and very solidly built with few mechanical failures.

[Karoug]

The VFR features vtec, if you didn't know.. The VFR800 is a damn good bike..

[Spectre]

Originally Posted by Blind_Io

I disagree, I learned to ride on a cruiser. They have a lower center of gravity and those smaller cruisers ( < 500 cc) are pretty nimble.

Cruisers may have a lower center of gravity, but their riding position is not conducive to fast directional change OR recovery from a mistake. In addition, the rake of the front end combined with their usual bar geometry make them slow (or at least slower than their standard and sport cousins) to respond to steering inputs. This is why no MSF course in the US uses the Rebel 250 unless they can't get access to anything else.

For a first bike, you want a nimble yet forgiving bike that's cheap and that you won't care too much about when you drop it. And you WILL drop it within 6 months - everyone does.

Despite some of their looks, none of the bikes I listed above are sportbikes. They're all standards, with the usual upright riding position - not tank-hugging.

[Blind_Io]

I guess I never had a problem getting cruisers to respond the way I want because of my size. I find it very easy to get forward and over the bars when I need to. My Magna is actually a fairly forward and aggressive riding position compared to most cruisers and as long as I'm not scraping my pipes I can hang in most corners with sportier machines.

I guess cruisers are what I've always ridden so that's what I know. I don't think I can physically fit (at least not for long) on the bikes you listed. My long legs and large feet make riding some bikes impossible. I find cruisers fit me better but there are a few Sport Touring bikes that seem ok.

[Spectre]

For those of you still afflicted with that archaic "chain drive," I commend the Scottoiler to your attention:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottoiler

http://www.scottoiler.com/

[Peter3hg]

Originally Posted by Spectre

For those of you still afflicted with that archaic "chain drive," I commend the Scottoiler to your attention:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottoiler

http://www.scottoiler.com/

I'm looking at one of those for my new bike. £70 is quite expensive, but, as I tend to be a bit lazy when it comes to maintenance, it may be a worthwhile investment. I hadn't actually realised they were available outside the UK.
As to your list of bikes for learners, I was going to suggest steering clear of the GS500 due to bad corrosion issues, but as Matt lives in Miami it probably isn't a big issue.

[Spectre]

Over here, the GS500E didn't seem to suffer from corrosion issues. Not that it didn't have them, but probably more that they didn't tend to be operated in places where they'd rust.

They also didn't sell that many of them but they're cheap when you find them.

Originally Posted by Peter3hg

I'm looking at one of those for my new bike. £70 is quite expensive, but, as I tend to be a bit lazy when it comes to maintenance, it may be a worthwhile investment. I hadn't actually realised they were available outside the UK.

It pays for itself quickly - as the chain and sprockets now last 2-7 times as long as before. A chain replacement isn't cheap. One chain and sprocket set change, at the most two, is more expensive than a Scottoiler.

[Jon]

Honda

[Peter3hg]

Originally Posted by Jon

Honda

Show the love for the Yamaha.

[Jon]

Originally Posted by Peter3hg

Show the love for the Yamaha.

I have love for the Yamaha!

...*Plays keyboard*