Calling all motorcyclists! I want one, need advice...

[klutch]

Yeah, the V-Twins are great to learn on as well; everyone recommends the SV650 as a well-balanced bike to start on, with more than enough power to keep you satisfied as you progress.

[KaJuN]

Speaking of bikes, I'm about to hit mine over and over and over and over with the largest sledge hammer I can find. I've been trying to get it going since last fall. I get one thing fixed and a new problem pops up.

[eltoro507]

Some quick advise: FORGET about the 250's. Seriously you're better of buying a Vespa.
For a beginner-bike you dont need to stare blindly at the cc's. A CB500 or CBF600 is a perfect beginner bike. GS500 or ER-5 are equally good. + with a few (easy) mods they almost look & sound like a real bike
With a slightly increased budget you could also consider a Ducati monster 600/620 or Suzuki SV650, both fun bikes.

If you have some selfcontrol forget the ninja 250 & go for a zzr600 or cbr600 F(! not RR ), very forgiving bike + fast enough to not get boring for years.

And dont skimp on the protection gear. Many ppl learn that the hard way.

[BlaRo]

Originally Posted by KaJuN

Speaking of bikes, I'm about to hit mine over and over and over and over with the largest sledge hammer I can find. I've been trying to get it going since last fall. I get one thing fixed and a new problem pops up.

What bike do you have?

Originally Posted by eltoro507

Some quick advise: FORGET about the 250's. Seriously you're better of buying a Vespa.
For a beginner-bike you dont need to stare blindly at the cc's. A CB500 or CBF600 is a perfect beginner bike. GS500 or ER-5 are equally good. + with a few (easy) mods they almost look & sound like a real bike
With a slightly increased budget you could also consider a Ducati monster 600/620 or Suzuki SV650, both fun bikes.

If you have some selfcontrol forget the ninja 250 & go for a zzr600 or cbr600 F(! not RR ), very forgiving bike + fast enough to not get boring for years.

I wish I had enough money for any of those you've listed. But since I first started this thread a few months ago I've decided against small bikes like those. Though when I say I have no money, I pretty much mean no money.

Originally Posted by klutch

http://www.onewheeldrive.net/index.p...676&Itemid=126

Thanks for sharing that, that's a great article!

I've also decided against that Moto Guzzi because it's not worth it. I want to spend as little money as possible on a beater bike to restore, so I'll end up sticking with the Japanese bikes.



Maybe I should just take out a loan and buy a 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T instead...

[Ymk]

First bike: Suzuki DR200

Second bike: Suzuki GS500E

Third bike: Suzuki SV650-S

Been a great progression so far, the DR200 was perfect when I was on my permit, too slow to go on freeways but it didn't matter because my permit didn't allow me to anyways. The GS500 gave me enough top-end to hit 101mph so I could ride anywhere but not speed. The SV landed me a $400+ ticket, hehe.

Hopefully it'll continue like this:

Fourth bike: Suzuki GSXR-750

Fifth bike: Suzuki GSXR-1300 (Hayabusa)

E: Although I should note the SV could last me the rest of my life, I don't plan on moving up from it anytime soon.

[DiuSee]

Reading this thread is just getting me more and more interested in getting a bike. Damn my curiousity.

[Ottobon]

Originally Posted by BerserkerCatSplat

Hah, not sure how I missed this thread until now. My first bike was (and still is) a Yamaha Virago 750. No, it's not a sport bike, much as I like sport bikes. I tried a couple of crotch rockets and cruisers and decided that I really like comfort, but Harleys have a driving position that's too leaned-back and sportbikes just aren't all that comfortable - not to mention that I really don't have any need to wring them out. The Virago was a nice compromise of comfort and driveability, and the 750 is torquey as hell. It's certainly a different beast than the sport bikes, I found the 750's v-twin a lot easier to handle than a 500 I4, less twitchy. I'd say that a 500 to 750cc Vtwin makes for a perfectly OK beginner bike. It's got torque, but not so much power you'll get yourself into too much trouble. In retrospect, the 500 Virago is great for one person, the 1100 is great for a couple of people, and the 750 is somewhere in between. Could've used an overdrive gear, too. But, on the whole, it's a great bike. I love the look and how it rides, and I've never felt pressed to upgrade.



Not my bike, but right colour and options. I don't have space for my bike at my condo, so it hibernates with my parents.

sounds like the acura of bikes


i'd either get the guzz! either that or Honda or Yamaha, either of those two seem more purposeful then the other jap bikes

[BlaRo]

Well, I dunno if I should admit this, but...I've just bought this.





1976 Honda CB550, 550F Super Sport I think (because of the 4-to-1 exhaust). It's the ugliest bike I've ever seen. I love it. I probably paid way too much for it, but all the other CBs I've seen are going for $1500, $2000, and that's more than what I have. Either way, I plan on tearing the entire thing down and rebuilding it over the next 3-4 months, painting the frame silver and the tank/side covers black, most likely put a cafe racer seat and cover on the back. Then eventually I might actually get to ride the thing.

Oh, and it's located 10 hours from where I live, and all my friends with trucks have suspiciously been in the shop for "various repairs".

I'm going to lose a TON of money this summer. Maybe it'll actually be worth it.

[KaJuN]

^That's a nice bike there! It'll look great with a new coat of paint on it. I like that fairing too.

Originally Posted by BlaRo

What bike do you have?

I've got a 1980 Yamaha XJ650. I just want it to work. This nice weather is tormenting me.

[BerserkerCatSplat]

Congrats, BlaRo! I'm sure you'll have lots of fun with it!

[Austere]

Originally Posted by BlaRo

I usually have no interest in bikes and they pretty much all look exactly alike to me but there's something about that bike that's genuinely compelling... It's got a charm and character that's immediately apparent. It's got presence. Something about that bike says.... 'don't fuck with that bike'.

I'm serious - I really like that thing!

[bone]

search yourself an RD500, lots of work on those, and you can pretend to be driving an F1 car

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...070275&q=rd500
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vb1Y4ufeW5Y

and they're quite fast
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJQt_mfQv-E

edit: never mind, didn't see page 6
nice buy!

[BlaRo]

Update: I've tried to pick this bike up this weekend, but it's surprisingly hard to find a buddy with a pickup truck. I may have not enough friends, but c'mon, this is AMERICA! Even toddlers own F-350 Powerstroke Diesels!

Also, you'll also be surprised at how many people are willing to drive 626 miles across the state of Pennsylvania to pick up a 30-year old jalopy my mom deemed "scrap metal". Unlike me, who's crazy enough to have even considered buying something that far from my house in the first place. I rock. 8)

Next weekend is my last chance. The seller is moving, so one of my friends is free for the weekend. I'll take lots of pics and keep you guys posted.

Today, driving around, I saw about 50+ bikes on the road, it was marvelous! Mostly cruisers, but I saw a few terrific-looking sportbikes. Later, I stopped at a Yamaha/Kawasaki/Triumph dealer with some friends and sat on a Speed Triple... Also, I may have gotten my friends hooked on jetskis.

[tigger]

BlaRo, I commend you for your damn fine taste in motorcycles. Austeres nod towards the character of that machine is dead on. It sounds as though there's just some relatively little stuff wrong with it, I'd buy it for that price .

[BlaRo]

How important are microfiche cards in restoring motorcycles?

Oh, and I'm leaving in a few hours to pick up the bike. I'll keep ya posted.

[KaJuN]

A random but interesting question came up at a party over the weekend. How can people be pulled over for loud car stereos that you can hear from maybe 50 feet away, but you never hear about police pulling over motorcycles you can hear for a half mile after they've passed you? (Yes, I hate overly-loud, stupid sounding exhausts on bikes. It's one of the main reasons I hate Harleys. I have yet to come across one with an acceptably loud exhaust.)

[Capacious Boot]

Originally Posted by KaJuN

A random but interesting question came up at a party over the weekend. How can people be pulled over for loud car stereos that you can hear from maybe 50 feet away, but you never hear about police pulling over motorcycles you can hear for a half mile after they've passed you? (Yes, I hate overly-loud, stupid sounding exhausts on bikes. It's one of the main reasons I hate Harleys. I have yet to come across one with an acceptably loud exhaust.)

I too hate overly loud exhausts. When I bought my F3 it had an aftermarket Kerker exhaust that was way too loud, so I got a stock muffler for a few bucks on ebay. I have never regretted that decision.

The loudest bike I have ever heard (other than MotoGP bikes at laguna seca) was a Honda VTX 1800 with basically straight pipes on it. I was at a motorcycle dealer looking around (inside) and the mechanic started it up about 50 feet away. I actually thought I was being shot at. I instinctively jumped sideways a few feet and looked around, and then I realized what was going on. There is absolutely no justification for that kind of nonsense. It's bikes like those that make people hate ALL motorcyclists.

[Karoug]

The loudest bike I've ever heard includning motogp bikes was Ghostriders Hayabusa.. 500bhp +straight pipes sounds alot..

[BlaRo]

btw, I got the bike, it's in my garage right now. I'm too lazy to post pictures this week, but I'll get to it eventually.

Also, sitting in a van for 10 hours while smelling gasoline fumes is making me go dizzy.

[BerserkerCatSplat]

Yay, mine's out of hibernation!