Someone talk me out of buying a motorcycle...

What the fuck is that? Bird shit? That's good motivation to get a full face helmet :lol:. I've just got a basic lid and goggles now, and I really like it, but if I got shit on ...
 
Full face helmets are the only way to go. I once had a gigantic June bug splatter directly on my visor while crusing along at about 80 MPH (You may not have June bugs in your area, but they are pretty big....Michigan June bugs can get larger than a bumble bee). The force of the impact was harder than you might think (Those buggers have a strong body) and the whole visor was coated so thickly with bug juice that I couldn't see a thing. Thankfully I was able to just pull off and get it cleaned up, but if I wouldn't have been wearing a full face helmet, I may not have been so lucky, lol.
 
They are bug splats. And all it takes is hitting a bee at 75 mph to convince you that a full face is the way to go.

And this:
swisherhelmet1.jpg


helmet-impact.jpg


Most impacts on a helmet occur on the face guard and visor, the very part that is missing in a 3/4 helmet. It's the difference between buying a new lid and buying a new face. Unless you are so tough you can use 70 mph asphalt to shave, get a full-face lid.
 
From what i can recall, my dad's story...
Years ago, before I was born, my dad had a really nice 700+cc red Honda bike. Then one day while riding the bike, he made a turn and the bike slid. He was thrown off the bike while it kept sliding sideways on the tarmac. My dad quickly retaliated but found a truck was coming in his direction, so he got into a still and straight position lying down as the truck went over him. From below my dad saw that the bike was slammed head on by an oncoming truck in the opposite lane, shattering everything to pieces.

The car protects you in an accident; your legs shield the bike in an accident.
IIHS5Cgallery5C756_2.jpg
ben-roethlisberger-crash-picture.jpg

[YOUTUBE]http://youtube.com/watch?v=tth9krDtxII[/YOUTUBE]

Hope it helps :)
 
That crash could have been avoided if the biker actually checked for traffic before entering the intersection.

Never be the first vehicle off the line, just in case someone runs the red.
 
That doesn't sound like a beginner bike to me, but I ride a steed of steel and chrome, not plastic and carbon.

There's no carbon and very little plastic on the Street triple...
 
Last edited:
[YOUTUBE]http://youtube.com/watch?v=tth9krDtxII[/YOUTUBE]

Wow, talk about lucky :lol:

Accidents don't really persuade me away from bikes. I mean hell, you can get killed just walking down the street. Sometimes you're just in the wrong place at the wrong time, but if you are careful and don't drive like an idiot you'll usually be fine.
 
Hey! Thought we're trying to dissuade him! Not persuade! :p

Consider this everyday life question: What are the chances of falling down/losing balance etc when you walk vs. when you cycle? (Given that both are carried out for a similar amount of time and the road travelled must be a constant.)
 
Wow this thread really exploded after I left last night.

Lots of good suggestions in this thread and some not so good ones. I have to disagree with late 20s being a bad time to start riding or restart as is the case.

I think your late 20s to early 30s is the perfect time. You are old enough that you don't think you are invincible anymore and you most likely won't do nearly as much stupid shit. You also have plenty of time to get some good experience under your belt before you get too old and your reflexes slow down.

Starting to ride in your late 40s or 50s like some people do is what is risky. You reflexes are slower because of age just no way around that and if you do have an accident you heal much more slowly and less completely.


I probably would not buy a Street Triple right away or as a first bike as that is a fair amount of money to throw down when I haven't ridden in almost 10 years.

The family of one of my coworkers owns the local Triumph/BMW/Harley/ plus many, many more makes so I know I can get a good deal. I am keeping eye out on the local Craig's List and other classifieds for a cheap used bikes to refresh my skills on. I wouldn't mind buying something fairly cheap and used to ride some over the summer and then hopefully buy a new bike in the fall if I have a good busy season.

All depends on how sales go really as I have to refinance my house this summer and I still really need to buy a newish car this summer fall as well.

Really this morning is what made me to decide that I need to start ridding again. Anyone that knows me will tell you that I am not a morning person but I used to love a good early morning ride on days like today. I still enjoy an early morning drive on a nice bright sunny day with just the right temperature but an early morning ride is so, so, so much better.

I actually started riding dirt bikes first with a friend of mine who used to do a ton of motocross racing. I never got into the whole racing bit with the big jumps and stuff as that just did not interest me but it is what got me hooked on riding in general.

So any suggestions on a good used beginners road bike to buy? There isn't much on Craig's list right now and I haven't checked ebay or the local classifieds in the past few days so I will have to see whats out there.

Hey blind what bike do you ride?
 
Death awaits you. As does that tree.
 
^^ no offense, but for christ sake, you are 16, what can you possibly know about the topic? Have you ever been on a motorcycle? I have been riding motorcycles in italian traffic for years, if you are awake and alert when you ride it is not more dangerous than anything else. Either way, the satisfaction more than outweighs the risk!

So any suggestions on a good used beginners road bike to buy? There isn't much on Craig's list right now and I haven't checked ebay or the local classifieds in the past few days so I will have to see whats out there.
Get a Suzuki GSX-R600/750, if you don't like sport bikes get a Honda Hornet 600/900 or a Ducati Monster, basically any modern 600cc bike is a excellent beginners bike, but since you like the Triumph I would suggest a naked bike with a bit of grunt....
 
Last edited:
...like the Suzuki SV650. Very friendly power/torque curve, naked, tough, but with enough power that you won't get bored with it right away. They're priced well, too.
 
I don't think I'd get a Speed Triple for a first bike; it's too fast and too expensive. But I highly recommend riding.



Okay mom ;).


Nothing wrong with that. But I'm surprised you'd want to do off road riding for all your fears. I thought it would be 'safer' off road too. Nope :lol:. Take Blind's advice; it's way more technical, especially if you go tearing through the woods like I do. I'd go so far as to say that, if you're looking to avoid injury (lots of minor ones at least) ride on the street. Personally, all I've done on the road is scrape up a leg. Off road, I've gotten more cuts and bruises than I care to think about, along with 2 broken fingers. Not to mention off roading is a hell of a lot harder on a bike.

Hm... Funny, seems like you guys got the wrong point, How many times do I have to repeat myself so you & the rest will know that the word "traffic" is the ONLY factor thats stopping me from getting a bike. Take the word traffic out and Im all for motorbikes, heck.. I think its delivers more of a rush than a car can ever offer. Im not avoiding injuries, but avoiding death on the bloody roads. Death doesnt happen on the race track as often as the road, simply because there arent enough fucking idiots on the track to make the experience lethal.

I couldnt give a flying fuck about the potential off roading hazards. The occasional bruises, scratches and a broken bone/finger or two is perfectly fine compared to be squished over by a truck, its part of the experience. I enjoy dangerous moments, and have done lots of dangerous things in the past that I consider to be reckless, so why would I want to avoid the risk of injury? But, if possible, I would like to be the one that makes a mistake when Im on a bike, not other people. Its always a different feeling when somebody else fuck up and gets you hurt in the process, not fun. Stones and chips? Fine. Scrapes and cuts? Doesnt bother me. Broken bone or two? Worth it. Getting run over by a truck thats driven by a drunk kaffir? Not fine.

As for your fun fact, thats the way how you live. You want an exiciting life that consists of dodging the traffic and retards on the road that cant drive, good for you, have fun. There are plenty of ways to get your adrenaline rushing and still get to live afterwards.

And British_Rover, sorry for turning your thread into a massive debate, not what I intended but I guess the way how I word my thoughts on getting a bike got a few fellow bikers a bit upset.

I've made my point clear. Seen and heard too many road accidents thats related to a bike, and most of the time its pretty severe, you asked us to talk you out of this, and Ive done my bit. Dont let the nay sayers stop you from getting a bike, but please be careful on the road. There are seriously too many fucking pricks out there who simply are not paying enough attention on the road.
 
Last edited:
If you like the Street Triple then why not buy a second hand Speed Four? OK it's missing the lovely 3-cylinder lump but the engine is still a peach. I don't know what prices are like over there but here you can get a Speed Four for about the same price and age as an SV650 or Bandit. It's on the top of my list if I can find one at the right price and can find someone selling a luggage rack (a necessary evil I'm afraid).

23453_0_1_2_speed%20four_Image%20credits%20-%20Triumph.jpg
 
Jeffy777 said:
I once had a gigantic June bug splatter directly on my visor while crusing along at about 80 MPH (You may not have June bugs in your area, but they are pretty big....Michigan June bugs can get larger than a bumble bee).
Oh yeah, we've got june bugs. I'd think taking one to the visor would be nearly as bad as getting popped in the face with gravel. I don't really do any highway riding, but last year I got hit in the chest with a locust. That was pretty foul :lol:. Maybe I will invest in full face helmet this summer. I think that will come after a proper riding jacket though.

Hm... Funny, seems like you guys got the wrong point, How many times do I have to repeat myself so you & the rest will know that the word "traffic" is the ONLY factor thats stopping me from getting a bike.
Who's missing the point? I get that you're scared of traffic, I was just saying that, as far as I'm concerned, you're more likely to get seriously fucked up riding off road. Broken fingers, cracked ribs and collar bones aren't a big deal until you realize that you're going to have to ride miles cross-country to get to a road, much less a hospital.
 
I will say this about riding bikes and dangers.

I've been riding and racing bikes for almost 36 years now (started at 5).

On the street I have seen 6 friends killed and another 5 significantly injured (i.e., injuries that will last a lifetime, not just 4-8 weeks -- that's a larger number)

In cars, I've seen one friend killed and 2 others significantly injured.

And the number of miles driven/operated by friends in cars is much, much higher.

Do not ever kid yourself -- riding on the streets is VASTLY more dangerous.

Steve
 
Lots of good suggestions in this thread and some not so good ones. I have to disagree with late 20s being a bad time to start riding or restart as is the case.

I think your late 20s to early 30s is the perfect time. You are old enough that you don't think you are invincible anymore and you most likely won't do nearly as much stupid shit. You also have plenty of time to get some good experience under your belt before you get too old and your reflexes slow down.

I'm 27 and I just bought my first proper bike.

So any suggestions on a good used beginners road bike to buy? There isn't much on Craig's list right now and I haven't checked ebay or the local classifieds in the past few days so I will have to see whats out there.

Hey blind what bike do you ride?


My first bike was a 500cc Honda Shadow (1986) which I sold when I moved out here to California. Last year I bought a 1982 Honda Magna 750 which is currently up for sale because I bought my dream bike, a 1994 Honda Magna 750.

This is "Maggie" before I put the saddlebags and supports on her:
6qiag1.jpg
 
Oh yeah, we've got june bugs. I'd think taking one to the visor would be nearly as bad as getting popped in the face with gravel. I don't really do any highway riding, but last year I got hit in the chest with a locust. That was pretty foul :lol:. Maybe I will invest in full face helmet this summer. I think that will come after a proper riding jacket though.


Who's missing the point? I get that you're scared of traffic, I was just saying that, as far as I'm concerned, you're more likely to get seriously fucked up riding off road. Broken fingers, cracked ribs and collar bones aren't a big deal until you realize that you're going to have to ride miles cross-country to get to a road, much less a hospital.

30min drive to the location, and its a closed, offroad circuit, takes just over 90secs to do a lap. So "ride miles cross-country to get to a road" thing does not apply in this case.
 
MadCow, we get it - you think bikes are dangerous and the mere thought of riding one on the road makes your balls shrivel to the size of raisins.

You have been going back and forth over the same ground you covered in your first post. You have zero experience with bikes of any kind, yet you are completely convinced that you are correct in your fear and that others should join you as you huddle quietly in the corner and rock yourself the sleep under a blanket. You have gone from expressing your opinion to just being an annoying troll. Kindly piss off if you have nothing else to contribute.
 
MadCow, we get it - you think bikes are dangerous and the mere thought of riding one on the road makes your balls shrivel to the size of raisins.

You have been going back and forth over the same ground you covered in your first post. You have zero experience with bikes of any kind, yet you are completely convinced that you are correct in your fear and that others should join you as you huddle quietly in the corner and rock yourself the sleep under a blanket. You have gone from expressing your opinion to just being an annoying troll. Kindly piss off if you have nothing else to contribute.

Hm.. allright. Going over back and forth? yeah maybe, but that was just the first two post, while the rest is all direct response to other people. Especially the off roading part, it has nothing to do with you, if you dont like it, then dont bloody read it. Nobody is forcing you to read my stuff, you can skip it if you dont like it.

And no, Im not convinced, which is why i said enlighten me in my one of the first few replies, but since you couldnt..... that pretty much explains how much faith you have with yourself.

And Ive already made it clear to British_Rover that dont give up on bikes just because the nay sayers are against it, but I guess you fail to read that either.

Stop acting like twat simply because i dont agree with you. :mad: I might not have all the biking experience, but Ive certainly seen a few accidents, and know the people that got hurt, enough for me to say about the dangerous part of using a bike as a daily commuting tool everyday.

This will be my last post in this thread, because all Ive done is fucking this thread up for British_Rover, and its not nice. Apologies from my side.
 
Top