The General Motorbikers Discussion Thread

[zookiemike]

The scariest part of riding a bike is the people around you.

Got a flat today. so i fixed it in the AC.. I like being single sometimes.

 

[captain_70s]

One issue with the native UK small displacement bikes was that they were surprisingly heavy for their displacements and didn't actually handle, brake or turn all that well; this is why the small displacement Hondas and the like ate their lunch the world over.

Seriously, if you want to eventually ride something classic, start off with something like the Honda CG125 and once you get through the newbie period go get something else. Don't just say "because I can't buy a classic, I don't want to ride." You don't have to like your learner bike, just learn what it has to teach you. I did like my learner bike, but most people don't and can't get away from theirs fast enough.

Oh, don't me wrong, lack of classic Brit bikes isn't the reason I don't have bike. I also know they tend to be heavy and incredibly unreliable even when the were brand new, the Japanese bikes walk all over them.
I just spotted a bunch of Bantams on eBay that have come out of dry storage and I was reminded of my mate that had one.

I'm thinking of bikes again because I plan to move out of my parents place ASAP even if it kills me, and with the cost of accommodation a car is really too expensive. Bikes on the other hand I might be able to afford. I've always wanted to at least try it anyway, even if its just as a hobby at some point.

I just find the UK system of limiting to be stupid, where a 175cc that develops a wacking 7bhp is not allowed when a massive 10bhp 125cc is. The limit itself is too low anyway, as IMO it prepares you in no way for the day when you get a "proper" bike. Most of my bike riding mates always said upgrading from their 125s was a shock as you'd jump from 10bhp to 60bhp+, a completely different riding experience.

 

[Spectre]

I just find the UK system of limiting to be stupid, where a 175cc that develops a wacking 7bhp is not allowed when a massive 10bhp 125cc is. The limit itself is too low anyway, as IMO it prepares you in no way for the day when you get a "proper" bike. Most of my bike riding mates always said upgrading from their 125s was a shock as you'd jump from 10bhp to 60bhp+, a completely different riding experience.

Yes and no. I went from a 125 to a 450 to a 750 myself, but the little 125 taught me most of the necessary skills for competent pilotage. The main things are the increase in acceleration (and the immediately obvious need for better throttle modulation) and braking (you need more space for the heavier machine). Handling isn't completely different, just slower and less forgiving (as a general rule) the larger/heavier the bike.

What the UK, Euro and other limitations are trying to do is make sure you learn on a bike that is friendly and forgiving; the problem is that there's really no way to identify them in legislation - I can think of some bikes that are over the horsepower limits mentioned by others that would be ideal to learn on, and some below it that are just horrible choices. Same thing with the displacement limitations. There really isn't any good answer to that.

 

[Okaen]

I don't think 600cc sport bikes are girly at all. They will still beat everything on the road. The GSXR I owned had a 0-60 time of 3.1 seconds (at sea level with someone who is competent at the controls) there is nothing girly about that kind of insane power, with the handling and brakes to go along with them. Just my $0.02

 

[BlaRo]

Bikes are better than cars. Thought you knew this by now.

Spectre, the way you push this whole absolute "BIKES ARE BETTER THAN CARS, PERIOD" mentality makes me hate motorcycles.

 

[Spectre]

Spectre, the way you push this whole absolute "BIKES ARE BETTER THAN CARS, PERIOD" mentality makes me hate motorcycles.

Since you're a professional journalist now, I guess I have to use visual aids.

Also, noticed the title of the thread? It's the General Motorbikers Discussion Thread. Not the General Casual Motorbikers Who Take Three Years To Put Together A Single Easily Rebuilt Honda Motorcycle And Would Apparently Rather Drive A Car Instead Thread.

 

[captain_70s]

Spectre, the way you push this whole absolute "BIKES ARE BETTER THAN CARS, PERIOD" mentality makes me hate motorcycles.

If he really thought that surely there would be no reason for him to own several cars himself...

 

[TC]

As someone who likes bikes and regularly gets it in my head to look into buying one and getting my bike permit and all that, reading this thread usually sets me back to sticking with cars.

 

[zookiemike]

Whatever. I been toying with the idea of getting a bike and selling off my fullsize truck. I ride the c70(When i can) At least 100miles a day when its out.
I live on the out skirts of lansing. I ride the thing every where. I was on it for 8hrs one day just checking shit out. It's an awesome little city cruiser and has enough guts to get out of most peoples way till about 45mph

I hate weekend warriors. The fools with Harley jackets and other random bits of tasteless shit. I pack my woolrich parka and thats all i need. The leg shields do a good job for the most part in the rain. What really gets me is the lack of respect i get on the bike.. Yeah, its a small displacment bike, Its old as hell and looks it BUT why cant people see it has a place. The thing is history on wheels. I drove a fiat 500 that my dads friend owns last weekend. He restores Fiats and and Alfas. My dad and him Both had fiat 124 coupes back in the day and this dude loved my little honda. I also liked his 47 Jag type 4 And the 59 fiat multipla we went cruising in.
That was a cool day. Chasing the Multipla down in the new 500 was sweet. BUT! This dude knew about matchless. My dad had an old matchless. My uncle had a nortan 750 comando. I take pride in the history of cars and bikes. It's where i started.

Where are all the people that respect the heritage of bikes at. I stopped waving at bikers or whatever lately cause i dont get a wave back. Just because im riding this cool little honda? WTF is wrong with these yuppy fucks.

It's sad..

 

[pepitko]

Where are all the people that respect the heritage of bikes at. I stopped waving at bikers or whatever lately cause i dont get a wave back. Just because im riding this cool little honda? WTF is wrong with these yuppy fucks.

It's sad..

I also don't get waves back when riding my scooter sometimes, especially from bigger bikes. I think it is probably because bikers on larger bikes don't consider the smaller bikes and scooters to be "proper" bikes. Not that I mind too much, but it always feels nice when they do wave back.

I have been looking at upgrading my scooter to a bigger bike since the beginning of this year, but ended up losing my job, so the plans got delayed. I have one question though, when is a better time to buy a used bike, at the end or at the beginning of the season? Do price go down towards the end of the season? Because at the end of the season, bikers should be happy to get the bike of their hands at a lower price before the winter, so they don't have to store it and pay insurance and whatnot for several months. But when you buy it, you might not get a chance to ride it much before the winter comes and then you'll need to wait months before riding again. Or it really doesn't matter, any thoughts?

 

[Rossco]

Whatever. I been toying with the idea of getting a bike and selling off my fullsize truck. I ride the c70(When i can) At least 100miles a day when its out.
I live on the out skirts of lansing. I ride the thing every where. I was on it for 8hrs one day just checking shit out. It's an awesome little city cruiser and has enough guts to get out of most peoples way till about 45mph

I hate weekend warriors. The fools with Harley jackets and other random bits of tasteless shit. I pack my woolrich parka and thats all i need. The leg shields do a good job for the most part in the rain. What really gets me is the lack of respect i get on the bike.. Yeah, its a small displacment bike, Its old as hell and looks it BUT why cant people see it has a place. The thing is history on wheels. I drove a fiat 500 that my dads friend owns last weekend. He restores Fiats and and Alfas. My dad and him Both had fiat 124 coupes back in the day and this dude loved my little honda. I also liked his 47 Jag type 4 And the 59 fiat multipla we went cruising in.
That was a cool day. Chasing the Multipla down in the new 500 was sweet. BUT! This dude knew about matchless. My dad had an old matchless. My uncle had a nortan 750 comando. I take pride in the history of cars and bikes. It's where i started.

Where are all the people that respect the heritage of bikes at. I stopped waving at bikers or whatever lately cause i dont get a wave back. Just because im riding this cool little honda? WTF is wrong with these yuppy fucks.

It's sad..

I wave to scooter riders.

The idea of going bike only is not something I want to try while living up north. Not unless you have access to public transportation.

Sure the C70 may have decent wind protection, and you can always wear layers. I like to stretch my riding season as far as it can go too.....

.....but it can only go so far.

You see, the thing that stops me from riding during most of winter is traction.

Ever got a motorcycle stuck in snow? I have. (No, sorry I don't have pics of that)

It's not fun.

You could go ahead and get studded tires for the c70. I would try riding the c70 year-round if possible, but keep the truck if you really need it.

 

[Crazyjeeper]

As someone who likes bikes and regularly gets it in my head to look into buying one and getting my bike permit and all that, reading this thread usually sets me back to sticking with cars.

Bikes aren't better than cars period. They are a lot of fun, but I see mine as much more of a toy than serious transportation. I know I could kit it out with big bags and other mods to make it more practical but instead I bought an F150 for when I need some regular transportation. If you want a fun weekend toy, they are hard to beat.

 

[zookiemike]

You see, the thing that stops me from riding during most of winter is traction.

Ever got a motorcycle stuck in snow? I have. (No, sorry I don't have pics of that)

It's not fun.

You could go ahead and get studded tires for the c70. I would try riding the c70 year-round if possible, but keep the truck if you really need it.

I have the s10. Wich im driving to lower Illinois tomorrow..(Long story) just the dude next door wnats to give me a grand for the 94 gmc 1500 i have but dont really drive. The local Honda shop wants to give me $800 for the C70.. Idk man, that puts me close to a real nice used XL Or KLR.

And i wave to all bikers. I extend my hand out. Its cool when you get it back. Just to know, If that person is in a car, they will be looking out.

 

[Cryptopygia]

There's a dealer nearby that's selling a white 2006 VFR800 with ABS, and a black one (same year) without.

What's your take on them, Blind?

/Really wants to learn how to ride.
//Not going to be my first bike. That'll be a CBR250R or Ninja 250r...
///Just need to convince my parents to let me buy one. They're both EMS, so that may be difficult...

 

[Blind_Io]

That would be the 6th Generation VFR, it's a fine machine and very capable. It does have a quirk though, in that it has VTEC which swaps the cams around at about 5,600 rpm (I know it's in the 5K range, I forget the exact number). The problem I have with this is that such a switch is typically right when I am starting to power out of a corner and the last thing I want is a drop in power followed by a surge of power.

Now, that being said, I have met a ton of riders who have and love their 6th gen VFRs, but I have also met a ton of people who had the 5th gen (the one I have) and traded it for the 6th gen and regretted it. The 5th gen is a simple, bomb-proof design with a nice flat, even power delivery that is predictable and comfortable. By today's standards it's far too heavy and underpowered, but the only time I've felt wanting for power I was trying to keep up with a Ducati 1098. It is well balanced and easy to ride with a low center of gravity.

I finally got to give the new VFR1200 a spin today and it is a great machine. Larger than the 800-series bikes by a long shot, it is still well balanced and easy to handle. The particular one I rode had an aftermarket Leo Vince pipe and a tuned ECU. In 1st and 2nd the computer still retards the power below about 5,500 RPM, resulting in a surge of power in the first two gears. I don't know why they did this, but I don't like it.

Getting back to the VFRs you asked about, I would say take one for a spin and see how you like it. Compare the ABS to the non-ABS in terms of weight and make sure that it won't intrude into spirited riding. Those VFRs are good machines that are known for a long life, personally, I prefer the 5th generation -- but that is just my own opinion. If you like that year VFR then I would fully support you purchasing one. As with many things, it comes down to personal preference.

 

[Rossco]

I have the s10. Wich im driving to lower Illinois tomorrow..(Long story) just the dude next door wnats to give me a grand for the 94 gmc 1500 i have but dont really drive. The local Honda shop wants to give me $800 for the C70.. Idk man, that puts me close to a real nice used XL Or KLR.

To be honest if there was a bike to ride year-round, the KLR's and the XL's are hard to beat. Make sure you throw some TKC80's on them if you want to show them the white stuff.

They are also great bikes for those who are a bit tall. However, if you are on the shorter side, you may want to invest in some lowering links.

 

[Ryotsu]

Hey, I don't have enough cash to buy a supercar but I still want to go really fast. I don't need much luggage space, as most everything I usually carry will fit in a backpack. Can anyone help me?

No really, I'm looking to get into bikes, and wanted to know what would be a good one to start with. I didn't think it deserved it's own thread, so here it is. I was told something like a ninja 250 would be good, but I did some research and the zx 14 looks like a better bike. the 250 means it only has 250cc, where the zx 14 has about 1400cc, which is more. I would like something sporty, do you think it should be a sport, a supersport? How much engine? Any modal you have in mind for me? I should point out that I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing. I mean, I can ride a bicycle, but that's not really the same thing.

 

[Spectre]

Um, you should search upthread. You need to start out on something small and slow to learn how to ride - it is like NOTHING else you've ever done, riding a bicycle isn't even close.

Put it to you this way. This is a video of my 919 accelerating as hard as it can while still keeping the front wheel on the ground, I have to use a rolling start and weight forward to keep it down. 90mph is pretty much needle-straight-up on the left dial.

And the 919 is slow and slightly underpowered by modern open-classer/literbike standards. You screw up like a typical new rider does, you'll eat pavement in a hurry with that kind of power on tap, guaranteed. Or you'll be in the morgue.

Newbies do not start on anything larger than 500cc, as a general rule in my book. Smaller and lighter bikes are more agile, more forgiving and do not introduce massive power into the equation to complicate things or make the conclusion much worse. Also, as a newbie rider, you WILL drop your bike in the first six months worth of regular riding. Everyone does.

Keep in mind that "small and slow" still usually means "0-60 faster than most cars."

 

[zookiemike]

To be honest if there was a bike to ride year-round, the KLR's and the XL's are hard to beat. Make sure you throw some TKC80's on them if you want to show them the white stuff.

They are also great bikes for those who are a bit tall. However, if you are on the shorter side, you may want to invest in some lowering links.

I just went digging through the Old operating system i mirrored off my mac mini and found some pics of my old xr600. It was an 88 that i bought off a dude that used to ride it to work at gm about 40min away. He bought a sv650 to replace it. The dam thing was a beast to start. Kinda miss it...

Heres my Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/64767568@N00/
I have a truck for the snow. No year round nutty shit for me man .

 

[Ryotsu]

Would a ninja 250 get from 0 to 60 in under 5.4 seconds? I can't seem to find anything that looks like the bike version of caranddriver, so finding facts is a little tough. I know this has been discussed before, but everyone here knows what they're talking about. I don't even know who 'the big Japanese four' for bikes are. What are the positives and negatives for a first time user of a Ninja 250 or Honda... thing. Everything I need is probably here, only stretched out over 264 pages, and opinions very from person to person, and aren't targeted just at a new rider. Also, bikes that were being made when this thread started have rusted back in to the earth by now.

Neither Kawasaki nor Honda make a 500cc sport bike that I can see, It's either 250cc or 600cc. Who might make one?