The General Motorbikers Discussion Thread

[Spectre]

The General Motorbikers Discussion Thread

Most bike running costs are very low... Shouldn't have to cut much if anything, considering it can take a load off your car and reduce expenses there.

Also keep in mind that you will need to start with something small and cheap before you move on to your 'real' bike.

 

[KaJuN]

You people with your center stands!

They are extremely handy! Well, even though I can barely get my ginormous Triumph on its center stand. It's even harder when I'm trying to put it up on the turny-aroundy dolly that's a necessity because it's impossible to walk the bike down my driveway that could double as an Olympic downhill ski run.

That hill might come in handy soon though because the bike is broken; the sprag clutch has gone. Awesome. I really don't feel like dealing with it myself and the bike needs a new rear tire, chain & sprockets, and an MOT anyway so I'll let the almost-across-the-street shop handle it. Here's hoping I don't have to try and bump start it down my driveway when it goes in Tuesday.

 

[Spectre]

Been working on this POS for someone I know; just bringing it back from Suzuki after having the brake recall performed. Still has some work to be done to it mechanically. It's an '05 GSX-R750 - and yes, I'm putting it back together after some retard crashed it.

 

[shad_68]

So after figuring out how to jack up the XT to take both wheels off I went to work today. Took me about 45 minutes, so not too bad.
More infos and pics in my PYC thread.

 

[PelicanHazard]

Most bike running costs are very low... Shouldn't have to cut much if anything, considering it can take a load off your car and reduce expenses there.

Also keep in mind that you will need to start with something small and cheap before you move on to your 'real' bike.

I'm including insurance in the running costs, which I imagine may be somewhat detrimental as a 24yo single guy with no significant time on a bike. As for the bike itself, I was most likely going to go with a Honda Rebel or Suzuki GZ250, which appear every so often on my local Craigslist for less than $2k.

 

[Spectre]

If you have medical insurance from another source that will cover you no matter what, you can drop that from the bike insurance. Since most recommended starter bikes will cost less than your deductible you can usually drop theft and comprehensive as well. Just liability and uninsured (which is what is left) means you can get away with insurance costs of less than $150 per year.

 

[Blind_Io]

Before you do that, you had better check your medical insurance yearly and lifetime limits. A bad crash can cost deep into the hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical care alone, if you have a basic "catastrophic-only" plan or one with a high deductible, you could still be wiped out financially from a single crash with the deductible alone. I had well over $30,000 in medical expenses from my crash - and that was relatively minor with just a broken elbow. It took years to get the other driver's insurance to pay for my expenses and I ended up having to sue the other driver. Some plans will still require you to pay a percentage of your costs. Can you cover a $5,000 deductible and then 30% of your medical costs after that with a lifetime maximum of $500,000? 30% of $200,000 of emergency and followup surgery is $60,000. I don't know about you, but that would push me deep into bankruptcy.

 

[Spectre]

Hence the "if" part. I would think that one would want to check one's plans closely regardless.

 

[DanRoM]

So, the Honda dealership/garage made me an offer for two new tyres...

Spoiler

? 350. Just the tyres, work not included.

The tyres go for about ? 210 for the pair on the biggest German online tyre retailer.

Yeah.... no thank you.

Through a neighbour I have sourced a small garage that made me a much better offer. Will go there in a couple of days. Will even get a courtesy bike for free.

 

[DaHitch]

A bad crash can cost deep into the hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical care alone

Reading this makes me so glad I'm not American.

 

[Adamar]

But, you have so much freedom!

 

[Spectre]

Reading this makes me so glad I'm not American.

But, you have so much freedom!

Do you really want me to unload with a long diatribe about how, despite the 'free' healthcare Europe sucks ass, complete with citations and links? Because you know I can come up with one pretty damn fast.

No?

Then take it elsewhere. Now. We have other threads for that.

 

[PelicanHazard]

Before you do that, you had better check your medical insurance yearly and lifetime limits. A bad crash can cost deep into the hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical care alone, if you have a basic "catastrophic-only" plan or one with a high deductible, you could still be wiped out financially from a single crash with the deductible alone.

My deductible is relatively low, but so are the limits. I'll probably end up with some medical coverage on my bike policy to cover what my work plan won't. Now it's just a game of getting the money together for nice gear and a bike paid for in cash.

 

[Blind_Io]

Hence the "if" part. I would think that one would want to check one's plans closely regardless.

I just wanted to expand on your point, it is easy to get overwhelmed and just start looking at the monthly bottom line. You and I have both been in crashes and we know where some of the pitfalls lie.

 

[Spectre]

My deductible is relatively low, but so are the limits. I'll probably end up with some medical coverage on my bike policy to cover what my work plan won't. Now it's just a game of getting the money together for nice gear and a bike paid for in cash.

Should be able to do it for $1500-2500 including the bike and gear.

- - - Updated - - -

I just wanted to expand on your point, it is easy to get overwhelmed and just start looking at the monthly bottom line. You and I have both been in crashes and we know where some of the pitfalls lie.

True, and we both know I've been far luckier than I really should have been in my crashes (hail Soichiro, please continue to protect me ).

This is directed at Pelican in specific and whoever may read this later in the archives in general: Yeah, do carefully examine your coverages when looking to get into motorcycling carefully. You may discover that you were going to needlessly duplicate coverage (which is often the case, in which case you could save money) or you could find that you were going to have a gaping coverage hole.

Keep in mind that the major break points for newbies in the US on bike insurance is as follows in general:
25 years of age - moderate price drop
600cc and up, non cruiser/standard - big price hike
1000cc and up, non cruiser/standard/vintage - eyewateringly HUGE price hike

Once you have some experience/miles under your belt, your rates wlll go down.

I definitely do not recommend a cruiser as a first bike, but... If you are looking at entry level cruisers, I'd get this over that Rebel:
http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/mcy/4410577309.html

I'd really look at this: http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/mcy/4405572855.html

 

[Anesthesia]

Do you really want me to unload with a long diatribe about how, despite the 'free' healthcare Europe sucks ass, complete with citations and links? Because you know I can come up with one pretty damn fast.

No?

Then take it elsewhere. Now. We have other threads for that.

I'm gonna call your BS on this. For starters there is no such thing as free european health care. Every country does it their own way. Secondly, when you injure yourself in Fin you're not going to get raped with a six figure bill. Taxes pay for the most part. You end up with a small bill.

(E) Quick google on "us health care" provided pages and pages of articles about being mediocre or ina crisis. You can't possibly claim that your system that leaves a lot of ppl out is better than one that costs next to nothing and takes care of everyone.

sometimes you're so full of shit. Like the time you tried to teach Finns how to drive on snow.

 

[Spectre]

I'm gonna call your BS on this. For starters there is no such thing as free european health care. Every country does it their own way. Secondly, when you injure yourself in Fin you're not going to get raped with a six figure bill. Taxes pay for the most part. You end up with a small bill.

(E) Quick google on "us health care" provided pages and pages of articles about being mediocre or ina crisis. You can't possibly claim that your system that leaves a lot of ppl out is better than one that costs next to nothing and takes care of everyone.

sometimes you're so full of shit. Like the time you tried to teach Finns how to drive on snow.

Read the material you yourself quoted again. I didn't say 'European health care' as I am perfectly well aware that there is no continent-wide or even EU-wide system. I said that despite the so-called 'free healthcare' that those two were essentially referencing, I can come up with plenty of evidence that Europe (itself) sucks. Not just healthcare on that list, dude.

As for the snow thing - I was commenting, and people chose to blow it way out of proportion. Plus they assumed that the only places I ever lived never see snow. Yeah... I dunno, only been going to Park City, Utah and surrounds for work and winter vacation for about half my life now - and that's just for starters. Of course, Utah never gets snow, they never held a Winter Olympics there for that reason, and Blind_Io as a Utah resident has nice dry and warm winters where he can ride to work every single day.

Sometimes you're so full of shit it's unbelievable. Like now, when you post without reading.

 

[Anesthesia]

At least I'm not trying to be a know it all google-warrior. The snow example is just the(very brilliant) tip of the iceberg.

(E) I'm gonna stop this dirt throwing here since it'll lead nowhere.

 

[Spectre]

Anyway, to get back on the actual topic, here's a better pic of the POS 05 Gixxer 750 project I foolishly agreed to help someone else out with.

And here is Der Stig demonstrating a classic Gixxer rider pose, which may explain why they crash so much. :lol:

Now, humor aside, I'm actually kind of surprised by this bike. I never did check out the 00-05 GSX-R600s much and I'd not even sat on the 750 before taking this project on. (Only significant difference between the 04-05 600 and 750 is the engine, they share the frame and most essentials other than that.) While I've not appreciated some of the odd Suzuki engineering on the thing, the ergonomics on it are actually quite comfortable (for me) despite being emphatically a sportbike. Not too much weight on the wrists, not too much of a stretch fore and aft and the pegs are actually a decent height. Really surprising as past experience with earlier or later Gixxers was not particularly positive in this department.

Edit: It occurs to me that I should probably mention why I call it a POS. It's not for the design per se, but the guy who crashed it did a pretty thorough job of trashing the plastics, wheels, brakes, etc., etc. and it was more work than it was presented to me as being. One in good condition probably wouldn't be a POS.

 

[KaJuN]

That hill might come in handy soon though because the bike is broken; the sprag clutch has gone. Awesome. I really don't feel like dealing with it myself and the bike needs a new rear tire, chain & sprockets, and an MOT anyway so I'll let the almost-across-the-street shop handle it. Here's hoping I don't have to try and bump start it down my driveway when it goes in Tuesday.

The hill worked! Bump started in second gear and she fired right up. Now to prepare my anus for this repair bill.