Motorcycles

**azjoe** · 09-10-2007, 11:16 PM

Andrew,

If you haven't already, review Ilija's thread where he was preparing to get a bike... some relevant info there if I recall correctly. Lots of the members here ride, btw.

Have you considered renting a bike and going on a ride/taking a short trip as part of a group? This might give you a better feel for what it's all about. MC riding is (in my opinion) much more enjoyable if you have a group of friends that also enjoy the sport. And I think, in general, riding as a group is safer... you get a larger recognition factory from other drivers (ie, it's easier for other drivers to see 3 or 4 bikes coming down the road than one). So, if you don't already have friends that ride, make sure there's a local group you can join.

Once you have a bike, seek out different conditions and practice riding on them so you develop an "instinct" of how to handle various conditions. There's lots of obvious ones... wet roads, dirt/gravel/sandy roads, paved roads with sand/gravel or wet leaves on a curve, rain grooves on a concrete roadway, the old fashioned steel bridges with a steel mesh roadway, etc. And then there's always the odd stuff... like cattle gratings across rural roadways, or going off-road and riding in deep sand. Each of these presents a unique "surprise" when you're riding, so you want to be prepared before you have to hit them at speed.

Your choice of MC is ultimately your own. I've ridden Hondas, Nortons, and Yamahas and I owned at one time or another a Harley, a Triumph, a BSA, and a BMW. They were all excellent bikes, each in their own way. But because I like the comfort, quietness, and predictability of how it handles, my permanent steed for the past 35 years is BMW... but I won't claim a beemer is the best there is for beauty is always in the eye of the beholder

.

**cabo_sailor** · 09-13-2007, 08:08 PM

I too ride and will concur with all that's been said. My wife took a rider class and they provided 250cc bikes for training. She then spent $2500 for a used Suzuki Savage 650. She's dumped it ohh around two or three times. The last time it was for taking a curve too fast. I asked her if she wasn't glad she'd messed up a $2500 bike instead of a $20,000 bike.

Of course most of the really bad accidents are from being run over by drunks and little old ladies that can't see you.

For myself I ride a Yamaha V-Star 1100. I like the shaft drive and brand new it's half the price of a Harley. Not that I wouldn't drive a Harley - just don't have that kind of money. I've also had BMW and loved them. The only problem is I have short legs and don't like to do ballet dances at traffic lights.

ps. the wife is getting good enough that she is considering a bigger better bike. She loves the idea of a Harley Fat Boy with a lowering kit (she's 5'3")

Have fun and ride safe.

**FiReSTaRT** · 09-13-2007, 08:23 PM

Lowering the bike changes the way it handles. A friend of mine of the same height as your wife found out the hard way. Tell her to be extra careful.

**cabo_sailor** · 09-13-2007, 09:12 PM

Thanks FIReSTaRT.

I hadn't considered that. I guess she'll have to settle for a Softail Deluxe with a custom seat.

Str8_rzr,

The consensus seems to be:

1. Take the class (in Florida you take your class certificate to the DMV and they hand you a license - no additional testing ; besides it'll help on insurance)

2. Pick up a practice bike

3. When ready move up to the bike of choice. In the meanwhile keep picking brains for info.

The engine size IMO will not be too much of a factor but the overall weight of the bike will be when you start. A lighter bike will be more nimble than a heavy tour bike. I remember going from an old Honda 350 to a MotoGuzzi 1000 with no problem.

**Jimbo** · 09-13-2007, 10:02 PM

Sorry to bang on about them, but take a look and listen to this scrambler:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...60120996385771

**azjoe** · 09-13-2007, 10:29 PM

For me, above a certain point more cc's doesn't equal better bike. But I accept that to some it does. .. it all depends on what gives you satisfaction when riding.

It's like with with cars... do you want the thrill of a Hemi that will burn rubber at the light... or a mini-cooper S that will stick like glue on the curves... or something that will do both? Well, if you want a motorcycle that does wheelies and rockets away from the red light, then usually the more cc's the better. But if you are just interested in being able to go anywhere you want at a decent speed, something in the 500 or better range will do just fine. Either way you want the best handling bike you can afford.

For years I rode a 600cc bike... it would cruise all day at 85mph... up hill and down... with or w/o a passenger. I really don't know how fast it would go... I had it over 100 a couple times, but then I'd start thinking about flat tires and seagulls and such... and slow down

.

The seagull thing... one time I was riding and ahead of me a seagull took to flight, flapping and flapping as hard as it could, but it was coming straight at me down the center of the road and there was nowhere for me to go at the speed I was traveling. Now, a gull is not exactly a small bird... and running into one at 60mph would be like getting hit with a cannon ball and their beak could stab like a knife. I just ducked down behind the mini-windshield with my face pressed against the top of the tank, prepared for the hit and hoping for the best. Fortunately at the last instant it gained enough altitude to just graze the top of the windshield, leaving a bird $hit streak as a reminder of what could have been.

I often took that bike on weekend trips with a group of other riders... we might leave central NJ Friday night and pitch camp in NY, ride to the mountains of New Hampshire and camp Saturday night, return to NJ late Sunday. I didn't often carry a passenger, but I always had saddle bags full of camping necessities and a luggage rack piled high with a cooler full of food and a case of beer. The bigger cc bikes in the group could certainly outrun me on the straightaways... and often did, egos being what they are. But in the curves I always showed them who's boss since my bike handled extremely well, even with the load I was carrying.

**AntC** · 09-14-2007, 05:30 AM

Originally Posted by azjoe

For me, above a certain point more cc's doesn't equal better bike. But I accept that to some it does. .. it all depends on what gives you satisfaction when riding.

+1, I've owned bikes from 650cc (dual-sport) -1100cc (sportbike)and I had more fun and put more miles on the BMW F650GS than everything else combined. It'd easily do 80mph all day on flats/in mountains/etc., was very light, low center of gravity, comfortable, sipped gas and with all the niceties too (ABS, heated grips, etc.).

I was warned away from it as as being "underpowered" for someone my size (6'1 265) at the time. All a bunch of BS.... never felt it lacked power, hell its 1/4mi time is a little better than the Nissan 350z, and easily the most fun to ride for me. All the power it had was easily available in practical situations too unlike the sportbike in which everything after 2nd gear was beyond any legal limit (if you were keeping it in the sweet spot).

It was also a lot more maneuverable than my cruiser or sportbike in urban scenarios and easier to ride fast in the canyons. *sigh* I never should have sold that bike... if only it had depreciated faster and hadn't been worth so much. I will own another one of these days though.

Ant

**FiReSTaRT** · 09-14-2007, 12:56 PM

I just thought of another advantage to getting an SV650.. It's a very popular bike, so used ones should be easy to find at reasonable prices. As it was mentioned, chances are you will dump your ride once or twice (4 times in the first 3 weeks of riding my baby, none ever since). It's easier on your heart if you dump a bike that already has some "character"

**str8_razr** · 09-14-2007, 01:31 PM

AZJoe-
I am definitely more interested in a bike that handles very well, as opposed to one that is really fast, accelerates really fast, has the ability to do wheelies, etc. I am not going to test the power/speed of any bike I get. I can't imagine going over 80mph on the highway, and I'm quite sure I will be much closer to 55mph for a long while. Again, I am VERY conservative by nature when driving a car, let alone what I imagine I would do on an MC.

So, when you say something in the 500cc+ range would be good, would the 883cc of the lower end HD sportster exceed that range (I guess I'm asking how mann cc's the "+" implies)?

Another poster pointed out that it's more the weight of the bike than the cc's that are important in regards to being able to handle it. The sporster weighs about 580 lbs (the HD touring bikes weigh around 780), and the low end Suzuki Boulevard S40 weighs about 360 lbs., for sake of comparison. Again, I'm about 6'1", 205 lbs., and pretty strong.

I know at the MSF course offered at HD, you learn on a Buell Blast, which I believe is 500cc... sounds like that's the perfect bike to serve as a foundation.

thanks again...
Andrew

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