About 6 months ago I picked up a 2006 Suzuki Katana 600, with 9,000 miles in great condition for $2900 after DMV. It is a great bike, it is longer (since I am 6'2") so it is stable and comfortable to ride. If you are a taller more built rider I would reccomend it. I love it.
Has anyone ever ridden in a side car? How about for an extended period of time (3+ hours)? I'm 6' 2" and having a hard time believing I'll fit easily into a friends sidecar which is mounted to a WW2 era BMW motorcycle. We'd be traveling to an old cycle/BMW meet and I refuse to ride bitch.
Today during my lunch hour I went to the bank and took the long way back to work. I have a normal route that I take that includes a curvy rural road and a 4-lane bypass where I can open it up a little. Apparently the rednecks in the pickup I passed were unhappy with me because they pointed me out to a cop. That cop happened to be behind me at a red light that I left in a hurry when it turned green. Who knew any local cops drove a Ford Explorer? He caught up with me at the next light and pulled me over. I took off my helmet and he asked me to slow it down a bit - never asked for my license or even ran my tag number. He said he only pulled me over because the people around him made a fuss. Being 40 on a sportbike gives you a little leeway with reasonable cops. I'd have gotten a nice ticket plus Georgia's new super speeder fine if I'd been 22.
Sidecar sucks. If you cant ride your own, at least put some foam or a pillow down. I hope you trust your buddy as you can be easily pitched if he screws up.
I just took my MSF Basic Rider Course this past weekend (great class by the way, if you're looking to get into riding I'd highly recommend it). Now, I need to find a bike. I'm going to be watching Craigslist and Cycle Trader for the next few months, since I've heard that it's good to buy a bike at the end of a season because there's a better and cheaper selection. I sat on a few bikes the other day at the store and decided that I the true supersport style isn't for me. I sat on a Honda 900 (Hornet I believe) that felt a lot better, but obviously I don't want a 900 for my first bike. I'm looking at sport tourers like the Yamaha FZ6 and Suzuki SV650, but I'm afraid that I'm missing a lot of bikes of the same style. Can anyone help me out here and tell me some other bikes I should keep an eye out for, if I like the more upright bikes? Thanks in advance. Can't wait to start riding.
The new supersports have very aggressive riding positions. You might look at an older one like the Honda CBR600F4i/F3 and Interceptor, or the Yamaha YZF600. They have more upright positions. Besides the two you mentioned, you should also check out the Kawasaki ER-6n and Ninja 650, the Honda 599 and Nighthawk 750 and Hawk (rare). Others that may interest you are the Kawasaki Versys, the Suzuki Gladius, GSX650F and Katana, and the Ducati Monster, but some people don't find the looks of those appealing. You might also find an '83-'85 Nighthawk 650, which was a reliable low-maintenance bike with shaft drive, electronic ignition, and hydraulic lifters. The Nighthawk S from the same era fits that description too. If you find a bike that looks interesting, Google it because there is probably a forum dedicated to it where you can find lots of info on it.
I don't know where else to post this but I thought it was really cool. Thought it was going to be a pic of me straddling a bike didn't ya? HA!
I'd like to ask you guys for some wisdom once again: About a week ago, I found a 2008 Ninja 500 on Craigslist, about 5 minutes from my house. It has 70 miles on it and the owner's asking price was $2500. I'm not the biggest Ninja 500 fan, but I thought that this was a very good deal. I set up a time to go see it with my friend, who knows a bit about mechanics and rides himself. She told me that earlier that day, she had left the keys at school about an hour away and all we'd be able to do was see the bike. So, we went and saw it, and I liked the way it felt: sporty, but not that uncomfortable supersport style. She also told me that she had ridden about 30 miles, decided that she didn't want to do it, and that the other ~35 miles on the bike were from her trusted friends taking the bike out to keep it going through the winter. It had been dropped once in a parking lot, but the only evidence was a few small scratches on one of the exhausts. She emailed me a few days later, after she got the keys, and told me that she couldn't get the bike started. She also said that a mechanic had inspected it and told her that it just needed its carburetors cleaned. I went again that night with my friend, choked it up, and it started. It wasn't running perfectly, but she hadn't started the bike in a month and it hadn't been ridden in a much longer time than that. I asked her to run it for 30-40 minutes that night and to let me know how it ran in the morning. As a result of the bike not running perfectly, she said she would take $2400 for it. I was ready to buy the thing on Saturday morning, and I went to a motorcycle store with my dad (I'm 20, but I'm getting no financial help with a bike from my parents) Friday afternoon to look at jackets, since I didn't have one. I found an awesome Spidi jacket that I loved, but it was pretty damn expensive. While the salesman went to check if he could do anything for the price for me, my dad looked at me and asked, "are you SURE you want a motorcycle?" And I didn't know how to answer him. Yes, I want one. But I've still never ridden one on the road. I have no idea if I'll love it or be scared to death. And the thought of all these accidents I've heard about, all these people who have gotten hurt or killed, seriously got to me. So I walked out of the store, told him and my mom that I wasn't going to buy a bike, and emailed the seller to tell her the same. Earlier today, she emailed me asking if I was sure that I didn't want the bike, since she had interest from other people but I was the first to ask about it. And honestly, I've agonized over this decision since I walked out of that store. It's killing me. I told her to give me the week to think about it because I wouldn't even be able to buy it until the weekend anyways. So I beseech you guys for any thoughts you have at all: What do you think about the deal for this particular bike? I've been told that this is one hell of a deal. What do you think about my desire to ride? Is it as scary as people might make it seem? Is it as dangerous as people make it seem? Should I keep my ass off of a motorcycle? Hell, even tell me your thoughts about riding gear. I was thinking of an Arai RX-Q helmet (I'm pretty sure this would be my helmet), and a Spidi Netwin jacket (expensive, but I loved the jacket. If anyone knows of a comparable product for cheaper I'd love to hear it). Sorry this has been such a long post, but I wanted to put my story out there. Thanks a ton, guys.
The bike seems like a good deal, *if* it's just the carbs that need cleaning. A ninja 500 is a great bike to learn on, and I always recommend a used bike to start with. That way when you drop it, you won't feel as bad. Gear: Higher end is usually better to a point (Arai makes a good helmet), but make sure it's all comfortable. It's not going to do you a bit of good if you hate wearing it and start leaving it at home. I would also recommend a good pair of riding boots. I know Sidi makes some that just go over the ankle so that you can still walk. Check out <a class="postlink" href="http://www.newenough.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">www.newenough.com</a> Great selection, pretty cheap and awesome customer service. As for your desire to ride... only you can answer that for yourself. I never recommend that anyone ride scared. Have you taken an MSF class? If not, check into it. Do you have a local motorcycle message board? If so, register and see if you can find some like minded people that are willing to take you under their wing. Motorcyclists tend to take care of their own, but be picky about who you decide to ride with. If you feel like they're unsafe (and many will be) then don't feel bad about not riding with them any more. My old group was really good about taking newbies who were willing to learn, and show them the ropes. Met some really good guys that way. Seat time, seat time, seat time. There is no substitute for experience. The more you ride, the better you'll get. Riding a motorcycle is more dangerous than driving in a car. That's a fact. But there are things you can do to help minimize the risk, like riding defensively. I know that riding a bike is dangerous, but life is an inherently dangerous thing. The smile I get when I'm riding has always been worth the risk that I've taken by doing so. That's how I feel about it. Only you can answer that question for yourself.
I will second what Tempest said above. I would highly recommend you take the MSF course before riding on the street. It will give you some seat time as well as make it much easier to obtain your license. If you find a local motorcyle forum, ask anyone if they have some used gear they may have outgrown. Leather jackets do not wear out, but people tend to outgrow them. It can save you some real cash. I would not do this with a helmet. I would always buy a brand new helmet. That bike sounded like a real nice deal. I think it would be a perfect second bike. For a first bike I would try and get something maybe not quite so nice looking. As a new rider you are going to do something stupid like forgetting to put down the kickstand while getting off the bike or putting your foot down in a puddle and dropping the bike. I hate scratching nice bikes like that. Best of luck.
There's a good chance that the only problem with that 500 is the carbs. I owned one of those bikes for several years and if I let it sit for more than a week or two without riding it I'd have to clean the carbs or it wouldn't run right. Cleaning the carbs is pretty easy. I'll also second (third?) the MSF course.
Thanks for the advice guys. And yes, I have taken the MSF Basic Rider Course. It was a great class and it got me on a motorcycle, but I've still never gone over like 25 miles per hour on one and I've never ridden on the road. I Googled all over the place and couldn't find any local motorcycle message boards or anything. Looking at jackets less expensive than a Spidi though, the Icon Contra caught my eye. Anyone have experience with Icon jackets? And as far as the bike goes, I was thinking that the carbs were probably the only problem because it's a Japanese motorcycle with 70 miles on it. It just hadn't been started or ridden. She said that it was running much better after letting it run for half an hour one night. I also looked up a guide on carb cleaning and I didn't know what to think. Is it easy enough that if I follow a guide I should be fine? (I don't have a ton of mechanical background, but I've done shit like replacing the window regulator in my Jeep without too many problems).
It may not even be the carbs but just some old nasty gasoline. I bought a bike several years ago that when I left the previous owners driveway I was wondering if I could keep it running for the 100 mile drive home. Lucky for me the bike was near empty, I put some new fuel in it, got on the freeway and within 30 miles it was running much better. I personally do not like Icon brand equipment. I find it pretty gimicky and think it has a cheap feel to it. I am also old as fuck and geezers do not like the styling that new riders do. A good friend of mine has a son that has crashed hard twice wearing Icon clothing and has come through it fine. That Ninja would probably work well for you for as long as you wanted it. I have seen people tour the western half of the United States on much smaller bikes than that without a problem. Be sure to keep a light hand on the throttle till you get used to the power.
I had a pair of Icon boots and they just didn't seem to stand up. I can't speak for the quality of the rest of their stuff, but what I had wasn't very good. You sound very nervous about riding a bike. Riding nervous or scared is never a good thing. You want to be aware of your surroundings, but not skittish. I'm not telling you to not get a bike or not to ride. I'm just saying that you probably need some more experience. Are there any lightly traveled back roads near you? I actually applaud your tentativeness, I wish I had been more like you when I bought my bike. I was the exact opposite.
If I get the bike, then it's going to stay home for a while (I go to school about 45 minutes away) while I ride backroads on the weekends to get more experience (I'll have to come home every weekend this semester to take EMT classes, so I will be home to ride). I've been told that I'd be able to sell this bike next season for more money than I would pay now, so even if I don't like riding, I think I'd do fine. But you're right, it's something that I don't have much experience with. My dad never rode and both my parents were (and still are) nervous at the idea. EDIT: I wanted to respond to something else you said. I asked my friend if he's ever scared on his bike (he regularly rides the beltway around DC) and he said that he's never really scared, but that he's paying attention to what's going on. I think I would probably be much the same, but just thinking about some of the situations that can happen seem scary while I'm not on a bike.
When I'm on my bike, I'm always expecting the drivers around me to do the stupidest thing I have ever seen. I expect every car at a stop sign to pull out in front of me without looking, and when I'm at a red light, I'm waiting for that car behind me to rear end me. I'm not saying I'm scared, I'm just wary and aware, and above all, prepared to take action. Riding has made me a much better driver. I'm so much more conscious of my surroundings. This isn't pertinent to you yet, but it's something to bear in mind as you gain more experience. You will eventually become very comfortable on your bike and be tempted to start pushing it. There's that period in which you become a little overconfident in your skills, and that's when most people go down. I never ride over 70% on the street, it's just not a good idea. You sound like you're going into this with a good mindset. I hope you get the bike and love it.
I've had my icon jacket for 5 years now. It's held up really well and I've been super happy with it and the brand. Just picked up a new pair of icon gloves last weekend. Now my alpinestar gloves I've been less than pleased with... Good choice on your first bike. Ride around in a big empty parking lot and practice your skills. If you do screw up and lay it down you're less likely to hit something than if you lay it down on a back road. Then go and take a track day. You'll learn more in 3hrs at the track than you can in a year on the street.
Hey guys, I'm another newbie interested in buying my first bike. Planning on taking the MSF course in the next month or so and hope to buy the bike ASAP after that. I've read through this whole thread but I still had some questions. - I'm looking for a standard/naked bike (though, I'm also open to some sport bikes), mostly I'll use it to ride around DC but I'd like to be able to drive to NY every once in a while also. Planning on buying used. I've never ridden before, would like something that I'll be happy with for maybe 2 years before trading up. I'm not big on cruisers or sport bikes, I'm not a speed-freak but I want something with good torque and would rather hold myself back than feel held back by the bike. With those needs stated, what would people suggest for a starter bike? - Does this look like a good deal to people? It's too early for me to buy a bike, but let's use it as a case study for what to keep in mind when assessing a good CL listing (that is most likely where I'll be buying my bike). (Second case study for anyone that wants to school me.) - Gear recommendations: I want gear that will be low-profile when I'm not riding, i.e. I'd like to be able to show up to class/work without advertising to everyone that I showed up on a motorcycle. Probably will just wear heavy denim jeans for pants, and keep my helmet locked to my bike. Beyond that, what leather jackets, boots that I can walk comfortably in, and other gear would people suggest? Besides helmet/jacket/boots, is there any other crucial gear I'll want to pick up? (Probably gloves since it will be getting cold soon anyway.) - Budget: My whole budget (excluding the MSF course) is about $3,500. I'd prefer to spend less but of course won't skimp out on safety. How much can I likely expect to pay for gear? I'm hoping to spend maybe $2,000 on the bike, is that a reasonable expectation or can I only find shit bikes at that price? - Am I right in assuming that Fall is a good time to buy a used bike? This thread is awesome and I've learned a lot by reading through it and doing follow-up research on points mentioned here. Thanks for posting all this information, hopefully I can join the ranks in a few months.