Opinions on Street Bikes?

shack

steveinaz wrote:

Shack-daddy, do you still have that Honda? That's gorgeous. I love the old standards.

Unfortunately no....I sold it and bought this one...



And unfortunately...that one was sold as well....when my girls were little and I didn't ride much anymore.

It was one helluva bike.

Strong Bad

I took the MSF riding course last year and got my license. I highly recommend going that route! You'll learn tons of safety tips that you'll use each and every time you climb aboard and take off.

Now, I had to have something with serious balls as my first bike! My 1584cc Harley Fat Bob! :biggrin:

exalted512

Strong Bad wrote: »

Now, I had to have something with serious balls as my first bike! My 1584cc Harley Fat Bob! :biggrin:

Dude...thats a 14 second bike on a good day. Same as our beloved ninja 250R.
-Cody

Amherst

exalted512 wrote: »

Dude...thats a 14 second bike on a good day. Same as our beloved ninja 250R.
-Cody

Dude...that's a 14 second bike at half throttle with two people on it, unlike a butterfly on a ninja on a good day!

There fixed it for ya.

Congrats SB on the beautiful piece of art with wheels :cool:

bobman1235

Unfortunately, 8 seconds into that 14 second acceleration the oil pan falls out and the thing dies, and you get a nice 30,000 dollar lawn ornament.

exalted512

bobman1235 wrote: »

Unfortunately, 8 seconds into that 14 second acceleration the oil pan falls out and the thing dies, and you get a nice 30,000 dollar lawn ornament.

Speaking of, snapped this beauty in my last trip to Vegas where this guys bike broke down on the strip. Its obvious to me he had no oil in the damn thing. If there was, you'd see it leaking


-Cody

Strong Bad

You sportbike guys are so worried with speed and 1/4 mile times, that you forget to sit back and just enjoy the ride. I took the MSF class on one of those 500cc Buells. I'm 6'2" and about 250lbs...that puny little sportbike was so damn uncomfortable and difficult to get adjusted on, that I had a hard time with it. I had to give it more gas than I thought to move my big ****. Once it got rolling, it was fine. I hate with a passion, those foot controls on sportbikes. My Fat Bob, It has the forward foot controls so I can stretch my legs out and sit back to enjoy the ride.

With 1584cc, it moves if I need it, but most of the time, I don't. You can have those uncomfortable sportbikes. I'll take my fat cruiser any day of the week!

exalted512

Strong Bad wrote: »

You sportbike guys are so worried with speed and 1/4 mile times, that you forget to sit back and just enjoy the ride. I took the MSF class on one of those 500cc Buells. I'm 6'2" and about 250lbs...that puny little sportbike was so damn uncomfortable and difficult to get adjusted on, that I had a hard time with it. I had to give it more gas than I thought to move my big ****. Once it got rolling, it was fine. I hate with a passion, those foot controls on sportbikes. My Fat Bob, It has the forward foot controls so I can stretch my legs out and sit back to enjoy the ride.

With 1584cc, it moves if I need it, but most of the time, I don't. You can have those uncomfortable sportbikes. I'll take my fat cruiser any day of the week!

That's what a sport bike is about...that's why people buy them. Enjoying the ride for me is leaning forward and going fast around the twisties. Different strokes for different folks.

There's also a sizable difference between the Buell Blast and a ninja 250, even with double the displacement, the Buell is a slower bike than the 250R. It's also just a POS in general, but thats besides the point.

I'm not in anyway 'hating' on cruiser style bikes. Everyone has what they like, absolutely nothing wrong with that...although I admit to taking the occasional jab at Harley riders

I just find it funny when I hear things like 'I bought a mans bike...a 1700cc *insert cruiser here*' thats not as quick as a ninja 500 and will get absolutely crushed in a drag race by a 600...not to mention not having half the maneuvering capability. Every time I hear that I'm on an organ donor machine while in a FULL face helmet, gloves, jacket, over pants and riding shoes by a **** bag in a brain bucket with fingerless gloves and assless chaps on a cruiser, I want to kick them in the balls so they dont have kids. Not to mention I can get out of the way quicker speed and cornering wise faster...not saying thats any of you guys, but its just one of my biggest pet peeves.
-Cody

bobman1235

Strong Bad wrote: »

You sportbike guys are so worried with speed and 1/4 mile times, that you forget to sit back and just enjoy the ride. I took the MSF class on one of those 500cc Buells. I'm 6'2" and about 250lbs...that puny little sportbike was so damn uncomfortable and difficult to get adjusted on, that I had a hard time with it. I had to give it more gas than I thought to move my big ****. Once it got rolling, it was fine. I hate with a passion, those foot controls on sportbikes. My Fat Bob, It has the forward foot controls so I can stretch my legs out and sit back to enjoy the ride.

With 1584cc, it moves if I need it, but most of the time, I don't. You can have those uncomfortable sportbikes. I'll take my fat cruiser any day of the week!

Just speaking for myself - I'm not a sportbike guy, and I ride a cruiser (a smaller Honda 750, but a cruiser nonetheless), but the OP asked about sportbikes. Obviously that's what interests him.

camp21178

Ricardo wrote: »

Buy a used smaller bike and spend some time learning. 250cc is perfect for that. Once you learn how to ride, sell it and go bigger.

This is exactly what the experts say. Learn to ride first! Then when you're comfortable riding, look for something bigger. The smaller bike will give you confidence and you will be able to sell it for almost as much as you paid for it.

billbillw

exalted512 wrote: »

Commuter or not, I dont want to be in the middle of nowhere on some back road with no cell phone service in the twisties and have the damn thing die on me. He was also talking about getting into sport bikes. Show me a $1000 sport bike and 99% of the time it's not reliable and been severely wrecked.
-Cody

I've seen plenty of older small displacement semi-sport bikes for $1000-$1500. Maybe not in March, April, or May, but outside of that peak price season. Heck, I bought two SVs in that price range, both were very nice and just needed minor work. Older VFRs, GS, Bandits, Secas, YZF Thunderbirds, can also fall in that range. Some need a little work, maybe some minor rash on the fairings, perhaps a carb cleaning tune-up/tires, chain, sprocket, but they are by no means unreliable. IMO, that is the perfect bike to learn on.

In ~20 years of riding, I've never had a Japanese bike leave me stranded anywhere, except one time when I ran my SV out of gas. Turned out the fuel level sensor was bad, but I didn't know it. I was purposely trying to see my max range, but didn't know the sensor was bad. Luckily, I was only a few blocks from a small gas station. Gassed her up, started up after about 20 seconds of cranking, and was fine after that. I bought a $20 replacement off Ebay and fixed it a few weeks later.

My opinion is that you shouldn't be riding unless you can do basic maintenance work on a motorcycle. Check tires, chain tension, brake fluid levels, check for loose nuts/bolts, etc. A pre-ride inspection will help avoid unexpected breakdowns.

My whole point is you shouldn't finance a first bike. Buy something you an pay cash for. After you learn and decide that riding is your way of life, then spend more and get a new bike if that's what you want.

BTW, here was a nice sport bike near me that went for $1500, just needed carb cleaning because the owner let it sit too long and probably didn't use Stabil in his gas.
http://www.georgiasportbike.com/showthread.php?6488-1996-Kawasaki-Zx-6-4574-miles-1800
And another that went for $800.
http://www.georgiasportbike.com/showthread.php?5397-1997-Suzuki-GS500

Patience and the willingness to put a little work in will get you a nice bike for under $1500. Just don't buy in April, May, June. I've seen some great deals in the late summer, fall, and of course, in the winter.

exalted512

Then you have to account for new tires more than likely, re-syncing carbs, all fluids need to be changed (coolant, oil, brakes, etc), valve clearances checked. The list goes on and on for a bike thats over 10 years old and I dont trust other people to have done that stuff unless they have documentation/receipts, etc.

I'd rather just spend some extra cash to start out with and not have to worry about it. But that's me. You might be the opposite.

I agree with you on you shouldnt finance your first bike...but I paid my first bike off in cash, and it was $3500.
-Cody

bobman1235

Haha, I had an '81 Yamaha XS850 that left me stranded all the time. that thing had so many problems....

steveinaz

shack wrote: »

Unfortunately no....I sold it and bought this one...



And unfortunately...that one was sold as well....when my girls were little and I didn't ride much anymore.

It was one helluva bike.

Beautiful! I bet you miss that pup. That thing is MINT.

billbillw

exalted512 wrote: »

Then you have to account for new tires more than likely, re-syncing carbs, all fluids need to be changed (coolant, oil, brakes, etc), valve clearances checked. The list goes on and on for a bike thats over 10 years old

You could probably say the same thing about a bike that is just a few years old and cost $3500. Unless a bike is newer than 1-2 years old, or coming from a dealership that serviced it prior to selling, it will need most of that done as well.

You should always plan on getting fluid service performed on to a bike when buying used from a private seller. Whether you do it yourself or pay someone. Almost nobody sells a bike that has been recently serviced. Valve adjustments are based on mileage, but of course, that should be considered when shopping around.

reeltrouble1

Once your grown-up, it's either a Harley or its not.

Started a bit before Shack on the CL-350, I seem to recall the CL-360 had better wires.......


RT1-Professional Scooter man, sans crotch rot. respect the ride.

bobman1235

reeltrouble1 wrote: »

Once your grown-up, it's either a Harley or its not.

I agree. I'ts either an overpriced noise machine Harley or a bike that is actually reliable and enjoyable to ride.

steveinaz

LOL...aside from the fatboy, harley hasn't built much that appeals to me. My favorite cruiser was my Yamaha Roadstar, 1600cc v-twin. Super comfortable, controls/floorboards were all perfectly laid out, and was respectable/fun in the twisties for a fat pig of a bike.

exalted512

<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/0nrMQ3QwyPo&quot; frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
-Cody

steveinaz

Ahhhh...the smell of scraping foot pegs. Trail-braking a Goldwing thru the twisties, that's some serious riding.

reeltrouble1

Cody,

Cant see the pic....restricted from just about everything these days....

Hey, did that nice looking, fun loving wife of your's kick you to the curb yet??? She might actually enjoy my two-up///////

RT1

billbillw

reeltrouble1 wrote: »

Cody,

Cant see the pic....restricted from just about everything these days....

Hey, did that nice looking, fun loving wife of your's kick you to the curb yet??? She might actually enjoy my two-up///////

RT1

Its a video of Yellow Wolf riding on Deals Gap ("Tail of the Dragon"). If I recall, he is a former racer. He was legendary around Deals Gap for riding his bright Yellow Goldwing (modified) up the Dragon faster than most full on sport bike riders could. He also did videos for riders. I read he is retired now.

Can you see this page?
http://www.motomadness.buddybrick.com/deals-gap/the-legend-that-is-yellow-wolf/

exalted512

reeltrouble1 wrote: »

Cody,

Cant see the pic....restricted from just about everything these days....

Hey, did that nice looking, fun loving wife of your's kick you to the curb yet??? She might actually enjoy my two-up///////

RT1

She does riding with me 2 up all the time. She loves it. She's been up to about 125 on the back
-Cody

exalted512

billbillw wrote: »

Its a video of Yellow Wolf riding on Deals Gap ("Tail of the Dragon"). If I recall, he is a former racer. He was legendary around Deals Gap for riding his bright Yellow Goldwing (modified) up the Dragon faster than most full on sport bike riders could. He also did videos for riders. I read he is retired now.

Can you see this page?
http://www.motomadness.buddybrick.com/deals-gap/the-legend-that-is-yellow-wolf/

He could kick my **** around deals gap...
-Cody

JimKellyfan

Here is a helmet safety standard link
http://www.smf.org/stds

I got broke in by running my uncle's Kawasaki Enduro, 175 it was.
And some other friends bikes along the way, until eventually I had a 750 Kaw, then a Yamaha 400, then a Honda 550 ?, then a Virago 700.
All either stand up straight or laid back bikes.

If you want to ride alone, I would suggest 800 or smaller as a first bike.

If you want to be comfy with the Mrs and are of a standard American citizen weight or greater and you should go 800 - 1100 for that.

If riding alone and 250 cc is what you want, then it should be easy to handle and maneuver.

You can always sell what you have and get another.
I have always bought and resold, and one occasion re-bought all of my bikes.
So, you want it, get it.
Be careful though.
I stuck to side highways and city streets, always hating getting blown by the big trucks, and just generally afraid of major highways.
I always had to avoid a wreck, every time on the bike, once I moved down here near Charlotte.
That's what made me sell and not return, although I miss riding dearly.
Ride safe !

JimKellyfan

steveinaz wrote: »

Ahhhh...the smell of scraping foot pegs. Trail-braking a Goldwing thru the twisties, that's some serious riding.

Got lucky on a few of those 2nd place effort and turns.

I remember my footpegs used to pick up the rear tire on some turns.

fun nervous moments.

my favorite was power shifting 0 - top speed as fast as possible on all my bikes.

the best was the Virago with big carb. jets and no mufflers, in the 3.5 second range on a zero to 60

PerfectCreature

So I went to the dealer today, they had a fair assortment, mostly Ninjas and Harely type bikes. I expressed I was interested in the Ninja 250, they would not let me test it or any bike for that matter....is that normal?
Even if I were certified and such, they said no bikes get tested period.
Anyway for a new Ninja 250 it would have been roughly $4700 out the door after taxes and I guess they get one shipped from the factory?
Anyway, they give a year warranty and it is an additional $600 if I want the extended 3 year warranty with the dealership....I was thinking about that if I bought new, it would be a great idea and would help resale out a ton!
Regular maintenance is included in that 3 year warranty all parts covered etc etc. So that seems like a very nice deal.
As for my hope to get some winter specials? That would be a no go, I guess they don't have them....since they are basically an order only dealer....(Rather small from what I saw) they just order the bike you want and at the end of the year ship back the floor room bike if it hasn't sold, kind of a downer....but whatever....
Anyway.
The safety course....is $350!!!!
Which is a **** load of cash for the course, much more then I expected....

bobman1235

I've never heard of a dealer allowing test rides. It's one of the big bummers about buying a bike; unless you know someone whose bike you can try out, you basically just have to go by reviews.

Too many people "test ride" them and wreck 'em. Squids.

PerfectCreature

Okay, I kind of figured that was the case, I mean not like a car you can't really drop it...
Anyway, how about the price of that course....would that be too much or? It is all done on Friday through Sunday.

billbillw

That's a normal price for a safety course. Worth it though. $350 could save your life. Have you looked at the courses that provide a bike for you to ride or one that you have to bring a bike? Also the norm for dealers not letting you test ride. Most private sellers won't let you test either unless you have cash in hand.

Still gotta say, a brand new bike for a squid is foolish. Buy something for cheap. Learn how to ride and work on them at the same time. After a few years, if you are still into riding, spend the big bucks. I still think used bikes are always a better buy though. With a little patience and a good eye for deals, you can usually find a bike that is hard to tell from new, but at half the price.

Also, you can run without collision coverage on an old cheap bike. Have you priced cycle insurance yet? Might be shocked.