Opinions on Street Bikes?

bobman1235

gdb wrote: »

You have your head up your tailpipe, HD earned a bunch faithful owner/riders due to being issued by the US Govt. during several wars, badge be damned. Load up a **** crotcher with gear or better yet, a sidecar, and head off across some battlefield, get back to us on how that goes.:biggrin:

Do the same with a modern Harley, tell me how it goes. It ain't the 40's anymore.

Do modern 'ya dudes' buy Hummers because they're "battle tested" too? Or just because they're douches? I think you can guess my answer.

PerfectCreature

Checked on class dates. The on in my area is in June....a bit away.....
Anyway, thanks for all the help.

jbooker82

Why is the front tire on asphalt and the rear tire on on dirt / gravel?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yX4nUhURAJg

gdb

bobman1235 wrote: »

Do the same with a modern Harley, tell me how it goes. It ain't the 40's anymore.

Do modern 'ya dudes' buy Hummers because they're "battle tested" too? Or just because they're douches? I think you can guess my answer.

No no, they're definitely douches.

gdb

BTW....I'm a BSA,Triumph,Royal Enfield afflictionado!:biggrin:(oil leaks AND bad electrics too)

PerfectCreature

jbooker82 wrote: »

Why is the front tire on asphalt and the rear tire on on dirt / gravel?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yX4nUhURAJg

That was kind of funny....

gdb

This one looks "nice".:cool: Panheads are purty!

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PerfectCreature

Holy thread revival batman!
Update, I purchased a CBR250 2012 with a warranty until 2017 this summer. I now have my license and have found much enjoyment in riding.

boston1450

Congrats. I take it you must have taken the course? Hope you get a better insurance quote. Shop around. Ive been riding for 30+ years & started on mini bike back in the early 70's. Then my first somewhat street bike with lights n blinkers was a 70's Honda 50 & many many since then. Love the fall cool air in my face. Be safe out there & watch 4 wheelers (cars/trucks). Ive learned one thing. Do the speed limit or less & seems to work well. Dont worry about the dumb a$$ on your a$$ they svck. Dont drink n get on it-as i have done. No good results there. Interesting thread. Enjoy your new ride

PerfectCreature

I took the basic course, which was text book only. That was $80. The full fledged course was $350. I skipped it and learned on my own. My insurance for just being a learner (I have not called in my motorcycle endorsement yet) was $300 for a full year, full coverage with $250 deductibles. I enjoy it quite a lot. I got a 250 to start with and think it was wise of me to do so.

jeremymarcinko

I agree, my wife learned to ride on a 250 ninja. The 250's are nice to start on, fun too

Oldmanind

shack wrote: »

This was my starter bike...a Honda CL360.



I rode it for several years. At the time I weighed in around 200 lbs (6'4"). Anything more powerful would have probably been "TOO MUCH". Just my personal experience

Had the same bike. Loved it!

jeremymarcinko

I learned to ride on a 1999 CCBR900RR just like this one. I traded my race modded 660 raptor for it, been in love with sport bikes ever since.

exalted512

Me instructing at Circuit of the Americas a couple months ago. Fun!

JimKellyfan

Depends on riding style and all. Me, I like the laid back style. I had a Virago last, and 4 bikes over all over my life span. Little blurry on memory. For dirt, I rode a KE100 and also a 175 (borrowed dirt bikes), liked the 175 better. For street, I had a range from my old 80 Yahaha 400 Special II to my hard starting Honda 72 CB450 to a 78 750 Kaw LTD and lastly my 84 Virago 700. (years are approximate, memory thing).
701. I would say the helmet needs to be certified by at least DOT, but there is a second certify on the helmet that would be a good idea, forget the other sanctioning body, but more is better here. I like Bell, but had some cheapies as well, as stupid as that sounds, but, they were all at least DOT. All of those bikes will fit a younger thinner me and my wife comfortably, but not now. You have to consider body sizes and be honest, otherwise, you will ride alone only, so not to talk in a higher voice from going over bumps from being on a tank riding. I would suggest dirt learning, as I had done, as dirt doesn't rash as bad as concrete or blacktop. I would guess that 9 out of 10 people drop the bike or go down at some point in there life, and I have dropped a few times, more in dirt when learning young. Me, I gave up bikes in 2000 or 2001, and was to get a boat instead, to which I have yet to get (think it's better to rent and give back there). Be safe and good luck. The reason I gave up riding was I was tired of going to work, a 7 mile journey, and avoiding at least a wreck every other day, as people seem to not see or hear ya. Another piece of advice, I had my mufflers out of my Virago, and bigger carb jets put in, so it was faster, but also louder than normal. The speed and the loudness come in handy for others to not treat you like a bug on the glass, so to say. If I were to buy one today, I would go used, as low as miles as I could get, and buy the biggest, newest used Virago I could afford, as I like the laid back style, but need more room for my fat bleep, and the wife too. Like that Liam Neeson movie Taken, Good Luck.

JimKellyfan

forgot, rode a 490 dirt too once and went over the handle bars on that one, powerbanding going faster and faster over two jumps, until I went so far, I hit the base of the second jump on a downward, precariously femur injuring down swing. Still fun though, but that was the last dirt experience for this equal opportunity human (hey ya'll, watch this), ha.

voltz

exalted512 wrote: »

Me instructing at Circuit of the Americas a couple months ago. Fun!

But do you ride it on the street ?

exalted512

voltz wrote: »

exalted512 wrote: »

Me instructing at Circuit of the Americas a couple months ago. Fun!

But do you ride it on the street ?

Not that one...haha. That one hasn't seen the street (other than below the trailer) in a couple years now. I have a ninja 650, little more ergonomically friendly, that does street duty. Unfortunately, it hasn't been ridden since June. I used to ride it everyday to work, but we moved out a little further and commute with the wife. It'd be a little difficult now since she's 8 months pregnant
-Cody

PerfectCreature

Man, I wish I could confidently go that low on my bike. It just isn't set up for that kind of lean.
So I have some bad news. I ended up dumping it about a week ago. I went out for one last ride before I had intended to store it and as I was going into a sharp turn, there was a car that was in the middle of the road going way to fast, and probably was using the entire road to avoid going into a ditch somewhere.
The entire left side needs to be replaced, I broke almost all the plastics on the left side, the mirror, the blinker, handle bar, clutch plate and assembly. Foot peg, and the mechanic I took it too for repairs (because my bank wouldn't let me do the repairs myself and offset the deductible) and my he thinks the forks may have been bent.

I ended up trashing all my gear, which is being replaced (perks of paying extra for accessory coverage) and only came out of it with a sprained ankle and bruised bone and pulled hamstring from the impact of sliding.

I feel I was very lucky and that the saftey course I took gave me a good upper hand in this incident as I was able to control the bike and safely let it down at a point where I feel I was able to minimize damage and make the best of the situation.

The even worse bad news is now my wife wants me to sell the bike even more

exalted512

I'm assuming the car didnt stop? Glad you're okay!
-Cody

PerfectCreature

Nope. The car did not stop, I honestly do not think that they even realized I went down. I am going to venture a guess that they really would not have cared anyway. There was a guy in a truck that stopped and waited for me to get going and followed behind me in case something happened like the bike died or what have you.
I will probably find out next week sometime if the bike is repairable. I mean, it should be as it is worth roughly $3100 for the bike itself, and I have the accessory coverage, so that adds on the cost of my intake, tune box, exhaust and Honda Care warranty. So that puts me at nearly $4500 payout for totaling the bike, and I have only used up $900 of that value. I am thinking I should be set.

jeremymarcinko

If the forks are damaged at all, it will be totaled. The same goes for the frame. How about uploading some pics. I am curious to see the extent of the damage. Glad your okay btw.

PerfectCreature

Sure, let me see if I can access them.
The inner fork springs were damaged some how. I was told the tree itself was fine.
I did not take a lot of very upclose photos as the adjuster did that for me.
As far as a new set of forks, springs etc etc it was $368 is what my insurance had paid me to have them replaced, the tree itself is fine from what my mechanic said.
He is actually getting it all back to new on Monday---so he says.
The fork springs were like $65 and the oil was like $15, the seal kit was about $85 and the rest was labor.
Anyway, here are photos of the damage.