question for the bike riders?

[OreoPL]

hey i am looking into getting a bike. i dont know what to get. i have never ridin a bike before. 2 of my freinds just got bikes and neither of them had ever riddin before. one got a 2003 zx6r ninja the other got a 99 gsxr600. i dont know if those were the best starter bikes but i like them. what do you recommend for a starter bike. and were those bikes bad ideas for my friends. the one on the ninja is already hittin over 100 no problem after 3 weeks. the other one with the gsrx is afraid to go over 55 after 3 weeks she says it is really powerful. i just want the bike to look good and somethin to ride to work on. what are some good ideas to look at???

 

[OreoPL]

oh yeah and what are some good boards like this one for bikes???

 

[WarriorPL]

do you even have a license?

 

[Paulo]

Speed is certainly not an indicator of skill. No offense to your friend, but a trained chimp could do a 160 on any modern bike. It is the ability to handle the speed through the turns that makes you a better rider. I don't like 600s myself. I think an ideal first bike would be something like a Suzuki SV-650s or similar. More than enough power, but not all race spec. Less bodywork to get fucked up when you crash =p . My 98 Honda VTR1000 was my first real bike and it was a bit much at first, but I managed to get a handle on it.

As you may see, I like the V-twin sportbikes. They are narrow, have ultra-wide powerbands, sound totally bitchin' and are a little more unique. And you may notice that the V-twins are what win WSB consistently anyways. The inlines occasionally make it into the top three. Just remember that most of the bikes out there have more power and handling ability than 99 percent of the population could ever use. I am 205lbs (215 with riding gear on) and can't keep the front down while accelerating over half throttle. That should tell ya something.

Anyways, base your decision on comfort, and reputation of the bike model. You can take classes too that will hone your skills on the track. Which, even if you don't race, will make a big difference on the street. Oh yeah, remember that nobody sees you on the road, so always be on the defensive when riding in traffic.

Good luck,

Paulo

 

[Code]

Depends on what you're looking for.

Take a class first and foremost.

Ducati makes a 600cc which I have ridden and found a nice balance of power and agility.

Gsxr is a classic as is the CBR.

 

[OreoPL]

yeah my friend on the ninja scared me he looked shaky( i was following him in my truck). he jsut did not look smooth in the corners. no wizkid i dont have a liscene i am going to get one in the spring. i want to take the courses and then get a bike next spring but i wanted to start getting info early so i am well informed on what to expect. that is why i was looking for sport bike boards and what people on here though cause i know some of you ride.

 

[02gixxersix]

I ought my first bike last year and its 2002 gsxr 600 as you could probably guess. Great first bike. Ive ridde the R6 and F4 and an F4i. The gixxer is the only one i would ride and I will probably get a 1000 next year. It has the raciest feel of all the sixes, and its the nicest in my opinion. The honda is the most comfortable though.

 

[gtrcivic]

600cc is a good bike to start at...Have friends that are still convincing me after 2 yrs to get my license and get a bike...Take the Sat class that is offered at NOVA Loudoun campus. Good class and recommened by many. Friends have Honda 954 right now, but started off with 600cc, moved to 750cc, 929cc, now 954cc.

I just dont want to die yet.. thats why i won't get a bike...Its the cars you have to constantly worry about.. One mistake and it could be all over or be like Christopher Reeves

 

[Hengst]

man, every time i see the word Bike in the thread title I think it is going to be about BICYCLES and it always is about motorcycles.

LOL LOL LOL LOL

 

[Deterass]

hey i am looking into getting a bike. i dont know what to get. i have never ridin a bike before. 2 of my freinds just got bikes and neither of them had ever riddin before. one got a 2003 zx6r ninja the other got a 99 gsxr600. i dont know if those were the best starter bikes but i like them. what do you recommend for a starter bike. and were those bikes bad ideas for my friends. the one on the ninja is already hittin over 100 no problem after 3 weeks. the other one with the gsrx is afraid to go over 55 after 3 weeks she says it is really powerful. i just want the bike to look good and somethin to ride to work on. what are some good ideas to look at???

buy a harley! the performance is'nt like the crotch rockets but the reliability and resale value kicks ass.for example
a new ninja loaded 10,000.sell it in five years 5,000
a new harley fat boy 18,000.sell it in five years 15,000 or more.

you can build a harley motor to run with the japanese but the reliability falls.my last harley had a little over 100 hrp and 100 foot pounds torque. i used to eat crotch rockets up to about 120 mph but by then i was well ahead of them.

dont let anyone tell you they are oil leaking pieces of shit. they are way ahead of that . the evo motor has been out since 1985
and the harley motor is very reliable and you'll get more pussy!

 

[curling]

Re: Re: question for the bike riders?

buy a harley! the performance is'nt like the crotch rockets but the reliability and resale value kicks ass.for example
a new ninja loaded 10,000.sell it in five years 5,000
a new harley fat boy 18,000.sell it in five years 15,000 or more.

you can build a harley motor to run with the japanese but the reliability falls.my last harley had a little over 100 hrp and 100 foot pounds torque. i used to eat crotch rockets up to about 120 mph but by then i was well ahead of them.

dont let anyone tell you they are oil leaking pieces of shit. they are way ahead of that . the evo motor has been out since 1985
and the harley motor is very reliable and you'll get more pussy!

I agree with most of this post all except I would get a custom v twin instead.

 

[Paulo]

I have yet to have a Harley "eat" my sportbike. Not even any nibbles.

However, the man is right about resale value. Harleys are kinda cool, but they're no fun in the twisties.

Paul

 

[Mengy]

...However, the man is right about resale value. Harleys are kinda cool...

Paul

True story. I used to own a 1998 Wide Glide, I paid around $16500 for it new. In the summer of ‘98 it was stolen, and the insurance company gave me $17850 for it! It was enough to buy my current bike, a 1999 Wide Glide with the new 1450 cc engine, with a bundle of money left over. Harley’s do hold their value.

 

[gwl9dta4]

Re: Re: question for the bike riders?

you can build a harley motor to run with the japanese but the reliability falls.my last harley had a little over 100 hrp and 100 foot pounds torque. i used to eat crotch rockets up to about 120 mph but by then i was well ahead of them.

dont let anyone tell you they are oil leaking pieces of shit. they are way ahead of that . the evo motor has been out since 1985
and the harley motor is very reliable and you'll get more pussy!

Sorry it will never run with a crotch rocket as you put it. A sport bike cc for cc will eat a harley up and spit it out. My stock CBR1100xx made 165 HP and ren the 1/4 in 10.5 Show me a 1100cc harley do that and pull close to 100,000 miles with no rebuild. Don't get me wrong i like Harleys and want one, but only from the artistic, classic point of view. They have very unsafe in their tolerances of lean angles and have very bad braking systems that leave the rider high and dry. Their handling charasteristics leave a lot to be desired as well. You will know what i mean it you ride a Sport touring bike for a year, like a cbr1100xx. Harleys are beautifull bikes for bar hopping, parade duty and nice slow to medum speed cruising.


As the question at hand. Go take a MSF course NOW!!! You will not be sorry, trust me on this one. Then look into a suzuki SV 650 as someone suggested. It's MORE then enough. And staright line speed is nothing, it's when you scrape pegs in turns that you are getting good.

 

[Deterass]

Re: Re: Re: question for the bike riders?

Sorry it will never run with a crotch rocket as you put it. A sport bike cc for cc will eat a harley up and spit it out. My stock CBR1100xx made 165 HP and ren the 1/4 in 10.5 Show me a 1100cc harley do that and pull close to 100,000 miles with no rebuild. Don't get me wrong i like Harleys and want one, but only from the artistic, classic point of view. They have very unsafe in their tolerances of lean angles and have very bad braking systems that leave the rider high and dry. Their handling charasteristics leave a lot to be desired as well. You will know what i mean it you ride a Sport touring bike for a year, like a cbr1100xx. Harleys are beautifull bikes for bar hopping, parade duty and nice slow to medum speed cruising.


a 120 cubic inch v twin will dust an 1100 up to about a hundred on the street. you are talking about a 115 horse motor with 120 foot lbs of torque. the tourque is what bust ass off the line ,the crotch rockets have very low torque.

you are right about the handling of a harley is'nt that great but its fine at 85mph-95 mph. i rode my harley from TN to sturgis SD two times .thats 1,400 miles and i did 950 miles in one day.they are alot more comfortable then a crotch rocket.

 

[curling]

Re: Re: Re: Re: question for the bike riders?

S i rode my harley from TN to sturgis SD two times .thats 1,400 miles and i did 950 miles in one day.they are alot more comfortable then a crotch rocket.

No doubt crotch rockets are the most unconfortable riding bikes ever built. They are made for speed and cornering period.

Btw dude did you put 120 ci motor in your bike? Which one did you use if you did?

 

[02gixxersix]

Well ive ridden with those guys on Harleys with the engines replaced and tricked out or what not. They are very fast. In fact I was riding with 2 one day and they took off on me when I wasnt expecting it and it wasn't as easy as I thought it was gonna be to catch them. However all it took was a downshift and a nice twist of th throtttle. They will not take me up to 100. My bike does 0-60 in about 3 seconds. It also runs the 1/4 in 10.8. No big fat guy on a Harley is gonna touch me. Also why would you want a harley to go fast really? I ave no desire to take a 120 mph turn on a hog.