Buying a motorcycle

[Koshin]

Thanks for the help! Hopefully my Dad will be open minded to some of these suggestions and not just set his mind on a BMW. I go to get my motorcycle permit in a few days, wish me luck.

no prollem dood

good luck with the permit and s***...

yeah, hopefully your dad uses his head when purchasing...just becasue he likes BM's doent make it the best choice for a newer rider...nothing wrong with them other than what I mentioned above...the Japanese stuff is just superior in my book, but Im more than a little partial

the only BM Ive evr owned was an old school cafe racer and they are a handful of bike to own...just hard to locate parts and such, they are all like that to a certain extent...and pricey as well

good luck buddy...be safe and use your noggin son!

[ScrapMetal]

You can, you just need to change out the handlebar risers. My friend did it to his old triumph. The risers he installed actually mounted in the OEM position and the bars can be rotated up or down and everywhere in between.

I've been dying for one, been seeing a few on craigslist in my area for about $2,000 in really good condition. I just don't even have $2K to spend on a bike right now.

Maybe next year.

Rich(Koshin) is currently building a CB500 beast, how's that coming along Rich?

[Mr1der]

I'd like to find a decent GS750 for a starter bike...they're pretty damn hard to tear up.

[rc1honda]

. Those bikes are more of a sport touring so you're sitting up more than hunched over as in a race bike like a 600RR or 650 Ninja These type of bikes are hell on your wrists and back in regards of long distance or extended riding.

I never understand why people say this. I have ridden a lot of bikes. Harleys, Triumphs, a lot the big 4 Jap bikes. And i have never been more afaid for my life then when riding on the freeway on a bike that has a upright seating position.

The center of graity feels ao out of whack and like the wind is going to undercut. And going over a pothole at 70mph is downright terrifying to me on a crusier.

Sport tourers are not as bad as straight cruisers. But I feel the most comfortable on a superbike with a corbin seat. They are just so much more stable.

[ScrapMetal]

I never understand why people say this. I have ridden a lot of bikes. Harleys, Triumphs, a lot the big 4 Jap bikes. And i have never been more afaid for my life then when riding on the freeway on a bike that has a upright seating position.

The center of graity feels ao out of whack and like the wind is going to undercut. And going over a pothole at 70mph is downright terrifying to me on a crusier.

Sport tourers are not as bad as straight cruisers. But I feel the most comfortable on a superbike with a corbin seat. They are just so much more stable.

He's talking about extended riding periods. It's a given that on a bike with a more upright seating position that the wind is going to be a pain in the a**, but these modern sport bikes are just a killer on your body after an hour or more of riding.

Whatever floats your boat though. If I'm going on a interstate trip, I don't want to be on a ZX6R.

[rc1honda]

Yeah i can understand the wrist thing. I not that tall so i never had any back problems while riding. But the throttle can kill the wrist on sportbike on a road trip. I had to buy a bolt on cruise control on road trip once. My wrist just couldn't take the weight while twisting the throttle anymore.

[ScrapMetal]

I read an article in a sport bike magazine pertaining to this. It suggested that you try and hold most of your weight with your legs instead of on your wrists. I'm guessing you'd need to have some pretty athletic legs to do this. I've wanted to give it a try but I haven't ridden in over a year.

[Dire91]

UPDATE: I got my permit woohoo!!! But moving on, the bike I have set my mind on is an 04-05 GSXR 600 and so I have looked at a few and talked to a couple owners. From what I hear it's a good beginner bike, lightweight stable etc... The problem I've run into is my Dad wants to get a cruiser instead, he said "it would be easier to learn on, plus all of the sportbikes owners I've talked to have crashed going to fast." Due to how aggressive sportsbikes look I assume people believe they are more dangerous then other bikes, but to me you can get killed on either one so what if the sportsbike has quicker acceleration. I don't know how to get him to change his mind, since he was raised on cruisers and all his friends were he believes I should take the same road.

[snwbrdr435]

I did a 10am-10pm trip on my bike over the summer stopped to get gas lunch and dinner. My back was fine.

[krazydriver]

UPDATE: I got my permit woohoo!!! But moving on, the bike I have set my mind on is an 04-05 GSXR 600 and so I have looked at a few and talked to a couple owners. From what I hear it's a good beginner bike, lightweight stable etc...

a GSXR is NOT a good starter bike.

[Koshin]

I did a 10am-10pm trip on my bike over the summer stopped to get gas lunch and dinner. My back was fine.

you tell lies fool!

UPDATE: I got my permit woohoo!!! But moving on, the bike I have set my mind on is an 04-05 GSXR 600 and so I have looked at a few and talked to a couple owners. From what I hear it's a good beginner bike, lightweight stable etc... The problem I've run into is my Dad wants to get a cruiser instead, he said "it would be easier to learn on, plus all of the sportbikes owners I've talked to have crashed going to fast." Due to how aggressive sportsbikes look I assume people believe they are more dangerous then other bikes, but to me you can get killed on either one so what if the sportsbike has quicker acceleration. I don't know how to get him to change his mind, since he was raised on cruisers and all his friends were he believes I should take the same road.

sportbikes handle much better and are way easier to control than cruiser bikes...

the reason sportbikes get wrecked is becasue of the squids riding them...riding motor bikes is a calculated risk bro, its the single most dangerous thing youll ever do...

I find it very unfotunate that the most liberating activity known to man is so dangerous...thats why I race and dont ride on the street

just my 2 cents

[sldewyz]

yea take riches advice hes quite the gear head when it comes to bikes for sure. idk how many times ive asked him about bikes and what to look for and what to get hes helped out. i still gotta come up and see ur shop lol

im personally a fan of the yamaha's r6 series. im looking for a 99-02 year for next summer.

rich...honest question whens the best time of a year to get a bike...ive heard winter time becuase people dont use um and are more willing to let it go...correct me if im wrong

[Koshin]

right now is THE best time to buy a bike...

Ive got an '01 R6 at the shop that would do you right....the paint is gay, but it runs well

id sell it for 3 stacks...hella clean

[sldewyz]

pretty damn interested....specs and pics if u have them available. only thing is id need to do a pyament plan i dont have cash in hand.

[Koshin]

Ill text you some pics tomorrow if I even make it in becasue of the snow and s***....

its not bad...I almost wadded it up in the parking lot becasue of snow the other day after a test ride around the block...it slid so far out on me I dont know how it didnt spin completely around...it was funny and then I realized it was all on video haha

I wasnt scared but it made me pucker up a bit

[ScrapMetal]

a GSXR is NOT a good starter bike.

so what if the sportsbike has quicker acceleration.

For a beginner, it's all about how forgiving a bike is. There's a big difference between a 100+HP inline 4 that revs past 15 grand, and a 75HP V-twin that revs to 9 grand. It's the difference between a 15 year old kid with a learners permit learning to drive in a Corolla, or learning to drive in a Corvette Z06. I'm not saying all newbies are irresponsible. I know a guy that learned on a GSXR 600 and still rides the same bike today. But that's just one guy compared to the many newbies that have seriously busted their a** or have even killed themselves on 600cc sport bikes.

If it's the aggressive look of the Gixxer you like, I have "read" that some SV650 owners swap over the GSXR fairings onto their SV650s. From what I've read it takes a bit of work to get it to fit right. Or if you have some imagination, you could turn the SV650 into a real looker.

This bike belongs to a member on svrider.com



I would rather ride around town in that than any old Gixxer 600 any day.

Whatever you do, just be safe and don't do stupid s***.

[Koshin]

that particular SV650 has 07 GSX-R750 front forks and rear shock...

we built a bike earily similar last season that was nasty...a lot of fun to ride

well played and thought out post Pedro...

[ScrapMetal]

Thank you Rich.

Wish I had the money to build an SV like that one.

[sldewyz]

Ill text you some pics tomorrow if I even make it in becasue of the snow and s***....

its not bad...I almost wadded it up in the parking lot becasue of snow the other day after a test ride around the block...it slid so far out on me I dont know how it didnt spin completely around...it was funny and then I realized it was all on video haha

I wasnt scared but it made me pucker up a bit

sounds good man hell if the roads dont get too bad tomorrow i might just actually get around to stoppin in and seein wats up there but ill let you know tomorrow what my plans are lookin like.

[Veriest1]

I did a 10am-10pm trip on my bike over the summer stopped to get gas lunch and dinner. My back was fine.

The longest I ever went on my CBR was about 3 1/2 hours... and my back was killing me afterwards. It was a fun bike but a 600RR is a bit much for a persons first bike. And, obviously, the other bikes in and around its class are too.

My next bike will probably be a DRZ400 with two sets of wheels.





It's not the fastest on or off road but it will get you places (any place really) and should make an excellent bike to learn on. If you eventually "upgrade" to a more purpose built bike you'll probably still keep it too.

Edit: Did I mention it's K.I.S.S. simple?
Modified by Veriest1 at 2:36 AM 1/7/2010

[Koshin]

I used to own a DR-SM...built to a 505cc with HotCams, it was nasty

there is a SuperMoto track about a half an hour from my house in Indy....

..what year is your M3? please dont say its an E30 chassis

if it is, I hate you

[Dire91]

I'm not really into off road, my friend is and has a nice dirt bike but that really isn't for me. Well I'm here for two more weeks to look at bikes, I don't think we are getting one until spring seeing how you can't ride on the northeast during winter. I'm still lost on what I want but thanks for all the advice. My dad wants a cruiser so "I can't push myself like I can on a sports bike." I want a GSXR 600 or Ninja 250/650 or SV650, one of those three, my father is looking into a Suzuki S40.

[Koshin]

S40 (SAvage 650) is junk....lame a** bike IMO

get a 600cc supersport or something comperable in power to that...youll be fine as long a youre not a moron until you learn the machine a lil bit

thats the biggest mistake in the riding world...people think becasue they rode a bike for a week they are Ben Spies, whih just IS NOT the case...

EVER

[Dire91]

Thanks for all the help Koshin! f*** I really want to be able to ride asap, stupid winter weather.

[sldewyz]

S40 (SAvage 650) is junk....lame a** bike IMO

get a 600cc supersport or something comperable in power to that...youll be fine as long a youre not a moron until you learn the machine a lil bit

thats the biggest mistake in the riding world...people think becasue they rode a bike for a week they are Ben Spies, whih just IS NOT the case...

EVER

as soon as i get on a new bike jason brittain aint got anything over me!!! im the best! lol

[Veriest1]

I used to own a DR-SM...built to a 505cc with HotCams, it was nasty

there is a SuperMoto track about a half an hour from my house in Indy....

..what year is your M3? please dont say its an E30 chassis

if it is, I hate you

No. If it were an e30 M3 it'd be stock and mint. Mine is a '96.

Is Thumper Talk the best forum for these bikes? I've been lurking over there for a couple of years now.

I'm not really into off road, my friend is and has a nice dirt bike but that really isn't for me.

That's why you would go with the "SM" model. Notice the tires in the first pic I posted. Those things can really get it through the twisties and are cheap to fix when you kiss asphalt. I wouldn't rule them out as a first bike just because some models have dirt tires and are ridden off road.

[HashiriyaS14]

Everything Koshin has said has been gold.

I had an 08 250R for awhile and they're tons of fun, and you won't be tempted to go 150mph on it. Unless you have a highway commute, I'd definitely recommend one.

Honestly, I'd never commute on a sportbike anyway. Too much shifting in awful DC traffic. The Ruckus is only tolerable because it's twist-and-go and also because I can just hop on the sidewalk and go around shxt.

[Koshin]

No worries boys....just listen to Uncle Rich when it comes to two wheels

[Dittoz7]

I Posted A Awesome Picture, All Of Your Arguments Are Invalid.

Ducati Streetfighter FTMFW!

[Urabus GodofTraction]

get a 600cc supersport or something comperable in power to that...youll be fine as long a youre not a moron until you learn the machine a lil bitEVER

No way, no how would I recommend a modern 600 supersport to a new rider. Now, a early to mid 90s model, yeah, I'd sign off on that.

I love my SV650. Great bike, and thinner than those cookiecutter I-4s. And when I get bored of it, swapping on GSXR suspension goodies is pretty damn easy.