Harley Davidson

[SmithSR]

Long live the TL1000!! My buddy had one, and despite what has been written about it, this bike is one of my favorites. Also, EVERYBODY I talk bikes with is saying good things about the SV650.

sixxdeuce: you might not want to go looking for a bike that has features that will make no noticeable difference on the street to a new rider. Sure, the Buell has some trick stuff, but this IMHO shouldn't be a deciding factor. Beginners should start very slowly and carefully with a good used bike, not a fast and flashy liter bike(gixer1000 for example). Riding on the street in traffic is an exercise in discipline, and not a place to go with a machine that you may or may not be able to handle.

[JESTER]

Dude, street riding will get you killed in a heart beat. You have to have the outlook, everyone is trying to kill me. And half of them are.

SV650 is the best all around bike on the market. THis should be everyones first bike. Even thou it was my third. Funnest bike I ever had. Lite, torqey, and extremly agile.

I loved mine. If I hadn't gotten the TL, I would have gotten a Bandit 1200. But I love the V-twins.

[SmithSR]

Dude, street riding will get you killed in a heart beat. You have to have the outlook, everyone is trying to kill me. And half of them are.

I couldn't agree more. New riders may not realize how dangerous most drivers are. My advice to new riders is beware of all minivans. Most minivan pilots are paying ZERO attention to the road and instead focusing on the 6 kids in the back who are fighting and throwing fries at each other.

[JESTER]

Werd. Dude got killed here two weeks ago. 18, had the bike for two days and had a 17 year old jeep driver turn left in front of him.

It seems like every week or so there is someone around here getting killed or messed up on a bike. It is far worse now than just a few years ago when I started riding. People will run you over. They can't see us you know. Must be the cloaking device Suzuki has installed on my bike prior to me buying them.

I have crashed three times and totalled two of the bikes. Including the SV. They were all my fault of course. Being stupid.

Flipped one bike. Low sided and high sided the SV. Still in pretty good shape but was totalled out by the insurance comp. The wrecks were no fault of the bike. I was riding beyond my skill level, and the road taught me a lesson. Problem is I am appearantly a slow learning. But at least I do heal fairly quick.

[SmithSR]

i'm told a good cold beer helps heal just about anything:bearchug

[JESTER]

Actually in my case, about six or seven help. I am more of a whisky drinker. Jim, Jack, and the turkey are my friends.

[89sxRCR]

i didnt see anyone saying anything about insurance but.. my bike insurance is wayyy cheaper than my car. i pay 150 for 6 months And i spend the time one wheel on the ground. Ever done a 1/4 in 10 flat, with the air whistling over your helmet? best feeling in the world long live bikes

[SmithSR]

:Werdand some youngins still dont get it that no matter what they do to their mom's honda accord, it will never outrun the typical sportbike.

[Tino]

The most notorius problem I see is kids, teenagers. Their driving along system up usually speeding and not always looking straight, driver(s) are stopped in front of you but your pretty much dreaming looking at something else, lighting a cig w/e and if theres a biker there stopped, he gets sandwhiched.

[Radian]

yeah Tino,It is always the cager that dosn't see you. I've been commuting to work on my bike for about 6 months here in San Fran. I was riding 50miles a day, and without fail I'd see atleast one accident a day. Lane splitting helps you to get out of the back of a traffic jam (most accidents are rear-enders from people talking on cell phones/shaving/eating/doing taxs)You need to pay mondo attention to what other people are doing around you.Here is a little anogram I made for myself (MSF teaches something similar)The Four S's Scan- keep your eyes moving, don't zone in on one thing, look as far down the road as possible (also the most important thing when raceing) Space -Leave a suitable amount of room between you and the car infront of you. Tailgaiting only kills people, it dosn't get them there faster.Surroundings - Keep an eye on what is behind you, the road conditions, your body position, engine revs/sounds ect.Smoothness -Smooth riders stay in control of their bikes.

I usually repeat this stuff to me while riding in trafic to keep me focused.Wooo!

[89sxRCR]

w3rd radian, finally a bike rider with sense

I took a 2 day long motorcycle safety class, and highly recomend it, it could save you life. Every time i ride my bike i play a game of "E and E" (escape and evade). Basically every car you see is trying to kill you or is unaware of you... you learn very defensive driving. I cant count the number of times i have avoided a suspicious car (drivers head doesnt move) only to have it sweep over into where i would have been if i hadnt been cautious.

[SilviaLuvr]

Harley Davidsons suck a$$. I had a 2000 Sportster 1200. Bought it new off the show room floor. They had it in the shop the two out of the first three months. sold the oil leaking POS and got me another Suzuki.

Dude, you said no Suzuk's or Kawa's. Are you nuts??? GSXR1000 top of the line super bike. ZX6R 636 kick butt middle weight. Kawasaki and Suzuki are the way to go. Honda and Yama's are good, too. I am just a Suzuki man.

Like some others have mentioned, get a Suzuki SV650. I had a 99 model and it is by far the best bang for the buck, and one of the funnest bikes out there. Also to have graced my garage was a 92 Katana 750, and my current bike the TL1000S.

So I am some what knowledgable on Suzuki's and V-twins, owned three of each. If you have any questions, fell free to ask.

what about the hybausa? i heard that they are sick bikes!

[JESTER]

Nice bikes. I like the Busa and ZX12R. But I would just have to top it out. And about the time I did, a deer would jump out in front of me.

An eight pointer at 190 miles an hour would be a bad thing.

[SmithSR]

I like the Busa and ZX12R. But I would just have to top it out.

been riding long? do you ride?I dont mean to hate on anyone here, but that statement is about the worst thing any rider could say. Sure, it would probably be fun and quite thrilling to go that fast, but if you did crash, you'd just be giving more ammo to the leftist government A$$wipes who want to regulate motorcycles and restrict power and speed capabilities of our bikes.

[Radian]

A bike as large and heavy as a busa is inevitably difficult to handle. They are fast in a straight line yes, but that isn't what riding a bike is about. Leaning into a corner and touching a peg down on occasion, that is were the thrill is. I'm thoughouly convinced anyone that buys a busa is really just looking for attention. To go fast you need skill, not a bigger engine. By the way, the difference in lap times between 600cc and 1000cc in the latest AMA Races is like 5 seconds-??NO ONE has any buisness going 200mph on the road, wanna do that, go to the salt flats. Better yet go to a race track and have some real fun.

[89sxRCR]

you do any racing, radian? I was in the local raccing club here for a while, took my class up at sears point and iv been in a couple events. Scary as hell. When you go over a little slope it feels like youve lost gravity...

[Radian]

Ooops!Totally got called on that one. No I havent, yet, but I'm working may way there. What club/class did you take? Size did you race?Are you close to SF? We could go for a ride sometime.Steve

[AZhitman]

I'll chime in here late...

I've owned several bikes... An 81 GS650 (great starter bike), an 84 Interceptor (slow but fun as hell), a Radian (think FZR600 w/o fairings) and a VMax (most evil thing on 2 wheels).

Rode an R6 recently after not being on a bike in 5 years. OMG. What a perfectly balanced toy THAT thing is. I was on one wheel 30 minutes after getting on it. Beautifully put-together bike.

I'm currently considering buying my buddy's 91 Nighthawk 750 with..... 1,100 miles on the odometer. It's been kept in the spare bedroom at his house since it was brand new and only ridden 10 or 12 times (back and forth to Tucson).

[lessthanjakejohn]

check this thread out:

in respect to cliff: http://www.nissaninfiniticlub....12145

[Radian]

I'll chime in here late...

I' a Radian (think FZR600 w/o fairings)

Azhitman,As my name would suggest I'm riding a radian right now. Have you checked out the yahoo radian board, good stuff.

[miteymax86]

wow, I'm gone for a couple days(server issues again, stupid Comcast) and this thread blows up. I'd just like to re-repeat everything that's been said again.1. Get a used bike2. Small is generally good (unless we enter the realm of the evil 2-stroke)3. V-twins kick major A$$!!!!4. What kind of riding you do really dictates what kind of bike you ride. Lots of city riding=something with lots of agility(not a cruiser) and power to change lanes in a hurry5. EVERYONE IS ALWAYS TRYING TO KILL YOU6. Yes, Harleys do hold their value better, but for your first bike it doesn't matter because at some point, your bike will be on the ground and you won't be on it.

[AZhitman]

Azhitman,As my name would suggest I'm riding a radian right now. Have you checked out the yahoo radian board, good stuff.

I wondered that when I saw you on here.

The Radian was a little small for my build (I'm 6'2"), but it's just a beautiful bike. I had the emblems removed from mine, with upgraded (wider) rear tire, and people were always asking what it was.

I miss that bike - Underrated for sure. Another good starter bike, wouldn't you agree?

[Radian]

Indeed, it is my first bike, and It has served me well for the 3+ years I've had it. I'm going to be moving on to a ducati in another year or so.What rear tire did you upgrade to? Some people have run 140s, but generally that causes the tire to bow and the contact patch is actaully reduced. Did you replace the whole swingarm?I've done quite a bit of work to mine, repainted it a dark green, replaced the fugly square headlight with an SV650 light (ahhh yeah), stainless bar, removed rear fender, generally just cosmetic stuff. I had it dynoed last month and it was pumping out around 57hp, with stock exhaust! The guy with the dyno put out around 54hp with a 4into1 and pod filters.Hurray for my radian!

[lessthanjakejohn]

who makes the radian? are they still being made?

[miteymax86]

Yamaha, and sadly, no. However, you can find good used ones for a song if you know where to look.

[lessthanjakejohn]

they were only made up to 90?

damn thats going to be hard

[AZhitman]

140 Metzeler w/ a modified arm.

[Repo Man]

cool bike

[sultan]

how about one of thesedefinately not a bike for a beginner!maybe you could get the frame and stuff the VH45DE in there!

[miteymax86]

Repo, that bike is BA, but not exactly in most beginning biker's price range. And for what you'd spend on it, you could have 2 330HP turbine-powered bikes that top out at 255mph. Now THAT'S A BIKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!