Do you have a motorbike?

[scspook]

Yamaha XVSa 650cc V-Star

[fdiron]

Motorcycles are like helicopters- sooner or later you are going to crash and die.

[blkmgc]

76 KZ 900 Dual sport. And a 1970 honda 100 CC 4 stroke enduro. I think I ride the honda more...with my collapsable fly rod straped to the back rack.

[BGBMAW]

RA..thats funny..nice pick w/ gay guy lookn at his bike ...lolololl

BGBMAW

[SKurj]

One thing... a first bike SHOULDN't be a racer bike... why?

Cuz all that plastic costs thousands to replace if it falls over, with or without u on it


SKurj

[JoeDirt]

Originally posted by SKurj
One thing... a first bike SHOULDN't be a racer bike... why?

Cuz all that plastic costs thousands to replace if it falls over, with or without u on it


SKurj

so um....dont let it fall over?

[Maverick]

Originally posted by JoeDirt



so um....dont let it fall over?

People who really ride know that no matter how good you are. No matter what kind of bike you have you still have to ride with the others on the roads. Some of them are q-tips, others are oblivious and some actually think it's cool to race on public roads. Either one will kill you in a heartbeat. You have to ride as if everyone else on the road is out to get you, frequently, they are. It doesn't matter if they meant it or not, you'll still be the one that lost the contest between motorcycle and larger vehicle. I rode professionally and won awards for skill in Police rodeo's. It took 12 and a half years but I still got tagged. Fortunately the result wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been.

If you ride, get training and then get freaking paranoid becuase they ARE out to get you.

[senna]

.

[Swoop]

Originally posted by JoeDirt


lol if i crash do you really think im going to live?

Mate, everybody crashes.  If you dont have a crash in your first few years of biking then when you do it'll be a big one.  

I've been riding 12 years, crashed maybe 6 times on the road in the first 4 years with no lasting effects.  Crashed on the track several times and got a pin holding my elbow together that throbs when we're gonna get snow.

See, if you dont have a few minor crashes (slides, high sides, cars pulling out on ya) then you dont get used to avoiding toejame like this and will go on getting more and more over confident until you run a red light at 90mph and become a hood ornament on the Greyhound to Tulsa.


Buy something cheap, crappy and slow (but not too slow) for your 1st bike.  Something that you can slide down the road, pick up again and carry on without having to stick too many bits back on with tape.

See, it's like learning the guitar.  Learn on some old accoustic heap of crap that twangs like a bastard when you dont get it perfect......then when you move to the $5000 electric guitar you'll be playing it like Clapton and think it's really easy.  If ya do it the other way around then you'll get used to the ease with which you can get a decent note of the electric and make a complete tit of yourself when a pretty girl asks you to play her accoustic.  It's the same with bikes, if you can ride a 250 superdream and actually keep up with a combine harvestor then when you move to the Ninja you'll already be an expert.  Do it the other way around and you wont be ready for the slides, shakes, frame flexes and stuff that kills bikers.

My personal bikes:

Honda C70 moped.   Damn thing had a sticky choke so would only run for 10 mins.
Kawasaki AR80.  Top speed 65mph....on a good day, with a tail wind, down hill.
Suzuki RGV250.  2 cyl 2 stroke.  1 side seized on me while doing 100mph on the motorway (what Brits call a freeway).  
Kawasaki ZXR400.  Put a carbon fiber exhaust on this, black screen, purple hand grips, re jetted and it went 150mph.  Then some bastard stole it.
Yamaha YZF-R6.  No mods yet, it'll do 165mph out of the crate.  That'll do fine for me thanks. (raced a Ferrari 355 towards Amsterdam - I won).

Ridden loads more race bikes (and crashed em).

Swoop

[Roscoroo]

currently in garage my 82 XJ 1100, 360 Bultaco Pursang, and a RD 350 .  At work theres a RZ250 (yes a full blown race bike),3 honda 600 flat trackers (various frames Champion,Woods .,ect ) GXSR 750, GXR 1100, A yamaha Drag bike.  baskets of the nasty Z-1 kawasikies . and all sorts of odd stuff,
i have also rebuilt alot of bikes that have been wrecked .

For the doner bike i recommend a GXSR 750 Suzuki (its the best balanced bike ive ever ridden of that type ,and  id put any beginner on one , the Ducati's are also great bikes (stay away from the big bikes) u might think its cool to have a 900+ but most of these will get u in trouble .they have various rakes to their forks and  handling changes a hell of alot at different speeds/power settings. its to much to learn for a new rider .
 For a crusier  well they all have good and bad points depends on ur pocket $$.

a great bike for learning on  is the older 250- 550 honda's/med street bikes , or a  good enduro w/ a 4 stroke, the 800 intruders arnt bad either ,most of these types can be bought used for less then 1000.00 here in the US
 Ive got over 70,000 street miles in traffic on bikes and ive only had to lay down 2 x's on the street . in the dirt/track is a diffent matter.

My best suggestion over all is always wear leathers/jeans  and a helmet,  dont just hop on in shorts and run to the store , Take a bike riding course to .(alot of places have classes at your local race track and  dealerships have a bullitin board w/ local riding clinics going on )

If you cant pick the bike up you shouldnt be learning on it !

[airspro]

Roscoroo : What year is the RD 350 ? I had a brand new 1972 350 Yamaha a long time ago Orange and black it was . Alot of nice memories are left though , seeing you had a 350 brought back some of them

[SKurj]

Originally posted by JoeDirt



so um....dont let it fall over?

+)  Well lets put it to you this way Joe...

A bike is much smaller than a car.  One of the most common bike accident is when a car pulls across in front of you.  The driver doesn't notice you coming and bang! your over the bars...

It may not be your fault.. but you will drop a bike, maybe more than once.  It may not be so dramatic of course.  Some bikes do not have very stable stands.  Mebbe one day u will forget to put the stand down +)

Trust me +)  people who have never dropped a bike, never touched one


SKurj

[senna]

.

[Doberman]

Originally posted by Swoop



Mate, everybody crashes.  If you dont have a crash in your first few years of biking then when you do it'll be a big one.  

I've been riding 12 years, crashed maybe 6 times on the road in the first 4 years with no lasting effects.  Crashed on the track several times and got a pin holding my elbow together that throbs when we're gonna get snow.

See, if you dont have a few minor crashes (slides, high sides, cars pulling out on ya) then you dont get used to avoiding toejame like this and will go on getting more and more over confident until you run a red light at 90mph and become a hood ornament on the Greyhound to Tulsa.

 

What a load of horse toejam.  I HATE the fact that so many guys do their best to convince new riders that they're gonna crash.  Nothing like scaring the hell outta people to get 'em riding.

There's absolutely no reason you'll ever have to crash if you're intelligent and responsible.  I've been riding for a decade and a half without a crash and am no more likely to crash today than I was on day 1.  Quite  a bit less likely, in fact.  I ride intelligently and within my limits, both on and off the track.  I am aware of what's going on around me and am observant of other motorists.  

Sure, if you're stupid, you're likely to crash.  But there's certainly nothing that states "a lack of crashing makes you stupid."  

Which isn't to say that one shouldn't always be prepared to crash.  

My current bikes:



'93 Honda CBR 900rr.   '89 Suzuki Katana 600 w/GSXR 750 motor.  '78 Kawasaki KZ650.

[Doberman]

Originally posted by Roscoroo


My best suggestion over all is always wear leathers/jeans  and a helmet,  dont just hop on in shorts and run to the store , Take a bike riding course to .(alot of places have classes at your local race track and  dealerships have a bullitin board w/ local riding clinics going on )

 

A beginning riders course should be made mandatory.

You ever seen any tests done regarding the safety factor of jeans?  Neglidgable.  Abrasion testing on asphalt, they lasted about a foot before they wore through.  Of course the tiny bit of protection that they provide is better than nothing, but don't convince yourself that jeans offer any sorta real protection in a crash.  

D