Any Motorcyclists?

[Neognosis]

and we went riding, down by old man Johnson's farm.

You know, overcast days never turn me on, but something about the clouds and her mixed.


I bought my first bike in 2007. A 1980 Virago 750. Paid 600 dollars for it, it had 20K or so. I put another 20K on it, and sold it two years later for 750 dollars. It was not in the best shape, some rust and a leak, but I regret selling it and I would love to still have that bike.


I ride an Iron 883 now, which I love, but lately I have been thinking that I would also like something like a BMW f800 gt, something sporty, but with a more upright riding position and a fairing for the shoulder seasons.

 

[alpster]

My passion is for touring and my bike is a Honda GL1800 Goldwing. See you on the raod......



Ronnie

 

[Lesmore]

Been a motorcyclist since 1965. Have two currently. One I bought new in '78...a 1978 Yamaha SR 500 (big 4 stroke single) and the other I bought about 15 years ago.

It's a '67 Matchless GS 15 CS (Competition Spring) 750cc Scrambler. They were also known as Desert Sleds used for racing the US deserts. It has a 750cc Norton twin cylinder, sports cams, twin carbs, crankcase skid plate, short gearing, elongated front forks, Lyta aluminum gas tank with quick release cap...lot's more.

I've never been a cruiser (ie; Harleys)....but I'm well into my senior years right now and electric start, comfortable seat....is starting to look more appealing.

...Kick starting motorcycles is getting harder on my old hockey knees.

 

[Desertlifter]

Congrats, and good on you for taking a ride course. I've been riding all my life - my first bike trip was on a yamaha 650 special with my mom and dad from California to Washington. I was just over a year old. I ride mostly sportbikes now since I got into long distance riding - they just fit me better. Dad was a flat track rider and hill climbed, and I hill climbed and rode enduro.

$2k is at the extreme low end for a cruiser that isn't a basket case. For my money, if I were a noob and looking I would consider a ninjette. Great learner bikes, easy to handle, easy to maintain, actually fun to ride. Brand new they run just under $3k, so your price range fits. If you don't do a lot of freeway riding and are looking for a town/campus hauler, consider an enduro single. Cheap, easy to maintain, great in traffic. Yamaha XT225s are a great place to start.

 

[BZiel]

Forget what everyone else said....except for the rider safety course stuff.

Just find a 1993-95 Honda ST1100 and drive it until the wheels fall off.

You'll outdrive three Harley's and two other metric cruisers before you feel the need to move up to a ST1300.

 

[Cricket1]

Forget what everyone else said....except for the rider safety course stuff.

Just find a 1993-95 Honda ST1100 and drive it until the wheels fall off.

You'll outdrive three Harley's and two other metric cruisers before you feel the need to move up to a ST1300.

I've been riding since 1999, started on a 1985 Yamaha Maxim 700. Kind of a standard/ cruiser. Pretty good starter bike. I then went to a Triumph Sprint ST, which is a great sport touring bike. 955cc Triple. I'd say get a Ninja 250 or Ninja 500 or Suzuki SV 650 or Suzuki V-Strom 650. They should all be in your price range. They most likely will have been "pre dropped" so when you drop it, no big deal.

Bziel- I hope you were kidding about the ST1100. While it is a great touring bike, it is waaay to big and heavy for a new rider.

 

[BZiel]

I've been riding since 1999, started on a 1985 Yamaha Maxim 700. Kind of a standard/ cruiser. Pretty good starter bike. I then went to a Triumph Sprint ST, which is a great sport touring bike. 955cc Triple. I'd say get a Ninja 250 or Ninja 500 or Suzuki SV 650 or Suzuki V-Strom 650. They should all be in your price range. They most likely will have been "pre dropped" so when you drop it, no big deal.

Bziel- I hope you were kidding about the ST1100. While it is a great touring bike, it is waaay to big and heavy for a new rider.

Not kidding at all.

I'll never understand what all the "too big", "too heavy", "too much whatever..." stuff is all about...unless someone is a 125lb version of a man and can't right a toppled rig.

Any motorcycle, be it a YZ80 or a HD AE 105 can put you in a wheelchair real quick if you don't have your wits about you. After seeing a "new guy" launch a 250 Honda Shadow 75 feet in the air from a parking lot and a dirt hill, I have no doubts about this.

I'd much rather see a new rider on something that absolutely scares him into correct and proper driving than something he thinks he can just "own" from day one as a new rider. There is a "respect curve" that comes with driving something that is beyond your abilities...you learn real quick or, the consequences are fairly costly.

Besides, the ST100 is something that you can buy, drive, and own forever...for cheap. Mine now has 235,000 and still runs like the day I bought it. I've spent a total of $175 on repairs in the past 11 years.

BTW, I love the 955 Trip.

 

[Neognosis]

I'll never understand what all the "too big", "too heavy", "too much whatever..." stuff is all about...unless someone is a 125lb version of a man and can't right a toppled rig.

There is a skill involved in riding a large, heavy motorcycle at slow speed. This skill takes time to acquire, and is more difficult the smaller you are, and the larger your bike is.

I'd much rather see a new rider on something that absolutely scares him into correct and proper driving than something he thinks he can just "own" from day one as a new rider.

I disagree with your entire premise, and think it is faulty on several levels.
First, the kind of person who does not have a little fear on a bike just because it has small displacement is not going to behave any more sensible on a larger bike.
Second, "proper driving" is about riding defensively and making sound decisions based on experience and education. A larger bike does nothing to increase experience, which can only be had with time, or education.

What it does, though, is keeps the new, inexperience rider focused on trying to control the large bike. It keeps them focused on being gentle on the throttle so that they don't lose control. At the expense of paying more attention to things that can likely kill them, like traffic. It also is more difficult to learn how to corner a heavier or more powerful bike. Especially when a new rider is struggling with controlling the power and the weight, and not paying enough attention to traffic or looking for danger. A person cannot ride safely when they are not fully in control of their bike, and a smaller bike is easier to learn how to control.

It's not only my opinion, but the opinion of organizations that have studied this, like the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (note that they give classes on 250's, not large displacement bikes, and recommend starting with reasonable displacement) and the governments of several European and Asian countries, that require a new rider to put time in on a small displacement bike before being permitted to ride a larger bike. This is for a reason.


And again, I can go on my local craigslist and find at least three bikes I would choose as a beginning rider for under 2k, in running condition.

let's see... TO THE INTERNET!

'79 CB 750- 700 bucks
'80 Bobbed and chopped xs 1100: 1,000 bucks
'81 suzuki GS 1100 E: 950 bucks


These took me less than 3 minutes to find, and LOCALLY.

IMO, any one of those can be ridden and dropped until your heart is content, and you can spraypaint them, learn how to change oil and do routine maintenance, chop the fenders off, change out the bars, go all out and cafe-racer them out if you want. Then you can probably sell them in 2 years for what you bought for them, even after you have dropped it (and you probably will).

All that, and enough money left over to invest in a good helmet (get something made by the japanese, italians, or americans) and a good, armored, thick leather jacket and some raingear and gloves. If you are smart, you'll also get a pair of riding pants with armor. The first time your bike slides out from under you when you turn onto a bit of gravel, you'll thank me.


That's how I see it, that's what I did, and no regrets. You gotta do what you feel is right for you though.

 

[BigNickel]

^^

I know I weighed in earlier on the thread, but I'd just like to second Neognosis' post above.
Craigslist is not the be all end all of finding cheap, running bikes, but it certainly is a great place to start!

 

[lister]

I did forget to mention the drop factor. As a friend once said, get your new bike, take it out on the grass in you back yard and push it over, you may as well get it out of the way.

Worth remembering there are only two types of bikes in the world, thems that's been dropped and thems that's waiting to be dropped

 

[Eeyore]

Safely riding in traffic is difficult enough (especially in some of the major European cities). No reason to complicate that further by starting on a bike that is too much for your learner capabilities.

Maybe it is different in rural areas, or on long stretches of mostly empty roads. But I wouldn't want to send a learner through Amsterdam or Paris on a Pan European. You need all your attention for the crazy bicyclists, pedestrians, taxi drivers, and vans. Getting distracted by having to navigate your heavy bike around them is a bit too much for a learner.

There is a reason why allroads are so popular around here

 

[damhans]

neilyasno, Congrats on your new hobby!
My first bike (ok, only bike) is a 1982 CM250 my Father-in-law gave me. It only had 1000 miles on it when he gave it to me about 8 years ago. I was never able to find the time to take a class and get my endorsement until last year. So the bike sat unused until then. Now, of course, I wish I'd done it sooner. The bike now has 3500 miles on it. The bike is small and light and very easy to ride.
In my opinion, Honda motorcycles (used and new) are tough to beat value-wise.

 

[thebikingengineer]

neilyasno, Congrats on your new hobby!
My first bike (ok, only bike) is a 1982 CM250 my Father-in-law gave me. It only had 1000 miles on it when he gave it to me about 8 years ago. I was never able to find the time to take a class and get my endorsement until last year. So the bike sat unused until then. Now, of course, I wish I'd done it sooner. The bike now has 3500 miles on it. The bike is small and light and very easy to ride.
In my opinion, Honda motorcycles (used and new) are tough to beat value-wise.
View attachment 336727

Very Nice! I just sold my CM400C that I learned to ride on. It wasn't nearly as nice as your 250, but it got me around pretty well. I'm on bike #3 at this point, a Husqvarna TR650 Terra, which I absolutely love.

 

[neilyasno]

There is a skill involved in riding a large, heavy motorcycle at slow speed. This skill takes time to acquire, and is more difficult the smaller you are, and the larger your bike is.


I disagree with your entire premise, and think it is faulty on several levels.
First, the kind of person who does not have a little fear on a bike just because it has small displacement is not going to behave any more sensible on a larger bike.
Second, "proper driving" is about riding defensively and making sound decisions based on experience and education. A larger bike does nothing to increase experience, which can only be had with time, or education.

What it does, though, is keeps the new, inexperience rider focused on trying to control the large bike. It keeps them focused on being gentle on the throttle so that they don't lose control. At the expense of paying more attention to things that can likely kill them, like traffic. It also is more difficult to learn how to corner a heavier or more powerful bike. Especially when a new rider is struggling with controlling the power and the weight, and not paying enough attention to traffic or looking for danger. A person cannot ride safely when they are not fully in control of their bike, and a smaller bike is easier to learn how to control.

It's not only my opinion, but the opinion of organizations that have studied this, like the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (note that they give classes on 250's, not large displacement bikes, and recommend starting with reasonable displacement) and the governments of several European and Asian countries, that require a new rider to put time in on a small displacement bike before being permitted to ride a larger bike. This is for a reason.


And again, I can go on my local craigslist and find at least three bikes I would choose as a beginning rider for under 2k, in running condition.

let's see... TO THE INTERNET!

'79 CB 750- 700 bucks
'80 Bobbed and chopped xs 1100: 1,000 bucks
'81 suzuki GS 1100 E: 950 bucks


These took me less than 3 minutes to find, and LOCALLY.

IMO, any one of those can be ridden and dropped until your heart is content, and you can spraypaint them, learn how to change oil and do routine maintenance, chop the fenders off, change out the bars, go all out and cafe-racer them out if you want. Then you can probably sell them in 2 years for what you bought for them, even after you have dropped it (and you probably will).

All that, and enough money left over to invest in a good helmet (get something made by the japanese, italians, or americans) and a good, armored, thick leather jacket and some raingear and gloves. If you are smart, you'll also get a pair of riding pants with armor. The first time your bike slides out from under you when you turn onto a bit of gravel, you'll thank me.


That's how I see it, that's what I did, and no regrets. You gotta do what you feel is right for you though.

Thank you for your informative post. I am trying to take the safest route with the whole riding deal because I am very aware that motorcyclists makes the best organ donors. I'm rather jealous that there are so many decent bikes in your area. I do not know where you are, but I live in Northern New Jersey right near New York and all the prices are a lot higher than that. I have a few locals asking their friends to see if they want to dump something quick. I think I will just keep searching craigslist until something pops up. I found a few decent bikes online but shipping is a killer.

 

[Dewaine]

Start with a Honda 230L or something similar. The crashing is not quite as dangerous.

 

[Neognosis]

Cool, good luck with your search, safe riding!

 

[mastershake]

my 2004 zx10r has never been dropped. and i dread the day it happens especially with the custom paint on it. i try to be as careful as i can and dont park near anyone etc. but i know one day.....

 

[neilyasno]

my 2004 zx10r has never been dropped. and i dread the day it happens especially with the custom paint on it. i try to be as careful as i can and dont park near anyone etc. but i know one day.....

You know better... Pics or it didn't happen