I've never ridden a motorcycle before, but I have recently become absolutely enamored with them for some reason to the point that I'm ready to go and buy a http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1045/1332744127_43a7740405.jpg. There's something about the whole idea. A small compact transportation method, incredible gas mileage, interesting maintenance, cheap compared to cars. I'm going to have to look into lessons, getting a license, mandatory safety courses.

So who here rides motorcycles? Any favorites, or maybe advice for a beginner? :happy:

I don't ride motorcycles its too dangerous.

I love motorcycles. My favorites being http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triumph_Bonneville. Royal Enfield is great too :thumbsup: I'd like to own a Bullet myself someday. Military of course. Although I like the C5 Classic too.




I bet you don't drive cars or walk anywhere either :rolleyes:

Yep I travel around in a Panzerkampfwagen VIII Maus and always wear a full body armor.

I have a http://media.onsugar.com/files/2010/12/51/2/1263/12639885/78/suzuki-gs-500-ld.jpg (mine's the same colour, but with different mirrors). I'd prefer the http://images03.olx.com/ui/1/43/35/f_703835_1.jpg, but the naked is a little cheaper and fairings cost hundreds of dollars if you break them :confused:, and I picked it up when I'd only been riding for half a year. Its currently sitting at my uncle's place in NSW because I was interstate when all that flooding and heavy rain was happening. It'll be a little while before I can get back up there and bring it home. I miss it .

Thinking I might switch to a http://media.onsugar.com/files/2011/01/01/3/1248/12484938/74/2010-Suzuki-VStrom650SEAABSTouringf-small.jpg when my licensing restrictions end (law here limit the power you're allowed to have for the first fifteen months or so). It'd better fit my size and be more flexible.


I highly recommend riding a few different bikes before you decide on one. That way you can get a better feel for what fits you, and thus help you choose one which will make you happy.

EDIT: Also, get decent gear. Allow about a thousand dollars for it. Preferable a good helmet, pants, jacket, boots (shoelaces getting caught in things is not good, and boot coming off when you do is even worse), and gloves. Most important are the gloves and helmet, and it is essential that they fit you properly*. For the jacket and pants, quality synthetics will be fine for road speeds (and a little more, even). The textile gloves I've tried didn't work out so well, they started coming apart after a month or two of normal use. Berik produces some good stuff at comparatively low prices (I have a pair of gloves from them, and am quite satisfied).

*A helmet, for example, should be as tight as possible without causing soreness/headaches, and should be tight at all points of your head (different brands/models have different internal shapes, as do heads).

EDIT2: Have a read through Keith Code's http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/book/9780965045025/A-Twist-of-the-Wrist-Basics-of-High-performance-Motor-Cycle-Riding-v.2 some time, it has a lot of useful bit an pieces in it. For example, if you start sliding, its almost always best to just relax, keep the throttle steady, and let the bike sort itself out.

Nice choice, although not something you would want as your first bike. Enfields are rather temperamental, more so than the Japanese bikes they used to make in the 80s. That being said, Hondas are a good starter bike. Easy upkeep and hardly any mechanical problems. Enfield parts will be hard to come by, in the States. Even in Australia, there really is only the one dealership so be prepared for that.

Otherwise, remember AYGATT - All Your Gear, All The Time. They don't call them donorcycles for just [censored] and giggles.

Riding motorcycles can be very potentially dangerous...especially for a beginner. It's not so much your ability as a rider; it's other motorists. You absolutely have to ride defensively. You have to assume that the car preparing to turn left in front of you doesn't see you and will turn in front of you and you need to always be prepared for that possibility. I've been riding for a while, and if there is a long way around town I will take that way. I like to avoid traffic and prefer long country roads.
Again, riding defensively is absolutely necessary.....but......there is only one thing that I'm absolutely petrified with the thought of.....

I ride a http://www.flickr.com/photos/25411109@N05/2614794364/#/photos/25411109@N05/2614794364/lightbox/.
I like Indians, Triumphs, Royal Enfields, BSA, BMW, Moto Guzzi; V-Twins like Victory are OK, most V-Twin customs (especially "bobbers"), although show type "trailer queens" aren't my thing, but I respect show bike builders............and wouldn't give you two cents for any kind of Crotch Rocket....or Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, etc.
Vespa scooters and other similar contraptions are in with the 'hipster' crowd...but meh....Vespa's are kinda cool, but not my thing.

And when you're driving a car during motorcycle season.....use your eyes.

Have you ever seen The World's Fastest Indian? Great movie


As far as scooters go, I like the http://www.honda-motorcycles.info/model_pics/2008-Honda-Ruckus.jpg. Otherwise, I'm no Mod.

I mean no offense in my post above, Samildanach....everybody has choices for their own reasons. You understand that. I'm old, that's all. I would die on one of those things.

@Lucky, World's Fastest Indian is one of my favorite movies.

No offence taken . Everyone has different tastes -- cruisers leave me completely cold, for example, and I'm interested in dabbling in the dirt side of things. I'm also not interested in thousand cc supersports sports (pretty as they may be), just too uncomfortable and there's no way to safely/legally use them on roads and get anywhere near their potential. The GS500 has a nice amount of power; enough to satisfy and be safe, but still be quite easy to manage.

Motards are the ones to be really worried about, though. They come with free sense-limiters .

I've heard that a lot actually, and I know that it would be a horrible idea to go get a bike like the Bullet without any experience. I also don't know if I'd like a 500cc bike starting out anyways. If I can find one on craigslist nearby I'd like to buy a little Honda bike, like the http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZhX7Dxz2s1o/TTA5DnnpUsI/AAAAAAAAAAg/jkQ8BMON8q8/s1600/1025618_090825213500_honda_cb_100.jpg equally classy looking but much lighter. I hear Honda has more reliable engines too, compared to India manufactured Enfields.

Edit: And thanks for reminding me to watch The World's Fastest Indian again.

As I said, test ride a bunch of different bikes. Go to dealers, see if they'll let you on their bikes. The Honda VTR250 is a highly recommended smaller bike. The CB400 and GS500 are a little larger and very well respected as learner bikes. The GS500 is a very solid model, reliable and easy to maintain. Don't be scared of starting with a mid-sized bike, just make sure it isn't overly powerful.

EDIT: I suppose I've been making a few assumptions. Specifically: that you will be able to legally ride the bikes I've suggested, and that you will be coming at this with at least a little training.

One of the most dangerous things even in dry pavement, but especially wet (as in rain) are painted lines. Try and avoid them longitudinally at all costs. My brother dumped his new Harley on a highway exit ramp this way. He was a fairly inexperienced rider. Thankfully, he wasn't injured, but did quite a bit of damage to the machine and it was in the shop for a while. I think they were wet in his accident, but painted lines are to be avoided under any conditions unless, of course, you go over them at a reasonable angle.

I've been riding dirtbikes since I was really young, so I've sort of grown up with the skills to ride. My first street motorcycle was a 2002 R1, and I had a blast on it.

First question, can you ride a bike? Good you're halfway there.

Riding a motorcycle isn't for everyone, some people get terrified and seize up, and that is the worst thing to do when riding. Those are the people that you see start to fall over, and hold the throttle wide open and go under a parked car. Just relax and enjoy it.

In Florida I was required to take a class for motorcycles before I could get my endorsemant. To be honest, the class was almost completely useless as far as real world riding is concerned. All it's going to do is weed out the few that just plain can't ride motocycles. There is some decent knowledge to be learned listening to them though. I'd recommend you go ahead and get a bike with enough power to satisfy you when you've got the hang out it. Then all I can say is watch our for cars, they'll kill you, and don't brake hard in turns you'll lay it over. That's really all I can think of right now.


Pansy.


I always rode in a helmet, t shirt, and jeans. Call me an idiot, but it's too damn hot down here in Florida.


Old ladies love to pull their lincolns right out infront of you. :tops:


Good god please do not get a 100cc bike, you will hate yourself for paying money for something so slow. Don't believe me? Go ahead and waste that money.


Ever come across the arrows in the middle of the road, except they are made out of the reflector lights they stick in the middle of highways? Those we're always interesting to run over.

I take the view that as long as you know exactly why you shouldn't do something, and it doesn't have too significant an effect on others, its not up to me to judge your judgement :shrug:. And passing out from heatstroke wearing a full, black, one-piece racing suit in hot weather and stop-start traffic is probably more dangerous than dropping some of the gear*. But, where practicable, it is still best to wear a full set, especially while learning. And since there's plenty out there designed for summer wear, so a lot of the time its not necessary to go completely without (as an Australian, I do have experience with hot weather). Much of it comes down to what speed you're travelling at.

*Which is why I listed a bare minimum in addition to the ideal. Hands and heads are particularly fragile, and both have a high chance of hitting the ground if you come off.

On the topic of jeans, kevlar-lined ones are widely available these days, so its worth opting for them (rather than normal denim) if you want something more casual.

EDIT: As I recall, Steampunk lives in a cooler area, so it doesn't matter all that much to him, anyway (unless I've gotten people mixed up again...).

I do agree that you should wear gear, and if you decide not to you should atleast know what you're getting yourself into if you wreck. Like you said, there is tons of hot weather gear available.

Before you get on a bike, know how THAT BIKE operates. How many gears it has, and what the shift pattern is. REHEARSE in your mind...FOR DAYS....exactly what you are suppose to do. Start the machine. Let it warm up a little. Pull the clutch in. Put it in first gear. Let the clutch out slowly but not too slow. When the motor reaches a high rpm, pull the clutch in and shift to second, and so on. Rehearse the entire process in your mind over and over....
Invent what ifs?.... like "am I in too low of a gear for the speed I'm going when I downshift? What gear should I be in for a given speed?" Are you coming to a full stop? You will want to downshift all the way to 1st naturally. If you are cornering at a slower speed, you may want to be in 2nd or 3rd....DEPENDING ON THE BIKE.....and so on. (I'm leaving out other details on purpose for space, like what you're suppose to be doing with the throttle while using the clutch and changing gears, etc.).
Familiarize yourself with the riding process in your mind. Imagine that you are actually riding. What would you do? Go prepared mentally. After you have been riding for a while, it will become second nature but I cannot stress enough that you need to prepare yourself in this way. If you don't, you may not know exactly what to do when you get on one for the first time.....and you get to dream and imagine a little bit in the process.

Im in the same boat as you, Im currently saving every penny I can to purchase my first bike. I have my eyes set on two bikes right now, both of witch are horribly out of my range, but one day I will have them. I fell in love with http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4002/5080191464_d4cc0edc30.jpg the moment I saw it and while Ive been wanting to ride for some time this bike has pushed me over the edge, I must ride now. Now this http://dalefranks.com/cycles/wp-content/uploads/2010_Softail_Fat_Boy_Lo.jpg is about $15,000 cheaper so Ill probably go with this first.

I love the retro look of both these machines. The "bottle cap" head Indians are the cat's meow. We have an Indian dealer not too far from here and I went in there and simply drooled for a half hour or so. Way out of my price range.

There is a vintage motorcycle that I've admired for a while called the Brough Superior (pronouced "Bruff"). They were made in Nottingham England until 1940 and were called "The Rolls Royce of Motorcycles". Jay Leno owns a few of them. It's worth doing some research on these, and I just learned that somebody in Austria is making reproductions of them. They are not cheap especially the original ones.

Some Links:

(A Google serach will yield more if you're interested)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brough_Superior

http://brough-superior.com/ws/frontend/seite/SeiteCms.php?coId=124&coType=navigation1 Look at the "Motorcycles for Sale" Link at the bottom.

http://www.brough-superior.com/ws/frontend/seite/SeiteCms.php?coId=417&coType=navigation1
http://brough-superior.com/ws/frontend/seite/SeiteCms.php?coId=505&coType=navigation1

Scroll down on these and click the photos. Just say "Wow"!

Those Brough Superiors are essentially the basis of my tastes in design. I started off knowing nothing, searching for Brough Superiors, and saw them going for $280,000+. That's how I came to the Royal Enfield, a cheaper production model bike that still had a bit of the classic standard motorcycle look to it. Military paint also a huge bonus. It's hard to find companies that actually made standards anymore. I see a lot of cruisers, a lot of crotch rockets, and a lot of dirt bikes, but few standards.

I have neither car or mc license (bloody expensive overhere) - but I may be getting a huge sum of money in a few weeks. If all turns out well I can have both car and mc license and a decent motorcycle.

I've always preferred the motorcycle. It's the image I think, adventure, danger and it's sixy as hell!
Plus it's cheaper than cars in the long run.

There's some downsides to it of course. You can't carry more than one passenger, you can't transport big stuff around, you have to be brave to drive it during winter and then of course there's rain.

Still, I'm getting one - sooner or later.

Yeah, kinda Steampunk......the real deal. :thumbsup:
I love the gauges.

Pick up a small displacement bike that meets your essential needs. They are lighter and easier to control. Find one used and you'll save money too.

Get all the safety gear. Wear it every time.

Find whatever motorcycle safety courses are offered in your area and take them. Find other experienced riders in your area willing to teach you the RIGHT way to ride.

Motorcycles have an inherent danger, but much of that risk is in the hands of the rider.

If you want a coffin on wheels, go right ahead :thumbsup:

Have you ridden before? This kind of sentiment is certainly more prevalent in those that haven't. Two wheels are not terribly different from four - as with most everything, it's the drivers that are more often the danger, not the act of driving.

I've ridden one bike, that I bought for cheap from my uncle. It was a 1983 (good year!) http://motoprofi.com/bikephoto/849/honda_cb_650_rc_1983_1.jpg. It was the first vehicle I owned, and I used it to get to my summer jobs. Living in northern Alberta meant that I could only drive it 5 months of the year, but it was still a relatively cheap way to get around. But, like others say, not without its hazards... The first one I got a taste of was good ol' Canadian gravel, and I found out the hard way on my first ride how NOT to brake on it with the front forks turned. Thankfully I had practically no forward momentum and was in a parking lot. The safety course was invaluable, and I'd most definitely consider one mandatory for new riders. As for size... My 650 was on the heavy end of what I'd say a beginner could easily handle, and a 250 or 500 would be ideal - plenty enough power for highway cruising and getting the jump on sticky situations that other oblivious car drivers might cause.

I had to sell the bike for fiscal reasons when I bought a new car. But those old bikes sure keep their value - I got the same price for it that I paid myself