Anyone here have a street bike???
02-09-2008, 03:43 PM
#1
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Anyone here have a street bike???
Just wondering, and if so, what kind do you have??? I've been considering getting a job this summer after school is out and trying to save up a few thousand by the end of the year and finding a used bike...most likely a used GSXR 600. A friend of mine works at a grocery store not far from here and makes like $7/hr just working after school and on the weekends occasionally.
But ya, so if you have a bike, what are the things you like and dislike about them, and I mean anything, whether it be a comfort issue, or the way one bike feels over another...that sorta thing.
But ya, so if you have a bike, what are the things you like and dislike about them, and I mean anything, whether it be a comfort issue, or the way one bike feels over another...that sorta thing.
02-09-2008, 08:58 PM
#4
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I got an 05' Yamaha R6...Ive had my fun on it for the past 3 seasons. It is a fun toy to have but obviously can be dangerous in the wrong hands, and even more dangerous being on the road with idiots that dont pay attention to their surroundings. The R6 is a very fast bike for the 600 class, and is extremely light. The R6 is more setup for track riding than it is street. It can get uncomfortable on long cruises at a slow pace. If Im riding that thing for about 3 hours straight my back and arms are gonna be hurting me a little the next day. Regardless though, theres nothing like blasting through 6 gears shifting at 16K RPM's! The bike is pretty much capable of handling anything you throw at it, but I think its time for me to move on this season. I was thinking about getting rid of the R6 and moving on to a Harley VRod this year. Im getting a little older and the comfortability seems more appealing as the days go by 
If your gonna get a Gixxer, do yourself a favor and dont get something carburated...try to stick to a fuel injected bike if its within the budget
If your gonna get a Gixxer, do yourself a favor and dont get something carburated...try to stick to a fuel injected bike if its within the budget
02-10-2008, 05:41 AM
#5
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I have a '98 Honda CBR600F3. Love the bike.
A few words of wisdom:
1. Don't buy a new bike as your first. You're going to drop it sooner or later, and when you look at the price of new plastics, you will get extremely ____ed when you forget to put the kick stand down on your new bike. It will happen, I promise.
2. For a new rider, hell even an experienced rider, you won't be able to tell the difference in speed and handling between Honda/Yamaha/Suzuki/Kawasaki sport bikes. Buy which ever one looks the best to you or fits you the best.
3. I would go with fuel injection over carbs if you don't like working on your own stuff. Carbs can be a pain to learn, but once you clean them a few times, it's easy. I can rejet my carbs in 30 minutes from start to finish, but that's with a lot of little tricks. Cleaning them takes a little longer, but it's not too bad.
4. When determining how much you are going to spend, don't forget to add in gear. At a minimum, I wear my helmet, coat and gloves. I really need to get boots as well, but I've been lazy. Don't be a squid and ride without gear. Just watch some crash videos, even low speed ones, and you'll wear your gear every time you go out. I'd budget at least $300-400 if you just want basic stuff.
5. A nice set of tools and stands are a necessity in my mind. I refuse to pay a shop $60 to do an oil change on my bike. Bikes are really easy to work on and with a service manual, a beginner could do almost everything. The only maintenance I pay to have done is valve adjustments.
6. The most important thing about getting a bike is to be responsible and alert. I'm not saying don't speed or anything, but you have to be smart. Doing wheels down Main St is a lot of fun, but not always the best decision in life.
That's all I can think of for now. Good luck on the purchase and if you have any questions, feel free to ask. I have to say though, having a bike will definitely put your car to the #2 position. You'll want to ride everywhere and spend a lot of money on mods. It's addicting and expensive, but completely worth it.
A few words of wisdom:
1. Don't buy a new bike as your first. You're going to drop it sooner or later, and when you look at the price of new plastics, you will get extremely ____ed when you forget to put the kick stand down on your new bike. It will happen, I promise.
2. For a new rider, hell even an experienced rider, you won't be able to tell the difference in speed and handling between Honda/Yamaha/Suzuki/Kawasaki sport bikes. Buy which ever one looks the best to you or fits you the best.
3. I would go with fuel injection over carbs if you don't like working on your own stuff. Carbs can be a pain to learn, but once you clean them a few times, it's easy. I can rejet my carbs in 30 minutes from start to finish, but that's with a lot of little tricks. Cleaning them takes a little longer, but it's not too bad.
4. When determining how much you are going to spend, don't forget to add in gear. At a minimum, I wear my helmet, coat and gloves. I really need to get boots as well, but I've been lazy. Don't be a squid and ride without gear. Just watch some crash videos, even low speed ones, and you'll wear your gear every time you go out. I'd budget at least $300-400 if you just want basic stuff.
5. A nice set of tools and stands are a necessity in my mind. I refuse to pay a shop $60 to do an oil change on my bike. Bikes are really easy to work on and with a service manual, a beginner could do almost everything. The only maintenance I pay to have done is valve adjustments.
6. The most important thing about getting a bike is to be responsible and alert. I'm not saying don't speed or anything, but you have to be smart. Doing wheels down Main St is a lot of fun, but not always the best decision in life.
That's all I can think of for now. Good luck on the purchase and if you have any questions, feel free to ask. I have to say though, having a bike will definitely put your car to the #2 position. You'll want to ride everywhere and spend a lot of money on mods. It's addicting and expensive, but completely worth it.
02-10-2008, 08:18 PM
#6
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Thanks guys, that's exactly the kind of info I was hoping to get out of some owners. My neighbor has a 'Busa and a crapload of dirtbikes but a 1300 just isn't my style. Definitely want to stick with a 600.
As far as the whole gear thing goes, I never really took that into consideration until you mentioned it....but I mean that as in I didn't really think about then when it comes to expenses, I've always worn a helmet on the dirtbikes and mountain bike, and I see no reason why some people don't, it only takes a couple of seconds to put it on and could mean the difference between life or death. My neighbor told me about a guy not far from here who was my age that got killed on a bike a few months ago. The guy that pulled out in front of him with an 18 wheeler didn't get ticketed or sued or anything because every witness said there's no way anyone would have seen him cuz he was going sooo fast. Not that his helmet saved him or anything, I think he was decapitated actually.
Oh and as far the whole carb thing goes, which bikes do and don't use carbs cuz it definitely sounds like injection is the way to go...
As far as the whole gear thing goes, I never really took that into consideration until you mentioned it....but I mean that as in I didn't really think about then when it comes to expenses, I've always worn a helmet on the dirtbikes and mountain bike, and I see no reason why some people don't, it only takes a couple of seconds to put it on and could mean the difference between life or death. My neighbor told me about a guy not far from here who was my age that got killed on a bike a few months ago. The guy that pulled out in front of him with an 18 wheeler didn't get ticketed or sued or anything because every witness said there's no way anyone would have seen him cuz he was going sooo fast. Not that his helmet saved him or anything, I think he was decapitated actually.
Oh and as far the whole carb thing goes, which bikes do and don't use carbs cuz it definitely sounds like injection is the way to go...
02-10-2008, 11:15 PM
#8
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I want to say 01 and newer should have FI. I think the R6 might have started in 00, but I'm not 100% on that. At least this is for the gsxr/r6/cbr/zx lines.
You might consider taking your neighbor with when you go to buy the bike and have him test ride it around the block. It's pretty easy to tell if something is off on a bike once you've ridden for a bit.
You might consider taking your neighbor with when you go to buy the bike and have him test ride it around the block. It's pretty easy to tell if something is off on a bike once you've ridden for a bit.
02-13-2008, 08:19 PM
#10
I have a 2003 RVT rc51 1000r (honda's premier echelon racing v-twin) pumps out over 130hp, and delivers almost 100% of the torque starting at 2k rpms. Its the 2001/2003 AMA superbike of the year, and hayden (#69) obtained multiple wins in several years with the bike.
I wouldnt recommend starting on a full out supersport however. Go look at a smaller sport tourer for your first bike for a few reasons
a) make SURE you like motorcycling. to some, they just buy a nice bike, ride it a few times and then loose the spark
b) insurance costs on a super/hyper bike vs a sport tourer
c)cost in general - the supersports run higher for the initial purchase
d)develop skills that will have you READY to handle over 95hp+
I would look at a 600 or 750 katana, FZR, YZF, ninja 500/600 (NOT an R version, nor 636) Honda interceptor (500 OR 750).
As for FI/Carbs it doesnt really matter.. You are NOT going out there trying to strangle every little last bit of HP out of your setup - It REALLY shouldnt matter to you because you might not be doing all the wrenching, and I put OVER 20k miles on my katana when I had it, and only had to have the carbs cleaned once for maintainence.
That is unless your one of those guys that just "has" to have the baddest/newest thing out, FI shouldnt matter at all. Big deal, you have to run the choke for 20 seconds before the bike warms up..lol...
I would check out a early model VFR though (interceptor) you would have a blast, and its a great v4 motor.
I wouldnt recommend starting on a full out supersport however. Go look at a smaller sport tourer for your first bike for a few reasons
a) make SURE you like motorcycling. to some, they just buy a nice bike, ride it a few times and then loose the spark
b) insurance costs on a super/hyper bike vs a sport tourer
c)cost in general - the supersports run higher for the initial purchase
d)develop skills that will have you READY to handle over 95hp+
I would look at a 600 or 750 katana, FZR, YZF, ninja 500/600 (NOT an R version, nor 636) Honda interceptor (500 OR 750).
As for FI/Carbs it doesnt really matter.. You are NOT going out there trying to strangle every little last bit of HP out of your setup - It REALLY shouldnt matter to you because you might not be doing all the wrenching, and I put OVER 20k miles on my katana when I had it, and only had to have the carbs cleaned once for maintainence.
That is unless your one of those guys that just "has" to have the baddest/newest thing out, FI shouldnt matter at all. Big deal, you have to run the choke for 20 seconds before the bike warms up..lol...
I would check out a early model VFR though (interceptor) you would have a blast, and its a great v4 motor.
02-14-2008, 09:24 PM
#11
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Lol, don't worry I love motorcycles, I've ridden dirtbikes since I was 10 and the spark is still there.
So who are some of the good brands when it comes to gear? And what all is necessary besides a decent jacket, helmet, and gloves?
So who are some of the good brands when it comes to gear? And what all is necessary besides a decent jacket, helmet, and gloves?
02-16-2008, 02:18 AM
#13
i ride my friend's little ninja 250 sometimes. it's only a 250, but it's so completely different from driving a car. i'm saving up for some kind of bike that i could hopefully get when i graduate college... *sigh. so anxious
02-16-2008, 05:06 AM
#14
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Originally Posted by Aroddalobster
i ride my friend's little ninja 250 sometimes. it's only a 250, but it's so completely different from driving a car. i'm saving up for some kind of bike that i could hopefully get when i graduate college... *sigh. so anxious
02-16-2008, 05:21 AM
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I'm an old guy and ride an old bike, an '82 Honda Saber 750. It was one of the quicker bikes back then and the first I know of with a redline over 10,000rpm. It's a "standard" bike which lost favor for a long time but seem to be making a come back over the past couple years. All out sport bikes aren't the only way to go... I can ride this bike all day and not be sore. Monkey butt sucks!!
The safety gear issue is important. There are only two types of riders, those that HAVE gone down and those that WILL go down, and trust me-it ALWAYS hurts!! Even at slow speeds.
Think about how your jeans will hold up when you hit the pavement even at 40mph... I recommend some real leather or ballistic fabric riding pants. I see young guys in shorts on sport bikes all the time, not smart at all unless you LIKE having your skin ripped from your body! My pants also have extra "armor" on the knees and hips.
I own two jackets, one is several layers of mesh for hot summer days and the other is ballistic fabric with a removable liner for cooler and cold days. Both have "armor" on the shoulders, elbows, and spine.
Think about how your shoes will hold up if you go down and your foot is sandwiched between the bike and pavement as you slide... Good riding boots with ankle protection make sense-mine are Alpinstars off ebay for not much $$.
I have a couple types of gloves, shorter light weight gloves for summer and longer, heavier, waterproof gloves for the rest of the year.
I'm pretty cautious, especially riding in town and EVERY time I ride someone cuts me off, pulls out in front of me at an intersection or some other near miss... Don't EVER think you won't crash, all it takes is one idiot to make you crash and there are a ton of them on the road. Having said all that I will tell you that riding a motorcycle is ABSOLUTELY the most fun you can have with your clothes on!!!
As to what bike you should buy, I would recommend a mid size "adventure" style bike such as the 650 Vstrom or a KTM Super Moto. Pretty quick for a beginner, nimble and fun to ride. They are able to put down some serious miles while still being comfortable.
ken
The safety gear issue is important. There are only two types of riders, those that HAVE gone down and those that WILL go down, and trust me-it ALWAYS hurts!! Even at slow speeds.
Think about how your jeans will hold up when you hit the pavement even at 40mph... I recommend some real leather or ballistic fabric riding pants. I see young guys in shorts on sport bikes all the time, not smart at all unless you LIKE having your skin ripped from your body! My pants also have extra "armor" on the knees and hips.
I own two jackets, one is several layers of mesh for hot summer days and the other is ballistic fabric with a removable liner for cooler and cold days. Both have "armor" on the shoulders, elbows, and spine.
Think about how your shoes will hold up if you go down and your foot is sandwiched between the bike and pavement as you slide... Good riding boots with ankle protection make sense-mine are Alpinstars off ebay for not much $$.
I have a couple types of gloves, shorter light weight gloves for summer and longer, heavier, waterproof gloves for the rest of the year.
I'm pretty cautious, especially riding in town and EVERY time I ride someone cuts me off, pulls out in front of me at an intersection or some other near miss... Don't EVER think you won't crash, all it takes is one idiot to make you crash and there are a ton of them on the road. Having said all that I will tell you that riding a motorcycle is ABSOLUTELY the most fun you can have with your clothes on!!!
As to what bike you should buy, I would recommend a mid size "adventure" style bike such as the 650 Vstrom or a KTM Super Moto. Pretty quick for a beginner, nimble and fun to ride. They are able to put down some serious miles while still being comfortable.
ken
02-16-2008, 05:40 AM
#16
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I was looking at an 08 Kawasaki 250R as a beginner bike. They redesigned it, and trust me, it LOOKS like a much much bigger bike. And at 3500 for a brand new bike, it's a steal. But the stupid dealers are marking 'em up so much(they're asking 7K), I'm now considering a used 500/600.
Anyone know of any good dealers in the LA area?
Anyone know of any good dealers in the LA area?
02-16-2008, 08:54 AM
#18
Originally Posted by djct_watt
I was looking at an 08 Kawasaki 250R as a beginner bike. They redesigned it, and trust me, it LOOKS like a much much bigger bike.
02-24-2008, 01:41 AM
#19
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So what do you think about the Ninja ZX-6R??? My neighbor swears by Suzuki, but I went to pick up a chain for my dirtbike today and sat on a ZX-10R that was outside, and I really like the looks of the newer Ninjas...and the one I sat on felt nice, I just wanna stick with 600 though. But yeah, tell me about the ZX-6R.
And I'm still waiting for an answer to my earlier question...what kinda gear should I look into aside from a helmet, gloves, and jacket??? What brands???
And I'm still waiting for an answer to my earlier question...what kinda gear should I look into aside from a helmet, gloves, and jacket??? What brands???