matthew5656 wrote:
Um, glance back to the second page of this thread, at the very top you may notice jonnythan listed a number of starter bikes. Some are probably safer than others. Even then, some of those bikes may be a better choice personally for you because the ergonomics feel a little different for every bike,- cruisers or sport, and everything in-between. What I, and I'm sure many other members don't understand about wastes of space threads like this one, is the idea that someone feels the need to ask a random e-stranger about a particular bike that's most suitable for their purposes. Perhaps if you did some online research for yourself, maybe read a couple books (there are some really interesting reads published out there), and then, just maybe you could try visiting a dealership or call a few private sellers and actually sit on a few bikes to gain a better idea of what's currently offered. I think your first purchase of the CB750 was a smart enough one because I started on an '83 CB650 last summer and experienced no problem with the power output, weight, handling, braking system, or it's ergonomics. The Honda inline-4 motor is rock solid and will last a long time if you maintain it. You seem like a bright enough guy that you will learn more about the moto-world and everything involved the further along you ride, so what are you so worried and getting upset about? Just ride, son. You're wasting all of your time arguing with some characters on a motorcycle forum, ahem, an argument you probably will not win, nor benefit from. And this is while you could be out cruising on your new wheels.
This is the internet dude. Shane-o is not flaming you. He's F*cking with your skull, and you're assuring him, and everyone else of that very fact.
Yes, I'm aware of the list, from couple of pages ago, it's a good one. I was going to incorporate that list in the first post, but the thread kinda went to ishts. I also started understanding what you're saying about Shan-o, after his first couple of posts or so. However, before that, he fired off w/o really reading into what I wrote. Also, as he mentioned this is internet, sarcasm and cynical comments don't come through as they do in real conversation, and somebody like him, for somebody who does not "know" him, just comes across as an "O Ring" even if he's not. And there is that certain arrogance radiating through the posts like that and nobody is a big fan of that as a first impression.
Anyway, it's all good. I think anyways.
When it comes to F, it's a gray area bike and definitely not ideal. I would be fine with learning on a CB350 or something similar, in fact would love to. Why would I make things harder on myself and make the learning curve less steep? I bought this bike after I've done the research. The power is about the same as more modern CB750 Nighthawk which is a bit lighter so Nighthawk has higher power to weight ratio. The guide on the main page of this very site lists CB750 as a good starter bike(kinda surprising) that is well balanced, despite it's weight. I bought it after realizing nothing is going to be available other then overpriced junk. And this is one nice bike, has low mileage for the year(25k kilometers), it's very clean and is cheap to insure due to eligibility for collector status. But despite that, I will still be looking and possibly snatch a lighter bike, hoping to pay what they are worth, not double which is what's asked right now. We are planning on getting two bikes anyway so we can go on shorter trips(at first). That way, the F could be taken out only sometimes until "it's time". Again, I'm very aware it's not an ideal starter bike. However, if I do ended up riding it, I will not be riding the Satan himself, and some people tend to put it that way. I was not hoping for somebody to reassure me it was a good decision. What I was hoping by mentioning the F is for people with the experience riding similar bikes(of similar vintage, weight, power) to tell us about it, especially if it was their first bike, regardless of the fact that no two people are the same. And I don't know if this was understood but the bike is actually parked, I'm not riding it and will not be until the course. And negative opinions are welcome, but are counterproductive unless the bigger picture I'm trying to present is taken into account.
And again, the list of the learner bike alternatives is due to too many "Ninja/GS500" answers in any "what should I buy" thread. Cut/paste online guides included. What's happening with that is, those bikes are overpriced, and not available to most of learners, not realistically anyway. Most of people would want to start on $1000-$3000 bike, but it's almost like the 1k small bikes cost those 3k. Almost. The guides will tell you "buy used" but then the only way to get a Ninja 250 is brand new. As I mentioned I was looking into GS500 that was for sale, used, with reasonable price and people bid its price up to way beyond what it was worth. And nobody intelligent wants to start on a brand new bike, even if it was recommended(which is not). So, there is this starter bike vacuum created by the very people writing these articles to help newbies - the lack of learner bikes.
