Total Motorcycle Community Forums

006 wrote:I only meant that my current situation is a big deal for me. And I do want honest opinions, believe me.

And about my friends, a couple of them actually teach the courses for the state. But I do see your point and it is a valid one. This is a rare case where the friends of a potential motorcycle owner actually teach the safety courses madated by the state. Before you say it, yes they did recommend a much less powerful bike for my first. What is a good bike for me to start off with then?

~006

I reckon you should go out and buy ya GSX1300R and when ya have it send us a pic, cause I reckon ya full of shi.t.

Thank you 006 for stirring up the pot on this one! It's gonna be a HOT HOT HOT topic so hang on tight we are in for a ride!

Hey, I'll put it to you straight up. Like JD on the rocks, powerful and painful.

I've been riding for years now, and heck, I'm glad I didn't buy a super sport bike as my first bike. I would have missed all the fun and excitement clawing my way to where I am from little displacement bikes that are light, fun, and a BLAST to ride. I'm taking 400cc bikes too that I learned on, then a 500, then a 650... I'm still at the 650cc stage as I just am pushing the limit of my bike now after 4 years of riding it... And you WANT to start on something bigger than a 650?

Sure, you will try to be safe and careful, heck I tried that too on my CB400T the first year and crashed. And I didn't crash it (wrote it off) on purpose.

The point is, no you REALY, really shouldn't go and buy those as your first bike. Take the CBR1000RR from Honda. A 1000cc sportbike. Did you know that even Honda test riders could not ride that bike to the limit? I'm sure those test riders have more experience riding than I have walking too.

If you like Suzuki, get a GS500F, GSX-R look-a-like, few will know the difference, it's 500cc, good power and you'll be alright kid.

Mike.

Here it is here... One good GSX-R looking bike:



You can read more about it online at Total Motorcycle here:
http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/photos/2 ... GS500F.htm


Trust me, if you like it and it fits, try it for a year and see what you think. You may not even like sportbikes and want a cruiser, or a standard, or a dual-sport after your first year.

Lemme tell you, if I could afford it, I would be ordering a $90k custom chopper from OCC in New York or the Martin Bros in Dallas, but the financing is about $1000 a month for the next 500 years, so...

As far as the Hayabusa comment from the Aussie poster above...not really sure what you mean by that, but if you are hinting that I couldn't afford one, you are wrong on that. But if thats not what you meant then I don't know.

The GS500F actually doesn't seem all that bad. It has the styling that appeals to me and it happens to be a "beginner" bike. I'm curious as to the performance numbers for that bike. Anyone know? Thanks for the post total. Now I'm off to catch some prices on these.

~006

That had me running to look at the calendar.....It ain't April 1st!

006 wrote: The insurance isn't really a problem. Although I am a first time rider, I have 0 accidents and 0 traffic violations on my record and have been driving for about 7 years now, not including the underage driving I was doing before I got my license. I drive an 02 Chevy Corvette convertible that is a little tweaked, had it for 2 years now and not once had a problem controlling my speed in it. I don't ever have the urge to floor it or anything either, I know it's a fast "O Ring" car, but I didn't really get it for that. I got it because it's a very nice automobile. The insurance is high because of my age, but my record disproves the age argument and speeding.

Man, this is a big deal.

~006[/i]

not to be a jerk, but really go to progressive.com and get a free quote on insurance for a busa, your age with a financed bike is going to kill. youll have to have full coverage.

if you do get a quote post it here ill be curious to see exact numbers myself.

i just did some quotes for an 05 busa, basic full coverage was like 9 grand a year, really good full coverage was pushing 20 grand a year.

i pay like 600(i forget what my new premium is exactly) a year for 1.5 million coverage so go figure.

if you can afford throwing 20 or even 9 grand at your insurance plus the finance costs of a 13,000$ loan plus gear and maintance on that bike then dude just go for it cause it wont matter if you wreck it really i guess. but im doubting you have That much cash?

006 wrote:Lemme tell you, if I could afford it, I would be ordering a $90k custom chopper from OCC in New York or the Martin Bros in Dallas, but the financing is about $1000 a month for the next 500 years, so...

As far as the Hayabusa comment from the Aussie poster above...not really sure what you mean by that, but if you are hinting that I couldn't afford one, you are wrong on that. But if thats not what you meant then I don't know.

The GS500F actually doesn't seem all that bad. It has the styling that appeals to me and it happens to be a "beginner" bike. I'm curious as to the performance numbers for that bike. Anyone know? Thanks for the post total. Now I'm off to catch some prices on these.

~006

http://www.bikez.com/motorcycles/suzuki ... e_2003.php
It's the same bike, minus the plastics. Bikez.com is a great resource for looking up information on bikes, but sometimes you'll have to do a little searching to find what you're looking for.

006 wrote: The GS500F actually doesn't seem all that bad. It has the styling that appeals to me and it happens to be a "beginner" bike. I'm curious as to the performance numbers for that bike. Anyone know?

What difference do the performance numbers make? It is a bike to learn to ride on, with emphasis on learn. I ride a Honda CT110 at work and I have parked it in the bushes more times than I care to mention. That is possibly the slowest bike in the world, but if you make a mistake it is just as unforgiving. The only difference is I am doing 10mph not 110mph when it happens.

If you like numbers so much, go and get a Busa because the only relevant numbers will be:
Broken Squid 1
Common Sense 0

I can tell most people around here are tiring a little. Let me break it down for ya, I am a fairly new rider myself.

Let me start with a short story. I went to a skills day held by a local motorcycle club a couple of weeks ago. A new rider there had a brand spanking new GSX-R1000. By the looks of it, he had already had a moderate speed spill, but the bike was still in good shape. Anyway, this dude was damned scared of his bike- he drove it like a grandma. He drove it like a grandma for a good reason, if you dont know what you are doing it will kill you. A bunch of people felt sorry for him and were trying to help him, but the only thing that can help him is practice and experience.

Dont be this guy. A GSX-R750 is a very powerful bike, and a horrible bike to learn on. Even a GSX-R600 is not a good bike to learn on. These bikes are race replicas, not meant to learn the basics on. Sure, it can be done, but at a much greater risk to your skin and pocket book.

If you just cant live without a race replica for your first bike, that is your choice. Nobody will make fun of you, but we will worry about sending another new rider to a possible early death. Sounds harsh, but where I live motorcycle deaths are common place, especially on canyon roads.

Also, it sounds like comfort is a high-priority on your list, that sounds practical. The fact is, hyper bikes like the Hyabusa and ZX-12 arent that comfortable either. Look how the riders have to hunch forward. That will get uncomfortable quick.

My advice? Get a non-RR bike that has an upright seating position. The SV650 is a good bike to learn on, and believe me its got enough torque to keep you happy for awhile. The 'S' version is more sporty, but also more hunched over. The SV650S may be a little hunched forward, but its still a heck of alot more comfortable then RRs.

Seriously consider an SV650, it is a fairly safe choice for a new rider. Dont be the squid with a fast bike, a scratched up fairing, and the center inch of your rear tire worn out(or worse).

One last issue. If you have friends that say a GSX-R750 is a good bike to learn on- DONT RIDE WITH THEM. If any of your friends have fur on their bike, run the other way. Riding beyond your abilities to keep up with squidly friends is the fast track to the graveyard. I know you said you have a couple of friends who are instructors of some type, but with the advice you were given, I would say you will get much better advice here.

As for insurance, you will need to shop around, no matter what bike you get. Some places will give you insane qoutes. If you look hard and have a good driving record, you should be able to find affordable rates on most bikes. Although some bikes do send up warning flags for insurers. Try Farmers, they did well for me and you can easily tailor a qoute that will fit your needs online.

Good luck on your decision. I just want to re-iterate that the gixxer 750 is NOT a bike you want to learn on.

006 wrote:Lemme tell you, if I could afford it, I would be ordering a $90k custom chopper from OCC in New York

I thought you wanted to ride? Even the guys who build custom choppers will tell you that their primary purpose is not to be ridden, it's to look cool. Those things are made to be parked in front of bars (hopefully a very short distance from your garage).

I was going to say, "don't believe everything you see on TV", but I recently saw a chopper building show where they put a 1 gallon gas tank on the bike. The builder said something to the effect of, "hell, it's not like you're going to be able to ride this thing that far anyway".