i need a bike and i am new

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#21 Unread post by **ZooTech** » Wed Jul 20, 2005 10:48 am

earwig wrote:the person should feel comfortable on the bike before they try

EXACTLY! That's the key, Folks. As long as the ergos fit, you're comfortable with the weight (or more specifically, the balance), and you can place both feet flat on the ground at a traffic light, I'd say you're good to go. If you can't grasp the concept of a twist throttle (ummm...the more you twist the faster the engine goes) that's pretty much your problem. If you have to go out and buy a bike that can barely move under its own power just to survive the experience, perhaps I can show you something in a four-wheel model...

#22 Unread post by **cb360** » Wed Jul 20, 2005 11:10 am

I think it is safe to say that opinions vary on this issue. Nothing wrong with that. If anyone asks, I'll tell them what I think. Then they can weigh my opinion against others and make their own decision.

street is good · Wed Jul 20, 2005 3:43 pm

thanks guys ,,, not really, but i do have a lot of muscle and i did sit on the 1299cc bike and it didnt really feel that bad. i think i'll go with the suzuki 650.
street is good

swatter555 · Wed Jul 20, 2005 7:47 pm

One last thing, make sure you get your feet on the pegs of the bikes your looking at. If it doesnt feel great at the dealership, it will feel like hell after an hour on it.

aireq · #25 Unread post by **aireq** » Wed Jul 20, 2005 8:19 pm

Ok the only ridding I've done is the couple days I had in the MSF course. So take my opinion with a grain of salt. But half of this and most all the Motorcycle forumns I've read are full of these "why you can/can't start out on a 600/liter bike/busa" posts. So I have to throw in my 2 cents

First, obviously you can learn on anything from a Busa to a tricycle with bottle rockets taped to the wheels. Any case where you have something you can not do well but have the oportunity to improove through practice suggests some sort of oportunity for learning.

There are two more important issues, however. The first is obviously safety, which I'm not going to explain because I'm sure everyone gets why a 250 Ninja would be more safe then a liter sport bike for a beginner.
I really dont' see an argument against this. Remember I'm not saying if you learn on a large CC bike you are absolutly going to die.

While safety is a concern of mine, it's not the reason I wouldn't start out on a liter or even 600cc sportbike. The real reason is that I (nor any beginner) don't NEED a bike with that much power. Really, who needs to go 85mph or whatever in 2nd gear????

Randy · #26 Unread post by **Randy** » Wed Jul 20, 2005 9:23 pm

I have been thinking about this since it comes up so often. I think that most of us are concerned about new riders getting MUCH to powerful bikes and killing themselves.

Here are some points that keep coming up.

1. It is possible to learn how to ride on any motorcycle
2. It is best for your average person with no skill to start on low power bike.
3. There are exceptions to every rule.

I think that most people who want a sexy/fast/powerful bike as their first bike are one of two things, impatient or unaware (everyone who just got offended, see point three from above)

The problem is, that some people combine impatient and unaware. Add a powerful sportbike, or monster cruiser to this, and you end up with a dead or disfigured forum member.

Personally, I am don't think you can change any of these impatient/unaware type people. It is just a little irritating and slightly funny sometimes when they post here.

I do think the original poster left one thing off. He should have asked where to buy those Jet Assisted Take Off (JATO) things from. Those would look sweet strapped to any of those bikes. Then they might even have enough power to carry TWO people

Sorry if I sound like a jerk. I am very much a jerk, but someones gotta do it. Most of us here don't want to see anyone get killed or hurt, and we sometimes get a little frustrate when people ask why a 600 sport bike is to much for them.

#27 Unread post by **ZooTech** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 2:10 am

aireq wrote:who needs to go 85mph or whatever in 2nd gear????

All too often more power is attributed to the wrong intention. Want to know the difference between a V-Star 650 and a Mean Streak? Being able to pass without downshifting. I could be crawling along @ 45mph in 5th gear and simply roll on the throttle and overtake five cars in a matter of seconds. With my old NightHawk 700SC, I'd have to drop from 6th down to 4th to hit the powerband before trying anything like that. Those of you who keep preaching, "You can ride two-up just fine on a [FILL IN MID-SIZED CRUISER HERE]" are not wrong...you can do it. Question is, are the ergos such that the both of you will be comfortable for a long time and will you have to work the clutch and shifter the whole time just to pass other drivers or traverse slight inclines? Plus, the added weight of the large displacement cruisers makes them hella stable in winds and tractor-trailer turbulence. So, it's not about excess or compensation for small...err...appliances...it's about more of a good thing.

aireq · #28 Unread post by **aireq** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 3:34 am

So why not just learn to shift more often rather then buying a more powerful bike?

iwannadie · Thu Jul 21, 2005 6:44 am

i saw a few times people saying 'youll out grow' the bike very fast. tell me how you out grow the bike? explain it to me i still after all this time cant understand why people think/say this.

if cruisers were only 'usable' or comfortable in the 1000cc range then why are all these 600 bikes out there by the millions riding around with happy people on them? youd think if they were such crap and a pain to go on the freeway with or 2 up, they woulndt sell. everyone would be on the monster 1000cc cruiser?

same with sport bikes, if you seem to need a supersport to 'have fun on' then why are so many 250-500 bikes out there with people riding them 2up on the freeway wondering why theyd need a bigger motor?

this is a dead argument both sides wont ever change. but i just cant see the Reason to start big, finacially it makes no sense, safety concerns would led you to a smaller bike etc. you wouldnt go out and try to run a full marathon your first week into running would you? no youd start off smaller and work your way just like everything else in life you start small and work your way up to be good/safe at whatever it is.

#30 Unread post by **cb360** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 7:23 am

I agree with Iwannadie - there's all kinds of riders. I ride a small bike and enjoy it immensely. At the same time I do want a bigger bike for two up on the freeway. I recently rode my brother-inlaw's vulcan 750 with my wife on the back... I got it up to 90 lickety split and backed off almost immediately. fact is, I just don't like to go that fast. 70 on the interstate is really my max on a bike - I'm just not comfortable any faster than that. I'm a good driver, I've just never been that into speed on the bike or a car. I know a bigger engine can get me out of trouble quicker... but I kind of ride to stay out of trouble. Always wear all the gear with a full-face. I leave a much larger than necessary gap between the car in front of me and myself, always use my signals... and to be honest I don't pass all that often! Anyhow, a lot of it is marketing and image and the American ideal that more is better. Motorcycle Diaries was about two dudes riding two up on a Norton 750 (or was it a 500?) - Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance had a 500cc bike - 25-30 years ago tens of thousands of people rode cross-country on 500cc and less bikes. Big bikes are nice - but the truth is you can ride just fine on the interstate with 500-750 cc bikes and many do - will it do everything as well as a 1500cc bike? Certainly not. But the idea that those smaller bikes are somehow unable to perform the task well in their own way isn't true. To each their own. I might get a goldwing one day and I bet I'll like it if I do... but I bet I'll still have plenty of fun on all the steps between here and there

It reminds me of an episode I saw of American Chopper the other day - the mecahnic dude Vinnie said he had all these monster bikes around all the time but he admitted he had more fun riding a scooter than any of them! It's a matter of taste and nothing else! Somestimes more is more... and sometimes less is more. That's no less true about motorcycles than it is about anything else. It's like going to the movies... yeah, I know I could get 24 ounces more soda for only a quarter more... but am I sure I really want it?