Total Motorcycle Community Forums

I don't need scary stories man. My mom's best friend's brother has been in a hospital for 15 years straight after he crashed on his motorcycle. He's a vegetable. My aunt ran over a biker's head after he messed up and fell off on the highway. A guy that works for my uncle in the summer just lost two friends to motorcycle accidents in the past three months. He rides a busa by the way...a guy I work with rides a gixxer 1000 and he's got some scary stories of him laying it down. My friend's that teach the motorcycle course for the state have offered to show me some videos that they were shown when they were in training for the position.

Believe me, I know what can happen in a split second on these things. Like I said earlier, the moment I think I'm better than the bike, or think that I can control it, I'm dead. After talking to that guy at the gas station that had the 600, he seemed a lot like me, and he had the same approach that I was going to take, so far it's working for him. At this point I think the only thing to really worry about is other people on the road.

I have a pretty thick leather jacket I bought a couple of years ago, I think it should be great for using when I'm riding. I also have a pair of Doc Marten boots that I have only worn twice, but I mainly wear shorts all the time. It's so damn hot in Texas for about 85% of the year. I guess I'll just use a backpack and carry some shorts with me so when I get to work I can change...

Anyway I noticed I haven't said it yet, so thanks for everything guys. I hope to be a part of this community once I get my ride. I will definitely be taking as many of the available courses around here as I can. Thanks again guys. I'll be around.

~006[/i]

Sounds like you've made up your mind. Just a last little bit - check out this post ... just a little more info about the gsx-r

viewtopic.php?t=3448&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

I have a pretty thick leather jacket I bought a couple of years ago, I think it should be great for using when I'm riding

Is it for motorcycle riding? The jackets are cut differently and are more comfortable than the leather jackets you buy at the mall.

I try to keep things constructive, but you just set off my squid alarm. If wearing shorts even crosses your mind, just walk away. You will save yourself lots of pain and scars.

Heat is a major concern, for sure. Use your noggin a little and do some research. I have seen some high quality mesh gear(mesh is often used in hot weather conditions) that could make wearing the proper gear bearable. Ya, its gonna cost you $300-400 to get a nice part mesh, part leather jacket, but that comes with getting a bike and acting responsible. At minimum get a mesh jacket,mesh pants, and racing gloves. You also need either riding boots or hiking boots that provide significant ankle support.

Dont be an idiot squid. Sounds like you have squidly friends too. It sounds like you are going to be the rider we try so hard to prevent from getting on a bike.

Jeez, I know Im being harsh, but we dont need another flip-flop wearing,shorts clad,muscle shirt doning squid on a gixxer. Sue me.

No no, I meant that I'll hate to wear pants of any kind but I will on the bike. I'll carry the shorts with me in a back pack so I can change into them once I get where I'm going. I have a pair of Martens that should be fine...they have a very aggressive tread on them and I've played basketball in them before, after work and didn't have time to change, and they didn't make my ankles or feet hurt surprisingly. If the jacket I have isn't what I should use, then I'll definitely invest in the correct one, as well as some gloves.

~006

Also, in reply to that other post about the crash/stolen statistics..I understand what you meant by that, but again, I'm not planning on going nuts on this thing. I want to take it easy with it, no joke. As far as it being stolen...well it will be in the garage at my house when it's home, and at the garage at work...which you can't get into unless you open the garage door or know somebody that will open it for you. It takes a key on both sides.

~006

I'll give you my experience as a rookie. I got the urge to get a bike again after many years. My first was 90 cc's when I was 15 years old. Had it for 2 years. I just got a used 250 cc bike after 40 years that is supposed to go up to 80 mph. I was excited to get it because although its a dinker compared to some of the newer "starter" bikes, it was a lot faster than I had before. Now that I have it, I ain't goin' there for a while. I like acceleration and speed to a certain extent but man I feel vulnerable-- There's a lot of the stuff I can't do very well yet-- like emergency stopping without nearly dumping the bike; avoidance maneuvers at higher speeds and keep everything in mind that I know I should. And those are the things I can control. What I've encountered that were out of my control are dogs, pedestrians, people in cars who ignore your presence, and stuff on the road when you're trying to turn and stop (bits of wood, sand, water, etc). I'm really having fun with what I have-- accelerating to speed on regular streets and boulevards and just cruisin'. I'd say take your time-- start with a smaller, lighter bike. The newer 250 honda, suzuki and Yamaha bikes are good and appear to have great resale value for the new folks like us starting out.
Pete

I can vouch for jayhawk's point. I am currently riding an 06 Honda Rebel. A 250cc is a small bike, but I am very glad to have it to learn on. I also looked at 600cc sportbikes, 800cc+ cruisers, and even had a friend who swore the 'busa would be ok as a starter bike.

Then I started reading the forums and a book or two, doing my research. The result is that I am very comfortable on my little Rebel and very comfortable taking the learning process slow. There have been a couple times when I am very glad I had a lightweight 250cc bike. Had it been any heavier, or any more powerful, I would have dropped it by now. And that's just in the course of learning the basics. I will have my dream bike at some point, but only when I think I am able to handle it.

So, for what it's worth, those are my thoughts. Always remember you are riding for yourself, no one else (at least I am).

*shrug*

Yanno, bro, you're gonna get what you want to get. No sense in pretending otherwise. Getting a 600+cc supersport as a first bike is a good way to end up dead, regardless of the precautions, regardless of how "easy" you take it. One bump while you have too much weight on the throttle wrist and you'll go from 30 to 60 before you regain control, and in that split second, you'll have killed yourself, a passenger and possibly another motorist.

Yeah, look at my sig. I survived my first season on a 600cc sportsbike. Was it smart of me to get a CBR600F4i as my first? Nope. I could have killed myself on multiple occasions, doing dumb stuff. I could have hit a bump and accidentally torqued the throttle before I learned to keep weight off of that wrist at all times, looping the bike and sending me and my $10,000 baby flying across the pavement. I could have pushed myself past my admittedly easy-to-reach limits (which the bike will exceed without half a second's thought) and spread myself across 100 yards of blacktop. I could have, but I was lucky. I didn't.

Do you really want to stake your life and your money on luck? Looking back, this summer was a dance with fate, and I feel sick at the number of times I risked my neck stupidly and managed to come out on top due to nothing more than innate talent and luck. If you go ahead, despite what everyone is telling you, and get a 600cc supersport monster, you might make it, too.

Then again, you might not. Many don't.

Your choices, make them as you will, bro.