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I feel like people either get the recommended sensible starter bikes and love them and keep them a long time or go with the bike they are excited to spend dollars on and regret it It's kind of a rite of passage. You never know what kind of bikes you are interested in until you ride a bit, and in general every bike is gonna be as fun to ride in the beginning as you imagine your dream bike to be. So yeah like blow your money on whatever you want but if it's newer make sure it has ABS and if it's older make sure it's Japanese. And never listen to someone who suggests a KTM.
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Jan 21, 2020 21:03
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Jcam posted:I think it's a good idea because it's what I'm interested in, I don't know what else to say really. I'm not committed to buying new, but as someone who isn't mechanically inclined yet getting something that is at most a couple of years old is appealing as my time available to ride might be limited. I'm not against a more standard motorcycle, just haven't fallen in love with what I've gone and sat on really. Righto. In that case: slightly used it a million times better than brand new, there's no good reason to take a huge depreciation hit besides maybe having a warranty and that honestly isn't worth much on a Japanese bike because they never break. Paying half price for a five year old bike is better. What a bike feels like to sit on is not in the same universe as what they're like to use and ride, indeed lots of bikes are designed to have seats and other bits with showroom appeal at the expenses of comfort/useability specifically for this reason, so that's irrelevant. Years of accumulated knowledge leads me to believe that something as big and heavy as the bikes you've listed is a terrible idea for learning, irrespective of the horsepower involved. The margin of error and dynamic forgiveness of a bike is a straight correlation with mass and size, so by far and away the most important consideration in my mind for learner bikes, is physical size and weight. Horsepower can be moderated by sound judgement, but if you don't know what to do in a mid-corner drama and you're about to crash, shutting the throttle won't help you. Having a really light forgiving bike will help you. Braking, turning, being smooth, using the correct lines all get easier to learn and do the smaller the bike is. The smaller the bike, the faster and safer you'll learn to not be a poo poo rider, and make no mistake you will be a poo poo rider for a long, long time. Everyone is, that's bieks, nobody looks cool when they're learning and the nicer the bike, the more pointing and laughing you'll get from people who know what they're doing. Which brings me to my next point: styling is basically the last thing to worry about for a first bike; if anything you'll want something ugly so you aren't heartbroken when you fall over in the driveway. Which you will. Don't get what your heart is set on, that's a stupid thing to do. Get something cheap and light, learn to not ride poo poo, then get what your heart wants. I would aim for an mt03 or Ninja 300 or small Enduro of some kind. If you're dead set on a cruiser, get a really little one like a rebel 500, intruder 250 or similar. Big shiny 600+cc bikes have an appeal to them but, crucially, that appeal isn't relevant for you because you don't know how to ride so you'll experience all the drawbacks with none of the benefits.
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Jan 21, 2020 21:07
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dollars on.
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Slavvy posted:That's fine but you'd be better off with a dr650, Jcam posted:I'm not committed to buying new, but as someone who isn't mechanically inclined yet getting something that is at most a couple of years old is appealing as my time available to ride might be limited. I recommend you get mechanically inclined, and a newer but used Japanese bike is a good way to do that. Motorcycles are way more maintenance-heavy per mile than cars are, but far easier and cheaper to do yourself. Learning how to wrench a little bit on your bike is a fantastic way to learn how it works, which translates to more enjoyable riding. Also, if you're doing your own maintenance, you'll know far earlier when things need maintenance, rather than just riding until it breaks and you have to take it in to a shop. Basic stuff, like oil changes, chain, sprockets, brakes, fasteners, cables, etc. can be picked up really quickly. The next level of things like suspension, bearings, exhaust, lights, and the simpler electronics will end up being easier than you expect after familiarizing yourself with the basics. Then after a couple years, fueling, clutch, timing, etc will be a fun new challenge. Except tires, take the bike in to get tires done. Slavvy and others can provide more information on how those bikes translate to ease of maintenance, but generally I think a middle-displacement Japanese cruiser will be easier to approach. edit: And consider a light dual sport, they are soooo good. There's a really good chance you'll be on something like an XT250/TW200 in your MSF course. Even though it's a few months off, wait a little bit until you go through the course and feel what they give you to do the class on. If there are a few different ergonomic options (some courses use Rebels and Ninjas), see if you can try them all. HenryJLittlefinger fucked around with this message at 21:19 on Jan 21, 2020 |
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Jan 21, 2020 21:15
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Just as an anecdote, I got a new Moto Guzzi V7 as my first bike, haven't dropped it in the driveway/parking lot and certainly haven't regretted it.
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Jan 21, 2020 21:16
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Coydog posted:Plus, it's already lowered a bit and that's a fair price for a old. It will be a heavy pig, but that's perfect for what you are using it for. Put a top box on it and really lean into the utility vehicle aspect. The already lowered aspect is why I'm leaning more towards the klr, not to mention my husband already has a good deal of experience working on his own. The dr650 seems alright, but I've not had the chance to ride one, sadly no one we know has one.
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Jan 21, 2020 21:17
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Pine Cone Jones posted:The already lowered aspect is why I'm leaning more towards the klr, not to mention my husband already has a good deal of experience working on his own. The dr650 seems alright, but I've not had the chance to ride one, sadly no one we know has one. If you get a DR650 and let him ride it, he'll get jealous and try to get rid of the KLR so he can get a DR.
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Jan 21, 2020 21:19
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HenryJLittlefinger posted:I recommend you get mechanically inclined, and a newer but used Japanese bike is a good way to do that. Motorcycles are way more maintenance-heavy per mile than cars are, but far easier and cheaper to do yourself. Learning how to wrench a little bit on your bike is a fantastic way to learn how it works, which translates to more enjoyable riding. Also, if you're doing your own maintenance, you'll know far earlier when things need maintenance, rather than just riding until it breaks and you have to take it in to a shop. Basic stuff, like oil changes, chain, sprockets, brakes, fasteners, cables, etc. can be picked up really quickly. The next level of things like suspension, bearings, exhaust, lights, and the simpler electronics will end up being easier than you expect after familiarizing yourself with the basics. Then after a couple years, fueling, clutch, timing, etc will be a fun new challenge. Except tires, take the bike in to get tires done. Oh I didn't even mention ease of repair. If ease of repair is a factor then every metric cruiser is a massive pile of turds. They are absolutely horribly packaged to accommodate the styling, everything is painful and difficult to the point where ease of repair is the exception not the norm. If you want ease of repair it's intruder 250, Vulcan 650, rebel 500 and that's pretty much it, the rest are varying degrees of poo poo. If you want to learn to ride and spanner at the same time in a low cost, low stress environment, get a Japanese enduro. They are made to be taken apart by the side of the road with basic tools, all the parts are cheap and the principles are extremely easy to understand because of the bike's function-over-form design. Basically the cooler something looks, the worse it will be to work on. The dorkiest looking bikes are usually the most practical, sadly.
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Jan 21, 2020 21:23
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HenryJLittlefinger posted:If you get a DR650 and let him ride it, he'll get jealous and try to get rid of the KLR so he can get a DR. This. It really is hard to emphasize how much better the DR is than the klr to someone who hasn't ridden both. The gap on paper is tiny, in reality it's a vast gulf.
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Jan 21, 2020 21:24
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HenryJLittlefinger posted:If you get a DR650 and let him ride it, he'll get jealous and try to get rid of the KLR so he can get a DR. This is correct. The Dr is unquestionably superior in feeling and operation. The rumbling upwell of torque all the time always, the deep effortless lean on corners, the angry bear roar when flogging it... All compelling.
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Jan 21, 2020 21:25
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I really appreciate the write-up, and I tell you honestly I'm not dead set on a cruiser. The main reason I haven't given much else a chance is because the crazy sporty fairings and designs turn me off. However, stuff like the Yamaha MT-03 and the Kawasaki Ninja Z400 look awesome. I fully intend on waiting until my course is done to get something, I just like bouncing things off of SA since there is a lot of experience/knowledge here. I posted specifically for help like this Slavvy, thanks a lot. HenryJLittlefinger posted:I recommend you get mechanically inclined 100% that's the plan. Just need to watch enough tutorials, do some reading, and pick up a few tools I'm missing. I more so meant I'd like to do it out of interest and not necessity.
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Jan 21, 2020 21:29
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A lot of newbies don't like the sportbike look with all the fairings, and a lot specifically want something that's kind of retro styled but not outright Harley territory. I'm surprised that more motorcycle companies haven't picked up on this and made stuff like the SR400 but with better suspension and a modern engine and ABS. The first company to do it would probably sell the crap out of them. Basically like the Ducati Scrambler but without the Ducati Experience. Anyway, the MT03 or Ninja 400 are both excellent first bike choices if you're gonna buy new. Make sure you get one with ABS. Consider basically any other modern bike in the 300-400cc range; there are a lot of them all of a sudden and they're pretty much all good starters. Jcam posted:Just need to watch enough tutorials, do some reading, and pick up a few tools I'm missing. I more so meant I'd like to do it out of interest and not necessity. Also a good strategy. As someone who bought a non-running bike as his first with the idea that I would teach myself to fix motorcycles at the same time as learning to ride, I would not recommend it unless you're cool working on the bike all week to maybe ride it one day of the weekend. I managed to do it, but it took months just to get on the road and at this point I have disassembled and touched literally every single part of that motorcycle, right down to the crankshaft bearings. I don't regret it, but if I didn't inherently love machines I sure would have Sagebrush fucked around with this message at 23:58 on Jan 21, 2020 |
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Jan 21, 2020 23:53
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Sagebrush posted:A lot of newbies don't like the sportbike look with all the fairings, and a lot specifically want something that's kind of retro styled but not outright Harley territory. I'm surprised that more motorcycle companies haven't picked up on this and made stuff like the SR400 but with better suspension and a modern engine and ABS. The first company to do it would probably sell the crap out of them. Basically like the Ducati Scrambler but without the Ducati Experience. Tu250x, sr400.....can't think of anything else. I think that look is mostly popular with punishing old men so you tend to find it on more upmarket poo poo like wr850, Bonneville, cb1100 and such.
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Jan 22, 2020 00:15
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Jcam posted:I just like bouncing things off of SA since there is a lot of experience/knowledge here. I posted specifically for help like this Slavvy, thanks a lot. As someone who's currently getting through the brand new newbie thing, I'm just gonna confirm that the accuracy of the stuff I was told here was eerily good. So far: I bought cheaper gear that wasn't great and/or didn't fit quite right, and ended up spending heaps more on gear that was better. Especially the helmet. I probably wasted around 400-500 bucks on gear that I'm not gonna use and can't sell. I decided to work on the bike despite having no experience at that kind of thing beyond changing batteries and oil on an old car, and it was actually way easier and way more rewarding than I was expecting. I dropped the bike. I was real careful and it took longer than I thought it would, but it happened. I would have been loving pissed at myself if I'd put those scratches on a new bike with no scratches. After a couple months riding, I got in a situation where confidence caused me to out-ride skill and I only didn't crash because I was lucky. E: I got my back wheel off, got a new tyre, and go my back wheel back on today. I don't have a stand so I borrowed a trolley jack from my neighbor and used a plank to support the bike on that and some straps to the shed roof frame to keep it upright. Inspected the brake while I had it apart and it's good, but I've just now realised that I didn't check the chain tension, but also that I didn't put the bags back on yet. Elector_Nerdlingen fucked around with this message at 01:26 on Jan 22, 2020 |
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Jan 22, 2020 01:15
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Elector_Nerdlingen posted:I don't have a stand so I borrowed a trolley jack from my neighbor and used a plank to support the bike on that and some straps to the shed roof frame to keep it upright. Inspected the brake while I had it apart and it's good, but I've just now realised that I didn't check the chain tension, but also that I didn't put the bags back on yet.
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Jan 22, 2020 01:41
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Aaaaand I burned the back of my hand on the exhaust. Twice.
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Jan 22, 2020 03:02
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ImplicitAssembler posted:Just as an anecdote, I got a new Moto Guzzi V7 as my first bike, haven't dropped it in the driveway/parking lot and certainly haven't regretted it.
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Jan 22, 2020 03:25
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Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester posted:Does it start and run well enough to ride down the driveway? Yeah..and the highway too...and corners and stuff. Also no chain to oil, which is a bonus 
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Jan 22, 2020 04:46
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Elector_Nerdlingen posted:Aaaaand I burned the back of my hand on the exhaust. Better than burning a giant hole through 200 dollar overpants. AND a small hole through a jacket. x_x
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Jan 22, 2020 04:56
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Yeah gently caress that, I'll take burning my knuckles over burning something that costs 200 bucks.
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Jan 22, 2020 05:22
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Jcam posted:I really appreciate the write-up, and I tell you honestly I'm not dead set on a cruiser. The main reason I haven't given much else a chance is because the crazy sporty fairings and designs turn me off. However, stuff like the Yamaha MT-03 and the Kawasaki Ninja Z400 look awesome. I fully intend on waiting until my course is done to get something, I just like bouncing things off of SA since there is a lot of experience/knowledge here. I posted specifically for help like this Slavvy, thanks a lot. Comedy option: Kymco Spade Except it's actually the correct solution to your problem, but you gotta be a bad enough dude to save the president's daughter to also be ok buying a minibike as your first bike.
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Jan 22, 2020 05:43
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Mirconium posted:Comedy option: Kymco Spade I don't think Ivanka would get on a minibike to save her life.
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Jan 22, 2020 10:13
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ImplicitAssembler posted:Yeah..and the highway too...and corners and stuff. Did you get one of the CARC bikes? Smile now, before your final drive grenades or starts puking oil for no reason
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Jan 23, 2020 03:22
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Bought one of these and the matching front one It... doesn't fit. The exhaust is in the way. Is there a way to alter the stand so that it's usable for me, or did I just waste a hundred and fifty bucks?
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Jan 25, 2020 10:18
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Elector_Nerdlingen posted:Bought one of these and the matching front one Can you take a picture of the problem?
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Jan 25, 2020 14:41
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builds character posted:Can you take a picture of the problem? Intruder 250 has a stock exhaust that sits like RIGHT next to the rear axle, so I assume the little bit that protrudes on the stand goes where an exhaust is. Answer is to ziptie little wooden blocks on the underside of the swingarm to shim it up and get the exhaust out of the way prob, idk.
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Jan 25, 2020 20:50
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Mirconium posted:Intruder 250 has a stock exhaust that sits like RIGHT next to the rear axle, so I assume the little bit that protrudes on the stand goes where an exhaust is. I'd do this or just return them and get a platform jack instead. Being a flat bottomed bike you don't even need a wheel cradle, though it does make things easier.
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Jan 25, 2020 22:19
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ITT I learn that not all bikes have spools 
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Jan 26, 2020 00:44
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Holy balls, today is the first time I've wanted additional wind protection. Wind was 15-20mph out of the south and the southbound interstate was truly miserable. I had planned to order a bigass Madstad windscreen at some point for long distance trips but I think it climbed up my priority list today.
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Jan 26, 2020 03:57
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Going highway speeds into a big headwind loving suuuuuucks, but will a windshield even help? Also today I hooked up that tacho I ordered and it turns out I was pretty close to getting the idle right by ear/feel. Like, I was within the tolerance of the gauge. Good guess, right ?
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Jan 27, 2020 03:42
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Highways: grip super loose, let the bike wander here and there a little bit and you'll find it fights you a lot less. Dad windshields on bikes that aren't meant to have them work really, really badly IMO. They buffet the top of your head, distort the view ahead and make the instability much more severe because they act like a sail attached to the bars. Plus they add 40 years to your age. And keep your mouth shut about the idle, you'll tip everyone off to how easy this poo poo really is 
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Jan 27, 2020 04:32
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Elector_Nerdlingen posted:Going highway speeds into a big headwind loving suuuuuucks, but will a windshield even help? YES if you get the right windscreen. NO it just makes it worse if you get 99% of windscreens on the market. I've had great luck with Parabelum and Laminar Lip for dualsports and a sportbikes respectively. YMMV. It's worth trying to get a good one if you don't like it now. What bike do you have?
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Jan 27, 2020 04:32
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Helmet lift was the worst part of my ride yesterday and that's the first time I had that problem. But I mean anything this dorky has to work, right? 
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Jan 27, 2020 05:26
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gently caress that’s ugly just work your neck out
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Jan 27, 2020 07:33
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Razzled posted:gently caress that’s ugly just work your neck out Yes, your sense of aesthetics is more important than someone else's comfort.
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Jan 27, 2020 07:51
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Razzled posted:gently caress that’s ugly just work your neck out He's clearly 85 years old, leave him alone ffs.
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Jan 27, 2020 09:39
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FBS posted:Helmet lift was the worst part of my ride yesterday and that's the first time I had that problem. sad.
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Jan 27, 2020 15:23
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Ignore the haters, life's too short to be loving miserable on your two wheeled fun machine
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Jan 27, 2020 18:49
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FBS posted:Helmet lift was the worst part of my ride yesterday and that's the first time I had that problem. This is dope.
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Jan 27, 2020 19:04
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I have no problem with tall windshields. I think it looks great, like a Lego motorcycle. I draw the line at batwing fairings, though.
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Jan 27, 2020 21:32
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Bring back windjammers
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Jan 27, 2020 22:14
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