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Xovaan posted:If I travel 250 miles, I either end up in Yuma, Bakersfield, or drowning in the ocean. And you know which one I'd pick. Donkey show?
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Oct 22, 2013 05:59
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See edit
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Oct 22, 2013 06:05
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Mr. Eric Praline posted:My budget's probably around 5k and I'm in no hurry. The KTM options definitely sound more like what I'm looking for, though I might just get down with a KLR to save the cash. I'll put a few craigslist watches on and see what comes up over the next couple months. Thanks. Look on ADVRider. The Flea Market is packed with exactly what you're looking for. $5K would buy an absurdly accessorized KLR. KTMs are pricier. If you think you'll spend more time carrying stuff than not, I'd look at Adventure over the SM variants, much better seat and easier to load up. The Triumph Tiger (1050, the 800s are a bit too new for your price range) should probably also be on your list.
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Oct 22, 2013 06:06
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I'm in the process of selling my miata, taking the msf and getting on two wheels. A couple years ago, I was all about making the switch, but things precluded me from doing it. So I will be on a lookout for a starter bike. I have a long commute, 40 miles, all highway and am in the St. Louis area as far as climate. I'll have access to a back up car in case there's some totally horrible snow/ice. Has anything changed in the beginner bike market besides more choice nowadays? Ninja 250 (300 is out because of price), CBR 250, SV650, GS500, 400SM? Anything else I'm missing? Still about 1k budget for gear? I'm leaning towards a cbr 250 because larger people are allegedly not knee cramped on them - I'm 6'4 and FI.
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Oct 22, 2013 10:04
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Russian Bear posted:I'm in the process of selling my miata, taking the msf and getting on two wheels. A couple years ago, I was all about making the switch, but things precluded me from doing it. So I will be on a lookout for a starter bike. I have a long commute, 40 miles, all highway and am in the St. Louis area as far as climate. I'll have access to a back up car in case there's some totally horrible snow/ice. Has anything changed in the beginner bike market besides more choice nowadays? Ninja 250 (300 is out because of price), CBR 250, SV650, GS500, 400SM? Anything else I'm missing? Still about 1k budget for gear? I'm leaning towards a cbr 250 because larger people are allegedly not knee cramped on them - I'm 6'4 and FI. 6'4 and Fuel Injected? At 6'4", I'd hazard that you'd be comfier on a taller bike, e.g. DRZ 400 or KLR 650, much more so than on a Ninja or CBR250. Neither of them have great highway manners, but they're going to be better for your commute than the 250s. That said, selling your car and jumping into a 40 mile, two wheel commute in the late fall in the midwest is a little ambitious. I'm not trying to talk you out of it, but you'll be sitting in high winds for 40-60 minutes twice a day when it's barely above (to significantly below) freezing. Maybe you're a different person than me, but I think that would lead me to hate motorcycling. I'm not saying don't, but definitely manage your expectations re how much you're going to want to ride over the winter.
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Oct 22, 2013 13:36
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Do you have another vehicle and you're trading your fun car for a motorcycle? Because you're not going to make it on the highway when it's snowing and icing and all that poo poo it does in the midwest during the winter unless you buy a Ural or something. Two wheeled vehicles and ice/snow don't mix, unless you have tire spikes and are crazy.
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Oct 22, 2013 14:11
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If you fit, I'd recommend a V-Strom 650 over an SV. Over a 40 minute highway commute you will very much appreciate the fairing and windshield. Probably a little more ergo room, too. Similarly the Kawasaki Versys, which is to the Ninja 650 what the Wee-Strom is to the SV. But yeah riding anywhere it gets / stays below freezing for any appreciable part of the year is, at best, one of those "I have years of experience and an arsenal of appropriate clothing and accessories" things. Especially if you have a long highway commute that will inevitably be filled with assholes in SUVs who think their all-season tires and 4WD (not engaged) make them invincible. Realize that you're not going to need a back-up car, you're going to need a winter car.
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Oct 22, 2013 15:39
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Safety Dance posted:
This is a good point, I assumed it will suck riding in the winter, but not sure to what degree suck. Oops I'm not fuel injected  , but that FI seems like a nice thing to have. Oh and I'll have a garage to stick the bike in also.thylacine posted:Do you have another vehicle and you're trading your fun car for a motorcycle? Because you're not going to make it on the highway when it's snowing and icing and all that poo poo it does in the midwest during the winter unless you buy a Ural or something. Two wheeled vehicles and ice/snow don't mix, unless you have tire spikes and are crazy. Yes I have another car that I could use and just ride in when it isn't too awfully cold. Snowdens Secret posted:If you fit, I'd recommend a V-Strom 650 over an SV. Over a 40 minute highway commute you will very much appreciate the fairing and windshield. Probably a little more ergo room, too. Similarly the Kawasaki Versys, which is to the Ninja 650 what the Wee-Strom is to the SV. I don't know how much of a pussy I would be in the cold commute, but I've been known to ride my road bike through the winter (with a lot of appropriate clothing) so I don't know what that says about me dumb probably. The weather here is really weird, some winters it'll be 50 degrees in december; there is generally not a lot of precipitation; we have spells of below zero for a couple weeks, but it's not the norm. I'll keep the versys in mind, thanks! With all that said, it sounds like you guys are saying it might be better to wait for spring and just keep an eye out on CL for a really good deal in the mean time? Edit: bmw gs650 also? Russian Bear fucked around with this message at 20:54 on Oct 22, 2013 |
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Oct 22, 2013 20:47
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Riding in the cold isn't too bad. Precipitation is the only problem, if you can manage that don't worry about it. I usually ride to around 20 deg F down here in Kansas. Like on a bicycle, proper gear makes the whole difference. Heated grips are awesome. You'll probably get a better deal during the winter, so go for it.
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Oct 22, 2013 20:57
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I keep finding old, ratty-looking Honda CT-90s near Chicago that are under $500. I don't know why, but I'm so tempted to grab one and throw it in the old Odyssey and see what I can do with it.
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Oct 22, 2013 21:06
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Russian Bear posted:I don't know how much of a pussy I would be in the cold commute, but I've been known to ride my road bike through the winter (with a lot of appropriate clothing) so I don't know what that says about me dumb probably. The weather here is really weird, some winters it'll be 50 degrees in december; there is generally not a lot of precipitation; we have spells of below zero for a couple weeks, but it's not the norm. I'll keep the versys in mind, thanks! When you're bicycling you're going much lower speeds (less wind chill) and generating a lot of heat yourself. Not really the same. Make sure you've taken the MSF before you buy a bike.
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Oct 22, 2013 21:58
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captainOrbital posted:I keep finding old, ratty-looking Honda CT-90s near Chicago that are under $500. I don't know why, but I'm so tempted to grab one and throw it in the old Odyssey and see what I can do with it. Do it, but I'd be tempted to see if you can find one even cheaper. Good condition CT-110s sell for <$1000AU here and our bike market sucks, so there's gotta be some where you are in better condition or cheaper.
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Oct 23, 2013 00:09
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Russian Bear posted:This is a good point, I assumed it will suck riding in the winter, but not sure to what degree suck. Oops I'm not fuel injected If you won't be relying on your first motorcycle ever for your 40 mile commute every day this winter, by all means, go nuts. Bikes get more expensive in the spring anyway. Riding in the cold is really gear and experience dependant. On my first motorcycle, wearing the jacket I got with it that didn't really seal well around the neck, I once left my girlfriend's house when it was around 50 degrees, and had to turn around immediately because I was shivering too hard (she let me borrow a scarf and I survived). Nowadays, I'm used to the wind chill and I have gear that seals up really well around the neck and wrists. It's something I learned through experience. The GS650 is pretty cool as well. I don't know a lot about it, unfortunately.
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Oct 23, 2013 00:47
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As long as you have reliable winter transport (or reliable "my bike is broken" transport), I'd say take the MSF and go for whatever floats your boat in the starter-bike stable. You would be wise to treat your 40 minute commute like it might potentially be a 2 hour commute any given day during winter months; because you never know what the roads or your bike will hold for you.Russian Bear posted:I'm 6'4 
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Oct 23, 2013 08:38
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EvilSlug posted:How do you cram yourself into a Miata? Maybe that's why he's selling it
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Oct 23, 2013 10:31
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EvilSlug posted:
I seem to be proportioned exactly right to fit into my NA miata with 1 inch to spare above my head. I actually really like the seating position. Weirdly, I felt crammed in a NB when I test drove. Time to find the time and book the MSF. edit: I don't want to sell really, I love driving this car, but it would be financially irresponsible to keep it right now along with a bike. Russian Bear fucked around with this message at 10:37 on Oct 23, 2013 |
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Oct 23, 2013 10:34
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Russian Bear- I've owned two miatas and I feel the same. They are incredible cars. The reasons you love the miata are why you'll be head over heels for riding on two wheels out in the open. As long as you have a backup car; take your msf, get a suitable bike and gear, and don't look back. No one will stop you from buying another miata in the future if you get tired of the bike.
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Oct 23, 2013 16:28
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Coydog posted:Russian Bear- I've owned two miatas and I feel the same. They are incredible cars. The reasons you love the miata are why you'll be head over heels for riding on two wheels out in the open. As long as you have a backup car; take your msf, get a suitable bike and gear, and don't look back. No one will stop you from buying another miata in the future if you get tired of the bike. I have an even stronger opinion than this. I think you'll lose all interest in any car perceived as light or sporty after riding a bike fast. I know my tastes have changed completely; I now want a huge comfortable automatic landbarge or a 4x4, fast or sporty cars just don't interest me beyond the academic.
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Oct 23, 2013 21:12
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I am of the same opinion as Slavvy on this. Before I was like "I want a Lotus!" or "Porsches are super cool!" and now I want my cars as slow and comfy as possible because buying a car outside of this criteria besides artistic merit is a waste to me. But then again we were ruined by monstrous torque machines 
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Oct 23, 2013 22:42
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I pretty much just got back into playing with cars after 7 years of "motorcycles are cooler". I am pretty sure my Buell makes more torque and horsepower than my RX-7 though... well I'm absolutely sure because I'm still waiting on my 12a to be built, but I'm pretty sure it still will when the Mazda is running. Makes sense, the Buell has 57cc more displacement and one less catalytic converter!
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Oct 23, 2013 22:58
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Slavvy posted:or a 4x4 Pretty much this. I went from a Mazdaspeed Protege to a fugly Jeep after my first motorcycle. My
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Oct 24, 2013 05:32
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So I'm thinking (hypothetically, as I don't have the space for two motorcycles right now) about finding something newer and more highway capable than my CL350 so I can go on longer trips. I'm looking at middleweight standards in the 600-800cc range; just twins right now because I like the blatty sound and the down-low power. The CL350 is already plenty buzzy at high speeds. I think I'd very much like to get an NT650, but I'm also scoping out SV650s and the smaller Monsters (though I've got no idea what to look for in a Ducati). Is there anything else I should be keeping an eye out for?
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Oct 24, 2013 07:42
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Safety Dance posted:If cost is no issue, get a showroom new KTM 990 whatever The Adventure 1190 is about to hit and it looks awesome. There's a demo day here in town for them Saturday but I haven't ridden in about six months and don't want to risk loving up a bike.  I'd love to grab one in a few years but my eventual step up from my Ninja 500 is probably just going to be a Versys.
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Oct 24, 2013 08:27
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er6n?
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Oct 24, 2013 09:53
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Safety Dance posted:Pretty much this. I went from a Mazdaspeed Protege to a fugly Jeep after my first motorcycle. My This must be a thing. I had a Miata I used to drive for fun, but since I got my Triumph I'm trying to sell the car. The poor little Mazda just cant compete with Triple on terms of grin inducing insanity.
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Oct 24, 2013 14:26
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Sagebrush posted:So I'm thinking (hypothetically, as I don't have the space for two motorcycles right now) about finding something newer and more highway capable than my CL350 so I can go on longer trips. I'm looking at middleweight standards in the 600-800cc range; just twins right now because I like the blatty sound and the down-low power. The CL350 is already plenty buzzy at high speeds. Maybe a trx850? Obligatory xb9s mention.
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Oct 24, 2013 16:33
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PadreScout posted:This must be a thing. I had a Miata I used to drive for fun, but since I got my Triumph I'm trying to sell the car. The poor little Mazda just cant compete with Triple on terms of grin inducing insanity. Yeah it's a thing. I'm trying to come to terms with selling my S2000, and getting a truck so I can get a track bike. It's not that the car is bad, it's just not as fun as even a low horsepower bike. I am commuting 40 miles round trip of stop and go highway traffic in a S2000 and that seems dumb and wrong.
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Oct 24, 2013 16:54
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DEUCE SLUICE posted:The Adventure 1190 is about to hit and it looks awesome. There's a demo day here in town for them Saturday but I haven't ridden in about six months and don't want to risk loving up a bike. Don't be a bitch. It has traction control, stability control, and ABS. You'll be fine.
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Oct 24, 2013 16:59
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Sagebrush posted:I think I'd very much like to get an NT650,
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Oct 24, 2013 17:12
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Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester posted:Those are awesome bikes. Get one. Monsters are all great, the 900s and up are a lot more fun, specially with Termis, the FI ones will probably run better, but they all have the Italian reliability thing. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Aprilia here - the Shiver's more powerful, handles better, and is cheaper and more reliable than the equivalent Monster - but while Piaggio have worked most of the Italian-ness out of the reliability it's still madness to buy one if there's not a dealer convenient to you.
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Oct 25, 2013 23:14
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Yeah, while I like the idea of something like the Monster or the Shiver, I'm not super sold on the reliability. I figured there were at least enough Monsters out there that spare parts wouldn't have to be overnighted from Italy, and someone other than the Ducati dealership would be able to work on them. Maybe that's an unreasonable assumption.Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester posted:Those are awesome bikes. Get one. In your opinion, what makes the NT650 awesome? I like it because it's relatively small and light, has what looks like an extremely practical all-purpose engine, and I saw a video of one with a Two Brothers pipe and it sounded amazing. Also it looks cool with stuff like that big aluminum frame and the single-sided swingarm. But what makes it appealing to a person who is a motorcycle mechanic and already owns a classic BMW and a Ducati?
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Oct 26, 2013 05:53
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The Monsters still have the standard and fairly terrifying Ducati valve intervals, belt intervals, overall maintenance costs, etc. Definitely something to research and plan for. Say what you will about the Aprilias but their maintenance intervals and costs are pretty reasonable - at least on the Twins, but I haven't heard the V4s are any unreasonable step back.
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Oct 26, 2013 07:35
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Sagebrush posted:Yeah, while I like the idea of something like the Monster or the Shiver, I'm not super sold on the reliability. I figured there were at least enough Monsters out there that spare parts wouldn't have to be overnighted from Italy, and someone other than the Ducati dealership would be able to work on them. Maybe that's an unreasonable assumption. They tend not to break down. As a car mechanic that's what I look for in a car, so it stands to reason...
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Oct 26, 2013 08:14
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Sagebrush posted:Yeah, while I like the idea of something like the Monster or the Shiver, I'm not super sold on the reliability. I figured there were at least enough Monsters out there that spare parts wouldn't have to be overnighted from Italy, and someone other than the Ducati dealership would be able to work on them. Maybe that's an unreasonable assumption. They're actually easier to work on than the Ducati because of the lack of silly valvetrains - the only real problem is their proprietary ECU/EMS and diagnostic system, which is why I mentioned about the dealer availability. AF1Racing pretty much have every spare in stock but depending where you are in the states that may or may not be any quicker than getting the parts from Noale, but if you don't have the right cable and software good luck finding out which part it is that needs replacing... Snowdens Secret posted:The Monsters still have the standard and fairly terrifying Ducati valve intervals, belt intervals, overall maintenance costs, etc. Definitely something to research and plan for. 12,000 mile/24 month service intervals on the in-house twins (Shiver/Dorsoduro/Caponord), but 6k miles/12 months on the V4s, which considering the much higher state of tune isn't unreasonable. Can't remember what the Rotax twins were but I think it was 6k again.
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Oct 26, 2013 10:58
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Sagebrush posted:In your opinion, what makes the NT650 awesome? Slavvy posted:They tend not to break down. As a car mechanic that's what I look for in a car, so it stands to reason...
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Oct 26, 2013 13:58
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Ok, passed the MSF and in the initial stages of my first bike research. Read the last 30-40 pages or so and was wondering what's the advantage over buying a CL bike instead of used at a dealership? Price only? Don't most dealers do an inspection and give me the DMV paperwork peace of mind? Is there something I'm missing?
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Oct 26, 2013 21:46
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Most used bikes out of dealers are just as bad as private party ones with a price markup to boot.
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Oct 26, 2013 21:51
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Ahh, so one of those "certified" used programs don't typically exist with motorcycles. Are we talking a serious markup or just enough so I don't have to worry about the DMV titling side of things.
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Oct 27, 2013 02:02
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Evil SpongeBob posted:Ahh, so one of those "certified" used programs don't typically exist with motorcycles. Are we talking a serious markup or just enough so I don't have to worry about the DMV titling side of things. It really depends on the dealer. Expect to at least pay over KBB trade in, possibly a lot more depending on make and location. Also consider any used bike from a dealer as "as is", inspection or not. I've personally seen bikes come from dealers with simple poo poo like loose chains and low coolant levels that should have been fixed in any simple inspection. You have a better chance of buying a bike on CL for a significant amount cheaper. You also have to put a lot more leg work into getting a good deal by filtering through the retards and higher volume of poo poo bikes.
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Oct 27, 2013 02:28
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Evil SpongeBob posted:Ahh, so one of those "certified" used programs don't typically exist with motorcycles. Are we talking a serious markup or just enough so I don't have to worry about the DMV titling side of things. I'm not sure about how bad it is in your area, but where I live the markup is typically $1k+ over the CL bikes if not worse and most of the dealer stuff is trade-ins with TONS of miles/usage. Another thing to note is that the lower displacement/beginner type bikes are typically marked up the most, since those buyers are the least knowledgeable. A Ninja 250 with ~10k miles that I would typically find on CL for $2500-3000 will most likely be "on sale" for $4000+ at a dealer and that's not even including all the fee's you have to pay. Going to the DMV to do tags/title/registration/etc isn't really something to worry about and at most will take a few hours. If paying the markup to save yourself two hours at the DMV is worth it then by all means, go hog wild. Edit: One more thing to consider is the depreciation since it seems like this will be your first bike and you will likely upgrade it at some point. If you buy off CL and you get a good price, you can likely sell it 3-6-12months later for very near what you paid for it. You will never be able to do that with a bike you buy from the dealer. Not even remotely close. 100% Dundee fucked around with this message at 05:24 on Oct 27, 2013 |
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Oct 27, 2013 05:17
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