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MockingQuantum posted:Awesome, thanks for the suggestions. One question though: looking through the thread, I'm noticing that cruiser-style bikes never seem to be recommended as a first bike. Is this because they're harder to handle? Or some other reason? I've always wanted a retro-looking cruiser of some kind, though that's based entirely on aesthetics since I've spent all of half an hour on my father-in-law's bike while he taught me how the clutch works. I get that I don't want anything too heavy or powerful for a first bike, but beyond that I'm totally green when it comes to this. it's because they don't teach you jack poo poo about riding because they can't lean and beginner cruiser engines are loving dogshit atleast get something fun before you go and become a harleyfag (USER WAS PUT ON PROBATION FOR THIS POST)
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Nov 17, 2015 08:32
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Razzled posted:i guess learners licenses dont come with taste in motorcycles Your attitude suggests you think DRZs are tasteful. MockingQuantum posted:Awesome, thanks for the suggestions. One question though: looking through the thread, I'm noticing that cruiser-style bikes never seem to be recommended as a first bike. Is this because they're harder to handle? Or some other reason? I've always wanted a retro-looking cruiser of some kind, though that's based entirely on aesthetics since I've spent all of half an hour on my father-in-law's bike while he taught me how the clutch works. I get that I don't want anything too heavy or powerful for a first bike, but beyond that I'm totally green when it comes to this. Pretty much all cruisers are retro-styled  They aren't recommended around here because almost everybody are humorless sperglords who look at the spec sheet and decide it isn't objectively fun, whatever that means. Here's the deal: if you want a cruiser, get a cruiser, there is nothing wrong with them. They are easy mode. The only catch is they're a little heavy so when you're on it and not moving (for the love of god, being on it and not moving is not the point) they might be a little trickier to balance. Everybody here will overstate that fact though. I've owned two big cruisers. I rode a 1500 for my first bike. They are cool if you don't care about cornering or maintaining momentum, and pro-tip: both of those things aren't the point either. Get one big enough (like 1000+), park it in the turns, and ride the torque. The challenge is that it will stay fun if you ride with other slow cruisers. Once you find yourself playing catch-up to your friends and scraping board everywhere, it might be time to find something with more cornering clearance. You'd have trouble convincing me that the 1200cc Sportster engine isn't the best thing in motorcycling right now. clutchpuck fucked around with this message at 08:56 on Nov 17, 2015 |
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Nov 17, 2015 08:39
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clutchpuck posted:Your attitude suggests you think DRZs are tasteful nope, just loving awesome and fun
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Nov 17, 2015 08:43
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Razzled posted:i guess learners licenses dont come with taste in motorcycles They did for me, bitch. Well, technically, I wanted to buy a 883 Iron or a Royal Enfield Bullet, so...
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Nov 17, 2015 08:52
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clutchpuck posted:Your attitude suggests you think DRZs are tasteful. Depressingly, I recently rode a Hyosung 250 cruiser (I don't know why these things follow me around). Putting aside the brand and all it entails, it was a reasonably sized bike for me, had forward controls and a comfortable enough seat with an adequate engine. Riding it I felt like it was designed to perform brilliantly at the sorts of speeds you would drive an ordinary car to get from a to b. Comfortable (retarded pegs aside), smooth, light controls etc. But as soon as you attempted to exceed those limits it made it as painful and difficult as possible thanks to a crap riding position for cornering/braking, ghastly gearchange/rear brake usage, no ground clearance, super lazy fork rake, crap suspension et al. I certainly wouldn't say they don't teach you to ride or whatever, they just have hilariously low limits that anyone with any sense of the physical thrill of riding a bike (hint: not everyone cares about this) for fun starts chafing against very quickly. I reckon that might be one reason why cruisers, more than most bikes, can be had so easily with very low mileage irrespective of brand or CC rating. They just aren't that fun to ride after you get to know them well. From this standpoint I'd argue they're a poor choice because you end up selling them quickly, perhaps without tempering yourself fully on a bike you won't cry about crashing before you get something genuinely fast or expensive. But all that depends on your cash and circumstance and mindset.
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Nov 17, 2015 09:33
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Lilbeefer posted:Oh I definitely have no problem with hi viz clothing! Learners in Victoria are required to wear Hi Viz construction style vests over their clothing I fully intend to be wearing bright visible gear, but gently caress wearing the vest haha Get yourself one of these  In Britain even the Met say they are not illegal.
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Nov 17, 2015 13:24
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That is brilliant. Is there any reason people are recommending me the CB400 but not the 500? There are a couple or reasonably priced ones floating around....
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Nov 17, 2015 14:02
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Foxtrot_13 posted:Get yourself one of these You just like an utter loving twat wearing one.
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Nov 17, 2015 14:04
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Lilbeefer posted:That is brilliant. Barnsy recommended looking at a CB500. They're perfectly serviceable, take one for a spin. I suggested the CB400 because it's a cheap, good looking retro styled bike that's moar better at pretty much everything than the SR400. The engine is also pretty fun for a LAMS bike in that it's a moderately revvy inline four. Pretty much every other LAMS biek is a thumper or a parallel twin, which are less fun to wring out. prukinski fucked around with this message at 15:18 on Nov 17, 2015 |
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Nov 17, 2015 15:11
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goddamnedtwisto posted:You just like an utter loving twat wearing one. Don't forget the white helmet. light grey touring bike with blue tinted headlight bulbs
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Nov 17, 2015 15:56
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Lilbeefer posted:Do you wear hi viz? Yes. The trick is getting something other than one of those lovely builder's tabards they pass out at training centres.
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Nov 17, 2015 16:00
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Slavvy posted:Depressingly, I recently rode a Hyosung 250 cruiser (I don't know why these things follow me around). Putting aside the brand and all it entails, it was a reasonably sized bike for me, had forward controls and a comfortable enough seat with an adequate engine. Do you ever think that maybe you're in some truman show equivalent run by Hyosung? This is important, tia. goddamnedtwisto posted:You just like an utter loving twat wearing one. In some cases, that is an improvement.
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Nov 17, 2015 16:32
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Razzled posted:it's because they don't teach you jack poo poo about riding because they can't lean and beginner cruiser engines are loving dogshit drat, probations being given out for bringing the truth too hard? What has CA come to?
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Nov 17, 2015 20:40
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That was over the line by Razzled; he capitalized not a single word.
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Nov 17, 2015 20:55
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clutchpuck posted:
Awesome, thanks for the info. One follow-up question: I'm 6'2" and a heavy fucker even when I'm not overweight, are there certain bikes I should be looking at or staying away from with that in mind?
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Nov 18, 2015 00:56
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The smallest one you're likely to fit on is like a Vstar 650. I know the Kawasaki Vulcan S and Indian Scout come with ergo options from the dealer; bars and saddles that change the reach to bars and pegs, but both are new models so they might cost a little much. Sit on a bunch of bikes to find one that fits close enough. You might be looking at 800-1200cc. Sportsters are kind of the benchmark cruiser, and they're worthwhile to look at. Belts and shafts are basically zero-maintenance, a chain adds some hassle.
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Nov 18, 2015 01:19
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Maybe a Honda Shadow?
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Nov 18, 2015 02:32
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MockingQuantum posted:Awesome, thanks for the info. If you haven't ridden bikes before, any bike is going to feel super fast. Why not try an ADV type bike? Nice upright seating position for your tall, can buy relatively cheap aftermarket springs for your heft, when you drop a drz it actually appreciates in value. You can watch long way round and think about how you would have done it so much better. drz, dr650, klr650, wr250, xr650. If not those, just get a ninja250 and ride it for a year learning to be fast on a slow bike before you go and get what you really want. That's almost always the best answer even if everyone hates it and thinks they're a special flower that needs something different.
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Nov 18, 2015 03:43
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builds character posted:If not those, just get a ninja250 and ride it for a year learning to be fast on a slow bike before you go and get what you really want. That's almost always the best answer even if everyone hates it and thinks they're a special flower that needs something different. Despite what retards say about the so-called hivemind and other inane bullshit that only exists in people's heads this really is the answer 99% of the time. They get recommended because they're the perfect first bike in every loving way and there really is no reason to look elsewhere unless you live somewhere with a really high percentage of unpaved roads. There's only so many ways to skin the same cat and something being repeated a million times doesn't make it wrong.
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Nov 18, 2015 06:21
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Thanks for the help everyone, I ended up getting a deal on a 390 Duke, which I am stoked with. Includes pants, jackets, gloves. I already have a helmet, and I will get some boots when I pick it up. All in all it was about 2k less then I was willing to spend, so happy. Itching to pick it up though....
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Nov 18, 2015 12:20
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Lilbeefer posted:Thanks for the help everyone, I ended up getting a deal on a 390 Duke, which I am stoked with. Includes pants, jackets, gloves. I already have a helmet, and I will get some boots when I pick it up. All in all it was about 2k less then I was willing to spend, so happy. Itching to pick it up though.... Nice, tell us what you think!
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Nov 18, 2015 12:54
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Lilbeefer posted:Thanks for the help everyone, I ended up getting a deal on a 390 Duke, which I am stoked with. Includes pants, jackets, gloves. I already have a helmet, and I will get some boots when I pick it up. All in all it was about 2k less then I was willing to spend, so happy. Itching to pick it up though.... They're great bikes have fun and make sure the fan was fixed.
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Nov 18, 2015 16:13
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Razzled posted:(USER WAS PUT ON PROBATION FOR THIS POST) drat, I didn't even think you could get probated in CA. Well done mailbox.
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Nov 18, 2015 16:43
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Z3n posted:They're great bikes have fun and make sure the fan was fixed. Thanks for making me google this. Ill talk to the service guy when i pick it up.
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Nov 18, 2015 17:20
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Slavvy posted:Despite what retards say about the so-called hivemind and other inane bullshit that only exists in people's heads this really is the answer 99% of the time. They get recommended because they're the perfect first bike in every loving way and there really is no reason to look elsewhere unless you live somewhere with a really high percentage of unpaved roads. There's only so many ways to skin the same cat and something being repeated a million times doesn't make it wrong. Or if you live in a place where drivers are aggressive as poo poo and you need to be doing 70-85 to not get run the hell over.
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Nov 18, 2015 18:13
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Marxalot posted:Or if you live in a place where drivers are aggressive as poo poo and you need to be doing 70-85 to not get run the hell over. Dude, what's the problem? My ex250 can do 90 in 5th gear...
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Nov 18, 2015 18:27
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Marxalot posted:Or if you live in a place where drivers are aggressive as poo poo and you need to be doing 70-85 to not get run the hell over. Thankfully I'm in a pretty motorcycle friendly city and state, but nonetheless I won't rule out a Ninja or adv/dual sport bike. I was basically born and raised to be a harleyfag, if you will, but I'm not in a huge rush to get a bike that will break me or my wallet in half when I (inevitably?) lay it down.
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Nov 18, 2015 18:48
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Which is probably one of the more understated advantages of the ex250. They're cheap as chips and there are a brazillion of them out there, so if/when you do stuff it, spares are cheap and easy to come by. Somewhat related to that, they're also really simple bikes to work on, so if you want to learn how to do your own maintenance, they're a good starting point for that as well.
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Nov 18, 2015 19:09
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So how bad of an idea would it be to go from my Ninja250 to a 2004 Honda CBR1000RR? There is one for sale around here from a dealer listed at $5,000.
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Nov 18, 2015 19:17
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Do you like flying fighter jets around in hangars?
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Nov 18, 2015 19:34
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Ninja 250 sucking up incoming - My 250 is the fifth bike I've owned. Unless you care about a specific image, the Ninja can do pretty much anything you want it to, reliably and cheaply. It's by far the best city bike I've owned. While it's not exactly confidence inspiring or the most comfortable, it can be pressed into interstate touring, too. A couple weekends ago I went on a trip 430 miles each way, mostly on the insterstate. It cruised 75-80 mph just fine. If you take smaller highways it's even better. For stretches around 60mph, I was getting over 60 miles per gallon. There are a couple things I'll change if I keep touring with it, like a taller windscreen of some sort and maybe some sort of topcase, but that's relatively cheap. I still spend a bunch of time trolling CL, but the Ninja is surprisingly versatile, even if it's not your first bike. Sure, it doesn't accelerate like some of the other bikes I've owned, but I don't care about riding on the streets over 100, and buying a bike as new as this one to do anything else slightly better would cost twice as much. I'll probably keep this one until my motorcycle budget drastically changes.
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Nov 18, 2015 20:08
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clutchpuck posted:Do you like flying fighter jets around in hangars? This is the best analogy.
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Nov 18, 2015 20:22
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Dutymode posted:Ninja 250 sucking up incoming - I love the EX250, it just sounds like poo poo. Valve adjustments are every 6k, so I'll be doing valves every year. It's carbed so it hates the cold. I feel like it's market value will drop soon as the fuel injected ninja300s start getting craigslisted. Besides all that it's great.
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Nov 18, 2015 20:54
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MockingQuantum posted:Thankfully I'm in a pretty motorcycle friendly city and state, but nonetheless I won't rule out a Ninja or adv/dual sport bike. I was basically born and raised to be a harleyfag, if you will, but I'm not in a huge rush to get a bike that will break me or my wallet in half when I (inevitably?) lay it down. Yeah, but on a harley you don't "lay it down", you Layer Dan. As in "That suv jumped right infront of me so I had to Layer Dan  "
Marxalot fucked around with this message at 21:02 on Nov 18, 2015 |
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Nov 18, 2015 20:57
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I didn't realize the ninja300s were fuel injected, I may stall until they start appearing on CL, since I live in the Cole hell of Minnesota most of the year. General question though, should I be staying away from any bikes of a certain age? Like how much better off am I in getting a 5 year old bike vs a 15 yo bike, for example? And for that matter, what's considered high mileage for bikes? Someone local is selling an '02 Kawasaki Vulcan for $500 which seems very uhh, but it also has 19k miles, which made me realize I have zero idea how to gauge whether a bike is worth a given asking price. MockingQuantum fucked around with this message at 21:18 on Nov 18, 2015 |
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Nov 18, 2015 21:16
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When I was looking for my bike replacement this last couple weeks I saw mid-00s Ninja 250s for between $500-1500 every day with under 10k miles on them, via Craigslist. I can't imagine a good reason NOT to pick one up if you have a small budget and want to learn on something you don't have to care too much about.MockingQuantum posted:
That depends entirely on the bike. Would I buy, say, a Connie or FJR with 60k miles on it? Yeah, they'd probably make it in the running if they were priced fairly. A GSX-R? Noooooope.
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Nov 18, 2015 21:40
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It really really depends on how it was taken care of. A 15 year old bike is fine if that 15 years wasn't (1) spent in a shed or (2) owned by a maintenance-ignorant mouth breather. It comes down to doing a thorough check of the bike before you buy it, or, if you're not comfortable doing it yourself, bringing a knowledgeable person along and have them inspect it. However, value drop-off on typical beginner bikes seems to be about 7-10 years old (at least in my area), so there wouldn't be much sense in going any older than that. As for mileage, that Vulcan could easily go for 50k+ with normal maintenance (I found a few reports of ones with 80k+ on Google). It depends on the specific engine. If you post ads for bikes you're interested in, people here can give you an idea of how sane the price is.
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Nov 18, 2015 21:47
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Shadowlz posted:I love the EX250, it just sounds like poo poo. Valve adjustments are every 6k, so I'll be doing valves every year. It's carbed so it hates the cold. I feel like it's market value will drop soon as the fuel injected ninja300s start getting craigslisted. Besides all that it's great. Well, I'm weird and like the fact that I can barely hear my bike. Other bikes will do things a bit better, but not at that price point. Valve adjustments on the EX250 have to be near the easiest ever to do yourself, and carbs aren't the end of the world. Sure, the 300 is a little better across the board, but is it twice the cost better?
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Nov 18, 2015 21:48
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AncientTV posted:It really really depends on how it was taken care of. A 15 year old bike is fine if that 15 years wasn't (1) spent in a shed or (2) owned by a maintenance-ignorant mouth breather. It comes down to doing a thorough check of the bike before you buy it, or, if you're not comfortable doing it yourself, bringing a knowledgeable person along and have them inspect it. However, value drop-off on typical beginner bikes seems to be about 7-10 years old (at least in my area), so there wouldn't be much sense in going any older than that. I bought my 96 CBR600 with 2800 miles on it. Guy rode it for a season and parked it for 16 years. It did not have any maintenance done to it other than having the oil topped off, and gas drained. It was in showroom condition. All I really had to do was replace a bunch of seals (like all of them) and rebuild the carbs. Best bike I've ever owned.
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Nov 18, 2015 22:17
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clutchpuck posted:The smallest one you're likely to fit on is like a Vstar 650. I know the Kawasaki Vulcan S and Indian Scout come with ergo options from the dealer; bars and saddles that change the reach to bars and pegs, but both are new models so they might cost a little much. Sit on a bunch of bikes to find one that fits close enough. You might be looking at 800-1200cc. Sportsters are kind of the benchmark cruiser, and they're worthwhile to look at. Belts and shafts are basically zero-maintenance, a chain adds some hassle. I'm 6'4 and fit quite happily on a CBR250r. It all depends on your leg/torso ratio, and will be completely different for different bikes. Basically sit on a heap of bikes and figure out what works for you.
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Nov 18, 2015 22:24
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