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my first bike
Steve++
Member #1,816
January 2002

Organ donor.

Arthur Kalliokoski
Second in Command
February 2005
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jhuuskon said:

Harleys are too slow for real men.

The fastest bikes are too fast for anybody with sense.

They all watch too much MSNBC... they get ideas.

bamccaig
Member #7,536
July 2006
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I would like to get a bike eventually. I'd like to have a crotch rocket and a jockey-shifted chopper. ;D The jockey shifter because it's 1337, as demonstrated by Jesse James, who said that he likes jockey shifters on his bikes so that nobody asks to ride them. 8-) I should probably get a smaller bike to start so I guess it's fortunate for me that I probably can't afford a crotch rocket or decent chopper...

Ride safe, ML. :)

Samuel Henderson
Member #3,757
August 2003
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My parents have a GoldWing GL 1800 that they bought a few years ago. They also have a BSA Lightning (which is about 38 years old) which they are currently trying to sell.

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I'm very tempted to buy it from them, although it needs work to get it to run.

=================================================
Paul whoknows: Why is this thread still open?
Onewing: Because it is a pthread: a thread for me to pee on.

Matthew Leverton
Supreme Loser
January 1999
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but you have strange color choice

The Rebel only comes in two colors (also black), but a) they didn't have any in stock, and b) the blue is more easily seen.

But I really got it because it matches my eye-color. :o

Arthur Kalliokoski
Second in Command
February 2005
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I think the blue looks nice, I really do. But 18 horsepower? /me snickers into his sleeve

They all watch too much MSNBC... they get ideas.

Matthew Leverton
Supreme Loser
January 1999
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But 18 horsepower?

Yeah, I was disappointed when I tried pulling the boat with it. :(

verthex
Member #11,340
September 2009
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Yeah, I was disappointed when I tried pulling the boat with it. :(

The Prius has 90. An old East German car named the Trabant had 26.

Note the image is cad.

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bamccaig
Member #7,536
July 2006
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Actually, the CBR125R looks both affordable and like a decent first bike. :o Unfortunately, it would only be usable for about half the year around here (usually, this year as an exception, snow from December to April and usually rain from April to July).

What about in Illinois, ML? How is the snow/rain there throughout the year? I can't imagine riding a bike in the rain is any fun (and probably a lot less safe too).

Arthur Kalliokoski
Second in Command
February 2005
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Yeah, I was disappointed when I tried pulling the boat with it.

How fast does it go, really? Does it have trouble doing 55 mph against a 20 mph headwind? Can you pull out in traffic in the city without having a bunch of people behind you honking horns?

[EDIT]

Is this a "try out motorcycling before spending way too much money" thing? Also it would be easier to horse around in parking lots etc. until you get used to it.

They all watch too much MSNBC... they get ideas.

Matthew Leverton
Supreme Loser
January 1999
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bamccaig said:

Actually, the CBR125R looks both affordable and like a decent first bike.

That bike isn't sold in the USA. Its engine is smaller than the Rebel's, but probably has comparable top speeds (~ 80mph).

The weather is good enough to ride from March through November (minimum temperature of 50F/10C). I wouldn't ride in the rain, but most days are clear.

How fast does it go, really?

Wide-open, it goes 85 max. I wouldn't run it at that speed though, as I'm sure it's very unstable and unsafe. There are YouTube videos of people taking it out on the interstate at that speed.

I was driving yesterday (and it was very windy like usual) and I had no problems going highway speeds of 55mph, including up hills.

Quote:

Is this a "try out motorcycling before spending way too much money" thing?

Basically, yes. I only have one weekend of driving experience, and I want to minimize the likelihood of death due to operator fault.

Chris Katko
Member #1,881
January 2002
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Yeah, I was disappointed when I tried pulling the boat with it. :(

Wait. Seriously, 18 hp?

My 1972 CB350 has 36 hp in proper tune. :o And my friends 250cc Ninja had the same hp.

I only weigh 130lb (and rising thanks to weight lifting or fat eating) and I wouldn't recommend anyone "normal" size to go lower power than that.

From what I hear, 250cc is for 55 mph. They can go above that but you're typically winding the engine out so high that it's unbearable for highway distances and traveling. If you're a big guy, something closer to 500cc is the minimum (whereas for me that would be a rocket engine).

Overall, good for you! Those things are loads of fun and there's really no substitute for the feeling. Just be careful because 4-wheel drivers these days are very inattentive.

[Append]

One more thing. I drove my friend's (2006ish) 250 Ninja and I was amazed by how much better it handled than my 1972 Honda. The weight is comparable but it's all in the bottom so the moment of inertia is almost nothing--which means it's very easy to lean. The thing also drove so smoothly that I felt like I was gliding. And I really mean that.

-----sig:
“Programs should be written for people to read, and only incidentally for machines to execute.” - Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs
"Political Correctness is fascism disguised as manners" --George Carlin

juvinious
Member #5,145
October 2004
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bamccaig said:

Actually, the CBR125R [honda.ca] looks both affordable and like a decent first bike. Unfortunately, it would only be usable for about half the year around here (usually, this year as an exception, snow from December to April and usually rain from April to July).

You should look into the Kawasaki 250R as well.

__________________________________________
Paintown

Neil Walker
Member #210
April 2000
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Are you going to hand over the website, code, passwords, etc to somebody for when you inevitably have a horrendous bike crash ;)

Neil.
MAME Cabinet Blog / AXL LIBRARY (a games framework) / AXL Documentation and Tutorial

wii:0356-1384-6687-2022, kart:3308-4806-6002. XBOX:chucklepie

Matthew Leverton
Supreme Loser
January 1999
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They are written on the inside of my helmet. :-X

bamccaig
Member #7,536
July 2006
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That bike isn't sold in the USA.

I meant for me. ;) Strange that they don't offer a similar model on the American site. Illinois isn't very far from Canada though. You could have just gone for a road trip if you wanted to. :)

juvinious said:

You should look into the Kawasaki 250R as well.

It's apparently the Ninja 250R[1]. :o However, it's about $1400 more and probably more than twice as deadly. Right now, I'd prefer to save money and stay conservative. :P Besides, I'm not a heavy guy (give or take, 5'9" / 125 lbs) so a heavy bike would only make it harder to stay in control. Plus, Honda has a great reputation for reliability whereas Kawasaki does not.

References

  1. On the Canadian Web site, anyway.
piccolo
Member #3,163
January 2003
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Hmm A nice green would been better.

hope you went shoping for some presses(out fits) match the colors.

Im currently working on spreying my bike green and black. just wait until there is some more sun light after 5:00.

make sure you drink lot of milk and eat solid food cause going down on a bike is way diffrent from crashing in a car.

if it was not for my diet and training i would long dead many of times.

wow
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i am who you are not am i

Samuel Henderson
Member #3,757
August 2003
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bamccaig said:

What about in Illinois, ML? How is the snow/rain there throughout the year? I can't imagine riding a bike in the rain is any fun (and probably a lot less safe too).

My parents are alread riding their Goldwing. If the roads are clear, they ride. They do have crazy waterproof and insulated riding gear through. Plus their gear actually plugs into the bike to keep them warm.

I'm assuming that's probably not an option for Matthew ;)

My dad claims the rain doesn't even bother him, for the most part the windshield does a pretty good job at keeping his face dry.

When I had my scooter driving in the rain was terrifying at the start. Once I got used to it though it wasn't so bad. The traction didn't seem that different anyways.

=================================================
Paul whoknows: Why is this thread still open?
Onewing: Because it is a pthread: a thread for me to pee on.

bamccaig
Member #7,536
July 2006
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When I had my scooter driving in the rain was terrifying at the start. Once I got used to it though it wasn't so bad. The traction didn't seem that different anyways.

You got rid of it? :o

I would just not like getting wet... :-/ I almost never wear a jacket outside of winter so it would just be me and my hoody (though I guess the air flow while riding a bike would probably change that)...

Samuel Henderson
Member #3,757
August 2003
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bamccaig said:

You got rid of it?

Yeah I sold it after buying my car. I wore a leather jacket which kept me pretty dry even in a heavy rain. My legs still got soaked, which was annoying.

Like I said, my parents spent quite a bit of money on waterproof+insulated+heated gear.

That seems excessive to me.

=================================================
Paul whoknows: Why is this thread still open?
Onewing: Because it is a pthread: a thread for me to pee on.

Vanneto
Member #8,643
May 2007

No pictures of you actually on the bike? :-/

In capitalist America bank robs you.

kronoman
Member #2,911
November 2002
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Matthew, now your next purchase should be proper riding gear.

A good motorcycle jacket (not just a leather jacket, but a motorcycle jacket, i.e a Icon http://www.rideicon.com/), pants, boots, gloves, and a good helmet (I suggest SNELL certified), and take a riding course.

That way you will be always safe and enjoy your motorcycle.

I have been riding motorcycles and mopeds since I'm 13 years old, and I only had some minor crashes and 2 broken ribs last summer on a motocross course.

Riding in summer #2 :)
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Matthew Leverton
Supreme Loser
January 1999
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I took the MSF's Basic RiderCourse last fall, which is how I got my license. I never had ridden before I took the course. Three days later... they give me a license. ;D

It's actually a little scary how easy it is to get a license. I suppose the bad drivers just weed themselves out quickly.

I'm getting a Snell certified full face helmet tomorrow. The rest of the gear, I'll make do with what I have for now (regular leather jacket, gloves, and high ankle covering shoes.

bamccaig
Member #7,536
July 2006
avatar

I just found out that in Ontario you can get a beginner's motorcycle license (the ability to ride solo with 0.0% BAC) just as easily as you get your beginner's car/small truck license. Except with the latter, you have to have a mature, experienced, licensed driver in the passenger seat. :o So in theory, I could get licensed to ride a motorcycle in a day or two (depending on how big the guide for the written test is)... :D

relay01
Member #6,988
March 2006
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I think your going about it the right way ML. Start with a somewhat inexpensive starter bike and move up from there.

When I was looking for bikes, the Rebel was one of my choices. The problem was I'm 6'3" and 220lb. So the bike wasn't a good fit for me.

As of yet, I still have no bike. :(

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