Anyone ride a sports bike?
 

So... I've been thinking about getting a motorcycle recently but I don't actually know anyone who rides one who can give me advise on stuff.

I have been scrolling though craigslist looking at the pictures because thats all I can do. I have no idea what to look for other then the body style.

Since I'm a college student, I've been looking for bikes under $6000.

I've been looking at a bike because...well...they are cool looking. I also like the fact that they can get really good gas mileage.

I also don't know what makes a good starter bike. I heard there are good bikes for new riders but I have no idea what makes a motorcycle good for people like me.

Anyways, I thought I would just ask for some input from those of you who might have experience with this.

First: enroll in a local motorcycle safety course. Invaluable for new riders, worthwhile even for those that had ridden previously. Details that you might not have thought about, but which save lives, can be learned, and bad habits avoided.

Once you're comfortable on a bike, peruse the motorcycle want ads to test ride some, so you can get an idea of which kind seem to suit you.

My son rides an old Honda Hurricane, a sport bike, one of the first CBRs. Very fast, very scary, although nothing compared to the newer crotch rockets.

I'm so old when I fart, dust comes out. I ride a Suzuki Intruder. That line faded into what is now the Boulevard line. My older spine can't tolerate the posture of a sport bike for long.

If you're looking for around town, almost anything from 500 to 800 cc will give you power, speed, and great gas mileage. If you're not going to be carrying a lot of gear with you, a sport bike and you wearing a backpack might be the ticket. I ride for 3/4 of the year, to and from work, so my little cruiser has saddle bags and a top case trunk I added so my gear can be locked away and stay dry also.

If you're going to be touring or on the highway long distances, you might want to consider a cruiser of at least 800 to 1000+ cc, or a sport touring bike. The sport touring bikes are more expensive, and if I recall, college student finances are often limited.

So, I hope this is a helpful start.

My two cents:

1. Bikes are great fun, excellent commuters..but:

2. They are lethal machines and if you have even a 'small' accident, then chances are you will be instant road kill

3. If you've been basing choices purely on body shape then start by looking at something sensible to start with. Don't go for a 'mini chopper' or any sort of 'tractor' as yet, start with a 125 or 250 if it's purely a commuter, maybe up to a 500/600 for something with a bit of getup and go. Something like a Honda CB250 or a CBR250 for a great reliable commuter, or something still affordable a NSR500 replica equivalent.

4. Your budget is about $6000? (is that US?), then your choices are limited but you still might be able to find a nice second hand Ducati Monster 600 or Yamaha R6

5. My personal advice: If it's six grand you've got, spend no more than 5000 on the actual bike, and for christsake spend the other grand on proper gear, get a leather jacket, a proper full face helemt, get some sidi shoes - this shouldn't be an option.

6. Dont buy a scooter, they dont have the grunt when you need to get out of a sticky situation in traffic and they have much lower visibility on the road.

7. I don't know what it's like where you are, but undertake rider training, this will make the difference between being an aware and defensive rider to being roadkill.

8. Whilst shopping around, avoid the lure of the shiny Suzuki GSXR1000 or Yamaha R1 or Ducati 999 etc... You don't need that much power between your legs, unless your planning a professional career in motocycling or planning to kill yourself.

9. Treat every car driver as if they can't see you, because chances are they can't. Don't ride in their blind spots, don't split in traffic going too fast.

10. Above all, have fun.

Harrumph. (Unless you are referring to 50cc scooters being driven on major roads)

I live in urban Tokyo (yes, there is a non-urban Tokyo) and I ride a 180cc scooter. It is lightweight, fast enough, has a comfortable passenger seat and goes 120 on the highway at 35km/l (that's > 80mpg for americans)

Other advantages of scooters* for first time buyers:

• bicycle-simple controls - no need to co-ordinate hand and foot to stop quickly
• impossible to stall, uphill starts are a non-issue
• more comfortable riding position than a sport bike
• built-in weatherproof storage (I have 40 litres available under the seat), and plenty of room by your feet for more stuff. Try carrying textbooks, a change of clothes and the week's groceries on a stock Ducati.
• MUCH better weather protection
• chain doesn't sling oil everywhere (fully covered drivetrain)
• no shifting, thus doesn't wear out the top of your left shoe
• you're not leaning over a convection oven in the summer
• parts (especially tires) are generally cheaper
• Scooters have more bodywork than sport bikes, so if you buy a sensible colour like white, yellow or red the visibility is better than a sport bike. Don't buy black.

About the full-face helmet and leathers, if you live in the hot part of Arizona you will have to balance the better protection against the weather. Summers in Tokyo are >35 degrees and 80% humidity. I wear short sleeves and an open-face helmet. I consider my chances of actually having an accident are greater if I'm baking hot and uncomfortable.

-------------------------------------

* smaller wheels, step-through frame and automatic transmission = scooter
larger wheels, straddle frame, manual transmission = motorbike.
Engine size is not an issue, you can easily find a 50cc motorbike and a 900cc scooter.

Looks like we were replying simultaneously!

What trumpet says about the gear is absolutely essential!

I didn't go with the leather jacket as here in Albuquerque, as in AZ, it's hot much of the time. I went with one of the mesh jackets with the kevlar padding. I just cover with appropriate stuff when needed for cooler weather. My ski jacket goes over it nicely in the very late fall, and very early spring.

And as trumpet said, and I can't emphasize enough, enroll in a motorcycle safety course. It'll help on the insurance, and often, motorcycle stores will give a discount on safety gear when you bring in the completion certificate.

I'll agree with everyone that a motorcycle safety training course is the A1 priority. don't consider it, just do it. and wear leather or kevlar, regardless of what people say, at least until you're a pro. maybe it's hot and uncomfortable, but do you want to make some poor nurse scrape gravel out of your road rash with a wire brush?

for a first bike, I'd go 400-600cc (only go below that if you never plan to go on the highway). I'd argue against a scooter for exactly the same reasons that acme argues for them - it's a trade-off of ease for control, and control is (IMHO) more important. scooters are great for short trips around the town, but... I'll also recommend that you avoid the crotch-rockets, cafe-racers, and super-cruisers, and stick with a good-old-fashion standard bike for a while. they're a bit cheaper, they're safer (too much power can take you by surprise), you'll probably want to trade up in a couple of years anyway, and (odds are) you'll take a spill or two your first year or so riding. don't want to bang up your dream bike. :-)

oh, and always remember that the #1 killer of motorcyclists is ego. you start feeling comfortable on the bike, zooming along past all the cars like a dolphin through a herd of whales, feeling your oats and the clean air, and you tend to forget that the only difference between you and any other high speed projectile is your hands on the handlebars.

What part of a sport bike provides better control? I never have to think about what gear I should be in, the acceleration is good all the time, and I find it easier to balance the front and rear brake pressure. The only thing I don't like is that I can't declutch going over a hill and coast down, but that hardly qualifies as important.

Also, if he's a new rider, ease provides better control - fewer factors to think about. That's the gas, these are the brakes - squeeze equally. That's all you need to know about the mechanics.

Think back to when we were teenagers. Did we learn to drive in an automatic or a stick shift? New drivers have enough distractions. I had plenty of distraction from my instructor, Linda - 5'8, 120lb, blonde, green eyes.....

Thanks guys for the advise. I was looking for a bike similar to this
And I will definitely take a class before riding. Unfortunately, actually buying a bike might take longer then I want. This fall semester at ASU is expensive.

Scooters now are far better than they were just a couple years ago. The tires are very close to the same size as sport bikes' tires, providing much better control. Previously, the smaller tires were a tad unstable over less than smooth surfaces. The narrower handle widths previously also required a 'different' feel than on a motorcycle. That width has also improved.

Given the 180 to 250 cc size scooters have now, they have the pep to get one out of a sticky situation.

Here in the States just a few years ago, there weren't that many options in size and power in the scooters.

In the greater Phoenix area, a scooter could be very practical in terms of cost of usage, and carrying capacity. I had ridden the older gen scooters years ago, but having grown up in the stick era, I preferred having a clutch and gears to play with, both in autos and bikes.

Some of the drawbacks include the 'coolness' factors. Here in the States motorcyclists tend to give a little hand gesture off to the side whenever passing another rider. I notice that it's rare for a motorcyclist to give that acknowledgement to a scooter rider. Heck, I do it for bicyclists as well. Anyone with balls enough (or dumb enough) to be on only two wheels deserves some acknowledgement before we hit the emergency rooms.

I'm a physical therapist. Many colleagues, patients, and acquaintances often ask how I can ride when I'm so aware of the consequences. Like many males, I can ignore most anything right in front of me. But really, riding is just so much fun. It's like skiing. For me, the gas mileage thing is just a convenient excuse.

I just can't envision not riding.

But do it as safely as one can.


Edit: I was replying as Screengem posted his just above. That CBR 600F is the 2003 version of my son's Hurricane.

I wasn't referring to 50cc scooters, and I appreciate your comments but I still think you'll be alot safer on an actual motorbike.

I guess it is a personal thing as well, but for me, your bulleted list further highlighted why I don't like scooters.

This almost states what I meant, scooters to me are just too 'pedestrian'. Would you rather drive a camry or a carerra?

Man, my instructor was 'George' - 5'7, 240lbs, grey, brown eyes...lol

Ah, you simply prefer sport bikes. I can respect that, you don't need to 'justify' it with mac-vs.-windows arguments.

Honestly, neither. If Hertz upgrades me to a Carerra I'll probably hand it back after a day - trunk's too small. Yes, I'll drive it for a day, I'll also rent a BMW K1200. Won't buy one. If the lottery fairy visits I'll buy this, but only for weekends.

Another advantage to pedestrian scooters - much lower theft rate as they're not cool enough to go joyriding on.

I think it is quite obvious that the bike you need is this one right here:

Dodge Tomahawk

It might seem a bit much for a n00b, but trust me, you'll enjoy it for the 3 seconds before you get into a fatal accident...

clutch=control...

example:
some idiot is swerving into my lane from the left, and there's another car to my right. choices:

• hit the brakes (except that would mean checking the mirror first, and might get you turned into spam form someone behind).
• sneak as close to the guy on the right as possible, on the hopes the guy on the left will avoid the car where he doesn't see the bike (spam again, if the guy on the left is drunk)
• hit the gas (good if you've got the power to boom out of there, which you don't on a scooter)
• pull the clutch, shift down two gears, and then hit the gas (off like a rocket, and you can pull over later to help the autos if they get in a wreck)

and you should never ride the clutch like that on a motorcycle - does bad things to the transmission.

I'd ask for Linda's number, but for all I know she's 73 now. life on the internet... ;)

I've been riding on the street for about 25 years, and have a few hundred thousand miles on my bikes collectively. I used to be an MSF instructor and amateur racer. The first suggestion you got, to take the MSF course, is critical. The statistics on crashes with vs. without that class are amazing. The class will teach you a lot of things you'd never learn on your own. It will also counter some of the misinformation you will get from supposedly experienced riders.

Top myth: The front brake is dangerous. Truth: The front brake provides nearly all your stopping power.

Top cause of crashes: Rider freaks out and either locks up the brakes and slide or goes off the road. "The bike wouldn't turn any more." That's bull, it's that the rider didn't believe the bike would make it. But you always crash if you don't try. The bike WILL make it 99% of the time.

As far as a beginner bike, I can tell you with 100% certainty that there is no better one than the Suzuki SV650. Why? It's light, narrow, has good but not excessive performance, the power of the motor is sufficient but easily controlled, and it crashes well. Statistically, about 50% of new riders will drop the bike in the first six months. Usually this is at a standstill or in a parking lot when you do something silly like forget to put your foot down at a stop (seriously--that's really common).

Many people insist that a 600 supersport is the minimum. This is retarded. When anyone says that, stop listening to any further advice, because that person has built up a set of prejudices that don't match real life. The supersports have surprising power that builds up in a rush and can take a new rider by surprise, spinning the rear wheel or leading into excessive speed. I've seen it first-hand many times. I have had riders die while I do CPR. I have loaded riders into helicopters and ambulances. Number one cause--getting in over their head unwittingly.

The supersports don't crash well. A tip-over at 0 MPH will result in hundreds or thousands of dollars worth of damage. They hide the fact that you're pushing them until they just let go suddenly (to an experienced rider they give subtle clues, but you won't know that without experience). The SV will let you know when you're riding it too hard.

On the other hand, the SV will still be fun later when you gain experience. We have one, and I still love riding it. Anyone who says you will be bored is once again an idiot who should be ignored. It's a very fine bike all around, and much better in town than my 1100. It's being used extensively in road racing with minor mods.

Suzuki GS500E & GS500F (F is for "full fairing")
One of the best bang for the buck rides when it comes to "starter" bike, gas milage and price, imnsho.

Maybe I can find a used one in my price range.:rolleyes:

I knew you ride bikes and was hoping you would chime in. Thanks for the info and bike suggestion. I'll definitely look into the SV. Do you know of any training places near Peoria?

Good timing for this thread.

I (never having rode a motorcycle) bought a Yamaha 650 this weekend. My friend who has been riding for years and works at a shop helped me pick out the size bike based on my size and what I really want to be using it for. Then we worked on what was in my price range.

I will be taking the course in early June, so until then it's just me going upstate to look at it and riding the bike up and down my friend's street. Is it early June yet?

I tried to find the courses for you - but can only find the ones here in NY.

I saw this, on a cursory google search:

http://www.motorcyclesafety.ilstu.edu/sched-07.html

but you should go hang out at a motorcycle shop and ask. good to get to know bike mechanics, anyway - buy them some beer and they'll tell you all the stupid things people do to their bikes that you'd ever want to know - lol

On a scooter:

1. Same
2. Same
3. I have lots of power to do this. 400cc scooters have the same power as, well, 400cc motorbikes.
4. Forget messing with the clutch, just open the throttle. Engine goes to max power almost immediately, transmission slides down to a lower ratio and you accelerate rather rapidly.
5. You mean going down a mountain? Pull clutch, shift to neutal, idle 2-3 km to let the engine cool then turn it off. I've coasted from the treeline of Mt. Fuji for nearly 30km - there aren't any gas stations up there :rolleyes:
6. Linda would be about 50 years old now.

And she's probably still, quite the distraction.

I have to say virtaully everyone in the UK learns on a 'stick shift.' Its not diifcult. A proper on the floor manual transmission is the REAL WAY to build cars, and I wish to god American car manufacturers (and drivers who are 'driving' the demand) would realise this.

Just for arguments sake, you're wrong on two points. First off, an automatic is fine for about 99% of drivers (you know, ones who don't really care if they can manipulate their engine to fine degree.)

Secondly, a manual on the floor is totally the wrong way to go. Ferrari got it right, F1 paddles, that's the way to go :).

I dont think we are ever going to agree on that. An automatic is for people who do not have a passion for driving. It might be fine for 99% of people, but does this make it the better solution. No. Consumers are idiots. Period.

If we take a parallel between driving and other professions, who are we going to listen to for expertise. Those at the top. Excluding automatic paddle shift gearboxes (which are irrelevant to this discussion due to the fact that they are not available to the majority of consumers, which was the basis of your argument of merit) then manual gearboxes are the equipment of choice.

I am not saying that the perfect automtic gearbox would not be a superior solution, just that the cost of engineering such a solution is prohibitive for its inclusion in most commerically available cars. In addition, 'on the floor' transmission should not be taken literally, as the old model Honda Civic had a dash mounted shifter, which came close to the advantages of paddle shift, without the engineering complications, and this worked brilliantly.

So.... the needs of Formula 1 drivers and million-mile truckers should be taken as the standard? That would also mean that I need an XGrid for web browsing instead of a Mini.

I find that the continuously-variable transmission in my bike is very near mechanical perfection. Performance is great, no torque-converter losses, smooth, infinite "shifts", zero maintenance (not even lubrication) and a whopping 3 (one-two-three) moving parts, all reasonably priced and replaceable with common tools. An identical transmission was scaled up to an F-1 car, but they discovered two things:

1. The drivers hated it - it made them rather redundant
2. Performance was so good that the F-1 organization decided to ban it before the CV car ever raced.

So, as the OP wants a first bike to go to university on, not a racer, off-road or highway cruiser, the needs of the "people at the top" should not be gospel, rather they should be completely ignored as irrelevant.

That is the most illogical analogy I have ever heard.....

How so? "People at the top" of the driving profession are the racers and the long-haul drivers who do it all day, every day. People at the top of the computing profession run cluster computers and similar massive systems. The needs of Michael Schumacher are just as irrelevant to my (and Screenjam's) driving as the needs of the EarthSim's sysop are to my evening surfing. But you are saying that if Schumacher drives a stick then everyone should. (btw, I drove a standard for >200,000km so I'm not biased against them. I would never even think about teaching a teenager to drive with one. They can learn to shift after the license and a couple thousand kilometers)

I am talking about the ends, not the means.

No, I'm not familiar with that side of the city, but the MSF site should list all of the available sites.