Falnfenix's superduper huge motorcycle information post!

Falnfenix's superduper huge motorcycle information post!

since a lot of people (in general, not just here) seem to be looking at motorcycles as a way to avoid paying high prices at the pump, i compiled a massive post for all the newbies. i'm still just a year into it, myself, so i am fairly close to where y'all are - you're looking into it, not quite sure you know what you want, and you're not quite sure what you're getting into.

i originally came into the culture thinking i'd get a cruiser. i currently ride a Ninja 500r...mostly because it was affordable, it runs reliably (unlike Harleys), and it corners well (unlike all cruisers). it's got enough power to get me down the road, but not so much as to overwhelm me. after riding this bike, i really don't know if i ever want to get a cruiser. all bikes have their purpose, but i'm not sure if i want to go that route. i think i might end up getting a naked bike before i go cruiser. not sure, i'm still a relative newb in the scene.

now, for the info. please read through all of this...you might find it to be quite helpful.

first, investigate taking the MSF course, particularly if you've never been on a bike before. do this BEFORE purchasing a motorcycle.

cruisers are great for an image, but they're NOT good for putzing around town. what kind of riding do you intend to do? this will determine the best bike for you.

don't get a "big kid" bike (i.e. over 800cc or so for a cruiser, 600cc or so for a sporty standard - do NOT get a race bike like a gixxer for a first bike) right off the bat. don't buy a new bike, since you'll drop it (everyone goes down...EVERYONE). get full gear (helmet, armored jacket, gloves, armored or kevlar lined - or both - pants, GOOD boots that at least go up to your shins).


i copied the rest of this from an email i sent to a friend.

Gear:
http://www.kneedraggers.com - decent gear selection
http://www.newenough.com - everything is new on this site, don't let the name fool you! they have stellar customer service and great prices. they run a lot of deals, too. look here for a jacket (i have a Cortech that's spectacular), gloves, and boots.
http://www.dragginjeans.com/ - kevlar-lined riding jeans. i'm buying these when i can afford them. they will save your skin if/when you go down. at the moment, though, i ride in reinforced jeans with armor in the hips/knees. might opt for the extra armor for those, as well.
http://www.helmetharbor.com i've been told this site has the best prices on top of the line helmets and free shipping. i'd recommend going to the local bike shop and trying on all the helmets they have, though, to get a good fit. you want a helmet that fits snugly, but not so snug that your head's being squished. it's OK if you're turned into a chipmunk - most helmets have interchangeable pads for cheeks. don't skimp on this...this is the one thing you want to ensure you spend a little more for quality. Shoei and Arai are known as two of the best brands on the market, with Scorpion being a close third. Scorpion's actually made off the Shoei mold...the only difference is the interior and ventilation. get a helmet that vents well - it gets hot in there! also, get a full face helmet...those half helmets might look nice, but they don't protect your chin if you go down.

get armored gear. make sure there's CE armor in key points (knees, hips, elbows, shoulders, back). always wear your gear...even when it's a billion degrees outside, a little discomfort is more important than losing your skin to the road. get good gloves with either plastic or carbon fiber in the knuckles - they tend to be useful when letting drivers know you're there. they will always say "i didn't see you!" after cutting you off. get good, riding-specific boots - these will have protection where you'll need it most, and they will generally go to the middle of your shins. you can get them encased in plastic parts, clad in leather, vented, waterproof, etc - there's a billion styles out there. the boyfriend wears SIDI brand boots - they're all black, and you'd think they're regular shoes if you're not paying attention. these fully protect his ankles and feet from the heat of the bike as well as stabilize his ankles in case he goes down again. the first time he went down, he almost broke his ankle. i wear Set Up boots, which have been discontinued in the US but are made off the SIDI mold.

most importantly - budget about a grand for gear, and DON'T SKIMP OUT. this stuff is the ONLY thing protecting you from pain/death. half helmets and thin leather jackets might look cool, but they do nothing to protect you from the road.

Bike info:
Performance #'s
http://sportrider.com/bikes/146_perf_nums/

Measurements including hp/tq/weight/mpg
http://sportrider.com/bikes/146_Weights_Measurements/

Dyno charts for most sportbikes tested by Sport Rider since 2000.
http://www.sportrider.com/bikes/dynos/index.html

remember, power to weight ratio means a LOT when it comes to bikes. under 100 HP is a lot quicker on a bike than in a car.

Starter Bikes:
http://downwardspiral.net/motorcycle/starter-bikes.php - take a look at this list, then go to the dealership and sit on bikes so you can really see how you fit on them. i know i'm a bit of a fangirl, but the Kawasaki Ninja 500R is a spectacular bike. it's also been around for YEARS (i think 2 decades now?), so it's a well known bike at all maintenance/repair shops and parts are readily available. the Suzuki SV650 is another decent starter, but only if you've taken the MSF course. i found it a little intimidating at first...i know it wasn't the bike for me. whatever you buy, you'll likely want to be sitting upright (what they call "standard" bikes), as this will be the most comfortable at first. don't buy new. you'll drop the bike, even if it's at a stop and it just falls over on the pavement. don't get something new that you'll be upset about messing up. for the record: i've dropped my bike on the driveway every time i ride it. my kickstand is wonky, so she goes plop all the time. this is why i spent just over a grand on her - i knew i'd mess her up. i have yet to go down while moving, fortunately.

more bike-specific links:
http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/New_Riders -- this is a SPECTACULAR link to read through.
http://www.womenridersnow.com/ -- i just found this site recently. i haven't spent much time on it, but it seems worth a look
http://www.cyclechex.com/ -- it's like carfax for bikes!
http://www.kbb.com/kbb/OtherVehicles/default.aspx -- KBB for other vehicles. this is a great way to get a good idea of a bike's actual blue book value, so you're not overpaying.
http://www.cycletrader.com/ -- the name says it all.

forums:
http://www.motorcycleforum.com/
http://www.twowheelforum.com/
http://www.beginnerbikers.org
http://www.totalmotorcycle.com


again - get into the MSF course near you before you buy a bike: http://www.msf-usa.org/
also investigate insurance...you'll want it, you'll need it, and if you take the MSF course it'll be cheaper in most cases. Progressive is generally the cheapest, though that will vary between states and individuals. call around once you think you know what bike you're going to get. just so you know, sportbikes generally have the highest insurance, and the smaller cc motors generally have the lowest. something like a Ninja 250 will have spectacularly low insurance...though for your first year, insurance costs are going to SUCK. it's just a fact of life.

Crash video (right click save as
http://motohouston.com/chris/Crashcollage/crashcollage.wmv


this is something to watch to keep yourself sober about the whole thing (only watch it if you really want to get a bike). the reality of it is every rider goes down at some point. there are two kinds of riders: those who've already gone down, and those who WILL go down. also visit www.ride2die.com/ but be warned, there is no censor on this site. it's up to you to ride defensively, and behave as though no one can see you...because, to be quite frank, they can't. the last thing you'll hear as you're passing out from an accident is "i swear, officer, i never saw him!" this doesn't give you a golden ticket to ride like a hooligan, however. be a RESPONSIBLE rider, and do what you can to make yourself visible. this is why most sportbikes are ridiculously bright, as is the matching gear - all the bright colors help with visibility. there's a debate about loud pipes...some believe they help, some believe they hinder noticeability. i know that a louder can than stock can help, but something Harley-loud only serves to annoy people.




alrighty guys, i hope i haven't lost you...and i hope this is enough info. please let me know if you have any questions...and those who are experienced riders, please feel free to toss in any added input. now, be safe and keep the rubber side down/shiny side up.

sticky!!!

that would be awesome...i'd especially like to see the newbs read it, but if this never makes sticky-dom it's in my sig.

now READ THE FREAKING THING.

:thumb:

I concur.

Really good collection of info Laura.

thankee, sir. please add input as needed.

ok i just finished reading EVERYTHING. i dont want one after all think ill get a metro for gas....

Don't be so terrified of riding. Is it scary, yes.

Do you have to pay 10,000,000% more attention than you do while driving a car, yes.

But in the end, riding a bike is the single most rewarding thing I've ever done in my entire life. It is SO liberating. It is SO much fun.

UNFORTUNATELY, riding and owning a bike is a disease. It's a plague. Once you have one, if you get rid of it, you are screwed every summer. It's horrible. I haven't had a bike for two summers now, and I hate not owning one. It kills me.

Very well put together..

I want one now. I'm curious.

Someone was bored.... Great detail too. Thanks!

no, not bored. a friend of mine wanted to get a HUGE touring bike for her first bike, so i wrote that up to dissuade her from it. it worked...once she's finished her move and gets some money together, she's getting a smaller bike like mine, then she'll move up. her goal is to do a ride around the country with it.

a friend of mine wrote an excellent post regarding those looking to get into it for the financial savings...read more here

DISCLAIMERS: she's going for the maximum cost in that post, and she lives in Massachusetts, so any registration/tax information is specific to her area. maintenance costs can be far cheaper if you're willing to get dirty. YMMV.

I will read that entire post one day. I'm thinking of getting a bike later on when I have my own place and all..gonna be my mid-life crisis gift for myself lol.

I've wanted a bike or scooter since gas prices passed the $4 mark in LA. Great post!!!

But then my parents gave me the best advice ever...

"Uhh... thats nice, but what if you crash? You don't have health insurance..."
So... I'm going to hold off on buying a bike untill I have a health plan...

Daymn, reading this makes me want to buy a bike...

wow, you don't have health insurance? it's not that expensive to get your own, you know...

if you go to school, or work full time, you have health insurance....

RE: health insurance if you work full time...
not necessarily. depends on the employer. i've had a few jobs where health insurance wasn't offered to employees.

i always thought it was required by law...

Awesome post fall, great information in here! +1

maybe in your state...

If I ever owned a motorcycle, it would be the center piece in my living room

Art in motion

anybody new riding?

nope...but i bought a new bicycle

Add Ride2die.com to the list of usefull motorcycle links. It's something to always keep in the back of your mind. I check it out every so often just to keep me focused when I ride.

done. thanks for the link.

As long as you have your full coverage, that's your health insurance in case you crash

Great info, thanks for posting. This will save me hours of search.

glad i could help.

ive been riding for about 15 years now , and have dropped a bike once!!! never went down on one...but then again i did ride pro flat land and was well on the way in dirt jumping (both 20" class) before i completely obliterated my left ankle.

i do agree here though...my first bike was a 1970 yamaha 125 enduro at 12 years old. then i had a 1975 honda 490 enduro....this was a beast , fully restored and fully rebuilt i payed $700 buck for it and at 14-15 years old was riding it to work down the back roads, this is the one i dropped.

sold it after a while , it was heavy. i then bought a kawasaki kdx 220 watercooled , and yet another enduro (no i didnt prefer them , but they just happen to be cheap and available) so i had this one for about a year , never dropped it. while having it , i came across a yamaha seca 650 for $200 , the guy worked with my mom , and just wanted it out of his garage....i drained and vatted the tank , took apart and rebuilt all 4 carbs , and wrode this thing for a while as well.....like a dirt bike. pretty bad little bike.

the seca was nice , until a tree fell on it....that was the end of that. i sold the 220 shortly there after because i was moving to FL at 18.

after moving back to ATL from FL, me and the wifey was looking for something to do....so i bought a 97 yamaha 350 warrior , and a polaris explorer 220. of course the warrior didnt stay that way for long...we bored it .030 , rejetted the carb , K&N jet kit , DG exhaust .....anyway. i had this for about 3 years , my stepdad almost killed himself on it, basically he got slung off , ran over and slid into some mailboxes on a gravel road at almost 70mph, without a helmet. i tought the wife how to work a clutch and drive a manual on the warrior , her polaris was auto.

sold the polaris to a freind of mine that hunts...gave the warrior to my sister who in turn let everybody in the f*cking neiborhood ride it/wreck it, i took possesion of it back and sold it to another muscle car freind.

after that , i wanted a bike again, this time i came across a 87 750 seca , for $600 , bought it , had it for about 3 months..cleaned it tuned it then sold if for $1000. used that and income tax money and bought a 01 gsxr6 . had it for about 2 years , then one night found myself running almost 160mph down 75 , and had someone do a quick lane change in front of me...i almost killed myself but managed to maintain a wobble back to stability...i sold the bike the next day i was getting too brave. about 6 months went by , winter came and gone........

came across an 04 R1....this bike is DANGEROUS!! it has a crazy high center of gravity compared to the gsxr , and is stupid fast...sold it in october of that year , to a freind that collects bikes.

so now i do not own one , i have 2 sons and am way too comfortible on a bike , and id like to be around for them.....however whenever i want to ride i just go to my freinds who has the collection , and have a choice of a ducati 9 , zx-10 , sv , busa , gsxr , trials , or aprilla. oh yeah and triumph daytona 650.

one thing i do want to add to fenix's post .......please do not follow the R.U.B. trend and get a harley...i grew up my whole life watching my step father build these things piece by piece. if you do , remember these things...

1. HD stands for "hundred dollars" everytime you turn around.
2. always carry tools with you , they will literally rattle themselves apart.
3. dont attemp to race a crotch rocket...you will lose
4. loud pipes save lives , but theyre fucking anoying....vance and hines please.
5.your not a hardcore biker , dont try to be one.
6. ape hangers.......hope you like the tingley feling of your hands being asleep
7. these bikes are HEAVY!!! crash bars are recommended for beginners
8. if its your first .....lowrider or sportster.
9. skully's are stupid and are not protective
10. no matter what you buy , have fun , and beware of other motorist , for handling the bike will become natural to you.