Harley's don't run on 1950's technology anymore. I've looked at a few in the showroom and except for the thunk-a-thunk-thunk engine sound, they are put together quite nicely. Overpriced, but they have just as many features as other modern motorcycles.
Don't hate on riders that have never dropped their bikes. :-P We didn't make you drop your bike :-P
I don't know. My dad has been riding for atleast 30 yrs and he's never gone down. He's had few scares, but never laid a bike down.Originally Posted by GIXXERDK
You know what they say, there are two types of riders. Those that have crashed, and those that will crash.
I've only gone down once and it was a dog's fault for kamakazee'ing into my front wheel in my own neighborhood....Were it not for that ONE time, I too would so far not ever gone down either.
Dammit, "they" are watching me again (I'm not paranoid...You know what they say, there are two types of riders. Those that have crashed, and those that will crash.
on the subject of gear...what are the "better" brands since some answers have led to buying really nice gear so when I fall that i wont get hurt TOO bad ill probably screw my knee up again if i fall...tore my acl a month and half ago and had surgery last month...anyway...what kinda gear am i looking for...i know the gloves, jacket, helmet, pants deal but specifics about them
Epic Foxbody Thread Crew Member #07
Fuck Bitches, Kill tyrannosauruses
www.motorcyclegearreview.com for gear reviews.
Newenough.com is a good place to start looking at gear online. There is also a cycle gear in Marietta and one in Lawrencville.
They all fit differently too, dont forget about that
I like Joe Rocket and Alpinestar jackets
Tecknic and AGV GP style gloves
Shoei helmets
Well I love my R6, never rode a GSXR 600, but I've rode a 1000. Way to much power for me.
I went against peoples advice, and started on a 600cc. Since you have dirt experience I think you'll be okay, just ride within your limit.
Stay up you should seriously stfu. You're going to get this kid killed. You have been riding for 2 months and think you can ride??
Never ceases to amaze me. dumbasses who think they are above reality just because they've been lucky. Stay up, you're goin down sometime in tha near future with that attitude. I'll give you a year. If you think you're all that then take your ass to JenningsGP, cause I promise you you'll be chiwuawua among pits. I hope you learn before its to late.
I've been riding sportbikes for 15 years. I have done it all. Drag racing, road course, and even was a prof. stunter for a short time. I've probably wrecked more times than Stay up has even sat on a bike. I've learned the hard way, but have been lucky at the same time. In all my experience you think I ride a 1000 when Im riding hard? Nope. I ride a GSXR750. Its MORE than enough, especially to school the newbs that think they need a 1000.
Hopefully you (the OP) will listen to Tarzanman instead of idiots that have been on a bike for 2 months and think they know something. If I only had a dime for all those idiots like that. Its true you could learn on a 600 and be fine, but the truth is that the faster the bike, the more of a chance of getting hurt. Its that simple. You need to get some SERIOUS seat time in and learn safe riding techniques before you try to much on the bike. The learning never stops, and like Tarzanman already said NEVER do anything your not comfortable with.
Good luck with it.
But in the end I hope know everybody in this post knows it's all up to him. Regardless of what we say. He could get the fastest bike on earth or the slowest and still gets hurt. Its all about riding within your comfort zone if you dont fell comfortable doing it your ass shouldnt be doing it. I am a so called noob myself I have been riding probably 3 months now I have the 2006 Gsxr 600 you see below and that shit is something serious. It tempts you to push yourself harder I mean which bike doesnt but what you HAVE to remember is that your the one riding the bike not the other way around. Good luck man.
Jaszen
Anyone who has logged less than 6 months or 4000 miles on a motorcycle should keep their monkey-asses quiet on this thread. You don't know jack about jack, as evident by the defecation which is spewing from your keyboards.
AMEN!!!!
If I could give more reps, I would.
I have a question...
Let's assume that a new rider with "some limited" experience is getting a sportbike. I see the arguement of getting a 600 to gain seat time and agree with it. But what if this noob is a big guy? Say 6'2 260-270 pounds. Does his size mean that he should go to a liter bike? I mean he could "hold it up". Will it affect acceleration?
I got asked this question, and wanted to make sure that I answered it correctly...
Here, hold my beer!
The short answer is: No. Weighing 270+ lbs is a negligible factor as far as sportbike performance goes.
"Some limited" experience on a dirtbike is not enough to start on a 600cc. Unless you grew up riding dirtbikes often, its 500cc or less.
Being fat, or a linebacker, or whatever is immaterial when learning to ride a bike. The 80-90lbs that a 'big guy' has on a 'normal' rider is the same weight difference a normal rider would have riding a small college cheerleader as a passenger (which I've done
Even ignoring the power issue (which is considerable), there are other reasons that a race-ready sportbike is unsuitable for new riders.
• Riding position. Most newbie-friendly bikes have a 'standard' seating position which means that the riding position is close to upright (like a mountain bike). Sportbikes are swept forward putting more of your weight forward on your arms (like a race bicycle that Lance Armstrong rides. Note: supporting that extra weight with your arms is not proper riding technique). It is more difficult to balance a bike in and out of turns in this position (especially U-turns, which are a breeze on cruisers).
• Rake and trail - I'd be willing to bet that none of the noobs on this thread know what those terms mean (go look it up, squids). Simplified, it is the geometry of the front wheel/forks in relation to the rest of the motorcyle. Sport bikes have steeper rakes and shorter trails than newbie-friendly bikes. A steep rake and short trail makes a bike react more quickly and more maneuverable. The trade-off is that the bike is a bit more unstable and is more susceptible to tank-slappers, rocks/bumps in the road, etc. In practice this means that corrections when riding a sportbike have to be made in less time and with proper input to the bike's controls, whereas a newbie-friendly bike is more forgiving about improper 'corrections' to the controls (i.e. the front won't compress as bad when you front brake too hard.... you can use your body weight to 'flick' the bike more easily to change course instead of countersteering..... the rear wheel won't break free as easily from trail braking too hard or popping the clutch in mid-turn).
I have heard fat people make the "I'm big and need more power" argument in person. Their being fat has nothing to do with it. Whats more probable is that their fat butts cannot lean, stretch, or shift (weight) on a motorcycle well enough to ride it properly.
--Edit--
corrected various spelling and grammatical erros
Last edited by Tarzanman; 12-18-2006 at 08:30 PM.
You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Tarzanman again
anybody have an argument with a 05 gs500?...i found one with 12k on it for 3100
Epic Foxbody Thread Crew Member #07
Fuck Bitches, Kill tyrannosauruses
Great bike to learn on
GS500 = very solid learners bike.
Just because some of you have many years of riding experience doesnt mean that what is right for you is right for everyone. Yes, I agree that a sportbike ergo's and power make them more difficult to learn than non-sporting bikes. But that still doesnt mean you cant learn on a sportbike. My first bike was a cbr600, although, as I mentioned earlier, I had a good amount of MX and trail riding experience as a kid. A lot of my friends thought I was making the wrong choice also. But, I commited myself to riding every weekend (literally every weeked that it wasnt raining I would go to mountains,) and getting as much "saddle time" as possible. I also went to race school and track days. Experience can make you a good rider in a very short time if you are serious about it.
The things that are most dangerous to a motorcyclist...especially in someplace like Atlanta... are the idiots in cars around you. Youre more likely to be seriously injured in-town by a soccer mom in an SUV than you are riding a sportbike in the mountains. So basically, the most dangerous thing that affects a rider is totally independent of what kind of bike they are on.
In summary, stupid people can hurt themselves with any bike, and stupid people in cars can injure or kill motorcyclists on any type of bike.
Buy what you want, but just be serious about learning how to ride it properly.
No one has said it can't be done. All we are trying to say is that it adds more unneccessary risk, a lot more.
When it comes to learning how to ride in traffic a larger bike actually slows down your learning because you are to busy having to learn how to control the bike. Its not about controlling the bike, that comes easy. Its about learning how to control yourself and how to ride in traffic, and other hazards.
Here's the list of things you shld do, and it's in order.
1.Go to a MSF course...I just attend one 2 wks ago. If you go with the Honda program, you will get a chance to ride their Honda Rebel for 2 days. Feel the weight,control and comfort.
2.If you passed the class, look at ur budget..start visiting the dealership and sit on every bike that you like..remember your comfort level..if you are not comfortable, don't get the bike even though it look cool as hell.
3.After you purchased your bike,practice what you have learn at the MSF course.Get used to riding your own bike..practice practice pracetice.
4.If you are comfortable..ride your bike for short trips..ect ect...
Hope this help you.
You don't know how STRONG you are until being strong is the only
CHOICE you have!
'Born Ready!',LJ
i would get what you want. dont let these guy scare you away from the sport. if you want a 600 get a 600 you can get killed on any of them. don't get one if you are scared to die, don't drive your car don't even leave your house it could burn in your sleep and kill you too. i hope you kinda get the point. i have been riding for about four years and lost two friends and been down my self. i get scared every time i get on mine but its not scared to die it if i told every one i care about bye just in case i dont come back. get what you went and learn too ride it in a big ass parking lot [stay away from the curbs].
I started on an GS500. *Perfect* bike for twisties. After only 3 months of riding I went up to the North Ga mountains with my roommate (95 VFR-750, been riding for 15+ years) and a friend of mine (97 GSXR-600, been riding for 6 years) and I was leaving them in the dust on all the tight turns and chicanes up there. The GS-500 is so easy to flick back and forth (mostly due to that 130 or 140 rear tire) that it was easy for me to lean the bike over and point it where it had to go. No way could I have done that with only 3-months under my belt on a more advanced bike.
Ride the GS till March-April'ish (assuming you get at least 2000-3000 miles on it) and then upgrade. In the meantime, try to sit on or test ride every model of bike that you can. I'm willing to bet that you'll have a different opinion of what you want to upgrade to.
well ill probably get the bike in march...sometime before i graduate highschool..its gonna be my grad. gift. but im going to take the MSF course before that so i can already get some experience under my belt...my only concern is me falling right now i had reconstructive ACL surgery in oct....so i dont know if ill mess my knee up again by falling....i should be released in april however.
Epic Foxbody Thread Crew Member #07
Fuck Bitches, Kill tyrannosauruses
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