Beginners Bike Guide

[ph00ny]

I'm only 6'2"/215lb but i have a lot of trouble fitting into convertibles (350z, crossfire, s2k, slk, tt....). Friend of mine told me (Rdier) once told me that i wouldn't be able to ride 600cc sports bikes due to my size

[onewheeldoin200]

Originally Posted by ph00ny

I'm only 6'2"/215lb but i have a lot of trouble fitting into convertibles (350z, crossfire, s2k, slk, tt....). Friend of mine told me (Rdier) once told me that i wouldn't be able to ride 600cc sports bikes due to my size

He's full of shit. Look at a lot of testers in the magazines. Mitch Boehm (Sport Rider..I think?) is over 6' and 190lbs+, and he does just fine. Now, you might feel a little cramped on a 600 (or the newest gen litre bikes; they're tiny), but you're not too big for them. Now..if you were 6'6 and 280....well then it would be a tougher sell

[onewheeldoin200]

Originally Posted by TheJesus

I'm fucking dumb, but not that fucking dumb.



Any other advice that you guys can give me? How to price shop? Where should I look locally for good deals? How hard is the licencing part? Registration and stuff like that? I really want to get something that I can ease into riding, and have fun with. Thanks guys, I know I am annoying as shit.

Well, I can't say much here because all this varies with respect to region. There's tips above for finding used bikes, and you should look up the website for your state/province's DMV to check the out the licensing and registration procedure. Time to do some readin

[TheJesus]

Originally Posted by onewheeldoin200

Well, I can't say much here because all this varies with respect to region. There's tips above for finding used bikes, and you should look up the website for your state/province's DMV to check the out the licensing and registration procedure. Time to do some readin

Been doing that all day. I've been talking to Detman for a bit, and he gave me a guy to call. I donno, I really am excited.

[onewheeldoin200]

Originally Posted by TheJesus

Been doing that all day. I've been talking to Detman for a bit, and he gave me a guy to call. I donno, I really am excited.

Awesome. Good luck with getting setup!

edit: and feel free to PM/email me any time. If there's anything I can help with, I'll give it a go.

[SebG]

Im 6'1 225 lbs and my mom told i look to big on my bike....LOL my bike is huge compared to a 600RR

[onewheeldoin200]

Originally Posted by ///M3

Im 6'1 225 lbs and my mom told i look to big on my bike....LOL my bike is huge compared to a 600RR

lol yeah the new ones do feel rather like toys after straddling an old school rocket

[Applejuice]

That reminds me, the thing I hate most about my bike, is when someone asks me what I ride, I have to say "04 CBR 600RR." Can't just give em something simple like "a gixxer".

[Accident Prone]

What are some good websites for articles on how to ride, safety tips, newbie articles, and such?

I've been told to take an MSF course to learn, but I'm not spending the money.
I have a friend that is gonna teach me, but he might not tell me everything I need to know. So I'm thinking I should read as much information as I can to go along with his teaching.

[onewheeldoin200]

Originally Posted by Accident Prone

What are some good websites for articles on how to ride, safety tips, newbie articles, and such?

I've been told to take an MSF course to learn, but I'm not spending the money.
I have a friend that is gonna teach me, but he might not tell me everything I need to know. So I'm thinking I should read as much information as I can to go along with his teaching.

I'd start with the link at the top of the page....there's a paper in there that I wrote about Canadian safety issues that apply to riding everywhere. Otherwise, I don't really know of a "how to ride" guide online. You'll just need to buy a real beater and spend lots of time in the parking lot going around cones and stopping and starting etc etc. PERFECT YOUR LOW SPEED SKILLS FIRST!!!!

edit: and I know you said you wouldn't spend the money, but I *strongly* recommend that you take that MSF course. You will learn things there that would take you years and/or a few crashes to learn otherwise.

[onewheeldoin200]

Originally Posted by Applejuice

That reminds me, the thing I hate most about my bike, is when someone asks me what I ride, I have to say "04 CBR 600RR." Can't just give em something simple like "a gixxer".

That's why Kawis are great; pretty well no matter which bike you buy, they're all "Ninja's"

[s0ad]

i'm thinking about getting either a 2005 Kawasaki Ninja 250R or a 2005 Kawasaki EX500 this summer, but i don't know if i can scrounge up enough cash.

[TheFleshRocket]

Originally Posted by s0ad

i'm thinking about getting either a 2005 Kawasaki Ninja 250R or a 2005 Kawasaki EX500 this summer, but i don't know if i can scrounge up enough cash.

You really REALLY don't want to buy a new bike for your first bike. You'll get raped on new-bike depreciation as well as whatever damage you do to it.

Do yourself a favor and buy a USED Ninja 250 or 500 for a lot less than a new one and save the rest of the money towards buying a 600 or bigger when you are good enough to ride one.

[TheJesus]

Originally Posted by onewheeldoin200

Awesome. Good luck with getting setup!

edit: and feel free to PM/email me any time. If there's anything I can help with, I'll give it a go.

Can you tell me more about the insurance thing you were talking about? I'm having trouble getting a straight awnser from everyone I've asked about it, and I figure you'd tell me the truth.

Been looking at SV 650

edit: damn letters

[onewheeldoin200]

Originally Posted by TheJesus

Can you tell me more about the insurance thing you were talking about? I'm having trouble getting a straight awnser from everyone I've asked about it, and I figure you'd tell me the truth.

Been looking at SV 650

edit: damn letters

This???

Private insurane will be pretty expensive Your best bet is probably to just get liability and assume all damages to your your own bike out of pocket. The best thing to do is start calling around and getting quotes.

Well, because bikes are so prone to crashing, the major cost to insurance companies is claims on damage to the bike. This is pretty well the inverse of cars, where liability is the big issue.

As an example: I bought my zx-6 rat bike for $1800. After fixing it up and all it was worth $2500 on a good day. Full comprehensive coverage for my bike would've been around $2000 a year, while liability was only around $600 for a year. I got ONLY liability, meaning that if I drop/crash the bike then that cost comes out of my own pocket.

Now, something you'll have to watch out very carefully for is theft if you go this route: you can't leave your bike at movie theatres, you can't leave it outside at night, and in some areas you can't even leave it out at your work. If this is going to be your primary transportation you will, at the very least, need a disc brake lock, and preferably an alarm. My bike was such a piece that I rarely worried about it, and an SV is probably pretty safe, but a gixxer or a cbr would get stolen very quickly if left unattended.

So yeah, if you're getting quotes for full-comp that would cover the cost of your entire bike in a year or two, just go with liability and be extra careful both in your riding and how you park the bike.

I hope I got the right question btw I'll be choked if I typed this shit for nothing