Buying a motorcycle...

[bofh]

Whew, that was long. It's cold and raining here and I want to ride, so I get excited when people talk motorcycles.

It's snowing outside, and I'm NJ... this isn't right.

[Ole Unka Phil]

worth repeating, MSF course, and get and wear your gear.

Get a used bike, one, they are loads cheaper, and two, you will most likely drop it, prolly in a parking lot at close to 0 mph, or at a toll booth. (lots of oil drips there!) After 12 months or once your comfortable on the bike, then get a new bike.


/just put a deposit on a new Norton.
//Four years on a $500 beater.

Ditto... sage advice.

Used no loan so you can carry only liability... better yet if you can crawl onto your Dad or moms policy... MSF course is a must. Be carefull. Always wear your gear and don't skimp on gear. Ride it scared.

New norton eh? tell me more!

[Destructo6]

I'll echo the warning about wearing the appropriate gear. Buy nice stuff that's comfortable, fashionable, and a bit spendy (since you'll feel obligated to wear it).

9,000rpm redline? That's where most sportbikes start to get exciting. Some of the newer 600s have 15,000rpm redlines.

About the only way to get around the big downpayment is to have a good job and a good credit history. About the only way to get a good credit history is to take it in the shorts a couple of times and survive.

IIRC, there's a statistic that says new riders often crash at about the 3-month mark: when their confidence begins to overtake their experience.

Along that line, don't show off. You know you can beat everybody at the stoplight and the bike is, indeed, cool, so don't go showing everybody all the time.

[ThisStarNeverFalls]

Ive never personally been too into the whole aspect of showing off, its a good way to kill yourself, yes bikes are fast but that speed comes with a price and my life isnt worth the showing off. I want a bike because well, I love bikes, I just prefer street/sport bikes to cruisers, sport touring, touring, etc. Ive already planned on ending up spending 2-400 on just a jacket alone, probably closer to the $400 range. The equipment can keep you alive, its worth paying the price for good equipment.

[SCpoloRicker]

you will most likely drop it, prolly in a parking lot at close to 0 mph, or at a toll booth. (lots of oil drips there!)

*giggle*

[bofh]

*giggle*

it's true!

Hell, I once dropped the bike backing it into my garage.

[Bear_Claw]

it's true!

Hell, I once dropped the bike backing it into my garage.

ITS VERY true. only time iv droped a bike (so far) is rolling it out of the shop. The egnine was not even running LOL. Their was some gravel and the bike just kinda rolled out from under me.

They say theirs two kinda of riders. Those that have droped a bike and those that WILL.

Keep it safe out their and becarful LOL. Gravel is NASTY STUFF.

[trevorjk]

ITS VERY true. only time iv droped a bike (so far) is rolling it out of the shop. The egnine was not even running LOL. Their was some gravel and the bike just kinda rolled out from under me.

They say theirs two kinda of riders. Those that have droped a bike and those that WILL.

Keep it safe out their and becarful LOL. Gravel is NASTY STUFF.

ive dropped my bike on some gravel as well the other day. luckily it was a soft dropt where only the muffler, foot peg and some of the plastic got scratched up. other then that the bike was fine.

on another note, sport bikes and most bikes alike are extremely fast! Example... last night i was following a car in a 55mph speed zone that was only doing 50. huge straight away, no cars in sight, i decide that im going to pass... no biggie right? well i was cruising in 6th gear at 4400 rpm's so i put it down into 5th then down into 4th where i was now doing about 7500 rpms (bike accelerates like mad at high rpms) so i take off pass the car then slow back down to 60.

apparently the bike just gets up and goes so quick that by the time i got to the front wheels of the car in front of me the cop clocked me doing 91... so in about a second or 2 i went from 50 to 91.

basically moral of the story. bikes are extremely dangerous and super quick and fast. but are amazingly fun. just always wear protective gear and be safe and you shouldnt have a problem... unless you speed

[bofh]

ITS VERY true. only time iv droped a bike (so far) is rolling it out of the shop. The egnine was not even running LOL. Their was some gravel and the bike just kinda rolled out from under me.

Since I know my bike is cheap, and durable, I don't really bother trying to keep it up if it's a 0 speed fall. I'm not going to risk straining something, or having the bike land on me, to save replacing a $14 mirror.

[SCpoloRicker]

it's true!

Oh, I remember the toll-booth incident.

[bofh]

Oh, I remember the toll-booth incident.

I've solved that problem from now on.

EZ-pass.

[Bear_Claw]

Well the bike i droped was not even mine LOL. It was my moms bike. Its the bike i learned on she learned on AND my brother learned on.

ITS SEEN ALOT of milage and its layd down on its side more than a few times and other than one peg and the windsheild nothings ever broken. In fact their really aint any scuff marks other than on the mirror. DAMN good little bike its a Suzuki Savage 650CC. Its not entirely stock either and its a fun LITTLE thing. Currently its under the knife getting its first clutch and some head work and gaskets.

[9868Classic]

I recently got my first bike, well about a year ago, but due to the financial situation, I couldn't afford to put tags on it.

While calling around getting insurance, the key word to getting a quick answer was 'Harley Davidson' instant old people motorcycle and they assume your not gonna do much horsing around on it. (I'm 21, so I know this isn't true)

If I had gotten a rice rocket, I was looking at anywhere between 200-400 a month for insurance (I have 2 points from an old speeding ticket....comes off next month woot!)

And the specs because I like to gloat and brag.

2002 Harley Davidson Sportster XL 1200 (panty dropping goodness)
236 orginal miles(Not even broke in yet )
Screamin Eagle Exhaust
Big Bore Jet/Intake kit
Blue and Silver
Chrome everywhere ( more panty dropping goodness )
$101 a month for insurance

And the best part
The bike was given to me. Free. Nada. Load it up in my ole pick-up and take it home Free. (With 197 miles on it.)

[Ole Unka Phil]

Well... very probably what figures into the matrix also with the HD's is that there are so many of them and so they can find replacement parts farily easy for them

I just redid mine to add the Sportster. Progressive insurance. On the 01 Suzuki 650cc (which I kept) it was $50 a YEAR. Adding the 05 Sporty 883 is now 110 a year. Then I added my Son, who is 19 and had one at fault within the last four years and its now $200 a year. So thats not too bad for a young rider to be added on. If he had gone out on his own policy it would have been horendously more.

Those figures are for Liability only and the mandatory uninsured motorist (our state requires some don't)

I noramly have several Vepa scooters on there. And those jump it up a bunch. Because of their rare character.

[Big'n slo]

I've solved that problem from now on.

EZ-pass.

Watch out for the Walt Whitman Bridge!

Damned EZpass toll gate comes down outta nowhere