question for motorcycle riders

[Spartan X]

I hope I can help you out, since I'm in the same predicament as you....I've been doing a bunch of research and have already narrowed it down...to a Suziki V-Strom 650 or 1000


The 3 best Bikes for what your looking for seams to all come from Suzuki, the FZ6, the SV650s and the V-strom...the fz1 is also a nice bike to look into...


2 of these bikes share the same engine...the SV650s and the V-strom. Exact same engine. The V-strom however is not considered a sportsbike, unlike the SV650s is (although because of the handle bar placment the SV may actually classify as a standard)

The Fz6 as said above is a great bike as well I do not know as much about it simply because I have not looked into it as much...just does not fit my larger frame as well as the V-strom...


To talk about the V-twin engine on the V-strom and the SV650s. As said above it does not carry the Hourspower other 650's do because it's a v-twin and not a straight, but rather it carris more tourque (hourse power being a ratio of RPS's and tourque) The extra tourque give the v-twin a smoother ride verses a buzzy ride. But it's no slow poke. The power on the SV and V-strom kicks in full force at 4,000 rps.....so if your already moving along and decided to punch...that's were you are getting your power at best.


Still consider the V-strom which is heavier then the Sv650s still pulls of a 4.1 second 0-60 time which is the same time as a Lamborgini Gario.


I'd recommend looking at tyhe V-strom 650 for your self. It's a ery comfortable ride, and it's concidered a sport-enduro-touring Bike...mainly touring. Try the SV out...it's not so comfy but deff has more of the sport look to it....

[gimp]

Those SV650 is a sport standard. The handlebars on the SV are more placed more aggressively than on the FZ6. The SV650 is a great bike. Your absolutly right about where the power comes in. The SV will have lots of tourque down low and through the rpm range. The fz6 won't have much down low but will have plenty up above 9000rpm. And if your anything like me, you'll enjoy running it near the redline

The quarter mile and 0-60 times are from people who know how to ride the drag strip properly. Don't expect to just hop on and pull those times.

Another bike that I hadn't thought of before, but has gotten pretty good reviews is the kawasaki ninja 650R. I've never ridden one, but it's comfortable to sit on at the dealership.

[Al_Steel]

Practically owned a Ninja 250R (my friends who never rode it) in my early 20's. Now I ride a HD Deuce and have owned a Yamaha Virago 650R so I'll weigh in.

You've gotten a lot of good advice so far, especially the thing about the safety gear (more on that in a sec). Only thing I would add is that I can't think of anything more important than how YOU fit the bike. Don't be taken in by hype, HP, and flashy ads. Every rider is defferent, your torso length, legs, arms, neck, all go into how comfortable you feel on certain bikes. If you get on a bike and it doesn't feel like a perfect or near perfect fit, chances are that you will be selling it within 6 months. Nothing worse than getting on a bike that looks great on the floor and feels fine on quick test run but then makes your hands go numb after some time in the saddle. So try out a LOT of bikes before making the decision.

As far as Cruisers -vs- Sport bikes, sounds like you are leaning towards a Sport bike. Sports bikes are great fun to ride for short hauls, but if you plan on taking it on long trips you will fatigue faster so plan on more stops. This is especially true if you have a female passenger. Regardless of how sexy a girl looks perched on the "b**ch pad" she will start hating you if you don't stop every half-hour. BMW and Yamaha make some excellent Sport/Cruisers though, you might want to check those out. They give you a more upright riding position, but maintain the short wheelbase and handling of a sportbike.

Now on safety... I watched a friend of mine hit the pavement right in front of me doing about 45mph. He rear ended a truck that was doing about 15mph in the fog. He was wearing full leathers and a helmet. He got up and walked away with only a small abrasion on his wrist and a minor contusion on his elbow. If that had been me, long sleeve T and a beenie (non-DOT helmet) I would probably been seriously f'd up. That could easily have been me so I learned a lesson that day that all the lecturing in the world couldn't teach me. Needless to say I am now a believer in leathers and ALWAYS wear a real helmet regardless of how "uncool" it looks.

Ride Safe!

[slade]

You've gotten a lot of good advice so far, especially the thing about the safety gear (more on that in a sec). Only thing I would add is that I can't think of anything more important than how YOU fit the bike. Don't be taken in by hype, HP, and flashy ads. Every rider is defferent, your torso length, legs, arms, neck, all go into how comfortable you feel on certain bikes. If you get on a bike and it doesn't feel like a perfect or near perfect fit, chances are that you will be selling it within 6 months. Nothing worse than getting on a bike that looks great on the floor and feels fine on quick test run but then makes your hands go numb after some time in the saddle. So try out a LOT of bikes before making the decision.

trust me, im one of the most anti-hype people out there. I dont care much about HP, since the bike im currently riding is a 10-year old cruiser and i can make it go if i want to. i dont really need much more as far as power is concerned. and flashy ads, well... im looking for something probably at least 5 years old, i cant justify spending the money that would be required for anything featured in a flashy ad

what you said more or less confirms what i thought, though. unfortunately asking around online can only get me so far, ill have to try out some bikes, which could be rather hard to do.

As far as Cruisers -vs- Sport bikes, sounds like you are leaning towards a Sport bike. Sports bikes are great fun to ride for short hauls, but if you plan on taking it on long trips you will fatigue faster so plan on more stops. This is especially true if you have a female passenger. Regardless of how sexy a girl looks perched on the *explitive* pad, she will start hating you if you don't stop every half-hour. BMW and Yamaha make some excellent Sport/Cruisers though, you might want to check those out. They give you a more upright riding position, but maintain the short wheelbase and handling of a sportbike.

unfortunately, my girlfriend wouldnt let me take her on my bike (not that im really ready to take a passenger yet anyway...) although another girl already said she may want me to take her for a ride. As far as riding distance is concerned, i probably wont be riding for more than 20 minutes often, with an occasional hour long ride, so the uncomfortability of a sportsbike wont be much of an issue. i think ill look more into the sport/cruisers, although first i want to see if i just like riding a normal sportsbike.

Now on safety... I watched a friend of mine hit the pavement right in front of me doing about 45mph. He rear ended a truck that was doing about 15mph in the fog. He was wearing full leathers and a helmet. He got up and walked away with only a small abrasion on his wrist and a minor contusion on his elbow. If that had been me, long sleeve T and a beenie (non-DOT helmet) I would probably been seriously f'd up. That could easily have been me so I learned a lesson that day that all the lecturing in the world couldn't teach me. Needless to say I am now a believer in leathers and ALWAYS wear a real helmet regardless of how "uncool" it looks.

thanks, but a safety lecture isnt really necessary. im a teenage guy who rides a motorcycle. my dad, whos ridden since he was in his early 20's, of course gave me a safety lecture. my mother... well, i wouldnt really know, i stopped listening to her years ago, but im sure she gave me a safety lecture at some point. my neighbor told me to be safe and told me how easy it is to get into an accident when he saw me practicing riding up and down my street, getting used to the bike. my MSF teacher gave me specifically a safety lecture when i asked her advice on buying a sportsbike and overall treated me as a dangerous insensible ricer kid (even though i specifically asked her what a safe sports bike would be, since the general consensus on AO/PBN was that most newer 600CC sportsbikes are too powerful for a new rider). i was a bit annoyed about that, and more annoyed that she didnt say anything to the guy who just bought a brand new harley and tried to take the course with a scratched up half helmet he got for free. but anyway, everyone on AO tells me to ride safely, and even my friends tell me to be safe. every single person who knows im riding has at some point mentioned safety. and on top of that, my best friend's mother has fake teeth because she and her husband got into an accident when a car pulled out infront of them. he went right into the car, she went over the car and faceplanted on the ground.

then again, i can see why older people think safety lectures are necessary. my dad said when he was in his 20's he took his BMW R60/5 up to 110 MPH on the back streets of Maine. of course this story came along with the "now dont you be as damn stupid as i was" editorial. ive ridden that thing and i dont know how the heck he managed it, it only has 4 gears and doesnt feel that powerful, but he said it puts out a lot of torque at higher RPMs.

When i ride i always wear a full DOT helmet, and boots (not motorcycle specific though, theyre bates). so far ive worn a padded synthetic jacket for anything more than a 30 second ride. i have yet to top 50 MPH, and i ride low in the RPM range (hey, gas costs a lot). i dont wear gloves (dont have motorcycle gloves) but i probably should. that reminds me though, would something like paintball gloves suffice?

thanks for the help!

hmm, i havent been this much of a newb since i shot a piranha .

oh yeah, and you may want to edit your post. the mods are nitpicky, you could get banned for the **.


oh, and what do people think about older sportsbikes? I have the money for something brand new and shiny but i cant really justify spending it. would something like a 1989 honda CBR 600 F or an older GSXR, or even 1999 GSXR, be a fairly decent sportsbike for a good price, or would it require a lot of maintenance/ have a lot of drawbacks that would make it not worth it? im essentially wondering if i can find something older thats decent, or if i should really shell out the money for something only a few years old and possibly fuel injected.

[gimp]

There is nothing wrong with an older carburated bike. It will run great if it was maintained well. Buying an old bike is no different than buying anything used. Do your research on the bike, find out common problems, find out how it was maintained, it it's been dumped, etc.

[PyRo]

Paintball gloves won't suffice. Get gloves now. When you fall your first reaction is to try and catch yourself and in the process you tear up your hands.
My stepbrothers didn't believe glovers were necesary. Now they're big balls of bandages for the next couple weeks. He also didn't feel a shirt, long pants or boots were necessary (smart one huh?). Moron would have walked away instead of a week in the hospital, a couple more weeks of being bandaged up, and scars that will last a lifetime if he had been wearing proper gear.

[slade]

There is nothing wrong with an older carburated bike. It will run great if it was maintained well. Buying an old bike is no different than buying anything used. Do your research on the bike, find out common problems, find out how it was maintained, it it's been dumped, etc.

what if it has been dumped, is that a compelling reason to avoid it?

[Al_Steel]

what if it has been dumped, is that a compelling reason to avoid it?

Depends on how hard it's been dumped. If it's just got a few scratches, no big deal. If the fork bent the steering tube or the frame has been torqued avoid it like the plague. Even a subtle drop in the driveway can bend a cover so that it wears against an internal part causing engine damage. You really can't tell by looking at a bike how hard it's gone down so if the seller says it's been dropped I'd take it to a wrench to check it out.

Oh yeah, nylon and rubber paintball gloves would suck. Full finger leather gloves are the way to go. Basically anything leather, but not cheap leather, thick high quality leather. If a bike is going to be your primary mode of transportation then you should invest in a nice set of full leathers or synthetic leather/kevlar. Not only does it protect, but the added protection from the wind chill will extend your riding season. It may be expensive but what's cheaper, a set of high quality leathers or 23 visits to the plastic surgeon?

Not really lecturing you on safety, just relating a story. You will get plenty more people telling you "donor"cylces are evil machines and that just sitting on one tempts fate. Everyone gives riders a raft of crap but there's an old saying among bikers; There are 2 kinds of bikers, those that have gone down and those that are going to go down. If you are prepared when you make the switch from one to the other then you will likely come out OK. It's the knuckleheads that you see riding around with no helmet, jeans and shorts that wind up eating their meals through a straw when a soccer Mom pulls out in front of them b/c she's trying to dial a cell phone, juggle a hot mocha latte, yell at the kids and occasionally drive.

Pyro: Sorry to hear about your bro's man.. that sucks.

[slade]

Depends on how hard it's been dumped. If it's just got a few scratches, no big deal. If the fork bent the steering tube or the frame has been torqued avoid it like the plague. Even a subtle drop in the driveway can bend a cover so that it wears against an internal part causing engine damage. You really can't tell by looking at a bike how hard it's gone down so if the seller says it's been dropped I'd take it to a wrench to check it out.

is there anything specifically that i should look for? right now im looking at a 1999 suzuki GSXR that has been dumped. i asked specifically if the damage was at all structural, the guy says that its all cosmetic besides the front brake, which broke off the handlebars, but still functions. id rather avoid taking it to a mechanic if possible. would the fairings protect the motor well enough on a sportsbike? i dont see how the motor could get damaged if it never hit anything. i take it any damage to the forks would either be visible or you could feel it when you ride the bike, right?

Not really lecturing you on safety, just relating a story. You will get plenty more people telling you "donor"cylces are evil machines and that just sitting on one tempts fate. Everyone gives riders a raft of crap but there's an old saying among bikers; There are 2 kinds of bikers, those that have gone down and those that are going to go down. If you are prepared when you make the switch from one to the other then you will likely come out OK. It's the knuckleheads that you see riding around with no helmet, jeans and shorts that wind up eating their meals through a straw when a soccer Mom pulls out in front of them b/c she's trying to dial a cell phone, juggle a hot mocha latte, yell at the kids and occasionally drive.

ive already made that transition. i took a left turn on a crowned road on my way to work, and the back wheel slipped out. i ripped a hole in the knee of my pants and broke a mirror, held up traffic a bit, picked up the bike and drove the rest of the way to work.

that made me realize that i have to be a lot more conscious of crowned roads. ive realized from day one that i have to be really careful of dirt/sand, since ive had my back wheel slip a bit even while going very slowly over sand (theres a house being built right near my house, and the construction workers dont clean up the road often )

[gimp]

I'm also in the 'dumped it' category of bikers. dang sand on the road. I almost high sided the other day too. I gotta get some better tires.

When a bike gets dumped, there is always the possibility of some sort of frame damage. It could easily be something that you won't notice by looking at it, but might become more evident when you really ride the bike.

I'd be very careful if I was buying a crashed bike. It's very easy to buy a few new pieces of plastic. The potential for problems down the road is a lot higher.

[slade]

I'm also in the 'dumped it' category of bikers. dang sand on the road. I almost high sided the other day too. I gotta get some better tires.

i was actually wondering, would the tires or type of bike make that much difference in how far you can lean over? even though it was a crowned road, i really didnt lean over far at all... would a sportsbike be able to lean over farther?

also, what does high siding mean?

[Destructo6]

You really shouldn't have much weight on your hands when riding a sport bike. You should have a firm, but not overly tight, grip on the clip-ons, while your elbows are loose and relaxed.

Putting weight on the grips will cause bad things.

The SV650 is a nice bike. Lots of people race them in the "Lightweight Twins" category, so there's a ton of aftermarket parts for them, if you want.

Most bike parts cost a lot of money. "If you parted together a (insert cool sportbike name here) from the dealer's parts counter, it would cost you more than $20,000!" is a common saying. Check out Ebay for prices of used parts. That'll give you an idea what it would cost to repair a messed up bike.

The fairings should protect the motor, yes. I've only seen a cracked engine case as a result of a headon at 80+mph. The rest of the bike was similarly mangled (forks sheared off below the lower triple tree).

Bent forks may cause the bike to track sideways a bit and may also leak fluid.

[Al_Steel]

i was actually wondering, would the tires or type of bike make that much difference in how far you can lean over? even though it was a crowned road, i really didnt lean over far at all... would a sportsbike be able to lean over farther?

also, what does high siding mean?

The short answer is yes, tire design contributes to the lean angle. But the long answer is that LOTS of factors go into the lean angle of a bike, ground clearance, wheelbase, rider positioning, center of gravity, plus inertia/design/condition of the tires themselves. Cruisers and sport cruisers (like the BMW) handle much differently than a sport bike. The difference between their handling characteristics are night and day. Big bike riders have to putt around turns b/c the bike can't lean anywhere near as deep in the turns while a sport bike can be thrown into tight corners at almost twice the speeds.

High siding is when the rear wheel breaks loose and slides sideways far enough to make the bike flip. It's a very bad thing b/c the rider generally gets thrown from the bike in the direction of travel meaning that theres a good chance the sliding, flipping, 500+ pound bike will land on the rider. That usually leaves a mark.

[RRfireblade]

i was actually wondering, would the tires or type of bike make that much difference in how far you can lean over? even though it was a crowned road, i really didnt lean over far at all... would a sportsbike be able to lean over farther?

also, what does high siding mean?

High siding means the bike pitched into a slide , then caught traction and threw you over the top of the now sideways but no longer sliding bike.


As far as leaning goes, you don't 'lean' a sportbike....or any bike for that manner. What you want to do is pitch your body weight to the inside of the bike and allow the bike to stay as vertical as possible around the turn. In extreme cases (only on a race track) we/people who race , will actually use ours knees off the ground as a stabilizer to carry some the bike weight and help keep upright as much as possible.

"Leaning" will get you killed.

You also never want to brake during a corner , you always want to be accelerating thru the corner. Do all your braking BEFORE you start the turn while your still vertical , then start your turn and get back on the gas as much as it will take. If you set up the corner correctly , you should not have to make any steering corections till the exit.

FYI , I'm talking about hard riding situations here. Daily ridiing should never require such manuevers.

[Spartan X]

High siding means the bike pitched into a slide , then caught traction and threw you over the top of the now sideways but no longer sliding bike.


As far as leaning goes, you don't 'lean' a sportbike....or any bike for that manner. What you want to do is pitch your body weight to the inside of the bike and allow the bike to stay as vertical as possible around the turn. In extreme cases (only on a race track) we/people who race , will actually use ours knees off the ground as a stabilizer to carry some the bike weight and help keep upright as much as possible.

"Leaning" will get you killed.

You also never want to brake during a corner , you always want to be accelerating thru the corner. Do all your braking BEFORE you start the turn while your still vertical , then start your turn and get back on the gas as much as it will take. If you set up the corner correctly , you should not have to make any steering corections till the exit.

FYI , I'm talking about hard riding situations here. Daily ridiing should never require such manuevers.

Actually, in my Motorcycle safty course they told us to brake just before we enter the turn, purposly Lean the Bike while trying to keep out body strait, while counter stearing then excelerate into the turn. I've used this on my Katana 750 in turns and it seams to work very well as it did in the course. I could not imaging keeping the bike upright and leaning over the bike, just does not feel right. But hey if it works for you.