I do and don't want a motorcycle

"KatzManDu" (KatzManDu) 02/08/2015 at 04:13 • Filed to: None

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I'm intimidated by learning how to ride one. But I see a lot of other idiots out there riding them and I figure if they can do it, I can do it. Therefore, here are some localish classifieds...

http://www.2ememain.be/moto/moto/dnep…

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All Motor Is Best Motor > KatzManDu 02/08/2015 at 04:21

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That first one is badass!

Birddog > KatzManDu 02/08/2015 at 04:33

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Any gearhead should own one.

At least once.

I started on a Honda QA50 that sucked my savings like a Mosquito, worked up to a Maico MC 250 I got for free that tried killing a friend, BUT.. I didn't break one bone until I was 13 years old on a YZ 250.

Then there was a fire involving a Maico 490 that almost killed my Dad. Hmm.

Well, they can't all be bad. Right?

Spoon II > KatzManDu 02/08/2015 at 04:34

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It's amazingly addictive once you give it a go! Also, surprisingly practical depending on your city.

Satoshi "Zipang" Katsura > KatzManDu 02/08/2015 at 04:40

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I'd try to write up a list, but because my mind is tired, I'll say this:

It comes down to the right experience/knowledge and the right bike.

I rode 1L bikes right after I got my endorsement (Rode scooters for at least 5 years beforehand) - one of them being a Yamaha FZ1 but I usually don't mind riding docile bikes (my Honda 919.)

duurtlang > Birddog 02/08/2015 at 05:29

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I'd like to, but it's rather time consuming and expensive to get a license. At least here it is. I bet about €45 an hour for 20+ hours for practicing the required skill, plus a few hundred for testing. I can imagine why many don't bother.

Birddog > duurtlang 02/08/2015 at 05:36

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Ouch!

Where are you? And how does that compare to a license for a car?

yamahog > KatzManDu 02/08/2015 at 08:19

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My father has a policy against encouraging people to ride if they're on the fence, and I'm inclined to think his rationale is sound. However, should you decide to, here's the second thing he told me after I said I wanted to get my motorcycle license (the first was "why couldn't you wait until after I'm dead?"):

Always remember that everyone else on the road is actively trying to kill you.

And wear all the gear any time it leaves the garage. Even just going down the road for gas or air in the tires. It could save your life or at the very least give your family an open casket.

/killjoy

rithsleeper > KatzManDu 02/08/2015 at 08:36

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first off get a reliable piece of s#!+. Then you can concentrate on learning to drive, not worrying about messing it up or trying to fix it and having some throttle problem where you have to keep reving it at stop lights to keep from stalling. Get an electric start cause you will keep stalling and its no fun kicking a heavy engine after it is warm. Stick to riding in either slower traffic or countryside for less traffic.

It is definitely worth it. It is such a free feeling. Stay safe and always be ready for people to pull out in front of you. If you have the choice get something with a low center of gravity like a v star and it will help you learn to control it better. High center like a touring bike will have you looking like a douche every time you stop and it almost falls over.

bingham123 > KatzManDu 02/08/2015 at 08:45

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my advice is, try to find a off road place that will let you try a bike. Go and play or get an instructor to help you, start on something small and underpowered like a 50cc bike and get used to the clutch and gears.

I learnt to ride a motorbike at 4 years old and have had a whole bunch of bikes and I will always go back to a small underpowered bike for one good reason.... That are fun, you will never go fast enough to kill yourself and you can go flat out everywhere.

the best (most fun) bike iv had is a 50cc 2stroke jawa moped top speed 30ish mph with about 3-4hp and you had to pedal it to help it up hills.

basically try to find a good off road center and play for a bit, then decide what you want to do from their.

PyramidHat > duurtlang 02/08/2015 at 09:05

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Wow! Are you sure those rates aren't for flying lessons? Here, the basic course costs $250 or so. If you gage the funds, I'd say go for it. Also, I like that Ural...

Aaron M - MasoFiST > KatzManDu 02/08/2015 at 09:05

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I got my license, bought a bike, got all the gear, and started riding out in the suburbs near my parents' house to practice.

After months, getting on the bike still scared the shit out of me. Now I'm selling it.

I absolutely advocate trying it, but not everyone is going to immediately take to it. You can't be completely scared of it, like I was (am?)...but the minute you aren't scared at all is when something bad is going to happen.

PyramidHat > bingham123 02/08/2015 at 09:06

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I will always go back to a small underpowered bike for one good reason.... That are fun, you will never go fast enough to kill yourself and you can go flat out everywhere.

Thus the case for the Grom or Ninja 250...

PyramidHat > yamahog 02/08/2015 at 09:08

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And wear all the gear any time it leaves the garage. Even just going down the road for gas or air in the tires. It could save your life or at the very least give your family an open casket.

Dress for the slide, not the ride...

duurtlang > PyramidHat 02/08/2015 at 09:36

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Sadly no. The (mandatory) driving lessons for your normal car drivers license aren't that much cheaper, they're hard to find under €40 an hour. People tend to need 25-35 of those hours on average before they've got the required skill, assuming they don't have another drivers license already. I've heard of poor drivers that needed easily double that amount of hours. These lessons are with vehicles provided by the driving school though.

bingham123 > PyramidHat 02/08/2015 at 14:33

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the ninja 250 looks quiet nice and I almost brought one last year, but I decided I'm going to get myself a Honda c90 cub, 90cc and 6-7hp of raw power with a 3speed semi auto and flat out 60mph*

iv had quiet a fiew c90s and they will run forever. One I had the engine sounded bad so I tried to blow it up.... It didn't work. I put vegetable oil in the sump instead of actual oil and put some beer, diesel, paint thinner and a bit of petrol, it ran and smoked a bit but used almost all the "fuel". We emptied all the nasty stuff back out put fresh oil in and proper petrol and the horrible noise had stopped and it felt loads quicker than before we tried to kill it.

I would recommend a Honda cub to anyone who wants a cheap reliable way to get to work

bingham123 > Aaron M - MasoFiST 02/08/2015 at 14:34

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What bike did you buy?

Aaron M - MasoFiST > bingham123 02/08/2015 at 14:41

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Suzuki GS500F. It's a reasonable beginner bike, though a bit heavy. I probably would have been better served by a 250, though the GS500 doesn't really make that much more power than a Ninja 250.

PyramidHat > bingham123 02/08/2015 at 15:09

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Cool! I wouldn't mind having one of those to do in-town errands on. My father used to have a Trail 90 about 45 years ago, which I think is the ancestor the C90. He'd use it to take backroads to go fishing and whatnot. Now, my neighbor has a restored T90 (as he only works about 2 miles away, it's a perfect commute vehicle for him).

bingham123 > PyramidHat 02/08/2015 at 16:14

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the trail 90 is a beautiful looking bike, its more offroad ready than the standard c90. And they also had a lowrange gearbox, that on a bike is amazing I mean some modern 4x4s don't have a low range. I had the chance to buy a super low mileage trail90 in yellow, sadly I didn't have the cash at the time.

bingham123 > Aaron M - MasoFiST 02/08/2015 at 16:27

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that my friend is where you went wrong, number one rule is start small and work your way up.

sell your 500 and buy a 125ccor a 250cc at the very most, never buy a "big" bike as a first bike. And never spend to much as you will no doubt drop it or have a low speed crash while practicing.

I all ways wonder why people do as you did and go for a "big" heavyish bike.

please sell your 500 and buy a small bike instead, then give it a try again for a while, learn your bike, have fun playing with it and take your time that way you will slowly build up your confidence and you will then start to enjoy yourself.

as you said the moment your not scared of the bike is the moment your going to crash. Number two rule always respect your bike, number three rule take care of your bike and she will take care of you.

Aaron M - MasoFiST > bingham123 02/08/2015 at 18:51

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I'm going to guess you aren't from the US...there are no 125s sold in the US, save the Honda Grom (and who would buy a new bike as their first bike? That's incredibly dumb). A Ninja 250, the typical "beginner bike", makes more power than a GS500, which though bigger still has a dry weight of less than 400 pounds. And now, the 250s are essentially gone too, with the new bikes almost all 300cc.

I have no problem riding my bike...the issues all come down to cars around me. In the US, 500cc is a small bike, especially when it's a twin. When people don't "start small", they buy a 600cc four for their first bike, making between double and triple the power of the bike I purchased.