Motorcycle-related assistance needed.

"Pixel" (Improbcat) 06/24/2015 at 09:02 • Filed to: None

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I’m starting a motorcycle training course this weekend, and will be doing the on-bike portion in two weeks. I’m taking the course because riding a motorcycle both intrigues & scares the bejeezus out of me. So I genuinely have no idea if I’m going to ever get on a bike again after the course.

To that end I do not want to buy a full set of riding gear if my total riding time may end up being 10 hours of low-speed parking lot driving. I will be borrowing a helmet at the class, but am trying to figure out what, if anything else I need for the class. I was thinking I should be ok with a pair of heavy-duty jeans and either a canvas or leather jacket I already own. I wear leather paratrooper boots anyway so I am ok there. Would a set of gloves with knuckle protection be worth it in case I fall over? Please note if I decide I like it, I’ll be buying a proper set of gear with a full helmet and armored pants/jacket before I take my first ride on the street.

Second question. I was planning on buying a 250 bike as my first bike, but a friend who has the bike I was looking at (Hyosung CV250) has been complaining lately about the lack of speed on the highway and has been talking about needing a bigger bike. Considering I have 6” and 50-60lbs on her, I suspect it won’t go any better for me. I need a bike that can handle highways as nearly all of my friends(and my g/f) live at least a half hour away by highway.

So I have been looking at other bikes, but know basically nothing about what would be a good size. I like the look of the Honda Shadow, which is available in a 650. Is this too much bike in the other direction? I’m 6’ and about 210lbs.

Thanks in advance

505Turbeaux > Pixel 06/24/2015 at 09:09

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not trying to emasculate you, but why don’t you get a scooter to get your feet wet? First bike I ever rode and still do is a 60cc hand shift bike. Tons of fun, easy to ride around secondary roads. Then much easier to jump right up to a 500+cc. Hell I went right up to a BMW R100 from there

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Pixel 06/24/2015 at 09:09

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I personally wouldn’t go over 250cc for a first bike, at least give it a few months to gain some experience. I started (and finished) on a 70cc Scooter haha.

I did my training course in jeans a thick coat and helmet. I got told off for doing this and it was pretty dumb in retrospect. They did let me ride though.

jkm7680 > Pixel 06/24/2015 at 09:13

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Avoid Hyosung, those bikes are cheaply built and they show it.

Ninja 250 is the obvious choice, hah.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Pixel 06/24/2015 at 09:13

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Most of the motorcycle safety course focuses on low-speed handling. They will put you on a tiny bike (125cc or smaller) and you will literally scoot across the lot in neutral for your first “ride”.

Helmet, heavy jeans, leather jacket, gloves (no need for knuckle protection), and a good set of ankle-protecting boots should be fine for the low-speeds you will experience in the class. You really do want those boots. Footpegs are notorious for catching the inside of your ankle when you are a new riding scooting around under foot power.

This is coming from a guy who promotes much more protection when riding the street.

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > Pixel 06/24/2015 at 09:17

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A pair of gloves wouldn't be a bad idea, see if you can find a pair on craigslist since you're not sure you'll keep riding. I'm not sure about the Hyosung, but the Ninja 250 is plenty capable of freeway speeds, I was 240lbs when I had mine and it could still get me up to almost 100mph.

McMike > Pixel 06/24/2015 at 09:18

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Full gear for slow speed parking lot training? Nope.

What you suggested would be fine.

I like the Shadows. They have been making sub-1000cc cruisers for 30+years. You should be able to find a 750 Shadow pretty easily. I believe the smaller Shadow (VLX) is a 600.

Wait to make the decision on bike and gear until you complete the course. As you said, if you’re uneasy about it, a smaller, cheaper bike would be a better decision.

Pixel > 505Turbeaux 06/24/2015 at 09:18

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Not worried about being emasculated by buying a smaller bike.

Problem is where I live(east Providence) is pretty densely built up, so there are no fun back roads near my house to use it on, and none of my friends live close enough for short back-roads jaunts(I can take non-highway roads to some, but they are going to be fairly busy for some/all of the drive). So I need something that is at least highway capable. Watching my friend(in a similar situation) bitch about needing to upgrade from a bike she has put all of 400miles on makes me nervous that I’ll need to do the same in very short order too, given I am bigger than her. I don’t need a massive powerful bike by any means, but I would like to get something I don’t need to replace in one year.

I dunno, I’m trying to think all this out in advance to try and avoid making the wrong decision with my money.

505Turbeaux > Pixel 06/24/2015 at 09:26

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one answer then, knowing your situation, find a 70’s honda CB350. Light, easy to ride and work on, reliable. Good looking too and cheap to find. I have a friend who is your size (I am same size but you have about 25 lbs on me) and he rides his everywhere. IMHO you aren’t going to find highway bliss in anything under an 800, but to start get in on something like this, or a 550-4

Pixel > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s 06/24/2015 at 09:27

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I’m looking for a cruiser-style bike. I don’t like the riding position on street bikes.

bob and john > Pixel 06/24/2015 at 09:27

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gear is fine. as for the bike,

http://oppositelock.kinja.com/what-makes-a-g…

T here is a link to a list at the bottom.

as for ‘oh i’m a bigger guy, i neeed a bigger bike’ that like saying because you have another 60 lbs, you need a SUV instead of a civic.

try to stay under 500CC for the first bike.

McMike > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 06/24/2015 at 09:27

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The instructor gave you a hard time for wearing what?

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > McMike 06/24/2015 at 09:28

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The jeans mostly.

Pixel > McMike 06/24/2015 at 09:32

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Cool, thank you.

And yeah, I’m not making any major investments until I’ve completed the course and have a better idea of if this is something I want to do more of.

Destructive Tester > Pixel 06/24/2015 at 09:35

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I’ll second the point of looking for a used 250 (from a real manufacturer, not a Chinese knockoff company). You’ll have plenty of power for a beginning rider without having to fear the throttle so you'll be free to work on learning the mechanics of riding a motorcycle instead of just surviving. If you decide to keep riding, check-out MotorcycleCloseouts.com or JakeWilson.com to save a bit on gear. One last point, before buying a helmet make sure to do some test fits to see what shape of head you have. Some manufacturers cater to a rounder head while others cater more to a more oval shaped head...

Pixel > bob and john 06/24/2015 at 09:35

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The being bigger is *only* because she is smaller than me and is complaining about lack of power and lack of highway capability. So I fear being on the same size bike it would only be worse for me. I am under no delusion that I need 1000ccs, just worrying that 250 might not be enough for a bike I’m hoping to keep & ride for several years.

bob and john > Pixel 06/24/2015 at 09:37

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a ninja 250 will hit 100mph. you dont need more then that.

Pixel > bob and john 06/24/2015 at 09:40

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I don’t want a street bike though, I want a cruiser-style bike. Different engine designs, different gearing.

McMike > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 06/24/2015 at 09:41

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Really? They gave you a hard time for wearing jeans to a parking lot training course?

What did they expect students to wear?

Aaron M - MasoFiST > Pixel 06/24/2015 at 09:43

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When I took the course gloves were required, so they’re probably a good idea. As far as the first bike goes, my first bike was a Suzuki GS500, which solves the highway issue well. About the same amount of top end as a Ninja 250 but more torque, so you can ride at 60-70 more comfortably. That being said, take the course and see how you feel. The GS felt very big to me compared to the Nighthawks in the course, and was not as easy to learn with as I would have liked. Ninja 250s have more power than the Hyosung, so you’ll be able to ride on the highway safely, though not comfortably.

Mmmmm > Pixel 06/24/2015 at 09:46

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My $.02 on the gloves is that knuckle protection is mostly there to look cool haha. It will only really help you if you are cartwheeling and your hands are swinging around and smacking the ground or your hand is somehow trapped under you while you slide a significant distance. The common injuries are finger and wrist breaks. So since basically all gloves worth their salt have knuckle protection, I think it’s important when you finally do get real gloves to get ones with palm sliders and good padding/armor around the wrists. Also some gloves have started stitching together the ring and pinky finger.

My first bike was a suzuki gs500. Rode it for 5 years and it was great. I’d look for something more established like a ninja 250 rather than a hyosung (but maybe that is unfair can’t say I’ve ever ridden one). If you are getting on the highway all the time maybe you want more oomph than pinning a ninja 250 all the time but a 250 can do it. Also it’s easy to start with a smaller used bike, drop it in the parking lot once or twice over a year, then sell it for what you bought it for and get something bigger if you want.

bob and john > Pixel 06/24/2015 at 09:47

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...dude, I teach motorcycle riding. believe me, I know the differences.

small cruiser. most start off with a shadow.

you can also look at a kawasaki vulcan 500.

(also, a rebel 250 will still hit 70...might take a while, but she’ll get there)

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > Pixel 06/24/2015 at 09:52

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ahh...yea if you are getting a cruiser style you might need to get something bigger than a 250. it's hard to make power from a 250 unless you give it a high redline (the Ninja 250's is 14k RPM), which cruisers generally don't have

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > McMike 06/24/2015 at 09:53

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In the UK you go on open roads too.

McMike > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 06/24/2015 at 09:56

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That, I didn’t know. But what did they expect you to wear?

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > bob and john 06/24/2015 at 10:00

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my experience with the Vulcan 500 is that’s a nice, easy to ride, comfortable bike that desperately needs another gear for highway riding. If you up the overall ratio with a sprocket change you loose the punchy, fun mid-range acceleration it has, and stock gearing is like cruising secondary roads at 45mph comfortable, The one I rode felt very wrung out at 75. I’ve never ridden a shadow, but I hear good things...

Nonster > Pixel 06/24/2015 at 10:00

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If your class is an MSF class or anything like one, then you probably won’t ever get out of 2nd gear. The time most people fell or dropped a bike during my class was during the super slow tight maneuvering and it really was just an awkward slow falling over of the bike. No-one actually hit the ground, the bikes did, but the rider just sort of steps off. You’ll be fine in what you have, there’s no need to buy gear specifically for the class.

As for a bike recommendation. Keep in mind that the engine size isn’t always a fair comparison between bikes. A 600cc sport bike is a different animal from a 600cc cruiser. A Shadow is a pretty good starter bike, as is most other 250-750cc 80’s Japanese bikes. I nearly bought a Kawasaki KZ550 for my first one but ended up with this instead.

It’s a Buell Blast. It’s a 500cc and I’ve been riding it to work (about 20 miles; 2/3’s interstate) as long as the weather is reasonable. It has something like 34 hp I think and can cruise just fine at 70mph and I’ve stretched it’s legs up to about 85-90.

Last piece of advice is that this is your first bike, not your last. Find something cheap and cheerful and just get out there and ride. You’ll figure out what you like once you get some more experience.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > McMike 06/24/2015 at 10:02

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Leathers apparently. The way the UK licencing works means you usually already have a bike so they expect you to have the kit.

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > Pixel 06/24/2015 at 10:08

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have you considered the BMW F-series bikes? The F-650s (in their various street, enduro, dual-sport, carb'ed and injected, ABS or not forms...) can be had for reasonable prices, very comfortable riding position, good for tall people. The big single has loads of torque and is easy to ride in traffic, my ‘97 with 1-tooth taller sprocket will pull my 200+ lbs and hard bags up to about 107, at which point it runs out of wind, as big singles don’t breath particularly well at 8500rpm... And if I shift it hard it’ll do 0-60 in about 5 seconds flat, which slow-ish for a motorcycle, but plenty to get you out of the way of traffic.

bob and john > JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t 06/24/2015 at 10:08

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and i’ll tell you why.

the vulcan doesnt have a cruiser engine. it actually the motor lifted straight from the old ninja 500.

its not bad. but meh.

bob and john > Nonster 06/24/2015 at 10:18

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BUELL “

THUMPATHUMPATHUMPATHUMPATHUMPATHUMPATHUMPATHUMPATHUMPATHUMPATHUMPATHUMPATHUMPATHUMPA

I started on one too. miss it like hell now

Nonster > bob and john 06/24/2015 at 10:28

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That about sums it up hahaha

Justin Hughes > Pixel 06/24/2015 at 11:21

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Hey, I remember meeting you a long time ago. You were with Plymouth at an art car show, and gave me a Fnord sticker.

You don’t need to invest in full gear for the course. Considering your uncertainty as to whether you actually want to ride or not, I’d recommend NOT investing yet. The gear you describe is perfectly adequate for the course. You won’t be doing more than 20-25mph in the lot. Make sure you’re wearing gloves, but everything else you described should work.

If you plan to primarily ride around the city, a 250 will be just fine. I loved my Honda CM250C in the city. It felt almost as tossable as a bicycle. Highways with a 250 depends on the bike. Yes, a Ninja 250 can hit 100mph, but my CM250C barely made it to 65, and in 75mph traffic it was a little scary on such a small bike that was already “givin’ it all she’s got, Captain!”

One of my instructors actually recommended something in the 500-650cc range. You don’t HAVE to use all the power at first, and can grow into it. Once you do, that’s plenty of power for the highway or anything else you might want to do. A friend gave me his Suzuki GS650L for my first bike, and it worked great for me.

The Shadow is also a great bike. It’s been high on my list of potentials for years. As soon as I sell my Honda PC800 (which is NOT a good starter bike, covered in body panels made of a plastic/unobtainium alloy) I’m snagging a friend’s Suzuki Marauder, because I want to try a cruiser myself and I know this bike’s full history since new. When getting my PC800 inspected last month, I saw a no-name Chinese cruiser for sale at the shop. It was only slightly smaller than the Shadow. Someone started it and it had a nice cruiser rumble, but it was only a 250! I can try to get more info on that bike if it’s something that would interest you.

Future next gen S2000 owner > Pixel 06/26/2015 at 14:16

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I actually found a pair of Mechanix Impact gloves work fairly well. Mostly leather with some padded knuckle protection. For a motorcycle class I would recommend them. Once you get a bike onto the street, then I would get something better.

lanesplitter had a top ten beginner bike list. Can’t find it now but you should check it out.

Pixel > Future next gen S2000 owner 06/26/2015 at 14:25

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Good thought! I’ll get a new pair(as using my current pair which is soaked in oil seems like a poor choice).