The lust could not wait any more

"Vlad_the_impaler" (Vlad_the_impaler)
03/05/2016 at 05:33 • Filed to: None

After about 10 years of wanting to get a motorcycle licence and after 8 years of driving on a daily basis , i finally got enlisted to get a motorcycle licence. Next i need to see how much money i can get so i can buy a KTM 690 R SM as my commuter.

Any advice from oppo?

DISCUSSION (19)

Have car, will drive (now has a motorcycle too) > Vlad_the_impaler
03/05/2016 at 05:54

I got my motorcycle license 12 months ago (I’m in my late twenties) and have been cummuting on 2 wheels most days since. I can’t see myself not owning a motorcycle anytime in the near future - riding has become a huge part of my life.

Get out there and enjoy it - just always expect drivers to do stupid things, and be hyper-responsible for your own safety.

A KTM 690 should be a good commuter. I ride a BMW G650GS.

bob and john > Vlad_the_impaler
03/05/2016 at 06:17

ehh. 690R

for your first bike, i usually tell my students to look for somethung under 500cc and less then 10 years old.

Keeps them out of trouble in terms of too much power/wheelie potential (which the KTM does have)

SM’s are fun bikes. kinda wish i had started on one.

Lok for a DRZ-400 SM if you can. they are usually way cheaper (and WAY more reliable) then the KTM, and lots more mods available to them

Also, gear. I know you are in RO (Bacau region yes?), and i’ve seen how ppl drive there. get a decent jacket and some good pants and boots.

Vlad_the_impaler > bob and john
03/05/2016 at 06:36

Actually even worse, i am in Bucharest ( http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Driving_i… sadly some things are true in that ). I did look for DRZ-400 SM but they are very rare over here and quite expensive, almost the same as a KTM . I am still looking for a bike so not settled on the KTM . The jacket, pants and boots are the next in line for shopping asap

Vlad_the_impaler > Have car, will drive (now has a motorcycle too)
03/05/2016 at 06:39

I always expect drivers to do stupid things over here. I will have a very short commute of about 5 miles all in city center traffic and the ocasional going out with friends so something like 12 miles round trip max.

Jdrentarol > Vlad_the_impaler
03/05/2016 at 07:00

http://countryhill.com/Used-2012-Othe… http://countryhill.com/Used-2012-Othe… http://countryhill.com/Used-2012-Othe… http://countryhill.com/Used-2012-Othe… http://countryhill.com/Used-2012-Othe… http://countryhill.com/Used-2012-Othe… http://countryhill.com/Used-2012-Othe… http://countryhill.com/Used-2012-Othe… http://countryhill.com/Used-2012-Othe… http://countryhill.com/Used-2012-Othe… http://countryhill.com/Used-2012-Othe…

http://countryhill.com/Used-2012-Othe…

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Vlad_the_impaler
03/05/2016 at 07:12

No advice for you, but just a general comment of agreement. I’ve thought about getting my motorcycle license around here as it would be great for commuting and cheap for gas. But as I’m a really odd guy, I’ve never actually been as interested in getting myself a motorbike....I’m actually more interested in getting myself a scooter (I know, I know....laugh all you want!). I just like the aesthetics of them and any 150cc scooter can top out around 100kph, which is plenty for the usually 70-80kph speed limits we have around here, plus I’m less likely to kill myself on something slow, haha! :)

Something cheap and reliable, probably used, and then something a bit more special later on, like a classic Vespa.

I could also spring for something new and relatively affordable as a first bike - Kymco is a fairly well-respected Taiwainese manufacturer that started out building Hondas, and they have sales in Canada, I don’t mind their Super 8 150...

Kinja'd!!!

I’ll go back to hiding in my corner now... :)

bob and john > Vlad_the_impaler
03/05/2016 at 07:21

ouch, saracu de tine.

if you can find one, look at a gas gas or a husquavarna as well.

Gone > Vlad_the_impaler
03/05/2016 at 08:15

Would generally agree with the sub-600 starter sentiment. I didn’t do that though, but I also rode dirtbikes for years before I got my first street bike.

If this is the direction you go, there are a couple nice things about the 690R SMC. One thing is that the newer ones have ABS and the other is you can remap the engine for lower power (for A2 purposes) - which I’d probably recommend at first. ABS is huge though. Also, they also have mapping for crap gas and different throttle mapping, but still have full power.

But if there’s something similar you can get over there to get your feet wet, but with less of a wheelie death machine vibe it wouldn’t hurt to look into it. Even if you only have it a year or so.

xsnowpig > Vlad_the_impaler
03/05/2016 at 08:29

I don’t drink any alcohol at all when I ride anywhere. Not even one. Here in the US, about 1/3 of single rider fatalities are under the influence of alcohol to some level. a pint with my friends is not worth the risk.

Vlad_the_impaler > xsnowpig
03/05/2016 at 09:25

It is illegal do drink even an ounce of alcohol here. They get you and you instantly have a criminal record.....no thanks.

Vlad_the_impaler > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
03/05/2016 at 09:29

I would get a scooter but the problem is that i live in an apartment building ( like 90% of the population over here) and these things get stolen A LOT even from a yard. A friend bought a brand new Aprillia 50 cc scooter and in two months of owning it they stole it right from his yard..

Vlad_the_impaler > Gone
03/05/2016 at 09:30

I am also considering a Yamaha XT 660X which is a lot tamer than the KTM

Vlad_the_impaler > bob and john
03/05/2016 at 09:32

Husky is just brutal and i don’t think it will survive the sahara heat waves we got over here in bumper to bumper traffic ( over 40 degrees C in the shade) and gas gas is virtually non existent over here

Manny05x > Vlad_the_impaler
03/05/2016 at 09:47

I love your helmet choice. I myself have been getting the motorcycle bug.

xsnowpig > Vlad_the_impaler
03/05/2016 at 09:47

i think that is the better way.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Vlad_the_impaler
03/05/2016 at 09:55

Very unfortunate....if I could find a job locally in my hometown, I’d have no worries about that. Crime is low here in semi-rural, small-town Nova Scotia, Canada....

slipperysallylikespenguins > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
03/05/2016 at 17:29

Scooters are dangerous because they are so slow. Merging into traffic gets really sketchy. I’ve seen people riding on the sidewalks or shoulder of the road because they couldn’t keep up.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > slipperysallylikespenguins
03/05/2016 at 17:33

I would say it depends. Most towns around here are 50kph limits, and their CVTs are ‘geared’ for faster pickup at lower speeds, so I would think they’d be fine for that.

Also around here, the roads max at 80kph (other than the highways I wouldn’t go on with it, which are 100kph). It’s also semi-rural, so major traffic isn’t really an issue...I can just wait until nothing us coming.

Also, most of the scoots you were seeing are prob only 50cc, as those are the most common. I’d be looking at one of the larger engined ones, 150-200cc.

slipperysallylikespenguins > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
03/05/2016 at 17:44

Most of the city streets I ride on are 55-75 kph, so that is what I’ve seen with scooters on those roads. And they probably were just 50s as they are so cheap. And from what I’ve seen a lot of people that ride scooters in my area are terrible drivers as it is and only got a scooter for the mpg so they pull out in front of cars all the time.