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wassup TL bikers!~
a coworker of mine is a biker who essentially has convinced me despite my fears (the whole wipe out = lots of pain thing) it is worth it to get a motorcycle and that it is generally safe so long as i learn how to ride it right
so ive started looking into bikes and i started really liking the kawasaki ninja 250R
is this a good choice for a first bike? would i get bored of this after like a year, since i could get a 600cc bike but i feel like that would be too much power for me for at least a year if not longer and i dont want to drop more money for power that i cant use, but i also dont want to get bored :/
so basically i was wondering what advice TL has for a beginner when it comes to biking, as it stands i plan to take a safety course (lowers the already surprisingly low insurance rates by a lot, and will hopefully help me to learn how to ride right) as well as not skimp on gear (really dont want to get hurt) since i will be treating it like a daily driver (barring snow/really heavy rain) is there anything else i should really invest in?
ty in advance for any advice
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Hong Kong9145 Posts
Wear protective gear on more than just your head. I see too many bikers wearing t-shirts instead of leather jackets or some other form of protection, etc.
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I feel like you can be as safe as you possibly can as a motorcyclist but you're still at the whim of the retarded drivers around you. What would normally be a minor accident in a car easily translates into death when you're on a motorcycle.
I really hope you haven't downplayed all the dangers in favor of saving some money. :<
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ur sign makes np sense
btw imagining urself riding a bike is way cooler than riding a bike
edit: read the cracked article about biking
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Hello! I think getting a bike is a great idea! I've been riding for 9 years since before I had a car drivers license. As a kid my first bike was an 82' GS450 and it was a great size to learn on. Depending on how heavy you are a 250cc bike is going to be very weak or barely strong enough. If you're staying in the city and not going on the highway it's an awesome bike. But just cout to 8 secconds in your head... merging onto a highway 0-60 is scary enough... but slower than my 99 subaru? Eeesh. My sister had the Ninja500 and when I rode it it was like riding a moped (no offence mopeders). You will probably feel like it's not enough. I think it's a great idea to take a safety course and I'm glad you'll be getting gear. I always ride with full protection and I have crashed a few times and come away unscathed. There are affordable pants, jackets and boots available. If you like that style of bike I suggest going with a minimum of 600cc. If it's your daily driver I suggest you try a less agressive riding position. Triumph makes some amazing bikes that combine sport and comfort.  . (TriumpH owner)
GlHf!!
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I don't know about your area, but just be prepared to get pulled over a lot by the police especially when your the new biker in town.
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On August 24 2011 13:10 itsjustatank wrote:
Wear protective gear on more than just your head. I see too many bikers wearing t-shirts instead of leather jackets or some other form of protection, etc.
i fully intend to as i would rather not be severely injured in the event of a crash
On August 24 2011 13:11 paper wrote:
I feel like you can be as safe as you possibly can as a motorcyclist but you're still at the whim of the retarded drivers around you. What would normally be a minor accident in a car easily translates into death when you're on a motorcycle.
I really hope you haven't downplayed all the dangers in favor of saving some money. :<
the dangers are really the only thing keeping me from already being on a bike, i knew a few people who rode and died because of retarded drivers at little fault of their own
here's my take on it though, yes it isnt as safe...thats just something i would have to accept should i choose to go through with the purchase...and this is why im giving myself a few months to really decide whether i want to save the money for less safety
On August 24 2011 13:14 ShaperofDreams wrote:
ur sign makes np sense
btw imagining urself riding a bike is way cooler than riding a bike
edit: read the cracked article about biking
sign? if you mean my signature then thats a quote from my brother on my diving habits ~_~
i'll read that article right after making this post
On August 24 2011 13:17 DONTPANIC wrote:Hello! I think getting a bike is a great idea! I've been riding for 9 years since before I had a car drivers license. As a kid my first bike was an 82' GS450 and it was a great size to learn on. Depending on how heavy you are a 250cc bike is going to be very weak or barely strong enough. If you're staying in the city and not going on the highway it's an awesome bike. But just cout to 8 secconds in your head... merging onto a highway 0-60 is scary enough... but slower than my 99 subaru? Eeesh. My sister had the Ninja500 and when I rode it it was like riding a moped (no offence mopeders). You will probably feel like it's not enough. I think it's a great idea to take a safety course and I'm glad you'll be getting gear. I always ride with full protection and I have crashed a few times and come away unscathed. There are affordable pants, jackets and boots available. If you like that style of bike I suggest going with a minimum of 600cc. If it's your daily driver I suggest you try a less agressive riding position. Triumph makes some amazing bikes that combine sport and comfort. . (TriumpH owner) GlHf!!
thank you for the advice, i weigh around 160lbs and am 5foot10/11 inches tall so im not completely sure yet as to what cc that would work with, i'll be looking into triumphs now as well and ofc after i take the safety course before i buy i plan to test ride to make sure that i dont get the wrong bike, or wrong fit that would just be horrible lol i rarely drive highway though which helps to enable a motorcycle as a choice in my mind (tons of people change lanes negligently in my experience)
its great to know that the gear really does work :D i dont believe i could control a bike that would be over 600cc (650~cc is a stretch but doable) which would defeat the purpose to me, to get a bike that i cant control for a while, i would be insanely uncomfortable with that as well
On August 24 2011 13:18 StarStruck wrote:
I don't know about your area, but just be prepared to get pulled over a lot by the police especially when your the new biker in town.
i already do in my car...i know half the cops in my town by a 1st name basis >.< also i wouldnt be the first biker in town, and the cops in my area generally leave the bikers alone because a few years back they chased one and the guy lost control...the guilt in the media was thrown completely at the police, so they have an attitude of "dont bother us, we wont bother you"
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A 250 or 500 ninja is a great place to start. You will probably get bored of the 250 at some point, but that goes for any starting bike. The 250 has a lot of room for error, especially with the throttle. Getting startled on a 600 supersport and twisting your wrist too much can put you end over end.
Remember that the cc of the bike isn't necessarily how powerful it is. I'd say if you want more than a 250 or a 500 but still want something manageable (and fuel injected) check out the Suzuki SV650. Even still, a 250 will get you to 60 mph faster than you're likely used to.
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I had an sv650 naked. I also vote for that. One of the best bikes ive owned. And cheap. And awesome looking. And perfect. Damn Dragons Tail took that one from me. (look up Deals Gap)
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Please know this... Every biker will inevitably get into some sort of accident within the first 5 years of riding. Whether you die or live is up to "luck" in how bad of an accident you get into. Just drive safe, do not take too many risks! Be picky with the times and routes you take to avoid traffic as much as possible
On August 24 2011 13:10 itsjustatank wrote:
Wear protective gear on more than just your head. I see too many bikers wearing t-shirts instead of leather jackets or some other form of protection, etc.
Definately get all the gear, It'll be worth it. I had a jacket and helmet. My head and upper body were fine when I hit a car at 45 mph, my legs got pretty jacked up tho. Couldnt walk for almost an entire month.
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Icithis is right. It's not all about the CCs. I've seen 500cc bikes that can out perform my 1050 off the line. At 5'11" you will be scrunched up on most of the Ninjas.
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On August 24 2011 14:04 [uci] Fizik wrote:Please know this... Every biker will inevitably get into some sort of accident within the first 5 years of riding. Whether you die or live is up to "luck" in how bad of an accident you get into. Just drive safe, do not take too many risks! Be picky with the times and routes you take to avoid traffic as much as possible Show nested quote +On August 24 2011 13:10 itsjustatank wrote:
Wear protective gear on more than just your head. I see too many bikers wearing t-shirts instead of leather jackets or some other form of protection, etc. Definately get all the gear, It'll be worth it. I had a jacket and helmet. My head and upper body were fine when I hit a car at 45 mph, my legs got pretty jacked up tho. Couldnt walk for almost an entire month.
no leather pants? or was that one just bad luck?
also ouch >.> yea i want to try to let that "inevitable" accident do as little damage to me as possible
On August 24 2011 13:43 icithis wrote:
A 250 or 500 ninja is a great place to start. You will probably get bored of the 250 at some point, but that goes for any starting bike. The 250 has a lot of room for error, especially with the throttle. Getting startled on a 600 supersport and twisting your wrist too much can put you end over end.
Remember that the cc of the bike isn't necessarily how powerful it is. I'd say if you want more than a 250 or a 500 but still want something manageable (and fuel injected) check out the Suzuki SV650. Even still, a 250 will get you to 60 mph faster than you're likely used to.
thats a good point, though the cc's seem like a great place to start with to figure out which is more likely to be faster
On August 24 2011 14:02 DONTPANIC wrote:
I had an sv650 naked. I also vote for that. One of the best bikes ive owned. And cheap. And awesome looking. And perfect. Damn Dragons Tail took that one from me. (look up Deals Gap)
i'll look that bike up now :3
On August 24 2011 14:12 DONTPANIC wrote:
Icithis is right. It's not all about the CCs. I've seen 500cc bikes that can out perform my 1050 off the line. At 5'11" you will be scrunched up on most of the Ninjas.
interesting to know, i'll have to ride it to see how comfortable i would be, being a bit scrunched up might not be that much of a problem
On August 24 2011 14:15 DONTPANIC wrote:
I've always worn full gear. I hit an divider island at about 40 and slid more than 100' and just had a sore neck.
DAYUM, after all those horror stories about ppl wiping out on bikes thats just amazing, i had begun to assume that any crash over 25mph was instant death or at the very least severe injury >.>
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I've always worn full gear. I hit an divider island at about 40 and slid more than 100' and just had a sore neck.
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I rode my '73 Honda 350 4 for 5 years, never dumped or crashed it. It was pretty gutless as bikes go, but still much faster merging than most cars... I don't think people should be scared of riding bikes - the key is being more alert and defensive when riding. (I think this comes naturally from the "exposed" feeling.) I like the style of cruisers, but if you're into the crotch rockets just be careful, that intense speed/acceleration is what gets people killed. (my 2nd cousin went this way).
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