How many of you guys have bikes?

[HLxDrummer]

i vote for 650-700cc bike. small enough to be managable to learn on, big enough that you won't get bored with it after 5 minutes.

Ya I was/am considering the 250R but from the 1/4 mile times and youtube videos it looks SLOW. Wouldn't be bad for around town I guess but I would be worried about highway riding and getting out of people's way. Think the 500R would be decent? I've seen low 13's 1/4 mile which seems plenty fast.

Despite all the physics involved, countersteer can be very crudely but accuratly described as intentionally highsideing yourself into your desired lean...

Sounds pleasant, lol!


I got another question for you guys: My MSF course is scheduled for April 19th. If I wait until after that to get a bike am I screwing myself? I don't want to buy one before the course in case I hate riding (highly doubt it), but I am assuming availability of bikes is going to go down fast and prices will go up. It will be a hassle to get one now since I have to find someone to ride it/test drive it for me but if it is worth it I can do it.

[Snook]

hda a suzuki gs500f for my first. sold it looking to get a gsx750r or 1000r or r1.

[wingnut]

Depends on your background...an as mentioned, bicycles do NOT count.

Do you have any seat time on anything two-wheel motorized?!?

[HLxDrummer]

Other than a 49CC pocket bike, nothing two wheeled motorized!

[DocWalt]

Haha, heard about the pocketbike from Mark.

I'd do the MSF course first. I didn't, but I'm an idiot.

[RealMcCoy]

Ya I was/am considering the 250R but from the 1/4 mile times and youtube videos it looks SLOW. Wouldn't be bad for around town I guess but I would be worried about highway riding and getting out of people's way. Think the 500R would be decent? I've seen low 13's 1/4 mile which seems plenty fast.

I honestly think you'd be pretty happy with the little ninja 500 twin... I'm a big fan of literbikes myself, (even though I have little hope of ever being a good enough rider to use one to it's full capability) I love the torque and the straight line power. I currently have an 05 GSXR600, which I got simply because I was in the right place at the right time, and it was an opportunity to get another bike.

That being said, quite a few years back, a friend of mine bought one of those 500's, and promptly discovered the inconveniences of living out in the sticks with a bike as your only transpo... As it worked out, I had his bike more than he did and he was driving my truck. I rode the wheels off that thing, and it was a VERY fun little bike in town... It was geared low enough and had enough power you could easily carry the front wheel grabbing third, and it had the room up top to get well over 100mph. (I may or may not have established it's flat ground top speed at 128 mph...

Sounds pleasant, lol!

Not as unpleasant as it sounds... If it's done smoothly, it will take your average sportbike from an unrideable understeering pig, to an unbelievably nimble machine.

[wingnut]

Other than a 49CC pocket bike, nothing two wheeled motorized!

Then Larry has the right idea...the 500cc class is about as far as I would be willing to authorize my own devil spawn to ride, unless there was some serious dirt bike time previously

[Street_Chally73]

Just one pointer for you before you take the course. If you're required to do a sequence of figure 8s within a specified area (square), you'll want to maintain a steady speed to be able to carve back & forth as your instructor expects to see.

I watched way too many others fail at that single maneuver because they panicked & would get on the throttle & off it too abruptly going into the next turn, which normally resulted in them powering the bike just outside of the box.

As for a starter bike, I would suggest keeping a cap at 600cc's or less. As IPD has mentioned, they can still be fun, yet are still small enough for you to be able to easily handle (balance-wise) & get a feel for.

Once you feel that your riding capabilities have improved, you can always list your current bike & start looking at the next class of bikes in the 750cc-up range.

One last thing to always remember while riding; keep your wrist low so should you ever go over a bump or anything else on the road (aka squirrels, damn little bastards) you won't accidentally blurp the throttle & end up propelling the bike into the ditch or the other lane.


Sent from the garage

[KeithMac]

hda a suzuki gs500f for my first. sold it looking to get a gsx750r or 1000r or r1.

If you have the money get youself a cross plane crank R1 (big bang engine), it's the only thing I've ridden for a.long time thats got the wow factor..

Low down grunt of a v-twin and revs to the moon, best of both worlds, you can whack the throttle open from 2000 revs and it just goes. Sound great with a set of aftermarket cans on too.

Don't buy your next bike until you've test riden one.

[KeithMac]

Double post.