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Sagebrush posted:You're looking at beginner bikes with the purpose of buying one to get on and ride across the USA? What made you decide to do this? How much experience do you have? I've got about 100 miles under my belt with my '82 CB650SC Nighthawk I sold 3 years ago, so not much really. I don't intend on buying whichever bike I eventually get for the sole purpose of what I was asking, I'm getting into riding again and this is one of the things I will do when I start again. HornyBoy123 fucked around with this message at 06:02 on Jul 30, 2012 |
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Jul 30, 2012 05:56
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Don't let sagebrush talk down to you. With 100 miles under your belt you guys have equal experience.
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Jul 30, 2012 05:59
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HornyBoy123 posted:I've got about 100 miles under my belt with my '82 CB650SC Nighthawk I sold 3 years ago, so not much really. I don't intend on buying whichever bike I eventually get for the sole purpose of what I was asking, I'm getting into riding again and this is one of the things I will do when I start again. If you're starting around Tennessee or somewhere along the Trans-America Trail, buy a Honda CT90 and stick to the dirt roads.
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Jul 30, 2012 06:45
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If I was unemployed and on a budget, I'd pick up a used touring bicycle and some panniers. See more, get swelled or whatever it is they say in YLLS.
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Jul 30, 2012 07:16
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http://vancouver.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicles-motorcycles-sport-bikes-2008-Yamaha-YZF-R-W0QQAdIdZ400388189 I'm guessing this is pretty much 100% a scam? 
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Jul 30, 2012 07:20
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nsaP posted:Don't let sagebrush talk down to you. With 100 miles under your belt you guys have equal experience. Bahaha, drat dude, you're relentless.
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Jul 30, 2012 14:11
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HornyBoy123 posted:I'll be going on a riding trip across the US for a month and a half or so in with the purpose of self-discovery and am wondering from those with any experience on the subject, of the beginner bikes goons generally recommend, are there any that especially stand out as a good choice for my needs? I'd especially appreciate advice from someone who has done long tours as mentioned above.
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Jul 30, 2012 15:33
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HornyBoy123 posted:I'll be going on a riding trip across the US for a month and a half or so in with the purpose of self-discovery and am wondering from those with any experience on the subject, of the beginner bikes goons generally recommend, are there any that especially stand out as a good choice for my needs? I'd especially appreciate advice from someone who has done long tours as mentioned above. Expect to do somewhere close to $1000 worth of little fixes to a *good* $1500 bike that you want to go 9000 miles. You'll also need to budget for an oil change or two and misc maintenance on a trip that long. "Beginner bikes" that are suitable to the task are things like SV650s, Bandit 600s, Ninja 500s, Katanas, Vulcan 500s and 800s, Nighthawks, Vstar 650s, etc. Lots of choices. You can do a highway trip on drat near anything; windshields and fairings and luggage are more about convenience than necessity - they are definitely convenient so consider them. You can knock out practicing riding while you shake down your motorcycle. I'd want to do at least a thousand miles or so with the intent to track down problems on a new bike before I trust it enough to live on.
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Jul 30, 2012 17:22
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Shake down rides can also be good for practice loading/unloading gear, and seeing how the load rides. I didn't have too much trouble finding a way to balance and secure my load for a short trip I took, but I was surprised by how much longer it took me to get everything set up than I would have thought.
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Jul 30, 2012 19:37
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Come Friday/Saturday, when I find out if/in what condition this bike arrives, would this be the appropriate place to post a "How not to buy a bike" guide? I'm looking at the steps I've taken and should I get a Meccano engine with a bit of shaped fibreglass attached I should frankly be grateful.
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Jul 31, 2012 00:04
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I sold my Yamaha V-Star 650 Classic about 2 years ago. Road it for a season, spilled it once in some sand that had been laid down after a snow storm (don't break in the sand kids). Got scared. Now that I have a reliable income from a steady job, and am getting close to owning my own house, I am looking for another bike to keep in the garage to ride when the weather is nice. Things I liked about the V-Star: The shaft drive is low maintenance. I liked the look. Things I didn't like: The "friction zone" on this bike was nearly non-existent. There was about a centimeter of distance between engaged and non-engaged. This was very different than the 150cc bike I rode during my training course. I read a bit about it online and I guess that is just how the Yamaha V-Star 650 is? It was a little bit weak... and a bit small. Don't get me wrong, it could still get up and go, but I'm a pretty big guy and wouldn't mind a little more umph and a bit more height. The V-star 650 really sounds uncomfortable on the highway. "You're fat rear end is killing me, take me back to the street" kind of sounds. My question: Is there a nice cruiser than has a little bigger frame, and a little more power, with more clutch control? I'm sure there is I just don't know much. I've been browsing this forum for a few days now and it seems like most of you guys are into the sport bike category. I read about 20 pages of this thread but didn't see much about cruisers. Hope I'm not out of line. Wendigee fucked around with this message at 00:27 on Jul 31, 2012 |
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Jul 31, 2012 00:24
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There are plenty of larger cruisers out there that you could ride...just pick up one of the 800s or even 1100s. I'd suggest taking the MSF again (reentry riders are at very high risk) and then pick up one of the larger displacement cruisers...sit on a bunch until you find the one that feels right.
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Jul 31, 2012 00:26
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I guess the fact that there are so many is what is holding me up. I don't know what a good brand is, or how much power is too much, etc. I know cruiser's don't tend to be as torqy, so power isn't such a huge issue but... I will almost definitely take the class again. I am a giant wuss. I wear a full face helmet on my cruiser as well as an abrasion resistant jacket/gloves/pants/heavy boots. After I sold my bike I got a boring honda civic. It was dying so I saved my money and bought a 2011 Subaru WRX hatchback which I love. I guess I'm just trying to say I've kept up on manual gear vehicles, just want something fun to ride on weekends to relax I guess. But I want it to pull like my WRX when I drop the power if such a thing exists in the cruiser sector.
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Jul 31, 2012 00:33
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Just about any cruiser will likely stomp your WRX in a straight line. I'm generally fully geared when I get on a bike too, so that's not a big deal here. Any of the big 4 (Suzuki/Honda/Kawaskai/Yamaha) make fine cruisers, and then there's the "American" option of HD, or the real American option of Victory. Take the class, go out for some test rides, invest in quality full coverage gear, and enjoy coming back into the fold.
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Jul 31, 2012 01:01
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Do dealers really let you test drive new bikes? I just... how can they afford to do that? Seems like half the people that ask have no experience? I don't get it. Seems like thety would have a pile of new bikes wrecked by people with no idea how to ride. That is not me, but I feel like a dick asking for a test drive assuming they will think im gonna wreck it! I've seen so many (hilarious) videos of people dropping it in the lot or right into the street..... Wendigee fucked around with this message at 01:24 on Jul 31, 2012 |
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Jul 31, 2012 01:21
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Wendigee posted:I guess the fact that there are so many is what is holding me up. You are pretty much not going to find a "classic" looking cruiser with too much power. My 1300cc vstar was supposed to clock in around 70hp and that was on the high end of the spectrum for that type of bike. Cruisers are going to be biased more toward torque right off idle than horsepower, so you'll see stuff like 75hp and 110lbft that give you no real reason to even rev it up. Vulcans, Boulevards, Vstars, Shadows, and VTXs are all pretty solid and generally comparable with one another. Yamaha gets closest to Harley-like with their OHV engines and belt drives in the Road Star and 'Liner lines - but those are pretty huge bikes. In the inexpensive mid-size cruiser range, I like Vulcan 800s, but they come with a chain drive so they're a little more maintenance-y. Belts are almost as maintenance-free as shaft - they pretty much stretch once when they're new and never really need attention after that. If you liked the 650 but want more effortless interstate capability, the 1100 is a super-solid shaft drive option that will definitely like doing interstate all day long. Regarding test rides: I've never had much trouble getting a demo. Just act like a responsible adult interested in buying a motorcycle and they'll probably offer you the keys.
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Jul 31, 2012 01:26
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Wendigee posted:Do dealers really let you test drive new bikes? I just... how can they afford to do that? Seems like half the people that ask have no experience? I don't get it. Seems like thety would have a pile of new bikes wrecked by people with no idea how to ride. It varies a lot by manufacturer as well. Up at the local "powersports" shop, surrounded by people with Metal Mulisha hats and Monster Energy shirts, I was told flat out that there are no test rides when I was looking at a used DRZ 400 SM. Literally a mile down the road at the BMW Ducati Husqvarna shop, I casually asked about the Hypermotard, and the Ducati guy offered the test ride. He told me to be careful, and to try not to put more than 10 miles on it. This was the same day. I was dressed the same, with the same friend, and asking the same sort of questions.
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Jul 31, 2012 01:51
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Safety Dance posted:It varies a lot by manufacturer as well. Up at the local "powersports" shop, surrounded by people with Metal Mulisha hats and Monster Energy shirts, I was told flat out that there are no test rides when I was looking at a used DRZ 400 SM. Literally a mile down the road at the BMW Ducati Husqvarna shop, I casually asked about the Hypermotard, and the Ducati guy offered the test ride. He told me to be careful, and to try not to put more than 10 miles on it. This was the same day. I was dressed the same, with the same friend, and asking the same sort of questions. When I was shopping at dealers last, I had a metric "powersports" shop throw 3 sets of cruiser keys at me in one afternoon without even really asking. Maybe the policy is affected by the sorts of customers they cater to - if they move jixxzers or other statistically high-risk models, I imagine their insurance company probably discourages them from offering test rides. Seems like Ducati really wants people to ride their bikes - I ran into my brother at the local Ducati shop while I was getting new tires put on. He was there to test ride a Multi 1200. The sales guy, even though he knew I was just waiting for tires, almost insisted I ride the multi. I have no idea where I am going with any of this except as an excuse to chat about motorcycles.
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Jul 31, 2012 01:59
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The new Ducati motor that is in that multi and the diavel is flat out awesome.
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Jul 31, 2012 02:08
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It's absolutely nuts. I have some pretty good throttle discpline, but I rode the one my brother bought and it startled me with how it picked up at like 6k. And even the base suspension feels really good. The only thing I'd gripe about is the inherent 90 degree vtwin it-sounds-broken thing. But that's 100% subjective.
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Jul 31, 2012 02:13
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Did it still have a stock pipe?
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Jul 31, 2012 06:03
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nsaP posted:Don't let sagebrush talk down to you. With 100 miles under your belt you guys have equal experience. Hey man, I'm up to just over a thousand miles now so I'm like, an expert and stuff fyi
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Jul 31, 2012 06:58
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How does this bike look?quote:Like new 2700 miles Suzuki Super Moto. Always Suzuki full synthetic oil changes. Full Yoshimura carbon fiber exhaust. Moose racing jet kit. Brand new dunlop dual composite rear tire. Aftermarket front fender. Brand new two state Notoil high performance air filter. Zeta hand guards with integrated LED turn signals. Smoked out LED fender eliminator kit. Brand new battery.. the list goes on. About $2,00 in aftermarket performance parts. Bike runs perfect and is in near perfect shape. NO TRADES. Cash or Cashiers check only. I'm in no rush to sell the bike and realize the value of the bike being that it stopped being produced 3 years ago making it a novelty item. You wont find another bike in this condition and low mileage anywhere. Email if interested to take a look. http://rochester.craigslist.org/mcy/3167075922.html The price of a 2009 is like $4200. I'll start from there. Any advice? It'll be the first DRZ I'll ever touch.
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Jul 31, 2012 21:12
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n8r posted:Did it still have a stock pipe? It still does, why do you ask?
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Jul 31, 2012 21:14
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the walkin dude posted:How does this bike look? Far too expensive, especially if it doesn't have the 39mm FCR.
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Jul 31, 2012 23:03
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clutchpuck posted:It still does, why do you ask? Ducatis sound better w/ termigs...
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Jul 31, 2012 23:30
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The demo bike had a Termi pipe - it did sound good, but still had the it-sounds-broken thing going on.
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Aug 1, 2012 00:08
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I saw the DRZ tonight. The rear sprocket and chain were rusty, but lubed enough. The seller said he used toilet cleaner to clean them and then lubed them after. Weird. I rode it around in the rain a while. The lack of a tachometer was certainly disconcerting, and I kept killing the engine from a stop because of that. I liked the bike but didn't love it. The power wasn't awesome enough for me. I think I'm craving that immediate kick in the rear end that the 14/47-sprocketed SV gives.
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Aug 1, 2012 00:40
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clutchpuck posted:The demo bike had a Termi pipe - it did sound good, but still had the it-sounds-broken thing going on.
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Aug 1, 2012 01:04
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Just passed my MSF this Sunday and I'm antsy to get a gen2 SV650. How does this one look? http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/mcy/3171680755.html Mileage seems a bit high, so is there anything specific I should be looking for that's a common problem with the SV650?
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Aug 1, 2012 01:12
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Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester posted:Not sure what you're referring to here. Only engines with evenly spaced firing orders sound right to you? If you want a cool sport bike you need a Buell, haven't you heard? They're like, wicked awesome.
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Aug 1, 2012 01:27
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the walkin dude posted:I saw the DRZ tonight. The rear sprocket and chain were rusty, but lubed enough. The seller said he used toilet cleaner to clean them and then lubed them after. Weird. I rode it around in the rain a while. The lack of a tachometer was certainly disconcerting, and I kept killing the engine from a stop because of that. I liked the bike but didn't love it. The power wasn't awesome enough for me. I think I'm craving that immediate kick in the rear end that the 14/47-sprocketed SV gives. http://rochester.craigslist.org/mcy/3036474258.html get that instead.
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Aug 1, 2012 01:29
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Looks awesome. I had a talk with the missus and we agreed to hold off new-bike buying until I got more settled in, holding off the new-job exuberance at bay. I'm perfectly content with my SV650... I think. 
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Aug 1, 2012 01:49
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Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester posted:Not sure what you're referring to here. Only engines with evenly spaced firing orders sound right to you? Yes but 100% subjective. Its like the only gripe I can muster about the only Ducati I've ever rode. So I feel like I am speaking with authority on this. And spiffness is right they're wicked loving pissa. I must be finally getting through.
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Aug 1, 2012 01:52
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Sagebrush posted:Hey man, I'm up to just over a thousand miles now so I'm like, an expert and stuff fyi No, you're teetering on the edge of becoming a rodeo clown, which is a shame, because you're one of the brightest bulbs in this box. My issue is not with some experience delta between a couple of riders; it's about calling someone's road trip--or at least their thumbnail sketch of it--trite. Maybe, after reaching for some wildly original phrase just beyond his grasp, he concluded that it really was about self-discovery. If the words work, and he communicated his purpose, is there really some mandate to puke up a bunch of Ginsbergian stream of consciousness riffs comparing the whole thing to womb re-entry and the Zapatista revolution? Self-discovery is an inescapable by-product of a trip this size. You find out rather quickly if you have endurance, or if you're just another pudknocker blogging about motorcycles.
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Aug 1, 2012 02:59
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Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester posted:Not sure what you're referring to here. Only engines with evenly spaced firing orders sound right to you? Dry clutch?
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Aug 1, 2012 14:57
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How are CB650s? I might have a line on a cheap one. I've been toying with the idea of a comfy standard/UJM for puttering around with the missus on the back (totally not happening on the 690). A friend is selling one that sounds like it's all original and except for the front brake 'not working' it's in running order.
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Aug 1, 2012 16:53
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ReelBigLizard posted:How are CB650s? I might have a line on a cheap one. they're not bad but I'd still rather have an SOHC CB750. I've heard that the 650's have some electrical issues that can be a bitch to sort out.
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Aug 1, 2012 17:19
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ReelBigLizard posted:How are CB650s? I might have a line on a cheap one. I have an '84 CB650 Nighthawk and I love it. They have a weak charging system, only charges above 2k rpm. Also the regulator/rectifier is a known weak point. Personally I've had none of these issues and it runs like it's brand new. Shaft drive (at least in my model year), so fairly low maintenance there. 6 speed with a gear indicator. I love my bike.
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Aug 1, 2012 17:36
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Zubumafoo posted:I have an '84 CB650 Nighthawk and I love it. They have a weak charging system, only charges above 2k rpm. Also the regulator/rectifier is a known weak point. Personally I've had none of these issues and it runs like it's brand new. Shaft drive (at least in my model year), so fairly low maintenance there. 6 speed with a gear indicator. Oh I was thinking of the early ones 79-82. Your issues seem to be the issues with the early models as well: poor charging and bad reg/rec. Also the rotors can be an issue and the windings on the magneto seem to go out often.
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Aug 1, 2012 18:22
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