- This topic has 2 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 15 years, 8 months ago by megaspaz.
My noob question list, version 1
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July 23, 2008 at 7:00 am #1765ledheadParticipant
Alright…somehow I got it in my head that I must have a bike. I think it arose out of a practical desire for a vehicle with good fuel economy, but now I think it’s just about the bike. Anyways…
I’ve already called my local community college to inquire about the MSF course, and it’s all booked across the board for 3 months, they may have another round of classes after that depending on the weather. So I’m not getting my proper training for awhile. I have a few questions I’ve come up with since I’ve started reading about and “shopping” for bikes.
Titles…I’ve bought and sold many cars on the net and in the local paper. In the case of cars, the title is either clear or not, it’s fairly simple. There seems to be a lot of fuss over motorcycle titles, with something about a title being mentioned in most ads on ebay and craigslist. So what gives with bike titles? Also, I see some ads say things like “BIKE IS NOT STOLEN!!!”…is that a red flag that the bike may be hot? I don’t want to buy a stolen bike…that’s for damn sure.
Starter Bike…I’m not out to impress anyone or hit 160 on the highway, I just want some fun and great fuel economy to boot. I’m not even sure if I want a sport or cruiser, both seem equally appealing to me (possibly the wrong thing to say I know). The Ninja 250s are certainly sexy, but I’m also interested in maybe an older bike that I know I can work on myself (I’m decent with a wrench, but don’t like to mess with electronics too much). So that’s still up in the air, and I don’t plan to ride until I do the MSF thing so I have a bit of time to either find a good deal or fix up an old bike. I’m 23, 5’10 and around 190 lbs, if that matters.
Also, I have this problem. This could prevent me from getting a bike for awhile, so I need some input on how bad this may be. It’s my driveway…my friends call it the death road. It’s about 1/2 mile long, mostly up-hill with a drunk killer of a horseshoe curve in the middle of it. Also, it’s unpaved and nasty. 2 wheel drive cars struggle with it and scrape/bottom out. Yea…it’s bad. I didn’t think anything of it when I signed the lease, me and my roomate both drive 4x4s so it’s never really been a problem…until now. Could a street bike handle this without being torn to hell? And please don’t suggest a dual-sport…those things are fugly (no offense if you have one…just not my thing).
I’m sure I’m forgetting a few things, but they will come back to me so I can pester this forum again! Thanks for reading and any input provided.
-peace
July 23, 2008 at 11:08 am #9153WeaponZeroParticipantQuestion #1 regarding titles: The fuss about titles mostly comes from whether or not it was an R-title bike. For some people this is a deal breaker. In years past you didnt need to go through the same lengths to register a bike that you did a car, so it was possible to register a stolen bike without getting caught. This isn’t the case in modern times anymore, and whoever posted the ad saying BIKE IS NOT STOLEN isn’t aware of that.
Starter Bikes: Suzuki GS500F, Kawasaki Ninja 500R, Suzuki SV650, Kawasaki Ninja 650R for sporty type bikes, Kawasaki Vulcan 500 and Yamaha Virago 535 for a cruiser. Anything smaller and you may end up wishing youd gotten something bigger, and anything bigger and you’re liable to kill yourself. The Ninja 250 is a good choice, in fact it’s the best 250 class motorcycle on the market. But you don’t need to go that small for your first bike. If you want something older that you can work on yourself, look into old Honda V30 Magnas from the 80s (500cc v-four cruiser), or Honda Nighthawk 650 (back when they were shaft driven). Most motorcycles were still using carburetors until within the past 10 years when all but the most budget oriented bikes went EFI.
As far as your driveway is concerned, that could be a real issue. If you can’t do it in a car that isn’t equipped with 4 wheel drive, then you won’t be doing it on a streetbike.
July 23, 2008 at 2:36 pm #9162megaspazParticipantthe sv650 is actually a standard bike. The sport version would be the sv650s or sv650sf (2008). I’m going to disagree with WeaponZero. If you’re a complete noob, go with the 250cc bike. Despite what other’s may have said before, the extra 60+lbs. does make a difference, especially going at real slow speeds. Starting out, the ninja 250 is definately a more manageable bike. Everyone learns at different rates, so it’s always better to err on the side of caution. Take it from a guy who started on an sv650s, who’s ridden a buddy’s ninja 250, and who’s dropped his sv650s twice coming to stops in front of cagers. It’s pretty embarrassing. Not saying you’d definately drop your bike if you started on a bigger bike, but again, being a complete noob, you definately don’t know. Always stack the odds in your favor. Learn first, wish later.
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