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Arai Corsair-X Helmet Review: Rea-5 Graphic Edition
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CBBaronParticipant
Surprised you let him continue with the tennis shoes. High top shoes was a requirement for the course I took.
Saw that in the course I took last fall. There was an “experienced” rider taking the course who did OK but he struggled just as much as the never ridden students on many activities.
However we did have a student in the class that rode in on an R1 who was the first student the instructor had given full points to on the skills test. However I think he was just a more capable squid. His attitude made several other people in the class highly concerned for his safety.Craig
CBBaronParticipantWelcome,
So what bike are you buying?Also I second the recommendation of the MSF or equivalent rider training course. It is an excellent way to learn alot about how to ride safely.
Craig
CBBaronParticipantEasy answer for insurance is go online to a couple sites like Geico and Progressive and get a quote for the bike you are interested in. There are a ton of variables that go into insurance so it hard to get an idea what it will cost without doing the quote yourself.
Ninja 250 or 500 are great starter bikes and are good bikes for general use also. Speed triple is a completely differ league. You may have the skills to step up to one but it will be a huge jump from your previous experience. Ninja 500 or GS500 may be a good bike for you to start with then step up after some experience with a bigger motorcycle.
MC licenses vary by state, but in general you can get a license in several steps.
With a valid drivers license you take a written test and get a MC learners permit. You can then legally drive motorcycles with some limitations (usually no highway or after dark).
Once you have the temp you can take the skills test and then get your permanent endorsement.
An excellent suggestion is to take the MSF basic riders course even if you are an experienced rider. You really can learn alot in the course and in many states you can take the skills test at the end of the course.Also look for used bikes to start with especially if you intend to upgrade soon. Lightly used Ninja beginner bikes like the Ninja 250r are easy to find on the used market and you can usually recover much of your cost when you resell. If you buy new you are usually luckly to get half that cost back when you change bikes.
Craig
March 10, 2010 at 1:31 pm in reply to: Hello, no experience at all, looking to learn a lot from you guys/girls #24877CBBaronParticipantWelcome,
First thing to do is take the BRC (Basic Rider Course, an MSF based class). Ohio offers the course for $25 but the classes fill up fast. Go here to sign up.
http://www.motorcycle.ohio.gov/
If you are impatient and have the money some Harley Davidson dealers and a few others offer the equivalent course for about $300 with less wait.
The course is an excellent way to get started.Once you have the course then look for a good used small motorcycle to start with. Small (<= 500cc) because they are much easier to learn on and used because you are likely to drop it and will quite possibly want to upgrade within a couple years. A used bike in a much lower investment and you can recoup most of your cost if you resell. Also budget for good riding gear. Helmet, jacket, gloves, boots for a minimum. Riding pants are also highly recommended.
I took the class last fall and bought a Ninja 250r off of Craigs list. I will definately be getting it out of storage and starting to practice again this weekend.Craig
BTW I’m near Cleveland
CBBaronParticipantJust about any motorcycle is capable of carrying you adequately. Biggest issue will be your comfort on the motorcycle.
KLR is said to fit large guys better. Most dual sports in general fit better than other small bikes. The older ninja 250r fits me pretty well but your legs do fold up quite a bit. I think you will find the 250 class cruisers to feel very small.
I would suggest sitting on a number of smaller motorcycles to see which ones you feel comfortable on.Craig
CBBaronParticipantAbout Red:
It seems to be a standout color in good light but in low light conditions it is not much better than black.
White is much better and ofcourse hi-vis if very noticeable in near all conditions.
I have a hi-vis jacket and silver helmet. I intend to add hyperlites LED running and brake lights with modulators for the rear. Hopefully i can figure out a bright economical addition for the front. I will also add some reflective tape to my helmet and perhaps my bike.
I try to be as visible as possible. It is too easy for a small vehicle to be lost in the background. I figure it should reduce the number of people who “don’t see” me so it reduces the chance that someone will hit me.
I have been an all weather bicycle commuter for several years and I have noticed first of all how hard it is to see people with dark clothing in poor conditions. And how much easier yellow, white or hi-vis stand out. I’ve also noticed that people appear to move left to pass me earlier if I am more visible.
I will be the one that looks like a dork, by I could care less what i look like, just that you notice me.Craig
CBBaronParticipantThe Ninja 500r and GS500F both feel and look quite a bit bigger, however they are still small bikes compared to touring bikes or big cruisers. The GS500 appears to have about 47hp and the 500r about 57hp. That should be more than twice the power of the Virago 250. Even with your weight (only a little larger than myself) I would expect these bikes to be capable of very spirited riding. However the peak power of a bike like the 500r will be at much higher revs than most cruisers are tuned for. So if you just roll on the throttle in top gear acceleration may feel kinda slow. However down shift a gear or two and it will pull much harder.
If you can take one for a test ride and see if they feel comfortable to you.The FZ6 and SV650 are even more powerful and a little larger. Still small and light compared to the “big” bikes but lacking little in acceleration. Remember all of these bikes have over twice the engine of the 250 but less than 100 additional pounds.
Craig
CBBaronParticipantLiked the look and EFI of the TU250x. However it felt small to me but I am 6’2″ and 220lb. Also being a new model used bikes are hard to find and tend to be on the more expensive side.
The Ninja 250 feels like a bigger bike and there are usually a number of pre-08s available for cheap. It also has a little more power and cruises at freeway speeds easier than the TU.
However if I wasn’t so cramped on the TU250x I probably would have bought one over the Ninja.Craig
CBBaronParticipantI think there are quite a few tall people here
As for the OP question, A pre-08 Ninja 250r fits me quite nicely. Maybe the legs are a little folded but probably less so than the super sports. The new model 250r has a similar seating position but the fairing shape puts a crease on the side of your knee that is uncomfortable. However there are apparently aftermarket foot pegs that can lower the controls and allow the longer legged to fit more comfortably.
Still I like the pre-08 Ninjas for the price and stock comfort. I’m 6’2″ (1.9m) 220lb (100kg).
I would avoid the super sports for reasons argued here quite often. The twin cylinder 500cc and 650cc bikes are much easier to handle for a beginner due to more reasonable power and more natural riding positions.Craig
CBBaronParticipantDon’t discount the Ninja 250 as a first bike. They are probably the easiest bikes to find on the used market and are not hard to resell. If you buy used you won’t loose much if you decide to upgrade. The Ninja seems to be the balance between easy to learn size and capability. On the Ninja 250 forums someone just posted their ride report of over 4000 miles in 5 days on a Iron Butt with moving averages near 70 and top speeds near 90.
Still I do like the Versys and Weestrom. They are both at the top of my list for a second bike. I think for a beginner bike they would work but only for a very tall and strong rider as the tall top heavy nature of the bikes will not forgive rookie mistakes at low speeds easily.Craig
CBBaronParticipantNot many choices in the US for sub 500cc EFI bikes, and those there are are new models which means limited availability on the used market. However the Suzuki TU250x and Yamaha WR250r/x are both nice bikes and excellent for beginners.
I have a similar problem and understand your issue. However for a first bike I don’t think I would limit my choice to FI bikes only unless I was intent on buying new. A good used bike is much less expensive and if you decide to sell it for something different after a short time you will loose little.
CraigCBBaronParticipantDual sports and supermotos are light weight smaller engined bikes that usually seem made for tall people. They have higher seat heights and usually greater seat to peg distances than other styles. Most do not provide much room for a passenger, however that is not something you should be doing until you have considerably more experience any ways.
A GS500F seems to be the best fitting of the small sport/standard bikes. It sits upright so it is more of a standard than sport despite the fairings.
Pre-08 Ninja 250Rs also fit pretty well. I’m 6’2″ and its what I ended up with. Your legs are pretty well folded however the rest of the bike feels much larger than bikes like the Rebel. They are also cheap and plentiful, which means its easy to find an inexpensive started bike.
If you buy used and you don’t wreck, then it should cost very little to ride a beginners bike for a season or 2. If you decide you want something different then you are out very little.
Craig
CBBaronParticipantFor a first bike find a friend who know motorcycles to help you out shopping and try to find a cheap used bike in good condition. Just think of it as a trainer. You can ride it for a year or two before deciding on what you really want and you won’t loose much on the sale. Then once you are proficient shopping for yourself is no problem.
I also agree that waiting to shop until near or after your MSF will make it much easier to avoid making ignorant mistakes by riding on the road before you know what you are doing. Plus you may decide you hate the Rebel after spending the weekend on one.Craig
CBBaronParticipantAs you are probably aware there are many types of gravel/dirt roads. Well graded and reasonably well packed roads are no problem for a Ninja 250. My first motorcycle road ride on my Ninja I took it 1/2 mile down a dirt road and it felt very little different from a road ride.
However if the roads are deep loose gravel or even worse loose large rocks then a slick tired bike will be a handful. The Ninja is probably better than most due to its light weight.
As long as its actually a maintained road and you take it slow durability and suspension should not be a problem. Only if you are riding fast on rough roads or bottoming out the suspension would you have a significant issue.
If you don’t mind spending a little more the WR250R would be a great bike for your situation. About the same power and efficiency as the ninja 250 but lighter and better suspension. Should still be capable of longer commutes without a problem but more fun on gravel and capable of off road.Craig
CBBaronParticipantA pre-08 Ninja 250r doesn’t even require the adjustable pegs for comfort, though it may help open the leg angle some. I found the Ninja 500 to have the same problem as the new 250r. The GS500F fit me real well and used bikes are fairly easy to find around here. I really liked the Ninja 650r and its siblings (EN6r and Versys) however they are newer, more expensive models which means cheap used versions were harder to find. I doubt you would have much trouble with one of the 650 twins as a starter bike if you don’t mind the cost.
I’m 6’2″ 220, so almost your size. I picked up a very nice looking `06 Ninja 250r for cheap to start on. I think the Ninja is a much better fit for a big guy than the most of the other 250 class machines. The only other ones I really liked were the newer dual-sports and supermotos. However they are harder to find on the used market and are usually more expensive.Craig
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