Forum Replies Created
5 Common Wear and Tear Items on Motorcycles
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haakon59Participant
I have decided to drop the Harley after the feedback I have had the last few days.
Given that you used to be a bull rider, I plan to listen. I have never done anything like that ever!
Your experiences when you slow down for stoplights bothers me. No one else has mentioned this to me and yes, that would make a huge difference. Obviously, I live in the city and will be doing a lot of riding where there are stop lights. What you are talking about scares me.
How long did you use the 500 before you decided to upgrade? I assume your bike is functioning correctly and that what you describe is part of the manner in which the bike functions if you in those situations? I have had 6 people today tell me they started with the 900 and had no previous riding experience whatsoever and have had an excellent experience. But you are bringing up a situation which is going to happen all the time (slowing down for traffic lights) and I can see how feeling out of control like that would scare anyone, myself included. Obviously the reason why I am investigating this stuff so thoroughly is because I want to learn what I have to learn and do what I have to do.
My goal after learning this skill until I am comfortable is to do a little bit of travelling–see America so to speak. I was eventually planning to buy a tourer. Speed when I start is a secondary concern–I want to go fast enough to not endanger myself on the freeway, etc., but I don’t need to win any races either. I need to go tonight, but will think of more questions tomorrow. Thank you for your kindness–I appreciate learning about all the negatives as well as positives.
I was hoping to get to the point where riding the motorcycle will be fun.
By the way, this reminds me: have you ever thought of adding some motorcross training to your skill set. A gentleman today told me that he did this because it helps you deal with negatives situations, at least it might give you more options and more rider skills.
Thank you for your help, it has been very good of you to warn me about pitfalls.
haakon59ParticipantI like the 500, so I may be looking for a used one after going through the MSF, which I hope to do before summer in 2010.
Frankly, I have heard many positive stories about the capabilities of the 500, so honestlly, I am not sure why they plan to stop production, but obviously, their sales must not be what they want them to be.
As far as a biggers bike is concerned, speed is not my primary focus, although I have heard many stories like your that the 500 is plenty capable and fine on the freeway.
The only reason I feel reluctant sometimes to consider used is that I have been burned on used cars, etc., in the past. My new cars have always worked fine, my used cars, not so much. The good news is that I am more experienced and world wise today than I was 20-30 years ago. Besides, being burned a couple of times doesn’t mean that I will be this time. I need to figure out what to look for, naturally. But my goal until recently has been to get the 500. Thanks for your advice.
haakon59ParticipantSeveral people now have told me the 900 Vulcan was their starter bike and they also had no previous experience riding (like me).
I think your A and B points are excellent. Naturally, “the up sale” this was my first suspicion. So I asked around today and got some surprising answers. Most of the current riders tell me that they are roughly the same size as I am (5’11” and 250 lbs) and they are also new riders with no previous experience. They say that the 900 is one of the more well balanced motorcycles, that in fact, some of the lighter bikes are “top heavy” and that this can be by itself unsafe. The Vulcan 900 is well balanced and well mannered on the road, good things for beginners. Their argument is that this would prove easier to manage than some of the smaller bikes. The guys at the dealership told me they would recommend either the Suzuki M50 or the Kawasaki Vulcan 900.
The reason the salespeople didn’t recommend the Sportster 883 is for two reasons. First, they said I would feel cramped on that bike, especially if riding for a long and would outgrow it quickly. The other issue is that the bike is more difficult to manage, i.e., top heavy, harder to steer in part because it has a wider turning radius, etc. In fact, I spoke to a policeman with years of riding experience who told me that he rides one now regularly because of his job and found it slightly uncomfortable, despite his experience.
The salespeople said the 900 would be easier to manage for a beginner for these reasons. Primarily, the weight is more balanced on a midsize bike than a small one.
But given that you also have this bike, I would also like to hear from you as well. I greatly respect hearing comments either pro or con.
I will still be considering picking up a used 500. Thank you for giving me your opinion, it has been very helpful. I will probably come up with some questions for you–thanks for your offer of help.
haakon59ParticipantYesterday I went to sit on some Harleys (as well as some other brands). The sales staff essentially gave me the same advice: the Sportster is not the best bike to begin riding on. Also, they informed me that the Kawasaiki 500 is being discontinued. The salespeople recommended I try the Kawasaki 900 Vulcan and the Suzuki M50 as a first bike because their road “manners” are easier to master. I sat on and liked the Kawasaki 900 quite a bit and have also heard from some riders who had the Vulcan as their first bike recommend it strongly, the 900, although many have also recommended the 500 as well. I also tried the Suzuki M50 and it seemed like a nice bike too.
When I went to the store, I really wanted to hear that the Harley Sportster was going to be a great bike to start with. But even when I sat on both the 883 and the 1200, they were not quite as comfortable as I was hoping. The salespeople also mentioned that they would be more difficult to handle at slower speeds, etc.
Thank you guys for sharing your experience with me, I appreciate it.
haakon59ParticipantThanks for the comments and advice. I hope Elwood will post and give me his comments, I would love to hear what he has to say. It appears to me that Kawasaki is not planning to continue making the 500 in 2010, I just discovered yesterday. Of course, I am guessing they will be available used for some time. The comments I have read on this bike have been positive from just about all the new riders, so I am feeling it might be the way to go.
haakon59ParticipantI was a little worried that Harley might be a bit fast for me at first. Generally, I have been thinking of a Kawasaki Vulcan 500, which I have read good reviews about from beginners. At the same time, I like Harley and was thinking that now might be a good time to “buy American,” and I understand that Harley makes quality bikes. You make several good points–thanks again.
haakon59ParticipantIn my area, they use the Honda Rebel for the MSF class. I have sat on this at a store (not riding, just sitting) and it was comfortable for me. I also sat on a Kawasaki Ninja 250, which was a nice bike and which I understand is highly maneuverable, but the position you have to sit in was not particularly good for me. There is a difference between sport bikes, standard bikes, and cruser style bikes in how you sit. Sport bikes have the pedal behind you and you usually lean forward and have a narrower handlebar, standard bikes have the peg right below you and the cruisers have them in front with a wider handlebar. I was just sitting on these bikes and to me it made a huge difference in how comfortble I was.
haakon59ParticipantDagger–This is some good advice and it makes me feel a little better about potentially choosing the Kawasaki 500 cruiser (Vulcan) as a first bike. I think it is reasonable enough in weight to control but powerful enough to forestall any need to buy another bigger bike in short order after 6 months or so. Thanks.
haakon59ParticipantI am increasingly moving in this direction–I don’t need too much power or weight, but I do want to learn well. The Kawasaki 500 Vulcan Cruiser is starting to look like my bike of choice. As far as speed is concerned, the 250 is fine. But I am guessing that once I learn and start using the bike everyday, I will want one which I can take everywhere–on highways and freeways and around town. Sure, I can sell on 250 on Craigslist after I have outgrown it, but I am mulling over skipping this step and getting a bike which will last me several years. I am not particularly a speed demon, but I do understand how a 250 might be better to start with in order to learn the skills needed. On the other hand, the Vulcan seems about the right weight, etc., and is perhaps more flexible and will last me longer. We’ll have to see, I guess. I will say that I am more comfortable on the cruiser style bikes, at least for now. Fortunately, I have some time before I need to decide.
haakon59ParticipantThank you–I went to visit the Kawasaki/Honda dealer today and I sat on the Ninja 250, the Honda Rebel 250, and the Kawasaki Vulcan 500, the latter two being cruisers. All of them were nice bikes and I spoke to a woman racer who rides Kawasaki Ninja 500’s normally (for racing), she said she had extensive experience on the Ninja 250 for training herself on the finer points of handling, I guess, and she had nothing but praise for this bike, she said the 2008 version was especially sought after, but I forgot to ask about 2009. Regardless, I did sit on the Ninja and felt it might be uncomfortable for my back, at least if we are talking a longer ride (1 hour or so, I suppose). The Rebel and the Kawasaki Vulcan 500 were more immediately comfortable for me, but obviously, I was just sitting in the showroom which is probably not a fair test, as you have pointed out. It was nice to see these bikes and I appreciate you letting me know about this issue, so thanks. Obviously, I need all the help I can get. I also inquired about availability of the Rebel once production has shifted exclusively to Japan and the guy said that although in some parts of the country they were having difficulty with supply, here in Seattle they had been OK so far. He said he wasn’t worried about an interruption.
Oh, I should mention that the foot brake on the Honda appeared somewhat flimsy to me, almost too “extended”. Has there been a problem with this breaking? Maybe not, I was just wondering.
haakon59ParticipantI have to admit, I have mostly been looking at new bikes but mainly as a matter of convience–it’s easier to sit on several bikes at the dealers than it is to ask private parties if I can sit on their bikes. Even so, I have been looking on Craigslist too, and in my area I would say there are some decent deals.
By the way, I am new to this (I guess that is why they call it the best beginner site) so I didn’t know about the TU250, so I’ll have to do more research on it. Thanks. I just found out about the Buell brand a few days ago–had never heard of it before.
The Ninja 250 gets an awful lot of praise in this forum and on other sites as well, so it just may be the right bike for me. I too am around 240 lbs, so I imagine the quality of the braking system should be important to me. Thank you for mentioning this. And the liquid cooling is also a very good point. It seems to me that in my brief research so far that most bikes in this range are air cooled–at least I have had this impression. Although I have been giving the Ninja short shrift in my thinking mainly because I feel I am more of a cruiser guy (funny how a guy who doesn’t even ride a motorcycle can come to such a conclusion) but the praise for this machine is overwhelming. While I do like the cruiser styling from the ’60’s and ’70’s, etc, the retro look, I also like the Ninja’s modern look as well. I’ve got to go and sit on one of those bikes. It is obvious that I am missing something if I don’t. Besides, I have read a great deal about what a nimble handling bike it is and that will help a lot when you are just learning to ride, let’s face it. Obviously, the Ninja has to move up on my list.
I have also been considering some of the lesser known brands, Hyosung, for example. While I don’t have any true favorite at this time, I am also thinking about the need for local dealer support–I am not a mechanic and want to have one close by for when the bike needs servicing, etc. There are several dealers for Kawasaki in my area, so it wouldn’t be an issue choosing the Ninja if this is the way I wind up.
Thank you for mentioning some of the finer points of why you made your decisions–this is very helpful to a newbie like me.
haakon59ParticipantAnother question: how do people feel about the riding position on the Ninja? I have been mostly thinking cruiser. While I understand the Ninja is designed as a sport bike, the riders in the pictures on their web site don’t seem to have to sit/lay forward as they do on some sport bikes, but are mostly upright. Would all of you (who have owned one or sat on one) agree? Thanks.
haakon59ParticipantThank you, Munch. I am going to consider it and I greatly appreciate your advice. The idea of keeping the bike for 5 years (or perhaps longer) appeals to me. It’s just the beginning that could be rough. If I focus on developing skill first, just get used to the bike in the beginning, it might be OK, I’m not particularly a “speed demon” anyway. I am not going to take it on the freeway my first week or even the 2nd week–maybe 2-3 months down the line I might, I will have to see when I will be ready. But 500 would be the largest as I want to save on gas too, even after I develop experience. The 500 will allow me to ride the freeways and everything, so maybe this is the way to go. I just have to be cautious at first. From the way you have described how this bike is geared, it could be ideal for this purpose. Or, maybe I will just stick with the 250. Thank you for responding. I will have to keep thinking about this.
haakon59ParticipantYou know, the Suzuki salesperson pitched me that bike, the M50, and I loved the styling. The weight was fine too, but I didn’t have a sense of how much 800 cc’s really was, especially for a beginner, so there is no way I will do that–for now anyway, until I had some experience. I think 250cc’s is going to be fine for me. Although I have been reading that many have outgrown their bike after 6 months, which I might too, but I am guessing I won’t. The only way I care about speed is to have enough on the freeway for tight situations. In general, I don’t think I will rider my 250 on the freeway anyway but mostly for around town. I have been floating the idea of whether it would be wise to look into the Kawasaki 500 (also a cruiser style) as a way to buy a bike I can keep a little longer before I outgrow it. 500cc will even be enough for me when I am experienced, is my feeling. Partly, I want good gas mileage as well. So should I consider this? I will have to consider it, but I personally think a 250 might be fine for me for a long time–more than 6 months anyway. I was just trying to avoid buying another bike so soon. So I am going to consider the 500, which is the biggest I will consider, but I will probably get the 250–I would rather work on my skills on a forgiving bike, I think. Thank you. This forum has quite a few people with good advice, so I appreciate your input.
haakon59ParticipantSo if I understand you correctly, you are saying it will be a lot faster than a 250 but won’t be nearly the blast of speed I would get from a 650 or 750. I will be able to travel at highway speed more comfortably (as far as an engine capacity can be termed comfortable) but it will be much slower to get up to freeway speed than a 650 or 750. At the same time, compared to a 250 it is much more powerful and I will need to give the bike a huge measure of respect, especially when learning. At the same time, it will share some of the positive handling characteristics, which will be helpful for a beginner. Am I understanding you?
Since you started on a Vulcan 500, do you still have it? I imagine since it is more powerful you still have it and haven’t “grown out” of it yet? Does this mean this should be considered because it might be more economical, as long as I go into this with “eyes open” and healthy measures of respect? By the way, I realize this is difficult becuase I am asking for verbal discriptions instead of actually trying it out myself. At the same time, I am thinking just moving to a little “higher” powered bike might save me money becuase I won’t outgrow it so fast. Lots of people seem to want a bigger bike at 6 months or so. Me? Maybe I will and maybe I won’t, but I am guessing I will too. This could mean that if I go a step up and focus on respect and learning what I am dealing with, that the 500 might fit me for a much longer time, say 2-3 years or longer? I appreciate your previous response. Thanks. Oh, I should mention that other than the Ninja 250, I am not considering other sport bikes and certainly not bigger sport bikes, just the cruiser class like the Vulcan 500. Since other brands only have sport 500’s, I am not going to consider them, especially for a first bike. I don’t want to go with a 650 or 750 because I am positive those are going to be too overwhelmingly powerful for me to learn with, even if I am careful–despite what the salespeople say! But maybe, just maybe, in addition to the 250’s, I will add the Vulcan 500 to my list for consideration. Since you learned on this bike and it’s very user friendly, maybe I should consider it and see what I think, as well as read reactions from others and talk to others here locally? Sorry, just trying to understand this when I have no experience. Thank you.
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