[Jeff in Kentucky]

I recently saw a reviewer that wrote if you only can have one liter bike, get the Honda, although the Kawasaki costs the least. He wrote that if you can afford two, get the BMW liter bike for track days and ride the Honda on the street.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

After reading this article below along with a few others, I decided that either DOT only, Snell 2010, or one of the European helmet standards are the best. Snell 2005 testing hit the helmet in the same place twice, so that the helmet is too hard and transmits too much of the crash energy to your brain compared to the other, better standards, including the much improved Snell 2010:

http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/gearbox/motorcycle_helmet_review/index.html

[Jeff in Kentucky]

A wet Mister Clean Magic Eraser rubbed onto the scratch area, then some rubbing compound polished in with an old cotton sock, then some wax will probably make the scratch much less noticable.

For your knee, soak in a tub with epsom salt in the water, take some ibuprofen, and slowly walk as much as is comfortable to keep the muscles and tendons around your knee stretched out and not getting weaker from lack of use. You may want to go to a pharmacy and buy a knee brace. An ice pack is probably a good idea for the first couple of days, to speed the blood flow to your knee and reduce the amount of bruising and swelling. If you limp for several days, it might be best to see a knee expert.

I wear dirt bike shin and knee guards, and a dirt bike kidney belt while street riding. I had a cast on one leg for 3 months when I was 16 years old, from not seeing a leaning fence post hidden in some tall grass, and breaking my two lower right leg bones on this old abandoned fence post while riding a dirt bike.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

Oil and gravel on pavement are like riding a dirt bike with bald tires that is geared way too high and has extra touchy brakes- use little or no front brake, mostly use the back brake, slow down a lot, and do as little turning as possible. Some throttle is often better than idle, because the back tire will spin a little and keep the front tire moving so you can turn easier.

Go to a big area with gravel or wet grass and practice.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

The Vulcan 1500 has a large amount of weight for a beginner. It will be a lot more difficult for slow tight cornering, and it does not have a reverse gear like the Honda Goldwing or BMW K1200LT. It is made for long trips on the interstates.

If it is cheap it probably has a lot of miles on it and is likely the older carbed version, so it may need carb cleaning or an engine rebuild soon, or someone dropped it and damaged the looks, and hopefully did not bend the frame.

Here is part of a review for the year 2000 Kawasaki 1500cc Drifter by Sev Pearman:

You can’t help but notice the sheer size of this thing as you climb aboard. At an engine speed where most bikes are still slipping the clutch out of the parking lot, this thing is already chugging toward Chattanooga. Simply pick any gear, twist the throttle, and you are gone.

Unfortunately, the engineers lost out to stylists with respect to rear travel. By forcing the Drifter into the low, cruiser mold, engineers were limited to 3.9″ of movement. To avoid topping or bottoming, we had to add lots of air, and run with the rebound set on ‘3’ or ‘4.’ This makes the rear somewhat hoppy, which could get annoying on longer interstate drones. To be fair, this isn’t a fault of Kawasaki, but rather a virus that infects all V-twin cruisers to keep the seat low for looks and for those with short legs.

The 1500cc (90 ci) Vulcan motor predates the Clinton administration, and has a proven track record. This means that not only have any bugs been worked out, there is a healthy aftermarket which offers a sea of exhausts and accessories.

After a day in the saddle, I found nothing to dislike. This bike is plain comfortable! The seat is big enough to move around on, yet still lets you feel connected to the rest of the bike. In addition, there is a small bolster at the back, that provides lumbar support. The seat is a low 29″ from the ground, so most folks will be able to flatfoot it at lights.

from a longer article by Victor Wanchena:

I’m not sure what the Drifter redlines at but high revs are rather unnecessary as the motor produces peak torque at 2500 rpm. The motor does all of its best work on the low end of town. The transmission is the usual 5-speed affair, solid and predictable, and the final drive is handled by a shaft drive.

The chassis of the Drifter is raked out a hefty 32 degrees making for wide turns in parking lots but very stable at speed. The brakes are a single disks front and rear. The front brake is not very powerful to the point that the rear feels as if it has more stopping authority than the front.

As might be expected the lazy geometry of the Drifter’s chassis is very stable on the straight flat roads. This stability makes for easy riding on the country lanes and the freeway. You can loaf along for hours at a time. The seat is very good for a stocker but did put a little extra pressure on my tailbone.

The twistier back roads pose a challenge to the Drifter. The cornering clearance leaves you wanting for more but the floorboards, which touch down first, fold up and have sacrificial pegs to keep you for eating up any chrome. Even so while hustling through bumpy corners the Drifter stayed planted and road imperfections did not tell it what to do. Just don’t expect to hustle through Deal’s Gap (very tight corners) in record time.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

It looks great, most people do not get the same year for their next bike, but it does save you a lot of money, and it is not old enough to need a lot of work to keep it running.

My next bike will be a Kawasaki- my last Kawasaki was from 1971 to 1976, a 100cc 2-stroke enduro for the dirt. The next one is a slightly used 2008 ZZR600.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

This magazine staff in England liked the Gladius the best of a few of the budget nakeds:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKVEzLJroLA

The Motorcyclist magazine staff in the US liked the ER-6n the best, but they were riding the bikes a lot faster than most people would, and their one staff member wrote that he would rather buy a used SV-650 and put the extra money into making the suspension and engine better, instead of buying a new ER-6n or Gladius.

If you are tall, also check out the Kawasaki Versys, or the shorter-trip oriented Suzuki DRZ 400cc Supermoto.

To really stand out in a crowd on a budget, this V-twin below with a fairing has a frame made in the US and an engine made in South Korea:

http://www.fischer1.com/Fischer_motorcycles.htm

Another good choice similar to the Aprilia Mana is the Triumph Street Triple, but it also has a lot of power for a beginner to handle, both engine and braking power.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

Carbs are easier to adjust if you change the intake and exhaust, but they do get dirty easily, especially with improper winter storage. I suggest an aftermarket fuel filter that is better than the stock filter, and adding some Sea Foam to the gas every winter to help keep the carb or carbs clean. Also, keep the fuel valve on during storage, so as fuel evaporates from the carbs, more fuel enters the float bowls and prevents a gummy mess in the carbs.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

At 60 mph the 250 Ninja is fine, especially for someone less than 6 feet tall and if they weigh less than 180 pounds. The 250 Ninja gets more marginal for comfort at 75 mph, but the top speed stock is 95 mph so it is doable, but a lot less comfortable than a Honda Goldwing. Many do not like the narrow tire look of the 250 Ninja, even though it goes plenty fast enough for legal street riding. Also, the 250cc engine might wear out after 60 to 80 thousand miles- it has to spin faster on the highway.

The 650R is lower, the ER-6n is medium high, and the Versys is taller. You can get a 500cc Ninja or Suzuki for a lot less, since they stopped making them and they have older technology.

I like the looks and reviews for the Suzuki Gladius better than the ER-6n, but the ER-6n does have a better suspension stock for a track day, and the ER-6n muffler looks better to me. The Gladius needs more seat padding for me, after sitting on them.

A beginner is better off staying with 250cc or 500cc on the street- there is always some risk by starting with a 650 and trying to grow into the extra power and extra weight.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

All 4 are good bikes. The 500cc Suzuki looks more like a sportbike, but the air cooled engine is a negative for some. The Suzuki DR-Z400 SM is more comfortable on the highway than the 250s, but the 250s are lighter and better on city streets.

Read everything you can find about them. Get a sales person to hold each of these bikes up for you, so you can put both feet on the footpegs, and sit on them for about 20 minutes each. After a while, one will seem a better fit for you than the others.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

This part from the original article is more for beginners:

“Learning is the most dangerous part of bike riding. The bad thing is, when you first feel like you are getting good at riding, that’s when you are in the most serious trouble. It takes many of years of riding to really be good at it and the very best place to learn is in the dirt. Once you have become good at dirt riding, then you will be much safer on the street.”

[Jeff in Kentucky]

You can drill one or more holes in the stock exhaust baffles- I used a quarter inch diameter very long drill bit I bought at Lowes to put one hole in the center of each of the two front muffler baffles, and switched to a different second muffler baffle after using a bi-metal holesaw to remove the original outer muffler baffle sheet metal.

There are many companies that sell new exhausts- either a less expensive slip-on muffler or a whole new exhaust system that are dyno tested for more power, not just more noise. Here is one of the more popular choices:

http://www.kneedraggers.com/details/Yoshimura_TRC_SlipOn_Exhaust_Kawasaki_250R_Ninja–655724.html

You do need to rejet the carbs for a louder exhaust and for changing the air filter to oiled foam or oiled cotton (K & N brand), or your engine will run too lean and too hot, and you will lose power for taking off from a stoplight.

There are three companies that sell jet kits, and it is possible to do for someone without a lot of mechanical experience, especially if you watch Youtube videos about it and join an online forum for your bike. I think the Factory Pro 1.0 jet kit is the best for a Ninja, and Dynojet or Ivans brands are better or the only ones available for other bikes.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

For the DRZ, you will probably be looking for a thicker, more comfortable seat, especially when riding more than 30 miles at a time and if your legs are longer.

I have rode a Honda 600cc cruiser for the last 8 years with 30 horsepower stock, similar to the DRZ, and I can ride it at 75 mph on the interstates fine for 100 miles, then I am ready for a butt break and to get gas. At 80 to 85 mph, there is more vibration and it has less passing power- I tell the leader of our group to not go over 75 when the speed limit is 70.

A 600cc supersport will go 80 mph in first gear and has a top speed of about 165 mph, so it is huge overkill for the street. A 1,000cc supersport will go 100 mph in first gear, and the top speed is computer limited at the factory to 186 mph. These crotch rockets are very uncomfortable for street riding, and are designed for someone with years of experience who does some track days- or renting time to ride it at a race track.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

After you take the Motorcycle Safety Foundation class, you will have a better idea for the size of your next bike. If you have trouble shifting during the class, it would be best to stay with a 250cc to 500cc motorcycle for a while. If the 250cc during the class seems very easy, you have enough riding experience already to move up to a 650cc twin cylinder with 70 horsepower if you are slow and careful with it at first- they also have a top speed of 120mph.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

It is possible that you will get bored after 6 months to a year while learning on a small bike, but that is better than being in the hospital or in a grave after starting with a bike with too much engine power and too much braking power. If you do get bored with it, sell it and get the next step up faster, such as a 650cc twin cylinder.

Instead of the 250cc Kawasaki Ninja, you might like either a 250cc or 400cc supermoto, or the 500cc Ninja or 500cc Suzuki.

Also, you can raise the seat and handlebar grips higher, get a kit to move the footpegs for many bikes, and get different handlebars to make a bike fit you better, after riding for a few weeks to decide what needs changing.

The safest way to start- take the Motorcycle Safety Foundation Beginning Rider Course- in many states it counts as the road test for your motorcycle license, and gets you an insurance discount.

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