[jfbayley]

Thanks

Jack

[jfbayley]

Thanks.

Appreciate your comments

Jack

[jfbayley]

Do you know whether it’s required in CA in order to get operator’s license or insurance?

Jack

[jfbayley]

Well, you got that right. I am a deliberative kind of guy.

Hey, BTW, any idea what they charge for that course?

Couldn’t find anything on their website and a bit too busy right now to pick up the phone.

Thanks.

[jfbayley]

So, looking at Suzuki’s website, it appears that what I refer to as a “cafe racer” is now called a Sportbike.

It also seems that a “Standard” Motorcycle is a Sport Bike configured w/less or no fairing and bars and I don’t know what else to allow a more upright sitting position.

Is this correct?

If so, then I’m guessing by going for a Standard as opposed to a Sportbike my transition from dirt bike to street bike would be a lot easier.

Any comments??

[jfbayley]

Wow that is an interesting looking little bike.

Looks like a very sophisticated enduro type bike w/road tires. Weird!! But, definitely cool.

Unfortunately, the price of the 08 would put the bike out of my price range.

Has this bike been around for awhile?

[jfbayley]

I appreciate your comments and I’ll check those links out.

But, I kind of think that that was then and this is now and I’m kind of over dirt bikes.

As a result of your comments though, I have looked at a couple of the 250cc bikes featured on this site.

Guess it wouldn’t hurt to go check them out. Assuming I could ride them, I think I could tell pretty quick whether the power was going to be acceptable.

But, I’m geting away from the point of my original question.

Aside from the power issues, what I’m really concerned about is steering a lay-down cafe-racer style bike (e.g., Kawasaki Ninja). In my 1 brief attempt (literally around the block, 1 time, 30 yrs ago), I thought steering that little beast was fundamentally different than steering a straight up dirt bike.

I’m wondering if there’s anyone out there ( there must be thousands of you!!??) whose made the switch from dirt bike to cafe racer and can talk about how to make the switch and how hard it is to do.

I would think maybe a couple times around the block would do it, but just don’t know.

Thanks.

[jfbayley]

Maybe I didn’t emphasize enough, I rode dirt bikes A LOT. 400 and 500cc Motocross bikes on all kinds of terrain from motocross courses to monstrous hills to mountain trails that often verged on trials type riding.

So, it’s not like I don’t have any experience riding motorcycles. It’s just that it’s been awhile. Actually ,kind of a long while.

As far as dirt bike’s go, anything less than a 400 seems to me like a “kid’s” bike.

Are street bikes really that much different?

I know one thing, they’re a heck of a lot heavier, which I would think would make 600cc’s a bit more sluggish than one wrapped in a package weighing 30-40% less.

And, yes, I realize that the power band is totally different on some street bikes, and I know how squirrely that can make any bike.

So, I didn’t really think the power on a 600cc bike would be as much of an issue as what seems like the fundamental difference in how you steer a street bike as opposed to how you steer a dirt bike.

Do you know what I mean?

BTW, I have been considering the Suzuki sv 650, based on articles on this website that tout this bike as 600+ cc bike that is actually not a bad bike for a beginner.

[jfbayley]

Thanks for your comments.

[jfbayley]

Thanks for the advice. I’ll check that out.

But, what do you think? Is it kind of weird getting use to a cafe-racer (sorry. I don’t know any other term to describe road racer type bikes) style bike after having always ridden bikes with a more tradtitional hanblebar (Like a dirt bike or motocrosser)? Or is it something that you get used to pretty quick?

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