[TrialsRider]

…wish I said that, Hey wait a minute, I think I did

[TrialsRider]

Never been blown off any motorcycle including riding a TS185 on two lane highways, and part of learning to ride is learning to deal with and or avoid traffic wind. The most irritating wind buffeting is while following transports, but you shouldn’t follow transports, you pass them or drop back enough. The larger displacement motorcycle ( 400cc or larger single ) gives you a clear option to pass. ( and stay ahead ) with a 250 single, dropping back and matching their speed might be your only option. Up here the transports are now governed to ~108kph making it much safer to travel the multi lane highways

[TrialsRider]

The odometer has been all around the clock and it’s back to 0

…or 7. the speedo was stripped off for competition

many bikes have low milage because their owners are wussies and won’t come out to ride !

[TrialsRider]

I’ve been going to CVMG Vintage motorcycle rallies for years and afforded the opportunity to ride numerous extremely old motorcycles, with some of the nicest runners being from the 1930’s and 1950’s, but most because the owners had spent countless hours in rebuilding and restoring them to a state of almost priceless art. The rarest ‘non-restored’ motorcycle I ever test rode was a pre-unit BSA single ( making it older than 1958 ) everything original, faded paint, rust, died out leather and all. But the thing ran perfect and was complete, in every respect a terrific bike. The dealer ( a very close friend now deceased ) had just acquired it and spent only a few hours cleaning it up and replacing all of the fluids, he offered to trade me even for my 1986 BMW K100RS and it was difficult not to take up the offer. ( wife thought I was nuts and talked me out of it ) The point of all this; these experiences have convinced me, with sufficient care and maintenance, good motorcycles last forever. And if you really, really want an old bike, but don’t have the time and trade to make one perfect yourself, Vintage Rallies are the place to shop. ( arrive early and be prepared to barter )

Now for the bad news; You are purchasing obsolete technology ( distributors only promise OEM parts for about 7 years ) so your best buy is a model that is still in current production. As a totally new rider, you will not be extended the opportunity to test ride anything. I’ve been doing this forever and can completely dismantle a motorcycle and reassemble it without a manual, or left over pieces, ( sorry ) …you can’t.

The best advice I can offer is; shop for a new or near new bike that has a retro look or retro history like a Royal Enfield, ride it, love it, take really good care of it, learn to service it yourself and own it for the next 40 years. Then you can go to the vintage rallies and have all of the newbies drool over it

BTW: most of the 70’s Yamaha’s were 2 strokes, except the 500 single and 650 twin, the 650 is not a good learner bike. Did you have a particular model in mind ?

[TrialsRider]

…I think that’s what I’ll call this one !

Looks flatter in this picture than it really is, it’s one of my favorite sections, I could ride it on almost any dirt bike, but it might not be pretty. On a Trials bike I can zig-zag all the way up, feet up This is part of a Junior, Grand Veteran, Vintage section, ready for our August 22nd. National

Come and spectate if you can, it’s less than a 3 hour ride from Toronto city hall.

[TrialsRider]

I love setting out sections for other guys to ride

If you look real close you will see a tire mark up the largest part of this past vertical rock face, and that’s a 6″ x10″ marker card on the left.

[TrialsRider]

Hi Tyler, do you actually want to attract the attention of the police ?

Stock exhausts work best non-modified, completely removing anything will kill performance and possibly fuel economy. Aftermarket exhausts attempt to improve performance with the ‘disadvantage’ of being louder and possibly increasing fuel consumption as a result of their being freer breathing.

So I guess the correct response is, figure on the additional cost of a performance exhaust system. ..AND PUT THE NON-DAMAGED ORIGINAL BITS SOMEWHERE SAFE FOR LATER !

I think you’re going to really love motorcycling.

[TrialsRider]

The 230 would be representative of the ‘F’ series not ‘R’ series motorcycles. Adding the weight of a battery and starter motor to any real dirt bike imposes a significant disadvantage and contributes little, so you will never see anything except kick start on a competition dirt bike. Even amateur racer types spend bags of money for titanium fasteners, just to shave ounces off their bikes.

CRF230F has a carb, air cooling and minimal strength frame and suspension components, the ‘F’ model line and engines are intended for recreational use as ‘trail’ bikes not for competition, it’s only styled like a motocross and the frame and suspension would flex like crazy or break if actually ridden as a motocrosser. Which begs the question, where would one ride it ?

Nice toy though, would be a reasonable learner bike if you have very long legs.

BTW. The 230 is more than 80 lbs. heavier than my 250 Trials bike and mine cranks easy enough to start by hand.

[TrialsRider]

Geesh, I had it wrong again
…I thought she was the only Harley chick that modeled for Victoria’s Secret

[TrialsRider]

…we still even have a few 2 strokes up here.

[TrialsRider]

One of my favorite helmet graphics: http://www.ultimatemotorcycling.com/files/Valentino_Rossi_Chicken_Helmet%202.jpg …really nice helmet too.

[TrialsRider]

If planning and preparation can avoid such a thing, it sounds like you have things well at hand. Very cool deal on that training course, you just saved yourself enough coin to purchase a quality helmet

[TrialsRider]

G’day James, just talking to a couple of points you noted in your intro You are a young military type that likes to jump out of perfectly good airplanes and plummet towards earth wearing little more than a few pounds of silk and string ( rayon and kevlar or whatever ) Why on earth would you be worried about falling off a motorcycle ? … I do it all the time ! Scared silly of heights myself, I’d much rather rev it up and drop the clutch in second gear, pointed at a vertical rock face. ( the … part is Trials humor, I don’t expect anyone to get it
Considering your size you should also check out one of my personal favorites, large displacement singles.
On the topic of comfort, I’ll reiterate something I just noted to another potential new rider, motorcycles are meant to be ridden not driven like a car and to ride a motorcycle you need to be alert and constantly moving about, even if it’s only to balance. Comfort as in at easy with what you are doing is great, but comfort as in; laid back, feet up and nodding off cozy in front of the TV comfort is not conducive to good riding.
Any interest in off-road motorcycles ? I still maintain that dirt bike experience is the best first experience.

[TrialsRider]

Hey Sam, glad to have you on, I’ll throw in my two bits worth before everyone else pipes in

Don’t overlook the little motorcycles; 125cc and smaller motorcycles are perfect to learn on, licensable dirt bikes, and standard style motorcycles are still the least intimidating learner bikes and great fun even to a veteran rider.

If you’re looking for cheap and used, keep an open mind for any small displacement motorcycle that becomes available, multi-cylinder rides Maximum displacement 250cc or single cylinder bikes up to 650cc ( Suzuki S40 ) would be a reasonable rule of thumb to follow. In fact; go to a dealership and sit on an S40, just to see the size and heft, of what should be considered the absolute largest bike many should be looking at. Have someone assist to steady balance the bike from the rear and actually sit on it with both feet on the pegs for several minutes. In fact do this with any motorcycle you are considering.

Nuts and bolts to look for
Electric start: Highly recommended for a beginner, I’ve seen many beginners struggle with kick starting a motorcycle and learners just don’t need the extra distraction.

Handlebars: Nice wide ‘standard’ style handlebars are the best bars to learn with. The ones on the TU250 and most small dirt bikes are a prime example; they offer a neutral riding position, good leverage to balance the motorcycle or to pick it up off the ground ) and make it easier to perform slow speed turns. Cruiser style ‘drawback’ handlebars should be avoided, because while wide enough, they tend to draw your elbows in and wrists outward and ‘performance’ style bars are too narrow for beginners.

Fuel Injection: If this motorcycle is going to be parked for extended periods of time, ‘fuel injection’ is ideal. Unfortunately most older bikes will not have this. In new bikes, the Suzuki S40 has a carburetor, but the TU250 has Fuel Injection. Definitely saddle test the Suzuki TU250 at the dealership, I concur with WeponZero that is the ideal bike for you !
http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/photos/2009models/2009-Suzuki-TU250b.jpg

Comfort: ‘Motorcycle Comfort’ is almost an oximoron, motorcycles are meant to be ridden not driven like a car and to ride a motorcycle you should be alert and constantly moving about, even if it’s only to balance. Keep this in mind when you are saddle testing any motorcycle. The laid back, feet up, lounge position that a cruiser bike mimics is not conducive to good riding, the rider position portrayed in the link offered above is ideal.

Crash Bars: If you purchase a new or pristine bike to start, invest in a set right off. They look awful so once you are past the beginner stage and they have saved your baby from serious scars, recycle them.

Full face Helmet and gloves: Do Not go cheap on your helmet, even if you buy a cheap motorcycle. Any gloves are good as long as you always wear them, including when you are a passenger !!!

…hope this helps some, and best of luck with your motorcycle experiences.

[TrialsRider]

I know this concept is decades old, but we always said; hand laid fiberglass is designed to absorb the impact and save your bean, throw it out after one use, plastic springs back to it’s original shape nicely, sadly heads don’t.

[Author]

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