[WeaponZero]

The Ducati Monster 750 has been out of production for nearly a decade now and there are very few used ones on the market. Good luck finding one. The only ones they make now are the 696 (which is actually more powerful than the old 750) and the 1100. The 750, despite having 100 more CCs, was comparable in performance to the Suzuki SV650 at the time.

The Kawasaki Ninja 650R is much, much more realistic. Its naked version (which is what you would probably be considering if you prefer the Monster) is called the ER-6n. Suzuki has a competitor for it in the form of the Gladius, which is essentially an updated SV650.

[WeaponZero]

Not sure about with 2nd gens, but with 1st gens the stator CAN fail along with the R/R though it isn’t common.

[WeaponZero]

Congratulations bridert. You just fell victim to the classic first-gen SV650 R/R failure. You need a new one now. DO NOT GET the OEM one. Rather, retrofit a 5-wire unit from a Honda CBR600RR, CBR1000RR. Model number of it is the FH800EB.

[WeaponZero]

I purchased a Shark RSI helmet on sale at sportbiketrackgear.com–beautiful helmet BTW. I got it because all the helmets I’ve owned previously have had shell shapes designed for “round” heads. I decided to go toward the opposite end of the spectrum and pick up a helmet made for “long oval” headed people, and it fits way better than my other helmets have so far. We’ll see how it holds up over time. I’m wearing it around the house to “break it in” even though riding season is pretty much over.

[WeaponZero]

Sounds like a good deal actually. Bikes don’t depreciate beyond a certain point and unless it’s in poor shape or you’re dealing with someone who needs to sell it FAST, you should never expect to buy any kind of bike for under $1000. Sounds like a good deal to me.

[WeaponZero]

Sorry, I’m in Pittsburgh. I think I might be about the closest one.

[WeaponZero]

One of the problems with text is that things like sarcasm don’t convey. Ah well. You get the point.

[WeaponZero]

CBRs are not very beginner friendly. I hope things go well with you there, they are most certainly not one of the bikes anyone on this site would recommend to a new rider. Very hard to learn the basic fundamentals of riding on a bike like that. But hoping for the best for you

[WeaponZero]

I wish everyone well on the day when we celebrate the beginning of our glorious (and ultimately victorious) campaign over the non-christian savages that inhabit the land.

[WeaponZero]

You may not have the option to do this, but….

My father (an experienced motorcyclist who has been riding since the 70s) followed me around in a car while I rode around a residential neighborhood once I was comfortable enough to leave a parking lot. He made sure that cars behind didn’t try to pass without me knowing in advance, and basically acted like a “pace car” for what little traffic there was behind me.

[WeaponZero]

The man’s passion for motorcycles is unlike anything else found in the industry. It’s almost enough to want to make you buy his products whether you’re a fan or not, just to keep the dream alive.

[WeaponZero]

Oh, be sure to take the course on one of the dual sports rather than one of the cruisers/standards. You’ll have WAAAAAAAY more fun. Trust me on this.

Yamaha TW200 and Yamaha TTR225 were the ones they had when I went. I did it on the TW200 and WHOO WEE was that thing FUN compared to the GZ250 I first tried.

[WeaponZero]

If you’re anything like most MSF students, the hardest thing for you will either be the emergency stop or the box (essentially a U-turn in a small, confined space). Pretty much every student struggles with one of those two exercises (usually the box). You’ll go over both of those on your 2nd day of riding. Everything else is pretty much a cakewalk.

[WeaponZero]

Last night I broke down and bought myself these: http://stores.sportbiketrackgear.com/Detail.bok?no=2855

And rode home in 40 degree weather. My hands were nice and toasty. Combined with my new Scorpion All-In Leather jacket and Firstgear overpants over a pair of black khakis, I was feeling nice and warm. I tried on 3 different pairs of gloves they had in stock, one of them was by a brand called Pokerun. The Pokerun gloves ran a size small so I had to go up a size to get a good fit. They seemed . . .okay, but were way too thick. There was no “feel” through them, like wrapping your hand in a 1″ thick layer of padding.

Also tried on a pair of gloves by Tourmaster. They impressed me. But then he pulled out the Alpinestars. I was sold. They were thinner than the other two yet somehow offered the same degree of warmth/insulation. Felt nice and comfy and didn’t eliminate feel like the Pokerun gloves did. Also, they ran true to size.

They’re being redesigned for the 2010 model year and the only difference really is a molded knuckle protector on the newer ones.

[WeaponZero]

Even if you do one day choose to get an automatic bike, I would say start out with a normal one just to get the fundamentals of riding down. A 250 will be fine engine-wise but the suspension of 250s may not be adequate for your weight in comfort. I would say get a 500 such as the Ninja 500R or Suzuki GS500F. Even a Ninja 650R would do you fine.

[Author]

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