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Yamaha Jog (CE50, CG50, CY50)
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August 15, 2010 at 7:50 pm in reply to: question on sport bikes for Eternal, Mega, or anyone who can help. #27442WeaponZeroParticipant
If anything, the basic riding techniques that were taught to you in the MSF class apply more to sportbikes/standards than they do to cruisers. Things such as putting the ball of your foot on the peg, initiating the turn using the SLPL procedure, etc.
The important thing to remember is that there is an emphasis on the LEAN portion of the equation that isn’t there so much in cruisers. I couldn’t get the hang of riding cruisers because I felt that with my feet out in front of me on the floorboards, I wasn’t in control. My bodyweight and how I balanced it wasn’t a factor like it is with sportbikes which made me feel disconnected from the whole process. You need to learn that in reverse. YOU are a part of the machine on a sportbike in the way that you aren’t on a cruiser. You’re not riding it, you’re a part of it. And you need to work the balancing of your bodyweight and how you apply pressure to the bars and footpegs into the process as if it were mechanical in nature.
WeaponZeroParticipantGirls? On motorcycles? And in gis? HA! That’ll be the day…
WeaponZeroParticipantThe ER-6n is probably no better or worse of a beginner bike than the SV650 I started out on. From what I’ve read, it doesn’t quite have the down-low torquey grunt of the Gladius and SV so it needs to be revved just a tad more, but nothing like an I4. I’ve read quite a few reviews that say the ER-6n is more of a successor to the SV650 than the Gladius is.
WeaponZeroParticipantHonda 599 and Ninja 250 aren’t fuel injected. The only fuel injected 250cc bikes on the market are the Hyosungs (which are a risky buy), Yamaha WR250X, and Suzuki TU250.
That being said, pretty much any bike OVER 500ccs made in recent years is always fuel injected.
Every bike I’ve ever ridden was carbureted and at least 8 years old. Never had any problems starting. I think you’re making a mountain out of a mole hill here in the way you’re allowing yourself to become scared by carburetors.
EDIT: Saw the price range. Sub-3k, fuel injected, the only thing you might find that is fuel injected and falls under that price range is a used TU250 or a used Suzuki SV650. and even that’s a stretch. fuel injection is relatively new technology in motorcycles that, up until about 5-6 years ago, was a feature only found on high-end bikes. given your price range you might be barking up the wrong tree in fuel injected bikes. but really carbs arent a problem at all.
WeaponZeroParticipantThe SV650 straddles the line between what is and what isn’t considered a suitable beginner bike. Anything more, which the Shiver certainly is, brings it up to a level that, the way I see it, beginners shouldn’t be at. It may have linear power delivery but to say that it can be compared to the SV when it has over 30 extra horsepower and 20 ft. lbs of torque on tap is a bit much.
WeaponZeroParticipantI started out on a 650. My first bike, which I still own, is a Suzuki SV650. I’m not going to say it’s impossible because it is still considered a viable beginner bike, but I do know that I would be a much better rider today if I started out on something a bit smaller. An SV650 WILL lift the wheel in first gear if you snap the throttle which makes it debatable as to whether or not its a suitable beginner bike. The 500s won’t.
Also I wouldn’t say the 250 is TOO small for the freeway, just that it’ll have a harder time with it than the 500. Stick with the 500s I think.
WeaponZeroParticipantThat right there answers your question for you then.
WeaponZeroParticipantThe 500 is noticeably heavier but not to a degree that it makes it uncontrollable. It is still a perfectly suitable beginner bike. It does make a good bit more power as well but again, not to the degree of being uncontrollable. Put it this way: Back when I was first looking into getting my first bike, a group of experienced riders told me that the Kawasaki Ninja 500R and Suzuki GS500 were the PERFECT beginner bikes for an average sized guy looking to start off with something sporty. If you go with the 250 over the 500 you will be trading off a fair degree of power (that will really only impact freeway riding) but making it more controllable at low (read: parking lot) speeds. It’s entirely up to you.
If it were me, I would let whether or not I planned on doing lots of freeway jaunts decide for me. The 250 is definitely better in an urban setting due to its light weight, but the 500 rules on the freeway.
WeaponZeroParticipantThe Honda Shadow is an excellent choice for a beginner cruiser rider. You could go smaller with a 500 or a 250 cruiser sure, but for a cruiser a 750 is also within the realm of realism.
My main reason for trying to discourage you from buying the Shiver is that it’s an awful lot of power for a beginner bike, only a small step below full-fledged racebikes. Yes the V-twin layout means the power comes on in a more manageable delivery, but it’s still insanely powerful for anything a beginner should be on, being just shy of the 100 horsepower mark. The SV650 would be a much better choice and you are not likely to get tired of it anytime soon.
WeaponZeroParticipantAutomatic sportbike sounds scary to me. Wouldn’t want it shifting on me mid-lean. That would certainly be a hair-raising experience.
WeaponZeroParticipantYou seem awfully set on buying a high-end Italian motorcycle for your first bike as something to learn on. Mind if I ask why?
Basically as a new rider one of the biggest things you learn is throttle control. Until you get a good feel for exactly how sensitive it is and how to control it, you DON’T want too much power. At 95 rated horsepower and 59 ft. lbs of torque, the Shiver definitely falls into the “too much power!” category.
WeaponZeroParticipantHow safe a bike is rated has absolutely nothing to do with how beginner-friendly it is. Two completely different things. The Aprilia Mana would be a bad idea for a first bike I think because of the weight, power, and the fact that the aftermarket/dealer network isn’t quite on par with that of the Japanese. IMO for a first bike stick with a reliable Japanese bike that has tons of aftermarket and dealer support, is under 600cc if a 4cyl or 650 if a twin, and is as light as can be.
August 9, 2010 at 2:40 pm in reply to: Best bike dualsport bike for travelling 30 miles on the highway?? #28004WeaponZeroParticipantMost dual sports experience a mildly annoying vibration when traveling at highway speeds, but it’s no big deal. Most 250cc and up ones can do in excess of 90mph so they don’t struggle keeping up with traffic either. The only real issue they struggle with is the vibration which is just an annoyance and the fact that those styles of seats aren’t comfortable for long rides. But if you aren’t bothered by these things then by all means the WR250X and DR-Z400SM will do GREAT for you. The CRF230M however is another story as it is significantly down on power compared to the others and WILL struggle at highway speeds. It’s more of an around-town commuter than anything else.
WeaponZeroParticipantunfortunately due to the way sound carries the whole thing about loud pipes being safer is really just a myth. if elwood were still active on the site hed tell you from experience.
WeaponZeroParticipantWR250X and DR-Z400SM are similar bikes that both should be looked at. The DR-Z is lower tech (carbureted, lower compression ratio, lower tech frame/suspension components, etc) but makes up for it by having a bigger and more powerful engine. The DR-Z has more torque so it will take off quicker and will have an even easier time under load, but because it’s only a 5-speed while the WR250X is a 6-speed, they both have roughly the same top speed. The WR250X has a racier engine that doesn’t have as much power down low in the rev range so you need to wind it out and pin the throttle to get the same kind of exhilarating riding experience out of it, but some people might say that would make for an even more fun ride. All depends on the rider.
Personally I’m considering getting a similar bike for my next bike.
Of the two, I’d take the DR-Z mainly due to the fact that I like torquey engines (why I ride an SV650 vs. an I-4), and the fact that it has a much larger aftermarket.
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