Motorcycle-Fi
Feb 10, 2011 at 11:49 PM Post #136 of 494


Quote:
Quote:
500cc is the LOWEST I'd go for a person who tends to use highways. You can keep up, but if you need the omph to get out of a tricky situation you may not have it. On a 250 I'd be terrified to go on the highway lol.


This is the highway I drive daily, perfect for a WR.  Agility and visibility, not omph, is required.
 


Lol well perhaps that's fine in that case, but for when the highway is actually functioning it's good to have extra pull.
 
Feb 11, 2011 at 3:48 PM Post #137 of 494
That's not a highway, that's a Home Depot parking lot.
That looks like every highway in NYC, from 5 am until 1 am. Looks like you have some room to lane split if you want to, though.
 
Mar 25, 2011 at 3:40 AM Post #138 of 494
Spring is nearly upon us and riding season is about to begin!!..though i have been riding on and off through the winter, nicer weather can only do more good here in the PNW.
 
With all the great trail riding stories i have been hearing from my buddies ..figured its time i jumped in and start learning to shred it up like how all the cool kids are doing.
 
So today, went and picked up this stroker.. A Kawasaki KDX220R 
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Garages are for storing bikes yo!!...looking to upgrade from the seca 2 shortly as well...possibly to a Ducati monster or a heavily modded SV650.
 

 
 
 
Just got my gear in too today and everything more or less fits. Just need to pick up some boots tomorrow and go shredding this weekend.
 
Hopefully i won't end up killing myself. doh!
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Mar 25, 2011 at 5:43 PM Post #139 of 494
I'm very much against the recommendations for 600CC starter bikes, especially sports bikes!  Sure, there have been quite a few people that started on something like a CBR600RR or GSX6R, but I've personally known 2 that crashed them very quickly because they never learned how to handle that kind of power.  I started on a 250 Ninja, and would recommend it as a fantastic starter bike.  It's forgiving (won't throw you off if you pop the clutch too fast or mess up on gearing down) and fast enough to handle any normal driving condition (I've taken it on highways for during daily commutes for months).  You're pretty likely to get bored of this bike during the first season if you ride often and want something faster, but the experience of learning on a bike like this is most definitely worth it, their resale value is amazing, great on gas and insurance for the first year of riding, and cheap to maintain.
 
Mar 25, 2011 at 6:01 PM Post #141 of 494
eerr..the Kawa is purely going to be my dirt bike. It is not street legal.
 
I ride a circa 92, 600cc Yamaha seca 2 on the streets.
 
Its nothing great, does 60 BHP, tops out at around 115MPH...i've hit up to 105 (and got pulled over :p ..fortunately no ticket, was let go)
 
I am looking into the following bikes:
Suzuki SV650 heavily modded (GSXR suspension, yoshimura exhaust, steering dampers, frame sliders, shorty levers, etc etc)
Ducati Monster 
KTM Duke 
Triumph Street Triple
 
Gonna buy one of these and sell off the Seca 2.
 
Mar 25, 2011 at 7:56 PM Post #142 of 494
Quote:
I'm very much against the recommendations for 600CC starter bikes, especially sports bikes!  Sure, there have been quite a few people that started on something like a CBR600RR or GSX6R, but I've personally known 2 that crashed them very quickly because they never learned how to handle that kind of power.  I started on a 250 Ninja, and would recommend it as a fantastic starter bike.

 
I agree with most of what you said, but a 250 on the highway, is like  a portable amp running your your whole speaker system. It's just not good enough to get the job done. A 250 is too light and is the equivalent of taking a Piaggio scooter on the highway. If you are first learning, you are better off purchasing a very used 500 or 600cc cruiser that can handle highway conditions (potholes, bumps, and cars being able to see and hear you). 
After that, you can progress to a 600cc sport bike, Learning things like braking, staying out of blind spots and being able to be seen and heard.
 
What's the sense of learning on a 250cc dirtbike or roadbike, if you can only ride in the right lane? 250cc bikes, especially used, are very scary on the highway. One lane hump
or pot  hole and you'll never want to ride again. I had a Honda 350 CBT, and it was frightening, Not a good way to get started into the foray of motorcycle riding. They shimmy in the wind and get thrown all over the place with their toothpick tires and Schwinn horsepower.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
 
I had a Yamaha 650 Seca that cost me $1600 and I did most of my learning on it. Then I went to a 600CC BMW R60/5, then an 1100 Katana, and now a ZX-14. I started with a 4 1/2 hp Rupp Roadster on some farmlands, then progressed to a Honda SL-70 (neither of which, was road worthy), then the Honda 350 (which was fine on local roads, then the Seca and then the BMW (both, fine highway cruisers that weighed about 350 lbs.) then the Katana (550 lbs. for 11 years and now the ZX-14 (480lbs...one of the 2 fastest production bikes known to man).
 
Slow but sure, but not car bait.

 
Mar 25, 2011 at 8:36 PM Post #143 of 494
The SV650 is a great bike, was really considering it, but my after more consideration, decided on the inline 4 CBR600 over the V-twin SV650.
 
The 250 did decent enough on the highway, but definitely scary in higher winds.  I've pushed it to just over 150km/h (93 m/ph) on the highway, got a taste for feeling, can't wait for something faster. :p
 
The Ninja 250 isn't all that small at 304 lbs dry, 355 wet.  Though you definitely lean when a crosswind gusts.
 
Mar 25, 2011 at 9:08 PM Post #144 of 494


Quote:
The SV650 is a great bike, was really considering it, but my after more consideration, decided on the inline 4 CBR600 over the V-twin SV650.
 

 
My Wee-Strom was a great bike, but highly subject to crosswinds, especially with a tank bag and a duffle.
 
Mar 26, 2011 at 12:48 AM Post #145 of 494
As for bike recommendations, I've grown to really appreciate the Japanese bikes, "modern" fuel-injected, liquid-cooled bikes; especially in weather like Toronto (as high as +40C in the summer, and I like to ride until it drops pretty low, so I've went out in -4C before).  That Ducati Monster is air-cooled, which means if you're using it in high temperatures, you will overheat it and you might have fun starting it on cold days (they're known for that kind of thing, even in "moderate" weather like +5C).
 
Mar 26, 2011 at 3:01 AM Post #146 of 494
I'm severely tempted by a '95 Buell Thunderbolt listed locally for $2,200. Yes, I know of their reputation for reliability, but I've always loved Buells and I've got a couple of bulletproof cars... maybe it would be fun to have a high-maintenance sweetheart on the side. :)

Though I've also been tempted by the Ninja 250 for puttering around town. Great mileage and a serious upgrade from a scooter.
 
Mar 26, 2011 at 11:08 AM Post #147 of 494
I owned the first Buell and what a disaster it was, The hardware cracked on the windscreen and it took them 3 months to get it for me, and I lost a riding season. They are on my Sh-t list.
 
Mar 26, 2011 at 10:22 PM Post #149 of 494
I know, guys.

Thing is, I sort of want something temperamental but rewarding. Call me crazy.

The regular driver is a Toyota. Regular maintenance, and add gas. My other car is an old Comet I've had for about 22 years. It doesn't get driven much, but I can count on one hand the problems I've had. The bike is an older Nighthawk. It needed tires and that's about it so far. My stereo rig doesn't cause trouble, either. My apartment is one I helped rebuild; zero issues. Hell, even my cat is even-tempered and easy to deal with.

Maybe this is a forewarning of a midlife crisis. I sort of want a temperamental mistress. Maybe a Buell or an older Ducati. Have given thought to a Lotus Esprit, even. I have not gotten to the point of wanting a boat or an airplane, though.

On the other hand, maybe I should be thankful for not having much repair drama. The Nighthawk is fun and the Comet still makes smoky burnouts.
 
Apr 4, 2011 at 1:48 AM Post #150 of 494
Finally got my CX500c going again after some one tried to sabatage it by loosening the screws that hold the front cover on & pushing in the gasket causing it to rip & leak oil which was getting on the rear tire making it unsafe to ride. It was quite a heavy leak. Tuned it up by adjusting the valves & did some more tweaking on the jetting to get more even response at low speed low load throttle setting so I can ride around town using lower throttle setting without it hickuping occasionally. Definately smoother running around town now that I opened up the primary main jet a little (this feeds the idle, off idle & transition fuel circuit).
 
It was down for about 7 months.
 

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