the_Wife wants me to buy a bike (advice)

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the_bird said:
400-500cc cruiser is what I'm thinking.
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If you're just going to go tooling around, that'll be a great bike. But if you plan on going on any extended rides, you might think about going a little bigger, say 650-850 or more. Your butt will thank you after a day of riding.
 
This is my first bike, Bernie - not my last! As long as I don't totally **** it up, no reason I won't be able to resell whatever I buy in a couple years. I also don't want to spend a ton of money right now; I'm in the middle of the kitchen project, the class is going to be a couple hundred bucks, not sure how much I'll end up spending on a good helmet and riding gear (figuring what, a couple hundred total?).
 
A few thoughts:

  • MSF is an absolute must and an absolute blast.
  • Get your written permit first. Then...when you "graduate" the class, you can go straight to the DMV and get your full endorsement. They will give you the written exam at the course, but it does not count. You must take it at the highway patrol stations.
  • Buy what you can afford and ride immediately. Understand though that like owning a boat...it doesn't take long to start eying something bigger.
  • Make yourself as visible as possible…then ride like you’re invisible. Assume nobody sees you on the road.
  • Get on line and search out and read about motorcycle accidents. What happened, how, what could have been done differently? It can be a sobering exercise, but I can tell you that when I returned to riding, those “lessons from the road” came into play a number of times.
  • You will drop your bike.
  • If you go on a group ride…the newest rider goes up front.
  • Finally…get that kickstand up and ride…baby…ride…:ban:

I put 6,000 miles on this bike...THIS WINTER.:D

p1040041.jpg
 
Good helmet: 100-300 depending on your head shape. I think that, especially for a new rider, a full face is a necessity.

Good boots: IMHO the second most important piece of gear. WHEN you drop the bike, not IF you drop the bike, your ankles are likely to make contact with the asphalt or hot/hard surfaces of the bike.


Good jacket: Another 100-300. Make sure there's armor in the right places.

Good pants: 100-300. I'll admit to being a jeans wearer - It'll bite me in the ass one of these days. I HAVE been sliding and the only thing that saved me was the thick rain gear I was wearing.


I've bought most of my gear from New Enough Motorcycle Apparel sells motorcycle jackets, pants and suits, boots, gloves, helmets, etc :: New Enough, LTD Most in the bargain basement or closeout section. Despite the name, all gear is new. Awesome customer service, awesome return policy, great prices on some items. I've paid a little extra once or twice just because of the assurance of an easy return if there are problems with a selected item.

Also keep in mind - you're at the beginning of bike season, prices will steadily go up till August or so. In about a month prices will be higher than they are today due to increased demand. In 2 months you'll flat out pay a premium. Don't rush your purchase, just keep in mind that demand, thus price, increases steadily as the days get longer and warmer.
 
Bernie Brewer said:
If you're just going to go tooling around, that'll be a great bike. But if you plan on going on any extended rides, you might think about going a little bigger, say 650-850 or more. Your butt will thank you after a day of riding.
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And if she wants to go for a putt with you, a bike in this range will make the ride more comfortable for both of you. ;)

And as BM states, like a boat, buy bigger than you think you want, because you will kick yourself for not going bigger almost immediately, and you can't build on. :D
 
Motorcycling is just like this hobby it gets under your skin I tell myself I can stop anytime but I just end up buying another bike... 5 and counting

side.jpg


I also have an 04 Buell XB12r , Yamaha V-star and the Honda


but this is my baby

springer.jpg
 
My only advice is to tie your wife up in the basement so she never gets away. A wife that ASKS her husband to get a bike....what a world you live in! My wife is scared to death I'll kill myself and leave her a single mom. She worries so much.
 
She've even pregnant - what the hell?

She knows I've been feeling stressed and crappy about a lot of things, just TOO MANY things going on. Kinda like when I started brewing; needed an outlet for something that *I* could do. Something that'll make ME happy that doesn't involve my dick in her mouth.

That, plus I think she's looking for some quick $$ from the insurance.
 
the_bird said:
She've even pregnant - what the hell?

She knows I've been feeling stressed and crappy about a lot of things, just TOO MANY things going on. Kinda like when I started brewing; needed an outlet for something that *I* could do. Something that'll make ME happy that doesn't involve my dick in her mouth.

That, plus I think she's looking for some quick $$ from the insurance.
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My wife wanted to club me in the knee just for the Afflac payments for doctor visits, after she found out I got cash after a slip and fall in the winter.:D
 
My wife would kill me before she would let a motorcycle have a chance to kill me....

Guess I'll settle for a 4wd truck, and no restrictions on my homebrewing.
 
Remember a lot of people, and I mean a lot, will tell you horror stories about motorcycle crashes when you tell them your learning to ride. Don't let them scare you but learn from other peoples mistakes. Motorcycle riding takes a heightened sense of awareness, even to this day I wont drink even one beer before I go on a ride, even though I feel no effects until I'm a few in. There really isn't a margin of error when riding like there is driving a car. The safety course will show you all the proper ways to avoid accidents, just make sure you try to stay to those rules and not form bad habits. Most of all have fun, I have to say that motorcycle riding is one of the funnest things I do, it's right up there with brewing.
 
juvinious said:
I just completed my MSF beginners course to get my endorsement last weekend. Highly recommend it if you haven't ridden for a while or only rode dirt bikes when you were a kid. Definitely second the idea on staying away from an automatic transmission.
Currently I've been leaning on getting a kawasaki ninja 250r for the interim as my commuter and then hopefully put some cash away in the next year to get a HD dyna street bob later on.
Click to expand...

enjoy your 250r. I own a 01 250 and love it. thinking of getting an 09. they are a freaking blast to ride. i have owned my 01 for 3 years going on my 4th summer with it. its my summer vehicle when gas is 4 bucks a gallon and i feel no need to buy into a bigger bike.

BTW check out ninja250.org
 
BierMuncher said:
A few thoughts:

  • MSF is an absolute must and an absolute blast.
  • Get your written permit first. Then...when you "graduate" the class, you can go straight to the DMV and get your full endorsement. They will give you the written exam at the course, but it does not count. You must take it at the highway patrol stations.
  • Buy what you can afford and ride immediately. Understand though that like owning a boat...it doesn't take long to start eying something bigger.
  • Make yourself as visible as possible…then ride like you’re invisible. Assume nobody sees you on the road.
  • Get on line and search out and read about motorcycle accidents. What happened, how, what could have been done differently? It can be a sobering exercise, but I can tell you that when I returned to riding, those “lessons from the road” came into play a number of times.
  • You will drop your bike.
  • If you go on a group ride…the newest rider goes up front.
  • Finally…get that kickstand up and ride…baby…ride…:ban:

I put 6,000 miles on this bike...THIS WINTER.:D

p1040041.jpg
Click to expand...

could not agree more or said it better. especially you will drop your bike. its tempting to just kick the bike over and be done with it.

i bought my 01 ninja 250 as a summer vehicle. couldnt pass up the deal. 1 grand. its been dropped and has 11k miles on it. its my commuter. anyway rode it for like a month before i did the most stupid thing. pulling into the work parking garage i instead of looking where i was turning i kept focus straight into a door. well i rode up on a sidewalk and dropped it/fall over

do not get brain fog. dont get locked into a single spot. and remember you always go where you look. always look through the turn and where you want to end up cause that is where you are going to end up.

safety gear is a must. boots are as important as your head gear as important as your jacket. get a jacked that has good spine protection not just the elbows and shoulders. helmet get a full face helmet for best protection. when you goto the store put the helmet you think you want on and walk around for a while. see how comfortable it is and get one with the adjustable padding inserts. you can goto ninja250.org and look at the faq. has a ton of great information there.
 
I snagged a classic Kawasaki KZ650 off of ebay for $387.50

original.jpg


It's since been modified and is awaiting more funds to be finished up.
It's my first bike and is plenty powerful.
Keep in mind with 30 year old bike like this, you will be doing quite a bit of wrenching. I bought a repair/maintenance manual and joined a couple of forums. It's very easy to work on.

You should be able to find a late 70's to early 80's Kawasaki or Suzuki in good running condition for $800-1500usd.

IMG_1631.jpg


IMG_1627.jpg
 
pen25 said:
enjoy your 250r. I own a 01 250 and love it. thinking of getting an 09. they are a freaking blast to ride. i have owned my 01 for 3 years going on my 4th summer with it. its my summer vehicle when gas is 4 bucks a gallon and i feel no need to buy into a bigger bike.

BTW check out ninja250.org
Click to expand...

I was at a dealer today taking a look at them getting pretty excited about it. I don't know if it would be a good idea to finance it. I think I might just have to put away some cash for it. The dealer was talking 4999 or something after everything. In any event I'm going to talk to a few more dealers and see how the price varies. Regarding the site, it has been a great reference and the reason why I've decided on the 250.
 
Ditto. After reading some of the fatal motorcycle accident causes, there are three things you can do to make yourself "statistically invincible".

1. Most of the fatal accidents involved alcohol, even if under the legal limit DON'T DRINK AND RIDE!
2. Wear a helmet and all other appropriate gear - helmet, gloves, boots, jeans (or preferrably leathers).
3. Be extremely careful within 1 mile of your home. People tend to get in "autopilot" mode when they get into familiar territory. Don't forge, the ride isn't over until the bike is parked.


farmbrewernw said:
Remember a lot of people, and I mean a lot, will tell you horror stories about motorcycle crashes when you tell them your learning to ride. Don't let them scare you but learn from other peoples mistakes. Motorcycle riding takes a heightened sense of awareness, even to this day I wont drink even one beer before I go on a ride, even though I feel no effects until I'm a few in. There really isn't a margin of error when riding like there is driving a car. The safety course will show you all the proper ways to avoid accidents, just make sure you try to stay to those rules and not form bad habits. Most of all have fun, I have to say that motorcycle riding is one of the funnest things I do, it's right up there with brewing.
Click to expand...
 
Ice9 said:
I snagged a classic Kawasaki KZ650 off of ebay for $387.50

original.jpg


It's since been modified and is awaiting more funds to be finished up.
It's my first bike and is plenty powerful.
Keep in mind with 30 year old bike like this, you will be doing quite a bit of wrenching. I bought a repair/maintenance manual and joined a couple of forums. It's very easy to work on.

You should be able to find a late 70's to early 80's Kawasaki or Suzuki in good running condition for $800-1500usd.
Click to expand...

Thanks a lot buddy, now I'm back to searching ebay:p. looks great.
 
nothing new to add. i tend to disagree with what most people say about buying something that is smaller. even smaller bikes can go fast enough to kill you in a hurry. really you just need to ride defensively. any bike is more dangerous than a car. only reason to buy an older, or cheaper bike is if you happen to lay it down, you wont be so pissed you ruined your brand new $12000 bike.

my advice: wear all your gear, all the time. most accidents i have seen have been on rides that were "chill, easy rides" or just around town

defensive: just because the bike will do 180, doesnt mean you have to try between every stop light.

HAPPY RIDING!!

r1new.jpg
 
juvinious said:
I was at a dealer today taking a look at them getting pretty excited about it. I don't know if it would be a good idea to finance it. I think I might just have to put away some cash for it. The dealer was talking 4999 or something after everything. In any event I'm going to talk to a few more dealers and see how the price varies. Regarding the site, it has been a great reference and the reason why I've decided on the 250.
Click to expand...

way too much. those things shouldnt be that much. i think i have read 4500 is the going price. now how i feel about a bike is a bike should be paid cash for unless you get zero %. deprecation is worse on a bike then it is for a car unless its a custom american iron
 
TwoHeadsBrewing said:
...Most of the fatal accidents involved alcohol, even if under the legal limit DON'T DRINK AND RIDE!...
Click to expand...

farmbrewernw said:
...even to this day I wont drink even one beer before I go on a ride, even though I feel no effects until I'm a few in. There really isn't a margin of error when riding like there is driving a car....
Click to expand...

+1,000

No beer until the kickstand is down for the night.

The most likely place you'll end up dropping is when you're circling Walmart's parking lot for a space...you're in a constant state of "turn" and a soccer mom on her cell phone backs out of a spot right into your path.

Hard brake + turn position is not a good combination. Spells "instant dump".
 
BierMuncher said:
Hard brake + turn position is not a good combination. Spells "instant dump".
Click to expand...

That's where the MSF really pays off. I take the ERC (experienced riders course) every few years to brush up those low-speed parking lot skills.

OP: As for a beginner's bike, lots of great advice has already been posted. I'd only add that you worry less about displacement and get a bike that 1: you like, 2: fits you well, and 3: won't cost an arm and a leg to fix WHEN it gets dropped.
 
I hate this thread. I need to find a therapist I know and can talk to ahead of time, get my wife to go to "Couple's Therapy" and have him recommend a motorcycle for freedom and stress relief......
 
This might work...

1983 HONDA KNIGHTHAWK CB650 - $500 (AMHERST)

1983 Honda Knighthawk cb650sc. VIN # jh2rc1300dm006886. This is a running motorcycle with 22788 miles. 6 speed transmission with shaft drive gets 58 to 62 mpg depending on your driving habits. Bike has digital display for fuel level and gear indicator. It needs a new owner, I am moving. I have gone over the entire bike and this is what it needs to be on the street. A battery, I will jump start the bike to prove it runs and sounds great!, Clutch fluid bleed, I may do it if I have the time, 4 rubber turn signal mounts( cheap about 8 bucks apeice), 1 turn signal bulb( even cheaper), a good wash, wax and detail, replace the front tire soon. It went low and has a flat spot on it, so when the bike is on the street you should replace it soon though the tread is still good as is the rear tire. I drained the gas tank and replaced the gas and drained the carbs and oil and filter. If wanted to you could change the air filter and spark plugs but I did not see any reason to do so. Bike needs to be registered. I have the clear title in hand. So as stated the bike does not need much. I feel the price is a perfect move it now price, considering my position I took into account that I do not have alot of days left here. I am honest, open and sincere. The pictures tell all as will your eyes when you come and buy it. Currently bike is in my storage unit at stadium storage in Hadley across from the Stadium/S tonehenge and can be seen anytime. Call 4132754751 I can help you load it too. Thanks Will include Honda shop manual, keys, 2 oil filters, and a battery tender, a really good one. cost me $60 bucks.
Click to expand...

3kc3pa3o0ZZZZZZZZZ95qdf431357a3621cc0.jpg


I know it's shaft drive, but so what? $500! I just sent him an email to see if I can check it out this weekend. I'll give my brother a call tomorrow night, see if he could help out his little brother investigate a bike (he's got a lot more experience with these things than I do).

Sounds pretty much what I should be looking for, right? $1,100 less than the bike the_Wife wanted me to buy (which will more than pay for a front tire and some good gear).
 
Don't sweat the drive shaft. That's all I've ever owned.

If you don't mind doing a few things yourself...doesn't look like it's that far from road ready. Batteries can be bought at Walmart.

If you've never ridden, see if you can negotiate him delivering it to you. Looks like a decent run-about bike.

If you get it...run 3-4 ounces of SeaFoam fuel cleaner through the first few tanks. That stuff is like magic for making internals like new.
 
Well, it's about an hour away from me, the bike's not registered, and unfortunately I do not own a pickup. I can load a good dozen sheets of drywall in the back of a Honda Element, but not sure about a Honda Nighthawk! That's a big part of why I need Big Bro's help!

I don't know much about fixing bikes, but now's the time to learn! Needing to do a couple repairs will keep me from going out on the road before I take the class!

EDIT: That's a lot of exclamation points I've been using; I guess I'm pretty excited!
 
Dude. Ignore the shaftie haters. They just wish they had a shaft and are jealous. ;-)

I've owned two bikes - a shaftie and a chain drive. I hated dealing with the chain so much (I ride in the rain... which trashes chains) that a shaft drive was on the TOP of my "must have" list. I'll likely never own another chain driven road bike...

Shafties rule!
 
I ride on average 30,000 miles a year. I run through bikes rather quick because I'm damn hard on them. So I like my bikes reliable, and crashable.

For 1000 miles days on the slab and single track that's not in the woods I ride a klr650. Ugly, yeah, but stone reliable and more fun than any cruiser or supersport. I want a husky te610 though.
You might consider a 400cc-650cc dualsport, they tent to crash really well, tard the thing and you'll amaze a lot of people on the road as to it's capabilities.

As for the countersteering referred to earlier. You push left lean left go left and vice versa. This means your wheel turns in the opposite direction of the turn. It's really noticeable with big front tires offroad when you lock the bars. The only time it doesn't work is when you're going too slow.
 
Henry Hill said:
Gimme that man card! :(

DUDE, there are millions of bikes out there. This is one that will not give you much riding pleasure, and you and it will be mocked long after you sell it.

Ever notice how there isn't much out there that doesn't have 5 or 6 gears? This was built to be chick bike, so she could go riding with him.

I would be very suspicious of expensive repairs to a low volume bike that is nearly 30 years old-think repair parts. I further suspect a very low price when you want to off it, if you can sell it.

There is a **** ton of reliable, medium size engine jap cruisers, that are easy and cheap to fix, but probably will never have to be. Decide on a few examples of a more recent high volume popular model, up around 650-750cc's, with low miles at a reasonable price, and pursue all avenues of finding them. Being a fish striking and at a cheap CL ad on a sparkly, very undesirable bike will not make you happy.

Don't do this to yourself. ;)
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Dude, my buddy just went through the same thing you are going through. He bought a 250 CC 2006 yamaha yellow jacket looking crotch rocket. After 3 months of owning it he wants something more powerful. It's cool at first, but get something you will grow into. this is a long term commitment and you don't want to commit to an old turd. Just like having an affair with copperhead would suck, so would getting an outdated bike.
 
I owned a nighthawk just like that one for a couple years, it was a great bike. However, I would say to steer clear of that one unless you are comfortable fixing bikes. It seems that it has not been well cared for, so the problems stated might be just the tip of the iceberg. I bought mine for $900 about 3 years ago, and it was in great running condition.

If you can find another nighthawk, I'd get it. They are great bikes, bulletproof simple engines, and the shaft drive is smooth and low maintenance. Look for one that's been cared for, there is no end to troubles with older bikes that have been abused.
 
If I buy a 25-year old bike, it's a given that I'm going to learn how to tinker, and this one seems to be in about as good a shape as any of this vintage that I've seen. I'll bring big bro along to check it more closely, and I do have lists of things to look at when examining a used bike, but the things he notes needs to be done - battery, bleeding the clutch fluid, etc, aren't that bad. Hell, most of the $500 bikes out there don't even have a clean title!

The way I'm framing the question to myself is; if I'm spending $500 on a bike, it's probably something just like this, that needs a little bit of work but nothing that I can't handle. If I spend $2,000 on a bike, it's not going to be anything bigger or fancier, it's just going to be newer, prettier, and be able to be ridden right away. Right now, I'm leaning towards the cheaper option.

We'll see, I've got to get over to Hadley and check it out before making up my mind.
 
Jay, I hate you. ;)

I'm scouring CL and the local sale paper right now for a motorcycle. Found a '79 Suzuki 750 ES for $575. Now, to convince SWMBO....
 

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