I just passed my Motorcycle license test!

[headshot99r6]

Congratulations, riding is a blast. get a used bike, cause if you tip it over in the garage (like I did with my first one) it doesn't hurt as much :biggrin:

 

[len3.8]

Good Job Joel.. As said before, you are going about it the right way... IMHO, I would now buy a beater bike and get some Pylons and find the biggest parking lot and finish getting up to speed... Practice panic stops, manuevering in and out of tight places, panic turns, and everything else that the MSF touches on... Things are sooooo much different on the road, the accident that you saw spells that out no better than anything can. There are so many things to jump out and grab you it's amazing...

As far as the Helmet goes, I don't preach to people about there choices unless it effects me. I choose to be full protected when I ride. Cigarettes Hurt and cause accidents, Beetles hurt like hell. Rocks and other debri don't feel good either. It's your choice though..

I like the SV also. Cruiser wise I also like Honda's 750s.
My first street bike was a Suzuki GS650, I paid $600 for it in great shape. I rode it for 2 months and then Jumped on a Honda VTX1800 (Brute and heavy) The first day out my driveway, my neighbors daughter decides that she wants to race me on her bicycle, she ran right across my path, I had to run my 13k motorcycle off the road to keep from killing her. (My driveway and street has no outs.)

I am glad I was able to turn it, because there was no way I could stop... I am also glad that I practiced big time before going out on the road... I also trashed the exhaust pipes on the M-Bike...

I continue to practice everytime I am on the road.
I ride a Honda CBR 1000F and have owned a couple of other sport Tourers that were way faster, too fast for me.
So I know ride a more comfortable. lil slower sports tourer..
I still like the cruisers though..

Be careful out there, the cars and trucks don't see you.

 

[Joel]

How much should I budget for gear? I want to get decent stuff but I don't want to go overboard either. I'm afraid I'll just start buying stuff the sales guy would tell me to get. I'm such a newb.

 

[4AU4LIFE]

I think you are asking for trouble if you don't wear a helmet of some sort while riding. I have a full face myself and can't imagine not wanting it that way.
JMHO

 

[Ko-nsx]

How much should I budget for gear? I want to get decent stuff but I don't want to go overboard either. I'm afraid I'll just start buying stuff the sales guy would tell me to get. I'm such a newb.

i started off with a cbr 600rr, but not before taking actual riding lessons. Most accidents ive seen come from turning not going straight. I rode 4 years before i took a class and what i learned in those 2 days was worth every single penny, riding and being in control of the bike are 2 different things. Invest in some good lessons(here you get your license after the class). State farm is very cheap for insurance, i pay 390 a year for a cbr 954rr and im 32 single with a ticket :biggrin: and you get a discount for taking a class.

get a dot and snell approved helmet, shoei are expensive but they've saved my head! All your really need is a good full face helmet and a jacket of some sort. Honestly take a class and after the class(mine was 2 days straight 8 hours rain or shine) if you still think you want to ride, a nice suzuki sv650, with an aftermarket exhaust....... for you to be heard is a good choice.(screamin track bike too :biggrin: ) :biggrin:

BE SAFE AND SMART...they are a blast

 

[ghost]

All these suggestions are nice, i.e suzuki sv650, honda, kawasaki and my favorite the vstar...

You should go to couple of motorcycle stores, and check out these bikes in person (not to buy or ride them), just to see how they look up close, sit on one or two and see how you feel.

I would stay away from the suggestion for crotch rockets at least for now. The cruisers are easier , more comfortable, and in my opinion less dangerous, and your not tempted to do wild things on them. Even now, i find myself tempted to do a crazy wheelie stand on my ducati, like i used to do on my other superbikes years back. I dont know what it is, but it never crosses my mind when i am on a cruiser to do so. Its split personality thing :biggrin:


I agree with 92nsx, and the other poster. First thing is a helmet. There are couple of them that are full face and are actually cool, like the black tinted ones...and there are those that are rebel looking that cover your head sorta of the german helmet design...I dont recall the saying about motorcycle riders that goes something like are two kind of riders, " those who have went down on their bikes, and those who are going too." Most of the time its the other person on the road that you have to worry about, and thats why you have to protect yourself and Drive DEFENSIVE...i am sure you learned that at your class.

Regarding gear, some motorcycle dealers, if they could, will have you out with couple of thousand dollars in gear. All you need is a good helmet, and maybe a motorcycle jacket if you want...

 

[DocL]

...Regarding gear, some motorcycle dealers, if they could, will have you out with couple of thousand dollars in gear. All you need is a good helmet, and maybe a motorcycle jacket if you want...

And don't forget a good pair of gloves and boots. If I wasn't wearing my Kevlar gloves, I would have lost a few fingers that were pressed between a car and my bar end before I was highsided off the bike.

 

[mikec]

Congratulations on your licence!


Disagree - may be smaller end of displacement scale but still a pretty extreme bike for a starter.
Ideal considerations from my perspective would be Suzuki SV650, or another choice perhaps Kawasaki Z750S. These two models are ideal for novice riders but will not be quickly outgrown either.

I can second D'Ecosse's opinion.

I had over 20 bikes in my lifetime. from a Honda Sport 65 (cc that is) to a BMW K1200RS. My next to last bike was a Honda CBR600F3, which was a blast. But, I wouldn't exactly call it a starter bike. I liked the CBR, but found that I never rode it for one reason or another so I sold it a few months ago. A friend of mine who collects bikes (has about 20 Harleys, Indians, Triumphs, etc.) was telling me the most fun bike he has is an older Suzuki SV650 and that I should ride one.

At his recommendation I went to my dealer and test rode a 2005 SV650S. I bought it on the spot. It's not as fast as the Honda CBR, but power delivery is completly different. The SV is a fuel-injected V Twin and has gobs of low end torque. It feels faster at sub-hyper speeds and is more satisfying for me. I love the sound. It is little, light, and at around 70HP is sane enough for a beginner, yet has enough stuff to be fun for an experienced road carver. It weighs only about 370lbs and is the best handling bike I ever had. I ride it every chance I get. I already have 2,000 miles on it since August, which is more than I put on my last two bikes in 3 years. This thing is just downright fun, and it gets 59 MPG to boot!

The SV650 comes in two flavors. Naked and Sport. The naked bike lacks fairings and has a more upright riding position. The SV650S is a sportbike type, has a cool upper fairing and headlight treatment and has a more forward riding position, but not radical. I bought the lower fairing kit for mine which looks really good.

I'd recommend seeing and riding one before you buy anything else. Do and internet search on SV650 and you will see that this bike has a cult following. Much like the NSX, it is not the best at any one thing, but some consider it the best overall package of balance.

 

[Joel]

i started off with a cbr 600rr, but not before taking actual riding lessons. Most accidents ive seen come from turning not going straight. I rode 4 years before i took a class and what i learned in those 2 days was worth every single penny, riding and being in control of the bike are 2 different things. Invest in some good lessons(here you get your license after the class). State farm is very cheap for insurance, i pay 390 a year for a cbr 954rr and im 32 single with a ticket :biggrin: and you get a discount for taking a class.

get a dot and snell approved helmet, shoei are expensive but they've saved my head! All your really need is a good full face helmet and a jacket of some sort. Honestly take a class and after the class(mine was 2 days straight 8 hours rain or shine) if you still think you want to ride, a nice suzuki sv650, with an aftermarket exhaust....... for you to be heard is a good choice.(screamin track bike too :biggrin: ) :biggrin:



BE SAFE AND SMART...they are a blast

I completed MSF last summer.

 

[91 X]

Congrats Joel!!!

I've got the bike bug too...Plan on taking a course soon.

Although my two choices are the Yamaha R6 or the CBR600, any expert opinions out there on which is better???

 

[DocL]

Congrats Joel!!!

I've got the bike bug too...Plan on taking a course soon.

Although my two choices are the Yamaha R6 or the CBR600, any expert opinions out there on which is better???

I've owned four Honda's and one Suzuki. But if you want the best, go with a Ducati.

 

[mikec]

Congrats Joel!!!

I've got the bike bug too...Plan on taking a course soon.

Although my two choices are the Yamaha R6 or the CBR600, any expert opinions out there on which is better???

I'd go with the Honda CBR600RR. IMHO Honda has better build quality. I like my Suzuki, but my Honda was finished better, and also more expensive.

 

[Arata]

:biggrin:

Woohoo!!!!

Went to the DMV, took the test, 10 minutes later I was done. You were allowed 3 misses but I made 2. I didn't have to take the driving test because I completed an MSF course during the summer.

Now, I'm looking for a starter bike. Considering the Honda Rebel or Kawasaki Vulcan 500. I'm leaning towards the kawasaki because of the Positive Neutral Shift feature = less panic for me.

I'm so excited. But driving down the 5 fwy from San Francisco yesterday I saw a biker got hosed by a truck flipped on it side. I didn't need to see that. :frown:

Anyway, I'm looking for motorcycle insurance. Wawanesa, who covers my car, doesn't provide it.

Any suggestions?[/QUOTE

Congrats, I would recommend you stick with the Rebel or the Vulcan, I assume the Rebel is a 250?? They used to make a 450 also.
They are both very very reliable, easy to maintain, easy to ride, more than enought power to learn how to ride. The 250 is a little small for long trips, the Vulcan would be better for trips over 50 miles.
As for the sugestion that a Ducati is the best, I would strongly disagree, terrible reliabilty, very high routine maintainace costs, routine maintance 2 to 4 times as often as a Japanese bike. Less power for the same displacement of the Japanese bikes, yes even when compared to other twins, the only exception, power wise, is the 999R. But they do look pretty.
I guess I might as well add my resume. I used to be a Ducati dealer.
I have worked on almost every current brand of motorcycle made for more than 30 years.
I currently own a ZX10R, a GSXR1000 and an R1.
I have ridden more than 200 different bikes, including the Rebel 250 and 450.
One last tip, when you are riding a motorcycle pretend you are invisable, you will find car drivers simply are not looking for motorcycles and therefore do not see them. I would recommend you ride like this, do the looking for them.

 

[Jae5150]

I've got mixed opinions on this subject. I am all for progressive riding, but picking a starter bike that is too small could be a bad move as well. A Rebel 250 for example, is a tiny bike...TINY, and horribly underpowered. I see people get these for starter bikes constantly, and like clockwork, they are back within a month trying to trade them for a bigger bikes. Learning to ride is the easy part...you have already taken your MSF course, and passed you riding test, so it is clear that you can ride....riding safe is the part that takes practice, but IMO, it doesn't make much of a difference what you are riding as long as YOU ARE COMFORTABLE ON IT. Also, don't be stupid...respect the bike...I PROMISE it will kill you if you don't. Get a bike that fits you physically, and I suggest at least a 500 or bigger for a first cruiser (the XVS650 V-Star or Shadow VT750s are both great choices), but also consider getting a mid-80's cruiser for $1500 bucks, so that #1, if you dump it, you won't care, #2, after riding it for a couple of months, you will know what size to jump to for your "real" bike, and #3, you won't take a beating when you sell it off for a new one. Last thing...don't let your friends ride whatever you get...they always seem to wreck them :biggrin:
Good luck,
Joel
www.tricitycycle.com

 

[Ko-nsx]

I completed MSF last summer.

Your right, i missed that. I saw it after i posted an didn't get around to editing the post. Sorry :redface: . Get a good comfortable helmet. Are you ready for one of these? also the micron exhaust is to be heard.

 

[ghost]

I've owned four Honda's and one Suzuki. But if you want the best, go with a Ducati.

Doc is right about ducati. I call my ducati, as the motorcycle twin of the nsx. They are both red with black top, vented sides, similar sounds from their pipes, similar spoiler on the back, both super sexy machines. And like the nsx, there might be other bikes faster then the ducati, but when it comes to driving enjoyment and going around twisties, there are not many that can compare.....


I still say though, for starters, you should stick to a cruiser (suzuki, honda, yamaha cruisers ) an easy bike to ride, and specially if you dont want to deal with a tougher neutral gear (i.e Ducati)

 

[nsxpilot]

Thanks.

My rider friends tell me that I should get a full face helmet. They give you more protection but honestly, I don't like them. I feel very constricted in it and when the face shield is down, I get even more claustrophobic. When I wear these things, I don't feel connected to my environment and that is a hazard for me. I feel detached from what is going on around me. Am I alone in feeling like this?

I like this guy's helmet:

Hey Joel, I would urge you to reconsider and figure on a full face helmet. I assure you that you will get used to it and adapt. I personally watched a young man die in front of me from an impact to his face. He was wearing an open face helmet that remained on his head. He left a two little kids and a wife. My point is,(sorry for being long winded) his accident was totally survivable. Once again, motorcycling is risky!......Do what you can to manage the risks! And like mentioned by the pro above, ride like you are invisible!