Get a bike?

[CatD399]

w00t thirsty thursday

man, i'm on vacation from november till may, anyday can get me thirsty!!!

i can't believe i can still type.....

 

[CatD399]

bahh! just get one of those choppers on 'american chopper' we see on tv. it's always fun to see the old man talking s*** wit@ his son....




ps: woops... censored the wrong word...

 

[Gbourdon]

You could build one of those from a kit but they are still a lot of money.

 

[CatD399]

but it wouldn't be worth seeing that bunch bicker!!!!

 

[M=SP^2]

This is a noob question, but do you need a separate license to ride motorcycles? How do most people learn to ride?

 

[Gbourdon]

I know you do in NH and I'm sure you do in most states. In NH you can get a permit without even ever riding a motorcycle. If you are under 18 in NH you are required to take a class that includes the written and physical riding exam. I took that asap and actually got my MC license 2 days after I got my drivers license.

There is a physical test where they watch you do figure eights, stop within a certain distance, start stop, blah blah blah. A class is really a good idea to take though, they will give you good pointers and you usually ride one of their bikes.

 

[Newf]

CAT. Not sure on prices here. Can't say I've priced many. Sorry

As for bikes, I'm one of those rare people I guess. I hate loud bikes. 95% of the reason why I hate harley's. Sports bikes are my thing, but when I'd just driving around, I don't want to hear it too much. I hate REALLY loud pipes. You know the ones, you hear it coming 10 mins before you see it.

Hate loud cars too.

 

[proteJAY]

If I were to ever get a sport bike, I would get the brighest, loudest, most obvious bike. Most people don't know how to share the road w/bikes.... bottom line.

Regardless if your bike is the brightest and loudest, you are almost invincible to cagers.

VA requires only liability insurance.

 

[Kooldino]

In Feb I picked up a Suzuki SV650 off of ebay. Great bike for the money. But yeah, I always said that if I were really poor, I'd take a bike over a car. The insurance savings alone are huge.

 

[Sir Nuke]

A bike is a wonderful thing.....especially if you live in an area where you can take off and go out through the country on some twisties....its so peacful, almost like flying. The wind in your face....its just awsome. I have a harley....I had a Fatboy for 12 years...then traded it in this last July for a 2003 Screamin Eagle Road King. Harleys badest Cruiser......It makes more torque AT THE WHEEL than our stock Proteges do....and all in a 700 pound packate.

If you want to get a bike....do so, but do yourself a favor. Locate and take one of the rider safety courses. Most Harley dealerships sponsor one, so they aren't hard to locate....not only will it make you a better rider...it gets you a break on your insurance. I tell new riders one thing.....when you get on your bike you have super powers.....well ONE super power....there is only one problem....that super power is ON all the time and you can't turn it off....that super power is the power of INVISIBILITY.....no one can see you. IF You ride like you are invisible to everyone...it will help you ride for many years without getting hurt by a car. EVERYTIME you see a car pull up to the side street in front of you...ALWAYS assume that he will pull in front of you....if you are behind someone and to their side....accelerate and get in their line of sight....stay away from large trucks on the highway.....unless you have a windshield...if they spit a rock out...it can be like being shot with a gun if it hits you.....

When I was growing up my father wouldn't allow me to have a motorcycle....I didn't get my first one until I had moved away.....HE had a very bad experience when he was young and thought he was protecting me......To this day all he tells me is "please be careful" and gives me a hug when I leave his home and I am on the bike....He is okay with it...I have logged nearly 100K on bikes over the years....and only ONCE did I allow a cage (automobile) get me off of my wheels...fortunately no damage was done to the bike...or me. And the only reason it happened at all was I wasn't paying as close attention as I should have been....I was a new rider at the time.

I hope you got the bike...this thread is a few weeks old...if you did...good luck, just remember you have super powers on your bike.

 

[rktktpaul]

As always Sir Nuke, thanks for the words of wisdom!! You always know the right things to say.

I've always wanted a bike, but everyone around me always played upon the fears of two wheelers vs. four wheelers. I always said I would get one before 45; well 44 is this August.

So screw everyone - my rider safety course is in two weeks, and then I'm going shopping for a Sportster!

Now if I could only find one to match the color of my P5

 

[Sir Nuke]

As always Sir Nuke, thanks for the words of wisdom!! You always know the right things to say.

I've always wanted a bike, but everyone around me always played upon the fears of two wheelers vs. four wheelers. I always said I would get one before 45; well 44 is this August.

So screw everyone - my rider safety course is in two weeks, and then I'm going shopping for a Sportster!

Now if I could only find one to match the color of my P5

I have some MORE advise for you.....unless a sportster is all you can afford...get a bigger bike. believe it or not...ANY of the softail line is easier to handle than a sportster....they are heavier...but their center of gravity is much lower, and so is the seat height. My wife baught a sporty a year and a half ago....and it only took her six months to figure out that she wanted/needed a bigger bike....this fall when the 2005's come out we are putting her on a Heritage Classic. NOW, if all you are going to do is run around town type riding, or short runs from one place to another, a sporty is fine....but if you EVER want to get out on the open road...or even just go for a few hundred miles....you are going to hate a sportster.

 

[rktktpaul]

Thanks again Sir Nuke. I gotta say its good to have you back!

You're right in that its mostly going to be a bike to get around town on short trips. Plus in talking to a few friends who ride, the thought was that the Sportster was a good bike to get accustomed to riding with. Once I go through an experienced rider course, then I may look to go up.

 

[Sir Nuke]

one thing is for sure....if you get a sporty...and you take good care of her....you can get nearly all your money back out of her....I can tell you ONE thing that will make your sproty 1000% more comfortable though....unless you are only 5 feet tall....ensure you get one that has forward controls. other wise you will feel like you are riding a mini bike all the time....the forward controls streaches out your legs and makes riding one a LOT more comfortable.

 

[osudewd]

I am considering this bike. It is a new Honda model, VTX 1300C. Kinda a performace cruiser. I'll probably pick one up after I graduate next year.

 

[1sty]

How much would an older 600 cost? I've been thinking about getting a bike too.

I havea freind that has grat connection to a suzuki dealer so I get the no BS numbers. They took in a 1997 Katana 750 with only 5000 and where willing to just hand it over to me for $2500. That was still more then they gave the guy in trade in for it but that bike was likely sold for around $4K+

 

[Jackal14075]

im in the market for the new CBR1000RR, to replace my 929RR. I want it so badly... I've taken the 929 over 165MPH with just 2 mods, ive never experienced speed wobble, I don't think its much of an issue on any recent sportbike, those engineers know what they're doin, and they design the bikes for those high speeds. I wanna see how far towards warp speed the new 1000RR will take me/