Get a bike?

[ghetto waggon]

Well, many of you know i've lost my license over the past few months for a reckless ticket, and insurance is rough at this point. Progressive is the only company that would pick me up at $7200 full coverage on the 03 p5.

One of the guys I work with has had the same problem, and ended up getting a bike. He started with an older sport/touring bike, and is looking to work his way up eventually.

As a kid I was always told, never, hell no, you're not having a bike in this house. Friends and co workers go on to tell about those who have died, etc.

Yet, at the same time, insurance will cost me about $50 a month, versus the $400+ that it will require for the mazda.

What are your alls thoughts on getting an older 600 bike and sporting that for the summer months, to help alleviate some of the costs with insurance? With that, I obviously think it will be fun

One thing that this friend of mine has shown is a lack of interest in further modding his car. This appeals to me in a few ways. Needless to say he still drives a very nice, hooked up car, but he seems to have harnessed his obsession about dumping money into parts on a weekly basis...I could use this as well!

What do you guys think?
Am I crazy?

 

[orangezoom]

Florida you do not need insurance for a bike

 

[ghetto waggon]

VA-you do...

 

[2K3 MSP]

I say go for it...especially in your situation. I've been thinking about getting one even though I swore I never would. All of my friends have one, and they are all very careful about riding. None of them have ever layed one down.

 

[M=SP^2]

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

 

[jersey_emt]

Yeah I've been toying with the idea too...if gas prices really get up there I'm probably going to go for it.

 

[Gbourdon]

Just be careful. I was going to buy a sport bike but I have a terrible driving record. It is very easy to ride carelessly on a sport bike and get in trouble or get hurt. I bought a Harley instead

Insurance on a brand new harley was half the price of insurance on the used sport bike I was looking at. You don't need insurance at all in New Hampshire (unless the bank requires it for a loan) but I am required to carry insurance by the state because I have habitual offender status. Well long story short, my bike insurance on a brand new harley is still only 550 bucks a year. (thumb)

 

[ghetto waggon]

Yea, I would dig a harley

Friends say harleys don't get hit cause theyre loud. If I got one i'd have to go all out, no wanna be harley.

An older 600 can be $1500-$4000 if my findings are accurate.

$575/yr for me is insurance cost, I just quoted it. Its "HIGH", but it aint s*** on $7200.

Which harley did you get?
Money's also an issue. I'm a full time student and I only plan to work one full time job this summer.

 

[Newf]

I'd love to have a nice sport bike. not a harley though. With the price of gas these days, it's almost an investment.

Your situation....I'd say go for it 4 sure.

 

[CatD399]

hey newf, what are the prices like on the rock?

 

[Gbourdon]

I just got the new 1200 Sportster Custom. Its one of the cheapest harleys you can get. Brand new I paid $10,900 for it. And they do not haggle on prices at all. You could get a used one or an 883 for cheaper. This is the first year they rubber mounted the engines on the sportster and it rides a lot nicer than the old sportsters. If I had my way I would've got a new fat boy, or a super glide but they are like twice as much money.

I got a 1980 GS750 that I'd let go REAL cheap Its a rat but I paid 500 bucks for it and put 2500 miles on it last summer

 

[lasermp5]

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.

 

[ghetto waggon]

Thats what friends say, get a pipe if youre going with a crotch rocket.

I'm just afraid to share the roads with the people around here. Today walking back to my room from class, a young asian guy in a (very nice looking) last gen predule was in a handicapped spot and bumped both a saturn and a cadillac while trying to get out, in the midst of holding up pedestrian traffic. WHY he drives such an expensive car, and WHY he's on the road, I dont know.
It's people like this that scare me.

 

[Gbourdon]

On a bike just always look everyone in the eye so you know they actually saw you. Leave yourself as much space as possible all around you, watch out for other peoples blind spots since you are so much smaller. Ride faster than or slower than traffic. I take out my friends rockets from time to time and always ending up tearing down the highway at like 140 mph which is not good for the license factor. I would like to have both kinds of bikes eventually.

 

[lasermp5]

Yup. Just picture a lady in her Ford excrusion going 65 putting make-up on, talking on her cell-phone, taking care of 4 kids in the back, etc... I hate to think about it, but these are the people we surround ourselves by when we're on the road. Between insurance and gas, bikes are great. Hell their a blast to drive. If you do get a bike, just be careful please. I'm only 16. I knew 3 kids personally that have died on bikes. I can name plenty others that I didn't know...

 

[ghetto waggon]

whats the deal with "speed wobbles"?
is this true?

young guys say hell nah hasnt happened to them
older guys say "I'll never go that fast on a bike again!"

 

[CatD399]

crotch rocket.

(rlaugh) multiply the laughter factor by 10 since i'm drunk!!!!

PS: can you say post *****?!!

 

[jersey_emt]

whats the deal with "speed wobbles"?
is this true?

young guys say hell nah hasnt happened to them
older guys say "I'll never go that fast on a bike again!"

Well, as you approach the sound barrier, pressure waves start building up........

 

[jersey_emt]

(rlaugh) multiply the laughter factor by 10 since i'm drunk!!!!

PS: can you say post *****?!!

w00t thirsty thursday

 

[Gbourdon]

Yeah they happen. I had it happen a little bit once on an old 77 Harley I used to ride doing like 90. Like I said though Ive done around 145 on a rocket and it was solid. I dont know if it happens because of not having a steering damper or poor balance of the bike or cross wind. I just know I felt it start to wobble and could tell it was just going to get worse so I let off the gas, no brakes, and didn't fight it. Eventually it smoothed back up again. I never went that fast on THAT bike again. I never knew it could happen like that but it is not something I am concerned about ever happening again.