Who Rides A Motorcycle ? Is It A Good Idea?

gtfpv · 25-05-2006, 11:16 PM

went into a bike shop today looking at motorcycles . a KAWASAKI shop . got some assistance . i havent ever owned a bike or ridden since being a kid.
top of the range bike there was $13500. there were new 250cc 2 cylinder bikes that look almost the same as the best one for $6900 and $8800 very nice looking new bike. also there were raod trail bikes for about $5000 these are bikes that are 2006 models with latest technology. equivelant to a brand new fairmont. i couldnt believe how cheap they are . and because of my age and gold licence ,there is no size restriction after the "L" time is over . the guy simply said you can hire a bike for your "L's and buy anything afterwards you like . but the 250 bikes there were hard to want more . i myself wouldnt be capable nor want a bike that can do 330 kms an hour for $14000 . so i tend to agree . would it be worth me buying one and taking up bike riding for a hobbie . (country and mountain short drives only . )
i am a realist and dont think it would be practical for me to ride in trffic to work . ever. those riders would be experianced with many years riding .
WHAT DO PEOPLE THINK . ?? ANY ONE BEEN THERE DONE THAT?? like i'm considering
say $8000 for bike $1000 for riding gear and away. but then again this could be just another thought . i also thionk of getting into go karts , or flying model aeroplanes agian , looking for something to do to make life more interesting . MUST NEVER LET IT GET BORING .

Outbackjack · 25-05-2006, 11:20 PM

$9000 will just about get you a private pilots licence.... More fun than RC. But a motor cycle would give your life a new aspect to it... Highly reccomended.

raiki · 25-05-2006, 11:23 PM

I used to have a Honda CBR900RRW Fireblade (1998 model). The most fun your ever likely to have with your clothes on.

I rode it rain, hale or shine everyday. To work.

Before that I had a 1996 Suzuki GSX-250F Across. Excellent 4 stroke 250cc, 4 cylinder. Red line was 16,500rpm. Impressive until you've ridden a CBR250RR that red lines at 19,000rpm.

I would love to get another bike, and if ever sell my Fairmont that's what I'll do.

raiki · 25-05-2006, 11:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Outbackjack

$9000 will just about get you a private pilots licence.... More fun than RC. But a motor cycle would give your life a new aspect to it... Highly reccomended.

I have a PPL and a recreational pilots license. They are great but you can't fly every day. A bike is more "usable". I have RC planes and choppers too. They are more fun that flying full size but not as reqrding.

herbs · 25-05-2006, 11:33 PM

Give trailriding a go, exploring the bush is great fun. Get a rego-able dirtbike and you're set. I'm a motocross junkie myself. :evil3:

BPXR6T · 25-05-2006, 11:34 PM

I got my learners but then decided not to get my licence. For me personally its not worth it, lots will disagree. But I have a tendency to push the limits. When the accident does come I prefer to have a little steel wrapped around me.

I'll tell you a story. I had a friend who thought he was a real hero. He would ride his GSXR-750 around in jeans and a shirt. He came off one day and got gravel rash from head to toe. He got trucked off to hospital and they had to get the gravel and junk out of his flesh so infection wouldn't set in. Problem was he was bleeding out so quick they couldn't give him pain killers. So he had to be held down whilst they used a hard bristle srubbing brush to scrape the gravel out of his mangled flesh, from head to toe.

Another story is my uncle. He was headed to work one day like he had 1000's of times before when a car came out and t-boned him on his bike. Six months later he came out of hospital with one leg 2 inches shorter than the other. He can't run, sometimes in winter he can't walk, he's basically screwed for life.

BPXR6T · 25-05-2006, 11:38 PM

P.S.
Yes trail bikes are great. I had a little CR125 which I would fang around. Well until I nearly busted myself in half after hitting a school crossing post at 60kph+. Broken ribs, broken leg, broke foot, and seven dislocated fingers later. I hate emergency rooms...

Outbackjack · 25-05-2006, 11:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FourBarrel

P.S.
Yes trail bikes are great. I had a little CR125 which I would fang around. Well until I nearly busted myself in half after hitting a school crossing post at 60kph+. Broken ribs, broken leg, broke foot, and seven dislocated fingers later. I hate emergency rooms...

Oh, and flying is MUCH safer!!!! :voldar02:

kyro_02 · 26-05-2006, 12:26 AM

if you do it because of petrol prices... good idea... but if you're someone who would push limits a bit then well... it's not worth it :P

LeMans · 26-05-2006, 12:31 AM

Here is a view from someone who discovered bikes at a later age (and loved them) … I started off riding bikes on sunny weekends only then found myself riding it to work every day for 4 years.

Bike riding can be safer than driving a car or it can be more dangerous than driving a car. It’s all up to how sensible you ride. Its true that a car gives you better barrier protection, but that is traded off by the fact that a bike can more easily avoid a collision (has better braking, can utilize smaller escape routes and can accelerate away from danger better… an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure). Don’t cheap out on the compulsory rider training. All good advice and training will be invaluable. Oh, and NEVER ride in T shirt and shorts. If it’s too hot to ride in your leathers, then it’s too hot to ride… end of story!

Now that I have the safety issue out of the way…

Choosing a bike is not as simple as finding the one that looks best on paper. You don’t so much sit on a bike. You wear a bike. So get on as many bikes as you can and make sure it fits you well before you buy. Also, there are many styles too. Sports, tourers, cruisers, trail-bikes, café-racers and hybrids of each and every combination. Each will give you a very different type of riding experience so do your homework and find which style will suit your riding needs best.

Finally, power on a bike is not used in the same way as power in a car. Having a large capacity bike is not about dragging off the guy next to you but, about controlling your environment. For example, passing an erratic car on the freeway while you’re on your bike is something you want to do quickly. Taking 10 seconds verses 4 seconds to pass it is a matter of safety, not ego. With a big capacity bike you will do that with a small twist of the wrist and with ease.

Now go out there and have the time of your life with the rest of us riders

scrubber · 26-05-2006, 12:54 AM

yeah great lifestyle,cant beat the freedom that two wheels gives you. until i moved into town i rode every day for some twenty years,rain,hail & nites. i have hit roos,a wombat,a head on with a four wheel drive ( not recomened ) , even ran over a 50kg. bag of spuds on their way to market one nite. now i call my self fair weather rider, when i want to, thats why i bought a ford. do it mate even its only on the weekends its great !!!

26-05-2006, 01:43 AM

I vote yes.

I put off doing this for years, did it about 2 years ago. It was the best thing I had done. (I also did it because of petrol prices)

I had to purchase a 250 and at the time I also thought that, that would be enough, but the reality is it's not. (guess its the same old 6cyl vs 8cyl thing)

Great to learn on, but once you improve you are wanting more. (I am still learning mind you), again as mentioned a bigger bike is not about being a moron and hooning around. it can be, but a bit more refined than that, depends on the individual of course.

I hate to say in on this forum, but no matter how quick you think your car(s) are they will never beat a bike for power to weight.

I also dread the thought of coming off, and have read a million stories, and belive that it could happen to me too, but I am hoping and trying to prevent this each time I ride.

If I had the choice again and vic had a different policy, or 250's were cheaper and easier to sell, I'd put off getting the 250 (although there good) and would have spent the money on a 600, the price on two fiddys in vic is so outrageous could have coughed up a little more for a late model zx6.

I actually remember saying to people that 80kms seems fast on the 250, and most of the older riders said, wait until you get a more experince and you'll think that 180 is still to slow... (think they were talking about track racing nod nod wink wink;) )

if you interested in a web site for bikers this is a great one

http://www.overclockers.com.au/mc/forums/

Faker · 26-05-2006, 02:18 AM

Big fourstroke single road trail I find is just about perfect.
Heaps of grunt, easy to ride, good on fuel, reliable, commutes well, carries a passenger with ease, still quicker than most cars (13.8 0-400m on my XT 550), safer than twostrokes as the power is there all the time and they are great fun. Can be heavy but you soon learn to steer with the rear wheel in the dirt.
I had an XT 550 then an XT 600 then an XR 600 and back to an XT 550 because it had more grunt.
I don't have one now but I will be buying another hopefully soon.
The best thing is you can just about ride anywhere you want at any time.

merlin · 26-05-2006, 08:37 AM

I highly recommend it.

Iv'e been riding for about 2 years now, including weekend fun stuff and commuting to work. It certainly turns the commute from boring monotany to quite a bit of fun. 2 years straight in peak hour traffic an hour each way and no acco yet (touch wood) so if you are sensible you can minimise the danger involved...just never overestimate your abilities and always have an escape route. I have a 02 Honda CBR600F4i which I bought for $8.5K, I spend about $25 petrol doing roughly 400kms a week, but really its more about the fun than the cost. I've also made so many friends along the way just from group riding on weekends, theres a very strong comradery between riders so thats another plus.

Regarding your first post I would never pay more than $3000 for a 250 road bike. Seing as you qualify for no restrictions I wouldn't just jump straight on a super sports 600/1000 but I wouldnt get a 250 either. Go for something like a Suzuki SV650 or similar.

Good luck with it all, check out some bike forums and I'd be happy to go on a ride or offer advice anytime.

borry · 26-05-2006, 09:17 AM

ok everyone is gonna say the good and great things about owning a bike

now i must let you know the bad,

i LOVED my bike, it was the best thing ever, ( yammy, wr 426 ) however, the only thing i didnt like about it was other drivers.

they have no idea, you forever lookin out for yourself, and 15 weeks ago a guy in a four wheel drive deided he wouldnt see me and pulled out from a side street right infront of me, i was only doin 60 or so, still, my leg isnt right, and the bike is a write off.

in saying this, i will be getting another bike, its only a matter of time, and this hasnt turned me off owning another bike thats for sure. thats how much fun they are

you just have to watch out for idiots.

sorry to dampen anyones fun etc etc, i was just unlucky i guess but thats how things go sometimes.

TEN · 26-05-2006, 09:49 AM

I had a Kawasaki ZX10R that I rode to work everyday and went for a good ride on saturdays.
7 weeks ago on a wet road going to work I lost front traction for no reason and ended up in hospital for 7 hours.Just split 2 muscles in my leg apart, bruised tibia and fibia,bruised my leg from my butt to my toes and bruising all over.
I was wearing all the right gear.
No cars were involved and luckily I wasn't ran over after because I ended up back on the road. My bike demolished itself on the curb and landed on its top,it was a write off.
It was the best 2 years.
No more roadbikes for me.
If you are going to do it expect that no car drivers have seen you coming and goodluck!

TEN · 26-05-2006, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kyro_02

if you do it because of petrol prices... good idea... but if you're someone who would push limits a bit then well... it's not worth it :P

My Kawasaki ZX10R 1000cc would use about 16litres of 95ron at a minimum to travel about 230kms it is a highly tuned motor and not economical at all.
All the big sports bikes are the same.

aquahead2001 · 26-05-2006, 10:32 AM

Been riding on and off since I was 10 and I'm 42 years old now. 2 bikes in the shed shill, love them with all my heart. Never believe you are the best rider out there and always look out for the idiots. And believe me when I say that they will come at you from all sides and sometimes there’s one holding on to the handle bars!

Someone in this thread mentioned that you should look at a mid performance bike and steer away from the pocket rockets until you gained experience. I couldn't agree more.

Recent studies have indicated its older riders who have either just taken up riding or returned to it that are more likely to be involved in an accident. My recommendation is do more than the compulsory rider training and take it easy.

Yep, I’ve had the down sides, spent time in hospital, seen friends come and go, but I’ll never give up the sheer pleasure of a bike.

Get into it and don’t be a spectator, bikes are more than a little fun, they are a way of life. On a cold and wet day when your miles from nowhere and your sitting in some café drinking coffee to get some temperature inside, feeling miserable, a fellow rider will make themselves known and offer you true camaraderie. Been there, done that, felt the spirit!

EDManual · 26-05-2006, 11:10 AM

I have a 2004 BMW 650 DAKAR, and its just the best thing I wreckon! Another mate has a 640 KTM Adventure, and thats great too! I dont ride it enough, but theres nothing like adventure riding through the otways or in the mountains etc!

My other bike is a 1982 CB250 Honda which isnt registered(am going to sell it when I get a chance to shine it up). Was actually a great old bike to learn on down the great ocean road etc. But as I like to go down the odd dirt road and track, I tried this and just couldnt believe how bad road bikes are on any loose gravel etc!! Its so bad you cant corner at more than 20 perhaps, where you could do a no kidding 100 sideways in a car!!

My Dakar is just fantastic though, its fine on the road, still doing 0-100 in well under 5 seconds (so they say)(actually I know someone who's has done 3.9!), I have a K+N filter and a Staintune exhaust and its flies, so much torque being a big single! Can pop up the front wheel from idle! In Fact I have never actually floored it fully in 1st! lol, too fast! 2nd and the rest are ok though :-)
On dirt roads its great too! and even down single track dirt bike stuff, you go slower than the little dirt bikes, but can get through!

Heres some pics:

My bike is the bike I always wanted and dreamed about, and am wrapped I got one. You only live once. Just be real careful!

blutura · 26-05-2006, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TEN

My Kawasaki ZX10R 1000cc would use about 16litres of 95ron at a minimum to travel about 230kms it is a highly tuned motor and not economical at all.
All the big sports bikes are the same.

thats still under 7L/100kms.

Considering that will get you from 0-100km/h in 3 seconds, its a lot more economical than a Falcon GT that gets 16+L/100kms in exchange for a 0-100 time of under 6 seconds.

flappist · 26-05-2006, 11:29 AM

If you choose to ride on the road there is only one thing to remember.....

Every night all the other road users in the world have a meeting and choose who is going to try and kill you the next day.
If you are constantly vigilant and see them trying to kill you, you might survive (maybe, probably, well yeh you will be ok).

Basicly bikes are great but dangerous so you have to take extra care when you are on the road.

**Charliewool** · 26-05-2006, 11:40 AM

I started riding when I was 10.. 1st bike was a Bantam then progressed to AJS's, BSA's, Ariels, Nortons etc.(in paddocks)
Once I had "L's" it was a 500 Triumph speed twin for 1st road bike, followed by
amongst many, a HRD Egli Vincent 1000 in the 70's. I also had my share of accidents, most due to my own sense of infallibility at that age.
Bikes wore off once I started into cars in about 1980, BUT the bug stays forever!
Then, 3 years ago, like so many "mature age ex riders" seem to do, I went out and bought another bike, A fuel injected Vtwin BUELL Lightning! The first thing that I very quickly became aware of was how the road & traffic had changed since the "old days".. It really was a case of DOG eat DOG out there! All these bad mannered, tunnel-visioned, crazy, murderous car drivers out to maim or kill me!
And THEN it occurred to me!... I had become one of THEM!.. I was one of those very same tunnel-visioned motorists who ignored the 2 wheel brigade! I suppose one huge thing to come out of returning to the road on 2 wheels has been my "re-education" as a car driver!
So to answer the original question... YES, it's a top idea!! Go for it!...
But be VERY aware! To survive, you really need a sort of 6th sense, the one that enables you to "see" 3 steps & 2 intersections in front of the average car driver!

rob351 · 26-05-2006, 11:51 AM

Get a bike, with the money you save on fuel you can spend more on your car. I drive 100 kms a day so I save heaps.

The bigger the engine the safer the bike, it's all about agility. I had to ride a 250 for a year and when I got my open class and a YZF1000 actually feel a whole lot safer, I ride to the side of cars in peak hour and lane split for safety and quicker travelling times. You are nervous when you first start doing it but you are also full of adrenalin so react faster are more aware and when cars around you are travellling 20 km/hr they don't move too quick. It is all about experience you get to know which cars are gonna change lanes before they even make a move and you always be vigilant for side roads.

With respect to trail bikes on the road the bonus is your ride height, so you can see over everything, but man those back wheels slide all over the place even in the dry.

chief · 26-05-2006, 12:39 PM

Dad went out and bought a Honda Goldwing. Way to big, no turning circle, good for him as he only wants to cruise. But because of its engine size 1500cc (yes a car engine) can't learn on it. Plus neally fell off a couple of times. He continues to use my car becasue he cant use his bike. He had the oppitunity to buy a car and didn't. His motivation was fuel prices. But lets not forget custom cloths (because of his size), boots, helmet ect.

TEN · 26-05-2006, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blutura

thats still under 7L/100kms.

Considering that will get you from 0-100km/h in 3 seconds, its a lot more economical than a Falcon GT that gets 16+L/100kms in exchange for a 0-100 time of under 6 seconds.

Oh yes you can look at from all different directions.
It was awesome fun in the dry but really scary in the wet.
I was riding down the road in the wet once and in 3rd gear just taking my time the back tyre spun up and the bike turn right on that (goo) they fill in the cracks in with, HOLY CRAP! Got off the throttle real quick and got on my way.

GEE 87 · 26-05-2006, 12:57 PM

go for it - i got a trail bike *not for the road* and as soon as i get sum cash im gonna go get my riding liscence...
but you need the 6th sense for sure coz riding in a forest it feels like the trees are out to get ya - but the trees dont move man...idiots driving do...
so its an unbelievable experience riding this thing and accelerating so fast...
just be careful
and dont buy no 250cc. 600cc minimum.

gozza · 26-05-2006, 01:01 PM

don't get a 250......you'll wish you hadn't......at least get a 600...doesn't matter if theres too much power to start off with....just don't use it all

GEE 87 · 26-05-2006, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gozza

don't get a 250......you'll wish you hadn't......at least get a 600...doesn't matter if theres too much power to start off with....just don't use it all

i was first :p

4.9 EF Futura · 26-05-2006, 01:17 PM

Lol, only thing that really put me off was a mate of mine with some ungodly 1200cc japanese bike cutting a 10.5sec down the quarter mile and breaking into wheelspin 3/4 the way down at about 160km/hr.

Oh... and watching it leave my blown EF like it was standing still. I think when it disappeared from my vision, he was just grabbing 3rd gear.

"What have you done to that thing man??"
"They're like this off the showroom floor!"

Just a bit too crazy for my liking...

ronwest · 26-05-2006, 01:29 PM

I've had bikes since 1965.
Used to import English "classics" from the US as a sideline.
Currently I have 42 bikes in my collection.
I love bikes.... always have...

Do I ride them...NO WAY.

Why?

Go down to any school of an afternoon and observe the antics of the mums and dads as they pick up their littlies.

Then reflect that these are the morons that you assume will see you as you're trundling down the road on your bike.

Then go to the brain damage ward of any major hospital. They are full of people who assumed wrong.