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am i the only one here??

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Old 05-25-2005, 07:07 PM
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paniro187
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Default am i the only one here??

that races motorcycles??

i race in the cmra.



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Old 05-25-2005, 08:47 PM
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OneGearhead
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Default RE: am i the only one here??

niiiiiiiice. wut kinda bike is that ?? im a bikenut. i LOVE 'EM !!! i want one soooooo bad. theres a few guys on here WITH bikes, but, i dont think they race 'em, unless they just havent said so, since people probably didnt ask
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Old 05-26-2005, 04:32 PM
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paniro187
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Default RE: am i the only one here??

my old zx7r I'll be on another bike nezxt season. But this is more of a learning season for me.
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Old 05-26-2005, 08:26 PM
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Default RE: am i the only one here??

i was wanting a 7R, but, ive heard from a LOT of people that they're a piece of sh*t........i like the looks of 'em. i found a few cheap ones. how did it handle in turns ?? i like to carve mountains. so, im definitely about the handing thru turns......
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Old 05-26-2005, 10:12 PM
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paniro187
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Default RE: am i the only one here??

don't listen to your people because half of the people out there riding can't handle the bike they are riding to make much diffrence between bikes. I've passed so many people on newer better bikes it's ridiculous. as far as crving roads leave that to the track. All you need to do is drift into the oncoming lane too far and your *** is grass. No cars on the track no light poles and etc. get a small bike to start on and work your way up. start with a 250 or a 500 don't start with a 600 it's too much bike.
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Old 05-31-2005, 01:06 PM
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Default RE: am i the only one here??

ive ridden b4....i had my bike learners. and, if i got a 250 or a 500, it probably wouldnt haul my fata$$ around. lol im 6'1" about 260lbs. i think id be just fine with AT LEAST a 600. ill probably get a 750 tho........im too worried about my car right now tho. ill probably get one next year when i graduate from mechanic school. cuz itll be gettin nice n warm when i get out(March/April)
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Old 06-01-2005, 11:19 AM
  #7  
paniro187
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Default RE: am i the only one here??

here we go here bud read this. it's from the motorcycle safety foundation teachers.
yoiu're putting up the same excuse most noobs do when they want a 600. a 600 these days are very very fast. a 750 is a whole lot faster and a 1000 is a monster.

read up:


Form Equals Function: Sportbikes are Not Beginner Bikes

Introduction

Well, another riding season is upon us and as it always happens, we get lots of inquiries from potential new riders on how to get into the sport, what's a good first ride, where to take safety classes and so on. One particular type of inquiry that pops up with almost clockwork frequency is from a small number of new riders who wish to buy 600cc and up sportbikes as their first ride.

For the past year and a half, I, along with lots of other BB forum members, have entertained this question of 600cc sportbikes for a first ride with patience and lots and lots of repetition. It seems this small group of newbies keep coming back with the same arguments and questions over and over again. As a result, I am going to take the time in this column to try and put into words, answers that get repeated over and over on the BB forums.

Allow me to state first and foremost that I am a sport rider. My first bike was a Ninja 250R and I put nearly 7000 miles on it in two seasons before selling it. I am presently shopping for my next ride and it will almost certainly be a sportbike or sport tourer in the 600-1000cc range. I am also building a track bike in my garage which I hope to complete this season (a Yamaha FZR600). Although I am not an expert rider by any stretch, I have tinkered enough and done enough research along with talking with other riders to be able to speak with some degree of knowledge on the subject.

This column is split into two parts. First, I would like to address the common arguments we see here as to why a 600cc sportbike simply must be a first ride along with rebuttals. Second, I want to cover the rationale behind why the BB community-at-large steers new riders away from these machines.

False Logic

On about a three month interval, a whole slew of questions pop up on the BB forum from potential riders trying to convince the community that a 600cc sportbike is a suitable first ride and then proceed to explain to us why they are the exception. I can almost set my clock to this pattern of behavior since it is almost swarm-like. I guess the newbies figure by swamping the forum with the same questions in lots of places we might trip up and endorse such a machine. Hasn't happened yet but they keep on trying.

For those of you that come to Beginner Bikes trying to convince us to endorse a 600cc sportbike, I offer you the following responses to your arguments.
I can only afford to get one bike so it might as be the one that I want.

I don't want to go through the hassle of buying and selling a used bike to learn on.

These two lines of reasoning pop up as one of the more common arguments. I am going to offer first a piece of wisdom which is stated with great regularity on the forums:

This is your first bike, not your last.

Motorcycle riders are reputed to change bikes, on average, once every two to three years. If this is the case (and it appears to be based on my observations), the bike you learn to ride on will not be in your garage in a few years time anyway whether you buy it new or used. You're going to sell it regardless to get something different, newer, more powerful, more comfortable, etc.

Yes, buying a bike involves effort and a financial outlay. Most of us simply cannot afford to drop thousands of dollars on a whim every time we want to try something new. Getting into riding is a serious commitment in time and money and we want the best value out it as much as possible.

However, if you can afford to buy outright or finance a 600cc or up sportbike that costs $7000 on average, you can probably afford to spend $2000 or so on a used bike to learn on. Most of the beginner sportbikes we recommend here (Ninja 250/500, Buell Blast, GS500) can all be found used for between $1500-$3000.

Done properly, buying and selling that first bike is a fairly painless process. Buying a used bike is no harder than buying new. I would argue it is a bit easier. No different than buying a used car from a private seller. If you've done that at least once, you'll know what to do in buying a used bike.

Selling a beginner bike is even easier. You want to know why? Because beginner bikes are constantly in demand (especially Ninja 250s). These bikes spend their lives migrating from one new rider to the next to act as a teaching vehicle. It is not uncommon for a beginner bike to see four or five different owners before it is wrecked or junked. There are a lot of people out there looking for inexpensive, reliable bikes and all of our beginner recommendations fit into that category.

If you buy a used Ninja 250R for $1500, ride it for a season or two, you can be almost guaranteed that you will be able to resell that bike for $1300 or so when you are done with it provided you take care of it. And on a bike like the Ninja 250R, the average turnaround on such a sale is two to three days. No joke. I had five offers on my Ninja 250R within FOUR HOURS of my ad going up on Cycle Trader. I put the bike on hold the same day and sold it four days later to a fellow who drove 500 miles to pick it up. My bike never made it into the print edition. Believe me, the demand is there.

And look at it this way: For those one or two seasons of riding using the above example, excluding maintenance costs which you have no matter what, you will have paid a net cost of $200 to ride that Ninja. That is extremely cheap for what is basically a bike rental for a year or two. Considering it can cost $300 or more just to rent a 600cc sportbike for a weekend (not including the $1500-$2000 security deposit), that is economic value that you simply cannot argue with.

this is directed at you here:

Vanity Arguments

The beginner bikes you recommend are dated and ugly looking.

I want something that's modern and stylish.

I want a bike that looks good and that I look good on.

I call these the vanity arguments. These are probably the worst reasons you can have for wanting a particular bike.

I will not disagree that aesthetics plays a huge part in the bikes that appeal to us. Motorcycles are the ultimate expression in personal taste in vehicles. Far more than cars. Bikes are more personal and the connection between rider and machine is far more intimate on a bike than a car. On a bike, you are part of the machine, not just a passive passenger.

However, as entry into world of riding and with the temporarily status that most beginner bikes have in our garages, looks should be the least of your concerns. As long as the bike is in good repair and mechanically sound, that is usually enough for most new riders to be happy. Most riders are happy to ride and they will ride anything given the choice between riding or not riding.

If you are looking at bike mainly because of how it looks and/or how you will look it and how others will perceive you on it, take a good, long, honest look as to why you want to ride. There are lots of people out there who buy things strictly because of how it makes them appear in the eyes of others. It's shallow and vain but it is a fact of life. It shouldn't be a factor in choosing that first ride but it is. I won't deny that.

The difference is: a BMW or Mercedes generally won't leaving you hanging on for dear life if you stomp on the accelerator or throw you into the road if you slam on the brakes a little hard. Virtually ever sportbike made in the past 10-15 years will do both of those things given a chance to do so (for reasons that will be explained later in this column).

The population at large
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Old 06-01-2005, 11:39 AM
  #8  
OneGearhead
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Default RE: am i the only one here??

you expect me to read ALL of that ?? haha im not saying im great, cuz im not. i know the new 600's are fast, but, im not gettin a new one. im gonna get a used one to start off with. id like to get a '98 GSX-R750 or something to that effect. its gonna be a while tho til i get one. like i said, im more worried about my car being faster. and i also want a 4-wheeler. too many toys, not enuff time.
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Old 06-01-2005, 01:05 PM
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paniro187
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Default RE: am i the only one here??

a 1998 gsxr750 is not a noob bike either.
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Old 06-01-2005, 08:12 PM
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Default RE: am i the only one here??

suuuuure it is the way i see it.....its just like cars.....as long as you respect it, youll be fine(although im POSITIVE ill get the living sh*t scared out of me at least once or twice). but thats the way i see it. thats the way it was with my car. i got in it bit by bit, til i was used to it, then, started driving it like it was meant to be driven.
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