The 1st bike debate.

[Degsy]

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.508 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/105)

Everytime someone says "EX500 racebike" i chuckle a little

Everytime I think about the day I passed a guy riding a 1098... at VIR North... twice... in the same lap... on myyyyyyyyyy EX500 racebike... I chuckle a little bit. I woulda passed him more, but he never caught up after the 2nd pass.

I get what you're saying... "EX500 Racebike" like "Jumbo Shrimp"... or "Skinny Mondo"... or "Handsom Jim". but my point is it's not always about the bike but what you can do with it.

I remember that guy. Holy fucking slowness. He almost hit 40mph on the straight.

[R1]

if you're not on a 250 or smaller for your 1st bike, you're a squid & will kill yourself.
if you're not on a 500 or smaller for your 2nd bike, you're a squid & will kill yourself.
if you don't take the MSF BRC before you start to ride, you're a squid & will kill yourself.
if you don't take the MSF ERC before your 2nd season, you're a squid & will kill yourself.
if you don't buy full leathers before you start to ride, you're a squid & will kill yourself.
if you don't have an Arai or Shoei helmet, you're a squid & will kill yourself.
if you don't do track days, then you're a squid & will kill yourself.
if you need to lower your bike, you're a squid & will kill yourself.

think that covers up most of the bullshit that's been going on around here.

[Rossco]

My first bike is the one I have now. A 1983 Honda vt500c Shadow.
I bought it for a variety of reasons. First of all, it was dirt cheap (payed $1200 at the peak of riding season when bikes cost the most). Secondly I hadn't dedicated a lot of my time toward researching bikes, instead I researched protective gear.

The only bikes I had done research on were the Honda Rebel and Shadow. After sitting on a rebel at a dealership, I immediately crossed it off the list seeing as it wasn't ideal for a 6'2" 250 lb rider. The new shadows weren't great either, too big, and a lot of shiny chrome to get scuffed up when the inevitable drop occurs.

So I just got an old shadow, back when they had sensibly sized engines and shaft drive. It's not the prettiest bike or the fastest bike. It's also old so things break occasionally, but that's not that much of an issue because I can turn a wrench no problem.

If I had the chance to do it all over again, I would have probably spent a bit more and got a gs500 or a ninja 500, better handling. If I weren't so damned big and tall I would have probably even got a 250 ninja.

[OreoGaborio]

I remember that guy. Holy fucking slowness. He almost hit 40mph on the straight.

Tell me about it. I almost rear ended him comin onto the front straight!

[RyanNicholson]

Because wringing out a lightweight, nimble bike is fucking fun.

I 100% agree with you... now. I was just kind of explaining my mindset at the time, I'm the first to admit I was that 20 year old kid that wanted the flashy sport bike. I wanted to race ever since I worked at the track when I was like 14 and saw the AMA guys... and my mindset changed completely once I actually tried it.

I have way more fun riding dirt than I do riding my R6 on the street. At least I can wring the piss out of a dirtbike.

[Degsy]

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I remember that guy. Holy fucking slowness. He almost hit 40mph on the straight.

Tell me about it. I almost rear ended him comin onto the front straight!

$2000 leathers on too.

[Femmekat]

I didn't take the MSF course not because I didn't want to, but after buying the bike and fixing it repeatedly, had no funds. I

$$$$ Wut?

Is that a picture of you doing a trackday?

and gilles rearsets, damper, spare bodywork, spare wheels, spare tank, SS lines, aftermarket air filters, jet kits, spark plugs, anodized bolts....

Here's some information to help you guys out...

Definition
had (hd)
v.
Past tense and past participle of have.

I hope that helps with your reading comprehension.

And FYI I make crap $, and spent every dime of my tax return on the bike because I it. Not like I'm buying a new Ducati every month.

[csmutty]

Everytime I think about the day I passed a guy riding a 1098... at VIR North... twice... in the same lap... on myyyyyyyyyy EX500 racebike... I chuckle a little bit. I woulda passed him more, but he never caught up after the 2nd pass.

I get what you're saying... "EX500 Racebike" an oxymoron like "Jumbo Shrimp"... or "Skinny Mondo"... or "Handsome Jim". but my point is it's not always about the bike but what you can do with it.

I my EX racebike. I am sure by now my neighbors dont.

[Slyder]

I don't think newer / inexperienced riders have any business on litre bikes. But, there are some who think with the head on their shoulders and not the one between their legs, and they do fine. If you're a gung ho fool that wants a bike because some bike rag said the CBGSZXSS-1000RRRRR is the best bike to own, then you're doing it wrong.

My first street bike was an older cbr600, it had been dropped, it was cheap, insurance was cheap. Plus with my many years of riding in the dirt I was more than happy to start on a 600. I already knew it was more than fast enough for me. I never found out how fast it was either, in fact I've never done that with any of my bikes.

I now ride a 1k and quite honestly, they're a friggin blast to ride. They definitely need to be respected and they definitely require skill. One small right wristed foul up on the EX500 could potentially be a lot less catastrophic than the same foul up on something with 3 times the nut going to the rear tire. That just makes it more fun, in a sick twisted way.

Nowadays when I ride over roads like 17, T** and the others, well, I kinda hate 17, but still, I wonder what it would be like to be on a 600 instead. Something I could really wring the piss out of and it be more forgiving. Then I try to imagine what it would be like if I was on my gray market RGV250 or NSR250, which I don't own yet. I think that would be even more fun than a 600. Someday, I will own one or the other.

[landricscustoms]

my first bike was 1972 honda ct70. i then moved on to bikes bigger and bigger as i grew.. my first ride (street) was a 1978 kz 900.. hence my desire for old tin. i then had a 1989 zx1000. then a 2000 zx6r. then my kz750 twin .. then my brandy new Ducati sport classic 1000s that i picked up last night.. see my post for pics. my opinion, get what you want and be careful. the bike only goes as fast as you twist the throttle... if you can hold it up at a stoplight and not fall over during slow turns you can ride it.

[Duffy]

And FYI I make crap $, and spent every dime of my tax return on the bike because I it. Not like I'm buying a new Ducati every month.

Good for you on working hard and then allowing yourself to treat yourself to buy things for something that enhances your enjoyment of free time. We have such similar bikes I love seeing everything you are doing to yours. I can only buy 1 or 2 things a year within reason. Next year are my tires, chains and sprockets. Besides, so many parts of the internals are rusted/oxidate I'm afraid if I fiddle with it, it'll just fall apart

Back on topic:
I took the MSF course. And since I didn't feel comfortable with turns and such on the Nighthalk (class bike) I wanted something with similar handling so I could learn throttle/clutch/brake control while at the same time pay attention on the street and see and recognize possible dangerous situations and learn how to deal with them. So I bought a brand spanky new 2007 Ninja 250. Put 8K miles on it and I felt more confident of my riding ability and started looking for my next bike. Saw the R6 and fell instantly in love. I sold the ninja and used the proceeds to buy the R6. Since I was so use to the 250 it felt I had to learn all over again on the R6. I only put 2k on R6 so far so I'm still fine tuning my ability but I can tell I'm getting better. I cant do a figure 8, but how many times does that come into play. Everyone has their own learning curve, background experience, natural ability, funds or whatever...if they didn't kill themselves during the learning process then it's all good

[cookie]

my first bike was an 02 gsxr 1000. picked it up for 5300 about 6 years ago in brand new condition. couldnt pass that deal up. i took the safety course a week prior to buying the bike. it was the first time i had ever rode. i tought myself how to ride it and knock on wood i have never dumped any of my bikes. a 1000 is ok for a first bike as long as you respect it and know it can put you on your ass at any moment.

[OreoGaborio]

a 1000 is ok for a first bike as long as you respect it and know it can put you on your ass at any moment.

I respect Chuck Norris... and know he can put me on my ass at any moment. That's not gonna keep him from roundhousing me to Uranus.

Point is, respecting a bike doesn't mean jack. The bike isn't gonna respect you back if you make a mistake.
Just because you didn't make any big mistakes that bit you doesn't mean the next person won't get bit either.

Undeniable fact: With fast bikes come risk.

I started on an '00 ZX6R. It was a risky decision and I thought I knew how risky it was... I didn't because I had no experience.
Now I did alright, but you won't see me recommending it to anyone because I'm not going to tell someone to take a risk that they know nothing about.

[R1]

I respect Chuck Norris... and know he can put me on my ass at any moment. That's not gonna keep him from roundhousing me to Uranus.

Point is, respecting a bike doesn't mean shit. The bike isn't gonna respect you back if you make a mistake.

[gixxersixxer]

My first bike was a brand new 2008 Kawasaki Ninja 250. I knew absolutely nothing about bikes but my dad wanted to get me into them and he suggested a ninja. I absolutely hated how the older ones looked so I made a deal with my dad to get a brand new one. We decided on that bike because it was light, small CC, but still a lot of power and I liked it because it's sexy

[cookie]

I respect Chuck Norris... and know he can put me on my ass at any moment. That's not gonna keep him from roundhousing me to Uranus.

Point is, respecting a bike doesn't mean jack. The bike isn't gonna respect you back if you make a mistake.
Just because you didn't make any big mistakes that bit you doesn't mean the next person won't.

lets face it. any bike can be dangerous to a beginner. the ONLY reason i would suggest a smaller bike to a beginer is because of cost. other than that going down on a 600 is gonna hurt just as bad as a 1000, espicially nowadays when they weigh nearly the same.

[naked-daytrader]

Everytime I think about the day I passed a guy riding a 1098... at VIR North... twice... in the same lap... on myyyyyyyyyy EX500 racebike... I chuckle a little bit. I woulda passed him more, but he never caught up after the 2nd pass.

I get what you're saying... "EX500 Racebike" an oxymoron like "Jumbo Shrimp"... or "Skinny Mondo"... or "Handsome Jim". but my point is it's not always about the bike but what you can do with it.

Your story makes no sense and I award you no points...


Just because someone can buy a 1098 doesn't mean he knows how to ride, obviously he wasn't putting a whole lot of effort into going fast that day. I think your tale would have made more sense if you said you were racing a 1098 with a half way decent rider and you passed him twice...now that I think of it, not only am I not awarding you points but I'm going to take a couple away from you..


Thinking of you tooling around VIR north , on your cute little EX 500 race bike makes me chuckle a little harder than the chuckle i get from someone calling an EX 500 a race bike...



....and stop deleting my for sale threads!

[csmutty]

lets face it. any bike can be dangerous to a beginner. the ONLY reason i would suggest a smaller bike to a beginer is because of cost. other than that going down on a 600 is gonna hurt just as bad as a 1000, espicially nowadays when they weigh nearly the same.

So the power is the same? Ham fisting the throttle will result in the same thing happening? I know I can twist the throttle on my EX500 all I want with no ill effects. IMO it is better to start out on a smaller bike until the motor skills of clutch, brake, and throttle, as well as shifting are not perfected, but at a stage on good competence. At the point where riding is not something that you have to think about, but just do.

[OreoGaborio]

lets face it. any bike can be dangerous to a beginner. the ONLY reason i would suggest a smaller bike to a beginer is because of cost. other than that going down on a 600 is gonna hurt just as bad as a 1000, espicially nowadays when they weigh nearly the same.

I don't see where anyone said any differently.

What we're saying is that the bigger the bike, the bigger the risk.

[cookie]

I don't see where anyone said any differently.

What we're saying is that the bigger the bike, the bigger the risk.

ok. thought the roundhouse kick comment was towards the 1000 being to big.

[cookie]

So the power is the same? Ham fisting the throttle will result in the same thing happening? I know I can twist the throttle on my EX500 all I want with no ill effects. IMO it is better to start out on a smaller bike until the motor skills of clutch, brake, and throttle, as well as shifting are not perfected, but at a stage on good competence. At the point where riding is not something that you have to think about, but just do.

obviously the throttle response is drastically different but to me it doesnt matter what you learn on. clutch brake and throttle are the same on all bikes just in different measures. if you learn good resposible techinques on a 1000 first than its the same as learning them on a 600. i had my cdl in college driving a bus and got a job at a lumber yard where they put me in a 24 foot international split 8 speed. i never drove a stick before and didnt want to tell them that on the first day. i learned that day.

[OreoGaborio]

It was more about the respect thing. Chuck Norris doesn't respect you back and neither do bikes Although some are certainly more forgiving than others.

But back to the Liter bike thing, how about this.... You said you took the MSF course right? So you're familiar with what it's about.... Lets say you ran one of those schools and had UNLIMITED FUNDS. You could buy ANY bike you want to use for the course and you don't have to worry about maintenance or repairs... No restrictions, no parking lots, you could do whatever you wanted to, as long as you taught these new riders how to ride while keeping them as safe as possible.

Would you use liter bikes?

[csmutty]

obviously the throttle response is drastically different but to me it doesnt matter what you learn on. clutch brake and throttle are the same on all bikes just in different measures. if you learn good resposible techinques on a 1000 first than its the same as learning them on a 600. i had my cdl in college driving a bus and got a job at a lumber yard where they put me in a 24 foot international split 8 speed. i never drove a stick before and didnt want to tell them that on the first day. i learned that day.

I am just saying...for you it might not matter. But some people that I have seen go through MSF have trouble on 125 and 250s.

[naked-daytrader]

I think this debate could go on and on forever. So, in an effort to save bandwidth and server space I've decided that I'll make a final decision on this topic and that will be the end of it. I'll decide what is right and what is wrong and you all will have no choice but to accept my decision. I'm sorry it had to come to this but someone has to grab the bull by the horns and put an end to this nonsense and that person is I....


So, I’ve given this allot of thought, I've heard both sides of the story, I've very carefully and diligently gone through the evidence presented before me and I have made my decision....


If you are a beginning motorcycle rider, you may buy a big liter bike with impunity... *bangs Gavel*


and....Oreo is a flaming homesexual with no motorcycling skills to speak off...a chump...a phoney..A weekend warrior and a hall monitor who tries to abuse his power ...*bangs gavel again*

[cookie]

It was more about the respect thing. Chuck Norris doesn't respect you back and neither do bikes Although some are certainly more forgiving than others.

But back to the Liter bike thing, how about this.... You said you took the MSF course right? So you're familiar with what it's about.... Lets say you ran one of those schools and had UNLIMITED FUNDS. You could buy ANY bike you want to use for the course and you don't have to worry about maintenance or repairs... No restrictions, no parking lots, you could do whatever you wanted to, as long as you taught these new riders how to ride while keeping them as safe as possible.

Would you use liter bikes?

now thats a good analogy. on one hand i wouldnt use littre bike because they r a bit tougher for the figure eights. on the other hand i would use litre bikes because my school would always be full and could charge more because kids would love to learn to ride litre bikes.lol