So I want to buy a motorcycle...

[TheAmazingRando]

I commute about 30 miles to school every day, which can take close to an hour if traffic is particularly heinous. I leave much earlier than I have to, both because I don't know how long it will take me, and because the student parking lots fill up very fast. I guess just because I'm paying ~$60 a month for this parking pass doesn't mean I'm entitled to a reasonable spot.

Anyway, what with the skyrocketing gas prices ($4.50 a gallon? Are you kidding me?) I've been thinking about getting a motorcycle, which would make freeway traffic more navigable, parking much simpler and cheaper (the motorcycle parking is very conveniently placed and not sequestered into individual spots), and gas much less of an issue. Not to mention the fact that motorcycles are just really, really cool.

Now, the good news for me is, I'm living with my parents, and since getting to school everyday is a bit of a necessity, and since I don't actually have my own car at the moment (my last one was a POS and decided to stop working), and since my dad wants me to start riding a motorcycle (he commuted to college on a motorcycle as well), I can probably convince my parents to buy me one. It probably won't even take much convincing.

The bad news is that the biggest bike I've ever ridden was a little 80cc, and I don't have a friend with a bike that I can learn on. My dad has a bike, but it's 850cc (I think...it might be higher) which seems a bit daunting to learn on since it's pretty big and heavy.

I really don't know what I should be looking for. I want something that's good for a lot of highway driving, because the main reason I want one is for my commute to school, but I also want something that's small enough to learn on and that works well for city driving. Is anybody here familiar enough with bikes to offer some suggestions?

[space_raptor]

The single best thing you can do is take a motorcycle course. Most of them will give you at least a little experience riding street bikes, and you can chew the ear off the instructors who are probably better suited to the subject than us. Probably run you a couple hundred dollars, and they are totally worth it. Seriously. You want to live, right?

As far as what kind of bike to get, well, it depends on a few things. Personally I have a Suzuki SV650S, which is a decent starter bike. It's technically a sport bike, but you sit a bit more upright than you would on your average crotch rocket. Which is good, for longer rides.

What kind of bike does your dad have? If it's a cruiser, 850cc isn't that big. Depends how big you are, I guess.

You need to be a bit more specific than this, there's plenty of options.

[TheAmazingRando]

Yeah, I was writing this and I couldn't remember if it was an 850cc or a 1250cc. The more I think about it, I'm pretty sure it's the latter.
Thing is, I don't know any of the specifics I'm looking for. I just know I want something mid-sized, because I'm not sure how safe I would feel going at freeway speeds on a tiny bike, but I don't want to be driving something gigantic either because I don't have much experience, and I'm guessing smaller bikes have better fuel economy. I'll look into the bike you mentioned, I read a bit about it and it seems like the kind of bike I'm looking for, then again I'm not sure what kind of bike I'm looking for.

[space_raptor]

Well, mid-sized is one thing. But do you want a cruiser or a sport bike? Are you looking for comfort or speed? I totally recommend the SV650, and I know several other riders who agree. A very nice compromise, and it was really easy to learn to ride.

I would stay away from the CBRs or the R6s, even, because those are crotch rockets and they're a bit tougher to learn. The Yamaha FZ6 is one I would suggest, it's kind of a gentler version of the R6. You can get 500cc Ninjas, which would be okay if you're a small to medium size guy, or maybe even a Buell.

One idea is to just go to a bike dealership and ask them for suggestions, if they're anything like the guys in my area they just like talking bikes and they won't mind.

If your dad has a 1250cc bike it's almost definitely a cruiser, you sit upright in the seat, the handlebars are high, and the shifters/brakes are forward of your body, yeah? If you want to go with that kind of bike - more comfortable, but not quite the crotch rocket experience, not as quick or maneuverable - then maybe a Honda Shadow? You can get I think a 750 or 800cc, which is not actually a whole lot for that kind of bike, should be comfortable for you.

You're probably not gonna know until you ride some, and the best way to do it if you don't have any available is to take a course where they'll let you ride some street bikes, even if it's just around the parking lot. Best money you'll ever spend. Riding is so. much. fun.

[TheAmazingRando]

Thanks for the advice. I don't think I want a cruiser, and I'm not a very big guy so I doubt there's a street legal bike out there that would be too small for me, but I don't think I would be comfortable riding a tiny bike on the highway, and highway driving is what I'll mostly be doing. Looking around, though, I think I just want a good sport bike that isn't quite a crotch rocket. I'll definitely keep those bikes you mentioned in mind.

There are motorcycle safety courses around here that supply bikes (I actually think I legally need to take one here in California to get a class M license, since I'm under 21) so I think that'll be a good way to get an idea of what size of bike I'd like.

[CorranH]

What makes you say you don't want a cruiser?

[TheAmazingRando]

Too big for my taste, I think I'd rather ride something a bit more small and zippy, though not quite a crotch rocket.

[AtomicLlama]

There's also a class of bikes usually known as "standards". They have a more upright riding position than a crotch rocket, but they don't have the "feet out in front of you" position that a lot of cruisers have. Very few manufacturers produce standards anymore, the Honda Nighthawk is the only one I can think of, and its 250cc engine may not be good for freeway speeds. However there are plenty of old UJMs (Universal Japanese Motorcycles) out there from the late 70's/early 80's. These are bikes like the Honda CM400 or the Kawasaki KZ400, they're standard-style bikes and there's not really a lot of difference between the manufacturers. They're cheap to buy, but since they're old they may have problems. Probably a better option for someone whose primary concern is cost, but I thought I'd throw it out there.

[hack124x768]

I have a 1982 Honda CB400. Its fairly small and light, but more importantly, it's cheap to buy and to maintain. Bent bike (A shop nearby) still carries parts for it. I only get 50ish MPG on mine, but it is pretty fun to ride, and I can lift it upright on my own (I'm 5'9" 135Lbs, fairly small). It also fits your description of being between a cruiser and a crotch rocket.

Mine is like this one, but blue on silver instead of red on black.

[ZeroSum]

Buell Blasts are pretty cheap and get reasonably good reviews. Ducati Monsters are also great standard bikes though about twice the price. (Those are the two models I toss up against each other whenever I get the urge to buy a bike, which I will, some day, next summer maybe.)

I'll restate what has been stated before: Take a motorcycle safety course.

In addition though, wear your helmet. Always. Wear a jacket. Always. Wear boots and gloves. Always. Wear proper pants or a pullover. Always. Things I've learned: it's better to be too hot than too cold, to ruin a helmet than your head and to ruin a jacket than your shoulder. And make sure it's gear designed for motorcycles. A $50 leather jacket from Wilson's isn't going to do crap for you. $20 Mechanix gloves won't protect your palms.

[space_raptor]

Yeah, seconded. Wear your gear.

Don't be a squid.

[SomeoneElse]

Just out of interest, what's the deal with motorbikes in the US? Do you have to take a test, or can you just ride up to whatever CC you want without a licence?

I ride a 125cc automatic, mainly because that's the biggest bike I can ride without taking the full test, and i'm too busy/lazy to take the theory and practical tests. Still have to take a test every two years though, unless I get a full licence.

125cc does me fine getting to and fro work every day, and around town when i need to. And the fuel consumption is pretty awesome - I fill up with about 2l every fortnight or so (though a full tank is about 6l).

If its possible to ride a bike over there without a test, i'd recommend that you do take a test. And definitely wear a motorbike jacket/trousers with some sort of reinforcements (i.e. armoured joints). I had a motorbike accident earlier this year (well, a minivan drove into me) and it's not a lot of fun.

[hack124x768]

I'm in washington state. Here you can ride a bike 50cc or under with only a driver's license. Above that you need to take a written and ride test. I have a bike permit that I only had to take the written test for, but I can't ride at night or with a passenger. It's good for three months. When it is expired I'll take the ride test. I'm in no hurry. :p

[Poopraham Lincoln]

I ride a 2002 Honda Rebel 250. Its the first bike I've ever ridden and I love it. It took a little while for me to get used to riding on the interstate, but now I can cruise along at 75 just fine. The bike is small and easy to handle. It is technically a cruiser, but the bike is small enough to where you are basically sitting straight up. Mine came with saddlebags, so between them and my backpack I can use it for most everything I need.
The absolute best part about it though, is that it gets at least 70 miles a gallon, as long as I don't drive it too too hard. Going around town this week I was getting 77 mpg. Hope that helps some.
And while I didn't take the safety course, mainly due to the cost, it is a hell of a lot easier to go through that than to actually get your license through the DMV. (at least in Texas)

[ZeroSum]

Just out of interest, what's the deal with motorbikes in the US? Do you have to take a test, or can you just ride up to whatever CC you want without a licence?

As with most US laws, it depends on the state.

In the State of Rhode Island you can ride a bike less than 50cc that can go no faster than 35 mph (as governed by the bike) with nothing more than a standard driver's license. Anything more and you need to get a motorcycle endorsement on your license which requires taking a sixteen-hour course split over two four-hour lectures, including a final exam and two four-hour practical range days where you're on a 250cc bike, including a final exam. After completing the course you can bring your shiny paper to the DMV to obtain a motorcycle permit. After 6 months with no accidents on the permit you can bring your shiny permit to the DMV to obtain the motorcycle endorsement. Helmets are required for anyone under 21 and anyone with only a permit. Other than that there are no restrictions other than normal motor vehicle laws.

[seawolf167]

I've owned a number of motorcycles, and here is my take:

First - the bikes I have owned (yes, they are all sport bikes ):

Suzuki SV650S
Honda CBR 1000RR
Suzuki R6
Suzuki GSXR 750

Second - some advice (my personal opinion, nothing more):

-The higher the engine (cc), and the higher the horsepower, the worse the (sport-style) bike is for commuting. This is because the bike vibrates really fast, and causes your hands to go numb after a while. With a 30 minute commute I do not think you'll find it enjoyable to ride anything like an R6 or a CBR 1000 to work.

-You probably want to be comfortable when riding to work - so get a sport bike (notice the 'S' at the end of the SV650S) over a racing bike (notice the 'RR' at the end of the CBR 1000RR). On a racing style bike you will be leaning forward further over the handlebars, and generally the bars will ~2" lower than the equivalent sport bike.

Third - thoughts on getting a license:

-It is usually easiest to learn on a small bike (<300cc), as you can really push it around. Obviously since you said you have a small bike this should be a problem.

-Something I highly suggest to anyone would be to take a motorcycle riding course which gives you your license at the end. I know it is only my 3rd post here, but I'm going to throw out a link for an excellent course in Minnesota for getting trained and licensed.

http://hennepintech.edu/cts/motorcycle.htm

Good luck! (and have fun!)

[SomeoneElse]

Helmets are required for anyone under 21 and anyone with only a permit.

That's a pretty fucking stupid rule.

In Britain, we can ride up to 125cc (if you're under 17, its only 50cc I think) as long as we've taken a day's course, which has to be re-taken every two years. Unless you take a few lessons/tests to get a licence, which'll let you ride any CC you want AFAIK.

I'm no bike enthusiast though; I just have one for commuting purposes and couldn't give a crap about how fast it goes (I only go through town to work) or how cool it is (I currently ride a chinese-make scooter after my Honda was written off). Soo; maybe i'm not the best to give advice...

[Roland Lockheart]

You may want to consider a moped or vespa, as they are even more fuel efficient and (at least in my state) require no special licencing to opperate. Also, they are less expensive.

[ZeroSum]

Helmets are required for anyone under 21 and anyone with only a permit.

That's a pretty fucking stupid rule.

Why is that a stupid rule? I'd like it if helmets were required for everyone regardless of age or license, but quite a few people seem to like the idea of painting the road pink and grey. (I did fail to state that helmets are always required for passengers in RI.)

[SecondTalon]

I'd rather helmets and riding leather be a requirement of the law.

That, or you sign something stating that if you ride without a helmet and leathers, that you promise to do your best to land on your arms and legs instead of your torso or head so that the organs can be harvested and given to others who need them.

Ha ha! Flamebait!

You may want to consider a moped or vespa, as they are even more fuel efficient and (at least in my state) require no special licencing to opperate. Also, they are less expensive.

Depends on the state and the size of the engine.

[ShaKri]

Second - some advice (my personal opinion, nothing more):

-The higher the engine (cc), and the higher the horsepower, the worse the (sport-style) bike is for commuting. This is because the bike vibrates really fast, and causes your hands to go numb after a while. With a 30 minute commute I do not think you'll find it enjoyable to ride anything like an R6 or a CBR 1000 to work.

-You probably want to be comfortable when riding to work - so get a sport bike (notice the 'S' at the end of the SV650S) over a racing bike (notice the 'RR' at the end of the CBR 1000RR). On a racing style bike you will be leaning forward further over the handlebars, and generally the bars will ~2" lower than the equivalent sport bike.

Third - thoughts on getting a license:

-It is usually easiest to learn on a small bike (<300cc), as you can really push it around. Obviously since you said you have a small bike this should be a problem.

-Something I highly suggest to anyone would be to take a motorcycle riding course which gives you your license at the end. I know it is only my 3rd post here, but I'm going to throw out a link for an excellent course in Minnesota for getting trained and licensed.

http://hennepintech.edu/cts/motorcycle.htm

Good luck! (and have fun!)

this has it all really ... but i just thought id bring up a few things... i learnd on a 125 and thought it was a good place to start for a beginner... and moved to a 600cc.. (staying relativly low ) ... having a smaller bike isn't really less cool (unless you give a crap, but giving a crap is when you get hurt).

and the reason i quoted is because, i found the racing bikes more comfortable... i dont know if this is personal preferance (as seawolf said) or is something to do with my hight (6"4'-5', but i doubt this)...

but i do suggest trying out a few differant bikes to see what you prefer...



PS.

Helmets are required for anyone under 21 and anyone with only a permit.

That's a pretty fucking stupid rule.

In Britain, we can ride up to 125cc (if you're under 17, its only 50cc I think) as long as we've taken a day's course, which has to be re-taken every two years. Unless you take a few lessons/tests to get a licence, which'll let you ride any CC you want AFAIK.

I'm no bike enthusiast though; I just have one for commuting purposes and couldn't give a crap about how fast it goes (I only go through town to work) or how cool it is (I currently ride a chinese-make scooter after my Honda was written off). Soo; maybe i'm not the best to give advice...

weird your calling it a stupid rule.... in Britain we always gotta wear a helmet... being over 21 or not.

[SomeoneElse]

PS.

Helmets are required for anyone under 21 and anyone with only a permit.

That's a pretty fucking stupid rule.

weird your calling it a stupid rule.... in Britain we always gotta wear a helmet... being over 21 or not.

I mean it's stupid that over-21's don't have to wear helmets..!

[ZeroSum]

Ah, understood. It's one of those personal freedom to die things. Normally I'd be all over letting people ride without helmets but due to the vast difference in survivability, the fact that proper helmets do not appreciably reduce vision, the fact that they add to noise suppression when riding and the fact that people look down on bikers in general more when their brains get splattered I'm all for mandatory helmet laws. And yeah, mandatory leathers laws would also be cool.

[ShaKri]

And yeah, mandatory leathers laws would also be cool.

i honestly dont know a biker that doesn't wear leathers anyway .... i think it just looks soo much better than sitting on it wearing jeans and a shirt lol (well for sports and racing bikes anyway)


and SomeoneElse.. i appologise... i picked you up wrong... ye might wanna edit that post tho .. i'll edit it outa mine .

[ZeroSum]

You haven't seen the rash of squids riding around at the start of each summer? My girlfriend is always amused when I start going off about them riding around without proper gear, my favorite being when they have a helmet strapped to the bike but not their own head.

[SomeoneElse]

And yeah, mandatory leathers laws would also be cool.

i honestly dont know a biker that doesn't wear leathers anyway .... i think it just looks soo much better than sitting on it wearing jeans and a shirt lol (well for sports and racing bikes anyway)


and SomeoneElse.. i appologise... i picked you up wrong... ye might wanna edit that post tho .. i'll edit it outa mine .

No need for an apology, i just phrased it a bit badly.

But yeah, mandatory leathers/other protective clothing is a good idea. When some guy drove into me in January, I was wearing a jacket but just normal trousers and the fabric got stuck deep in my cuts. Egh, luckily it wasnt too bad of a cut but they did have to pick bits of fabric out of my leg. Couldn't walk for a couple of weeks after, but first thing I did after was buy a pair of motorbike trousers. Along with my jacket, they run pretty damn warm in the summer, but its worth it.

I haven't really seen any biker in England without leathers and a helmet (apart from the odd chav on a shitty 50cc), but in Italy and around the Med, everyone speeds around in t-shirt and shorts...

[squiffy]

Check the dealerships in your area and sit on all of their bikes. That way you can determine what is comfortable for you. Hope you catch the bug, riding a bike is a great way to have fun while you get where you are going.

As for me, I commute 57 miles to work on a BMW K1100LT. Very comfortable bike. Around town I use an HD XL1200. Great for stoplight to stoplight cruising, but horrible on the highway.

[Mav]

Tossing my advice into the thread a bit late (but hey, I just showed up here).

I just got my license back in November and seeing as how Rando is in the same situation I was in, living in California, no previous experience, and no bike, you'll want to get your license through the CHP rider course. It'll run you about 260, or down to 180 I think, depending on your age. It will take you a weekend (Friday evening, all day Saturday, Sunday afternoon), but if you pass the final test at the end, you get your license, end of story (and they'll teach you how to ride in the first place, which is also important.) After the classroom bit on the first night, they'll start you out just walking your (their) bike across the training lot on idle, and it builds from there - considering I went into this not even knowing how to operate a manual transmission (aside from theory), I was rather greatful for this section. Work your way through cones, emergency stops, etc.

To be honest, over the two days of riding, I dumped myself twice. The first time was caused by an over-zealousness not to miss a cone on a weaving obstacle course, but it was gentle and I caught the bike (mostly). The second time I had sort of forgotten to turn while I was celebrating making it through the weaving obstacle course, and instead of just running through the chain marking the end of the training lot (and looking like a douche), I did the brilliant maneuver of turning sharply and braking hard at the same time, and still looked like a douche as I toppled over. Fortunately, upon their insistence that riders wear boots for foot protection, I was completely uninjured still. Point is, don't do what I did. Oh, but after all that, I still passed the final test at the end (takes about 30 minutes to an hour, they have you perform all the obstacles they taught you how to go through earlier), and got my license in three days.

Which then led to the need to buy a bike. Like you, my Dad rides already. At the time I had about 1600 in a car insurence pay out from someone messing up my bumper a bit, and convinced my parents to chip in some extra cash for some Christmas and birthdays. I think I had about 2600 to 2800 total when done. My plan was just to buy a used bike of Craigslist. No point in buying something new when I'm just going to fuck it up (two types of riders, those who have crashed and those who will crash, etc). My father was rather insistent that I didn't get anything too big - not just because of the potential power to kill myself, but also because of weight. You get something that's 600lbs between your legs (besides my penis), and it's going to fall over pretty fast if you mess up - as I proved the day I shifted my weight from one leg to another to adjust my backpack, and fell over in my apartment's parking space (and mind you, my bike only weighs 430lbs). So really, I recommend something between 500 and 650cc's. It's enough power to keep you happy on the freeway, but light enough that you'll hopefully keep the bike alive a bit longer. Also like you, I didn't want a cruiser, seemed just a bit too klunky at the time - so I was trying to look for a laid back sport bike, or on the minimum section of crotch rockets. Ended up getting a 96' 600cc Yamaha Seca II ($2000 on craigslist, had 2500 miles), featured here: http://www.insanityincorporated.com/crap/bike1.jpg

It's a fairly modest riding position, doesn't have enough power to wheely on its own, but I have found myself pulling myself back up the seat after opening the throttle on open roads, a bit quirky in first gear, but otherwise a good first bike for a cheap enough price. Watch the ads over a week and you should be able to find something that suits your taste and price range. Also, don't forget gear and sales tax costs (which get paid at the DMV when you register ownership). I recommend http://www.newenough.com - they sell last years models at cheaper prices typically. I still spent 150 on my helmet, but it looks cool, so I'm happy.

It's late, I hope I didn't ramble through that too badly.
tl;dr version:
Find a CHP riders course near you (google), get your license
Find a decent first used bike on Craigslist
Get something that isn't too big (or small, speed can save your ass too, sometimes)
Pray you don't die in the next six months

Oh, also, another reason to go through the CHP course instead of a standard DMV test, is that I've heard it's nearly impossible to pass the riders test on anything but a small bike, anyways. And personally I just don't want to spend my first few years on a 250cc, so it seems better to get the license and then the bike.

[TheAmazingRando]

Mav, late as you may be to this thread, that was very helpful. It's good to know what the CHP course involves, since that's probably what I'll be taking.

You may want to consider a moped or vespa, as they are even more fuel efficient and (at least in my state) require no special licencing to opperate. Also, they are less expensive.

If I were just driving around town, maybe, but I have to drive ~35 miles on the freeway to school every day so I need something that can comfortably go 60+ mph.

[Bad]

First off take a Motorcycle Safety Course. You will learn a bunch of valuable information and get some real world riding experience to prepare you.

Second; buy USED. You will most likely drop your bike at least once in your early days so buy something used and don't
spend a whole lotta money on it.


Third: Buy SMALL. Nothing more than a 500. I started on a 500 and have yet to crash, my buddy started on a ZX-6 and crashed several times all due to rider error. Get something that will forgive you for stabbing the throttle a little too hard out of a turn.

Fourth: Buy GOOD gear, and wear it at ALL TIMES. Rule of thumb is if you're going fast enough for the bike to stand up on it's own, you need to be wearing full gear. Jacket, helmet, gloves, boots that cover the ankle, knee guards of some sort and riding pants.

Fifth: Have fun!

[Mav]

Glad to be of help. One thing I forgot, the other benefit of the rider's course, is you're not scratching up your own bike!

Also, going along with what Bad said, we should probably also note that there's a difference in a 500cc today, and a 500cc 10 years ago. Technology can make a powerful difference in the newer motorcycles. I find my older 600 to be pretty forgiving, but there are 600's now that would tear me a new one.