Motorcycles...who rides?

[johnnylightnin]

Hey guys...gas prices have led me to consider getting a bike to go to and forth from school. I've still got a lot of wife convincing to do before this even comes close to fruition, but this would likely be the last bike I would buy (unless the ministry proves surprisingly lucrative...:icon_wink. I want a cruiser. Here are my concerns...

1. Insurance: I've heard that you get a great insurance break if you keep it below 1000cc's.
2. Power: I'm a big dude (Luminare would call me fat) and I need something that can move a big dude at freeway speeds.
3. Affordibility: I'm a poor grad student who may end up doing PhD work...needs to have low up-keep costs as well.
4. Ease of use: I'm a first time rider and need something that handles well in the city and won't be too much for me to handle.

I'd love to get a Harley, but man are they expensive. The only Harley's I could afford (used 883s) aren't particularly comfortable to me and I fear they may be a bit squirrely on the interstate.

So, my search has turned to the metric bikes. My favorites are the Suzuki C50 (805cc), Suzuki M50 (805cc), and the Kawasaki Vulcan 900. I'll be looking for something used (maybe VERY used) so that it won't be too big a dent to the old wallet.

Anyway, wanted to know if any of y'all had any advice. I'd certainly take an MSF course before I purchased anything. I just don't want to buy some little bitty bike and not be able to replace it once I've "out-grown" it.

[johnnylightnin]

What's a thread like this without some pics?

Here's the C50



Here's the M50



Here's the Vulcan 900




The pics are kind of deceptive. The 900 is actually the biggest of the 3.

[Bigdog13]

Be careful Johnny.

[Choudawg86]

do they make them with 4 wheels yet ? oh, ok, no, i wont ride then :icon_wink:

actually i love some of the bikes coming out with the three wheels. not the ones that are converted, the ones that are manufactured that way.

http://www.autoblog.com/2006/07/14/t...tallion-trike/


and

http://spyder.brp.com/

[Dawgbitten]

[marketdawg]

I rode a small street bike during my years at TECH. It was a Yamaha "Exciter" 250. BE CAREFUL.
I had a Honda scooter for several years but only used it very locally.

[DAWGFAN04]

I had a Suzuki C50 for about a year. Plenty of power to get up and go if necessary (even for us big dudes) I loved it. Bought it to save on gas, but didn't end up riding much. 35-40 mpg....

[johnnylightnin]

I had a Suzuki C50 for about a year. Plenty of power to get up and go if necessary (even for us big dudes) I loved it. Bought it to save on gas, but didn't end up riding much. 35-40 mpg....

Could you keep up with Big Jake on the maroon scooter?

[Guisslapp]

It doesn't matter how good of a driver you are, it is the idiots around you that would scare me. A minor fender bender in a car could be a very serious injury on a bike. The same is true about riding a human-powered bicycle on the road. Many of the insurance defense "death" cases that my previous firm handled were motorcycle cases. It is one thing if you really enjoy riding motorcycles and wouldn't be happy unless you could ride, but if you are just doing this to save money, the risk is not worth it, IMO.

[honker22]

I purchased a Honda CRF 230L in May and love it. It's a dual sport (dirt bike but street legal). It pegs out at 67 MPH which is still too fast for me, but I get 85 MPG on that HOG.

[rabiddawg]

That sounds more like a piglet, not a hog

[johnnylightnin]

I found one I can afford, but it's not put together. How tough is it for a guy with ZERO experience to put the parts together?

[nadB]

I found one I can afford, but it's not put together. How tough is it for a guy with ZERO experience to put the parts together?

I'd say VERY tough. It's not anything like putting together a lawnmower or such. I know I'd never try it.

BTW, I used to ride a 750 Honda for fun. Sold it right after I came within a hair of "laying her down" when I hit some loose pea gravel while making a sharp right turn on a concrete highway; I'd have slid right under an approaching eighteen wheeler; my wife was riding on the back; scared me badly, although I never told her.

Still keep up the motorcycle endorsement on my d.l., and not long ago went to a dealership and sat on some GoldWings. Almost bought one (for fun, not to save on gasoline), but I resisted the urge this time. :icon_wink:

[Guisslapp]

Saw a motorcyclist lying face down on the ground (and not moving) yesterday. A bunch of people were standing around him, but not moving him. He was lying in the center of the road, blocking traffic in both directions, so he must have been in pretty bad shape.

[PawDawg]

Saw a young man (< 20?) this morning on a crotch rocket. He pulled out onto hwy 80, gunned it, and lost control. Luckily the bike stayed in his own lane and the car directly in front of me was able to stop before running over him. Tore the bike up pretty bad and the rider just looked to be shook up. It was pretty obvious this guy didn't have much experience riding. Scared the crap out of me and my 17 year old.