I'm seriously considering giving up this whole "car" thing.

[UnoMOTO]

I got damn near killed today because some moron on a Kawasaki just "had to do that killer wheelie".

Know of guys who have had half their friends killed whilst on bikes. Its gone to the point where those guys beg their friends, along with the wifes to ditch the bikes.

One guy got his head decapatated after a car pulled out on him.

...and the beat goes on....This one time at band camp....

I guess its time for me to be more productive.

Suzuki

650 V-Strom commonly considered a sport tourer with upright seating and very good for long rides.

DR200S Affordable dual sport to get you from A to B on or off the road.

If you need more power then you would go for the DRZ400SM this bike has fun smashed all over it. Supermoto is in the house yo!

The GS500 has the look of a sportbike with much less power for the real world

GZ250 If you are in to crusing then this would work for you.

Because this Burgman is 400cc it might be an option. Also scooters are availble in 600cc models so that you could keep up with highway traffic if you had to.

SV650 My pick for the best all around starter bike. A bike thats not intimidating and something you could grow into to still have fun.

Honda

Rebel250 this bike has been there and done that for MANY years. Couldn't go wrong here.

Nighthawk250 The bike that MSF used to do my training on. Easy to get on and feel very confident.

599 Another bike that would be good to grow into.

Kawasaki

Eliminator125 Small cruser that you would be very comfortable on.

KLX250

250 Ninja See GTP user Wolfe for more information

Ninja 650R Twin cylinder that is more for the real world. Not out of control like the new sportbikes.

Yamaha

Zuma Scooter just to give you more options

FZ6 Sporty yet somewhat sensible

Buell

Even the Buell Blast might be a good choice for you.

And most importantly don't forget rider training

I would have included some other makes and models as in Ducati and Aprillia but some of them can get $$$ for a starter bike.

 

[El Jarretto]

Ah man just get a bike. There's a feeling a bike can give you that nothing else can, they're just amazing. I've had a little 125cc dirt bike for a year and it's just loads of fun. I'd highly suggest getting a bike, despite what everyone says. It's just so much fun and the fact that you don't need a big bike to have fun makes it easier. For my next bike I plan on getting a Vespa.

 

[FastEddie12]

...and the beat goes on....This one time at band camp....

I guess its time for me to be more productive.

+rep points for keeping things on topic.

My choice of the above would be Suzuki SV650 or Yamaha FZ6. SV better in town thanks to torquey V twin, Yamaha better on the open road with its better top end. Bandit comes somewhere between and can be found much cheaper as it's been around longer. XJ 600 Diversion, though cheap, is outclassed by all of these bikes, especially in handling.

 

[UnoMOTO]

+rep points for keeping things on topic.

My choice of the above would be Suzuki SV650 or Yamaha FZ6. SV better in town thanks to torquey V twin, Yamaha better on the open road with its better top end. Bandit comes somewhere between and can be found much cheaper as it's been around longer. XJ 600 Diversion, though cheap, is outclassed by all of these bikes, especially in handling.

Thanks for the rep Eddie. Staying on topic isn't my best trait.

My best college chum put about 30k on an SV650. That is where I have some real life testimonial. He up graded to a 04 R6 which he is currently riding the wheels off of also. I don't know anybody personally that has an FZ6, but my brother in-law does have an FZ1 which he loves to death so I would also have to put the FZ6 in a high quality category.

 

[Wolfe]

Naturally, UnoMOTO has some great suggestions and advice in bike selection. I did some of my MSF training on a Nighthawk 250, too, and other than a very finicky neutral (common problem with those bikes, I was told), it was great fun to ride. Changed my outlook on bikes and made me reconsider my idea that I "had" to get a sportbike (even though I did anyway, kinda).

 

[3-Wheel Drive]

My parents just moved to the hill county, now that I'm done with high school, so my dad is going to get a cruiser for himself, and then maybe an old used bike for me/my brother so we can ride together. I can't wait to get my motorcycle certification

I'm also not going to skimp on protection. Full face helmet, leather jacket and gloves at minimum. Probably armored pants, too.

 

[forza2.0]

There's no real need to post a link to a video featuring a fatal motorbike crash, now is there?

Incidentally, bodies are decapitated. Heads are disembodied.

I just thought that the video perfectly hides one of the main dangers of riding on a motorbike. Its not the rider thats the danger, its the people around him, as seen by the guy who was driving perfectly safe and then wham, he gets unexpectly hit and is possibly the one who is now dead. Had he been in a car he would stand a much better chance.

I like bikes, but when I do eventually get one I shall also buy a trailer. In this day and age it would be a track toy only IMO.

 

[Famine]

I just thought that the video perfectly hides one of the main dangers of riding on a motorbike. Its not the rider thats the danger, its the people around him, as seen by the guy who was driving perfectly safe and then wham, he gets unexpectly hit and is possibly the one who is now dead. Had he been in a car he would stand a much better chance.

I agree - it also shows 5 other bikers behaving like complete morons. The one coming the other way who got taken out by our reckless cameraman wasn't doing anything noticeably wrong

I just didn't think it was strictly necessary to show a fatality - though it is duly noted that there was no blood'n'guts (I watched the video when it was posted on another site) - to get the point across.


Besides which, I think we've moved on a little now.

This looks nice:

 

[Garak]

We live in America, there is no such thing as a neighborhood grocery store, they are all big supermarkets built around were people do not live.

I, too, am in North America, albeit Canada. We're not that different, here. In any big American city I've been to, there are convenience stores and corner grocers all over. No, you likely won't find a 300 pound box of Tide there, but you'll find most of what you need, without spending a dime on gas.

 

[Mrs. Famine]

Holy off-topic thread resurrection, Batman!

 

[neanderthal]

im not gonna read through all the post. experience has told me most people just parrot whats already been said. and sadly most of it is not a valuable contribution.

to get off my high horse
*take an MSF course
*ATGATT (all the gear, all the time; DOT/ snell approved helmet, jacket (reinforced elbows, shoulders, back protection etc) gloves (i neednt say reinforced anymore) pants boots etc) a simple 20mph fall while on your way to post something at the post office could be the end of you walking or worse. make sure your gear is highly visible too.
*start with a small bike and get lots of practise. toss your ego out the window and just concentrate on learning. apparently, learning on dirt is quicker.
*practise defensive riding.
*remember that on a bike, any accident and youre likely to be the loser.

 

[Wolfe]

Maybe I'm just out of the loop, but did you ever follow through on this idea, Toronado?

 

[DeltaTrain]

Get a scooter. 👍

 

[superberkut]

A Blazer uses up too much fuel and is very slow to begin with, so you may want to consider getting a smaller car before a motorcycle.

But, you still enjoy cars, right?

 

[Tornado]

@ Wolfe: My dad's Ninja died soon after I mentioned my intention to get a licence, so I have spent most of my time looking for a bike to practice on. I still intend to follow through with it, but I'm probably going to put it off until I'm 18, assuming I can find a bike before then.

@ superberkut: I have two awesome-driving compact cars at my disposal whenever I want. I only ever drive my Blazer off-road anymore (and it has been that way for about a year now), and I mostly use my bicycle or dad's car wherever I go. I have no plans to ditch my Blazer, even after I get a motorcycle. I've decided that I will merely lower the insurance coverage on the Blazer so I end up paying about the same overall with bike insurance added.

 

[Mclaren_Man]

neanderthal has pretty much hit the nail on the head with that post. Make sure you get good gear, it is your insurance. Also dont splash too much money on your first bike (I spent about $800 on gear and $1800 on my bike!), especially one that is fully faired because when (not if) you come off those fairings are gonna cost a lot of money to replace.

Also those revvy 4 cylinder sports bikes you have mentioned can be fun but arent 'perfect' for a learner, they dont have much out of the power band. I ride a kawasaki 500cc twin, its very forgiving and easy to ride when I was first starting it didnt matter if I went through a corner in too high a gear as it just chugged through it with its solid bottom end torque, if I did that on a smaller bike it woulda struggled and I could've put it down.

Also one other major problem, when you get on a bike it will instantly convert you, all of a sudden I have a stack of bike mags instead of car ones! Its great fun, and you start laughing at all those people in cars missing out.

 

[UnoMOTO]

Also one other major problem, when you get on a bike it will instantly convert you, all of a sudden I have a stack of bike mags instead of car ones! Its great fun, and you start laughing at all those people in cars missing out.

I call that "THE DARK SIDE" around these cagers.

 

[superberkut]

@ superberkut: I have two awesome-driving compact cars at my disposal whenever I want. I only ever drive my Blazer off-road anymore (and it has been that way for about a year now), and I mostly use my bicycle or dad's car wherever I go. I have no plans to ditch my Blazer, even after I get a motorcycle. I've decided that I will merely lower the insurance coverage on the Blazer so I end up paying about the same overall with bike insurance added.[/SIZE][/FONT]

Makes sense. So, I guess a motorcycle would be a good idea. The thread title just threw me off.