Typical Noob

[Jim Moore]

Originally Posted by FunnyBone

I just cant get excited about the SV650 or other such bikes.. personal preference is a pain

You need to get over that. The SV-650 kicks ass, and you can get a used one for cheap. Fabulous starter bike for an oaf like yourself.

[rockscaler]

Originally Posted by binx_19

imagine a Shaq sized Goldwing

[OldSchlPunk]

Originally Posted by 78chevyNOVA

dick

Whatever...all the OP had to do was read the stickies at the top of the forum. That's why they were stickied.

As for your responses...maybe you'll change your stance after you see the same threads every month for a couple of years. Believe me, some days it gets really hard giving the same replies over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over. Get it?

[OldSchlPunk]

Originally Posted by FunnyBone

as for what you think I am attempting to do, I can only say to each his own, I made it clear what I wanted in my first post I thought, believe it or now I actually WANT a 250, I have little desire to own a liter bike myself, and I do not claim to be an experienced rider on the streets, but the fine motor skills needed to control a motorcycle are the same, sure they have vastly different handling characteristics, but I felt comfortable laying my shoulder into a turn and getting my knee down my very first ride round the parking lot, maybe I lack the experience to know the limits of grip on a street bike... but everyone has to learn sometime

though, maybe I will go out and get a liter bike for myself, just to prove to you that I am capable enough to ride one, congratulations, you may have just gotten a fellow human being killed

if only I were immature and insecure enough to be bothered

Well, first off...it appears you were bothered.

Next, confidence in leading with your shoulder and getting a knee down in a parking lot mean nothing when you get into traffic. That's where a "bigger" bike gets you in trouble. That's where starting "small" and used is your friend. Smaller is more forgiving to the mistakes you WILL make, and used is less traumatic when you inevitably drop your bike.

Do some homework. We've debated this same discussion numerous times. There are several very good opinions out there.

Whatever you decide, good luck and enjoy. And remember your first bike doesn't have to be your last. It's just the first step along a (hopefully) long path.

[FunnyBone]

I agree that getting something like an R1 could get anyone who is not use to the power in trouble, so many things to worry about on the road, all the hazards to keep your mind racing, getting upset and frustrated fearing for your life, with all that power waiting for your wrist to twitch the wrong way and BOOM, game over

I do not however, completely agree with the notion that learning on a slower bike will make you a better rider, sure it makes the experience much easier, a lot more forgiving and less costly in the end, since you WILL make mistakes

when I turned 16 I didnt go out in a parking lot and learn to drive in mommies automatic snotbox, my dad built me a racecar and took me to a local oval track, stuck me in a 5spd after "explaining" how the clutch worked... then sent me out onto the track, I learned to drive the hard and very unforgiving way, I made a lot of stupid mistakes and spent a lot of weeks putting my car back together and visiting the chiropractor

so I guess this is just a bit of my own personal philosophy on "learning", dont take that the wrong way, I have ridden a very fast bike on the street, I was very impressed and humbled by it.. did not like it that much, the amount of unusable power was flabbergasting, its like owning a speedboat but only being allowed to pull it around with a trolling motor -.-


oh yeah, OldSchlPunk, I assure you I was not, and probably will never be "bothered" by anything anyone ever says to me, I would be ashamed if I allowed that to happen, though it is hard to convey emotion through text, you never really know if someone is sitting behind that keyboard, laughing or crying, as it were

Originally Posted by binx_19

just get rid of some that pesky muscle and you should be good. funny thing is I have never been able to get above 200 with as hard as i tried while playing football, now i am content with dropping down to 165-170 for racing when that time comes.

I cant get rid of it, I am a martial artist by trade, I could help you build some if you really want too Wing Chun and Jeet Kune Do are great for strength training, but if you slow it all down, you will build muscle, guaranteed


a little off topic but, this is the best forum I have visited so far, I thought this was a great welcome believe it or not, you guys are a lot more mature than most, I was expecting many incoherent ramblings with cursewords thrown in somewhere, and a lot of net jargon for "noob", stay passionate

[binx_19]

Originally Posted by FunnyBone

I agree that getting something like an R1 could get anyone who is not use to the power in trouble, so many things to worry about on the road, all the hazards to keep your mind racing, getting upset and frustrated fearing for your life, with all that power waiting for your wrist to twitch the wrong way and BOOM, game over

I do not however, completely agree with the notion that learning on a slower bike will make you a better rider, sure it makes the experience much easier, a lot more forgiving and less costly in the end, since you WILL make mistakes

when I turned 16 I didnt go out in a parking lot and learn to drive in mommies automatic snotbox, my dad built me a racecar and took me to a local oval track, stuck me in a 5spd after "explaining" how the clutch worked... then sent me out onto the track, I learned to drive the hard and very unforgiving way, I made a lot of stupid mistakes and spent a lot of weeks putting my car back together and visiting the chiropractor

so I guess this is just a bit of my own personal philosophy on "learning", dont take that the wrong way, I have ridden a very fast bike on the street, I was very impressed and humbled by it.. did not like it that much, the amount of unusable power was flabbergasting, its like owning a speedboat but only being allowed to pull it around with a trolling motor -.-


oh yeah, OldSchlPunk, I assure you I was not, and probably will never be "bothered" by anything anyone ever says to me, I would be ashamed if I allowed that to happen, though it is hard to convey emotion through text, you never really know if someone is sitting behind that keyboard, laughing or crying, as it were



I cant get rid of it, I am a martial artist by trade, I could help you build some if you really want too Wing Chun and Jeet Kune Do are great for strength training, but if you slow it all down, you will build muscle, guaranteed


a little off topic but, this is the best forum I have visited so far, I thought this was a great welcome believe it or not, you guys are a lot more mature than most, I was expecting many incoherent ramblings with cursewords thrown in somewhere, and a lot of net jargon for "noob", stay passionate

i think you have caught most of us before PMS kicks in.

[Mike02048]

Originally Posted by binx_19

i think you have caught most of us before PMS kicks in.

Binx - You crack me up.

I'm also a newb and bought a Ninja 250 to start on. I have about 650 mil;es on it over the last couple of months and am lovin it. The dealership I bought it at has a deal where if you trade the bike up to a bigger displacement bike within a year, and you don't crash it, you can put as many miles on it as you want and they will give me 90% of the original selling price in the trade. So I know I'll be trading it sometime next season, probably on a Ninja 650R or an SV650SF.

Good luck to the OP - I highly recommend the Ninja 250. Not that I know a lot about it yet, but I know that I'm having fun on it!

[rockscaler]

Funnybone you make good points, but on the one about if a slower bike will allow a better rider or not, I have questions.
Do you mean or allow the better rider status to be achieved in similar times or can one be eventual?

Better as just safer for street riding, or performance riding techniques one would normally use on the track, as well as safety?


Is better tested on reaction to situations that require emergency manuevers?

[OldSchlPunk]

Originally Posted by FunnyBone

I do not however, completely agree with the notion that learning on a slower bike will make you a better rider, sure it makes the experience much easier, a lot more forgiving and less costly in the end, since you WILL make mistakes

Well, the street isn't the track, but anyone who's done trackdays will tell you stories of guys on 250's smoking guys on 600's. Those are the guys that learned on a 250. They understand carrying corner speed and don't compensate for poor cornering technique by cranking the throttle harder on the straights.

I realize many riders never go to the track, but there are still benefits in starting with a less powerful bike on the street. To use some of Keith Code's teachings: if you are concentrating on keeping your bike from getting you in trouble, you are wasting concentration that could be put to better use on the traffic and road conditions around you.

It's funny you should say this is the best site you've been to. Some of the newer members have been bitching lately that this site is only for the grumpy old fucks who don't want anyone on fast bikes or bikes that have been modified, and they don't know why they bother signing on. Must be because they don't want to "hear" what we have to say.

Keep an open mind. There are a lot of opinions on riding. Some are valid, some are bullshit, and some are old wife's tales. With enough research, you will be able to tell the difference.

[Delo]

My friend, who is 5'11 and at least 220lbs just bought an 09 250R and he's fine on it.

[FunnyBone]

I agree with the "starting slow" method of learning, for some people it is the best path, however my job is to teach all kinds of people, so I am accustom to everyone learning different, some people catch on quicker and have the proper thought processes to grasp things quickly, I see an almost unanimous acceptance that everyone should start on a slow bike, and that you WILL be a better rider for it, I cant agree with this completely.. BUT I do realize its the best advice that can be given to a stranger, you know nothing about his ability and cannot guide his hand personally

...I suppose i just went full circle on that one huh oh well.. reflection is my favorite way of learning

anyhow, a slight update, I went for a little road trip, 125~ miles, just to find a 2009 model Ninja 250R at a dealer, I was able to sit on it, side by side with larger CC bikes,the only real difference I was able to feel, was the seat height, handlebar height and foot pegs, I found that to be the biggest problem, my legs felt rather cramped, I have a 37" inseam for those considering this bike, again I am 6'1 ~230lbs, I was told the pegs could be adjusted for a better fit, other than that the bike felt fine, I could obviously flat foot both feet on the bike, the bars were not too low but overall the bike felt shorter, not a big deal though, I feel confident that I could live with this bike providing the adjustment on the pegs is enough

even though I finally found the 250, my soon to be riding buddy is taking me tomorrow to check out another bike, its a 2003 CBR6004Fi, he insists it will be the better choice, and I believe someone here suggested the "older" CBR 600F bikes?

[binx_19]

Originally Posted by FunnyBone

I was told the pegs could be adjusted for a better fit,

i would like to know how they can be adjusted?

[rockscaler]

you should be fine on the f4i but your learning curve would be faster on a softer bike.
Good luck on it though, and just so you have an idea of what they are capable. A person who I am not really friends anymore with but taught him how to ride almost 10 years ago had a 96 f3. One night he is riding, had a couple of drinks(he is a big drinker and after a few you couldnt tell without a breathalyzer) one of the people he riding with blows past a cop on a 2lane highway doing 170+ in a 50mph zone. People turn off the highway at several points, but the f3 takes it all the way to Newark about 22 miles of cops chasing, road blocks, cop cars pulling out in front to stop him or maybe cause a wreck, he rides through more than 10 towns of police cars and gets away.

The bike is very fast in capable hands but please dont be an idiot like my ex-friend.

[binx_19]

no way that bike could go 170+ mph

[rockscaler]

no he was riding with several people it was an 07 gsxr1000 that blew past the cop at that speed, supposedly everyone else was doing in between 60 and 75 when the gsxr took off. The guy on the gsxr1000 was hence forever called "Mike the Dick".