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[jaydub]

So I've been greenlit by the family (my Mom excepted) to get myself a motorcycle, since a car isn't an option right now and we just have the one vehicle.  Is anyone here a rider?  I'm looking at the various Yamaha/Honda/Kawasaki models in the cruiser 650cc range, as it seems that's the minimum size you want for freeway use (living in CA, there isn't much other type of riding to be done day-to-day), and yet still seem to be reasonably nimble and affordable.  (There are some monsters with more than 1L displacement and pricetags that rival small cars.  Not interested).  Probably going to buy used, from a dealer.  Seems like the consensus is you don't spend a whole lot on your first bike, and its better to buy it used because as a newbie you're likely to tip it over, wipe out & scratch it up etc. 

[Choop]

just remember: the question isn't if you crash, it's when.

(i drive a scooter, at least when it's not in the shop and the weather's nice)

[Doc]

Yeah, even if you don't crash it you'll probably drop it and those fancy plastic farings are expensive to replace.

I drive a Honda CB250, I had to get a 250cc for my first bike because of laws around here and haven't had money to upgrade yet, it's not the fastest thing in the world but it's been pretty reliable. I hear the honda CB-whatevers tend to follow this pattern: nothing fancy but reliable and there are parts everywhere because they're so popular. The biggest problem I've had with it was that I didn't ride it for about 3 months due to various things and when I started again it had lost a lot of power and started conking out while idling, despite having basically no mechanical knowledge I was able to replace the sparks and pull apart and clean the carburetor and things are running fairly smoothly now.

[wombat]

I would just like to weigh in with your mom as not approving of this plan.

[Doc]

I'd like to weigh in as your drunk friend as thinking if I had 10 grand something like this second hand would be my choice. It basically looks like it comes from the future.

[Nabubrush]

Any way to swing one of these? Because I mean, if you're going to do it do it right, as George Michael said.

[jay-ell]

I would just like to weigh in on the side of "yay."

I never rode by myself, but I used to ride along with a former co-worker for his Saturday morning rides. He had a cherry-red Moto Guzzi (I think it was a Breva 1100), that baby was smooth as silk and comfortable to ride, even as a passenger. He'd been riding for 30 years by the time I met him, so I felt safer than I would have with a newbie.

His wife had her own bike and liked to drive, but he was a social animal and liked to have a companion. He used to pick me up about 8 AM and we'd ride about 45 minutes down to the air force base and have breakfast at Hardee's, then turn around and come home. It was about this time of year, late summer-early fall, so it was just cool enough at that time of day for my leather #####, which made me feel like a real biker babe. Watching the leaves turn week by week was worth the ride by itself, but Murph was a good driver and good company, which made the whole experience even better.

Murph had rigged a two-way voice-activated radio hooked up inside our helmets so we could listen to classic rock and talk to each other while we rode -- when either of us spoke, the mic kicked on and muted the music so we could hear each other better. I guess it probably would have seemed weird to most people; I was 20 and he was in his 50s, and he took me to a remote location for a few hours on a weekly basis for about three months, but he was just a real sweet guy and never gave me the creeps or anything.

So I have really good feelings about bikes, even if I don't know the first thing about them. Someday, when my kids are grown and I've achieved financial independence, I would love to get a little Kawasaki and go riding again. Not an option as long as I've got need for the minivan, though.

[Nabubrush]

I dated a girl a couple years ago who had a crotch-rocket type of bike but the relationship didn't last long enough for me to get a ride on the bike out of it. My only experience on one was a massive dirt bike which was entirely to powerful for my first try. I ended up injuring myself, but did not crack open the ol' walnut, thankfully.

[jaydub]

Any way to swing one of these? Because I mean, if you're going to do it do it right, as George Michael said.

Isn't a Hayabusa something from Star Blazers (or whatever the correct Japanese name was)?

[jaydub]

I'd like to weigh in as your drunk friend as thinking if I had 10 grand something like this second hand would be my choice. It basically looks like it comes from the future.

I'm mildly surprised that your "Summon Somebody nice" spell has not caused an appearance.  Normally the mere mention of a Ducati will get her slavering.

[Doc]

I'm mildly surprised that your "Summon Somebody nice" spell has not caused an appearance.  Normally the mere mention of a Ducati will get her slavering.

Heh, didn't even think of that. Maybe she finally got one and road it out of Alaska.

[Nabubrush]

I think I would have a much easier time talking my sweetheart into a firearm purchase than a motorcycle purchase, mainly because she's worried about zombies.

[jaydub]

I feel like I'm 16 again, waiting for the stars to align so my parents would start letting me drive.  I've narrowed the options available to a used Honda Shadow (big enough to survive freeway driving, yet not likely to cause a new rider problems) because someone else's dime is on the newbie depreciation dings and scratches.  I've got to set aside enough cash for a down payment (shouldn't be too hard, but the car's wheezing and is probably going to require a fat check to get it running smooth), plus update life and auto insurance.  Finally there's a safety class I'm taking that requires 4 hours on a Thursday night and a good chunk of 2 weekend days.  Stacey had to work this coming weekend, and my brother's wedding is coming up following that, so the cards are playing out for early November.

Life don't play out like it does in the movies, do it?

[jaydub]

Yeah, with the bellyaching I do over the way people drive cars, it wouldn't be consistent if I wanted to skip the process for riding a motorbike.  The Shadow is pretty much exactly what I'm looking for in terms of size, form, and cost.  The only thing that would be nicer is if I could get a sidecar for it to tote kids in.  So far that seems to not be an option.  In fact, sidecars in  general are less common than I thought.

[jay-ell]

Lady and the Tramp lied to us all.