The maybe official quick motorcycle question/news not worthy of a new thread, thread

[vexor]

Originally Posted by radioman

Kawasaki Claims the 2015 Ninja H2 ?will undoubtedly change the motorcycle landscape forever? (Updated With Howling and Chirping Video) « MotorcycleDaily.com ? Motorcycle News, Editorials, Product Reviews and Bike Reviews

a bold statement.....

Turbocharged ??

bold indeed, i'm curious to know more about it

[radioman]

the chirping sounds like its FI.

[Vale46Rossi]

Thats a supercharged engine!

[PJ]

Just passed my class 6

[Raid3n]

Good jorb, PJ

[PJ]

Fanks

To anyone who's scheduling through PRS, ask to reserve the bike you learned on!

I was taught there on a CRF, but when I arrived to get set up for my exam, all the CRF's were being used by the class, so I was stuck with a Sherpa that I've never been on before. I was a little sketched out at first, but after a few practice laps it wasn't too bad.

[Sunfighter]

Congrats on passing!

[Sunfighter]

BTW GUYS ... Vexor has a terrific review of the Ducati Panigale 899 on the front page of Revscene right now with some wonderful photos... make sure you check it out!

Thanks for adding some value/content!

Review: 2014 Ducati 899 Panigale - REVscene.net

[vexor]

^^^Yep, I am now an "author" for the front page so expect to see some of my reviews every week or so.

I'm very excited, Thank you ?NR and the Blitzgear team

[maxxxboost]

Anyone do the sea-to-sky today? Lots of bikers out today. Unfortunately, there was an accident near the intersection by Shannon falls. Looks like a 2001 blue R6 rear ended a car. Hope the person is alright.

[Sunfighter]

Two BRAND-NEW Suzuki RG500s for sale : Two ?brand new? Suzuki RG500s up for sale - Cool Motorcycles - Visordown

[Inaii]

I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask this question (or if it's been asked before, sorry if it has) but can anyone explain why I'm being warned off of getting a 125cc as a starter bike? I understand they may not be very fun, but I was under the impression that starting on a low cc bike was the best way to begin to ride?

I haven't gone near a bike (pedal) since I was 10 years old because of a really bad accident and I'm absolutely terrified of riding on the back of one (motorcycle) because I won't be in control. I thought a 125 would be a good way to overcome my fear of 2 wheels since I want to ride. Am I making the wrong decision by judging that a 125 would be the best place to start for me? If anyone has any insight or experience, I'd greatly appreciate it.

[Noir]

Originally Posted by Inaii

I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask this question (or if it's been asked before, sorry if it has) but can anyone explain why I'm being warned off of getting a 125cc as a starter bike? I understand they may not be very fun, but I was under the impression that starting on a low cc bike was the best way to begin to ride?

I haven't gone near a bike (pedal) since I was 10 years old because of a really bad accident and I'm absolutely terrified of riding on the back of one (motorcycle) because I won't be in control. I thought a 125 would be a good way to overcome my fear of 2 wheels since I want to ride. Am I making the wrong decision by judging that a 125 would be the best place to start for me? If anyone has any insight or experience, I'd greatly appreciate it.

It is.

Don't listen to bravado saying, go straight to something bigger. Or if you feel safer taking baby steps rather than going the economic route of going for a 250 right away or a 600, do it. There are times you gotta listen to others, but there are times you've got to listen only to yourself and do what's right for you.


I see no harm in you taking an extra step before going to a 250; not even your wallet.


BTW, 250 may not sound big in numbers, but for the inexperienced or unskilled, it CAN still be a lot of bike for someone. Go 125, and who says you're not gonna have fun. That's bullshit. Riding is fun whether you're in Grom or in a litre bike. just each riding is a different kind of fun on its own.

[Raid3n]

i would say go with a grom low saddle height is nice haha

[Inaii]

Originally Posted by Noir

It is.

Don't listen to bravado saying, go straight to something bigger. Or if you feel safer taking baby steps rather than going the economic route of going for a 250 right away or a 600, do it. There are times you gotta listen to others, but there are times you've got to listen only to yourself and do what's right for you.


I see no harm in you taking an extra step before going to a 250; not even your wallet.


BTW, 250 may not sound big in numbers, but for the inexperienced or unskilled, it CAN still be a lot of bike for someone. Go 125, and who says you're not gonna have fun. That's bullshit. Riding is fun whether you're in Grom or in a litre bike. just each riding is a different kind of fun on its own.

Thanks Noir. The most common thing I hear is "get a 250 or a 400, you'll get bored with the 125 really fast." (and no morgan it's not just dale that said that, although he's finally ridden a 125 and thinks it'd be perfect for me now).

I wouldn't mind a Grom, but they're a lot more expensive than a cbr 125 and price point is important to me as well as being comfortable on it. I'm glad to know there's no real "right" answer in terms of what cc to start with.

I do have one more question though, in terms of conquering my fear of two wheels; would riding on the back of a bike before learning to ride be a bad idea? My main concern would be having a panic attack or something and causing an unbalance on the bike that ultimately ends in an accident. Or am I just overthinking it and worrying about stuff that probably wouldn't happen?

And Morgan the only reason you want me to get a Grom is because you want to ride it

[Raid3n]

tbh, start as a passenger with someone you trust / feel comfortable with, and start slow. like ride around a parking lot. that way there is little to no risk and fairly contained. as long as you don't lean independently of the rider, it'll be fine. put your arms around their waist that way you move with them. the first couple of minutes are always a little wobbly while they adjust to the weight of the extra person.

[604STIG]

It's been said before and i'll say it again, take a proper course. Nothing will prepare you better than that. And as for starting on a lower cc bike, you will develop a more solid foundation by starting on a 125cc and it will make you a much better rider down the road. Don't cave in to the opinions of others, do what's right for you.

[Noir]

Originally Posted by Inaii

Thanks Noir. The most common thing I hear is "get a 250 or a 400, you'll get bored with the 125 really fast." (and no morgan it's not just dale that said that, although he's finally ridden a 125 and thinks it'd be perfect for me now).

I wouldn't mind a Grom, but they're a lot more expensive than a cbr 125 and price point is important to me as well as being comfortable on it. I'm glad to know there's no real "right" answer in terms of what cc to start with.

I do have one more question though, in terms of conquering my fear of two wheels; would riding on the back of a bike before learning to ride be a bad idea? My main concern would be having a panic attack or something and causing an unbalance on the bike that ultimately ends in an accident. Or am I just overthinking it and worrying about stuff that probably wouldn't happen?

And Morgan the only reason you want me to get a Grom is because you want to ride it

I was hoping to catch you on RS chat last night because I absolutely love motorcycle talk. Anyways, here are just the few things I wanted to communicate with you:


1) Yes riding 2 up with someone does help. This one of the things I did for my sister when she was learning. It is not going to help you learn how to ride, nor is it going to dispel your fears for riding 100%, but your thinking exactly the right way for this; that it definitely doesn't hurt, and whatever small things that help, will help, and this is one of those small things.

2) This is a really big point. Fear is normal and I think is actually a good quality to have for any new riders, in becoming a "safe" and "responsible" riders in the future. In fact, if you had no fear of riding, I would be very much worried about you as a rider and your safety.

I consider myself a great rider now but you know what took me 30 odd years to start riding? It's because I thought sportbikes are for tall people only and not for a (5'4, 125 lb) shrimp like I. This is absolutely wrong, and when my sister got into biking, I found out this is exactly the same reason that has been stopping her being a rider as well; and I bet the same can be said for other riders too.


This is how I overcame this fear (and how I helped my sister overcome it too when it was her turn):

a) I debunked the myth that sportbikes are for tall people only.

- I told her, most people think it's a requirement that a rider must be able to have both his feet planted firmly on the ground when riding a bike. This is false. This feeling stems from their knowledge of bicycle riding and the notion that when things get dicey on a motorcycle, all "just" you need to do is put both your feet on the ground to save the bike from falling. I told people this is a huge misconception and is 100% false on a motorcycle. Sportbikes are around 400 - 500 lbs, and it doesn't matter if you're a 6 foot 200lb guy, if you make a mistake in a motorcycle and the bike starts to drop, you're not saving that bike by just putting your feet down and stopping the bike from falling with your hands.

- My sister is 5'1 (smaller than me). I told my sister: top motoGP rider Dani Pedrosa is 5'1 is can outride anybody in this forum on a sportbike. Sportbike really has nothing to do with height.

b) I started my sister on a CBR 125. These are amazing starter bikes and she's an amazing sportbike rider now. Your friends are 100% correct that you may get bored with this quickly, but this is where they are wrong. Your priorities aren't about fun. You're priorities are getting your feet wet into riding, in a safe, responsible and manageable manner, and this makes you 100% correct over them.

- 2007 and up CBR 125's are cheap. So making mistakes on a bike like this is neither financially or emotionally painful , and trust me, I'm 99% sure you will make mistakes and drop this bike for sure; but that's okay.

- These CBRs are so light, and slim, that sometimes I feel like they're just motorized bicycles; just a couple steps up from a scooter. These qualities make them so much more manageable than a full sized bike or a 250cc bike. Those are great qualities if your priorities are "learning", "getting the hang of riding", and "taking baby steps into riding a sport bikes" rather than having fun.

- These bikes are so cheap, you're not really taking a financial hit when it comes time to sell the bike and upgrade to 250. My sister outgrew her bike in a matter of months and she sold it for around the same price she got it.

c) My sister thought she could ever get into riding because when she thought of sportbikes, she was thinking they're all R6'S, CBR 600rrs, GSXR 600's, and ZX6R. I told her sport bikes aren't just limited to these super sports. There's CBR 125's, and CBR/Ninja 250's, Ninja 300's and etc. There are a lot of beginner friendly sportbikes and how "beginner friendly you want to go depends on each rider (which is I think is the case here );



Lastly, the myth I want to debunk is that CBR 125s aren't fun; because they absolutely are. You're friends are correct that one bike maybe more fun than the other. These reasons could vary from power, to seating ergonomics. But what I think they're forgetting is that motorcycle riding WILL still be fun in general. It doesn't matter if you're riding a 125cc or a 1000cc. Riding is fun no matter what. Don't buy into the cool aid that some people think that there's a minimum power requirement for fun; that's a discussion for later on and when you're finally a more seasoned/skilled rider

[320icar]

Cbr125 is a good bike, but I hear from some riders that's it's easy to " out grow"


Edit: wait you haven't even been on a bicycle in over a decade, yet you want to skip that and go for a motorcycle. Whaaaaaaat???

[vexor]

Originally Posted by 320icar

Edit: wait you haven't even been on a bicycle in over a decade, yet you want to skip that and go for a motorcycle. Whaaaaaaat???

That's what I did... and I started on a 500cc

[Noir]

Originally Posted by 320icar

Cbr125 is a good bike, but I hear from some riders that's it's easy to " out grow"

I know you didn't mean it this way but actually I hate it when people keep bringing that up.


1) There's nothing wrong with idea of "outgrowing a bike". Especially a CBR 125 which is already a dirt cheap bike, and if it takes a matter of months to outgrow, I'm sure you're re-selling the bike for a similar price you bought it from.

2) Outgrowing should be a positive thing, not a negative thing; and if possible, I want to start changing that sentiment that this is actually a good thing and not a bad thing; and if anything, a safer thing.




EDIT: my bad, I also forgot to address this for Inaii:

Originally Posted by 320icar

Edit: wait you haven't even been on a bicycle in over a decade, yet you want to skip that and go for a motorcycle. Whaaaaaaat???

I know how to ride a bicycle, but the last time I rode a bike was when i was 13 years old. I started riding motorycles by going to a riding school (Pro-Ride) when I was 31 so my gap was actually much much bigger than yours.

When I signed up for my course at 31 years, it didn't even occur to me that it's been almost two decades since I last rode a bicycle. I guess in the back of my head, it doesn't matter how long it's been since I've ridden a bicycle, I still would know how to ride a bicycle, and therefore was a non-issue for me.



I think the issue is more, do you know how to ride a bicycle rather than how long has it been since you've ridden a bicycle? (as a precursor to riding motorcycles)

[Inaii]

Before my accident I loved riding bicycles. I lived in a rural part of langley (South Carvolth for anyone who knows Langley) so I rode my bike everywhere. To school, to friend's places. I agree with the statement that you never really forget how to ride a bike. I think if I had to, I could ride a bike with no problems after a few minutes. However, there's so much negative stigma in my mind surrounding them, that I can't think of a reason I would want to lol.

[BillyBishop]

Originally Posted by Raid3n

i would say go with a grom low saddle height is nice haha

I'm 6'2" and riding the Grom for a full hour buzzing around town in Victoria was not only fun but also pretty damn comfortable! It really surprised me, great little bike.

[PLUJ]

Love the Grom, haven't tried one tho aha.

[320icar]

I love the grom too. Also, it depends what kind of rider you are some guys like 1000cc's and going everywhere at a million times the speed of light. Others like me prefer style and fun. Low powered non-serious bikes that don't really intimidate