Recommend me a motorcycle

[Havok]

Hav already gave you some damned good answers, but let me recommend Triumphs, those have always been a favorite bike of mine (at least the older models, I haven't ridden any newer ones). Also, is anyone else a fan of rat bikes? They are fun as hell to make and ride (though I have seen some that certainly aren't street legal). Once I get a digital camera I'll get a picture of mine up, it's not as over-the-top as some on that site.

Rat bikes are the shit. If I had more time and a garage, I'd probably have a few. Making them yourself is the whole point and all the fun of them.

Get those pics up.

Be Safe, but look like a retard.

Seriously, that is good advice. I wear a Vanson at all times that has armor at the shoulders and elbows. I should use the back armor too, but I don't. I also can't be assed to wear leg gear. I'm far to lazy for that. That and it's a pain to get it in my size that fits the way I like.

I am looking at getting a small bike for local commuting, medium highways/byways, and some people told me I should look into a 250CC bike, since I'm still new to the actual riding motorcycle thing, so Hav, what's good for that sort of thing. One odd thing, it needs to be able to hold some cargo for a day or two trip.

If you are getting on any highway, stay away from 250s. For just some casual riding as you seem to want, I would say a 600 or so. Try a "naked" Japanese bike. You can get those for relatively cheap and they have more of a cruiser configuration which will help with the luggage.

[Kanastrous]

Be Safe, but look like a retard.

I dunno, does Darth Vader look like a retard? Maybe, but no one dares say so to his face...

...I always felt that the brains-all-down-the-front-of-one's-t-shirt look was more retardulent, but then again fashion is a very individual thing

[Knife]

I am looking at getting a small bike for local commuting, medium highways/byways, and some people told me I should look into a 250CC bike, since I'm still new to the actual riding motorcycle thing, so Hav, what's good for that sort of thing. One odd thing, it needs to be able to hold some cargo for a day or two trip.

250cc is itty bitty. If you just want to commute with such a small engine look into the scooters.

[Knife]

For OT;

The 800cc to 1100cc should be ok for most freeway riding for your generic male rider and generic cruiser bike. You can get a 650cc but your performance on the freeway will be sluggish, though for main street driving it would be fine I think. And let me second the ALWAYS wear a helmet thing along with (though I'm lazy too) a good leather jacket or other safety gear. A good pair of gloves are only 20-30 bucks too.

[Kanastrous]

Avoid scooters like the death-waiting-to-happen that they are. All of the safety drawbacks of a motorcycle with few if any of the advantages.

There are 400cc and 600cc-class bikes (like the SV650) perfectly suitable for freeway riding, but don't go smaller than a 400.

I don't entirely get the 'too lazy for the gear' thing. I mean, one has to be *really* lazy, to prefer bed-rest with a severed achilles tendon, broken back, fractured scapula, extensive road rash, busted ankle or any of the other happy-fun injuries characteristic of wrecking a bike, to just putting on some safety gear...

[Knife]

Avoid scooters like the death-waiting-to-happen that they are. All of the safety drawbacks of a motorcycle with few if any of the advantages.

There are 400cc and 600cc-class bikes (like the SV650) perfectly suitable for freeway riding, but don't go smaller than a 400.

I don't entirely get the 'too lazy for the gear' thing. I mean, one has to be *really* lazy, to prefer bed-rest with a severed achilles tendon, broken back, fractured scapula, extensive road rash, busted ankle or any of the other happy-fun injuries characteristic of wrecking a bike, to just putting on some safety gear...

Not hard to figure out that when it's 90 plus degree's outside you really don't want that leather coat and chaps on.

[Kanastrous]

There are alternatives to leather. A bunch of manufacturers make lightweight textile jackets out of breatheable material that just lets the wind blow right through; for cooling purposes not much different from just wearing the t-shirt you have on underneath. When I ride through the California desert I'm adequately cool, and when I had a freeway crash that totalled both vehicles involved it protected me when I went down. Had I subscribed to the "it's too hot" school and left it at that, my back would now be mostly skin grafts.

I leave the leather chaps in the bedroom, but you can also get pants made from the same kind of ventilated material that offer the same degree of protection and cooling.

Look, if it's so hot that you can't handle riding with proper gear, then it's probably best to just take a nice air-conditioned car.* "I stayed a degree or three cooler" doesn't do much to dull the pain while you're having pebbles and broken glass picked out of your skin, in the hospital.

I'd go so far as to suggest that insurance companies should be within their rights to disallow or limit your medical payments based upon the gear you chose not to wear. Didn't like the feel of a jacket, Spanky? You can just finance those skin transplants yourself...



* and if you don't have a car, wear the fucking gear. What possible reason could anyone have, for deliberately setting themselves up for injuries that are so easily mitigated? Do they think they're being smart, or something...?

[Redleader34]

Thanks, I'm looking into possibly going down the eastern seaboard, and with gas being expensive, it would be cheaper to buy and insure a motorcycle on my current income, so thanks.

[Knife]

There are alternatives to leather. A bunch of manufacturers make lightweight textile jackets out of breatheable material that just lets the wind blow right through; for cooling purposes not much different from just wearing the t-shirt you have on underneath. When I ride through the California desert I'm adequately cool, and when I had a freeway crash that totalled both vehicles involved it protected me when I went down. Had I subscribed to the "it's too hot" school and left it at that, my back would now be mostly skin grafts.

I leave the leather chaps in the bedroom, but you can also get pants made from the same kind of ventilated material that offer the same degree of protection and cooling.

Look, if it's so hot that you can't handle riding with proper gear, then it's probably best to just take a nice air-conditioned car.* "I stayed a degree or three cooler" doesn't do much to dull the pain while you're having pebbles and broken glass picked out of your skin, in the hospital.

I'd go so far as to suggest that insurance companies should be within their rights to disallow or limit your medical payments based upon the gear you chose not to wear. Didn't like the feel of a jacket, Spanky? You can just finance those skin transplants yourself...



* and if you don't have a car, wear the fucking gear. What possible reason could anyone have, for deliberately setting themselves up for injuries that are so easily mitigated? Do they think they're being smart, or something...?

lol, I both agree and disagree with you. Safety gear must be looked at but at what degree is obviously debatable. Even you want to leave the chaps in the bedroom. So jacket and gloves with helmet is ok by you but by the same series of logical steps you make, you suck balls for not going that one easy step and wearing chaps or protective pants.

I will not ride without a helmet. I usually have gloves one and I am conscious of what type of pants and shit I wear. Some times I take the 'risk' and don't have a jacket on, sometimes i take the risk and have shorts on.

I always wear my seatbelt in the car. Some times I take a risk and change lanes too quick, others I take longer.

Driving a motorcycle has inherent risks, to what degree you take them is up to you. Obviously the law has a certain level you must adhere to but after that to what degree you take it is up to you. I know people who won't ride without the whole getup, leather everything and helmet, I know people who ride basically naked. They bought the bike, they pay the insurance and most of them drive safely and with due diligence. Hell a couple have been in accidents.

[Kanastrous]

So jacket and gloves with helmet is ok by you but by the same series of logical steps you make, you suck balls for not going that one easy step and wearing chaps or protective pants.

I *do* wear protective pants. Just not in the form of leather chaps (which are shitty crash-protection, anyway).

[Havok]

Chaps are for Cowboys. Don't wear chaps. SOOO LAME!

[Knife]

So jacket and gloves with helmet is ok by you but by the same series of logical steps you make, you suck balls for not going that one easy step and wearing chaps or protective pants.

I *do* wear protective pants. Just not in the form of leather chaps (which are shitty crash-protection, anyway).

Fair enough unless protective pants are Jeans.

[Kanastrous]

Nope, armored para-aramid textile. Although I do have a pair of kevlar-reinforced jeans with crash padding, I haven't worn them in a long time. About four sizes too big for me, now.

[Kanastrous]

Chaps are for Cowboys. Don't wear chaps. SOOO LAME!

Not if they're assless. Those are cool.

[Lord Relvenous]

Nope, armored para-aramid textile.

Is this the maerial you were talking about for jackets and pants? Can you pick it up at bike supply stores or is it special order? How much more than the leather equivalent are they?

[Phantasee]

I haven't made much progress on getting my motorcycle, on account of the whole, "too fucking cold" and "too much snow" things. But I will second Havok on the naked bikes. You will crash, you will fuck your pretty bike up. A naked bike has less parts to replace. Who needs fairings, anyway?

Although I have run into one hitch: the girl I'm sort of seeing has told me she isn't happy with my plans for the summer, by which I mean getting a bike. What's a good way to soothe her fears?

Without putting the Marvin Gaye on, I mean.

[Havok]

Nope, armored para-aramid textile.

Is this the maerial you were talking about for jackets and pants? Can you pick it up at bike supply stores or is it special order? How much more than the leather equivalent are they?

The retail cost of my custom made leather jacket was upwards of $900. Of course it took a few cows to actually make... And I only paid cost.

Textiles are usually cheaper than leather and from your height and weight, you can probably get off the rack sizes no problem so that will keep the costs reasonable.

Vanson Leathers This is who I recommend. I LOVE my jacket.

[Havok]

I haven't made much progress on getting my motorcycle, on account of the whole, "too fucking cold" and "too much snow" things. But I will second Havok on the naked bikes. You will crash, you will fuck your pretty bike up. A naked bike has less parts to replace. Who needs fairings, anyway?

Although I have run into one hitch: the girl I'm sort of seeing has told me she isn't happy with my plans for the summer, by which I mean getting a bike. What's a good way to soothe her fears?

Without putting the Marvin Gaye on, I mean.

It depends on why she doesn't like motorcycles. If it is just a they are stupid thing, then tell her to screw off and deal with it, or get her on the back and go fast. It usually turns girls on. (DON'T actually do that! I just said not to do that in a previous post!!)

If it is because someone she knew died on a bike, you are shit out of luck. No changing that mind. So you either ride and she deals with it. You ride and she leaves you. You don't ride.

And seriously Phant, you don't have to lie about girls man. It's cool.

[Kanastrous]

Nope, armored para-aramid textile.

Is this the maerial you were talking about for jackets and pants? Can you pick it up at bike supply stores or is it special order? How much more than the leather equivalent are they?

You can find textile gear on the rack at virtually any motor sports store. I'm partial to the Joe Rocket line - good product for comparatively low prices, but there must be a half-dozen major manufacturers from whose lines you can choose.

I tend to prefer textiles to leather: the mesh-type materials are so much cooler when it's hot outdoors that there's no comparison, but a lot of mesh jackets have zip-in insulating inserts so that you can ride with them in the cold, too. And you can get a full hot-weather fit plus a cold-weather one in textile, for the price of a single decent set of leathers. Also, when it comes to leather you need (a) a greater thickness of material for the same degree of protection, meaning heavier and hotter and (b) good quality material, if you are serious about protective value, which means higher cost (there's a lot of good-looking leather ware that won't protect you as well as it ought to, come a crash).

The main appeal of leather is the look; for some people that's a serious enough consideration that they'll take the trouble to find/commission suitable leathers (look at Hav; almost a grand for custom leathers, the man obviously takes his cowhide seriously). Plus, one admittedly looks a lot dumber, riding a Harley in synthetics...

Don't forget gloves. If your hands come into contact with the roadway something's obviously gone wrong, but make sure the gloves are worth having, when it happens. This is where leather is your friend; make sure that the main panels protecting your palms are heavy enough to matter (while leaving you able to manipulate your controls) and look for gloves with hard protectors over your knuckles - busted knuckles can follow you for life so they're worth protecting.

Look at the SIDI line of motorcycle boots; the base line includes hard protectors for your ankle joints, good thick hard heels and articulated achilles-tendon armor up the back. Since your achilles tendons make it possible for you to stand, walk and run, they're well worth protecting properly. No sneaker or low-rise boot is going to protect your ankles and tendons from impact and over-rotation; get the proper gear there, too.

Although I have run into one hitch: the girl I'm sort of seeing has told me she isn't happy with my plans for the summer, by which I mean getting a bike. What's a good way to soothe her fears?

Tell her you'll take the available safety training courses, get a non-sport, non crotch-rocket bike, ride cautiously and with full gear.

Alas about 70% of car-motorcycle collisions are the cager's fault (according to an insurance breakdown I read somewhere and will try to find and link), so no matter how well-trained and competent *you* might be, maintaining the safety envelope means accounting for and/or surviving the stoopid shit perpetrated by the four-wheelers around you...

Relvenous, if the Attrition is anywhere near Los Angeles, CA I recommend Burt's Mega Mall in Covina. They have a very good clothing etc section and their prices are competitive.

[Lord Relvenous]

Relvenous, if the Attrition is anywhere near Los Angeles, CA I recommend Burt's Mega Mall in Covina. They have a very good clothing etc section and their prices are competitive.

Huh, wow. Your comment threw me off for a few seconds until I looked at my location. I haven't changed that since signing up. I live in Utah (hold the sympathy "ooh" please ) so unfortunately I'm a little ways away from there. There are a lot of motorsprts places around here, so I can look for the products and hope to not pay to much. Thanks for the breakdown, that really helps me out. I had a general idea of what to look for, but your exact descriptions will definately help me out, especially in boots and gloves.