Getting a Motorcycle
Sunday, July 27th, 2008 - 4:00pm
I'm 22, but I still don't have a driver's license. I've had a car for about four years now, but I've never used it. And as the years have passed by, the list of repairs that need to be made has increased. So I found myself contemplating transportation the other day when I had an epiphany, "I'll get a motorcycle!" And I've already found the perfect model! A 2007/8 Kawasaki Ninja 250R.
It will cost a few grand, but the amount of money I'll save on repairs, insurance, and gas will completely offset it within a year. Not only that, but motorcycles get chicks. 
A - Take an MSF course.
B - That's not a 250R.
C - Legally drive a car for a while before you start on the bike.
Semper Delectatio
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Yeah... that's the $12,000 ZX-10R. Easy mistake to make though, as the 250 does look a lot like that now, at least in pictures that small. They updated the body paneling and most of the visual design of the 250 to match the higher end bikes this year.
If I were to get a bike for transportation right now the 250R would be it.
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A - I will
B - I suspected as much, but I did a quick google search for a 250R and saw something that looked like it. Works for me!
C - I know how to drive a car, and no, I'm not repairing it just to drive it.
I think what he is getting at is that knowing how to operate a vehicle has very little to do with being safe on the road. Going from 2ish yrs driving experience from 4 years ago to owning a sports bike is a dangerous jump.
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Hunter Ghorin
Not having a driver's license says to me that you don't have any experience in responsibly operating a motor vehicle on the road. So the motorcycle would effectively be your first vehicle, thereby greatly increasing your learning curve. That's not a good thing when a lapse in concentration can cause death or serious injury.
Also AGATT - All Gear All The Time
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Especially when riding a crotch-rocket like a Ninja, regardless of the engine size. What will happen is that you'll be cautious at first. As you get used to the bike, you'll get more and more bold. A few months after you start riding, you'll feel confident and experienced. Then you'll go into a curve too fast and lay the bike down into oncoming traffic. If you can be honest and detect that tendency in yourself, you'll probably be ok. If not, get a scooter instead.
Remember: this conversation is just between you and me ... and the NSA.
MaverickDago wrote:
Well, there's no way I'll acquire experience with a car. I cannot afford the repairs, insurance, or gas. And there's no way I could practice with the cars of my parents. So the motorcycle will simply have to be it.
I've actually been thinking about finding a used Honda Nighthawk for commuting when the weather is nice enough. The fact that they're equipped with drum breaks is a little bit of a turn-off, but I'm thinking personal transport, not crotch rocket.
AGATT: Excellent advice, and it astonishes me how many people I see riding bikes with nothing more than a t-shirt, jeans and sneakers.
(edited for sanity.)
"Screw the speed of light, fan-boy rage is my new gold standard for measuring velocity." - Dr. J
"Lupus with a crowbar is the meaning of life itself." - Certis
Jesus, brave man. I hate motorcycles. I had a female friend of mine give me a ride home from school once (she had a spare helmet in her locker), and sweet merciful christ, never again. It doesn't help that she's an insane driver. Then again, it takes skill to drive like a maniac and not die. She had also been riding motocross since she was 14 though.
St.Hillary wrote:
Commence your hatred, gentlemen.If this is your first bike, you should probably just find a used, lowpowered, standard first. Get a starter bike then work your way up (in a year or two). I had a friend who slid his YZF 600, He was fine, but the amount it cost him to fix was horrifying.
HantaXP: What would you recommend as a good starter?
Well that really depends on what you can get, because it seems right now you want cheapish. I'd do some looking around, but try to avoid anything that is going to take all your cash on the purchase, and avoid anything too big (if you're tempted to push it a little faster, you won't be able to while you are learning).
Edit: I would recommend something in the 250 range, for at least a year (two if you can handle it). Then spring for a nice bike after. Who knows, you might find that you HATE riding, and want to go to the car, or you get a girl knocked up and she makes you get a minivan or something.
I want one of these.
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Yea, but the max range is only 45 miles
For me that isn't a big deal. I work 4.6 miles from home and even then when I want to visit the next county it's only 35 miles away.
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May I suggest http://img.tootoo.com/mytootoo/upload/94/94436/product/94436_b2c2b410f2f22f3fd6b73158c7493a01.jpg for you Edwin.
*cough*?
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I ride a Triumph Bonneville. It's a great bike, not over powered, but plenty of guts. I use it to commute and drop-off/pick-up Lil'Bean from daycare. She has a matching full-face helmet and she loves to ride with me.
I always wear a helmet, gloves and boots, but when it's really hot here, I skip the jacket. I know I shouldn't, but I can't take the heat, even with my mesh jacket. But I always wear my full-face helmet.
Personally, I think a crotch-rocket is a poor choice for a first bike. They look fast and will entice you to drive like a racer.
Newbie + Sportbike = Trouble
I'm not lost. I'm locationally challenged.
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Seriously agreed. I have never once personally seen anyone riding a crotch rocket who wasn't a road smear waiting to happen. Something about those bikes turns people into morons, and then disfigured crippled morons.
I've been eyeballing old Shadows and Boulevards myself.
*Legion* recognizing greatness wrote:
That was actually the plan, my good man.
I'm aiming for a Kawasaki Ninja 250R. Thanks for the advice.
Do you know of any good alternatives that are cheap, fast enough to be a good driving solution, safe, and have a great fuel economy (60+ mpg)?
I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news; but your initial layout for a motorcycle is likely going to be more than it will cost to get said car on the road. A new 250R plus everything you'll need is going to run you at least $5,000. If you're willing to go with an older model (which will have a much different visual style), then you can cut that down by as much as $2K.
Semper Delectatio
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It would cost at least $1,000 to get it running. And then the insurance would cost about $500-750. And then it averages 20 mpg. Factor this over a period of two years and I would be doing a -severe- disservice to myself by using it. And I was actually more interested in older models, which do not differ that much in visual style.
This bike will be a long-term investment for me, as will any form of automobile be. That's why I think it is more logical to get it rather then attempt to use the car. Over time, any advantage it offers would be negated and thereafter, it would be a liability.
Where are you living and are you using this for transportation or fun? A car is easier to drive when you're tired after a day at work or sick, can be driven in all weather, and you can generally carry a few friends with you and a bunch of stuff. I like the idea of a motorcycle or scooter for transportation, but as a utilitarian means of transportation is has its limits.
Man, you're just 22!! You should wait at least 20 more years for this whole "gotta get a bike -- this'll show em that the ol' man still got it!" shtick!
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Yeah, a motorcycle as your only transportation sounds like something a dumb 22-year-old would do. When you factor in your lack of driving experience and lack of responsibility (no license?), you really are just a statistic waiting to happen. I don't even think most motorcycle folks would respect this decision.
I'm probably biased, since i spent weeks at the hospital waiting for my brother to come out of a coma after he launched his crotch rocket into a truck that pulled out in front of him. I didn't see him until he had been flown via helicopter from Lawrence to KC. He had a broken jaw (and broken as in mostly torn from his face, so where a freaking full face helmet!), a cracked vertebrae in his neck and lots of other, just damage. They needed to wire his head to his body, and then wire him to a halo so that they could repair his jaw without moving his neck. That surgery only took about 16 hours.
Then I spent weeks going to the hospital and talking to him, trying to lure him out of his coma. It was probably the worst time in my life.
But hey, if you can save a few bucks, I'm sure this is a great decision.
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Oddly enough, I'm 43 and this is about where I am. The difficulty is that I never really had it to begin with. So the bike is kind of pointless.
My suggestions:
1) Buy something used, cheap, and NOT sportbike. Sportbikes are just too dangerous for experienced riders. And your first bike is going to get banged up, so it's best to get those training knocks into a bike you won't feel too bad about dropping once or twice.
2) Spend the extra cash on good safety gear. Chances are you will lay it down or crash it at least once while you are learning. Full Face helmet, leather/kevlar jacket, gloves and boots are a must.
3) Ride with people. It is always best to ride with at least one friend when you are still inexperienced. You never know what will happen out there and it's good to have a friend nearby to call an ambulance/help push you home/whatever.
I have to reiterate that fixing your car will probably be the cheaper answer. I just spent $950 on my bike in parts alone. Don't buy a Ducati. Kick ass bikes, but their maintenance costs are ridiculous.
Be ready to pay out the nose for insurance too. At your age it's probably going to be fairly high.
Good luck, and ride safe.
Mex wrote:
I'm going to jump on the 'fixing the car will be cheaper' bandwagon. To the insurance companies, you are exactly what Jayhawker named you: a dumbass 22 year old with a motorcycle. Whatever money you're about to save in gas, you're going to bleed like a fountain in insurance payment. Even with a cruiser or a streetbike, you're going to be paying through the nose for insurance on a motorcycle, because let's look at the facts regarding your driving history:
1. There isn't one.
That right there is the long and the short of it, bud. You are 22, haven't driven in 4 years, and drove for two years only at that. You are an extrodinarily inexperienced driver, and need to fix that before you consider getting a motorcycle.
Ultimately though, it's your call.
Coldstream wrote: