[quote]kane101nod wrote:
I am also looking to pick up my first bike, as its much better for traveling while @ school and in the city. I’m interested in a Ducati Monster, as the smaller engined ones won’t break bank either. Does anyone have any experiance with these bikes?..[/quote]
Very cool bikes. Valves need to be checked/adjusted at 6000 miles.
Learn to do it yourself or spend some money.
Ducs are sweet but be prepared to pay a little extra for maintanence.
[quote]gojira wrote:
My question is; how mechanically able are you? Are you someone who needs a new bike so that you can take it to the dealer to be worked on, or can you do it yourself? This is an important issue to consider as there are many maintenance issue regarding motorcycles. Do you know how to adjust the chain (drive or primary), can you change a tire, are you comfortable dealing with fuel injection or would you rather have a carburator? A lot of the newer bikes can be intimidating for someone new to motorcycles, so you may want to choose something that you also can work on.
Personally, I like the old stuff. It increases in value rather than diminishing. Simpler technology too. And if you want to get attention and not just be another clone on a new Harley or squid on a crotch rocket, show up on something over forty years old.
But then that’s just my opinion (and you guys already knew that).[/quote]
Do you have any more pics? That is a very nice bike. I’d be interested in seeing more.
Hey man. First of all, great to hear that you want to get into motorcycling, I just started riding myself. And also great to hear you are taking the course. I’d say see how comfortable you are on a bike while taking the course, for instance, if you’re falling and dropping your 250cc bike, maybe you shouldn’t get a 700lb harley right away. But if you feel confident then get whatever you want. Luckily for me i actually wanted to get an sv650, which is a great beginner bike and a great bike overall.
Ideally you should learn on a smaller bike, but if you don’t want to… i’m not gonna stop ya.
I have been a DIE HARD Harley rider (well… actually a 1990 FXSTS completely customized with a 100ci motor and a 6 speed tranny) for over 10 yrs. I love the “biker” lifestyle BUT with all the damn yuppies and idiots wearing tennis shoes and polo shirts I see riding harleys now it make me alittle sick!
If I were to get another or a NEW bike I would look at the Kawasaki ZX-10 or the Daytona 955i. I also do not think you should get a small bike just to “learn on” in 6 months be stuck with a bike that you have out grown and cant sell for anything close to what you paid for it.
[quote]USMC68 wrote:
I have been a DIE HARD Harley rider (well… actually a 1990 FXSTS completely customized with a 100ci motor and a 6 speed tranny) for over 10 yrs. I love the “biker” lifestyle BUT with all the damn yuppies and idiots wearing tennis shoes and polo shirts I see riding harleys now it make me alittle sick!
If I were to get another or a NEW bike I would look at the Kawasaki ZX-10 or the Daytona 955i. I also do not think you should get a small bike just to “learn on” in 6 months be stuck with a bike that you have out grown and cant sell for anything close to what you paid for it. [/quote]
If you buy a used bike to learn on and sell within a year or two, you can usually recoup most of your money.
[quote]Heimsoth wrote:
If you want the V-Rod, get the V-Rod. As far as being to powerful…every bike has the power to get you into trouble if you don’t respect it.
I have had two Fatboys, a Buell XB12R, Suzuki Hayabusa, and now I have a V-Rod. Very fun bike to ride. Somewhat the best of both worlds, it is still a cruiser that you can go on leisurely rides, but has the ability to scream too.
As far as reliability, Harley’s are going to be just as reliable as the Suzuki you mentioned. Just keep up with the service schedule and you will be able to ride that bike for as long as you want.[/quote]
What’s your opinion of the XB12R? I’ve been tossing the idea of buying one around for a while now. Pros and cons?
Well, wouldn’t you know that there just happens to be a huge motorcycle show this weekend at the Javits Center in NYC.
I will take notes from this thread and check out all the bikes.
It’s funny how it seems that a lot of people are turning away from buying Harleys. There must be a lot more quality bikes out there for less.
I’ll report back on Mon.
[quote]kurmatt wrote:
Well, wouldn’t you know that there just happens to be a huge motorcycle show this weekend at the Javits Center in NYC.
I will take notes from this thread and check out all the bikes.
It’s funny how it seems that a lot of people are turning away from buying Harleys. There must be a lot more quality bikes out there for less.
I’ll report back on Mon.
[/quote]
Not just quality, but style. I consider the sportsbikes way more responsive than a Harley. My bike can stop on a dime. The rest of the handling just comes from skill. On an interstate, with people driving over the speedlimit with complete disregard for anyone else on the road, I would rather be on a bike that could respond quickly to hazards and had the power to get me out of dangerous situations quickly.
I may get a cruiser one day, but it sure as hell wouldn’t be for function. You get what makes you happy, however, and you are pretty much the only one that can figure that out. I knew what I wanted before I ever saw it…down to the color. Now that I know my way around a bike more, my next one will be truly impressive once modified.
Think about a buell, i have a 2001 X1 white lightening. Great bike, beautiful 1200cc motor and goes around corners like spiderman, stops great, doesn’t have the top end of the Jap superbike but is great on stoplight drags and will keep up to the superbikes up to 3rd gear.
I get a lot of old timers coming up and having a look, its a great balance of a vtwin in a sportbike frame, I have a few bikes and this is the one bike that i always get off and i am smiling, fits in with the harley crowd and the jap crowd, it the ultimate hoon bike.
What’s your opinion of the XB12R? I’ve been tossing the idea of buying one around for a while now. Pros and cons?[/quote]
sent you a PM,
if anyone has any questions about Buells, please feel free to ask. i work in the idustrial design dept (styling) and would be more than happy to answer any questions…
and in case you didn’t happen to catch the issue of Bike magazine. the XB12R was rated the best handling bike EVER!
My ride is a 2001 ducati monster 900. I’m too old and ride to long and hard for a pure sport bike. While I like cruisers, few can give me the speed and handling fix I crave. The monster is affordable, very unique, has incredible handling and an exhuast note that resonates through the soul. As an old European guy who collects old ducatis once told me, “you don’t ride a ducati, you have a love affair with a ducati”.
If I were to ride a Harley, it would likely be the street-rod. It looks like it handles better than the v-rod and the seating position would be comfortable for longer rides.
