Motorcycle Advice

[EddieWalker]

Call it a midlife crisis, the divorce or just a hair brained idea, but I'm thinking about buying a motorcycle. I used to ride allot when I was in High School, but then I got hit and sort of lost interest. It really hurt to get run over!!!

Now that I live alone, I've been thinking that I need a second vehicle. A commuter car is something that I'm thinking about too, but I hate to buy crap, and I don't want to spend allot of money for a car that will basically sit here so I can have peice of mind that if my truck wont start some day, I can still get to town.

So then I got the idea that a bike might be a better idea. Granted, on rainy days I'm not going anywhere, but that's not what it's for. I also like the idea that it will get good fuel mileage and be cheap to drive. I used to like to ride, but I wouldn't say that it's been a passion or something that I've missed.

I don't really know what I want, or where to start. I want to take a class to get my license if I decide to do this, but first, I'm curious what I should be looking for. Reliability is number one on my priority list. I think Honda makes quality in everything they make, but we haven't had a Honda dealer in Tyler for almost a year now. I don't know what happened there, but they closed up their doors and the closest dealer is an hour away.

I'm 5ft 11in tall and weigh 220 pounds, but I'm losing weight and hope to be under 200 pounds in a couple of months. I don't want anything huge, but big enogh to drive down the Intestate.

I also want comfortable over flash or speed. I'm not in any hurry to get anywhere, and I don't want to be beaten up by the ride either.

Thanks,
Eddie

 

[kennyd]

I have a GL1500 GoldWing...but a great sport/tourer Honda bike is the ST1300. I would love to have one as my second bike. The bags would be real convenient for running errands...

 

[NSBound]

I'll second the ST1300 (used to be the ST1100)...a great sport touring bike. Have you checked the new Honda DN-01?

 

[Mousefield]

Interesting, I got hit on my bike during high school as well, grade 11. Broke my wrist in 3 places, had a car turn in front of me and I hit the passenger side door. Witnesses said I flew 25 ft onto the sidewalk but can't remember. I was in and out of consciousness :confused2: for a few minutes. Had a nice big chip out of my fiberglass helmet :thumbsup:. Bike was totaled. A few months later bought a new 250 cc Yamaha and had it for about a year. Then gave up riding as I bought a car, easier when dating. Still have my motorcycle license as it is for life.
I suggest you go to a couple of motorcycle dealers in your area and sit on a few bikes to find what is comfortable for you. Not sure if you are looking for new or used but they should have a variety for you to look at. What driving distances you are looking at or if freeway, this would somewhat dictated the size of the bike. If I were looking it would be in the 400-500 cc range or bigger and 4 stroke, much quieter than 2 stroke.
Hope this gives you a couple of ideas.

 

[kennyd]

Have you checked the new Honda DN-01?

I just did...Strange to say the least I think. I would not want a "automatic" motorcycle myself.

 

[arrow]

Eddie
If you want cheap and reliable you cannot go wrong with a Yamaha Vstar 1100. They've made them for a long time. They are a cruiser type cycle and you won't have to spend much over $5000 for a real nice one with low mileage. I went cross country twice on one of these without a hiccup. I've owned them since 2001. You'll get 45 to 50 mpg with these and they are shaft driven so no chain worries and lubing. The Vstar 650 will get 50 to 60 mpg but that might be a bit small for your weight and size. Plus they sound awesome with Cobra slash cut exhaust.
Lou

 

[Dmace]

First you need to decide what kind of bike you want: Sports Bike, Sport Tourer, Street bike, Touring bike, or Cruiser.

By the sounds of your needs, I bet you would be happiest with a Sport Tourer or Cruiser. For Sport Tourers, it's tough to beat the Honda VFR Interceptor. For cruisers, it's impossible to beat a Harley-Davidson.
An example of a good Street bike would be the Suzuki SV650 or Yamaha FZ1 which are also great bikes!

Next decide what your budget is and give it a good $1000 range (ex: $3500-$4500) then start shopping.

 

[bullbreaker]

Eddie
Greetings again.Check out LakeHillMotors.com when you can.Prices you see are cash out the door.I have bought from them in past.They are located in Corinth,MS.They also sell generators(gas-hondas,yamaha's).Before if you buy from them check out tag-title transfer fees in your state.:thumbsup:
Boone
Isaiah 42:8

 

[Jimbrown]

Well Eddie I am going to be the bad guy. You don't want no frikin motorcycle. Just go price a few. They ain't cheap like they used to be.

I am not a anti cycle guy I have owned 10 or 15 at least.

But for the same price you can buy a nice used economy car and be a lot better off and far SAFER. Around here you could buy a good used jeep and have just as much fun. Take the top and doors off and have at it.

 

[mostly_gas]

Eddie, Any of the Japanese bike will definitely be reliable. I would recommend a minimum of 750cc and a full fairing. I had my Kawasaki for 30 years and 45,000 miles and just did routine maintenance. Their has been a wide disparity of rear tire life. Getting a model that has been in production for three years will mean that more accessories will be available.

 

[roadhawk]

Sport Tourer; the Honda ST1300 is ideal; fast, smooth, powerful, and pretty comfortable.
Big and comfy for all-day go with the Honda Goldwing.
Want a recliner for about an hour max get a Hog. Then a chiropractor.
Want fun on the road and maybe see what's down that dirt road? Get a Kawasaki KLR650.
Want to see what's down that trail but get there by a road no more than about an hour get a KTM 690 Enduro, or for even more dirt-rippin' the KTM 530 EXC.

Of course there are many more, but these would be the first ones I looked at.

Eddie
If you want cheap and reliable you cannot go wrong with a Yamaha Vstar 1100. They've made them for a long time. You'll get 45 to 50 mpg with these and they are shaft driven so no chain worries and lubing.

Can't argue against this choice either, but dad-gome! You gotta' TWIST that throttle some and get those mpg where they're not in moped range! :laughing:

 

[czechsonofagun]

KLR 650 Kawasaki. They make it for 20+ years, something has to be good abou it.

I had 250CZ - yes, same factory as CZ guns - than Honda 750CBX, great touring bike we took to Austria, Germany, France, Switzerland - you name it. Now in the US I am seriously thinking about KLR 650. It is not big and heavy, reasonable for the road and more than reasonable off road. Check it out, there is a cult of followers.

 

[Reg]

I didn't want flash this time around either.
I didn't want excessive weight (subjective I know).
Reliability, re-sale value, etc.
I've had it with chain drives - yeah, I know about o-ring chains, they're still not perfect.
Messing with fork oil was OK on dirt bikes, but there are better ways to tune suspension.
ABS - now I've had it for a few years, I wouldn't want to be without it - it WORKS.

Only minus - it came with quite a lot more speed and power than you are probably looking for,
GOOD tires are expensive and burn through kinda quick.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Eddie,
They ain't as cheap as they used to be. Most all are good. Many are great. I saw a group of dual purpose bikes go thru town last weekend. BMWs and Kawi's mostly.

The VStar is a really great cruiser bike and very reliable.

Remember, what feels comfy in the showroom doesn't always = comfort on the road. Test rides are a big question mark. Don't expect a dealer to give you one, especially without your MC license.

You should be able to buy an a great bike for about $5K used.

 

[CurlyDave]

Eddie:

Twist your thoughts in a different direction.

Think about a sports car. A lot of fun to drive, almost as much as a bike. And, if it rains you aren't out of luck, you just pull over and put the top up.

As back-up transportation it is a lot better, you can haul your groceries in it, and much longer day trips are enjoyable.

Maybe I am a wimp, but my Honda stopped being enjoyable at about 50 miles and 100 became torment. In my sports car, 150-250 miles is still an enjoyable ride and I can go all day for several days in a row without it being a real chore.

And, a woman who likes to ride with the top down is a lot more my speed than one who likes to hang onto the back of a bike...

 

[NSBound]

Sport Tourer; the Kawasaki ST1300 is ideal; fast, smooth, powerful, and pretty comfortable.

Does Kawasaki make an ST1300 too? I've only seen Honda ST1300s.

 

[kennyd]

Maybe I am a wimp, but my Honda stopped being enjoyable at about 50 miles and 100 became torment.

I am not calling you a wimp, but you had the wrong bike...I have ridden just shy of 1000 miles a day several times...Tired yes, but not out by any means.

 

[Bird]

Asking which motorcycle to buy is kind of like asking which tractor to buy.:laughing: Personally, I've owned a Zundapp 250, Yamaha 305 cc, Honda 400, 650 Silver Wing, and 1200 Aspencade bikes and a BMW R80RT. They were pretty much local use except: (1) I made a couple of trips to Port Aransas (400 miles in a day) and went to the FBI National Academy at Quantico for 10 weeks on the Aspencade pulling a trailer behind it (800 miles the first day), and (2) I went on the BMW to Colorado Springs one day (800+ miles) and back in one day, with a side trip up Pike's Peak.

In my opinion, Hondas can't be beat, although Yamaha is close. Kawasaki is also pretty good. BMW is good, but vastly overrated, and I wouldn't even consider a noisy, vibrating contraption like a Harley (yeah, I know, I'm in the minority; they're popular, though why I'll never understand).

Last summer, one of my nephews bought a Yamaha V-Star 650 and his dad (my 63 year old brother) bought a Yamaha TMAX scooter. He says they told him the scooter will do 105 mph, but he's only ridden it to 85 mph, but said it definitely had plenty left.

 

[Frosty2]

Finallly something I know a little about. I collect bikes and have been on them all my life. The first thing you need to do is take a safety class to see if you'll even enjoy motorcycling. As mentioned then you can decide what type of riding you'd like to do. I own a few HD's and you can't beat going down the highway on one. Lately I've been riding a little 2004 Kawaski KLR 250. I trailer it to Bonneville Speed Week and have riden around the mountains and out on the salt for the last 3 years. 75 MPG and fun to take down the trails. Another passion of mine is restoring old (68-70) Triumph 650's. But in the Texas heat I wouldn't go that way. I'm now up to 40+ bikes (all brands and types) and enjoy all bikes. What ever you decide to buy make sure that you get in that class. In 06 I was hit by a left turner on a cell phone and the training class that I took saved my life. Motorcycles have helped me through some tough times in my life. When I got divorced in 1990 the first thing I did was buy a frame from the local HD dealer and took a year to put a bike together. Still have the bike and feel that it kept me from going off the deep end. I've been to Sturgis, Daytona, Have taken a few bikes down the drag strip, Riden in Canada and Mexico and have done the Iron Butt Ride (1000 mile in 24 hrs). I'm glad to hear that your considering getting a bike. For me, it's not a big deal to have a bike but it is a big deal to not have a bike. I only hope you will enjoy the ride as much as I do. If there is any bike questions feel free to contact me and I'll help you any way I can.

 

[Egon]

YouTube - Ural Sidecar Motorcycle Military Demo


Eddie, here is a fairly unique Motorcycle that might fit into the Crisis Mode. Two wheel drive, some real interesting history and a few different models to choose from.:thumbsup: