I have just completed my training courses for motorcycles and have gotten my permit. I was wondering what bike I should get for my first one. I am looking mostly at Suzuki sportbikes. I want something that is reliable, not too powerful, and has a good price. Any help is greatly appreciated.
My First Bike
1 - 13 of 13 Posts
Joined
·
10,685 Posts
GS500F.
The GS 500 has been around for quite a while. It's pretty reliable. And now, with the full fairing, it's almost lokking exactly like a Gixxer.
So, you get the sports look, you get a powerful bike but not too much, and the price is great too. What else can you ask for? 8)
Congrats on your permit and for taken the course.
The GS 500 has been around for quite a while. It's pretty reliable. And now, with the full fairing, it's almost lokking exactly like a Gixxer.
So, you get the sports look, you get a powerful bike but not too much, and the price is great too. What else can you ask for? 8)
Congrats on your permit and for taken the course.
http://www.beginnerbikes.coma7x said:
a7x said:
HJC is the cheapest of the decent helmets($140ish). I have one and can live with it. Protection as good as any, and I have no complaints with comfort, noise, wind etc. I may be easy to please though. I crashed one in 1997 and walked away with no injuries. My ZX11 was totalled. (hit from behind)
Arai, AGV, Shoei all make very good (better than HJC) helmets(up to $500ish).
For leathers, Fieldsheer, AGV, Alpinestars, Spidi, Teknic, and Joe Rocket come to mind($400-$1400ish). I have a Joe Rocket onepiece speedmaster leather. It is more appropriate for the track than the street, but is very comfortable on the bike. Off the bike is another story. I wear it while riding on the street, and don't care about overkill..
Generally, onepiece leathers are designed track only, with a 90 degree bend to them. Two piece leathers are high end for street, providing nearly the protection of onepiece leathers when zipped together, resulting in 70 degrees of bend. Off the bike they are more comfortable than onepiece, and also offer the option of using the jacket seperately. Many leathers are available in one piece and two piece versions of the same leather. For track days you'll generally be required to have either a onepiece leather, or a two piece leather that zips together using YKK zipper more than halfway around the circumference. Good gloves and boots required.
Z custom is probably top of the line for leathers. Again, more appropriate for the track than the street. More $$ ($1600ish).
Don't forget good gloves and boots. I like the Alpinestars SPS gloves($70ish). All of the above companies make gloves and boots as well. Think about it, if you crash your bike, your hands will almost certainly hit something. Hands are important. I'd go so far as to rate hand protection higher than leather pants. I'm a critical care nurse and frequently take care of motorcycle trauma patients. Hands are almost always chewed up due to lack of gloves or gloves that are not up to the job.
I'll post a link to convey the need for gloves in more detail: http://zrxoa.org/03Z1Rthreads/hitandrun.htm
I've been using USGI boots, but finally ordered some decent boots from Joe Rocket yesterday. I'll comment more when I have them.
I'd stay away from Kneedraggers.com. I ordered from them and heard back later the next day that my stuff was backordered. I canceled my order with them and placed my orders elsewhere (metricbikes.com and newenough.com) and they both shipped the same day. I had my stuff in hand two days later.
98G
Joined
·
10,685 Posts
Helmets, try some. a lower priced helmet that fits great is way better than $1000 that doesn't fit so great.
As long as its DOT and that it fits YOUR head, you got a good helmet. DOT is mostly mandatory, Snell is a great plus as helmet makers submit their helmet voluntary for Snell certification. You can pay for bell and whistles if you wish but there's only one to know which one fits you. Well known names are Shoei, Arai, HJC, AGV, ...
As for leathers, shop around. Tecknic, Vanson, Joe Rocket and Alpine Star are the ones that come to mind. You can also have a look at your local leather shop as they often attend to our crowd.
As long as its DOT and that it fits YOUR head, you got a good helmet. DOT is mostly mandatory, Snell is a great plus as helmet makers submit their helmet voluntary for Snell certification. You can pay for bell and whistles if you wish but there's only one to know which one fits you. Well known names are Shoei, Arai, HJC, AGV, ...
As for leathers, shop around. Tecknic, Vanson, Joe Rocket and Alpine Star are the ones that come to mind. You can also have a look at your local leather shop as they often attend to our crowd.
That all depends on how much money you're willing to spend....a7x said:
The critical thing about helmets is proper fitting...if it doesn't fit right you'll have a headache within a few minutes and your riding will be much less enjoyable and possibly dangerous.
Go to your local bike shop and try on as many different brands and models as you can(different models from the same maker will fit different). Go to lots of places and try on as much as you can...if you find one you really like then go ahead and buy it or you can get online and try to find it cheaper.
Same goes with leathers, fit can be a little more lenient but you still want it to be comfortable.
You'll also want to look into textile and mesh apparel as well for those really hot day when you're tempted to ride without proper gear.
Buy the best you can afford....gear will always be cheaper than a hospital stay.
http://www.newenough.com
http://www.chaparral-racing.com/Chaparral/assets/html/homepage.asp?URLCheck=1
http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/division.aspx?division=1
http://www.kneedraggers.com
http://www.helmetharbor.com
http://www.tricktape.com
//I looked at them. They'd be adequate for a track day and all you could want for street.a7x said:
//You want it kind of tight so it doesn't slip around on you if you go down. JR's sizing chart is pretty much spot on. Some of the other companies are a bit tighter than you'd think.
98G
RookWV said:
//The mesh phoenix jacket and pants you have on do you a lot more good than the racing leathers hanging in the closet because it is too hot.....
//One other thing about the mesh stuff is you can wear it over normal clothing. It's what I'm wearing today. Phoenix jacket and pants, with HJC helmet and alpinestars SPS gloves, over jeans and a t-shirt.
//I'll be glad to leave here in an hour and ride.
98G
1 - 13 of 13 Posts
