LATS... other people prone to riding contraptions with only two wheels...

[Raskolnikov]

I just signed the paperwork for this:

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y234/stud_beefpile/P1010001_sm.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y234/stud_beefpile/P1010003_sm.jpg



Should be in my possession within a week.

I am one happy bassist right now.

[Hammurabi]

That's a beautiful bike.

I would probably save up for a motorcycle if I lived somewhere warmer.

[PonyOne]

i keep postponing getting my permit... I need to...

i'd like some sort of smaller crotch rocket sorta bike... not much into cruisers.

[6strngs_2hmbkrs]

I'm with pony, I'd take some kind of japanese bike.
http://www.motorsm.com/AUS/bikes/pics_ad/Kawa_ZX-9_Ninja_1L.jpg

*spontaneously orgasms*

[acapella]

Why not get BOTH!?!?!?!? Hells yes!

[earthman buck]

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d51/ab200/bike.jpg
That's what I'm talkin 'bout.

[acapella]

Woah Momma! I'm tempted to make a Napoleon Dynamite reference, but I think I'd vomit on the keyboard. Great movie, but it's been DONE to DEATH.

[Hammurabi]

If I were to get a bike I would probably buy something American-made out of patriotism. I also strongly suspect that policemen are more likely to ticket crotch rockets than cruisers.

[rockonn91]

yeah, id definatly pick a cruiser over a racer. just a personal opinion tho.

[Cryptic Excretions]

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d51/ab200/bike.jpg
That's what I'm talkin 'bout.
Do that have that one in pink?

[elklandercc]

I hope it doesn't use a drives shaft cause my dad has one on his bike and its really loud and annoying when it winds out, you can hear it over the exhaust. Then again his may need to be oiled and thats it. Either way congrats, you'll like it either way.

[Raskolnikov]

If I were to get a bike I would probably buy something American-made out of patriotism. I also strongly suspect that policemen are more likely to ticket crotch rockets than cruisers.
I used to think that way until I realized that the $8,500 Yamaha is going to out-perform and be more reliable than a similar displacement Harley Davidson which I wouldn't be able to even look at for less than $20,000.

Then I said to myself "you know what... this situation only exists because people will shell out any amount of money just to own a HD and how well it works is a very distant consideration... I think I'll spend my money elsewhere."



I hope it doesn't use a drives shaft cause my dad has one on his bike and its really loud and annoying when it winds out, you can hear it over the exhaust.
It's a shaft drive but I don't think it's going to be a problem: Neither of my friend's Yamahas have shaft noise problems; one of them is an 1100 like mine and the other is a late 70's 750.

Also, I have every intention of keeping this bike VERY well maintained.

[Lordathestrings]

Ayaaah, I likes Yammies....




.... n' size does matter.

That looks like a good ride, Rask. :cool:

[Raskolnikov]

Come this spring time, I think my friend, Carl and I are going to have to line up all of our Yamahas so I can take a picture of them for you.

I think you'll appreciate the view.

[PonyOne]

Come this spring time, I think my friend, Carl and I are going to have to line up all of our Yamahas so I can take a picture of them for you.

I think you'll appreciate the view.
that sounds sweet! can't wait.

[PonyOne]

If I were to get a bike I would probably buy something American-made out of patriotism. I also strongly suspect that policemen are more likely to ticket crotch rockets than cruisers.
I dig Buells; they're the only mass-produced american bikes that I'd remotely consider. But since they use HD engines, the maintenance and the overall upkeep is more costly and more frequent than a faster, cheaper Japanese equivilant.

I'm the same way with my cars... if GM or Ford could make a Jetta or a Prelude for a similar price that was made as well, I'd consider buying it when I'm looking at a new car. The companies did it to themselves.

[6strngs_2hmbkrs]

who wants to watch some bike stunts?

EDIT: ok, I posted this while I was only halfway through watching it (it's really long) apparently someone thought it'd be funny to throw like 2 seconds of porn in the middle.. so maybe it's not GT friendly.. if anyone wants to see it still, despite the two seconds of porn, they can pm me.

[aschleman]

Gixxers do it better... haha... thats my death wish right there...
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/adamschleman/detail?.dir=a6fd&.dnm=8d7fre2.jpg&.src=ph

[Akira]

Gixxers do it better... haha... thats my death wish right there...
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/adamschleman/detail?.dir=a6fd&.dnm=8d7fre2.jpg&.src=ph

My mum has that exact bike, but in red and black.

It rocks.

[acapella]

I have a motorcycle, really! :o

[PonyOne]

well i got a promotion at work, to concierge... i just need to wait another month till the current one leaves and i'll take his place; good $$$ increase. now i need to keep up with the LA trends though :( oh well...

as soon as i get my first check i'm going out to sign the paperwork on a bike. i'd really like one of these:
http://www.ducatistore.co.uk/images/ducati_2005/ducati_749dark_2005.jpg
but that would be way too much to start off with. so i think i'm going to go for one of these instead:
http://www.staintune.com.au/exhausts/ducati/images/Ducati%20Monster%20620%20ie%20High.jpg
i've met enough people who started off on Japanese 750's and even 900+ who are still alive and well; i'm a responsible fellow, i figure i can handle 620cc's.

[Lordathestrings]

A 'beginner's bike' isn't a matter of engine size.

[PonyOne]

what is it then? the way it rides and how easy it is?

i figure the engine size isn't all of it... i just don't like the thought of accidentally letting loose on a bike that has 150hp when i should be stopping... it's kind of like people getting their kids Mustang GT's, BMW M3's and cars of that nature when they're 16... some of them can handle it and deserve it, some shouldn't, but even still, a blooper with a 300+ hp engine is a lot more dangerous in many situations than a blooper with a 150hp engine.

[Lordathestrings]

what is it then? the way it rides and how easy it is?

i figure the engine size isn't all of it... i just don't like the thought of accidentally letting loose on a bike that has 150hp when i should be stopping...
So, sign up for some lessons. You can usually get a big enough reduction on your insurance premiums to cover the cost. Here in Canada you can get lessons from the Canada Safety Council, where you get to learn on bikes that are donated by dealerships on closed courses away from traffic. Riding skills are very different from driving skills, and the co-ordination requirements are much higher. The last thing you want to do is start out on a new, expensive bike that you're going to be afraid of dropping. And you can't possibly know what you really want in a bike until you've spent some time riding a few. This is like picking out your first guitar in that respect. Ducati makes some wonderful bikes, but that doesn't mean you're going to want to spend a lot of time sitting on one. They may be totally unsuited to the kind of riding you find yourself doing. Buzzing around a major population centre like LA calls for a very different set of design parameters than doing deep knee bends on canyon roads. And frankly, you aren't in a position yet to assess either set of conditions. Your car-driving experience and skills only contribute some of the road-savvy you will need while riding a bike. Things like road surface conditions and even wind gusts suddenly take on an importance that a car driver can't comprehend.

So, park your lust for a Duck. They are possibly the worst choice you could make for city riding. And there's a lot of city between Venice and anything remotely resembling the kind of roads they were designed for. Sign up for some lessons. And get some old non-pretty bike that is mechanically sound, but is not going to cause you to cringe every time it gets a bug splatter on it. Trust me on this. You'll understand what I'm talking about after you've got a year or so of riding behind you.

[PonyOne]

I've actually signed up for the MSF course... I definitely want to get that done, it'll help a lot on insurance, and I do want to have some experience first.

It's good to hear different opinions; most of the people I know who ride are pushing me towards a Duc. I'm open to something like this Suzuki (http://losangeles.craigslist.org/mcy/133070094.html) or even this old Yamaha (http://losangeles.craigslist.org/mcy/132683136.html) since I think cafe racers are awesome... I'm a little bit iffy on something that old just due to lack of power but it'd be nice to get a bike I can learn to do repairs on.

In terms of riding spaces.... I'm a mile on back streets from the entrance to Pacific Coast Highway, which on weekends and between rush hour is long and fairly empty, and I'm a 20 minute drive from the nearest canyon; I actually drove down Topanga Canyon today. I need new tires :( Some of them are pretty lonely most of the time, which would be a lot of fun.

[Lordathestrings]

The Suzi Might be OK, if it didn't get bent when the guy dropped it. Note why he's selling. Bikes are for skilled riders only. You either get good, or you get hurt. Sometimes you get hurt anyway.

The Yamaha would be fun for scooting around on, but I think you would be seriously frustrated by the lack of power, poor handling, and weak brakes. Oh yeah, and it's seriously expensive in terms of bang-for-the-buck compared to something newer and stronger. A 500 or 600 Japanese twin or inline four is probably good. Be aware that a 2-stroke is roughly equivalent to a 4-stroke with twice the displacement. So a Yamaha RZ350 is actually a very strong bike. Then again, I think the CARB rules make them illegal in California. ~sigh~

Once I got my 1986 FJ1200S, I pretty much stopped looking at new bikes, so I'm not current with the new stuff. Even back in the 80's we were mourning the disappearance of the UJM (Universal Japanese Motorcycle) that provided such all-round utility and fun. Newer bikes seem to be either street-squid repli-racers, or rolling-armchair cruisers. Neither style can 'do it all' the way a UJM could. Early-to-mid 80's Honda CB series, Kawasaki EX series, Suzuki GS series, and Yamaha XS series are all good candidates. By the late 80's, specialization and market fragmentation had eliminated any trace of the UJM from the lineups. A 400cc 4-stroke used to be a good machine to start out with. No more. Case in point: Suzuki Bandit 400. Very light, very powerful, and squirrelly enough to spit off any newbie fool enough to push his luck.

I went from a 1948 NSU 125cc Superfox, to a 1982 Honda CB750F to a pair of 1983 Suzuki GS1100ES's, to a 1986 Yamaha FJ1200S, with a 1981 Suzuki GS1000G and a 1973 Yamaha RD200B for backup. The RD is in a buddy's shop for a rebuild, and I gave the GS1000G to a ladyfriend as a wedding gift. :cool:

I think you're in the right price range. If you scrap it, you're not out much, and when you're ready to move up, you can get most of your money back on resale.

[PonyOne]

i've thought of an old CB, most of the ones around here are 750's and 500's; not too many of the 350's or anything. the thing that sucks is that most of them are either going for way cheap and are beat to death, and will need LOTS of work to keep running, or are near mint and being hawked as a "collectable" or "vintage" bike, like an old Bonneville (which would be pretty cool too).

I see a lot of the older Suzuki GS'; a lot of the 650's, and a few bigger ones. I like the GS500 because from what I've read it's supposed to be almost the perfect beginner bike, and really really nimble. They go for pretty cheap around here, too.

[Lordathestrings]

I think a 500 or a 750 would suit you well. The old 350's were fun, but they don't have enough power for highway use. When I get my RD200B back from the shop, it'll be strictly for putting around town off major streets. It tops out at 45 or 50 mph, so it's not going anywhere near a highway.

Don't shy away from the old 750's. Either my '82 CB750F or '81 GS1000G would have been good bikes for you. They are heavy machines by today's standards, close to 600 pounds, but they are solid, dependable rides. My biggest knock on the newer bikes is that even the smaller-displacement machines are tricked out with lots of expensive features, and to justify the cost, their engines are tuned within an inch of their lives to make lotsa power.

I put 96,000 km on the big FJ, and then had to decide whether to rebuild it or replace it. I looked around for a couple of years while I rode the ol' GS. I ended up putting $8000 into a complete rebuild of the FJ rather than drop close to $20,000 on a new machine that didn't suit me as well.

[Lordathestrings]

... i just don't like the thought of accidentally letting loose on a bike that has 150hp when i should be stopping... but even still, a blooper with a 300+ hp engine is a lot more dangerous in many situations than a blooper with a 150hp engine.

Something to bear in mind: Power-to-Weight Ratio.

A 3000 pound car with a 150 hp motor is fairly capable. The P/W ratio is 20 pounds per horsepower.

An 'old geezer' bike like the 1981 GS1000G shaft-drive UJM that I gave away last year weighs a bit under 600 pounds and puts out maybe 65 horsepower. That's a P/W ratio of a little less than 10 pounds per horsepower. Which puts it in the same acceleration category as a full-race-prepped NASCAR machine! And that's a 25 year old bike. :cool:

My newly-rebuilt 1986 FJ1200S is still in a fairly mild state of tune. I do not want reliability issues. So it only puts out about 140 hp. And the bike weighs about 570 pounds. There's not a street-legal car on the road that even comes close. And that's a 20 year old bike. :D

The new ones are lighter and more powerful! :eek:

[Raskolnikov]

Oh yeah, and it's seriously expensive in terms of bang-for-the-buck compared to something newer and stronger.
Collectors: I could get $800 - $1,000 for my 185cc Honda Twinstar, easy.


As far as riding is concerned: That old Yamaha is probably going to be a lot like my old Honda: Tons of fun to tool around on, but you'll be wanting a larger displacement bike every time you find yourself riding with somebody else, going up a hill, or glancing at the highway entrance ramp.

[PonyOne]

UH OH, now rask has 2,666 posts!!!

yeah man, it would kinda suck if when I wanted to go canyon bomb I couldn't top 20mph uphill.

[6strngs_2hmbkrs]

UH OH, now rask has 2,666 posts!!!
dude... my thread got closed! we've had plenty of religious discussions before.. but I understand why it was closed..

[Lordathestrings]

UH OH, now rask has 2,666 posts!!!...

I breezed through 4,666 last night.

[PonyOne]

I breezed through 4,666 last night.
oh man, i'm not liking at how this is all ironing out.... :eek:

[bigbuda]

Something to bear in mind: Power-to-Weight Ratio.

A 3000 pound car with a 150 hp motor is fairly capable. The P/W ratio is 20 pounds per horsepower.

An 'old geezer' bike like the 1981 GS1000G shaft-drive UJM that I gave away last year weighs a bit under 600 pounds and puts out maybe 65 horsepower. That's a P/W ratio of a little less than 10 pounds per horsepower. Which puts it in the same acceleration category as a full-race-prepped NASCAR machine! And that's a 25 year old bike.
My newly-rebuilt 1986 FJ1200S is still in a fairly mild state of tune. I do not want reliability issues. So it only puts out about 140 hp. And the bike weighs about 570 pounds. There's not a street-legal car on the road that even comes close. And that's a 20 year old bike. :D

The new ones are lighter and more powerful! :eek:

I once owned a 1985 FJ1200. Those bikes are super fast! The first time I nailed it, I almost flung myself right off the back. I heard they are taking the engines from those bikes and putting them in sprint cars. :eek:

[PonyOne]

I once owned a 1985 FJ1200. Those bikes are super fast! The first time I nailed it, I almost flung myself right off the back. I heard they are taking the engines from those bikes and putting them in sprint cars. :eek:
yeah, they've been putting them in Lotus Super Seven style chassis for a little while now... those and Hayabusa engines (1300cc, turbo)... pretty nuts! Super 7's weigh like 1300 lbs, less for one that's all aluminum and carbon fiber and race spec'd.

There were a couple guys in England that took two FJ1200 motors and put them together with a single custom crank to make a 2400cc V8 that revved to some absurd number... like 15 grand... then put it in a Seven... 0-60 was something like 2.8 seconds, and would have been better if it wasn't for the car's inability to get traction (big :eek: )

[Raskolnikov]

UH OH, now rask has 2,666 posts!!!
And here I went and ruined it without ever noticing...

[bigbuda]

yeah, they've been putting them in Lotus Super Seven style chassis for a little while now... those and Hayabusa engines (1300cc, turbo)... pretty nuts! Super 7's weigh like 1300 lbs, less for one that's all aluminum and carbon fiber and race spec'd.

There were a couple guys in England that took two FJ1200 motors and put them together with a single custom crank to make a 2400cc V8 that revved to some absurd number... like 15 grand... then put it in a Seven... 0-60 was something like 2.8 seconds, and would have been better if it wasn't for the car's inability to get traction (big :eek: )


15 grand heh, I would like to try one of those little buggers out. :D

[aschleman]

My mum has that exact bike, but in red and black.

It rocks.

Mine is actually a 1000... but it has the decals of a 750... That way people don't know what I got. My best friend had a 750 GSXR in red... his was a 1999 and mine is a 2002 though... He dumped it doing a stoppie (when you hit your front breaks and let your back end come off the ground and the ride it out, its kind of a backwards wheelie...) Heres some pics of his bike and him in the hospital after he slid into a curb and shattered his foot...

Me and my buddy riding right before a huge bike show in my hometown:
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/adamschleman/detail?.dir=/a6fd&.dnm=4265scd.jpg&.src=ph

His bike after he dumped it... You can't see all the damage really well... It slid into a dumpster and collapsed the dumpster... the front wheel and forks are completly toast:
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/adamschleman/detail?.dir=/a6fd&.dnm=b77fscd.jpg&.src=ph

Here he is in the hospital... Two bones in his foot lost blood flow and almost died... for a couple weeks they thought they were going to have to amputate his foot... He has two plates and 4 screws and will limp the rest of his life:
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/adamschleman/detail?.dir=/a6fd&.dnm=f4dascd.jpg&.src=ph

[Akira]

I breezed through 4,666 last night.

Pfft. You and your posts.

[acapella]

I just made it through 100 posts, check out my thread!!!!

http://www.guitartricks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=17686

[Akira]

I just made it through 100 posts, check out my thread!!!!

http://www.guitartricks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=17686

http://www.mactavishland.ca/pictures/tumbleweed.jpg

[Lordathestrings]

... He dumped it doing a stoppie (when you hit your front breaks and let your back end come off the ground and the ride it out, its kind of a backwards wheelie...) Heres some pics of his bike and him in the hospital after he slid into a curb and shattered his foot....

I am so glad I was 30 by the time I bought my CB750F!!!

[Lordathestrings]

http://www.mactavishland.ca/pictures/tumbleweed.jpg
Cruel, dude.

:D Funny as anything, but cruel.

[Akira]

Cruel, dude.

:D Funny as anything, but cruel.

All in the name of fun. :rolleyes:

[Raskolnikov]

Finally got the bike home from the dealership today:

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y234/stud_beefpile/P1010003a_sm.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y234/stud_beefpile/P1010004_sm.jpg


Started installing some of the accessories I've already obtained and I've just ordered a few more essentials online.

'Tis been a good day.

[Lordathestrings]

*in best rowdy Bill Cosby voice*...

Piiiipes, man! Jus' lookit dem piiipes!

:cool:

[6strngs_2hmbkrs]

what can I say dude? you look like a genuine badass!

congrats dude! and enjoy!

[Akira]

Sweet bike!

[Cryptic Excretions]

It is a pretty cool shot.

[Leedogg]

Nice bike dude.

[bigbuda]

Nice ride Rask...... :cool: