Hey guys. So im thinkin about buying a crotch rocket in the near future. can any of yall help me out with some tips on learning how to ride? i never have b4. not even a dirt bike haha. also a decent starter bike. I was thinkin about pickin up an older kawasaki ninja or something.


thanks!

~Brent~

http://www.pamsp.com/

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well buddy i would say go for a yamaha r1 they are the best bikes cause me i had a 750gsxr and well u get tired of the weight and well as well how little the bike is, my recommendations learn to ride in a 750 than go and purchase an r1, search your local craigslist their is many offers, and well yeah , do move the steering, learn to shift your weight, and becareful with gravel and pot holes, try not to ride on the side of roads where gravel accumalates. Good luck, once you ride, youll never get off

I heard from first time riders that its like riding a bicycle, just that there is no peddling and screwing up somewhere will usually hurt a little more than falling off your pedal bike.

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Ok,
Don't listen to him whatsoever. Your standard 750 is 0-60 in 3.0, and has a top speed of 180-200 depending on the bike and gearing. 750's are NOT considered learners bikes, and should NEVER be ridden by anyone learning. Even if you don't drive it fast, you'll be more likely to drop it or cause damage to other people's property if you happen to lay it down.

Look around for an older EX250 (Ninja 250). They are decent bikes, and 90% of the riders on the road learned on one. They're still faster than cars, but you're less apt to kill yourself on one. From there, slowly migrate up to a 600, then 750, then 1000. By doing the jumps slowly and without a large gap inbetween sizes you'll be able to keep learning as you progress.

The other option would be to buy a pit bike or small street legal dirt bike (like a little KX250, or something of the sort). These are great for riding as well, and tend to be somewhat forgiving.

I learned how to ride on a little pit bike, but my first real motorcycle was a 750. I think it was a stupid decision, and there are more times than one that I should have died on that bike, and the current one (GSXR 750). I highly suggest you start off small and work your way up.

-TC

sever i just got a new kawasaki ninja 250r... i am financing it so paying very little for it... its a great time!! insurance is cheap ~$15 a month and it looks great... they modeled them after the 600... it seriously looks exactly like it... the older 250's look like a scooter

this is mine:

This post has been edited by pittfirefighter: Jun 30, 2009 - 1:23 AM

Ninja 250 is probably the #1 smartest thing a new rider can do...and they look good!

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yes but will get tired of it way to fast.

You should get at least a 600cc.

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Word up.

Good call Griff,
I took the California version. Even after riding for over a year by myself, I learned a TON from that class. I definitely recommend it to anyone even remotely interested in a motorcycle.

-TC

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I'll be taking the Oregon version hopefully this summer.

im in ohio now BTW lol

PERFECT starter for you Brent!!!!!

saw this thread the other day, and didnt think much about it.
then i rode a motorcycle for the first time yesterday.
damn fun, but because im so short i almost crashed it like 8 times. LMAO
(the bike is a 600 IIRC)
made me think of this thread and everyones suggestion of the smaller bike.
i think i wouldnt have a choice BUT to ride a smaller one! bwhaaha

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Manny, not trying to steal Brent's thread, but some bikes, pending on make, sit differently, I've sat on 600s that sit a hell of a lot higher than a 750. Look around at some different ones and sit on them, even being shorter, there are some bikes that you'd prolly be very comfortable on. Just incase your really looking into one

hmmm...that bike looks oddly familiar..












These bikes are sweet! And for the people who say "its not enough power" or "youll get tired of it quick," go take it to a track and you'll be flying past big 1000's in the turns...and turning is the main reason i ride! I remember the first time i touched my knee to the asphalt..its a wonderful feeling..

Congrats on the new bike tho. Great choice.

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thanks for the tip, cam.
ill keep that in mind if i ever decide to look into getting one, although i've always maintained that i'd never own a bike, i like the speed WAY too much..lmao
sorry for the semi thread jack brent.

good luck!

i got a gs500 from suzuki. and they're considered entry level bikes. its my first bike and its super easy to ride. bump a 250. look into a 500cc bike.

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then this is probably what you want. http://www.motorcycle.ohio.gov/
i have never ridden anything more than a 125 dirt bike but one thing I've found out from talking to my friends that have bikes is this. You WILL lay your bike down within the first year of having it. For one friend it took 3 days, and another friend it took 364 days, but it happens.

I am in no way trying to talk you out of one because I sorta want a bike too. but i've tempered my need for a bike with a seadoo this way when I crash, i just get wet.

sorry 2 hijack but i was thinkin of learnin 2 ride too n wanted to kno what r some gd cheap brands for gear?

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Everyone has their own opinion. Mine? Ask around, talk to local mechanics and form your own opinions, they undoubtedly see a much larger variety of brands than any of us have. Cheap and good don't usually walk hand in hand.

If you're learning to ride, buy an old smaller CC bike.

-TC

razor7 is right. Joe Rocket, Icon, and Alpinestars are the brands I've bought in the past. I have a leather Alpinestars jacket and LOVE it. Perfect fit, heavy leather, armor in the elbows and shoulders, etc. I have an Icon helmet and like it for the most part, but unless you're willing to spend the $$$ for their higher end ones, I'd go with a different brand as theirs aren't cheap for the 'features'. Shoei makes great helmets, there's a company called Scorpion that makes good and cheap helmets, but I'd go with their highest end helmet if you were buying theirs. I know about them from a friend's friend who owns a motorcycle shop.

Go to a good motorcycle shop and try things on, thats the best way to figure out what you like and don't like. I thought I'd really like Icon's helmet and ended up buying it online and then it came and I wasn't as impressed with it as I thought I'd be. Others that I tried on in stores were better IMO.

As for other gear....boots, I'd go with any that cover your ankles. If you wipe out, your ankles are going to take a beating unless they're protected.

For pants, you can either go all out and get leather (HOT but the best) or get some textile or mesh pants. They also make heavy denim jeans for motorcycle riding, but that isn't going to be your best bet if you drop it at a reasonable speed, and would probably be pretty hot. Textile pants are my favorite, they're not too hot and are fairly protective.

Gloves...I just have a pair of those Mechanix leather gloves that are made for working on cars. They're light and breathe well but probably aren't the greatest for riding. My favorite gloves are made by Icon, they have a perfect fit (for me at least) and aren't stiff at all, however they're a little pricey (for any of their stuff). Joe Rocket makes some nice gloves too.

As for the motorcycle, go with something small or you'll just be tempting yourself. You might be able to handle a bigger bike, but if you don't have any experience riding, that's just asking for problems. A 250 or 500cc is plenty. I had a 500cc Kawasaki Ninja that I started on and it's more than enough. Best thing about them is parts are easy to find (for the 250 or 500 ninja) and they're not expensive so if you drop it...no big deal. The 500cc does 0-60 in 3.x seconds...that's plenty.

Also, sit on some different ones, they all have different seat heights, so find one that you like.

Definitely take the Rider Safety Course. You'll probably get a discount on your insurance too.

Manny, you should look into an Aprilia RS250. It's a 3/4 size moto GP bike.



I've only ridden a motorcycle a couple of times, but I rode my brother's Katana 600 and it was far too big and heavy for me.


I'm looking at scoring a 1970's Honda CB 500 and build up a cafe racer. Screw modern bikes.

my friend has an aerostitch jumpsuit thats pretty swank.

wow a lot of these threads have popped up as of late, take a MFS course, buy a beater bike, wear the right gear and get the most life insurance u can afford. Oh and i dont know about the 250 "flying" by the 1ks in the turns, but i do like 600s for the track.

If you have any size at all a 250 is just to small of a bike. I always tell people get at least a 600 that way you can grow into it. 250 vs 600 is night and day different.

i just started riding this year on a 79 cb750. at first i got a lot of remarks about the 750 being a lot of bike for someone just getting into the sport, but it's actually served me well. older medium-displacement bikes are plentiful, inexpensive, reliable, and easy to repair. while the 750 has enough power for the freeway and such, it's slower-revving and more subdued than a more modern, high-revving sportbike and as such, easier to keep a lid on. i'm actually looking for a project bike for the winter, and it will most likely be something similar.

i took the msf basic rider course at the local community college and i 100% recommend it. most states offer them, and it's hands-down the best $25 i've ever spent, period.

an unsolicited comment on gear - a bit of advice i was given by a guy who nearly died in a motorcycle wreck years ago: buy the best gear you can possibly afford, and always dress as though you KNOW you're going to crash. i have a joe rocket alter ego and it's great.

LMFAO at the idiots saying to start on a 600 and a 750. Please do not start on anything bigger then a 500cc.

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Café racer that bish. Clubman bars, cafe seat and tank combo and you're set. Who needs a project? Your bike is my dream.


http://www.benjiescaferacer.com/home.html <---- check this place out.