A bit of a dilemma on motorcycle purchase

[Gary_in_Indiana]

GolfGar,

First, let me assure you there are no hard feelings over you aging me more than I've done to myself. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif As to the 'relative' thing, I only wanted to make the point that I've had a lot of bikes (and other motor toys like Corvettes, for that matter) over the years and earned them rather than having acquired them through some special benefit. Perhaps I made that point a bit more strongly than needed. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Second, I'd like to offer a correction to the following for your consideration.

<font color="blue"> "As we all know, a guy has to grab ANY excuse he can get his hands on when he wants to "upgrade"." </font>

From everything I've read here from you guys, I think the following might be a bit more accurate.

"As we all know, a MARRIED guy has to grab ANY excuse he can get his hands on when he wants to "upgrade". "

What do you think? /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Good luck to you in putting together whatever you need to get yourself a tractor sooner rather than later. I hope this is the year. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Golfgar4]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( As we all know, a MARRIED guy has to grab ANY excuse he can get his hands on when he wants to "upgrade". "
)</font> </font><font color="blue" class="small">( What do you think? )</font>

I think you nailed it on the head! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

I would agree 100%! Except, of course, with MY wife!! /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Robert_in_NY]

They do have some nice protective clothing that doesn't look too bad now. I wear a Joe Rocket Blaster jacket and Joe Rocket Reactor gloves. I put my 954RR on its side on Easter Sunday and the only part of me that got hurt were my knees were rashed up. I was doing 60mph at the time and my Helmet did its job. The gloves did their job as it tore up the outer layer of the knuckle protector but the inner layer stayed intact. The jacket had a few scratches but is in great shape for hitting asphalt and rolling a little bit longer then I would have liked /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Pic of what my jacket looks like

Gloves

After that spill I decided to get the pants and boots to protect the rest of me. Just haven't arrived yet. I don't care what I look like when I ride as long as the stuff I wear protects me if it needs to and now a lot of gear does look nice so it works out fine for me /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

<font color="blue"> I don't care what I look like when I ride as long as the stuff I wear protects me </font>

For some reason I'm reminded of a scene in "Major League" in which 'Wild Thing' (Charlie Sheen) first sports some rather unattractive glasses and is told, "The important thing is that you can see now."

'Willie Mays Hayes' (Wesley Snipes) takes one look at him wearing them and says, "It ain't THAT important!" /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Looks compared to pain /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif It is that important /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif I have seen guys lay their bikes down while wearing t-shirts and shorts and there is no way I would want to go thru that type of pain just to look good (not that I can look good /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif )

I did like that scene but I do think they could have found some better glasses /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif Take care.

 

[TresCrows]

R-O-B-E-R-T, you better slow that motorbike down a notch /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif. Glad to hear no damage of consequence. Do you have frame sliders? Yeah, I kinda like some of the Joe Rocket stuff. I have a Joe Rocket Phoenix 2.0 jacket, ballistic nylon mesh with foam inserts. I also have an old motorcycle jacket from I cannot remember when--it is older than some of the people I ride with. I wear it usually unless it is real hot thus the new Phoenix 2.0. The old jacket has some road rash /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif, hopefully the new one never will.
Controversial it might be but I would be in favor of banning bikes with more than 100 horsepower (rear wheel) and a total ban on bikes larger than 250cc for the 21 and under crowd and anyone no matter how old who has never ridden a bike before--a 1 year probation on sub 250 machines--unless they take a riding course--not this crap they do now--a real course. I would like to see a riding school required to get the license and insurance. The world really does not need 175 horsepower motorcycles that can punch a 200 MPH hole in the atmosphere ridden by 19yo boys. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif That is to much temptation and I dare say the number of adult guys who could resist twisting the grip are to few and 19yos nonexistent. There is no justification for such a machine on public roads. J

 

[Robert_in_NY]

I was cut off by one of my riding partners (he was riding a Harley) He forgot to put his goggles on and for some strange reason that made him forget the basics for pulling over when you have other riders following and I had no where to go. Freak thing but it happens.

I didn't have frame sliders at the time and still don't. The ones I have on order are still on back order but with all the rain we are getting I have not had much time to ride anyways /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

It would be great if they had a regular school for motorcycles similar to Drivers Ed where you take weeks of classes and supervised driving to learn the basics. It should have more then just riding though, it should teach you how to adjust your bikes suspension for your riding as well as general maintence and trouble shooting if something should happen on the road. A lot of riders have no idea how a bike works, car drivers are the same way but at least they can sit inside a car if something happens where a biker is stuck along the road with no real protection.

What is funny is that you propose the ban on 100 plus hp machines. The machines are not the problems but it is the riders. If people didn't have a 154 hp 954 to play with they would do something stupid on a Ninja 250. Also, there really is no difference to the common rider between a liter bike and a 600. The only time you will really notice the difference in power is in the 160- 180 range and there are very few roads that allow those speeds legally or illegally as the roads are not that good. The liter bikes are great for riding in hills as they have plenty of power and make it a lot of fun. If there should be any restrictions they should have a minimum age for riding bikes set at 24 or something similar. Once people get out of college and gain some respect for themselves and settle down so they don't try the stupid stuff I see at times. But banning big bikes wouldn't do it because the smaller bikes are still quite powerful and will allow people to do stupid stuff just as well. But the liter bikes and 600's are making a lot of noise at the tracks. Most people I talk to on the web go to track days and a lot of them don't even ride their bikes on the street but leave them set up for the track so they can enjoy their bikes potential. I don't know if there are any tracks around here but Pocono's has a nice one and they just had a track day last week I think. Later.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Robert, thats a drag that you played bike toss, glad you didn't get to banged up, also good to hear your getting the rest of your leathers, and you were on your brand new toy, bummer /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif but bikes can be fixed. Couple years ago my wife high sided around 60mph, just shook up and bruised,fix bike,buy new helmet and new leathers(girls don't ride with scrapped up leathers /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif)Over here in the Detriot area our community colleges have classes that are approved by the state and now the local Harley/buell dealers have the same classes (but much newer and nicer bikes but..$35 CC vs $300 HD) everyone I know has taken the classes, they have beginner to performance(beginner their bike performance your bike) they are very good classes and well...fun /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif When my wife took the class she started in sun a front moved though then had rain,sleet,light snow,back to rain and finished in sun. They didn't stop the class just kept riding cause' all your riding might not be in sun.

Hp ratings by age? I know some 16yr olds that are more responsable than a few 50yr olds so thats not really a good answere, taking classes and being held responsable for your actions sounds better. Otherwise I guess that means we don't need cars with more than 4cyl,don't need p.u. trucks(cause ya know they weight more than that 4 cyl car and could hurt the person inside it), don't need guns (food always come prepackaged, and there are no bad guys), baseball bats and bowling balls are out also(one could use a bat to hurt someone and bowling balls have been dropped off hwy overpasses) so where would protecting you (for your own good) and the masses stop?? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif Oh, and I don't like hemet "laws" but I NEVER ride without one, motorcycle or bicycle (your mellon, your problem, your insurance)

Sorry bit long winded and the topic police are probably mad and just a small attempt at sarcasm. If I offended I appologise(sp?)

Cheers
Tony

 

[TresCrows]

"Hp ratings by age? I know some 16yr olds that are more responsable than a few 50yr olds so thats not really a good answere"

Really I doubt it. Teens have that hormone thing and get a few of them together and mix in some girls to show off for and it is dooms day. Yes, there are 50yo boys, I think some of us might qualify what with all our toys but the BIG difference is we have by luck or fortune or Gods Grace lived a good portion of our lives, the 19yos have not. See, that is why they have adults--so we can look after the children and nowadays a 19-21yo is still a child. Not allow young people to ride at all?--no----it is the skills I picked up as a teen on bikes that serve me to this day--but I leanred on Yamaha 125 and Honda 90s and it was many years before I got anything 400cc or larger. They did not make all that stuff back then and I still contend that they don't need to make a 100 plus horsepower bikes now. Few roads you can use that power?--in this country there are NO roads you can use that power. What do those big Harley cruisers have--what--about 40 horses rear wheel /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif and they seem to scoot along decent. We supposedly are constitutionally allowed to own guns but we are not allowed to own an operable tank or a bazzooka or a machine gun legally anyway. Howabout a shoulder fired missle launcher with a heat seeking missle--NO. Shoulder fired heat seeking missles don't shoot airliners down--People do /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif. Hah, it's the missle and a 180 horsepower bike is a missle seeking a target. Sorry for going off topic, I bet the Goldwing question was forgotten but topics evolve even if people do not. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif J

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Yeah, it did suck watching my bike slide down the road with the sparks flying and all. Luckily, I didn't have to watch the whole thing as I was tumbling down the road myself so I only caught glimpses every now and then. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Bike was fine though and I rode it home but the right side is rashed up. I need to get a estimate so I can get it fixed. Figure out what I want them to fix and customize other parts myself. Thought about repainting the entire bike myself but I don't have the time or place to do it yet so I will let the dealer.

Have you checked out www.cyclefourms.com yet? It is a great board with a lot of members and boards for just about all makes, states, and whatever you can think of all in one nice simple main board like this one.

Good to hear your wife was ok after high siding. That is some scary stuff when you go over the handle bars and the bike is sliding behind you. Given a choice I would rather low side but that is just me /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Later