[HondaGalToo]

Originally Posted by WHITEtt

yea to be honest i have no interest in stunts, its not worth it. i just want to have a blast and i do not need to show off.

Great attitude! It's a sport to grow with your entire life if you use your head.

[sheepofblue]

Don't listen get an RC and add lots of parts so I can get cheap salvage stuff.....


Oh and consider that a '92 600 still has a power to weight ratio better than 1:10 or better than your hot car. Plus unlike your car when stupid overtakes you there is no metal cage to guard you.

[WHITEtt]

Originally Posted by sheepofblue

Plus unlike your car when stupid overtakes you there is no metal cage to guard you.

yea thats my biggest fear is other drivers, im thinking i want a bright bike or ill leave my lights on or something so everyone else on the road knows im there. i have a friend who had been run off the road by some old lady while riding his bike.

[Scout]

Getsome nailed it. Go for something smaller, used and cheap. Trust me when I say I'm more impressed with a new rider on a smaller used bike than a new rider on a new liter bike.

It is not the bike, it is the rider.


Oh, and some more good advice is take a school, or trackday with instruction available. It will only make YOU faster AND safer.

[smkeatr]

Than you don't need a big bore bike now do you? The 600's will give you the 1/4 time you're looking for by the way. I started with a Katana 600, it looked fast but was a safer learning bike and it taught me to be a responsible rider and I lived to tell about it. Then again, I waited until I was almost 30 to buy a street bike so my head was so called screwed on straight by then.

[dbgoff]

good luck on the bike decision...and welcome to the .org

[fat2k3]

Originally Posted by WHITEtt

i want a fast bike. im thinking really fast, like cbr 1000rr fast.

Dude, if you jump on a CBR1000, you're gonna "****!"...almost ANY bike will SMOKE your Z car, however street riding also about survival. The price you will pay for any mistake made on a bike are a hundred times more costly than in a car...there is NO MARGIN FOR ERROR..you don't even know what fast IS (yet).

I have been riding for years, but only street for a couple. I just added a CBR600F4i to my garage for commuting purposes, and it's like night and day compared to my Harley. I've only had it for 5 days, and I have to say, I **** when I jumped on it the first time! Wow, I miss my Harley, NOT!

The riding position takes some getting used to (Esp. for us older guys), but you may want to take the advise of all these racers that post this site, and start with an inexpensive, user-friendly bike just to see if you like it first. Most guys that drive "tuners" aren't confortable being so "exposed" without that cage of metal to save your ass. You may find that you don't like it, and at least you can get your money back.

Remember; Almost any jackoff can drive a car over 100mph, on a bike, it's a whole other world!

Also, Honda's slogan "STUPID HURTS" isn't just a suggestion, it's a way of life!

Late

[HondaGalToo]

Originally Posted by WHITEtt

yea thats my biggest fear is other drivers, im thinking i want a bright bike or ill leave my lights on or something so everyone else on the road knows im there. i have a friend who had been run off the road by some old lady while riding his bike.

In the late 70s/early 80s (maybe before that) it's mandatory to ride with your headlight on. In fact, you can't turn it off. Dress in bright clothes. At night, have reflective stuff on your helmet and clothes. Being visible also includes good street strategies: Picking a lane position that gives you the best chance of being seen in cars' mirrors, at intersections, etc. These are things that you'll learn in a beginner's motorcycle safety course.
You have to assume you're invisible when you ride. Always ride very defensively and assume the cars will pull out in front of you, turn left in front of you at an intersection (the most common bike accident), try and take your lane, etc. They really don't see you. Most cagers aren't expecting bikes, therefore they actually don't see you even though you think they may have made eye contact with you. It's about thinking ahead, assuming any stupid thing they can do they will, and being ultra-defensive.

[Rigor]

Originally Posted by WHITEtt

I'm thinking i want a bright bike or ill leave my lights on or something so everyone else on the road knows im there.

that's so cute....... He thinks that cause the lights are on, people see him....

If you want EVERYONE to see you on the road, have Pamela Anderson ride on the back, topless, waving $100 bills.....while on fire.

Even then, some SUV driving soccer mom will clock you and claim you were never there, or inher blind spot.

Start small....yadda, yadda, yadda.....what they said......

[oldfogey]

Originally Posted by Scout

It is not the bike, it is the rider....and some more good advice is take a school, or trackday with instruction available. It will only make YOU faster AND safer.

+1 - this is far more important than what bike - the training you get as you begin to ride, learn the dynamics of a bike and how to ride in truly defensive riding style on the road while making "good progress".

Ask around the site and your local bike shops for rider training, road and track.

[Mtncruzr]

And don't forget to buy good protective clothing for riding. make sure you have a jacket with shoulder and elbow protection in it, helmet and riding pants for the inevitable lay down. It is better to be prepared than spend time in the hospital for injuries that could have been prevented with good gear.

[ND4SPD]

Back protector and boots as well.

[WHITEtt]

do most of those leather bike jackets and pants you get for sportbikes allready have the protection and padding built in?

[ND4SPD]

Depends on how much you want to spend. I would highly recommend Alpinestars gear. Minus my leather suit all the rest of my gear is from them and has held up well.

I only skimmed the thread so someone may have mentioned this already....get a GOOD helmet that fits you well! Some people have weird shaped heads(like me) that only a certain brand of helmet will fit. Go to a big dealer in your area and try a few on. Make sure it's snug all the way around and that there are no pressure points. You should know within minutes of wearing it.

[ND4SPD]

By the way...how 'bout some pics of that Z?

[WHITEtt]

http://www.photodump.com/viewer/WHITEtt/P6020015.html

sorry thats all the pics i have of it on the computer, but its a pretty mean car for right under $10,000. it does tend to get squirrily in the rain though, but other than that pretty user freindly. thanks again for all the advice .

[ND4SPD]

That's hott!

[CBR929RE]

Originally Posted by HondaGalToo

In the late 70s/early 80s (maybe before that) it's mandatory to ride with your headlight on. In fact, you can't turn it off. Dress in bright clothes. At night, have reflective stuff on your helmet and clothes. Being visible also includes good street strategies: Picking a lane position that gives you the best chance of being seen in cars' mirrors, at intersections, etc. These are things that you'll learn in a beginner's motorcycle safety course.
You have to assume you're invisible when you ride. Always ride very defensively and assume the cars will pull out in front of you, turn left in front of you at an intersection (the most common bike accident), try and take your lane, etc. They really don't see you. Most cagers aren't expecting bikes, therefore they actually don't see you even though you think they may have made eye contact with you. It's about thinking ahead, assuming any stupid thing they can do they will, and being ultra-defensive.

this lady knows what she's talking about

When I took the MSF course I was amazed at how much of the safety stuff they taught were exactly the same things I taught people when teaching them how to drive a bus. I think one of the most important things is THEY DON'T see you and it doesn't matter the size of the vehicle. Trust me people don't see buses so a motorcycle will never be seen by some people. Pay attention to everything, you have to drive for everyone else because they can't do it for themselves.

Find someone older to help you learn more after you take the course. Or someone who actually knows what they're doing but generally someone middleaged or older has a better grasp on self preservation than someone even my age.

My first bike I thought was scary fast and it was only an 86 ninja600 that was like 18 years old when I got it. Having nothing around you makes everything seem faster.

[WHITEtt]

OH YEA! almost forgot another question,
ok so im thinking about a 91' cbr 600 or equivalent, do you guys have any suggestions of things to look for when buying an early 90's bike you could give me? what kind of things should i expect? ive never ridden a streetbike so im not sure of what to expect and what i should do with it before i purchase it. thanks alot for all the info.

[ND4SPD]

Look for cam chain tensioner noise, ask about voltage regulator/rectifier replacement, check for chain/sprocket wear & tear.

[CBR929RE]

scratches that go horizontal mean its been down while moving, vertical scratches just mean it was dropped while standing still. If you find major scratches I'd probably shy away from it.

[WHITEtt]

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.personal.dundee.ac.uk/~bgfinlay/webpix/cbr600/f2-a.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.personal.dundee.ac.uk/~bgfinlay/webpix/cbr600/&h=1268&w=900&sz=321&tbnid=RkyJYFyiEQAJ:&tbnh=150& tbnw=106&hl=en&start=19&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcbr%2B600%2Bf2%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den %26lr%3D%26sa%3DG
i found that on google, its a guide to buying the bike im looking at, thinking it might help out a bit.

[BDA116]

That article is incorrect....at least for American market CBR600s. The real suspension upgrade happened on the 1994 models. In fact, it's really the only thing that separates the '94 from other F2s, and the suspension is worlds better than the '91-'93 F2s.
The F2/F3 engine is damn near bullet proof, so unless the previous owner(s) completely thrashed on the bike and used sand in the oil the bike will last you a few years no problem.
The number one thing on those bikes to look out for is if it pops out of second gear. If it does, the bike has been wheelied and shifted improperly many many times. The cam chain tensioners go out, but are a quick cheap and simple replacement.
If the frame and forks are straight and the bike runs well, not popping out of second gear you'll be just fine.
You should be able to find a good condition '94 for ~$2000 easy.

[gthotchkiss]

Welcome! little late.... what part of GA are ya from?

[brennyP]

in Australia we have to ride a bike under 250cc for 12 months before we can upgrade...and before i started riding i was like 250 pffffft as if.... i want a litre bike... but when i got a CBR250RR i had loads of fun on it mate.. i did 40,000kms in 9 months bikes aint like cars the fun is in the twisties...its all about cornering... power gets boring in the straights no matter how fast your going..you get over it pretty quick... my slow arse 250 with 20bhp out dragged my matse GTSTskylines and ZRsupras(up until 120kmh) so if you want a 600 with about 100bhp im sure you would have a ball and scare the **** outta ya self more than enough.... but if you were not an idiot and took it really easy and went and got some training and listened to other bik