Need help with motorcycle decision
 

Hi,
I plan to get a motorcycle but I've never driven one. I've rode on one only one time. What made me come to the decision of getting one is because of gas prices and my trip to work. I have a 79 Bronco with a 466/c6 so you can imagine what my gallons per mile is.

I'm planning to take the learners motorcycle test this week. I'm just undecided on what bike I want to get. I plan to go to a local dealership since I don't have all the money for one yet.

I'm in my early 20's, 6'4ish,230ish lbs, size 15 foot, good driving record that I know of, have CDLs, no wrecks, premium member discount with multi-vehicle insurance under Progressive.

So basically I'm a big guy. I had a crotchrocket in mind but people say I would look weird on it. Plus they won't feel good when driving a long distance. I'm thinking of getting a Harley style bike (Yamaha, Suzuki, etc) butbdontbknow what to get.


Anyone got any suggestions? Thanks.

Hi ManfredVonRichtofen!

Well, I can say from experience (and my dad was fonzie- literally).....
To start with, by the time you add up the initial price of a bike, gear & insurance, IMHO, it will take years (literally) to see any cost benefit gain....and that's if you don't hit the ground in the 1st few years.....Here's what I would highly recommend.....
1. Attend a formal motorcycle training school.....there are things you will learn that unless you have someone who is a very experienced & trained rider, will never know until it's too late.
2. Buy the best helmet, gloves, jacket, pants & boots/shoes you can....remember, it's not if you hit the ground it is you will & when is the real question
3. for your 1st bike, (with limited freeway/highway time) I would recommend something in the 250cc range.......drivers expect you to be able to pick up the bike to get out of their way........while you certainly can't pick up a 250, it does provide very good braking, accel & handling (especially at low speed) to get out of the way.
4. In terms of brands....IMHO I have always felt MBW has the best engines but, just like the cars, they are expensive to work on........Honda's & Yamaha's are IMHO (in general) are the best overall handing, accel, braking for the $.......Harley & American indian are building some very nice bikes but, like a crotch rocket, you really need a bike that is nimble & easy to handle....and the Harley & AI is not the one to get for a 1st bike.

Well I drive my 79 bronco to work (30 mile round trip) at 9 mpg...I see the motorcycle will usually get 40-50 mpg.


Thanks for the tip.


How much damage does it put on the bike if you tip it over.


Thanks for the help.

Well, I rode a bike to work for years, but mostly because I liked it.

Something to remember -- when it rains, you get wet. Plus handling starts to suck. Not to mention visibility. (with or without a windshield). The right clothes make it better ( I never had them), but I don't think that anybody will say it's fun.

There are also some temperature issues. At my best, I wouldn't ride below 40 degrees. Many are hardier than me.

2x on the school. They didn't have them when I learned, but I've heard good things about them.

As for what to get, I'd go for a 500cc minimum. Hondas and Yamahas are both good reliable bikes. Harley Sportsters are also pretty nice, and they used to be fairly reasonably priced.

You might want to look for something used. That way you won't cry when you drop it -- and most people do, at least once.

As far as money goes, you'll save around $8/day at 30 mpg. It doesn't really get a lot better -- if you get 60 mpg, you'll only save $10/day. ( based on $4/gallon). $8/day is $2000 a year (going to work only). It will take a while to pay off a bike.

FWIW, I wouldn't recommend this unless you really just want to ride. A small care is more practical (IMHO), although good cheap ones are hard to find these days. But, riding is a blast .

All of this is just my opinion -- good luck,

hj

Well I thought it would be nice to ride.

I could take road trip without hurting my wallet. Heard guys say they put in a full tank and run on it for a week or more. In my bronco..I'm spending about $40+/week to go to work.

I would drive my bronco on wet days or when I want to drive it. Drive the motorcycle mostly until I'm ready to drive the bronco again.


Thanks.

I know a guy I work with who rides..he said he would help me. I'm looking for a bike in the 2k-4k area.

He's right, don't ride to save money, ride because it's fun. Something like a Suzuki Bandit would be a good bike for your size. Enough power to get out of your own way but not hard to control. Good handling, sporty but a upright relaxed riding position.

Why not have the best of both worlds? Save gas and enjoy riding. Thanks for the help guys.


I mean I would save a lot of money driving the motorcycle around and enjoy riding it rather than watch my bank account balance go down on every tank of gas I put in my bronco.

I'll check out the bikes y'all and see if I can find em.


I like the Kawasaki Vulcan look.

There's an old saying: It takes 250cc to move your body down the road; the rest of it is to move your ego.

That being said, a 250cc bike is a joke for anyone who is large. The bike itself simply isn't big enough to be comfortable, regardless of whether or not the engine is capable.

When (not if) you drop it, you'll tweak the handlebar(s), probably break off a footpeg, and bend a muffler. None of these are financial dealbreakers to replace. The expensive bits are the body parts for sportbikes, and chrome for Harleys.

I used to recommend mid-80's Honda/Yamaha/Suzuki/Kawasaki 500-700cc bikes because they were docile, and parts were easy to find. They were good learner bikes while still having some room to grow on. The problem now is that you can't find parts any more, and good-condition examples are almost impossible to pry out of the hands of their fanatical owners.

IMHO, large singles and vertical twins aren't the best bikes to actually GO where on. The vibration will wind up driving you crazy. V-twins that aren't 90 degrees apart are only marginally better. An inline 4 will give you a much better long-distance riding comfort, and modern 90-degree counterbalanced V-twins are only slightly more buzzy.

-blaine

Well I got a quote today for a 1999 Kawasaki Vulcan 500 (just seeing how much one one cost me in insurance) and for full coverage it would be $220/yr. Liability would cost me $129/yr.


So basically what bike would be worth getting?

Whichever one is worth it to you - it's subjective - there are different bikes for different people...

Find one that you feel comfortable riding and run with it...

Just my 2-cents...

I miss riding and I had thought about getting another bike but then, I look at the idiots driving around while not paying attention, and I decide otherwise...

Good luck with your decision.

True...especially them teens driving.

I'll ask and see if he can get a Vulcan....they look nice.. I just wonder which has the best gas mileage hmm.

Maybe this will help.

Kawasaki Vulcan 500 LTD MPG Reports | Fuelly

You can also look up other bikes on that site, but I'm not sure which ones they'd have listed...

Edit: There's a tab at the top of the search page where you switch back and forth between cars and motorcycles - turns out, they have quite a lot of different bikes listed...

For your size, I would say look at the VTX 1300 or 1800 retro. I am your size and the smaller bikes were uncomfortable to ride. I looked like an escaped circus bear riding on most of the smaller bikes. The 1800 and 1300 are the same length and height. 1300 is carbed 1800 is F.I.

I only averaged about 30mpg on the highway/25 in town.

I used my bosses dressed Harley to get my endorsement. It was much easier to make the turns than my vtx would have been. A vtx is a huge bike for a huge guy. Most bikes, my knees are way above the top of the gas tank, this causes cramps in the pelvic area. I had a crashbar with highway pegs to stretch out on. This helped tremendously.

Comfort plays a huge part in being safe on a motorcycle. If you are jammed up on a small bike those size 15's are gonna be hard to move smoothly. When I get another bike, I will get another 1800. It is the semi of motorcycles.

Just keep in mind that there is nothing safe about a bike. You can be the safest person on 2 wheels, it is the 4 wheels that tend to damage you the most. Also, do not get anything to pretty in the beginning, you will fall.

Good luck and watch everywhere around you on the bike. Stay steps ahead of others and always try to leave a secondary path to stay upright when those distracted drivers come over on you.

I was distracted for a few seconds and paid for it with a broken leg. Need surgery to make it correct again, but I can not see that happening anytime soon. The bike and I never went down cause my right leg played kickstand at 45 mph to push the bike back up. I never stopped and rode 6 miles or so home with it broken. I parked the bike, stepped off, took three steps, and fell over.

My hard head thought it might be a bad sprain and waited 4 more hours to go to the hospital. Drove myself and barely was able to get from my truck to the desk. Tore the ACL in half, tore the miniscus in the knee, and pulled ligaments in my calf. I am still climbing ladders and roofs and have no limp, so I consider myself pretty lucky.

I've never owned or ridden a motorcycle on or for the roadways or freeway. I can see the "fun meter" pegging out every time you start it up and get going. It looks like a blast and it looks like it can be quite dangerous.

That's my former 25 year old self arguing with my current 51 year old self.

It seems to me that for a similar outlay in cash or financing, one could get a good used 4 cylinder car for commuting and achieve a respectable 30+ MPG's and have some safety and protection from the elements.

However, if one is dead set on the bile idea, then X2 on the driving school, high quality gear and a mid sized bike to start with. Good luck and be safe, please.

Cars get boring. Motorcycles bring women. ;)


Thanks for the info guys.


I'm looking for a Vulcan, Vs tar or others that yall mentioned to me.


Thanks.