Motorcycles

I've been thinking about a supermoto myself...

Something like a husqvarna or KTM 600s...

Have you guys seen the new British brand? MAC http://www.automotto.org/entry/mac-m...of-caf-racers/ Company site and intro: http://www.mac-motorcycles.com/story2.html There are 4 variations of the bike ...

Originally Posted by speedster.8

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Have you guys seen the new British brand?
MAC

http://www.automotto.org/entry/mac-m...of-caf-racers/

Company site and intro: http://www.mac-motorcycles.com/story2.html
There are 4 variations of the bike ...

dont mind the second one. a bit gutless for something that looks like it should go like stink

Originally Posted by speedster.8

Click to expand...

Have you guys seen the new British brand?
MAC

http://www.automotto.org/entry/mac-m...of-caf-racers/

Company site and intro: http://www.mac-motorcycles.com/story2.html
There are 4 variations of the bike ...



I would buy one.

1988 GSX750F Katana 2004 GSX750 Katana Love the whole line. I'm not really a GSXR guy, but for some reason, the GSX has always appealed to me.

Originally Posted by j

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http://www.msf-usa.org/ Take the beginner course. They provide bikes, helmets, etc. You need to bring gloves, long pants and long sleeves. They will give you the basics and get you up and riding in two sessions (4hrs each IIRC). I don't think it will have you ready to go straight out in traffic but you'll have an idea of whether you can handle it, and either way it is a lot of fun. I would never have gotten into riding if my friend hadn't dragged me to the course, and it was one of the best things I ever did, honestly.
Just finished the course this weekend. If anyone's on the fence about learning to ride I highly recommend the MSF classes. Great time. Thanks for posting the link J. OK, so I've got a question for you motorcycle guys: They had me setup with a Kawasaki 150cc bike because I'd never been on one before. The thing was WAY too tiny for me (handle bars too low, seat too narrow, barely enough room to get from the pegs to the brake/shift). I definitely need something bigger. I sat on a Honda crotch rocket that one of the other guys in the class had and I really didn't feel all that comfortable on it, although that could have been because I'd never been on one before. I know bikes are highly personal but does anyone have a recommendation on a type of bike that might work for me?

Originally Posted by Rambo

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Just finished the course this weekend. If anyone's on the fence about learning to ride I highly recommend the MSF classes. Great time. Thanks for posting the link J. OK, so I've got a question for you motorcycle guys: They had me setup with a Kawasaki 150cc bike because I'd never been on one before. The thing was WAY too tiny for me (handle bars too low, seat too narrow, barely enough room to get from the pegs to the brake/shift). I definitely need something bigger. I sat on a Honda crotch rocket that one of the other guys in the class had and I really didn't feel all that comfortable on it, although that could have been because I'd never been on one before. I know bikes are highly personal but does anyone have a recommendation on a type of bike that might work for me?
I'd just suggest to do a lot of shopping and comparing bikes. Try them on. Figure out your needs and wants and go from there. Even check out bikes that you don't think that you'll like. You may be surprised when you see them in person. I heard varying opinions about what to get for a first bike. I heard to "start small" and "buy whatever you like". I'd wouldn't "start small" as you'll get tired of it quickly. Also, I wouldn't buy a huge first bike either. I shopped around and eventually settled on a Honda VTX 1300C for my first bike and it was PERFECT. It fit my size perfectly and it was only perfect for me to ride after a couple of months. As they say, the MSF course gives you enough skill to go home / to the nearest parking lot and practice. It took a month or two (after the MSF course - I took it twice - second time for a refresher...) to get used to my bike. I started around my local neighborhood. Then moved up to local highways. And then to my job which was 1 hr away. At the end of a month or two my gut instinct about my bike was dead on and the bike was perfect. After my first year I had about 8000 miles on my bike. After 2 or 3 years I realized that the type of riding I did didn't really match a cruiser. My next bike which fits the type of riding I want to do will probably be a BMW. A bike I NEVER thought I'd be interested in.

Originally Posted by Tck13

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I'd wouldn't "start small" as you'll get tired of it quickly. Also, I wouldn't buy a huge first bike either.
I normally don't care about this sort of argument, but I think this is one area where it's stupid to not start small. Gas is high, bikes are in demand. It is very very easy for a newbie to make simple intuitive mistakes on a bike starting out and getting into a bad ******* position. Uh oh, a bit rattled? Give it brake seems natural? Whoa, wtf, washing out in a corner?! Smaller bikes are hugely forgiving compared bigger bikes with more torque or snappier power ranges. I say start as small as you're comfortable with, and work up from there. I always suggest something up to a 550cc bike, particularly old to new Suzuki twins or 550cc 4-cylinders (GS 400-425-450-500-550), or 250cc - 500cc Kwaka Ninjas. Some of the most fun I've ever had was swapping bikes with my bud and draggin pegs on a 250 Ninja around the Dragon area. Not only will you not kill yourself, but you'll also learn the basics the RIGHT way and you will be able to quickly sell the bike for what you bought it for, provided you don't toss it down the road.

Start small is not a bad idea, but keep in mind that some "small" bikes only have peaky power and aren't easy to ride slow, while some "big" bikes aren't nearly as powerful as they sound. My first bike was a 900, which would imply it was very big for a newb, but it was a '74 BMW 900 twin which means not much HP but plenty of low end tractability and smooth easy power. In general though, I'd recommend something like a 650 twin for a new rider. Pretty much all-around good power.

I've went from totally ambivilent about bikes to really really wanting one. I just want to find a glorified moped, really. Something 200cc or less, like the old Hondas.

edit - why are all the used bikes I see on craigslist from 2000 to present. Did all the bikes from before 2000 decompose?

So I found a bike, but the seller doesn't have a title, and only has a bill of sale. WTF man

That's fine in Georgia, as long as the bike is no later than a 1986. Yeah.

If you are tall, the beemer K-bikes might suit you.

Rambo, as others have mentioned, I would start out smaller. I would recommend at least 500-1000 miles of riding experience on a smaller bike until you move up to a bigger one. It's really the little things you don't think about that gets you into trouble. If you're looking to get into sport bikes (though it doesn't seem you are) I'd actually recommend 2000-3000 riding miles on a 250 or 500 before moving upto even a 600. I know smaller bikes are "uncool" in the US, but think of it from a new pilot's perspective. When learning to fly, does one learn on a small, single engine propeller-type plane or a Boeing F-22 Raptor? Check your ego at the door for a couple months, buy something used, and then move up into the bike you really want.

I want to learn to fly in an f-22 Raptor. How much does a lesson cost in one of those?