i want a bike but.. - Page 4

Weldangrind · 08-12-2010, 09:01 PM

lego, that's an excellent list.

Back in the eighties, Shell had an ad campaign where they provided driving tips. The one that always stuck with me was "look left, then right, then left again." It didn't even occur to me to share that with a new rider, because it's second nature to me now.

X2 on go where you look. It's the wierdest phenomenon that exists in cars as well; if you look at what you're trying to avoid, you'll likely hit it.

I'll add that you should never shorten a car's stopping distance. Don't pull in front of a car when approaching a red light, and don't accelerate on the freeway to cut off a car on the on-ramp. If you leave a car with nowhere to go, you could get hurt. Also, you can stop much faster than a car, so if someone's on your butt, change lanes.

mizke · 08-12-2010, 09:04 PM

gotcha guys, i already make it a point to not pull out in front of people, and i happen to do it by accident.. like mis judge the distance and cars speed, i always romp on it till i start to pull away then i let off.. i am actually very careful driver..

lego1970 · 08-12-2010, 10:27 PM

Thanks Weldangrind. Likewise, I just now got a chance to read the other post and there is a lot of good advice for both beginners and advanced riders. Take care everybody.

Jim · 08-30-2010, 03:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Weldangrind

I'll add that you should never shorten a car's stopping distance. Don't pull in front of a car when approaching a red light, and don't accelerate on the freeway to cut off a car on the on-ramp. If you leave a car with nowhere to go, you could get hurt. Also, you can stop much faster than a car, so if someone's on your butt, change lanes.

I'd also add not to do this to a truck! I think it's probably more common, because people don't want to end up behind a "slow truck" when it has to start off, so they will cut in front to prevent it.

As far as the braking distance, I'm not a riding instructor (SPUD), but on another forum, there is a riding instructor and he is very adamant that most people on bikes can be out braked by cars (so don't be tailgating).

mizke · 08-30-2010, 04:23 AM

yup no tail gating here, quickest way to get into a accident..

i was coming off of 183 its a highway around here.. see a guy on a bike coming up behind like i was standing still. im in the middle of a 3 lane road, he passes me and swoops over to make the u turn before the light in front of us. but ya he was going a little to fast, locked up the rear tire and it starts fish tailing left and right, left and right.. he almost lost it, but he had to slow down enough that i passed him, and as i did pass him he looked at me and i looked at him and i was laughing and yelled "dumb ass you should have waited"

there is a time and a place to do stupid stuff, middle of the day when other cars are present is not the tme.. late at night on a highway when there is no other cars anywhere near you for atleast a few hunred yards, ya sure get on it a little every now and again. but other then that people need to learn to drive like an adult..

mizke · 08-30-2010, 04:28 AM

i had forgot about this thread that i started, and i started a new one asking about 2 different bikes.. i should have added it to this thread, so i am going to ask a admin or mod to delete that other thread..

so some feed back would be nice since i am looking at doing a msc in a few months, and a buddy is teaching me to ride his dirtbike so i dont have to buy one..

torn between the ninja 250r and the gs500f..

ive read that the gs500f is a heavy bike, im kind of short at 5`7 so i dont want a bike i have to fight to keep standing up at lights, and i have not really heard anything to bad about the ninja's other then being a little under powered.. i love the looks of the gs500f over that of the ninja but honestly looks are going to be the last thing i consider when i go to buy one.. i have been woods fun center here in austin and sat on both bikes and each one feels fine to me, i spent about 5 minutes sitting on each bike in the riding position and i feel like i could do either one..

so any body have any experience with the gs500f ? i know a few of you guys have already stated that you have had ninja 250's before and loved them, but what about the gs500f ?

Jim · 08-30-2010, 05:19 AM

Good to hear you tried sitting on both... I don't think the suzuki is a particularly heavy bike, go down to a dealer and sit on a Harley Ultra Classic, Triumph Rocket III, or Gold Wing... :P

If you sat on both and both seem like they're not too heavy or tall for you, then that sounds good.

If you wait until you get your license it's possible you may be able to test ride both bikes, maybe at a dealer, demo day, or even a private sale if the seller is ok with it.

What sort of riding do you intend on doing with the bike?

mizke · 08-30-2010, 06:43 AM

just casual weekend riding for the most part, maybe ride it to work on some days. but i deff will not be pushing it on twisted roads or anything for a very long time.. got a grandmother who lives on the lake in burnet which is about an hour and half from austin. its a fairly nice drive out there so that would be one of the places i would take the bike, but weekend crusing for the most part..

i could tell the gs had weight to it, but just sitting on them is one thing. actually riding them and have to control it by moving weight around like leaning in the corners (not knee scraping lean) is another thing.

i have thought abotu waiting till i am legal to ride a bike, but at the same time it might be better to go through the msc with the bike i intend on riding. but like i said its at the least a few months away. my gf has always liked bikes, so i might talk to her about if i got the ninja 250, then when i get tired of it and want something with some more power, i pick up the gs or a 600 and give her the ninja.. i have a hard time making my mind up on stuff like this, i will end up going between the 2 untill the bikes are in front of me i know i am leaving that day with one..

Jim · 08-30-2010, 07:14 AM

The time you will notice the weight of a bike is during slow riding, once your cruising it's not really so noticeable...

About the msf, think about this, would you rather drop your bike, or the schools bike (which they expect to be dropped)?

08-12-2010, 09:01 PM	#46
Weldangrind Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Sardis, BC, Canada Posts: 25,977	lego, that's an excellent list. Back in the eighties, Shell had an ad campaign where they provided driving tips. The one that always stuck with me was "look left, then right, then left again." It didn't even occur to me to share that with a new rider, because it's second nature to me now. X2 on go where you look. It's the wierdest phenomenon that exists in cars as well; if you look at what you're trying to avoid, you'll likely hit it. I'll add that you should never shorten a car's stopping distance. Don't pull in front of a car when approaching a red light, and don't accelerate on the freeway to cut off a car on the on-ramp. If you leave a car with nowhere to go, you could get hurt. Also, you can stop much faster than a car, so if someone's on your butt, change lanes. __________________ Weldangrind "I figure I'm well-prepared for coping with a bike that comes from the factory with unresolved issues and that rewards the self-reliant owner." - Buccaneer
	0

08-30-2010, 05:19 AM	#52
Jim Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Abbotsford, BC, Canada Posts: 4,880	Good to hear you tried sitting on both... I don't think the suzuki is a particularly heavy bike, go down to a dealer and sit on a Harley Ultra Classic, Triumph Rocket III, or Gold Wing... :P If you sat on both and both seem like they're not too heavy or tall for you, then that sounds good. If you wait until you get your license it's possible you may be able to test ride both bikes, maybe at a dealer, demo day, or even a private sale if the seller is ok with it. What sort of riding do you intend on doing with the bike? __________________ "Be excellent to each other" "We are all human. Let's start to prove it!"
	0

08-30-2010, 07:14 AM	#54
Jim Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Abbotsford, BC, Canada Posts: 4,880	The time you will notice the weight of a bike is during slow riding, once your cruising it's not really so noticeable... About the msf, think about this, would you rather drop your bike, or the schools bike (which they expect to be dropped)? __________________ "Be excellent to each other" "We are all human. Let's start to prove it!"
	0

08-12-2010, 09:04 PM	#47
mizke Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: austin, tx Posts: 1,452	gotcha guys, i already make it a point to not pull out in front of people, and i happen to do it by accident.. like mis judge the distance and cars speed, i always romp on it till i start to pull away then i let off.. i am actually very careful driver..
	0

08-12-2010, 10:27 PM	#48
lego1970 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Blue Springs, Missouri. United States Posts: 505	Thanks Weldangrind. Likewise, I just now got a chance to read the other post and there is a lot of good advice for both beginners and advanced riders. Take care everybody.
	0

08-30-2010, 04:23 AM	#50
mizke Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: austin, tx Posts: 1,452	yup no tail gating here, quickest way to get into a accident.. i was coming off of 183 its a highway around here.. see a guy on a bike coming up behind like i was standing still. im in the middle of a 3 lane road, he passes me and swoops over to make the u turn before the light in front of us. but ya he was going a little to fast, locked up the rear tire and it starts fish tailing left and right, left and right.. he almost lost it, but he had to slow down enough that i passed him, and as i did pass him he looked at me and i looked at him and i was laughing and yelled "dumb ass you should have waited" there is a time and a place to do stupid stuff, middle of the day when other cars are present is not the tme.. late at night on a highway when there is no other cars anywhere near you for atleast a few hunred yards, ya sure get on it a little every now and again. but other then that people need to learn to drive like an adult..
	0

08-30-2010, 04:28 AM	#51
mizke Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: austin, tx Posts: 1,452	i had forgot about this thread that i started, and i started a new one asking about 2 different bikes.. i should have added it to this thread, so i am going to ask a admin or mod to delete that other thread.. so some feed back would be nice since i am looking at doing a msc in a few months, and a buddy is teaching me to ride his dirtbike so i dont have to buy one.. torn between the ninja 250r and the gs500f.. ive read that the gs500f is a heavy bike, im kind of short at 5`7 so i dont want a bike i have to fight to keep standing up at lights, and i have not really heard anything to bad about the ninja's other then being a little under powered.. i love the looks of the gs500f over that of the ninja but honestly looks are going to be the last thing i consider when i go to buy one.. i have been woods fun center here in austin and sat on both bikes and each one feels fine to me, i spent about 5 minutes sitting on each bike in the riding position and i feel like i could do either one.. so any body have any experience with the gs500f ? i know a few of you guys have already stated that you have had ninja 250's before and loved them, but what about the gs500f ?
	0

08-30-2010, 06:43 AM	#53
mizke Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: austin, tx Posts: 1,452	just casual weekend riding for the most part, maybe ride it to work on some days. but i deff will not be pushing it on twisted roads or anything for a very long time.. got a grandmother who lives on the lake in burnet which is about an hour and half from austin. its a fairly nice drive out there so that would be one of the places i would take the bike, but weekend crusing for the most part.. i could tell the gs had weight to it, but just sitting on them is one thing. actually riding them and have to control it by moving weight around like leaning in the corners (not knee scraping lean) is another thing. i have thought abotu waiting till i am legal to ride a bike, but at the same time it might be better to go through the msc with the bike i intend on riding. but like i said its at the least a few months away. my gf has always liked bikes, so i might talk to her about if i got the ninja 250, then when i get tired of it and want something with some more power, i pick up the gs or a 600 and give her the ninja.. i have a hard time making my mind up on stuff like this, i will end up going between the 2 untill the bikes are in front of me i know i am leaving that day with one..
	0