I told my dad I'm shopping for motorcycles and he's worried (I'm 24 for cryin out loud!). He goes on about how they're dangerous and can bring out the speed demon in a man. Then he tells me he had a CB550 with Webers, Yoshimura exhaust, custom wheels and much more! He traded it for a 512mb hard drive for his Mac!!!!! Of course this was way back in the day but....ahhh! It would have been sweet if he had it tucked away in some corner of the garage only to reveal it to me in my hunt for a bike. He sold it after his 3rd crash.
skullsroad wrote:
He sold it after his 3rd crash.
Some people shouldn't be on two wheels. Period.
skullsroad wrote:
I'm surprised so many are telling me to get a new bike. I guess it really is a safety issue. I can't justify buying a new bike just like a can't (and probably will never) buy a new car. Especially if this is going to be my first time EVER on a motorcycle.
Being your first bike...we want you to have fun. Older bikes can be fun but a new motorcyclist may not stick with the sport, or get hurt, if they're riding a bike that is difficult to control.
One of the main reasons to buy classic is I want to modify it. If its old and in need of parts, hey, a reason to upgrade!
Sounds like a great plan! Modd'ing a bike can be fun. It's not cheaper than a car but you end up with something that is easy to work on and gorgeous.
I saw a rider with a leather jacket on today and thought, "damn it must get hot in that thing." I can't imagine sitting at a light in 90 degree sunshine with hot exhaust swirling around you. But safety first I guess.
Oh yeah speaking of safety. I know Arai has a great rep but who else makes good helmets? HJC seems to be popular as well.
You can get a jacket made from mesh that will help with the heat. They also have models with hard armor in the joints. It won't protect you as much as that leather Vanson but it will do something if you go down at speed.
I used an HJC helmet for years. Worked great and was really comfortable.
Three good bikes for you:
1988 Honda Hawk $2k1988 Honda Hawk $2k
1987 Honda VFR $2k
1986 Yam Radian $1200obo
A bike that is a shed full of problem waiting to happen:
1992 Yam ZJ600 aka Albatross around your neck.
