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Ok, here's the deal. I was craving a sports car for quite a while and unfortunately couldn't afford an S. I ended up with a celica GTS that I bought used for a great price. Its a really fun car and I enjoy driving it, but I am, admittedly, still getting the hang of driving stick. Anyway, while its a fun car, its kinda finicky and isn't quite what I wanted. You know, that whole thing about having your heart set on something and settling for a little less which doesn't end up really making you happy.
Anyway, as much as I enjoy the car, I am considering a different option. I go to the University of Texas (first year grad student) where parking is an absolute nightmare. I am debating the possibility of selling the celica and using the money to buy two vehicles: a used SUV of some sort for going to the store and hauling climbing equipment, etc, and a bike. I am interested in a sport bike to fill in the need for a fun vehicle that the celica is fulfilling now and for getting to class and parking on campus.
My question is, how dangerous is it really? I'd like to be able to use the bike to get around town for fun and to get to class. No long road trips. Maybe the occasional 90 miles home to san antonio and back, but thats it.
I realize that there is a lot of judgement involved and that safety can be relative/personal, but you always hear people talking about "those motorcycle nutcases". Are those a certain set of people, or is riding really a lot more dangerous?
I have every intention of taking an MSF course if/when I decide to implement this plan, but I thought I'd ask. Thanks!
I would have to say that riding a motorcycle is significantly more dangerous than driving a car, but there are many things you can do to reduce the danger.
First of all, my background: I've owned 17 motorcycles so far and have been riding for more than 30 years. I ride just about every day, but only put about 3000 miles per year on my bike. I have not had a motorcycle accident for over 15 years, but i have crashed a couple of time, and I don't want to do it again.
You can take the MSF beginner course before you decide to get a motorcycle, to help you decide if it's what you really want to do or not. Anyone who has been riding for more than 6 months should take the MSF Experience Rider Course to remind them of what can be done to be a safe rider. By paying close attention to the things that are especially dangerous to a motorcycle, you can greatly reduce the odds of being in an accident.
It really bothers me that so many younger riders (young relative to my age that is ) see the photos in the motorcycle magazines and think they need to be dragging knees in corners or performing various stunt maneuvers before they can be considered a "good rider". Pushing the limits is what causes a lot of crashes (and is what caused my first crash ).
You also have to get serious about wearing protective gear so that if you do go down for some reason, you don't end up with road rash or other worse injuries. I have scars on my right hand because I wasn't wearing gloves for the quick trip to the store (less than a mile) when I had my second crash. Now I always wear gloves as well as a helmet when I ride. I nearly always wear a leather jacket, although I don't bother with riding pants for sort trips, but always wear them for any serious riding.
I'm not trying to scare you off, but you need to understand that riding a motorcycle cannot be taken as casually as driving a car. My attention level while riding is usually at least double what is required to drive. I dress to survive a crash with minimum injuries, but ride to avoid the crash in the first place. It's possible to get through your first year of riding safely, but the odds are against it. If you're willing to put in the effort to be a safe rider, you improve your odds quite a bit.
I enjoy riding a lot and would have a hard choice if I had to choose between just my Ducati or just my S2000. I hope this has provided a few good insights.
I have 49,000 miles on my '85 Nighthawk 650, so I've been around the block once or twice. For the most part I'm an extremely cautious rider who does not push too hard on the bike, I drive my car much more aggressively.
You mention hearing about "those motorcycle nutcases" as being the people who give motorcycling its reputation for being dangerous. Here is my opinion. Yes there is that small percentage of riders who are dumb and they cause themselves problems. However it is my opinion that it is "those car/truck/suv nutcases" that cause almost all the problems. Other than the one near deer hit and a few times when I was being dumb for riding too fast all my scary situations have been because some a**wipe in a car/truck/suv could not be bothered to look where they were going or were just completely stupid behind the wheel.
Now the only reason those situations have not taken me out is because driving my cars on the racetrack has helped me to be even more aware of what is going on around me. I'm more focused and I do not ride unless I have a clear head and a 0% alcohol rating.
Only you can determine if it is right for you. The best think I can say is if you want to get a bike DO NOT GET A FAST SPORT BIKE TO LEARN ON! If I were going to learn how to surf I would not grab a board and run out to a 50-foot wave, I would start small and learn some skill sets first.
I'd mostly echo their sentiments and strongly, strongly suggest you:
1) Take the MSF course and
2) Don't buy a big, bad ass sport bike as your first bike. Trust me, the avg. 600cc standard bike (Bandit, Nighthawk (actually a 750 now), SV, etc.) is way faster than any car you've driven and more than enough fun.
What scottrnelson was some of the best advice for someone considering riding I've read. Everything he said is true, and echoes my experience and lessons. Granted I've had MUCH less "experience" than him (only 3 years riding...I'm still a newbie by many standards), but I have a good handle on bike control and general riding practices.
The easiest way to "reduce the risk" (the MSF loves to say that) is to simply not be stupid. Street racing, knee dragging, stunting, etc. are all sure fire ways to get yourself hurt. That being said, my 2 crashes were the result of 1) spinning up a cold tire in the middle of winter and 2) locking the front on those damned tar snakes on a rainy day. Neither one had anything to do with being stupid - in fact for the second (a few months ago) I was being very careful, aware of the reduced traction and riding accordingly. Luckily, I was wearing good gloves, boots, and a jacket for both. If I had been wearing something better than jeans, there would have been no damage to me at all - as is, my knee got rashed and is still showing the signs of that slide.
Riding is an incredibly rewarding experience, and I believe it really makes you a better road user regardless of your mode of transport. You learn to predict what other drivers are going to do, and become much more attuned to your surroundings and the conditions. It's not something to do for practical reasons because of the effort it takes to learn and the risks involved - and there are definitely risks. It is great fun, very exciting, and you look much cooler on a bike than in nearly any car People also tend to fear you if you're carrying around a helmet and wearing leather jacket, mothers hide their children, and the girls swoon.
Oh, and take the MSF course...you'll get your license and find out if riding really is something you want to invest your time and money in. You'll also learn the basics and good safety information. You don't even need a bike to do it.
Thanks for the great advice! I'd really love to hear more as well.
I have no intention of going out and starting on a 750cc bike, but I've heard very mixed ideas on what is a decent starting point. I have heard a lot of people say that they started on a 600cc and were fine, while I've heard others say that anyone starting on anything bigger than a 250 is dumb. Any thoughts on that?
Like I said before, I have no interest in racing a bike, nor do I really have any interest in stunts. I do enjoy driving a sports car, but more for the overall experience and handling rather than racing. I rarely drive more than 5 over the limit anyway, I just like having the power and handling availible.
Alright! The thread has mutated into another "which bike should I get as a first bike" thread.
Personally, I don't think anybody should start on a bike that is capable of going 0-100 mph in 10 seconds or less. It's just too easy to get into trouble from one little mistake. However, if you intend to ride on freeways, most 250's just don't have enough power.
The bigger concern, in my opinion, is how much it costs to tip the bike over. Some bikes can have more than $1000 damage just falling off of the sidestand while others sustain virtually no damage.
As a point of reference, when my high school age son wanted a 600cc sport bike a year or two back, I convinced him to get a 900cc Ducati Monster, like mine, instead. It was well used, had already been crashed once (but was repaired), and was less expensive. Plus all of his friends thought is was cooler as well. I felt the bike was reasonable for him as a first street bike, because he had many years of off-road experience and was involved in motocross racing. Learning to control the bike wasn't such a big issue.
We only kept the bike a few months, though, because he didn't keep up with the "requirements" of ownership, like proper grades and stuff. Here's a picture of it the day we brought it home (the one on the left):
Just looking at what you can get in a 5-year old bike, I would say that these models from these brands would be good starter bikes:
Honda:
- CMX250 Rebel - Nice, unintimidating small cruiser.
- CB750 Nighthawk - An excellent standard.
- VT600C - If you want a cruiser, it's a good choice, and it's a V-twin.
Kawasaki:
- EX250 Ninja - A bit weak for freeway use, but good learning bike.
- EX500 Ninja - One of the best possible first motorcycles.
- ZL600 Eliminator - If you like cruisers
- KLR250, KLR650 - A little tall, but excellent bikes to learn on.
Suzuki:
- DR350SE - An excellent dual sport, make sure you get one with electric start, because the kick start version can be difficult.
- GS500E - One of the best possible first motorcycles.
- GSF600 Bandit - Another very good choice to start on.
- LS650 Savage - If you like cruisers, a good one.
Yamaha:
- XT225, XT350 - Good dual sports, if a bit on the heavy side. Not as tall as the other dual sports.
- XV250 Virago - Nice small cruiser, weak for highway use.
- V535 - I little bigger cruiser, if you like cruisers.
- XJ600 Seca II - A good standard, like the Suzuki Bandit.
Ducati:
- 750 Monster - Low seat height, relatively light, controllable power, a little more expensive than the others.
Harley Davidson:
- XL Sportster 883 - Relatively low cost, if you want a Harley.
This is by no means the complete list and leaves off some excellent newer bikes, like the Suzuki SV-650 and Ducati Monster 600. Now you need to start looking for what is actually available, what you can get a good deal on, and what stirs your soul (only the last two on the list do it for me).
09-03-2002, 10:45 AM
How dangerous is it really?
) see the photos in the motorcycle magazines and think they need to be dragging knees in corners or performing various stunt maneuvers before they can be considered a "good rider". Pushing the limits is what causes a lot of crashes (and is what caused my first crash 
).
People also tend to fear you if you're carrying around a helmet and wearing leather jacket, mothers hide their children, and the girls swoon. 
