Crotch Rocket
 

With gas prices and the way there headed, I've gotta ditch the car and get a motorcylce. Any suggestions from the board?

My neighbor has a brother who just bought this fancy looking motorcycle. I have no idea what kind it is, but they talked me into going for a ride on it with him last week. He scared the shit out of me at first, but then I really, really liked it.

Now I want to ride on it again, but he's a romeo-wannabe idiot and I'm afraid if I start fishing for rides he'll think I like him or that I want to go out with him. :1orglaugh


I know this doesn't help with your question. Just thought I'd share. :)

Crotch Rocket = Donor Cycle

Depends on how much experience you got riding. Then we can all steer you in the right direction.

Never driven one before.

Fuck, it cost me $16 just to fill my CBR1100 yesterday.

If you need everyday transportation I'd suggest a cruiser over a crotch rocket.

well then dont get anyting too fast. a "crotch rocket" of any size will haul MAJOR ass. check out some sites. do a google search for motorcycles for beginners. I did this cause my wife wants to start riding and I was looking to get her something she would be able to learn comfortably on. The sites I came across had lots of info for beginning cyclists.

agrees :thumbsup

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Go with a VESPA scooter
http://home-2.tiscali.nl/~cb003819/images/home.gif

I learned to ride on a Kawasaki KLR 250. If you're learning to ride that's a great bike for that purpose. If you're really short it won't be a good bike.

They are cheap. Relatively maintenence free. Light. Nimble. 4 stroke and street lega.

My old KLR 250 helped half a dozen friends learn to ride.

I've been riding a Harley for a few years. They are great. Worth every penny and if you take care of it, you'll most likely get every penny back. I can get more for mine now than when I bought it new.

However, no matter what you get, a cruiser is a great everyday bike.

You're going to a see a resurgance in the popularity of mopeds, scooters and motorcylces as long as the gas prices remain high. I'm banking on Forbes' prediction about the oil bubble bursting soon.

Yamaha YZF600 <--- Very comfy starter bike. Not TOO fast, but does have a little 'get-up-and-go' for when you get more comfortable riding.

Verbal that is a good bike. But If someone is really starting out even that bike has a bit too much power. I suggest getting a small displacement bike, and expecting to trash it. While if you're safe and you take a riding class you'll be fine, get a bike that's nearly disposable.

I couldnt believe i paid $13 to fill up my harley this weekend, thats just udderly ridiculous. But at least its cheaper than filling up my durango. If its your first time riding a street bike DO NOT BUY A CROTCH ROCKET!!!!!!! or you might end up another statistic. I have had too many freinds not listen and end up crashing on them. Get a small low cc bike to learn on and then go bigger when you can handle it.

any jap bike will be reliable, but that is not the main issue, safety is the main issue:

1. buy the best full face helmet you can afford and wear it, make sure it fits properly.
2. buy a motorcycle jacket with proper protection (elbows, shoulders, and back lumbar support)
3. take a motorcycle riding course, understand panic braking, counter steering, target fixation, defensive driving, blind spots, lane splitting.
4. if you intend to ride all year long get rain protection gear, if you are in cold climate get heated vest or heated riding suit (gerbing, etc), get good riding gloves (deerskin).
5. run with high beam on in daytime.
6. make sure you have current medical and life insurance.

good luck.

500K miles on sportbikes over 35 years, no injuries due to protective clothing and helmet.

Whatever you buy, TAKE A RIDING COURSE! Both a skills course and a traffic course. Good luck and you'll love riding, but when you go to fast (and inevitably you will.) make sure you do it when there is no one else around! Less crap to hit. And always follow ridings number one rule:
Keep the rubber side down! :2 cents:

600 is way to small imho, normaly someone who can hardly ride a bike would opt for such a small cc.. :)

A 600 cc new crotch rocket will eat most bike alive from 10 years ago regardless of cc. When I have a 750 Ninja and going 240 km, and a 600 CBR passes me like I'm standing still...yikes. I personally don't think 600 cc is to small, especially not for a new rider. But it totally depends on the size ande skill of the rider.
A Yammy 600 will pull the front tire off of the ground with a quick roll on in 2nd gear, so if that's pussy then you and I have 2 different vocabularies.

Then again if your talking cruiser then yeah that's small but with a rocket, it's apples and oranges. :2 cents:

Most 600cc sportbikes built today have around 100hp, and that will get a beginner into trouble real fast.