Before you bought your bike

Yes it is crazy out there! For me wanting to be a police officer and I enjoy working traffic, I'd like to someday be assigned to a motorcycle unit. Those guys have it rough, on top of the daily hazards of riding a bike, they have their job hazards as well! I want to get a little experience in on a bike though before getting on a police bike!

 

There wasn't anything called "motorcycle crash videos" before I bought my bike.

 

Dang. That busa is a good lookin bike, but a little much I think...at least for street use!

 

But the stories and the news about crashes didn't scare or deter you?

 

He let me ride it a few times and it was weird.
Never rode a busa before and going from my R1 to it was something very wicked. The flickability of an R1 was much like my Buell. Any slight change in hand movements and the bike was headed in that direction.
The busa felt like it was on a monorail. Like it was glued to the pavement or held by a magnet. You could litterally follow a double yellow around a sweeping corner 9 inches off of it and it would stay there the whole way thru.
That and it was like the cadilac of all sport/touring bikes.
I'll see if I can dig up my R1 dyno. This thing screamed!!

 

+1 on always riding with brights on.

 

All good info guys! Thanks!

 

You mean the police blotter? My father's death? I just try not to ride like a tool, and so far so good (knock on wood). Good maintenance, classes, active scanning, your threat is reduced to near zero.

If you've taken a rider course recently, you're almost out of the statistics for crashes. If you practice, even more-so. If you take responsibility for your actions, even more-so. Just don't ride like a squid. Oh.. sorry, are coasties squids? Well, pretty sure the term came from Sailors getting bikes. They do a bang up job of slaughtering themselves, them and their marine cousins.

MSF.. every year or 2.

 

Only get them if they fit. they are the best, but only if your head fits in them properly. Turns out a shoe is the only thing that fits my rock, so I'm good to go. HJC, scorpion, feels like someone's digging a prybar into my head.

I stay away from having brights on all the time. No need to increase road rage or motorcycle hate, HD riders are doing enough for that.

I read somewhere that single lights, or very close lights are hard for the eye to judge. I mean, you can look and figure it out, but most people are not actively spotting every single thing around them.

Triangles of light however, brain figures out course and speed. I have running lights on all my motos. Single up top, drivers on the crash bars, those are always on and angled politely.

 

def get a good helmet like said by others, and my dad still has his shoei helmet from hen he bought his bike from the showroom...in 1985.

 

Yea, they're only good for 5 years.
read your labels.

 

really?

my mom took hers (same helmet he bought for her) to her motorcycle class and the instuctor looked it over and said there were no issues with using it.

 

Kawasaki doesn't make the 500 anymore. The only 500 available is the Suzuki GS 500 F, If you never ever rode a bike I think that the 250cc is the bike for you. Now if you have some experience you should get a 500 or 600cc. Also depends on what are you going to use it for.
Short commute, city driving, run some errands around town: 250cc
Long commute, a lot of freeway, long trips: 500cc or 600cc

 

ehh... can't find the vid. But here's a pic.

 

I got my bike(R6) when i was 17, My mom always use to make up stories about bike wrecks lol,

 

If you end up starting with a 250, i'd recommend the Hyosung GT250R. It's a full size bike. The Ninja250 and CBR250 are a little smaller in size. I started out on a cbr125, got bored in about 2 months. Got the Hyosung250 and i've been content. I like being be able to go WOT and switch a few gears and not be doing double or triple the speed limit. I think Kawasaki has a 400cc sport bike out now? 400CC is ideal for the city if you ask me. Get a used 250 or 500, get used to it than move up. Just my 0.02.

Edit: Looks like the Kawi Ninja 400 is only in Canada.

 

Ehh.. not to keen on the Hyosungs.
Rode one while the R1 was being serviced and was,t to thrilled.
Personally I think for a mid bike starter, the er 650n? kawi or nekid bandit would be what I would go for.

 

Puddle pirates lol. I will be taking a course when I get closer to riding. They aren't offering them up here on the island.

 

well I suppose you're right. I have no idea what it's like up there, but motorcycling probably not the nr1 hobby.

Anywho.. Bikes don't kill people, people kill people.
That being said, you get a sport bike, sport bike people tend to kill people, and knocking them over can practically total them, so yea, your insurance would be through the roof.

I pay not enough to even notice on my KLR, less on just about everything else. Get plastics, goes crazy.

 

Just checked out the V-strom 650, thats a nice looking bike! How does that compare to your KLR?