Signed up for Beginners Motorcycle Safety Course

[OVerLoRDI]

I have wanted a motorcycle since I was about 12. However, like most mothers, my mother absolutely forbade it. I almost bought a bike in college, however my mother caught wind and put a stop to that plan very quickly. Now, the time has come, I am employed and fully independent.

I signed up for a motorcycle safety course and I'll be getting my first rides in on the two ride days memorial day weekend.

After that I'll be looking to spend a maximum of 5k on my first bike and gear.

Any recommendations on bikes? Besides the Ninja 250...

6/11/13 update:
- Well I completed the MSF.
- Got some private lessons from this guy: http://www.yelp.com/biz/motomike-motorcycle-riding-lessons-san-francisco#query:motorcycle training
Who I highly recommend for those looking to bridge the gap between MSF and the real streets
- And purchased myself a 10 year old SV650s with 8000 miles on the clock.

Also, I'm told it is legal to park your bike on the sidewalk directly next to your building, it counts as private property

Giving it till about 7 for traffic to calm down and then I'm going to take it out to the great highway and cruise a bit.

11/8/14 Update:
-20k miles later.

I've done quite a few 1000 mile weekends all over northern California, commute on the bike daily and have modded it pretty thoroughly. Live in SF if has become the family vehicle. Figured I'd share some pictures.

Running errands for the wife. Both dozens arrived home intact

Making a run to Drake's Bay Oyster Co, before they closed down

Got a top case added to the bike, at that point the wife started liking the bike a lot more. I guess the ability to carry more stuff with us was appreciated. Looks stupid on the bike IMO, but makes life so much easier.

Been to this spot 4 times this year

The wife has adjusted well.

Got rid of the crappy stock SV suspension, completely changed the bike.

Also added SS brake lines as well as Pazzo levers and some SV racing rear sets.

Life is good

 

[Jimzz]

Something in the 500-700cc range (depending on the type of engine and body) is what I would go for if you are mature and do well in the Moto Class.


My first bike was a 700CC Shadow. Plenty of power but not so much it would toss me to badly for a mistake.

 

[Gillbot]

get something as cheap as possible for under $1k on craigslist, get used to it, pass your test, practice, then after you drop it a few times resell it on CL for ~$1k to the next guy looking for the same thing.

 

[Fenixgoon]

get something as cheap as possible for under $1k on craigslist, get used to it, pass your test, practice, then after you drop it a few times resell it on CL for ~$1k to the next guy looking for the same thing.

this is the cheapest option.

Otherwise ninja 250/500, gs500, cbr250 /500, etc

 

[zCypher]

Congrats, i'm in the same boat. Signed up for the course yesterday! So damn excited. Wanted a bike for a long time! I'm pretty set on the Suzuki SV650, love the way it looks and everything I've read about new and experienced riders that have it. I could totally change my mind after I finish my course, maybe I'll decide to get something smaller and easier, but who knows.

 

[ViviTheMage]

I used to ride 125's, and 50's when I was a kid .. like 5-10 yo, but just got my first bike end of last winter (best prices).

got an 08 sv650s with 2500 miles on it, 1 owner, for 3k....this feels like enough bike for my first, not slow, but not all too fast either, at least stock. I have riden a few gsxr 750's 650's, 636 ninja's and I know what to look forward to, but the SV feels like a great beginer bike to me. I have probably put on 800 miles or so ... I am thinking I might start looking for a safety course to take as well.

I ride it a little hard from the lights, but still manage 45-48 mpg, i know the the quicker bikes you'll be looking at high 30's, which is still decent..if mpg is a concern.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

GS500 is my favorite first bike. Ninja 500 at the most.

I don't recommend any of the 650 twins as a first bike.

SV is too big for a first bike, even if you have experience with dirtbikes etc. It's too tall, too torgue-y, and has too steep of turn-in for a new rider on the street.


I used to type up paragraphs explaining why I feel this way, but have pretty much given up since 90% of new riders ignore it and go with a big bike anyway. In a nutshell, take two identical new riders.. Put one on a 600+ tall supersportish, the other on a gs500. Let them both ride a year, ~5000 miles. I absolutely GUARANTEE that the gs500 rider is faster, safer, and more confident than the 600+ rider.


Note that at least one of our "get a big bike now so you don't have to sell and upgrade later" people had some sort of accident and no longer participate in motorcycle threads. I have literally 100's of thousands of street miles under my belt, I have seen literally countless new riders wreck these bigger bikes... Including sv650s.


This is your life here......... Just buy a $2000 gs500/ninja 500 AT MOST, ride it for a year, and sell it for $2000 to move up.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXfM4tbx9nY

 

[Mutilator]

Everyone seems to always forget about the Ninja 650/ER-6N.

Since I was looking to buy a new bike the Ninja 250 was out for me mostly because of the RPM limit during the break-in period... I'd be stuck well below the speed limit everywhere I went and that was an unnecessary risk/danger I wasn't willing to add on top of the other risks already involved in learning to ride for hundreds of miles. But obviously buying used would have potentially eliminated that problem... assuming the previous owner(s) broke it in correctly.

And Spatially... I've seen the video dozens of times. He really should have made his "friend" take a MSF course before letting him on his bike. Or at least shown him what those 2 mysterious levers on the handlebars are for.
It also shows another reason I chose the 650R... the low seat height. I wanted to flatfoot both sides at a stop, not be tip toeing around like that guy.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

An sv650 is ~25% faster and more powerful than a GS500, which is significant at those low power levels. Maybe if he had an extra 2 seconds he could've regained control.

Even with training, it takes a good 5-10k miles before doing these things are truly second-nature. Until that point you have to think and process things before you do them.


I have firsthand seen at least 5 really stupid and fairly bad accidents that were PURELY due to rider inexperience combined with too much of a bike (whether too powerful or too tall).


I'm really not going to do a huge back and forth about it.... I'll leave it with this... I've done countless trackdays, tours, mountain trips.... And I can say without hesitation than any of the 650 twins are too much for a true newbie rider. You can self-justify it all you want, but I've seen way too many idiotic accidents to support a SV or ninja 650 as a first bike.

 

[ViviTheMage]

I will agree, the sv650s is a bit torquey on the low end, but I feel very safe on it as a beginner.

 

[Midwayman]

I will agree, the sv650s is a bit torquey on the low end, but I feel very safe on it as a beginner.

Its really a bit too much bike for a first bike. Not that its a horrible choice, but Its a little like tossing a new driver the keys to a Mustang GT or something.

Best thing you can do for a first bike is realize its just a first bike. You'll drop it. You'll give it too much throttle and steering at the wrong moments, etc, etc. Everyone seems to think they're the exception.

 

[M0oG0oGaiPan]

if you guys need gear, they've got a good sale up at sportbiketrack gear on A* stuff.

http://stores.sportbiketrackgear.com/Categories.bok?category=Alpinestars+2013+Closeout+Sale

picked up some smx 5 boots and a mesh jacket for something like $280 shipped. Wanted the axiom jeans but they sold out in like 5 minutes.

 

[zCypher]

Its really a bit too much bike for a first bike. Not that its a horrible choice, but Its a little like tossing a new driver the keys to a Mustang GT or something.

Best thing you can do for a first bike is realize its just a first bike. You'll drop it. You'll give it too much throttle and steering at the wrong moments, etc, etc. Everyone seems to think they're the exception.

i can understand your points on this side of the argument, i'm sure most people end up dropping doing those things and probably i will too even if i want to tell myself that i'll avoid it! still, i looked for cheap bikes in my area, and the pickings are quite slim under a few thousand bucks here, and once you go more than $2000 you start to see used SV650 available anyway. And, a brand new one is $8000 minus some discounts. It's hard to ignore... still, after I do the practice and see how I am, there's a good chance I may say HELL NO and just get something really shitty knowing how bad i am.

 

[repoman0]

I just signed up for mine too This weekend!!

I've got an SV650 waiting in my dad's garage. I'm unsure if I'm going to keep it - got a great deal on it and can stand to make a few hundred to a grand if not and get something smaller.

 

[JulesMaximus]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXfM4tbx9nY

Ah, the red SV into a tree vid. It's a classic. :biggrin::thumbsup:

Lots of love for the SV in this thread. It is a great bike. I bought mine new in 2008 and sold it in 2011 after putting almost 17,000 miles on it for only $2.5k less than I paid for it new (and I'm taking OTD prices).

Shit, I bet my Ducati depreciated $2.5k the moment I pulled it into the garage for the first time.

 

[OVerLoRDI]

Attempting to be intelligent, I snagged some proper boots and gloves (they are also required by the MSF course). Brian at Scuderia West (in SF) was very helpful

Ended up with a pair of SIDI Vertigos:

And some Taichi GP-X Gloves.

After I tackle the course and start shopping for a bike, I'll snag a jacket, pants, armor etc. I have no problem throwing down money for proper protection and honestly, the more I look like a cyborg/anime robot, the better.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Never buy gear for the MSF course. Just wear some boots that cover your ankle, a heavy jacket, and some leather gloves... hell, they could be gardening gloves.

 

[M0oG0oGaiPan]

how much were those vertigos? if you can still return them, let me know because there's some closeouts for them and they're only $225. I bought the smx 5 from sbtg during their a* sale but I'm probably going to return those since I have setup boots that are pretty much the same and pick up a pair of smx plus vented for an extra 100 bones. If you need a cheap lid, pick up a scorpion. they're affordable but they make quality helmets.

I want some taichi gloves but i heard they fit even small. Would want to try them on beforehand.

I agree with jules though. you don't really need any special gear for msf. just ankle covering boots. I think they provide the half helmet, goggles and gloves even. Thing is you're geared up already, which is good. Can't hurt.

 

[OVerLoRDI]

Never buy gear for the MSF course. Just wear some boots that cover your ankle, a heavy jacket, and some leather gloves... hell, they could be gardening gloves.

I was considering that. But the return policy at the store was good. I wouldn't be out anything if I found I hated riding and didn't have a use for the gear.

 

[OVerLoRDI]

I completed the MSF and got my M1.

Living in SF, I quickly realized that the skill jump from cones in a flat parking lot to driving around the city was too massive for me to do safely.

I did some research and came across a highly recommended mototcycle instructor. We did 5 hours yesterday and 5 hours this morning and he left me with one of his 250s to cruise around on for the rest of the day.

1st day: Started out in some parking lots in the Presidio, slow speed maneuvers, braking, riding up and down curbs, etc. Counter steering through the twisties in the Presidio, hill starts, a little dirt riding.

2nd day: Got put on a bigger Honda (750cc) to show that the skills still apply on a heavier bike. (The power was incredible). Cruised around SOMA, Embarcadero, and Market street to learn how to ride over street car/cable car tracks. Rode across the Bay bridge to Treasure Island, came back across the did the 101 Octavia crawl, complete with CA legal lane splitting and then home. The guy left me with his 250 to use for the rest of the day so I can get more seat time. I already took it down the Great Highway, 35, and 280 to somewhere near Hillsborough and came back up 280 to Twin peaks and back home.

Taking a break, but I'm going to head back out there in an hour or so and get some more seat time before I have to return the bike.

 

[OVerLoRDI]

Bike acquisition completed!

 

[sze5003]

Nice job. It's been weeks since I rode. Raining here like crazy. If you are gonna ride now good time to get decent gear. I recommend cortech latigo ar boots.

 

[OVerLoRDI]

Nice job. It's been weeks since I rode. Raining here like crazy. If you are gonna ride now good time to get decent gear. I recommend cortech latigo ar boots.

Gear was one the first things I snagged. I figured it would net me the best ROI I'll ever see on anything I spend money on.

Gear:
Shoei RF-1100
Rev'it Ignition 2 Jacket
Rev'it Gear 2 Pants
RS Taichi GP-X Gloves
Sidi Vertigo Boots
Forcefield CE level 2 back protector

 

[JulesMaximus]

Congrats on the bike. Check out www.svrider.com. Great site with tons of helpful and knowledgeable members, just don't post about stunting or breaking the law or the forums will come down hard. I've seen it happen, it isn't pretty. Kind of like ATOT really except motorcycle friendly.

I still post there occasionally even though I don't own an SV anymore.

 

[repoman0]

Awesome! Just got all my gear too. Well, everything except pants. Can't wait to take out the SV650 for the first time this weekend. And by "take out" I mean go to an empty parking lot for a long time before daring to hit the roads.