Matts96HB

ive pondered several different vehicles, and i just cant come up with anything that fits all of my wants/needs, so ive decided to keep my accord as a DD, and get a streetbike. this will be my first street bike, but I DID ride dirtbikes from the age of 5-16.

im not an idiot on a bike. i have no doubt in being able to control myself. my obvious concern is the other people on the road, which is also going to be semi-dependent upon my riding. i will be purchasing full riding gear, and wearing it every time I go out on the bike. i dont know what to look for when im buying gear, so some advice there would also be nice.

my question (as far as the actual bike is concerned) lies in where to start looking. i know for a fact that i do not want anything 1000cc's or over, i just dont see that being logical for my first bike.

so, what do you guys recommend?

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E_SolSi

why change a good thing

Calesta

600cc

95b16coupe

Based on your experience with dirt bikes and how you are used to the power band of a turbo Honda, I wild seriously consider an r6.

Matts96HB

[QUOTE=E_SolSi;1691752]why change a good thing
i have spent some time in the seat of my friends xr250l, and i just dont think i like the fact that i get a mediocre riding experience in the dirt. i think im looking for a dedicated on road bike.
kind of what i was thinking, but i wasnt going to rule out something slightly larger. i just dont want to get in too deep with my first bike. even 600cc's is a lot of bike, i cant imagine what 1000cc's would feel like.
i have been looking into those.
also been looking into the GSXR 600, but im unsure of Suzuki's quality. i only owned yamaha's when i used to ride dirtbikes.
this seems like a decent bike: 2007 GSXR 600

love this color on the r6:
2007 Yamaha R6 Red

another question i have is about mileage. at what point in time do i need to start worrying about major maintenance? i know itll vary bike-to-bike, but i am just looking for a general idea..

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efhondakid

I would have to agree with E. Ive ridden in the dirt my whole life and have dabbled in the street. After riding a friends R6 I can say that I will never own a sport bike, they are too fast, I dont care what any of you may say, there is no reason to have a bike that fast. Another friend had a Suzuki SM400 and after riding it a few times on the rough chip and seal back roads we have here I was in love, brake sliding into tight turns, jumping train tracks , and the like. It just appealed to me way more than triple digit speeds in seconds, hoping nobody pulls out in front of you. Just my $0.02.

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jeffie7

SV650

done

Matts96HB

youre definitely right about the speeds, and i do like the fact that I wouldnt have to be as weary of rocks and imperfections on the road on a supermoto. i think the only way for me to actually make a decision on this is to go ride a street bike, then go ride a supermoto again.
im not sure how i feel about the naked sv650s
though i have read the sport is a little quicker accelerating, due to a difference in gearing?
i also really like the sound of those with an exhaust

so as far as a streetbike, i think i have it down to an sv650 or an r6
if i do decide to get a supermoto, itll be a yz450f, no questions asked.

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92stoccord

How big are you?

E_SolSi

the WR is better suited for sumo use

efhondakid

I was going to recommend riding a little bit more bike than an xr250, its a slow revving old style four stroke. Comparing it to the newer four strokes is like apples to oranges. I ride a 450 and was not disappointed with the SM400.

jeffie7

SV650 is naked SV650S has front fairing.

R6 is too much of a bike for a new rider.



If you want a lower fairing they make after market ones.

Matts96HB

5'10" 180lbs
reasoning?

i saw the aftermarket fairings, i just need to sit on one and see how i feel about it.

a friend's brother has an 06 gsxr 600 that he's going to let me sit on and ride through their neighborhood if i feel comfortable doing so. hopefully ill be able to make a decision based upon that.

E_SolSi

a few of the reasons:

bigger tank -- youre going to be filling up often anyway... but the extra 1/2 gallon will be appreciated
wider gearing -- makes for an all around more pleasant road experience
higher top end speed -- see above
already set with electrics: battery, charging system, lighting (just add turn signals) -- this is the real deal sealer, as getting the lights going on a YZ can easily lead north of $1500
bigger radiator -- at some point you are going to be stuck sitting in traffic...
radiator overflow -- ...and when you are its nice to not be leaving a puddle of coolant on the road, and boiling your bike dry
electric start -- kicking gets old

the timing can be played with to get essentially the same power bandout of the WR as the YZ... and many report that it is actually smoother and easier reving

the WR is a little heavier than the YZ out of the box... but they get much closer once you add all of the necessary stuff to the YZ



pretty much the WR is just all around better suited to being modded for road use

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K2e2vin

Yamaha already makes a sumo; the WR250X.

E_SolSi

but he was specifically referencing the 450 model so that is what i focused on

friend of mine has the wr250x... he actually traded his R6 for the wr250x and is happy as shit about doing so
its a great bike... its a blast to ride... that bike is perfectly happy doing 70mph EVERYWHERE no matter what the road is like... straight, smooth, twisty, bumpy, dirt, pot holed to shit, speed bumps... doesnt matter 70mph

K2e2vin

Sweet. I plan on getting one if I get a job at Eaton which is a 1hr drive. They already have aftermarket seats for it?

E_SolSi

not to thread jack... this is info that is relevant to the thread...

what kind of commute are you looking at... 1hr back roads? or 1hr highway?

riding a supermoto for long distance on the highway can suck
a little shot up the highway from time to time isnt too bad... but they are really much more at home on more back road type sections

Matts96HB

thanks for the info E, repped
i suppose i should stop being lazy and do some damn research on the supermotos
i suppose i should have specified my main use for the bike. next year i will be attending college out of the city, basically im looking at a half hour commute each way (1hr total) PLUS, i will be going to another college at least 2 days out of the week (gf lives there) that is 2 hrs of riding each way, 4 hrs total. so essentially, the bike's purpose is to save me money on gas and maintenance.
last year alone i put ~30k miles on my accord. its nearing the 190k mark and id rather just drive it in the winter or whenever the weather is shitty.

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awptickes

You're the same size as me. I have an sv650s, and even when riding outside the law, I can keep up with liter bikes on the street. I can't match them in exit speed, but I can enter and corner just as fast.

Don't get an r6 or any "supersport" bike. If you're going to be riding 30 minutes each direction to school, or 2 hours each way to the GF, then a supersport IS NOT WHAT YOU WANT. I'd say that a sumo isn't what you want either. I've done lots of long-distance on my sv, most notable was a trip to the eastern shore (about 6 hours of ride time, because I took twisties) with camping gear on the bike. Do that on jeffie's bike, and you'll hate life.

The sv650 is an awesome bike. It's more capable than people will lead you to believe. In your case, it'll be perfect.

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jeffie7

That's what you get to think for not riding with me =)

But for the most part, it's true, most people can't ride SS bikes worth a damn.

awptickes

I ride off road on my sv. Granted I can't take sumo type roads, but I do gravel and dirt all the time. Grooved pavement? No problem. It's just learning how to do it, and learning on a dirtbike really helps.

Go ride an sv650 if you can. You'll like it.

awptickes

Nah, these guys track ride mostly in I/B group. They're pretty good, but I'm still nowhere near their skill level. I'm hoping to do a few track days this year, I just linked up with a coach and he gave me a card/flier thing that has some info and a free suit rental. I dunno if I'll need the rental, I have a two-piece already, but it seems like a good way to get started.

I think someone getting a ss bike right out of the gate is a horrible idea. I absolutely never tell someone to get a ss, because if they're asking they don't know enough to make a good choice. DOn't get a ss bike. Get something you're comfortable on, coming from dirt, I'd suggest getting a small street bike first, then moving onto a larger sportbike in a few years.

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reckedracing

if you were lighter i would say ninja 250, but coming in at 180lbs
i'd recommend a ninja 500
plenty fast enough to get your in trouble
pretty comfortable bike for longer trips
good gas mileage
i had a blast on the one i rented out in RI this summer

they are nice all around bikes, nice look to em, good ride, fun

jeffie7

the new 2011 Ninja 500 is nice to look at. =)
The 250 was redesigned a few years ago, not sure why they held out for so long with the 500.