Looking to start riding, need advice

[B-Heat]

http://huntsville.craigslist.org/mcy/3690849795.html
I'm looking to start riding and these are some of the coolest out there, I enjoy the look of older bikes a good deal. But I don't have much knowledge of them,yet. Can any one look at this listing and give me some pointers to start out?

[Lucky 1]

"Not no Chinese bike"  (on the ad)

When the Japanese products came into the USA
people said the same thing.

Don't get sucked into who you are supposed to hate this year, this month etc.,.

When I was in grade school You were supposed to hate the Russians.
Then you were supposed to hate the Japanese.
Then you were supposed to hate the Vietnamese.
Then you were supposed to hate the Iraqis.
ETC. national level.

STATE LEVEL  the closest neighbor.
Arizona you were supposed to hate the Mexicans.
California you were supposed to hate the.....you get the idea.


See a pattern?

[B-Heat]

Yeah I talked to the guy, he seems like a good old fashioned country boy. Not terrible educated, but I didn't pay any mind to that part of the ad. XD

[TOOLS1]

I would have to see receipts for the work he claims was done. I can tell from the pictures that the bike is a collection of parts from different models, and even different brands of bikes. Even with documentation of the work I would be very skeptical of this bike, and would not pay anywhere near what he is asking. There are nicer bikes out there for less money.
TOOLS

[Lucky 1]

If you have never owned a bike I would start with something smaller like a CB350.

Make sure you have jeans, good gloves, leather shoes,
Not tennis shoes, and a good full coverage helmet.

The full coverage helmet is quieter so you can hear better.

Of course you may be in a state that does not require a helmet.
I personally wear a helmet.

[Piute]

      Your about to be robed of your hard earned Money

             Be smart get a bike that looks and runs close to stock as possible,
           easer to find parts and get help to fix,
            as said this is a bike from different models and maybe years,
             Looks to be a "F" model,78-77 tank is from a "K".
                KEEP your cash and keep looking there out there just be ready to go get it .




                                          I looked for 4-6 months missing great deals ,
                                      cause somebody showed up with cash before I did.
                                      PAYED 250.00 for this 9k miles(35miles from home)
 
                                    I cleaned added my cover/grips/seat in/to this only

[shinyribs]

TOOLS1 wrote

I would have to see receipts for the work he claims was done. I can tell from the pictures that the bike is a collection of parts from different models, and even different brands of bikes. Even with documentation of the work I would be very skeptical of this bike, and would not pay anywhere near what he is asking. There are nicer bikes out there for less money.
TOOLS

Tools took the words right outta my mouth. The way the seat and rear section has been chopped up makes me very skeptical that if he DID do all that engine work,how well was it done? IMO,way too much money for that bike.

[B-Heat]

Wow, thanks guys. Glad I did not step on that landmine
I'm always searching local ads trying to find a deal on a good bike. I'm still not sure what kind I really want, I enjoy all of them.

[sgtslag]

The Honda Rebel 250 is the classic starter bike, and for good reasons.  They're usually in the $2,000 range for bikes from 2005, and newer, and they tend to always be available on the market, at any given time, in most locations.  They're not powerful, they are not hi-tech (carbureted, not fuel-injected), they have one disc brake, typically, but they do get 60+ MPG.

When my wife, and son, got their permits to ride, I told them it would be best to ride our 440cc bike, for the first year, to learn to ride without biting off too much bike.  They both agreed (in retrospect), it was the wise thing to do.  Learning to ride takes time, and with a smaller bike (<500cc engine displacement), there are fewer things to handle (much less chance of over-accelerating, over-braking, getting out of hand, in general, when riding), while learning hand-eye-foot-balance coordination/control issues.

The Rebel is a rock-solid bike.  They have good handling, they're affordable, re-sellable, and economical on gas and maintenance.  Once you decide you really enjoy biking, and you master the basic skills required, you will be ready to move on to a bigger, more powerful bike.  You may discover you prefer a different style of riding:  touring, cruising, sport touring/riding, or even off-road-riding/dual-sport.  With a Rebel in your stable, you won't have a fortune invested in something you don't care to ride.  A lot of people love the idea of riding, but fall out of love after they get a year of riding under their belts (convertibles offer much of what a bike does, but they are all-weather compatible, and can be driven year-round).

Some sites with reviews on the Rebel 250:  link1; link2; link3.

Whatever you decide, best of luck!  Cheers!  

[seestheday]

Lucky, what's your take on my Chinese friends that ride telling me that Chinese bikes are garbage and were never designed for the NA market?

They all ride new Jap or German bikes and say that the chinese bikes are 20+ years behind the technology curve and don't have parts support here.  

In the markets they were designed for this isn't an issue (China, India, most of Asia etc.)  The massive numbers sold mean there are parts bikes available, if the bike doesn't run well because the carbs don't fit well it's not a big deal, they were never meant to be performance machines, etc.

[seestheday]

For what it's worth, my first bike is my cb750 and I didn't have any issues with it.

There are a few very good reasons why you would choose a small bike though:

1. Easier to handle and learn on
2. Easier to pick up when you drop it (you will)
3. Cheaper insurance
4. Less able to get into trouble by going too fast

If you're a big/strong guy then picking it up shouldn't be an issue.  I had spent a huge amount of time on my mountain bike (downhill, trials, urban, single track etc.) prior to learning to ride a motorcycle, so the basic came very quickly.  I'm in my 30's so insurance wasn't a big issue.  I'm in my 30's so I also know my own mortality and ride cautiously so my son grows up with a father.

Fully agree with everything else Lucky says.  Invest in some protective equipment.  If you can't afford good gear and new tires then you can't afford to ride a motorcycle.

[icerigger]

Yeah, you can't beat  the Rebel as a first bike. Even though the HD guys rib me about riding a "chicks bike", the Rebel is a lot of fun to ride, and I've been riding since the 70's.

[LukeM]

Got you beat on this one:

For a few weeks, I was riding my wife's Honda Metropolitan scooter to get parts for my bike.  Imagine a 30 mile ride to the dealerman on an popsicle-orange 50cc scooter.  Granted, it would do 38mph with me on it, but still...I had to swallow my pride a bit.

There's nothing wrong with starting on a smaller displacement bike. You can start with any size bike you want. So what if open_exhaust/overchromed_riding Harley boy gives you grief for riding a 250cc bike?

The difference is in how you learn. I started off being VERY cautious and not riding like an idiot.  Once my confidence returned, it was easier to get the "motorcycle rider" face on, claim my space on the road, without losing the cautious mentality. Ride like a jerk, and cagers will treat you like one.

I also HIGHLY recommend attending a Motorcycle Safety Course. Everyone I know who's taken this course has come away learning how to ride better.

Luke M

[B-Heat]

Thanks for all the advice! In the interest of things not many rebels are sold in my area. But there are these 2, can I have some information?
http://huntsville.craigslist.org/mcy/3695608160.html
http://bham.craigslist.org/mcy/3681846779.html

[TOOLS1]

If you are over 5' 6" tall, or over 185 lb forget the Rebel!!!!! Most of my family learned to ride on a Kawasaki Ninja 250, and I am here to tell you it does not matter if you are on a CB 750, or a CB 100 if you do not know what you are doing, either will hurt you equally. A lot of people think the smaller "slower" bike will be safer, but I disagree. On either one, you are in control! It is your hand on the throttle/clutch... Any sane person will not hold the throttle wide open, and dump the clutch, or go above a safe speed. If you feel comfortable on a 750, then buy a 750. If you want a 750, and buy a 250, you will never be happy! And will wish you had bought a 750. Get what you want, and ride like, you have a brain, and you will be fine.
TOOLS

[sgtslag]

The Scrambler is an older design, and it is actually a dual-sport -- not that it is very good at off-road riding.  I rode a '72 Scrambler 175.  They're alright, lightweight, nimble, but 70's technology.

The Kawasaki is belt drive -- incredibly smooth, better than chain drive, better than shaft drive, I would take belt drive over any other if I could!  Rode a KZ440 LTD belt drive, with the 6 speed transmission -- loved it!  My 440 was incredibly light, incredibly nimble, incredibly quick in town.  It was like riding an F-16, in town only.  It maxed out at 70 MPH, one-up, and it was rather scary at that speed due to being lightweight in every respect.  My 440 shifted remarkably fast, and smooth.  It was a joy to ride -- I laughed out loud every ride, it was that much fun; I also overshot a great many corners as I was having so much fun flying through the gears, zipping past the 30-MPH speed limit...

Tools is correct, you can over-ride any bike.  The reason I recommend a smaller bike is the ease of handling -- makes it easier to maneuver for a new rider; heavier bikes are much harder to finesse on the road.  They're lighter to pick up, and they typically won't carry you past 70 MPH:  the faster you go when you hit the pavement, the worse your road rash will be.  That is assuming you survive, as road rash will be the least of your worries.  Most people agree that smaller, lighter weight bikes, are better to learn on.  Just realize that you will outgrow them within a year's time -- which is why you don't want to buy a new/expensive one.

I'd recommend the Kawasaki, as it will likely be much faster, smoother, and more reliable.  The exhaust pipe on the Scrambler tends to get warm, beneath your thigh.  It always made me nervous, even though I never burned myself riding it.  I never took mine off-road -- never realized until a few years ago, that I could go off-road with it, 30 years after I stopped riding it.  Cheers!

[TOOLS1]

" the faster you go when you hit the pavement, the worse your road rash will be. "
Although this statement makes sense, it is not always true! I, and my son-in-law have both went down at high speeds (100+ mph), and got up without, so much as a scratch! On the other hand Toolbabe, and my step-son have both went down at low speed (10 mph or less) and suffered severe injury's. Toolbabe broke her left wrist, and needed 3 surgery's 2 steel pins, metal plate, and 32 screws. My step-son broke his collar bone. You can NOT predict what is going to happen in an accident. Just hope you go "low side," and not "high side."
Also that little Kawasaki 250 Ninja I spoke of would do an honest 105 mph with my 250 lb butt on it.
TOOLS

[shinyribs]

It all depends on gear for the most part. You see the pro riders lowside and sliiiiiide what seems like forever. Then they hop up and are perfectly fine. I've seen guys at the drag strip lose and bike and barrel roll down the track. Fast track to a lot of broken bones. You'd think straight line racing would be safer.

I agree,you never know what'll happen when you go down. It's best to be prepared for the worse and gear up the best you can IMO.

[sgtslag]

Very true, Tools, very true.  Thanks for the correction, and for sharing the experiences.  Cheers!

[Hoosier Daddy]

ATGATT (All The Gear, All The Time) easier said than done, especially on the short errands of tuning runs, but words to LIVE by