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On the fence

21K views 130 replies 20 participants last post by  omega 
#1 ·
Hey all, I am new to riding and have zero experience. First, while I am excited to ride for the miles savings on my truck and gas savings (daily commute is 80 miles round trip), I am also quite nervous in general and feel a bit intimidated. Of course I am getting mixed reviews from friends on ride on what to get for first bike. The typical being "250 is too small get a 600" or "250 is just fine". I am a bigger guy at 6' 250lbs. I plan to lose another 50lbs by spring though.

I love the look of the R3 and it appears to be reasonably priced for a new bike. But it is too impractical for a first bike? I feel it is safe to assume I will dump my first bike several times as I gain experience. In which case spending $5k seems a bit much. Maybe an older 250 for a couple grand is better? Money isn't that much of an issue really. But still. Maybe I am over thinking it. Also, I am from MN and it gets VERY hot in the summer and we have limited riding season cuase winter sucks. The thought of wearing full gear sounds miserable. No? I have seen people wear everything from full gear to no helmet, shorts and flip flops.. LOL. I suppose it all depends on your personal risk factor.

Anyway, let me know your thoughts. For now, I plan to take the written test in the next couple days. I am also doing an online course and plan to do rider academy in the April.

Thanks!
 
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#36 ·
Hey all, checking back in. Went the the motorcycle show here in Minneapolis yesterday. Wow. So many great bikes.. that new Ninja H2 Carbon. OMG. $33k starter bike seems justified right? HA.. JK.

I sat on dozens of bikes and left even more confused than before which was the opposite of what I was hoping. I really really liked the KTM RC390. But it doesn't seem to be as new rider friendly (more track focused), more money, and I have have some concerns with local dealer availability. But love the looks. The Duke version felt good to. Actually, all the bikes with the more sitting up position felt great. But I like the looks of the SuperStreet better and I would not say the R3 was uncomfortable. But again, I am commuting here most of which is 95% highway. 45 mins one way.

At this point, I thinkhave narrowed it down to R3 if I go new or if used a late model 600cc. But conflicted. Again.. my budget is $5-6k including gear. I have not sat on any used 600s yet so that is likely my next task. And actually trying to ride something would help. **** winter. PS.. is it reasonable for a dealer to let me attempt to test ride new or used with zero experience? Or should I not even bother until finishing BRC? LOL.
 
#40 ·
At this point, I thinkhave narrowed it down to R3 if I go new or if used a late model 600cc. But conflicted. Again.. my budget is $5-6k including gear. I have not sat on any used 600s yet so that is likely my next task. And actually trying to ride something would help. **** winter. PS.. is it reasonable for a dealer to let me attempt to test ride new or used with zero experience? Or should I not even bother until finishing BRC? LOL.
Some dealerships allow test rides, others do not. You'd need to look around and see if anyone allows them. If you wait a bit longer for the nice weather to come along, all the manufactures pop up at local dealerships and offer group test rides. For example, show up at a Yamaha day and if you get there early and sign up, you can ride an R3, R6 and FZ-07/09 all in one day.

I'm only a little shorter than you (5'11") and have a long inseam, and I'm a little bit lighter (180) but I do well on the R3. I take it to work every day, weather permitting. My commute is 50 miles each way and I stick to only back roads so I'm on the bike for about 90 minutes each way. The bike is more than comfortable and I've had no comfort problems on longer rides. I think the longest I've gone is around 3 hours and although it felt good to get off and stretch, I had no problem getting right back on for the return ride home.

A test ride would be good for you if you find a demo day somewhere. Your height is not much of a concern on the R3. You just have to see if you're okay with the amount of get up and go it offers you compared to other bikes.
 
#37 ·
If I were you I wouldn't even think about test riding without experience, you could be on the hook for a totaled bike :p . Have you tried looking at any naked bikes like an FZ-07? FZ-6? Great commuters, more torque (can also be more dangerous for a new rider), upright, less fairings to damage etc.

I really also thought about a RC390 my buddy kept trying to convince me... But it's not as new rider friendly like you mention, more expensive, not quite as upright and the engine issues steered me away pretty quickly.

One thing I will mention is being a heavier rider the R3 still gets pushed around quite a bit by wind, I was riding home yesterday doing about 65-70 with some 10-15mph winds and it becomes fatiguing after a while. Bike gets pushed around the lane a good bit even with my 230lb self on it. Depending on where you live, if you have a lot of wind something slightly heavier like a naked might be less fatiguing for commuting.
 
#38 ·
Can second the wind blowing you around bit. The other day coming home from work there was 10 mph winds with gusts over 20, got batted around a good bit riding in that. Not to say that the R3 can't handle it, as long as you stay relaxed and lean into the wind a bit it'll fine, but like omega said it can get fatiguing after a while. Thankfully my commute home isn't super long, 40-50 minutes, and only 20 of it is on the highway the rest is city, so it wasn't too bad. It did feel super weird tho leaning while going straight.
 
#39 ·
^^ This I would start blowing left and had to lean decently right to straighten out the bike is so light it just walks (stock tires probably don't help, more sticky tires would probably hold a line better in wind). Sometimes it can be a little nerve racking with gusts while cruising along at a good speed lol.
 
#41 ·
Right on. This forum is awesome and you guys have been great. I appreciate the transparency even though we are all partial to the R3 of course. I had not even considered a naked bike. Hmm.. That could be an option. I can see wind being an issue. Especially as I am mostly highway riding. So something to consider.

Good call on the demo days.. I will look into that. Best way to find these? Emailing dealers?
 
#42 ·
It gets posted up a lot I think there's a page on yamaha's site that shows their stuff, not sure on other MFRs. I really tossed the idea around of a naked bike but I got a deal too good to pass up, still a great idea to get something cheap for now and move up later.
 
#43 ·
I signed up for weekly alerts from my local dealership. They always post upcoming demo days and I get emails on how to sign up in advance. I'm sure all dealerships do things differently.
Just ask them how you can stay aware of upcoming demo days and they should be able to help you out.
 
#48 ·
For me, and stand by oft other opinions on this, DOT approved is DOT approved. Some race tracks will require. SNELL helmet. But the more expensive helmets are getting you more features, not really more protection. I have a $200 helmet and have another color of the same helmet that I bought for $43. I have no problems putting on a $100 helmet. Just don't expect the same features as an $800 one.
 
#49 ·
Ok.. It makes me chuckle to think about what "features" these are exactly and how they are justified being hundreds more!

I would think it just comes down to comfort, no?

Also, conflicted on riding pants.. specifically kevlar jeans. I know as a n00b I should probably invest in some but just seems overkill.. but the road rash doesn't sound fun.. LOL.
 
#50 ·
I have been down a few times. On the street and the track. Take it from me, gear helps. Between the padding in the knees keeping me from banging up my knees, to the material not getting turned into rags and exposing skin, the ~$80 in jeans is wirth t, but hey, don't take my word from it. Some lessons might just need to be experienced I guess.

Features including material being used, lighter weight, less wind noise, etc. I don't make them and don't control the price but there is a market for them and people buy the stuff so yeah. I personally won't spend over $400 on a helmet but some will spend 2 times that.

It's comes down to this: how important is your body? How much is new skin, time away from work,, bones healing, the pain of scrubbing pebbles and road grime out of your flesh? If you don't value yourself that much, then don't get it. We are involved in an activity that is inherently dangerous on a good day, and fatal on a bad day. We often get lucky, but that may run out one day. Dress for the slide, not the ride. If you can't afford basic gear before your bike, let alone your mods, motorcycling might not be for you.
 
#51 · (Edited)
Also keep in mind on the helmets, these big name manufacturers have big name riders using their product. People may be paying hundreds more because Rossi or Lorenzo or whoever have their name associated with that brand.

People pay hundreds for Jordan's. Not so much All Stars. Both do the same thing though.

There is actually a good video on Arai helmets with Jay Leno in it. In one segment it shows one of the Japanese riders (Nakano?) in a race take something like 9 hits or so. At 190+ mph. Think about that. That speaks volumes for a product, so I think when they market that, people will tend to put their money into that versus my $200 707 helmet.

Here is the video

 
#52 ·
I use a $50 DOT Bilt helmet at least it's what I started with, still DOT approved but honestly heavy as **** 3.8lbs (they use some of the same MFR's as speed and strength etc for helmet shells). Although I'm looking at getting a new helmet, Bell makes some incredible helmets with great value looking at getting a qualifier DLX MIPS myself to use with my Sena.

If you really want to see the differences between helmets look up the SHARP results, it's the only certification program today (although it's not required like DOT/ECE) that will give you test results to some degree. It can give you a better idea of protection, there's some $100 helmets that are better than $600 Shoei's in their tests.

Pants, pants are important I'd recommend looking at Bull-It jeans, revzilla has them on sale right now for the SR4 and SR6 (the numbers relate to slide time). They're pretty ridiculous and on sale right now they're only about $100-$120 I really like mine. SR6's can be pretty heavy, and also pretty hot then during the summer so keep that in mind, the SR4's tend to be lighter but less protective.
 
#53 ·
Pants, pants are important I'd recommend looking at Bull-It jeans, revzilla has them on sale right now for the SR4 and SR6 (the numbers relate to slide time). They're pretty ridiculous and on sale right now they're only about $100-$120 I really like mine. SR6's can be pretty heavy, and also pretty hot then during the summer so keep that in mind, the SR4's tend to be lighter but less protective.
A big +1 on riding pants. I'm highly allergic to pain and have a strong interest in keeping my flesh so I didn't start riding without protective pants. I started with overpants and then went on to Scorpion Jeans during the summer. Near the end of summer, I took someone's recommendation and tried Knox jeans.... these things are AWSEOME and worth every penny of the investment.
http://www.sportbiketrackgear.com/knox-richmond-kevlar-riding-jeans/
 
#55 ·
One thing I forgot to mention in my above post, I'd recommend going with DOT & ECE rated helmets. While no one standard is "better" than another as nobody can conclude what really helps or prevents injury, one thing is for sure, the fact that two standards can pass is better than 1 (if they were willing to pay for both tests).

Although from my research it seems to be the general consensus is ECE is more strict than DOT (and the DOT reg is over 20 years old), they are both very different tests though. Snell was meh until it got updated in 2010, I'm still not a huge believer but I'm sure it's much better than DOT. I believe tracks also usually require ECE/Snell helmets but I could be wrong (thought I saw this somewhere).
 
#57 ·
Thanks gents. Good info. I guess going into this I never would have imagined so much thought would have to be put into gear. It's intimidating and daunting to be honest. I get it now though and it will not prevent me from riding. What gets me though is the amount of people that ride unprotected. Especially the Harley guys and older crowd. Old school mentality maybe. I rarely see these people with even a helmet on most times! Given how often I see these rider, I just kind of assumed it was the norm and I am good with helmet and maybe a jacket and gloves. To each their own I guess. Just comes down to being risk taker I suppose. Not me, and certainly not as a new rider.
 
#58 ·
Lots of thought! I cannot tell you how many hours I've spent researching gear and learning to come to the right stuff. One thing is for sure, I'd rather be hot than disfigured, ah what the **** I have psoriasis anyway so I'm likely to look disfigured later, what's a little road rash :p .

In all seriousness it also comes down to context too, we're all squids sometimes I'm sure, I've definitely seen mentions where some people will forgo protections for say, running to the store up the road. Yesterday I went to lunch then got my hair cut, moved the bike 500ft without a helmet. Mainly because I was too lazy to undo the helmet holder and do it again later less than 30 seconds from then, the plaza was empty so I took a chance. Most people probably never realize, I never ride without a helmet and that was the one instance I've chosen to do so for ~30s.
 
#59 ·
Last year, we had a 100 degree day and traffic was really bad so my normal 90 minute commute was more like 2.5 hours.
I got home and peeled my jacket off (A* Leather)... I was soaked, so I took a quick tear up the road and back, just to cool off a little.
It's the only time I've done it, probably won't do it again and it's the only time (ever) where I've been on the bike without a leather jacket.

Felt awesome though... I see why people like it :)
 
#60 ·
Yeah.. it seems the helmet and I suppose gear in general takes away some of the experience or maybe even cool factor. Again, most of those I see without helmets are older guys on cruisers. Granted not a sport bike but the same rules apply for going down. Maybe they are a bit more complacent with so many years of experience. But nonetheless, so many factors that are out of your control when riding. Maybe I am over analyzing it all.. but that probably isn't a bad thing as a n00b.
 
#61 ·
I once saw an ad on Facebook for a new open face helmet design that offered a cool quick connect latch for taking it on and off quickly and easily. A comment was made by someone talking about how a common body part to hit the ground first is the chin and how open face helmets offer little protection in a crash. That spawned a heated online debate on what gear is best.... and the crazies came out!

One guy made a comment stating that he's ridden his entire life and with his vast experience, he knows how to fall in a crash, and how to fall in a manner that keep his head from hitting the ground. LOL Really? He can drive through an intersection at 45mph, get cut off and drive into the side of a car and as his bike stops dead and ejects him 100 ft through the air, he can control how his body hits the ground, and in a manner that avoids any injury?!?

He's right... he is experienced. I hope I'm that good someday!
 
#62 ·
I dunno if it is going to be the first to hit but in my crashes the chin definitely had always taken a hit which is why I won't wear a half or 3/4 helmet. I'm my crashing experience, on track or the road, the hands, knees, firearms, and at least chin always hit and take at least a scraping.
 
#65 ·
I'd also suggest shopping around a bit. I don't work for them and have no connection to them in any way but I do suggest Revzilla if you have a lot of gear to buy because they give you "Zilla Bucks" for each purchase that can be used toward your next order. For example, I bought a $350 helmet from them, the received $100 back when I found it on sale later elsewhere that month. I got a bunch of Zilla bucks from that purchase that I then used on gloves and over-pants that I found on clearance... that order came to less that $50. Awesome deal considering the gloves alone were $85.
I did get my jacket from Amazon because I found it there one day at a ridiculously low price. It said "1 Remaining - Order Soon" and I took a gamble. I figured maybe it was a return or something but nope.. it was brand new, still in the A*'s wrapping and everything. Brand new jacket, $150 off the price everywhere else.

Take your time and shop around a bit. It's easy to buy one thing here or there but when you have a ton of stuff to buy, going through a site that offers cash back may save you a boat load of dough.
 
#64 ·
Not liking the boots. Too low for me, but that's me. Motorcycle low cut boots and shoes in my opinion don't offer enough support.

Not liking he gloves because I have no idea how good quality their products are. For that price you can get Bilt brand gloves at cycle gear.

Same thing for the jacket.

People will say Bilt sucks. I think it's great starting gear. I have a leather Bilt jacket that has taken a ~40mph low side and took less damage than my $400 Astars jacket.

If you are on a budget, consider Bilt. Every crash is going to be different but my personal experience, Bilt stuff is good quality for the low price you are taking, and it actually protects you. I have first hand experience with that.

The helmet is fine. Can't go wrong with Bell.

Not sure if the jeans are Kevlar reinforced, but you will want that at the major stress areas.

TLDR, get Bilt stuff if you are just starting off.
 
#66 ·
Bilt definitely has some decent gear at great prices, if you're looking for something cheap to hold you over, go that route or closeouts on revzilla. I found a speed and strength chain reaction jacket for $100 (they were like $200-$250 new), always good deals to find you just have to look and spend a little time.

I just went to cycle gear yesterday, they have some decent higher cut boots in the Bilt line up for like $50 or $60. They were better than the short A* boots and had a lot more support.
 
#67 ·
I have a pair of A* SMX-1R's that are a short boot design. It was my first pair and I liked the way they looked but I don't think I'll go that route again either.
Comfortable and much more protective that sneakers but absolutely no ankle support to speak of.
 
#70 ·
Those aren't bad, the only thing I don't like is your Jacket has 0 back protection, that's probably the MOST important thing on your jacket other than saving your skin.

For boots for the money and staying with bilt, I'd recommend these https://www.cyclegear.com/gear/bilt-speed-racer-boots more than the pit boots.

Here's the jacket I have in the below link, it's $99 but you will be extremely hard pressed to find a nicer jacket for the price, it's normally a $250 jacket just on closeout. It comes with CE level 1 full length spine protector (not the short ones) and CE armored shoulders/elbows/forearms like usual.

http://www.motorcyclegear.com/stree...eTTXmn1ZfDvx7jmu0KEdfV2OrSgbb3HilYaAk7D8P8HAQ
 
#71 ·
Those aren't bad, the only thing I don't like is your Jacket has 0 back protection, that's probably the MOST important thing on your jacket other than saving your skin.

I disagree with this. If you want back protection you'ld be much safer with a separate back protector. My normal riding jackets don't have any back protector and I don't normally wear my back protector when street riding
 
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