Had to happen sometime... beginner bike suggestions

96DXCivic wrote: I have also been considering a bike. But I need something super cheap and easy to work on.

Don't be afraid of some of the chinese dualsports. Some can be had new for a little more than $1000.

Cheap & easy?

Early '80s standard. I see them regularly on CL for under $100. Probably will need refurbished at that low of a price, but do a little research and get wrenching. Most will need tires, brakes, cables, carbs, and battery work. Plus maybe cosmetic stuff like a seat, grips, or a rattle can paint job. Stick to late '70s/early '80s unless you want to play with points (double check that any you are looking at have electronic ignition).

I picked up my '75 CB360 for $200, added a new seat, bars, rebuilt the engine and carbs, new coils, points, pegs, and exhaust and still have less than $700 in it. Now I need brakes and tires, which will put me close to, but hopefully under my $1000 budget.

suprf1y wrote:

96DXCivic wrote: I have also been considering a bike. But I need something super cheap and easy to work on.

Don't be afraid of some of the chinese dualsports. Some can be had new for a little more than $1000.

It isn't that I am afraid of dualsports. I just don't really care for the look of them and I doubt I would use it off road. I know this is a bad idea but what about British bikes for cheap.

96DXCivic wrote: I know this is a bad idea but what about British bikes for cheap.

I believe that involves moving to Britain.

I drive a 2000 buell blast and it is a great bike. The only issue is it is made by harley and they put some crappy parts on the 1st year 2000 model(drive sprocket/belt and rocker box gasket). The drive belt is under recall and should have been fixed. It will do 90mph on the freeway and the single cylinder sounds great, way better than japanese bike IMO. You can get a used one for under 1500$. It won't be worth anything after you are done. Everyone says you'll outgrow it, but those are the same people who cannot drive a 600cc+ bikes through the twisties b/c they didn't get a solid foundation. I've driven mine for over 3years/18000miles. It is a dead simple bike to work on and drive.

The other beginners I think would be good are the sv650 as has been mentioned and if you are tall and can get your feet on the ground the kl650 or whatever it is, the honda dual sport.

As has been said before, before you ride plan on spending btw. 200-500$ on gear. My helmet was over 300$. It isn't worth buying cheap gear. One tip to find a good leather jacket is to check out thrift stores. My tough leather jacket was only 40$ and is made really well. Good luck, I'll get some pictures of the buell up somewhere.

One last thing, if you are knowledgable I think an old 2 stroke sports bike would be really cool, but might be a pain to find parts.

I am talking really cheap like less then $500. I have found lots of Honda CBs on craiglist for that cheap maybe not running but I was planning on slowly working on it. How do the CBs work for a rider my height? Where can I find parts for these bikes?

I know this is a bad idea but what about British bikes for cheap.

No such thing. Old Triumphs can be fun in the same vein as an old MG, Lotus, etc. They might be cheap-ish to buy, but they will take money and time to keep running. My neighbor just restored a 1970-ish Bonneville. Real nice bike, but takes WAY more effort to keep running than his housemate's new Thruxton (or his fiancee's Harley). If I was going to spend some money on a "brit" bike, I'd be more likely to buy a new Royal Enfield Bullet (now built in India), or maybe even a new Ural (Russian knock-off of a WWII-era BMW).

If you don't like dual sports, and your ego demands something bigger than a 250, then the middle-weight Japanese standards (often called UJMs, for univeral japanese motorcycles) are the best bet. Huge selection available from the 70s through the 90s. The Honda CB line is the most common. For something newer, the GS500 and SV650 variants top the list.

Thanks for all the help as soon as I get my MG Midgets sold I will be buying a Honda CB to work on and get on the road. I really like the CB350.

96DXCivic wrote: How do the CBs work for a rider my height? Where can I find parts for these bikes?

They're standards, so mid-controls (pegs under ass, vs rear-sets for a crotchrocket or forwards for a cruiser).

The seats tend to be big and flat, with not a lot of delineation between rider and pillion (passenger), so you can slide fore/aft pretty easily.

The bars are standard sizes, so you can swap them from drag bars or clubmans for a more forward lean, or cruiser bars for a more upright position. Or even clip-ons for a cafe-racer look (clip-ons are what they use on crotch-rockets - the bars are "clipped" onto the fork tubes vs a single bar clamped on top of the steering assembly).

All three of those mean you should be able to get comfortable on them without too much work or expense. For starters, leave it stock and ride. Once you start adding longer rides, you'll get a feel for what needs changed (sore back, sore arse, cramped legs, whatever).

Parts - depends on the age. Vintage stuff (70s or early 80s) - some stuff can be bought at the dealer, other stuff from scrapyards, or aftermarket. Newer bikes - dealers for OEM stuff, or aftermarket. The Honda CBs are popular enough that there are websites, forums, etc - parts should not be an issue.

Give textile jackets a look. They will be lighter, more affordable and more comfortable in the long run than leather. But make sure you look at ones with back, elbow, and shoulder armor. That makes all the diference in the world. (Ask my father...)

TourMaster is a good starting point if you don't want to drop too much on new gear. If you can spring for it, Hein Gerick and 1st Gear is GREAT.

Shoei is my first choice in helmets, but HJC is a good budget alternative, and the cheapest I would go.

Make your self known. Bright colored gear is more visible, and find retro-reflective tape. Put it on your bike, put it on your helmet, you will be seen. Also upgrade the horns. My father ran twin 130db horns, one high tone, one low tone. That will get some shiny happy people attention when they start drifting into your lane. Much better than "loud pipes..."These will work

CrackMonkey wrote:

96DXCivic wrote: How do the CBs work for a rider my height? Where can I find parts for these bikes?

They're standards, so mid-controls (pegs under ass, vs rear-sets for a crotchrocket or forwards for a cruiser). The seats tend to be big and flat, with not a lot of delineation between rider and pillion (passenger), so you can slide fore/aft pretty easily...... - parts should not be an issue.

A set of crash bars and highway pegs will take care of any long range riding and an adjustable backrest(w/luggage rack) will keep you from sliding fore and aft. Over forty years of riding has taught me the value of a windshield, if not a good fairing.

I was thinking at his height, sliding fore/aft would be a good thing - let him stretch out a bit. But, you are correct that backrests and highway pegs are available, should he want them.

So how much should I budget for riding gear?

http://www.newenough.com/closeouts/

the best place for cheap riding gear, period.

96DXCivic wrote: So how much should I budget for riding gear?

Enough to protect you fully in gear thats comfortable to ride in.

My personal gear, I went with an Olympia AST jacket in Hi-Viz ($300), Draggin Jeans ($110 shipped), and an HJC CL-SP helmet ($100 on closeout). I have two pairs of boots, ebay Alpinestars Tech6 ($50) for all-day and dirt riding and Alpinestars Super Victory for commuting ($300), though I'm going to replace the latter with Thor 50/50 boots ($110) for commuting. I also have two pairs of gloves, one winter pair and one summer pair, totaled about $100.

So if I had bought the thor's first over the second pair of alpinstars, I would have spent about $760 on gear, but could have been less had I gone with a cheaper jacket and one pair of boots and didn't want/need warm weather AND cold weather gloves. Dedicated riding pants would have been a bit more than the jeans, but not as practical for 95% of the riding I do. I'm still getting a pair for longer trips fwiw...

I initially spent: $350 helmet (Shark RSi) $200 jacket (Fieldsheer Mach8 mesh/leather) $200 pants (Olymmpia Airglide mesh) $80 boots (TCX/Oxtar Jupiter2, clearance from newenough.com) $70 gloves (Alpine* 3/4 leather)

Since then, I've added some winter gear: $600 jacket (H-D FXRG, leather) $250 pants (H-D FXRG) $60 gloves (Olympia Cold Throttle)

I will likely add some more robust/protective boots ($250-$350), and possibly some DragginJeans (or similar style, at about $100/pair).

That said, my neighbors get by with a good bit less gear.

The guy with the old Triumph sports the 60s rocker/rockabilly/McQuuen look - 3/4 helmet, goggles, gloves, and work boots, with jeans, and a fairly inexpensive leather jacket (not moto specific).

His housemate does the same, but adds a full-face helmet. And that guy's fiancee uses a modular helemt (flip-face), and a moto-specific jacket.

In winter, two of the three switch to cars. The other has a pair of insulated Carhartt coveralls that he pulls over his jeans. Then uses some duct tape around his ankles and wrists to help keep out the wind.

CrackMonkey wrote: The other has a pair of insulated Carhartt coveralls that he pulls over his jeans. Then uses some duct tape around his ankles and wrists to help keep out the wind.

Duct tape...adding form to follow function for decades!

Says the guy who used duct tape to patch a hole in a conspicuous area of his overalls this weekend ;)

Clem

my best use for ductape was fixing the hole in a very bad part of my pants when i went bowling. My father just used a snowmobile suit for his winter riding back in Virginia Beach

96DXCivic wrote: So how much should I budget for riding gear?

$500 is a good bet for a quaility helmet, and good jacket with armor. A good set of gloves is important as well. But try not to think of it in terms of $$, but in terms of requirements, and then find the best deals. I am constantly looking at Ebay and Craigslist as well as local and national boards, if you ride enough, you want a lot of gear. It keeps it from getting too skanky and then you not wearing. The link above for the closeout place is a great start, then as you start to develop tastse for certian styles and brands, add to your collection.

Currently I have: Cortech Winter Jacket with kevlar armour - $250

Cortech BMW 2 piece riding suit - Craigslist - $75

Cortech 2 piece summer suit - Ebay $80

Firstgear jacket - closeout at dealer $80

Cortech Carbon knuckle shorty gloves (actually with leather) - $25 on message board

2x GPX mesh-back summer gloves - $40 Ebay

Alpinstars GT2 Gaultlet Gloves - $35 on message board

Icon Alliance helmet - closeout $180

Nolan modular flip up - closeout $120

2nd Nolan modular flip up - closeout $150

2 HJC Full face Helmets - Dealer liquidation $50

Sidi Boots track boots- $35 on message board

Lace up leather cruiser boots - Dealer liquidation $50

One piece Fisrtgear leathers (track days) - $80 Ebay (used)

One peice AGV Leathers (track days) - $70, with boots I can't fit into, message board

It took me a little while to get that stuff, and believe me, in my crowd I am a lightweight. A guy I work with gets a new helmet twice a year. So also don;t think of safety gear in terms of a one-time expediature, but a fund to keep supplied for when a good deal comes along. Gear follows you from bike to bike, so its a good investment.

Could I get away with jeans for a little bit? Or this a completely terrible idea? I also will be riding mainly around campus so the speed limit is 30mph.

Sure. Some people will ride in flip flops, shorts, tank top, and maybe a helmet. Some people won't throw a leg over a bike without being armored head to toe. Most people are somewhere in the middle. I ride in regular jeans most days going to campus, and I'm usually only wearing regular boots not my MX boots. The convenience of stepping off the bike and walking to class outweighs the crash risks on my fairly short commute for me. Part of the reason I'm getting the draggin jeans and the Thor 50/50 is to minimize more of that risk without sacrificing comfort.

Same here. Don't let the safety nuts guilt you into buying $1000 worth of gear you don't need.

So I was thinking of getting a jacket, helmet and gloves to begin with? How does that sound?

Don't forget to get a balaclava and neck scarf and you'll be set. You don't neet that much, get a nice pair of warm gloves though. It is easier to be too warm than too cold most of the time. Also thermals and wooly socks are a biker's friend. The biggest deal is a helmet, the deal with the more expensive ones is they are lighter. A few ounces might not seem like much but on you head you can feel the difference. If you want start with a cheap helmet, but plan on upgrading. If you talk to some fellow bikers I'm sure someone can lend you a DOT helmet, Good luck!