samcol

Well since this a is a Buell thread I thought I'd post this here I've been pushing my xb12s to the limits recently and last saturday I walked off the back of a stand up at 70mph and totaled it.

Anyway, Progressive was real nice to me so I'll be picking up a new 1125r this weekend. Hopefully Ill get some pics soon.

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Skutch

Nice...weighs about the same as the XRL, only with 100 more horsepower. Good lord man, drive safe.

samcol

Old xb12s

New 1125r

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fresnelly

Okay, you're going to have to translate that for us non-riders.

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noodle

he fall down, go boom.

sorry, bad joke.
all the chicks I know around here ride zzrs, ninjas or gsxrs.
my man has a Gixxer 750 that I can't even begin to try to right when it tips.
like when he says, "Hey babe, can you hold this for a second?"
I did help get the 'busa on a stand once.
that thing was massive.
I don't ride by 93% of my friends do and I definitely concur with making sure the bike is something you can pick up when you drop it.
and 95% of new riders will drop it. it's okay. and that's from the know-it-all boys.
and I have a friend who is 5'4" and 107 lbs... she had to pull off in a sandy area once for some reason. and had to call someone to help her right her zzr when i tipped.

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Skutch

Congrats samcol! Is it fast... ?

samcol

I was doing stand up wheelies and got too high so I fell off the back. Luckily I had my amored gear on that day except my legs. Got out of it with some stiches on my knee.

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Plaid13

Thats the kinda things that gets people killed on those sport bikes more then the big cruzers. Not so much the bike itself but the things people do on them. Keep the bike on two wheels and you will have a much better chance of not going splat. Good to hear you had safety gear on and didnt get badly hurt.

One thing i didnt see anyone mention yet in the thread. Loud pipes save lives! It has been mentioned that motorcycles are invisible and its true lots of people dont notice them. A bright brake light or whatever can help but if a person is on the phone or screwing with the radio just watching the big semi truck out of the corner of there eye they wont see the bike. Make that bike so damn loud they will know your there long before they see you. Sure it pisses people off and you might even get a $50 ticket every once and a while. But it will save you from getting run down simply because they will be annoyed at how loud your bike is instead of not knowing your there in the first place.

Just assume when your riding that everyone driving around you is a total moron and not paying attention and they have no idea your there.

samcol

Ya, I accepted the fact that I would probably go down at some point while practicing stunts which is why I was doing it on a desolate road and had the appropriate gear on (cept legs )

Definetly agree with the loud pipes thing. I had the loudest pipe available for my old bike. Also one of the biggest safety factors that is overlooked in my opinion is the bike itself. I feel much more comfortable riding my sportbike knowing that I can swerve, accelerate or stop on a dime if I need to avoid something. However, cruisers feel heavy, clumsy, and unresponsive to me.

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Skutch

You usually don't hear the loud pipes until they are beside you or have gone by. This means there is no deterrent from someone turning left in front of the bike.

Plaid13

then they are not loud enough. Plenty of bikes out there you will hear a long time before you hit them. But yeah someone cutting you off from the other direction you just need to watch for. Watch for others slowing down in the other lane. Slow down if you think someone might want to turn in front of you. Loud pipes wont always save you but they will help a lot.

mcgeedo

I read a funny the other day on a bike forum: "If loud pipes save lives, then why are there so many GoldWings still on the road?"

newtx

One more vote for the Honda Rebel. From my research it would be a great starter bike. Not a bad investment either. If you don't pay too much snd don't ride it too long it should be a break even situation when you sell it and move up to more cc's. (And you will)

cadre

There used to be a few small companies making dirtbikes out of the US back in the day I think but none of them were any good. The Euro and Japanese companies have this technology down.

You're lucky, are you going to invest in some protection for your legs now? Just keep the stunting off roads with traffic and I don't have a problem with it.


As far as my update goes, the Blast is gone and I have a project CBR600F4i now which of course I love.

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spikegomez

i enjoyed reading your post, I think it's just ok for you to have that bike... seems your height is ok, i think that is fit for you...

Amaras

Thought you guys would like this.

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Plan9

Dude, GoldWings don't need loud pipes... they have more lights on 'em than the landing strip at LAX.

The "ugly" factor also attracts enough attention to help people steer clear of 'em.

(pets his '02 Shadow Sabre w/ 2.5" DG kickers)

You can hear my bike across town.

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Whatever you can carry.

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surferlove007

Haven't checked this in a while. Still want that Buell...of course the summer passed and my job stuff messed up my savings spree.

Plan9

C'mon, you have to make sacrifices for a motorcycle. Sacrifices! You get your backside down to that plasma donation center right this minute and start filling baggies for a bike!

j/k

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Whatever you can carry.

"You should not drink... and bake."

percy

I started on an old boyfriends Ninja. Never start on a crotch rocket. Way to much torque for beginners.

A few years ago I bought a Honda Shadow 750cc. At first it was intimidating but in time I grew out of it.

Right now I am saving for a Harley Roadking. My uncle lets me ride his '95 Electra Glide from time to time. It has the works, ...big side bags, the trunk on the back, even a trailer hitch, the whole bit.

My advice is get something you are comfortable with and take a driver training class. You won't believe how much you learn, and how much it can save your life.

surferlove007

LOL I just now read this. So funny. I threatned my parents with that if they wouldn't support me enough on my allowance lol. Apparently they are horrified with the idea of me selling plasma! My mom said something about "you might as well sell your organs if you're saving your plasma money for a motorcycle!" something to that extent.
-----Added 15/12/2008 at 10 : 11 : 48-----
Eventually I will have mine! I'll do my best not to total it though

special_k_77

I went the cruiser route with my first bike. I am a big guy and went for a 1500CC Vulcan Classic. I love it, it has plent of get up ang go so I can get out of the way IF I need to. And I put a set of V&H pipes on it so people can hear me coming

Skutch

Did you get it with the monoshock and 75mm Kehein carb? I hear those are hot nowadays, what kinda vh pipes did you go with, my cousin just put a set of bigshots on his mean streak, he loves them. Any pics yet?

special_k_77

No on both, I put the Classic II pipes on it, man they sound good, no pics yet but very soon

Jam

Bikes are also usually cheaper in the winter time... Prices will go up in spring time...

As far as LED lighting goes, it is great in the dark, however I strongly believe they don't show up nearly as well in daylight.

Another thing to consider with the buell vs the ninja, is if you drop the ninja it will probably cost more with all the ferrings (sp?). The buell should have a more upright riding position more like a cruiser, which will be more comfortable to ride.

I don't think you should worry about the engine size of the buell, it really isn't that much, and after all, the bike will not go any faster then you turn the throttle, no matter what size the engine is. That said I definitely wouldn't recommend an r1 or similair as a first bike either. A "middle weight" cruiser (between 650 and 800cc) would probably be fine too, however the bike would likely be heavier to pick up if you did need to.

I would say don't be worried about the bike being more capable then you, be more worried about you riding past where you are capable (don't try to drag your knees around corners). As long as you ride safely and within your own (and the bikes) abilities you should be ok. Keep an eye out for those who aren't keeping their eye out for you, it doesn't matter what you are on, I had someone pull out in front of me and stop at the last minute while I was in my Peterbilt, lucky for THEM I was paying attention and able to get around behind them (just barely). Never assume someone see's you. Wear your gear, ride safe, have fun.
-----Added 21/12/2008 at 03 : 40 : 19-----

It's also the kinda thing that raises everyone's insurance rates.
-----Added 21/12/2008 at 03 : 44 : 11-----
What about this?

surferlove007

Eventually....James is sitting there mocking me about getting a bike of his own since he can afford it...also since he no longer has ANY wheels since his rollover. Although with his accident history now maybe not :P.

I've pretty much decided to ride like I'm invisible as so many people are oblivious when they drive nowadays...texting while driving etc. I've stopped thinking about statistics.

Jam

I was riding in the back of my sisters car on the highway, and some tool on a harley touring bike pulled up along side making as much noise as possible... I believe he didn't se me in the back, only my sister and cousin in the front and was trying to impress the womenly folk.... and he takes both hands off the handle bars (not really complicated if you have cruise control), and lays back on the seat with his arms crossed, then pulls out his cell and is texting and fillding with it, no hands on the bars for probably a couple minutes.... Later he quickly exits the freeway from the left lane, cutting accross 3, without signalling at the very last minute... This is a guy who is going to soon be a greasy spot on the road, and it is hard to feel bad for him.

Jam

ghoastgirl, this is a good article for you I think...

Thinking of starting on a 600cc bike? Part 1

surferlove007

Excellent Article! I think it's kind of a blessing not having the finance at the current time for a bike just because it gives me even more time to think about it etc.

AquaFox

this thread and all of the posted wisdom is wonderful



i was really digging the blast but the writer of this article says his knees hit the handlebars and he is a good handful shorter than me as much as i look around, it seems i might be destined to a big dual sport! i have not sat on any yet, just in the google phrase till the money rolls my way.

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...AquaFox...

Skutch

Dual sport bikes are very fun and easy to ride. Most are 4 strokes with mild powerbands and upright riding positions. The only dual sport I would think twice about for a beginner is the Honda XR650R. It is supposed to be wickedly fast.

Skutch

Despite the name, the Ducati Monster 696 is a good streetbike choice for beginners.

catback

I wouldn't put ANY beginner on ANY ducati, if they got the wallet though it's their call but as a beginner don't expect to be able to keep it as nice as when you bought it.

AquaFox

i'm scared to look up the price of that

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...AquaFox...

Skutch

The Buell is $4800, while the Ducati is $9000.

Skutch

I recently had a chance to rent a Honda Goldwing in Las Vegas. While not a beginner bike, I found the big Honda to be fun and easy to ride. I'd never ridden a bike with a windscreen, it was a revelation. Riding around the mountains surrounding Vegas with a windscreen and a radio made up for all the losing we did at the casinos.

I originally reserved a Honda ST1300 but they didn't have one available, so we went with the Goldwing. V6 engine, shaft drive. Not terribly fast, but smooth and very comfortable. I liked having so much luggage space to put all our stuff in.

MHVishal

for sure try ebay and tcbroschoopers offers a bit of xs650 stuff .good luck with your new bike this should have a section for all of the project bikes poppin up here, that would be sweet,

samcol

http://www.buell.com/en_us/

Buell's doors are now closed. I mostly blame Harley for the poor sales of Buells. They treated the company like a red headed step child when it came to marketing, sales and services. there are a few good dealerships but most didn't know a damn thing when it came to Buells.

The good news anyone in the market for a new bike might check out Buell. There's rumors of some brand new 08's-09's going for 4-6k out the door. Also the 2 year warranty will still be covered by HD.

Sad day for me as I've owned too. Also it sucks that Buell finally made a racebike that won first in the AMA and now they are finished.

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It's time for the president to hand over his nobel peace prize.