Jump to content

New to motorbikes, recommendations?


Recommended Posts

 

Pedalling by my own two feet not working out that well for me lol, kept shifting focus last yr between power lifting and training for lake taupo cycling event ended up not putting enough effort in to either, this yr i'm putting PL to the top of priorities but still wanna get my fix on some speedy 2 wheeler action. its just an impulsive idea i had that id like to look in to for now.

 

Never rode motorbike before, fastest i been on my road bike according to gps/speedo was 85kph down albany highway descent that feels freakin awesome (and equally terrifying), can only imagine what 100+ feels like

 

 

Questions:

  • What sort of gear do i need to get? Just helmet , jacket and boots?
  • it seems cool, economical and a good way to save time driving in to the city (currently takes 1hr+ to travel 17km in mornings and afternoons) - is it a bit of a pain in the ass though? anything annoying about it?
  • What kind of bike to get / look out for? realistic budget can spare maybe $3k, dont want something dorky as but dont need any crazy superbike stuff either

 

 

Haven't got my bike learners or anything yet, probably get it after i find a bike or something

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Heard of a Suzuki rg150 before bro? Will be within that budget and bloody good fun. 150cc water cooled two stroke. Might be hard to find these days but keep an eye out. Not the rgv150 that's the air cooled model and no fun. The rg is a good bike to learn on and still got some pep to it when you give it some Revs.

 

you want a really good helmet bro could be the difference between life and death, literally. My helmet I have was $900. Which isn't the most expensive. How much is your head worth? Mind is worth more than a $300 cheap Helmet. You want some boots too and gloves and a good jacket. good gear is expensive man but it's worth it and never sell it even if you sell your bike cause will cost you more to replace it years down the track when you decide you want another bike.

 

i have always had a car, never owned a bike on its own. Riding in the rain and being wet isn't fun. Trust me on that. People don't see you either. And I mean they don't they cut you off pull out in front of you... You will truly realise just how unaware Auckland drivers are once you ride a bike.

 

great fun!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

thanks @Realtalk , set up a trademe search watch thing so i get alerted when an rg150 shows up. won't rush in to it ay, though i was considering one since highschool days just figured it wasn't for the best at the time as limited cash to have both car and bike - exactly my thoughts, would wanna have both car and bike.  i hate riding my bicycle in the rain it's a pain in the ass and even when wearing bright fluro colours auckland drivers just don't notice you. compare this to my experience riding overseas (amsterdam in particular) , it's such a massive difference as a biker you get right of way everywhere, cars will make a point to give way to you at every opportunity.

 

also had no idea the gear was so costly but sounds like well worth the investment. might need to consider upping my budget, promotion goes official in april fingers crossed it comes with a pay rise to support my recent drive for extra curricular activities lol

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Might be hard to find one but you never know. They are a late 90s bike. Only about 100 odd were sold in NZ. So that's around 18 years ago. Otherwise you have the hyosung and ninja 250s which are the new models made for leaner riders but they are crap, like riding a sewing machine.

 

i haven't owned an rg150 btw but a friend had one and I like 2 strokes better than small displacement 4 strokes. I had an rs250 which was probably my favourite bike I have owned.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

$3000 will put in the range of heaps of used, small-displacement bikes.  There are a number of 250cc  cruisers and standard bikes out there.  Best to get a simple, light bike to start, because you're likely to drop it a lot in parking lots and driveways as you learn to keep your balance.

 

A 250cc bike is just as prone to getting wiped out by a car turning right as one with 1500cc, so your main factors in selection are:

-Is it legal for learners?

-Is easy to reach the ground and keep stable?

-Is it reliable and has it been maintained?

 

Regarding gear, get the best you can afford, but all helmets meet the same minimum specs.  The extra money goes into comfort, weight (carbon fibre), and endorsements by famous racers.  There is more of an argument to be made over open-face versus full face helmets, as you typically land on your face when you crash. 

 

Don't buy jackets based on their ability to slide down the road for 400m and not leave you with road rash, because you will likely slide 4m into a wire rope barrier...just don't crash.

 

Once you get the basics down, the world is your oyster.  My bike weighs about 340kgs, and displaces over 1800cc's (1.8L), but it feels as light as a feather.  It's my 12th bike, I started on a $1200 Honda 500cc twin back in 1988.

 

Dropping it would eat your budget just in replacement chrome.

 

 

FullSizeRender2.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, Island_Moose said:

$3000 will put in the range of heaps of used, small-displacement bikes.  There are a number of 250cc  cruisers and standard bikes out there.  Best to get a simple, light bike to start, because you're likely to drop it a lot in parking lots and driveways as you learn to keep your balance.

 

A 250cc bike is just as prone to getting wiped out by a car turning right as one with 1500cc, so your main factors in selection are:

-Is it legal for learners?

-Is easy to reach the ground and keep stable?

-Is it reliable and has it been maintained?

 

Regarding gear, get the best you can afford, but all helmets meet the same minimum specs.  The extra money goes into comfort, weight (carbon fibre), and endorsements by famous racers.  There is more of an argument to be made over open-face versus full face helmets, as you typically land on your face when you crash. 

 

Don't buy jackets based on their ability to slide down the road for 400m and not leave you with road rash, because you will likely slide 4m into a wire rope barrier...just don't crash.

 

Once you get the basics down, the world is your oyster.  My bike weighs about 340kgs, and displaces over 1800cc's (1.8L), but it feels as light as a feather.  It's my 12th bike, I started on a $1200 Honda 500cc twin back in 1988.

 

Dropping it would eat your budget just in replacement chrome.

 

 

FullSizeRender2.jpg

 

thanks dude, so i can defs get something thats not a shitbox for around $3k? how much should i put aside for helmets/any other gear?

 

had no idea it was so easy to drop the bike, at my weight if i fell and a 300+kg bike swung on me even at some low speed i'd probably die lol. 

 

mean looking bike too man

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As an example, 30 seconds on TradeMe yielded this, it's practically new. This would be ideal to learn on. 

$500 for helmet, gloves and a jacket. Trademe again. 

 

https://trademe.co.nz/1052675393

 

Dont freak out about falling over, it just happens until your balance on the bike and your use of clutch and brake improve. A bike like a GN125 will weigh less than I do, possibly 100kg?  Maybe less?  EASY to ride...that's the point. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

sweet haven't decided which bike i want yet but regularly checking out Trademe. The Suzuki Imazuma caught my eye.

 

I'll have to apply for the learners soon obviously, but where else should I start out? I didn't put much thought in to it before but.. reckon it would be useful to take some kind of course (if so, any recommendations around west auckland?) before i start riding? i've put in a few thousand k's on road bike so have the basic paranoia of other auckland drivers sorted , and have only ever driven manual transmission cars for about 11 years now. not sure how well this would translate in me learning shifting on a bike (clutch and throttle on the handlebars right?) but hoping since i know the basic principles/shifting by feel approach i should be in a better position than a complete newbie.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's too pretty to drop. Seriously, get a reliable bike that's ugly and cheap. Ride it for 6 months, make your mistakes and sell it on. 

 

Take a rider course through AA. 

 

I've had my licence for 28 years and my insurance is $700/year. Don't get full insurance?

 

Its ts the rego you have to worry about, ACC levies are $450/year. 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

shot bros got myself a 1998 zr250 yesterday things freakin awesome. scored for 1.5k few scratches but nothing major.  wasn't 100% sure what to look out for so might be a bit dodge but seems good so far.

 

today went out and got nice helmet and jacket with inside armor stuff, dude said helmet should last a few yrs and convinced me to invest in a better one (was originally going in to get a $200 one lol).

 

practice riding out a bit today was scary as hell to start with but slowly getting the hang of it. main problem for me kept stalling at the beginning and having problems rolling back on hill starts guess just takes a bit more confidence like it did when learning manual on car (tho atleast on car you got handbrake and not worried about balancing).

 

as you predicted, i fell over when i least expected it. came home to take a short break and just after i came to a complete stop on an angle in my drive way the bike flipped, bit of a small scratch on the rear body but nothing major.

 

what i love about this thing is that it revs up so high and so easily, sounds like an F1 car even at slow speeds lol... redline at 20k rpm and with 39horsepower it's quite a bit gruntier than modern 250cc bikes. rode around on 1st gear for like a solid hour or so practicing stopping, taking off, slow speed turns etc. after that took a break and headed out main roads was surprised at how quickly (pretyt much instantly) it catches 80 in 2nd/3rd gears. scary but addictive at the same time! emailed a couple places about the learners BHS practical test trying to find bookings for either during the week this week or next weekend. keen to get license so can go try do mini tour next weekend.

 

 

DSC_2579.JPGDSC_2581.JPG

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Perfect!  

 

Best way to tackle hill starts is to get good at balancing with just your left leg down. This allows you to use the rear foot brake. 

Practice tight turns as slow as you can, round and round, figure 8's. Bikes are stable as hell at speed, but floppy in parking lots. 

Move around on the seat at 59kph, get the feel for what your body weight does. 

 

Above all...you're in charge...control it...that bike will be light enough for you to really be in control always. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...


  • Popular Contributors

    Nobody has received reputation this week.

×
×
  • Create New...