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Justin
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Post by Justin »

If anyone can help me please do. I am interested in a motorcycle but I am undecided on what to get...Yamaha, or kawasaki but i really like the buell xb12r firebolt. the xb9r suggests that 200lb. people are not to ride them..what do you think



heres a pic if you dont know what it looks like and if u never heard of them, harley davidson sorta makes them

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Post by HenryJ »

Is this going to be your first bike?



I have a Honda V65 Sabre, bought it new in 1984.

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Post by AZS10Crew »

Don't know much about bikes, but that one looks cool. :thumb:



I had a friend that had a CBR 929RR (or something like that) and that thing was pretty cool. He'd ridden bikes for years and shopped for a long time before he got that one.
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Post by NTXCrew »

Don't know a bunch about bikes, but in talking with guys who do, Buell seems to be a good brand.
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Post by Conman »

I have a Suzuki Dual Sport (AKA Street Legal Dirt bike), but that's not everyone's cup of tea.



Is this your very first bike(aka never ridden before) or getting back into it? The firebolt is one nice bike but might be alot bike to handle. What about the Blast? It's an entry level bike but does have some ability to grow with you. Lots of support for this bike as well.



Are you short or tall? This does affect what bikes people like. If your average to tall, the Suzuki SV650 is a nice bike as well.



My Bro is looking for one and he likes Suzuki SV but it's a little tall for him, plus he is a newbie rider. He's ridden dirt bikes but not many street bikes. Another bike he really likes is the BMW CS650. Great upright street bike but very pricey.



If your looking at a sport bike, the Yamaha's are very nice.



Good Luck,

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Post by Dragonmaster »

You would get tired of that buell real quick. I would suggest something with a little more power that is more geared towards driving rather than fun. Your other choices would be more suited to a begginer who wishes to save some money by having a bike for more than a year.
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Post by Justin »

I'm just over 6'-1" and I fluctuate between 205 and 195 lbs. and still gaining . this would be my first motorcycle but I have ridden others before. reviews on the 900 firebolt say that there isn't enough power for "big" riders and they say the 1200 isn't as fast as any 900 yamaha or honda but you catch them in the corners. I like buell's idea of incorporating the frame as a gas tank and the rear sway as the oil resivior. this keeps the weight low .I don't mind the price and i can afford a $200 per month finance but it boils down to is this the right bike for me? I may ask to testdrive it
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Post by Conman »

take a look at this one:

http://www.suzukicycles.com/sr_03/sport ... v1000s.htm



Image



Image



Saw some good reviews on that one.



Good Luck,

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Post by HenryJ »

Ok, this will be your first (owned) bike. Now what are you planning to do with it?

Mostly quick runs around town, or a little traveling, 100 miles or more regularly?



The reason I ask is that the smaller lighter bikes are much nicer in and around town, but they are also refered to as "thumpers". They are too light for extended riding.

On the same note a bigger heavier bike works great for longer rides, but can become cumbersome on the quick runs around town.

Another thing to think about is your riding position. The forward "low front" design is good around town and really corners well, though on the long rides it takes a bit more effort and doesn't allow for changes of positon.

The laid back "chopper style" are on the other end, nice for cruising, offer the chance to change riding position , but don't handle the corners very well.



I chose a compromise. My 1100 Sabre is considered a Sport touring bike. The riding position is upright to slightly forward. After adding a front case guard with pegs, I have three different positions for footing. It is a little heavy for around town stuff, but not nearly as bad as a full dress bike.



Check insurance rates too. My bike was a "black list bike" (121hp bullet bike) most companies would not even insure it. There are ways around that though. The Honda V65 Sabre is not insureable through my carrier, but a model VF1100S is :D When they ask what model I told them the truth...VF1100S Honda ;)



For a first bike you really can not go wrong with buying a used Honda CB series.They should go for about a $1 a cc. A buddy here just bought an older CB750 for $700. He plans to ride it the rest of this year and trade it in on his dream bike next year or sell it. He has already been offered $50 more than He paid for it. It's pretty easy to get your money back out of them.

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Post by marks10cc »

I had a '99 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-9R... HAD :(



Brule is right on the money, only a third-party cut-throat insurance company would insure me, but things like Progressive and Safe-Auto nowadays are a little (very little) easier getting the insurance, just difficult in getting it affordable. This bike was 127 HP stock, I did some mods to approach the 135 line. The bike, then and now, weighs about 390 LBS. It's the beginning of the sport bikes at around 900 CC's. If you would like to die younger than this bike offers, check out the new ZX-12... 1199 CC's of power, probably about 150-160HP, at 410 lbs. The ZX-12 is around $11K.



Nowadays the Honda Goldwings look like more fun. My back just can't handle the constant "I just ate Taco Bell and need a bathroom" type position you have to 'sit' in to handle the power.



Is it fun? OH HELL YEAH... but after dodging cars and trucks trying to hit me for a season, I was glad to wreck it (long story). They seem less likely to hit the chopper/hog style bikes, they look more like road-belonging vehicles.



BTW... Buell is some kinda European project by Harley Davidson, which is owned by Ford (run away, run away, j/k Harley Davidson is very reputable in bikes, but wouldn't allow their HOG image destroyed by a crouch rocket, which is why they did the name change, at least that's the story in Car and Driver)
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Post by Dragonmaster »

I had forgot about the sv-1000, a really good bike for around town and the weekend cruises. More than enough power for a 200+lb person and a reasonable seating position.
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Post by Conman »

Dragonmaster wrote:I had forgot about the sv-1000, a really good bike for around town and the weekend cruises. More than enough power for a 200+lb person and a reasonable seating position.


There is two versions of it. One with fairing and one without. The one without has more of an upright position. It's a large bike so it probably won't fit in our bed without some sort of bed extension. My small Dual sport rear tire barely is on the tailgate.



BTW, how much load can our tailgates take?



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Post by Dragonmaster »

The tailgates are rated at 500lbs so be careful when loading. Inmost case when you load something it is better to take the tail gate off and set the ramps on the actual bed.



My uncle who owns a water company and loads chevy's all the time when the come to pick up water says that even a 50lb jug can bend a newer chevy tailgate if your not careful. They loaded a chevy acouple weeks ago and the bed almost folded in half like this \/ if you were looking from the back end.
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Post by Conman »

Dragonmaster wrote:The tailgates are rated at 500lbs so be careful when loading. Inmost case when you load something it is better to take the tail gate off and set the ramps on the actual bed.



My uncle who owns a water company and loads chevy's all the time when the come to pick up water says that even a 50lb jug can bend a newer chevy tailgate if your not careful. They loaded a chevy acouple weeks ago and the bed almost folded in half like this \/ if you were looking from the back end.


hmmm.... looks like I'm pushing the limit as when I load two bikes, both the rear tires are on the tailgate. so half the weight is on the tailgate then. Each bike is around 300 wet so that means I have 300pounds on the tailgate! :shock: Lucky it's spread out cause of two wheels though. BTW, two bikes is pushing it already for our beds. I might have to upgrade to fullsize sooner than later....... :wink:





Cheers,

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Post by Jeff »

Here is one for ya 509 cid, and 509 HP. http://www.bosshoss.com/second.html
Doc

1st motorcycle

Post by Doc »

Justin,

You have recieved alot of good advice from you friends here and I feel I needed to chime in.

I currently own a Kawasaki ZX7 and a Ducati 900ss, I have grown up riding Harleys and have owned everything from a 2 stroke to a v four.

(now 6 cylinder Goldwings thank god). I am a certified motorcycle mechanic and do all the work on my bikes as well as most of my friends.

I am 5'9" and weigh @ 190.

I love the Buell and want one, I like what Erik Buell has done (an American NOT european) and the bikes just keep getting better,but for the same price I can get a Ducati with all the Italian exotica I need and not half the headache.

If you think a 1200 isn't enough power... I don't know what kinda riding you wnat to do, long hauls, 2 up, sport riding, stunts and tricks...????

A 900 is plenty. My 750 hauls ass and has more than I will EVER need even on the track. Different bikes do different things and have different power delivery. I LOVE v-twins and I think the SV is a great bike and you will have less headache and more reliability from it than the Buell.

I am rambling, which happens quite often when I talk about bikes...

Basically I would ask you this..

What kinda of rider are you (honestly)?

What kind of riding do you want to do?

For your size and if you have any experience, you can't go wrong with the SV650, great reviews, good all around bike, plenty of hop ups and they race em, plus you can get good resale in a year or two when you move up. I honestly think a 1000 is too big for a first bike.

If you don't have alot of experience an older bike is better. You WILL dump it and if it doesn't have much plastic...... your not out a loy of coin.

Enough rambling, If you wanna ask me questions feel free, but WHATEVER bike you get, PLEASE where the proper gear (ie full helmet, jacket, pants, gloves and good over the ankle footwear)and NEVER ride in just shorts!

Oh and check out my friends at greenmtnoutlaws.com

Ride hard, ride safe.

and if you wanna ride a couch (harley, goldwing) stay home. :)
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Post by marks10cc »

I think the article was talking about the Triumph and Barton parts that Erik Buell combined with Harley Davidson engines to create his motorcycles some 20 years ago, not that he was European. It was mostly directed at Harley Davidson's point of view, how they took a big risk with Buell and won. Does Buell still use Harley engines today?


PLEASE where the proper gear (ie full helmet, jacket, pants, gloves and good over the ankle footwear)and NEVER ride in just shorts!


Can you believe that PA just repealed the helmet law? A motorcycle rider is no longer required to wear a helmet, yet a person in a car is required to wear a seatbelt??? On second thought, those dumb enough to not wear helmets... well... survival of the fittest, right? thin out the herd a lil :lol:


I might have to upgrade to fullsize sooner than later.......


I was just looking at that the other day. The thing that shocked me is that the 5.3L Silverado gets the same MPG's as we do :shock:
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Post by Dragonmaster »

estimated mpg, they actually get at least 2-3 mpg less than we do.
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Post by Justin »

doc, thanks for the advice and you made me think a little. I guess what made me like the buell so much was its innovative design and a motorcycle show that introduced it. #1, this will be my first bike and i want to keep it for some time. #2, mainly this bike would never be in the rain and I would baby it...no stunts, just fun riding to and from work, cruising at night and trying to convince my girlfriend that they are safe and fun to go on...so yes i would hopefully be riding 2. I realize that bike does not look like it can hold 2 people but who knows..maybe there is a seat there. #3, I don't mind the price. I would probably put half down and finance the rest....



all this REALLY helps. I appreciate everyones help. I don;t think i will buy something this year seeing how the summer is ending soon so this gives me more time to look around until the spring. Not to mention i bought an atv close to the same price as a motorcycle...gotta have the toys before getting married :lol:
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Post by Conman »

Justin wrote:doc, thanks for the advice and you made me think a little. I guess what made me like the buell so much was its innovative design and a motorcycle show that introduced it. #1, this will be my first bike and i want to keep it for some time. #2, mainly this bike would never be in the rain and I would baby it...no stunts, just fun riding to and from work, cruising at night and trying to convince my girlfriend that they are safe and fun to go on...so yes i would hopefully be riding 2. I realize that bike does not look like it can hold 2 people but who knows..maybe there is a seat there. #3, I don't mind the price. I would probably put half down and finance the rest....



all this REALLY helps. I appreciate everyones help. I don;t think i will buy something this year seeing how the summer is ending soon so this gives me more time to look around until the spring. Not to mention i bought an atv close to the same price as a motorcycle...gotta have the toys before getting married :lol:


If you don't mind riding last year's model, when you start looking, look for a leftover model. You will save some cash(not alot but some) esp. if the model change is only a paint scheme. One thing I noticed about bikes is that they sell very very close to MSRP so there is not much haggling unlike cars. IIRC Ducati has a very good special on leftover 2002(yes 02) so keep your eyes open.



One more bike to look at are the BMW motorcycles. I hate their cars, but love their bikes. I like the GS650 Dual Sport and my bro loves the CS650 Street Bike. Goto love ABS and heated grips, and on the fly adjustable preload from the factory!



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Post by marks10cc »

I like the GS650 Dual Sport and my bro loves the CS650 Street Bike.


I've always liked the CS650, just always wondered if you could actually park it somewhere and have it be there when you got back.


The tailgates are rated at 500lbs so be careful when loading.


Is that because of the straps? Just wondering if reinforcing them could handle more weight.
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Post by Dragonmaster »

The tailgates are rated at 500lbs so be careful when loading.


Is that because of the straps? Just wondering if reinforcing them could handle more weight.[/quote]



Also the hinges are very lightweight, but mostly the straps. The hinges are rated at something like 850lbs.
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A Couple more things

Post by Doc »

Think Suspension!



Many bikes are made for the Average rider, Suspensions are too soft, When you 2 up alot it gets worse.

I would certainly look for something with adjustable suspension and or available upgrades. Once you narrow engine sixe down to a 750 or up considering your size and what you want to do. Also do you want a Crusier, sportbike, "naked" bike. Sport standard? It looks like you are leaning toward sportbike/naked bike.

A Ducati Monster is an awesome machine. Older 900ss or a newer S4 would fit perfect. You really need to check em out, You can find some on ebay all the time.

The Buell will ride 2. Small seat can be bad or good for women on the back. Bad=Sore butt. Good=vibration. :lol: