Calling all seasoned motorcycle riders (Help me)

[monkeychops]

Advice from a guy who has a 250 in the garage.

As you can see....mine is plenty fast enough to take on the highway.

buy a scratched up used one.....the frames are really tough and new plastic is just a couple hundred bucks on ebay.

If you really want to know how to ride...take that 250 to the track and do a few trackdays....you will have a blast...and learn how to ride at the same time



oh yeah.....a properly modded 250...like mine will smoke a stock ninja 300 and a R3....
Raced em both.

[monkeychops]

Originally Posted by Dmpsix

What's considered high mileage for a bike? I found one Yamaha R3 used for $4k with like 4500 miles.

too much in money...not miles.
modern 250s will run easily to 30K on valve adjustments and oil changes....AT THE TRACK.....so who knows how far they will go on the street.

You should be able to find 2008-2010 250s for 2k or less in near mint condition. with less than 10K on em.....It doesn't matter if they beat the crap out of them....the 250 is tough just get the valve adjustment at 12K and keep swapping the oil every 3K and your set...

if your 5'7"..... we are the same height...the ninja fits me very nice with a set of clip-ons. and of course it needs a set of rear-sets and stick tires and go have fun.

[monkeychops]

well?????whatcha buy??

[Dmpsix]

I'm looking for a nice, used Yamaha R3 at the moment.

None around my area too appealing right now.

[acammer]

I skimmed this, so may it was said already - but when it comes to motorcycles (and I've had several that I rode on my 60 mile commute daily) I'm a firm believer in the "Loud pipes save lives" philosophy. You're harder to see on 2 wheels, and everybody has their face buried in their phones, you've got to take every step you can to get noticed with those you share the road with. The bright lights are definitely a good idea as well.

The R3 should be plenty of highway power, who-ever said they had problems getting a 600 to cruise on the highway is out of their minds. Riding gear, as mentioned, is a must have.

Your dirt-bike experience will serve you well. I feel like it should be mandatory for folks to have some time on dirt before they hit the streets - you learn valuable experience in bike control on the dirt that is much harder to come by on the street, and at a much higher price. I rode MX bikes for years before I took to the pavement and it saved my butt more than once - especially on the higher powered street bikes that can get you into trouble so fast!

As others have said, be careful out there with all the knuckle heads. I gave up my 2-wheeled fun 5 years ago when my son was born. It was getting sketchy out there- you just gotta be on your toes for everybody to do the absolute craziest stuff imaginable.

[The camaro show]

ninja 1000cc

[LillyPinon]

If you want to cover the distance with fast speed, then no doubt motorcycles are a good option, but I would like to stick with my car. Anyways, Honda CB300F could be a great option which allows you to disappear between vehicles and cabs with fast speed.



Similarly, you can also consider Harley-Davidson Street 750 which comes in both 500 and 750 sizes. It's handling is very convenient, especially if you are a beginner. However, you will have to change its oil regularly and better to install a good oil cooler like this for better performance. Regular maintenance would also be required.



On the other hand, Kawasaki KLR 650 is also a preferred option. Though it is heavier and bigger as compared to many other options but it gives superb riding on dirty and bumpy roads.

[Vegas Bound]

I had a Kawasaki ZZR 250 in Japan some time ago. At the time, I was about 170 lbs. I road it everywhere. Very comfortable on the toll roads and around town.
Not so good 2 up. So I traded it in for a ZZR750.

[Vegas Bound]

On a side note, dress for the slide not the ride.

[95 imp]

I have to agree with everyone that the 2 bikes listed are a big 10-NO on the highway.

I have a KLR650 and it is nominal power/weight wise. It's too light for the street and too heavy for the dirt. Power is lacking sometimes on the highway, like 5% of the time. It's a good "all around" bike though if you want to take a weekend road trip and find a dirt road to follow.

You WILL need something 600+ CC to safely roll the freeway IMO.

[wildpew]

I have been riding all of my adult life (I'm 65) and every problem I ever had while riding was self inflicted. Whether it was maintenance or not paying close enough attention all could have been avoided. with zero time on the street you have the right mind set of starting with a small bike. down the road you will get bigger and better rides, it happened to all of us. Good luck out there on the road as it can be very dangerous on 2 wheels.


bye the way, a pic of my current ride that I bought off the showroom floor back in 2006

[AlexAlex111]

I would not recommend that you use a bike for commuting, it's dangerous and uncomfortable, still camaro will be many times better, but if you choose between 250cc and 300cc I would not recommend either, because they are too heavy in the management of bikes for beginners, better to take the Harley Davidson Iron 883 put on his best true dual exhaust for harley will look cool and easy and convenient to manage, and still costs reasonable money.

[Mr_Draco]

This is a 5 year old thread. Please do not necro dead and buried threads especially with wrong and misleading information.

[The SS Godfather]

Originally Posted by Dmpsix

So I've done a lot of research on the subject of a sports bike for a daily driver (commuter).

I don't want a cruiser or anything like that, I definitely want a sports bike.

So a bit of background to help.

I've landed a very well paying job, that will end up being 40 miles driving daily (to and from work, 20 each way) with about 16 miles highway each way of course.

So... nothing wrong with the Camaro, but I don't want to put that many miles on my car and gas will get annoying to fill up once a week. Right now my commute is less than 10 miles both ways, so the Camaro is the daily driver for sure.

Now as far as the bike goes. I'm stuck between a Yamaha R3 (300cc) or maybe even a Kawasaki Ninja 250r. I really just want a great commuter that will give me excellent mpg on the highway.

After doing the math, the bike will help pay itself off after a couple of years, but I'm just more concerned with putting SO MANY MILES on my Camaro, I mean 100 miles a week just for work, let alone what I drive on weekends could easily be like 20,000 miles a year.

Any thoughts or opinions on a 250cc vs a 300cc on the highway? I don't wanna go fast, I just want to feel cool on a small sports bike that nets me 60mpg at highway speeds.

Hey Hey, forget the small stuff get yourself a" Ducati " !! Fantastic sports bike !!! I have had many!!!