A friend of mine from Harrisburg IMed me today with a story to tell. I know that on this site I will mostly be preaching to the quire, but I really thought people should read this... one more story to heap on the pile....
x: met a kid down at ray wilt in hanover pa...
x: kid had just got his liscense a month ago... YEAH a month ago. He was 16
vtchemist: uh oh......
vtchemist: another 16 year old on the street... :-\
x: his parents went out and bought him a brand new r6
vtchemist: oh sweet jeez
x: and he was picking it up the day i was there
x: i told his parents straight up that it was the worst mistake they ever made and they snipped at me that he is a good kid.
x: and guess what happened...
vtchemist: did he bin it coming out of the parking lot?
vtchemist: :-P
x: almost. a mile down the road. tboned a f150 in the intersection, the bike was in the bed of the truck and he was on the road about 30 ft away...
vtchemist: holy crap =-O
x: i read his obit in the paper this morning.
x: :-\
x: all i can think is how cocky he seemed when he was waiting for it, he was asking me how to wheelie and how fast i've been////
I salute every single aspiring supersport rider on this forum who had the sense to start out on a bike that is within reason, and I urge anyone browsing the forums thinking about a 600 for their first bike to THINK AGAIN... those things will eat you alive if you are not ready for them.
ride safe people. :cheers:
p.s. I should mention that this fellow telling the story is an accomplished rider and he rides a CBR954RR, so he knows a little bit about sportbikes ;-)
very sad to hear. I'm definetely gonna stick to my GS until forever and even when I do get an 650SVS or pull a Pantablo :thumb: I'll keep the GS for the riding lessons I have learned and keep on learning.
Quote from: Rippa_MD... or pull a Pantablo .
you must mean "get really good"...right? :thumb: or maybe just get a Honda? :dunno:
Vt-good read for newer riders. Thanks for posting such a sobering tale, especially now that the riding season is begun and everyone wants a new bike (got mine... :nana: )
p-
An R6 will probably be my next bike, I rode one a couple weeks back and loved it, but that story just made me realize how good it is that I'm riding THOUSANDS of miles on my GS before stepping up that kind of power... (already have 5500 under my belt w/ no incidents)
Scott
PS - I'm only 18 by the way.
good for you Styme! Not many 18 year olds are mature enough to not be swayed by the ego of getting that R6 first. You'll be a better rider for it.
I got my GS when Iw as 18 as well. Now Im 20, with tens of thousands of miles, and I just recently stepped up to something bigger. After more training and track days I felt I was ready, and so far I think I am. Good for you Stime. I know too many kids who got R6's or GSXR600 first time up and are either dead, or severly messed up.
Quote from: Rich500... are either dead, or severly messed up.
Or they scare themselves so bad that they never ride again and become vocal about 'how dangerous' motorcycles are. :dunno:
/\---True enough. One guy last season had just picked up his brand new GSX750. That night he got drunk, at a party at his house, took it for a rip while he was plastered with no helmet and ran into a tree at really igh speed. That was the end of that.
bad thing is 1 it wont change much, and 2. kids parents are really prolly freakin now at how prophetic those words were and of sons death. ive recently sold my gs, but miss it every day. kinda like sex. the more you get it the more (usually) you want it :dunno:
i told the guy i sold mine to, i believe he joined here cant remember his name though. that it makes a great learner bike, plus with this forum there are plenty of parts (usually) to go around. hopefully that kid died quickly. i couldnt stand to see anyone suffer. :(
hmmmm - something is missing....
The original post dosent say how he hit the truck... was he speeding? or what?
I mean you can t-bone a truck on a scooter, GS, SV, R6, R1 - take it from me, I went from an 02' Honda F4i to the GS500 and both can get you in serious trouble if your stupid enough.
Just because he was on an R6 means nothing - you can do 120mph on our GS500 which in my opinion is a great learner bike.
If he punched the bike out to a buck on the main street and couldnt stop at an intersection due to lack of emergancy braking skills then I understand... but the same can be said on our GS500 - just less likely to happen.
I still think you should be restricted (like here in Australia) for the first year of your open licence... this means by the time you can get any bike you want your at least 18.
Stay Safe
:thumb:
Thanks guys, my parents (dad especially) has really influenced me to stay with GS til I'm good enough, I got it about 4 months ago when I was still 17 and having never even ridden a dirt bike before it's been a great learning experience. I've been involved with motorsports all my life (have raced all kinds of things with four wheels) but have just had a love for bikes for no real good reason.
So my parents finally broke down and let me buy the GS ($600) with the money I've made doing my business (see my signature) and now with hard work/business growth I have enough set aside to out right buy a 2001-new 600cc sport bike when the time is right. :cheers:
I've got two close friends that ride (I was the first, but you know how that goes) one is 20 and he rides an '89 GS500, the other is about 6 months older than me, and he just got a '98 Honda VTR1000 Superhawk... yes, I've ridden that bike, and yes, that's WAY more bike than he needs. But he wouldn't listen and luckily he accepts the fact that my GS will wax him on any curvy road and doesn't do something stupid to try and keep up.
Anyways, just thought I'd share...
Scott
I have to agree with Keyzer, if he t-boned a truck then it really has almost absolutly nothing to do with the kind of bike your on.
it all comes down to rider experience.
In theory an R6 should stop in an emergency 1000% better than the Gs, but with all that extra braking power, a strong stab at the front brake lever will lock it up, and you go down..... ouch.
I dont know about that. As a recent GS - 600 convert I can tell you that my R6 is frighteningly[/i] confidence inspiring (I think Pablo will back me up on this one). When I first got it I routinely would look down at the instrument cluster thinking I was cruising at the speed limit only to see that I would be going to jail if a cop gunned me :oops: . On the GS 50 mph feels like 50mph. On that 6, 100mph feels like 50mph until you see that opossum dart out in front of you and you realize how little time you have to react... by then it can be too late if you aren't experienced enough to take the proper evasive maneuver quickly and safely. If the kids bike ended up in the bed of the truck and the he got tossed 30 feet, something tells me that speed was a factor.
I think there is a VERY real difference among bikes and danger factors to new riders.
Quote from: vtlion...I can tell you that my R6 is frighteningly[/i] confidence inspiring (I think Pablo will back me up on this one).
OH YES. These bikes flatter the rider into thinking they're better than they really are. (me).
I remember having to do a quick stop on one of my rides and thinking "this bikes brakes suck compared to my gs500" until I reallized I was going DOUBLE the speed I thought I was.
yesterday I counted in my head (one onethousand) to see how quickly I got to legal speeds riding in a normal, not racy manner. I got to ONE and I was past 50mph already!
if you dont have experience being smooth with the trottle a 600 sport bike will likely bike you in the ass one day. Only because I have ridden the gs am I smooth with the throttle.
While I agree one can kill themselves on pretty much anything with two wheels I think that a 600ss bike doesnt have that level of safety (or a safety cushion or net, if you will) that might protect you in case you react instinctively in an emergency. Having not learned on a smaller bike that instinct may not be the right thing to do.
I also noticed the other day that if I wasnt careful I would give it lots of unwanted throttle by a)moving my elbow to look past it in the mirror, b)not be careful going over sharp bumps, c) same on speed bumps. The throttle is THAT sensitive.
p-
Well I am the oppsite to you pantablo - I CAME from a 600cc to the GS500...
I agree that the 600's are far more sensitive...
given the chance though I would want to be on top of a 600 in an emergancy braking position rather then the GS500...
and also, I still argue, what happen to the kid on the R6? Inexperience is one thing, stupidity or bad luck is another
Stay Safe :thumb:
so who is going to ride thier gs500 over to that kid's parent's house and tell them "i told you 600cc's was too much" ?
Quote from: keyzerI would want to be on top of a 600 in an emergency braking position rather then the GS500...
oh me too!
Quote from: pantabloI also noticed the other day that if I wasnt careful I would give it lots of unwanted throttle by a)moving my elbow to look past it in the mirror, b)not be careful going over sharp bumps, c) same on speed bumps. The throttle is THAT sensitive.
p-
This is what scares me because admittedly I still do that on my GS sometimes. The worst I receive is maybe a small lurch forward and then the engine braking will slow me down (usually in low gears), if I was following slow traffic, then it may become a problem. I've had my GS for about one and a half years now and I'm still in my 2 year probation period. I would like a sports bike for the riding experience and I used to have an high revving Aprilia RS 125 stroker with a high powerband, but no way would I need more power than the GS.
It would be interesting to know if anyone does NOT still blip the throttle by accident on their bikes, and how long have they been riding?
Thanks Simon
Let me say first that the need for and the moral of the story are right on but I think were looking at an urban legend here. Not to say this doesn't happen- I'm positive it does but it doesn't add up for me. First at sixteen, did he have a drivers license which would not enable him to ride a bike, or did he take the course? I'm thinking this way because when you buy a bike from a dealership near me they don't let you ride it out with out proof of licensce and insurance. Anyone care to estimate the insurance for a first timer at 16 on an R6. Probably a little shy per year then the cost of the bike. Seems odd to me, but it could just be a condensed verrsion of the story and the kid could have gone about everything the right way... I do see this thing a lot though on base- 19 or 20 year old kid w/money to burn runs out to by the sportbike all his buddies are getting bam down they go and the commander is talking about initiating a buddy system for young bikers...
I've come across guys that are in their teens with dad paying for everything, including insurance, on a sportbike. They get on the forum asking if an R6 is a good first bike then dont listen when no one validates their choice. I had a discussion with one kid that was about 17 in this same situation, so they're out there. MSF course in Ca is mandatory for under 21 y.o. but at 16 you CAN get a license and a motorcycle license.
I started riding when I was 20, my boss (who got me into motorcycles) recommended the GS500 to me. I had been looking at the bigger bikes, and at the time, had the money for one. I bought my GS instead, and stories like this make me glad I did.
Quote from: pantabloI've come across guys that are in their teens with dad paying for everything, including insurance, on a sportbike. They get on the forum asking if an R6 is a good first bike then dont listen when no one validates their choice. I had a discussion with one kid that was about 17 in this same situation, so they're out there. MSF course in Ca is mandatory for under 21 y.o. but at 16 you CAN get a license and a motorcycle license.
Yeah, my parents haven't paid a dime for me (which is the way it should be) it's made me appreciate it a lot more and, like my car, take extremely good care of it. My parents even made me open a separate insurance plan (17 yrs old, no parental sig. required) from theirs so they would not be in any way associated with my motorcycle endeavor. This resulted in my having to pay about $90/6 months more than if I could have been on their plan with their "multiple vehicle discount". But luckily, since I just turned 18, I got a $44/6 month discount on my insurance :cheers:
So basically, I was 17, got a license, a tag, insurance, and a motorcycle with absolutely ZERO help from parents. It can be done, and it is scary. Theoretically, as a 16 year old kid, I could have went down to a dealership and bought a brand new Hayabusa... thats borderline criminal if you ask me. And the MSF is NOT required in NC, all that you need to do is take a 20 question written test to receive a motorcycle license.
I also just converted one of those 18 yr old, never ridden anything, 600 s.s. guys the other day. He's a freshman in college (year older than me), and was planning on getting an R6. His excuse to me was "yeah but you weigh 150 lbs, I don't think a 500 can haul me around"... please note, he weighs about 185 lbs. After some convincing and my insisting he was a moron, he broke down and bought a not running GS to learn on before moving on like me. I have since helped him get it running and he should be taking the MSF course to learn to ride (I'm actually gonna ride his bike there for him) since he has NO idea how to do anything on a motorcycle... he can't even drive a manual car.
Sorry for the long post, this topic just hits home with me...
Scott
Quote from: Stime187
Sorry for the long post, this topic just hits home with me...
Scott
Good for you Scott. This hits home for me too. But you'd expect that a bit since we're on THIS forum. The guys on the 600rr forum are split between the very experienced riders saying what we're saying and the recent riders saying its okay to start on a repli-racer...boneheads.
I direct people to this link. It answers all the typical rationalizations for getting a bigger bike, like the one your friend had about being too big.
http://www.beginnerbikes.com/editorials/formequalsfunction.htmuse it-pass it along. do what you can to get people to change their minds. its all you can do, its all you must do for the sport, our public image, the safety of our brothers (sisters).