hello hello & thank u 4 ideas
my brothers are car mechanics & myne is always test rocket - mostly hondas & acuras but now the point is that i got need 4 speed!
i do like cruisers tho which is why a friend suggested gs
im from the oakland yay area & i frequent winding hills in my car where i happily scare the shaZam! out of any1 i can
but now i want a bike & im gonna get one but i am such a virgin i thought id get ideas please?

well a gs is technically NOT a cruiser, but more of an upright riding position, and enough power, btw great in canyons and twisties

Learn to type proper english. This isn't that kind of Forum.

Quote from: JamesGLearn to type proper english. This isn't that kind of Forum.

I always wondered if it actually required EXTRA effort to type ghetto... Kind of ironic... ironyc.

Quote from: JamesGLearn to type proper english. This isn't that kind of Forum.

Ok, i think thats the first time i have seen Ebonics in print

Welcome to the site.

suggestions-
1) sign up for the MSf course (Motorcycle Safety foundation, I think its www.msf.com or www.msf-usa.com, you may have to google it). this is the best foundation for a good motorcycling life.

2) get a gs500 or a kawasaki ex250 or ex500. All three of these are good in the canyons (and it sounds like thats what you want to be good at). These bikes will teach you how to ride well in that sort of terrain. That's what I did and it made me a very smooth (and thereby, fast) rider. ryder?

None of these are cruisers, unless by the term cruiser you mean anything that isnt a sportbike.

3) dont buy a sportbike. Any sportbike-gsxr, 600rr, r6, zx-6r or any iteration of these from years past. Yes, you'll likely be selling the gs/ex within a year or three but if you buy used you'll likely be able to sell it for what you paid for it!

4) buy a used bike and buy a naked bike-no fairings. It is a common occurence (not that it'll happen to you necessarily) for new riders to drop their bikes on occasion. Happened to me 3 times, even after I had ridden for a year. Bikes with fairings are more expensive to repair if this happens.

I rode a gs500 for 16 months and put 9000 miles on it, riding mostly canyons (almost exclusively) and only once a week. Now I've jsut upgraded to a brand new cbr600rr and LOVE it. I would not be the rider I am today had I started on such a bike.

Starting used also allows you to not lose too much money if you decide you dont like motorcycling for whatever reason.

5) your bike budget should include money for good gear. If you cant afford the gear you cant afford the bike.

Good gear includes:
-a properly fitting helmet (should feel TOO snug at first but they break in. Get sales help to fit it properly). Helmets come in different sizes and different shapes so find the one that fits your head and buy it.  Expect to pay anywhere from $150-$400 for a helmet.

-Jacket. Since your goal is canyon carving you should get a leather jacket that has a 360* circumference zipper so that later (or now if you can swing it) you can buy leather pants that zip together to form a 2-peice suit. jacket and pants should have armor in the elbows, knees, back, etc. Jacket could set you back $300.

-motorcycle specific boots. SIDI makes women specific boots that are attractive and you can walk in but still provide lots of protection. Work boots do not have the same level of protetion. Expect to pay up to $200 for a pair.

-leather motorcycle specific gloves that have dual velcro wrist closure and are the longer gauntlet style glove. Again, about $50-$100.

For great deals on gear check out the closeout section of www.newenough.com and www.motoxoutlet.com

For women specific gear check out www.womanbiker.com and www.ladyriderswear.com

For good deals on helmets try www.helmetharbor.com and www.discountmotorcyclehelmet.com


Good luck and keep us posted!

I'd definitely go with what pantablo suggests.  If you really want a sportbike, learn on a smaller bike first and get your skills down.  Then you can be a good rider and keep your bike all shiny and scratch free

I just had my friend's girl buy a GS from a member of this board.  I rode over on my bike one day and she loved it.  And I ride sometimes with a girl on a Ninja 500.  She is just beginning and can't (and doesn't want to) hang with the guys who stunt and wheelie, so we're practicing skills so we both can be better riders.

Make sure you buy good gear.  The one time you use it, you'll be thankful you dropped all that money on a helmet and leathers  I've got the scars to prove it... I got impatient and went out before I got my jacket shipped to me.  And that one time I lost it!

Really, buy a used bike.  Right off, you get it for cheaper, and if you decide to sell it again, overall you might only lose a couple hundred, compared to over a thousand if you resell a bike you bought new!

Take that MSF class and best of luck riding!

I love all the comments on grammer. You can really tell this site has lots of middle aged dudes. Come on ya'll we have to get jiggy with the new gramma ya erd! Did I do that right? I think, or is yuh hurd?

:lol: -ash

The gs500 is a great bike to start with.  I just bought my first bike and it is a GS500F (2004).  And at first I felt like I had gotten the wromg nike until I drove my friends sv650s today and just felt really uncomfortable on it.  The GS has a little of everything.  No, it isn't the fastest thing on the planet but I have gotten mine to 120mph, and the bike doesn't really like that speed but it will make it when you are in a super tuck.

I love my bike, and you should get one to along with a typing lesson  

yeah, da gs is like da dope ill byke to be ryding your fyrst tyme out.

Just kidding. Serously, the GS is probably the BEST first bike you could get. It's light, manageable, not overpowered, and still fun as hell to let loose. I know I'll get flamed for this but it's a 2 wheeled miata: Not to powerful, great handling, and other guys on faster bikes will call you a pansy even though you are a more capable rider for being able to ride the GS fast.

Somewhere on this forum someone said "Better to ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow"
That's been my experience

ashman wrote (courtesy of ebonics translator):

QuoteYo buss dis. I love all de comments on grammer. See what I'm sayin? You can really tell dis site has lots uh middle aged dudes. Come on ya'll we gotta git jiggy wit de new gramma ya erd! Did I do dat right? I think, or be yuh hurd? Sheeit!

.

am i the only one having trouble reading ebonics?  :dunno:

OHHHHH, thanks yamahonkawazuki
Yur the shiznittle.

-ash

is jive close enough?

"Cut me some slack, Jack! Chump don' want no help, chump don't GET da' help! "

Jabba,
Remove your sig pic immediately or I'll ban you. That crosses the line of decency.

Gross.

dayaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahm!
some of yall got too much duck in ur ass & not enuf clitoris in ur mouth-- oh my bad i mean mouf.
i aint mad at cha tho
got nuthin but love 4 yeah!
rock ur properness to the very muthafuckn fullest --oops i mean foolest, goshdarnit my bad i riiiiiiiiiilly mene foolezt

but now right on pantablo, yamahonk, turkina, higgi & casicua.
my friend has a r6 and he said the gs is good to start with and wont get too smoked on straighaways
i took his 125cc around the block and i like the uprightness which is what my ignant ass meant by cruiser tho i do like the way folks sit on hogs, etc
i ll probably keep the bike and pass it around friends & family if ever i graduate to more power but with gas & cost of livin here ill probably keep it a longer while than i want. im broke and school raped my credit so low budget it is.  should i still go used?  whats a good year and a good used price?
its about to be a 90+ degree summer & i was told the air cooler on the gs will be the biggest problem.  i ll be ridin with two r6s thru backroads & country mostly til im confident enuf 4 hills. they stop alot 4 breaks but now about how long u think u can ride a gs nonstop on a bright sunny day?
after riding nonstop how long does it take to cool down at night? on a hot ass day? is there any other way to cool it besides leavin it be?
are there alot of performance parts 4 gs, esp low budget kinds?  my bro had a bike til he flipped it into a mini cliff and he has some hookups on bike parts but definately i wont need to pay for labor between brother & friend mechanics
again thanx much i appreciate ur posts and will mos def hit up those websites

Uh...From what I understood of this thread I'd say go with all of Pablo's advice, this guys is usually, er, always right.
As for the ghetto slang, Im too ignorant, white, and anti ghetto to comprehend what the f%$k is going on. So from this point forward, I only respond to somewhat decent English.

"It's okay, I speak jive."- Airplane!

Pablo's right, go used, and a GS is a good foundation for sportbike riding....actually the best foundation.  As for cheap aftermarket parts look no further.  A good set of tire is a must, clubman bars so you can get used to leaning over for when you graduate to a full blown super sport.  Vance and Hines pipe is good enough for the GS, a re-jet, fork springs, and a Katana rear shock should all do you good.  Oh yeah, look up Bob Broussard and he'll hook you up with a timing advancer.  As for years, look for the 2001-2004 if you can afford it, they have some minor upgrades that make a little bit of a difference....better brakes, bigger gas tank, more comfortable seat.  If pre-2001 look for the newest with the least miles because they are the same bike from 1990-2000.  The 1989 has some trick parts like clip-on bars like GSXR and an aluminum rear linkage if you can find one in decent shape.