I am new to motorcycles, i am young (17yo), i dont understand what makes a good motorcycle. I want to know the difference between a good bike and a bad one. For example a skateborder would rather have a good quality board rather than one you could buy at walmart. So what would a good bike be? Also what is cc? or anything else that goes into the whole bike lingo. Are bikes from Ducati, Kawasaki, Hinda, Suzuki, etc. good?
i love the look of sport bikes and want to just build skills first and eventually into racing

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I am a new rider of motorcycles, and I have been always wanting one. I have the money to buy a bike now but not sure what kind to buy. I love Ducati, Buell, Suzuki, and Kawasaki. But I have been interested in the Suzuki Hayabusa. I am not sure if its a bike to buy off the bat. If anyone has a good suggestion for a descent bike, good handling, gas, and safety especally with a girlon the back. Thank you

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i bought a 2009 KAWASAKI LE650-A for 70 dollars and it looks like they can be replaced with dirt bike tires

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Thinking of buying a 1972 Honda CL175 or a 1981 Kawasaki KZ400.. perhaps a couple of other early 1980s bikes. How hard will it be to find parts when a problem arises? I'm really interested in the bike but am a bit hesitant. I'm willing to put in hours working on it just as long as there's stuff available somewhere. Any thoughts? Any suggestions on where to find parts other than locally from shops/junkyards/backyards? Thanks!

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Ok, I wrote an introduction to this quesiton that was longer than some books, so I just started over because otherwise I'd never get any answers 'cause the intro was longer than the freaking question itself. I'll try to keep it "to the point", but I have always had trouble with that. I ramble. I'm a rambler and I rant. I'm a ranter, putting in millions of details that have nothing to due with the topic. OK - my dad buys his second motorcycle as he is wanting to get into riding. I have been riding every year weather permitting for 13 year and I know my way around a bike pretty good. I have never owned a harley davidson, only Yamaha's and kawasaki's. The first bike my dad bought was a Kawasaki. He's been taking riding lessons from me for free, and he also signed up for a course at our local community college that is taught by guys who've been riding for centuries, and they'll teach him things that even I don't know. So one day we are driving and there's a sparkling clean sportster (1200 XLH) sitting on the side of the road ("for sale sign clearly visible"). I call the number and offer the guy 00 as it's a 1990 and has 15,000 miles on it, although the bike is FLAWLESS and loaded with aftermarket shiny things, although all moving parts are stock. He accepts. I tell him that it's actually my dad who is interested and I'll have him call back later. He does, and sets up a test ride (to be performed by me) the next day. We go, I ride (I ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS wear a helmet), but I didn't on this test ride because I had to be able to hear EVERYTHING IN THE ENGINE, ETC. So I ride for about 10 minutes and the bike is in such incredible condition I just can't believe it. I report back and dad agrees to buy it on the spot. The next day he pays the guy and get's the temp tag and insures it. Tonight I went down and picked it up. While we were in the guys large and spotless garage, fully equipped with about 10 motorcycles, 3 cars, and 4 toolbenches, I didn't see the expected accompanyment of tool kits. So I figure he outsources his maintainence. Ok. I turn the fuel switch to "on" from "off", and all of a sudden the bike is literally purging the entire tank of gas out of what appears to be a 1/4 inch rubber hose that someone had threaded between those iconic thin metal bars that run vertically from the crankcase up each side of the cylinders. The hose STARTS at the bottom of the air filter, although I don't thing it has anything to do with it and runs up direcly to the "OFF/ON/RESERVE" switch. So I quickly switch it off, and it stops leaking. The seller is horrified because he's already been paid and we haven't even taken possession yet, 2. The bike didn't do this when I rode it the day before, and 3. his dog bit my dad in the ass when he went over to pay him (and my dad is a lawyer, "bad combination of events"). So we spend 40 minutes trying to figure out first of all what the hell that hose is anyway.... Why is it now leaking fuel copiously, and was it originally connected to something else? did it become disconnected? Next I decide "ok, let's take it just outside of the garage, fire it up with the switch on "off", then turn it "on", which we did, and it still pissed fuel all over the ground. By this time I'd removed it from it's previous position up against the base of the outside of the lower part of the block (too hot for rubber hose, obviously), and I'd zip-tied it so it wouldn't touch the exhaust either. Ok, WTF!!!!???? So, in a last ditch attempt to just GET IT HOME, I decided to clamp it off. Between the 2 of us we decided to use a paper clamp (not clip, CLAMP), those black things with the little silver handles to open and close them that can be used to pinch other people for fun at the office. We also screwed a screw of slightly larger diameter than the inside of the hose into the end of it, and...... drumroll... IT STILL LEAKED, SOMEHOW, but to a lesser degree. He followed me home and the performance of the bike was severely compromised. I had to keep it revved at stop signs and it felt like it was missing on one of the cylinders occasionally. SO: WHAT IS THIS HOSE, WHAT IS IT'S PURPOSE, AND WHAT'S IT SUPPOSED TO DO? IS IT SUPPOSED TO BE HOOKED TO SOMETHING? IF SO, WHAT? PLEASE. I WILL RECANT ALL MY YEARS OF RIDING JAP BIKES IF SOMEONE WILL PLEASE TELL ME HOW TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. Otherwise, I'm going to have to pay someone to do it and they might die of laughter from how stupid I am that I couldn't figure it out on my own. This bike is beautiful and I'm really hoping that it doesn't reinforce the rumor that Harley's are hanger queens (which is the only reason I hadn't bought one myself prior to this bike). I know that there is someone out there who can answer this in the blink of an eye. Also the oil/filter and plugs haven't been changed in friggin' trillions of years so I'm going to do that as soon as I can get the right plugs for it. I bought a case of 4 cycle bike oil about 3 years ago and I still haven't
used it all, so this oil change should finish it off. That maintainence I can do myself, but if I end up having to take the bike to my mechanic to have this hose thing figured out, I'll just have them change the plugs/oil/filter. Well, that about does it. If I remember anything else I'll post an update. Thank you all in advance for your help. I'm sorry I'm such a dumb-ass but this is my first Harley and I'm still basically a Harley virgin so I haven't found the g-spot on them yet. Thx, john in Iowa

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I'm obsessed with motorcycles and am going to buy my first one in a few months. I'm looking for a 250cc sports bike...
I have done my homework and it seems that the eligable bikes are the:

Honda CBR250RR
Yamaha FZR250, 250R and 250RR
Kawasaki ZXR250
(unfortunately the Suzuki RGV250 is banned for learners where I am)

What do you think of these bikes? Any generic problems with any of them?
Are there any other good sports bikes (not little 125s!!) which I am missing? Hyosung...? Any good?
I have heard the CBR takes a long time to 'warm up' or something... is this a big problem? What does it mean? Do the other bikes/all bikes have that problem?

Also, I am going to have the bike for at least 3 years (Ls and Ps), so is it worth getting a new one, or an old one? Any suggestions?

Any feedback to any of these questions would be greatly appreciated! I don't know many riders, so I don't have anybody to ask about these things!

Cheers!

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I was griping about my Bridgestone Battlax BT-020 tires not gripping (sliding) at their limits until this past Friday. I remembered at the last second that I needed to go to the grocery store. A late stab at a corner and impulsive grab at the brakes had me sliding both wheels while leaned over way too far. "High side or low side?", I thought. But I steered into the slide and the Ninja 650R stood upright without drama. Now I LIKE the idea of tires that slide at their limits, except that I'd like the limits to be greater than those available on the BT-020's (especially when wet.)

Any personal experience, recommendations, or suggestions would be welcome.
By the way, the tires grip great as long as they are not underinflated or cold.
Correction: They grip great unless they are wet, cold, or underinflated.
The slide was unintentional. But it beats the hell out of being high sided into a bus or low-siding underneath its wheels, wouldn't you say?
Any chance that the Metzeler tires might overwhelm the frame and cause head shake or rear wheel shimmy problems?
Technically, I was in a skid and not a slide. I found this very informative link: http://www.msgroup.org/Tip.aspx?Num=001&Set=001-031
After reading it, I realize how lucky I am that the bike and tire combination are so closely matched that the bike could actually stand back up after having been leaned over 45 degrees or so and I skidded out the rear tire! Thank you Kawasaki and Bridgestone engineers!
Hey Camel,

It wasn't a power slide. It was technically a skid.

This described the physics of what happened:
http://www.msgroup.org/Tip.aspx?Num=101&Set=

I just can't imagine a set of sticky rubbers letting my bike come back up to vertical without bouncing my helmet off the high side first. I'm looking for tires that let you know they've reach their limits by slight drifting and not surprising you with a sudden low side. Also, am not looking for ice-skating rubbers.
Thanks to everybody for their concern and advice, but maybe I should rephrase my question.

"If I should inadvertently slide, which tires are known for recovering from slides safely?"

Or conversely, "Which tires seem to set their riders up for violent high sides, and should be avoided?"

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I want to bike a bike from Wizard of Wheels in Crete, IL. It's a family owned motorcycle shop which seems very good but I know with these shops you have to be very careful. If you have any other great motorcycle shops close to the south side of chicago let me know of them...Honda, Yamaha or Kawasaki only!

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I have a 2006 Roketa RSX-200E that I need to find some parts for but I have no idea where to look for them.Any help? It's a 200cc air cooled four stroke enduro and i bought it with 33 miles but something in the electrical system went out and I believe it's the CDI box.I know most of these japanese bikes are the same so if anyone can tell me what bikes are compatible or where to find parts i would really appreciate it.I would really like to find out what main stream bikes would work like Honda or kawasaki.

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I'm looking for a new, full sized touring bike for me and the misses and need help sorting out my options. BMW motorcycles makes three full size touring bikes: the R1200RT, the R1200LT and the K1300GT. Not having ridden any of them, I have no frame of reference to choose one over the other.

The bike is for me and my wife. She wants a Goldwing--no question. I'm afraid the Wing will be too heavy as I have good days and bad days and don't want to drop the darned thing because my legs are a bit wobbly that day. I will mostly use the bike as a commuter vehicle with a couple of week long trips per year--possibly pulling a trailer (not to carry more stuff, but to keep most of the weight off the bike). My riding style is mildly sporty--I don't ride that fast, but enjoy swooping around corners. I used to have a Kawasaki 1200 Voyager that I loved. We looked at the new Voyager and hated it--too freaking heavy! I currently ride a Burgman 650 maxi scooter (575 #). MSF trained. I know how to lean, brake, counter steer and handle a big bike in the parking lot.

So, which BMW do you recommend and why?
If you want to recommend the Wing, please tell me why.

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I have a motorcycle that I intend to buy and it won't start. Being that it is so cheap, I just want to go ahead and get it--but at least make sure fixing it won't cost as much as a new Harley or something. It's going to either be a Honda, a Suzuki, or a Kawasaki. Leaning towards the Honda. Anyone know somewhere I can take it? And/or somewhere I can buy parts?
Ok, let me add that the motorcycle is going to cost me only 0. So, no, it's not a rip-off, because even if I can't get it started (which shouldn't happen because my whole POINT is I'm going to get a diagnostic before I even buy it), I can use it for parts or fix it up myself. Yes, even as a woman, I can fix it myself, but I wouldn't mind spending to save the trouble by discovering the problem. So it's barely a dip in my wallet, I've spent more on a fancy dinner, and it's no more of a waste of money.

So, please, stop concentrating on what you think of the deal, and give me a good answer if you have one. Thank you.

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I am planning on buying a new motorcycle. Well, not brand new, but it's from a dealership, and it is about ,000. I was wondering what you guys (people that have bought motorcycles before) paid upfront for a motorcycle. I am not sure if I can afford paying a lot of money upfront.

Do they even make you put money down? Or will they just finance you month to month?

Also, will the dealership or the the company(say Kawasaki or Yamaha) finance you if it's new or used, or neither? Or do I need to get a loan from a bank first, and then just pay the bank back?

I am sorry if I sound ignorant, but it will be my first bike purchase, and I don't want to walk in to the store or call on the phone sounding as ignorant as I probably do right now to you guys.

I thank you guys in advance, and I hope I can get some great answers. The more detailed will get the best answer! Thanks guys.

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I haven't ridden for 10 years. I am in a climate where I can ride year round. What bikes are best for customer satisfaction? Harley? Honda? Yamaha? kawasaki? Which ones handle the best and are the toughest to lay down? thanks.

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I want to buy a dual-purpose motorcycle, mostly to get me back and forth from work and school....For about 5700 i can get 398 ccs from suzuki and from kawaski for 4700 i can get 250 ccs, i dont care about racing, going so fast, or anything....and like i said, offroad use will be minimal....

now its all down to which is the better brand, more reliable ... etc...

here are the links if you wanna check it out

http://www.suzukicycles.com/Products/DRZ400SK8/Default.aspx
(the drz400s)

http://kawasaki.com/Products/Detail.aspx?id=206
the klx250s

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ps. i dont have credit history, thought that would be important
i have a job, and i have couple thousand saved up.
i ODNT WANT TO GET A HARLEY, i want like a yamaha or kawasaki(sp)

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Its a kawasaki Street Bike. It is not a dirt bike.

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I am looking for a good web site, or online store to get some discount motorcycle tires. I have a 2005 kawasaki 636. Im looking for michelin or dunlop tires. I have priced at the dealership, but its way expensive. All suggestions are welcomed.

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