Motorcycles

[swordpath]

I'm kind of considering getting one sometime. Who rides here? What do you have?

 

[LadyJaye]

Pink and I both ride. What sort of bike are you looking for?

 

[swordpath]

Oh, awesome. What do you ride?

Well, I've always been more interested in a cruiser style bike. Because I think the idea of jumping on a bike and just riding a long distance sounds intriguing. However, sport/street bikes are pretty cheap and are good at getting you from point A to point B with little gas consumed. Leaning towards a sport bike right now.

 

[spirilis]

I ride, mine's a large scooter ("maxi-scooter") though. Will say that while I haven't actually rode a sportbike on the street, the seating position looks uncomfortable as hell (and I've tried sitting on them at the local powersports dealer--still feels uncomfortable as hell).

Highly recommend taking the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's basic rider course though. Not sure if it costs you much down in NC, but up in PA it's free for state residents.

Long distance riding is nice... but mentally exhausting IMO. It's quite a treat to travel with your senses so close to nature--you can touch the pavement, feel the subtle changes in humidity and temperature the moment you pass through them, feel the sun on your back all the time, but after 2 hours of riding I feel desensitized like I need a nap lol.

 

[LadyJaye]

Oh, awesome. What do you ride?

Well, I've always been more interested in a cruiser style bike. Because I think the idea of jumping on a bike and just riding a long distance sounds intriguing. However, sport/street bikes are pretty cheap and are good at getting you from point A to point B with little gas consumed. Leaning towards a sport bike right now.

Mostly we rode one of the ones my father had - the last one I rode was a Honda CB400, which is a vintage bike. Made me so tense, not wanting to drop it, that I don't think I'll ride it again. lol

Well, there are so many to choose from now - do you have it narrowed down to one or two makers yet?

 

[swordpath]

Highly recommend taking the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's basic rider course though. Not sure if it costs you much down in NC, but up in PA it's free for state residents.

Funny you mention this. Being in the service it's a requirement that you take this course (and nicely enough, on Uncle Sam's dime) before you can operate a motorcycle. I'm trying to take this course soon. I don't have to have a motorcycle to do it, so I'll probably sign up for it either way whether I decide to buy or not.

You make a good point about the long distance riding, I'd probably zone out and get desensitized too haha. Also, if I'm long distance traveling, I NEED music. Listening to music on a bike isn't really easy to pull off...

 

[swordpath]

Mostly we rode one of the ones my father had - the last one I ride was a Honda CB400, which is a vintage bike. Made me so tense, not wanting to drop it, that I don't think I'll ride it again. lol

Well, there are so many to choose from now - do you have it narrowed down to one or two makers yet?

hehe. That's another draw to the smaller sport bikes. I'd be nervous with a big hog...

I'm looking at Yamaha.

 

[Poser]

You have to pay for the MSF course here in NC but still worth it. My biggest trouble was finding a spot when I took it in the Spring. But now in the Fall you shouldn't have a problem.


Edit: just read your post!

 

[spirilis]

Funny you mention this. Being in the service it's a requirement that you take this course (and nicely enough, on Uncle Sam's dime) before you can operate a motorcycle. I'm trying to take this course soon. I don't have to have a motorcycle to do it, so I'll probably sign up for it either way whether I decide to buy or not.

You make a good point about the long distance riding, I'd probably zone out and get desensitized too haha. Also, if I'm long distance traveling, I NEED music. Listening to music on a bike isn't really easy to pull off...

*cough* music on the bike? hehe...

The laws regarding earplugs, speakers and such vary from state to state, and I'm pretty sure this is illegal in both the state where I live (PA) and the state where I work/do most of my riding (MD), but I wear in-ear phones that hook into an ipod. It works pretty well for me.

I use Etymotic Research's 6i-isolator earplugs under my full-face helmet, with the ipod in one of the interior pockets of my jacket. The earplugs do a decent job of reducing outside noise, so extended highway riding is tolerable. Can't change playlists or volume with the ipod in the jacket, so you have to find a comfortable volume for the whole ride, but I can hit the ff/rw/playpause button through the jacket (sometimes tricky and I often hit the wrong button but it's usable).

One point to note though: those 6i isolator earplugs claim they deliver good bass. Bullshit. They sound excellent for all the other frequency bands (including treble) though.

 

[Anja]

If you haven't ridden before, beat, it's probably a good idea to start with a smaller, lighter, less expensive bike and work your way up. When you have your accident - not if - it's good to trash the cheaper one first. Heh. Silly, but practical.

I started with a 350 Honda that I could afford and could afford to drop. And I did drop it. Only once, but once is enough to learn something.

I bought two other bikes over the years, quit because my reflexes have slowed down and deer and that other driver couldn't be trusted. Spring came, I got the fever again and went out and bought myself another.

This one's got three wheels - converted Harley 1200CC Sportster. And I'm back in the game.

Edit: More. This idea of listening to music while you ride is appealing and I used to do it. But I wouldnn't anymore.

Two things: If you don't use earphones you run the risk of aggravating a lot of people driving around you. And you probably don't want to do that because hostile folks in cars are a biker's natural nemesis!

And the second is that I find, with the earphones, I'm prone to what someone around here called the "cell phone bubble."

I find it a safety must to be able to hear vehicles approaching from my rear and I think I ride better when I can hear the sound of the bike's engine.

And I don't think I need music when I've got all the sensory stimulation traveling by bike provides.

It's a great way to travel.

 

[LadyJaye]

double post

 

[LadyJaye]

No music. When you're on a bike, you are at the mercy of the people in cars around you, and you can't depend on them be alert to your presence. You're at a serious disadvantage, so you need all of your senses working.

 

[Jack Flak]

No music. When you're on a bike, you are at the mercy of the people in cars around you, and you can't depend on them be alert to your presence. You're at a serious disadvantage, so you need all of your senses working.

(Ha, yeah, holds true for the unmotorized two-wheelers as well)

 

[Anja]

One more thought. Not everybody finds biking to their liking. It looks like fun, feels like fun on those rides you get with others. And gives a sense of freedom I've seldom found elsewhere. But it can frequently be a real pain in the pocket.

It depends on where and how much you ride, of course. But if you want to be hardcore, you're going to get stuck in hellacious storms, encounter icy roads, those dang hostile drivers, dogs who think it's funny to take a bite out of a passing snack or just bark enough to distract you. People sometimes won't notice you and cut you off - plan at least one unexpected trip to the ditch.

The clothing in order to be safe, if you care to have it, will cost you a small fortune. You'll probably discover that you'd like good eyewear and it doesn't come cheap if you want something that stays on and works well.

You'll get sore, wind- and sunburned. And a long ride is guaranteed to tire you out by the time you get there. It takes some energy to ride and pay attention.

There was a time when I just got tired of the hassle.

But, yes. It gets in some people's blood!

 

[LadyJaye]

(Ha, yeah, holds true for the unmotorized two-wheelers as well)

Heh, yeah! True. I marvel at the bicyclers that decide to ride on the street, because there's no way I'd do that on something without a motor. Too dangerous.

 

[spirilis]

TBH, the music is a sketchy topic with motorcycling, and it's definitely one of those "do so at your own personal risk" kind of things. Just like riding a motorcycle in the first place. I keep the volume on the low side and hit the pause button the moment I know or detect I need utmost heightened attention. Sometimes you don't have the luxury of knowing that ahead of time, and that's where music becomes a problem.

Wearing earplugs (w/o music), OTOH, is pretty much mandatory if you're going above 45MPH. It will seriously degrade your hearing if you don't wear them. When I first started riding I tried my daily commute a few times without earplugs, and I had concert-ear for 3 days afterward. You need to make sure the plugs aren't *too* effective (to the point that you can't hear cars coming up from behind) but they need to protect well enough. Around 20dB is ideal for me. 30dB makes me feel like I'm in an isolated bubble but ~10-15dB still hurts after 2 hours worth of riding.

 

[LadyJaye]

Wearing earplugs (w/o music), OTOH, is pretty much mandatory if you're going above 45MPH. It will seriously degrade your hearing if you don't wear them. When I first started riding I tried my daily commute a few times without earplugs, and I had concert-ear for 3 days afterward. You need to make sure the plugs aren't *too* effective (to the point that you can't hear cars coming up from behind) but they need to protect well enough. Around 20dB is ideal for me. 30dB makes me feel like I'm in an isolated bubble but ~10-15dB still hurts after 2 hours worth of riding.

The earplugs are great. I have a big bag of them. They really are necessary, you're right. Especially if you're going to be doing a lot of highway riding. There are several bike catalogs that sell earplugs at the right decibel rating.

 

[Kasper]

Pink and I both ride. What sort of bike are you looking for?

You two just got even hotter!


Like others have mentioned, start smaller till you're comfortable. Go test ride different bikes, when it feels right it just feels right.

 

[millerm277]

I just finished fixing up a 1980 Honda CM400T that had been sitting for 4 years. Nice bike, changed the sprocket on it so that it cruises on the highway at a lower RPM (lost a little bit of acceleration, but it's got plenty). I want to get new tires though before I trust it for more than a ride around the block, as rubber degrades over time, and these are 11 years old.

 

[spirilis]

I just finished fixing up a 1980 Honda CM400T that had been sitting for 4 years. Nice bike, changed the sprocket on it so that it cruises on the highway at a lower RPM (lost a little bit of acceleration, but it's got plenty). I want to get new tires though before I trust it for more than a ride around the block, as rubber degrades over time, and these are 11 years old.

very cool!