Back Into Motorcycles

[280plus]

I wasn't saying that BMW's aren't good bikes, just that they're not any more reliable than Harley's.

The cars have the same lower resale problem as the bikes. It's the same with Mercedes. Parts are so expensive that people tend to get rid of the machines once they're out of warranty.

Ohhhh, I see! Yea, I remember a guy I worked for paying $100 for a distributor cap on a mercedes way back in the 80's. That was like half a week's pay for me back then. 

[Dannyboy]

Get an older Ducati Monster, a 6xx or 750.  They'll look and sound better than just about anything else in that size/price range.  And they're just plain cool.

[bedlamite]

Get an older Ducati Monster, a 6xx or 750.  They'll look and sound better than just about anything else in that size/price range.  And they're just plain cool.

Just make sure you understand how much maintenance costs on a Duc. That's why I bought a Suzuki SV.

[Monkeyleg]

Just make sure you understand how much maintenance costs on a Duc.

Yup. Italian engineering. Who else but Italian engineers would put a car's engine in the middle of the car so you can't get to it?

[brimic]

If you are worried about maintenance costs, can read a repair manual, and know lefty-loosy from righty-tighty, I would seriously reccomend a Sportster just from my own experience with it.  I blew a head gasket earlier this spring and ended up pulling everything off the engine down to the crankcase to replace all of the top end gaskets (the bike is 20 years old). I took my time, kept everything clean and organized, and spend some time polishing the cases while I had the engine stripped- still took me less than 8hrs total time to do the job, about $60 in gaskets, and about $7 for a 12-pt 1/2" socket to remove the head bolts.
There are probably more factory and aftermarket parts available for sportsters than any other bike in existance.

Cons:
- Not a beginner bike despite the fact that Harley markets them as such- they are top heavy and take a bit more 'getting used to' than something similar like a Vulcan or Shadow.
-Some of them like mine, have a small tank (2.2gal) so only have a range of about 100 miles.
-have factory seats that aren't comfortable for long rides- I pretty much just ride mine from work to back (~35 mile each way) which isn't a problem, been on longer rides where after 60-75 miles you realy want to get off and stretch and give your tailbone a break. An aftermarket seat is the cure to this problem.
-Its a 'girls' bike- according to all of the harley marketing and various other assclowns who have never ridden one.


Pros:
-Plenty of power- really good accelleration at any speed, but not enough to wheelie or get out of control. Passing on the freeway is a breeze.
-They just look right- IMHO, a sportster is exactly what a motorcycle should look like.
-Very easy to work on. There are varying degrees of difficulty depending on how deep you dig into the motor/transmission, but there isn't anything that can't be done in your own garage with tools bought from Sears.
-Almost unlimited number of parts available and lots of information on the web. With carburated version (pre-2004), its very easy to change to better breathing exhaust/air cleaner and retune the carb by adjusting the idle mixture and/or rejetting (a complete carb noob like myself was able to do this easily).

That bbeing said, I would buy another Sportster, but I also really like the Honda VFR my buddy rides, I would buy one of those too in a heartbeat.

[Jamisjockey]

I've always wanted an enduro.

http://www.suzukicycles.com/Product%20Lines/Cycles/Products/DR-Z400/2009/DRZ400S.aspx?category=dualsport

[Iain]

It's amazing how popular the DRZ400 is. Not that it is a bad bike at all. I like the supermoto variant, but I suspect that I'm on the short side for finding it comfortable.

[Stand_watie]

It's amazing how popular the DRZ400 is. Not that it is a bad bike at all. I like the supermoto variant, but I suspect that I'm on the short side for finding it comfortable.

I bought mine mostly to play around with on the farm, but I thought it would be nice to have a "street legal" bike if I needed an alternate ride to work in a pinch. Have barely taken it out of the driveway yet.

I'm used to driving mid-sized (650) road bikes that are a lot shorter and a bit heavier than the drz 400.

[280plus]

Yup. Italian engineering. Who else but Italian engineers would put a car's engine in the middle of the car so you can't get to it?

Actually, I thought that 70 Fiat 124 I dad was pretty well thought out. The only thing you had to get under it for was to undo the oil plug. Everything else was on top.  And the gas gauge had a red light that came on when it got low. It was set up so when you were getting close it would blink on when you stepped on the brakes and off when you hit the gas. Until it finally stayed on for good. Then you knew it really was time to get the gas. 

[MillCreek]

Do you like that? I understand I can  lower my 400 1 inch by adjusting the shocks, and another two inches with a custom seat....

When I bought my DR650 off of Craigslist, the factory lowering kit and factory gel seat had already been installed, since the original owner was about three inches shorter than me. This brought the seat height down from 34.8 inches to 31.5 inches.  I can easily flatfoot it with both feet at a stop, given my "bicycling inseam" of 32 inches.  For the sort of trail riding I do, losing 1.5 inches of ground clearance makes no difference whatsoever.  It still has 8-9 inches of clearance.  I did install the shorter sidestand to improve parking stability.  I have discovered that in our wet and hilly terrain, being able to firmly put at least one foot down really helps when stopped at a traffic light. Especially with the sort of uphill cambered roads we have around here and a heavier bike. 

The other reason I went with the DR650 is the utter simplicity in terms of working on it myself, the air-cooled engine and the ability to use in on the freeway for hours at a time.  It easily cruises at 70-75 and still has power to spare.  I use the DR650 as 75% road/freeway and 25% fire roads and trails.  The DRZ400 is better suited to 75% trails and 25% roads. 

The sticky wicket is that I do have to stop every 90-120 minutes or so of freeway cruising to get some feeling back into my hands.  I took off the bar end weights to install a set of Tusk barkbusters and there is quite the handlebar vibration.  However, since I start looking for a gas station at about 125 miles, I usually need to stop and fill up then anyhow. 

Tokugawa on this board also has a DR650 and really likes it.  His opinion, and reading the MCN reviews sealed the choice for me.  Bear in mind that I also have an Aprilia Scarabeo 500 maxi-scooter for my urban riding and work commuting.  The Aprilia has a seat height of 33 inches, but I can put the balls of both feet down. 

[coppertales]

Do as others, and I support, go to as many dealers as you can and try on the bikes.  Better, hit a bike show in a larger city.  Pick the one that really speaks to you and buy the next bigger size. 

Me, I have been riding since 1958, with the exception of the Vietnam thingie.  I ride old 4 cylinder Kawasaki KZ bikes.  I now have three.  The only way I can do this is by ebay for parts.  If you are not a mechanic, prepare to pay 65 bucks, or so, an hour to have your bike worked on.  Otherwise, enjoy your new ride....chris

[Gewehr98]

Get an older Ducati Monster, a 6xx or 750.  They'll look and sound better than just about anything else in that size/price range.

Huh?

The Ducati clutch sounds like a friggin' coffee grinder on its last legs, and who else does the desmo bit with opening and closing valves, vs. a simple valve spring? IOW, why go for simple and reliable when you can have extra valve gear, requiring you to maintain them more often? 

[Jamisjockey]

Yeah I'm too short for most Enduros.  I'd just love one for beating around the backroads, heading off to go fly fishing for the day or whatnot.

[bedlamite]

Huh?

The Ducati clutch sounds like a friggin' coffee grinder on its last legs, and who else does the desmo bit with opening and closing valves, vs. a simple valve spring? IOW, why go for simple and reliable when you can have extra valve gear, requiring you to maintain them more often? 

They are born of racing, and obviously not for everybody. There is no power lost in the dry clutch from spinning in an oil bath, and you can use modern automotive oils with friction modifiers. The valve train is pure genius, have you ever turned one? It requires so little power you can turn it by hand, and you will never float the valves on an overrev. Ducati gets 170hp from their stock 1200cc engine. I forget, how much can you pull out of a 1200cc Harley before it self destructs?

[MillCreek]

Yeah I'm too short for most Enduros.  I'd just love one for beating around the backroads, heading off to go fly fishing for the day or whatnot.

I think you should give serious consideration to the Kawasaki Super Sherpa, the Yamaha XT250 or the Yamaha XT225.  I have ridden all of these, and since I know you are another mountain biker, these bikes are lightweight, easy to maneuver and feel astonishingly like a powered FS MTB. 

[Monkeyleg]

They are born of racing, and obviously not for everybody. There is no power lost in the dry clutch from spinning in an oil bath, and you can use modern automotive oils with friction modifiers. The valve train is pure genius, have you ever turned one? It requires so little power you can turn it by hand, and you will never float the valves on an overrev. Ducati gets 170hp from their stock 1200cc engine. I forget, how much can you pull out of a 1200cc Harley before it self destructs?

That's a good point for the OP to consider. Some bikes, such as the aforementioned Ducati, are designed for racing, but will cost more for maintenance. You can be the fastest, or you can spend less money, but you can't have both.

[RoadKingLarry]

I so lust after one of these http://www.bmwmotorcycles.com/us/en/index.html but I lack the inseam to ride one.
Don't they know that us short SOBs might like to ride something like that?

[MillCreek]

I so lust after one of these http://www.bmwmotorcycles.com/us/en/index.html but I lack the inseam to ride one.
Don't they know that us short SOBs might like to ride something like that?

Your link goes to the BMW motorcycles home page.  Which model were you looking at?  The F 650GS has always caught my eye.

[Lee]

The BMW F's are available with a lowered frame. Add a custom seat if you need to.  I have the single cylinder F650 GS and love it.  I bought it for daily transportation and short local cruises. It's a little light for the interstate, but for running errands, cruising two lane highways, and light trail riding, it's hard to beat.  Service and parts at the dealer are a bit pricey though. BMW = Bring More Wallet.  I don't think any one bike can be everything- just as with a car or truck. Gotta have at least two bikes...(someday maybe).
 
I just noticed this bike on another thread here.  It'll be interesting to see what they get for it. 
http://www.propertyroom.com/ItemDetails.aspx?l=6762476#

[Strings]

Before Skip says it:

NOTICE: THE HARLEY IN THE MIRROR IS GOING SLOWER THAN IT APPEARS

[Lee]

This is total thread drift....but I'm...umm...taken with this one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITr6zIK0K7U&feature=related

[Dannyboy]

The Ducati Monsters are not race bikes, although some people, do take them to the track.  Mine hasn't gone yet but it will.  The smaller Monsters have wet clutches, unfortunately.  I happen to love the sound of a dry clutch.  The maintenance costs are exaggerated.  Sure, they're higher than what you pay with the Japanese bikes but not prohibitively so.  Hell, you can get a 696 and the costs are less and the time between services is more.  And it still looks and sounds better than anything else in the size/price range.

[RoadKingLarry]

Your link goes to the BMW motorcycles home page.  Which model were you looking at?  The F 650GS has always caught my eye.

DOH!
R1200 GS Adventure.

[mgdavis]

I'd love to have a GS-A too. Of course, my current ride does all the same things for $15,000 less. 

[Monkeyleg]

A little more thread drift, this time related to BMW's.

I was down at Deal's Gap ("The Dragon") in NC many years back. There was a guy riding a beautiful new red BMW 1200RT. I learned afterwards that it wasn't his bike. A friend let him take it for a spin.

The guy pulled into the parking lot, accidentally twisted the throttle, and propelled the bike into a cluster of parked bikes. He then fell over, knocking over all the other bikes.

What a way to make an entrance.