Hi,

My precious, i mean my GP failed again, the tranny slippered last thursday, my mechanic told me he will take it for warranty, but i've been thinking on selling it at last, but my finance is not so good so i've been thinking on a bike, cause traffic got me crazy too, but don't know much on bikes, so those who does, please give me advice.

a) Can i use it as an every day vehicle?
b) Is it as reliable as a car?
c) besides the safe in gas, would it be cheaper on parts and maintenance?
d) handling in traffic
e) your opinion on suzuki, yamaha, hd, honda, etc...

I like these, i know they are so different between them but what do you think??

Thanks guys!

Suzuki GSX 600


Suzuki Intruder 800

Can a bike be used as an everyday vehicle?
Yes it can. With saddle bags it can be very friendly.

Is it as reliable as a car?
Very much so if not more. Less things to break

Better gas mileage?
depends on which bike model your talking about

Cheaper parts?
really depends on the parts but most of the tune up parts etc are reasonable.

Cheaper maintenance?
Again depends on the bike. But look at the bright side smaller motor needs less oil so instead of buying 5 quarts of oil you only by 2.

Handling in traffic
Well the size of bike will determine that.

As for cycle brands.
The Japanease bikes are all pretty comparable really comes down to brand preference/looks really.
Personally I think HD is over-priced and so are the replacement parts.

The big question is have you ever ridden before and what type of bike do you prefer. You show two totally different styles of bikes.

figuere out which style you prefer and then I can stear you in a good direction.

Herc,

Bikes can't take the high miles that a car can, correct? Don't bikes usually have to get rebuilt before 100k miles?

I'm not a bike guy, this is just what I've heard.

That is a major issue, I've never ride a Bike, had some friend who always had bikes but never tried, i guess the most difficult is to get expertise on traffic right??

I'd like the gsx one but i know they are more difficult to handle, when you haven't ride ever.

If you're going to get a bike as a daily drive I would stay away from the racing/sport bikes. Just seems like it wouldnt as comfortable to ride one of those everyday compared to a standard cruising bike.

Is the weather in Mexico usually dry? If it rains a lot you might not want to get a bike.

From may to october it is rainy,
well yesterday was rainy and we are on november!

Bikes will live as long as cars. Proper routine maintenance is key.

One reason you never see bikes with that many miles is because they are cheap enough you can get the new model every few years.

My father-in-law put well over 200k miles on his 82 Goldwing.

Alex
If I was you I'd look for a cruiser in the 250-750cc range. They will be more comfortable for daily riding and will net you the best MPG. Windshield and rain gear help for those wet days. When the roads are wet just ride slower and pay extra attention is all. The only time I don't ride in the rain is when it's a torrential downpore.

Those intruders are on the tall side and a bit heavy for a beginner.

I would definately try riding some bikes to see if you like it. No use buying something you're not gonna want to ride in 2 months.

I agree w/ Brown & Herc here. I ride, but not a lot only b/c I don't have a bike. I took my driving test for the licence on a GSXR and passed with flying colors, and it was the first time I had ever ridden a sport bike. Personally, I think the sport bikes handle better, hence the term sports bike, but if you want an everyday rider, I would go w/ a more traditional style like a Shadow or something.
If it was me, I would go HD all the way, but that is totally my personal prefrence. I don't necessarily think they are the best, but they are American, and that means a lot to me.

Thanks for all your comments, if i sell my car i'm gonna miss this extraordinary site cause theres always help no matter if it is on my fu...tranny or delivering a ring to my wife.

I'm gona think very carefully about a bike, i've always wanted a bike but never had the chance, so maybe i'll give it a try this time, before i have kids i want to be exposed to that.

Alex

just buy a cheap car (maybe another GP) and then buy a used bike. You'll be able to drive in the rain and ride in the sun.

I think Brown has a good idea...what if you need to get some where in a big storm? The bike wouldn't be something you want to ride in that. I'd say get with your friends and those who have a bike see if they'll let you ride it in a parking lot or something.

I would never use my bike as a daily commuter. Somedays I just do not feel like riding. The bike style is completely irrelevant here. Riding can be a pain. You need to prepare for all types of weather not to mention that even riding a bike on the nicest of days takes a lot of concentration because the biggest danger isn't the rider, it's the other idiots on the road.

Not to mention helmet-head everyday.


If it were me (you can ignore this part): I'd buy a cheap car and a 700-800cc cruiser.

i am a bike dictionary. what do you want to know?
gas:better 50mpg.
speed: way faster average 600 runs 11's depending on rider.
reliable: yes
everday: depends on weather
insurance: cheap if you get plpd

don't get a 600, get a 750 or 1000, suzuki is best i think, all come with steering stabilizers and best suspension for sport bikes.

I think if Alex gets a bike, he shouldnt start off with a 1000cc bike. You should work your way up to that, learn to ride then get the big bikes.

I would think 750s are on the big side as well for a beginner.

What is the hard part for a begginer?, the weight? the handling?
I found a place where they give a course for begginers, it costs around 150 usd. they use their own bikes and teach from how to start a bike, how to gear, dangerous situations, defensive driving, breaking, hard movments, traffic, the parts of a bike, how to ride with a passenger etc.
I do not have friends with bikes, some of my friends had a Bike when younger but everybody is a father now.
Maybe i'll buy it, then when rain starts on May I'll sell it, but i will know by then how is it to be a bike guy...
Hard stuff here in Mexico City is that drivers do not respect bikes, and traffic is too agressive.

Why you recommend 750 instead of 600??
What are the differences on 600, 750 or 1000, just the HP's??
woud it be so hard for a beginner a 1000 cc bike?, or is it just so dangerous?

And
Could you give me some aprox. prices for
Brake pads
oil change
struts
gaskets
rotors
wheels, etc

just to ponder how much is the difference between a car and a bike maintenance
lets say about a Suzuki GSX R 600

This is very interesting for a begginer like me, what do you think?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsY-zoS8j8c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4owLRxSffI

I have never have clear how to downshift, i mean every gear is up but 1st, but when up shifting every gear has an specific position? or just get up the lever?
When going down on the speed how to know whic hgear do you need?

I'm not clear right??

If you are getting a sport bike as your first bike, 600's are not recommended. It can be done (I did it), but it can be dangerous. I wouldn't have done it if I didn't take a safety course. Try to find some under a 600 to start on, and then plan on upgrading after a year or so.

On a 600cc, you won't get much more than 45mpg (if you drive very conservatively). On my liter bike, I get an average of 32 (2 less than my g/f's Saturn).

Alex

Motorcycle transmissions are sequential. In otherwords one click one gear. First gear is at the bottom so you can always find it, neuteral is between first and second so when you bang down through the gears you won't end up in neuteral and not have any get out of the way power.

As for shifting I'll tell you what I told my wife.

The bike will let you know if your in the wrong gear. If the rpms are through the roof shift up, if the motor is bogging down then shift down.

The hardest part is getting it rolling. After that...

x2
I also agree w/ the others on how big of a bike. I rode for about 6 months, and had a 600 cc. Ninja. The bike was plenty powerful for what I needed, and for my experience level, and yet, I still laid it down. It was just some stupid little mistake, but it caused a lot of damage to the bike, and could have hurt me if I was on a bigger bike, or didn't have the little experience I did, on how to fall correctly. Don't go over 600cc on a sport bike for your first bike.

get a 1000, all you have to be worried about at first is turning at low speeds which you will find is very easy once you have some experience. you can moderate how much power you use. the faster your going the more stable the bike is. the power of the bike doesn't really matter. you can nail it harder as you get better. all you have to know how to do is lean and balance your weight. big bikes ride just like 600's until you get over 9k and then they want to pull up, all you do is lean forward. and bigger cc bikes have alot more power when your just cruising in a high gear.

100% wrong. 100% terrible advice.

Having ridden well over 25 bikes of all different displacements, years, and styles, I'll justify.

1000's pull more off the line due to a wider powerband. A 600 will not come alive until after 5k rpms or so. In first, I can't give it more than 1/4 throttle or the front end pops off the ground. At some point while learning to ride a bike, you will give it too much gas. You'll be thrown into the back of the seat, which will cause you to pull the throttle even more. It's tough on a 600, but don't even try it on a 1000. You're front end will be off the ground and you'll end up on the ground.

Over 8-9k rpms, there is virtually no difference between a 600 and a 1000 in terms of acceleration. I don't know where you would I get the idea that they are different.

With turning at low speeds, there is virtually no difference between a 600 and a 1000. The most common motorcycle accident is due to running wide into turns because people don't learn how to ride the bike before they ride the bike.

On the street, you will never reach the full potential of a 600. It is not possible unless you are on a track. All you have to do is read some blogs by track racers and they will tell you that a 600 is 10x easier to ride than a 1000. Obviously there is a reason for that.

If you are going to start on a 600, it's recommended that you buy a mid-90's model. These carb driven bikes will be a little tamer, but still give a first time rider plenty of room to progress without requiring an upgrade.

Telling someone to get a 1000 as a first bike is just plain ridiculous. It's irresponsible.

But an irresponsible person may buy a 1000 bike just cuz they want more power. My friend just got his license and as his first bike he bought a 900cc, forget what model it is. But barely knowing how to ride a bike, he learned how to ride it on the drive home from the dealer.

I think people should be able to buy any bike they want. I'm a strict libertarian and don't care about what anyone does if it doesn't affect me.

If someone goes out and buys a 1000 because they want more power, then who cares? The issue is that a 1000 shouldn't be a recommended bike for someone that hasn't ridden before and doesn't know any better. I'm not going to run to Mexico and stop Alex from buying a literbike, but I'm also not going to tell him that it's a good idea and a wise decision.

Ignorance is bliss.

The thing is people "think" they out grow one bike and move up to the next. So their thought process is why start on the little bike when you'll out grow it in a year? So go straight for the big stuff.

Well let me tell you what. Small used bikes are easy to come by and much easier on the wallet for a beginner. When it's time to move up the little used bike is worth just as much as when you bought it(if you didn't wreck it) So if anything you only be out maybe a couple hundred bucks. Well worth the learning experience.

Your first bike isn't your last. (unless you give up riding)

I agree too, I just thought it was crazy to buy that big of a bike when he had never had any experience on a bike. About 3 months after he bought the bike and wrecked it. So he doesnt have that bike anymore and to my knowledge he hasnt bought another one.

Sadly, that's usually what happens.

When I was buying my latest bike, I sat on every bike I could. There's a place in NH that sells salvaged bikes. I went there because they had a least one of every type of bike. My decision came down to the 600RR and the 954RR. The 954 was 10x more comfortable for the type of riding I do, so I went with it. I sure don't need the power, but I love my bike cause it weighs less than some 600's, corners better, and still has plenty of power at low rpms (which is the majority of my riding).

Hi,

Lot of info, thanks!!
I found this web club here in mexico and started surfing on it, it become terifying when i found this place named: "our fallen partners" lots of pics of people who has died riding his bikes, one because a dog step in front of him, another cause he took some bad asphalt, another one slips on a curve...i'm re-thinking about a bike, the most i read the most i like them but this site really freak me out!!

motors cycles have half the wheels of cars but have twice the risk.

me and my friends all bought bikes two summers ago, and let me tell ya theyre alot of fun... i bought a used yamaha R6, 600cc... it had like 32000 miles on it, but it was so cheap... hercman is right, bikes will run forever... most people dont think so so they sell them when they have few miles on them for cheap... a 600 was a big bike for me, as a beginner, and due to the fact im only 5'6.. i got used to it quick, but at first it got kind of scary... my other friend went out and bought a brand new R6... and what i learned from that, if this is your first bike, buy used... i tipped mine over a couple of times... i didnt lay it down, but id be standing there and the bike would fall over cause i got careless... so did my friend which put some nice marks in his brand new bike... your guarenteed to make some mistake which will dick up your bikes appearance, so if its used its not that big of a deal...

but oh my gosh i would never buy a bike as a beginner and drive it around mexico... ive been to cancun and wow everyone is nuts... but the decision is up to you... if you get one, just be cautious and good luck...

I know about 5 people that bought brand new bikes as their first bike and they all dropped them at least once.

I only have 1 friend that has ridden a street bike for a couple years without dropping it.

1000's pull more off the line due to a wider powerband. A 600 will not come alive until after 5k rpms or so. In first, I can't give it more than 1/4 throttle or the front end pops off the ground. At some point while learning to ride a bike, you will give it too much gas. You'll be thrown into the back of the seat, which will cause you to pull the throttle even more. It's tough on a 600, but don't even try it on a 1000. You're front end will be off the ground and you'll end up on the ground.

Over 8-9k rpms, there is virtually no difference between a 600 and a 1000 in terms of acceleration. I don't know where you would I get the idea that they are different.

-I dont know if you've recently rode a 600 or a 1000, but i have a gsxr1000. and what i said is exactly correct. i have rode numerous bikes also.

A guy I work with offered to sell me his 2000 GSX-R 750 for $4500, less than 10k on it. He said that it needs a new clutch but he'd replace it before I bought it, should I be interested. Do clutches go out easily, or is this a sign that he beat the crap out the trans?

I'm thinking about it, but I dont really need another insurance and vehicle loan.

Motorcycles have a wet clutch setup that does not normally need to be changed. Most people will never change the clutch over the life of the bike.

Not all bikes have a wet clutch.