Bikes, want one.

[Devilbiss01]

The Ninja 300 is a good learners' bike, but you have about a 95% likelihood of dropping your first bike. I recommend getting something cheap and cheerful, and cranking through your licences as quickly as possible, and upgrading when you get your full.

This.

Like anything, your first first will end up ****ed . Get something cheap that you don't care much about and get confident with it.
Then upgrade.

[LiQuid.Ace]

Sounds like the sound thing to do. The hard bit is finding something i like lol.

[Sil3nt-War]

I agree, but you just posted a picture of a FZR....

And your point?

[Sil3nt-War]

And you will only drop your first bike if your a muppet that doesn't learn how to ride properly.

[FruitLooPs]

VFR or RVF400 for looks and power and that sexxy square 4 sound

Don't spend all 10k on a learner bike IMO, you won't have it for long. An RVF NC35 I think would hold its value for the learner period, people on full licences still ride 'em because they're nimble look awesome and go pretty well for their size.

Seem pretty hard to find though, GL

I'd take a tidy CBR250 over a Hyo gt250 or a ninja 250 not sure on the 300 though.

sexxy time

[eSOL]

Shit! Forgot about those rvf and for 400 were learners. 3rd fastest lol.

Can confirm that only rooks drop their bikes.

[Toastie]

hahaha... oh god, CB&M, you guys do elitist douchebaggery so well.

Specifically, Sil3nt-War, posting an FZR that's not learner legal and these little gems:

And you will only drop your first bike if your a muppet that doesn't learn how to ride properly.

Can confirm that only rooks drop their bikes.

with quality opinions and advice like this, who could possibly go wrong?

[Ninjist222]

LA. Buy a piece of Shit for learners. I got a hyosung gt 250 p brand new because also money was bountiful. But naturally all I've done is **** it up.


However I have no intention of selling it even if I upgrade. Waiting until your riskies and then upgrading from piece of Shit to more expensive second hand and then brand new for full would be a good option.

[eSOL]

Silent war sounded like he got a little offended judging by his post. Seriously though. Idiots drop their bikes. If your careful where you park it and shit you shouldn't have a problem. Have had my bike 3-4 months and haven't dropped it yet.

[GaR]

Sounds like the sound thing to do. The hard bit is finding something i like lol.

Gods, I have like 40 bikes watchlisted and I won't be able to buy one until at least the second half of the year. If anything the problem is the opposite: Far too many bikes I like.

And you will only drop your first bike if your a muppet that doesn't learn how to ride properly.

Rankest bullshit. It's pure luck if you manage to go from noob to competent without dropping a bike.

I always recommend learning the basics on a dirtbike, so you know what it feels like when a bike is completely out of your control.

Silent war sounded like he got a little offended judging by his post. Seriously though. Idiots drop their bikes. If your careful where you park it and shit you shouldn't have a problem. Have had my bike 3-4 months and haven't dropped it yet.

You're still a noob. That attitude gonna get you hurt if you ride like you post.

It's not just the hilariously miniscule amount of experience you have that makes me say that, btw, it's that you think this is a parking issue.

[MarksoN]

So to extend eSOL's point, only idiot riders must crash right?

Someone with zero experience on a bike will have no ****ing idea that shit like the painted lines on the road may as well be ice when its wet.

Hell I've even bailed because of that on my old BMX.

Spend <5K on your first bike (not because you will **** it, but because it is your first and if you are riding it you will out grow it pretty rapidly and you are at risk of ****ing it).
Spend the rest on GOOD and comfortable gear and lessons.
I would agree with Gar in saying dirt bike would be a good place to start.

Maybe try going to a place like Thundercross that hires bike out and take one for a burn.

[GaR]

True, gear is a main thing. Buy the best gear you can afford.

[hadees]

Took me 17 years to 'drop' a bike. It was my first 'big' bike 750 and it was the slowest u turn ever.
Bike hit the ground yet i sortta caught it so didnt do much damage.
Actual crashes...only 1 and that was from showing off doing skids 10 years ago.
Super close calls, a few.
I put my good record down too im pretty slow on the roads compared to the elite street racers yet im very aware of everything and all the idiots around me.

[eSOL]

Hmmm I seem to misunderstand dropping the bike. Dropping is different to crashing. I'm saying dropping as in when it drops while not moving. Crashing is a different point.

And Yea avoid them ****in painted arrows and strips on the road. Slippery as!

[Toastie]

I'm saying dropping as in when it drops while not moving.

Even this is mostly beyond your control. Cnts love to do shit like kick your kickstand out from underneath your bike when its parked up outside a bar or the movies or even mcdonalds. fortunately there appears to be an inverse curve association between cost of bike and likelyhood of this happening. Emergency stops in bus lanes are another good one to make you put it down.

I mostly take issue with other riders calling other people muppets for things that are 99% luck and the other 1% twitch reaction.

[han16]

Took me 6 months to drop my first bike, 2 weeks to drop my second and 5hrs for a mate to drop his. Dropping your bike is nothing but shear bad luck, sometimes.

[St4lk3r]

i was always under the assumption it was a right of passage when learning how to make on with motorbike that you will at some point in time at least once put the bike on its side, regardless of stationary or rolling

[Toastie]

Yeah, I've crashed loads of times, and 'dropped' my bike a lot. It's why I swear by crash knobs and frame sliders.

[L@mer|2]

I mostly take issue with other riders calling other people muppets for things that are 99% luck and the other 1% twitch reaction.

Only times I dropped a bike was due to my own ****-ups. Once I forgot to undo the steering lock. Stupid. Second time I forgot to remove the disc lock. Stupid. Third time, slowly (<5 km/h) coming up to a roundabout, I was following the car in front of me WAY too close. Car rolled over a hub cap that was on the road and threw it right in my path. The second the front wheel went over it, that was it.

All of these were avoidable.

If you're randomly dropping the bike and then blaming it on 'luck' and 'twich reaction', I am seriously concerned for your saftey on the road. What's up with your attitude? I think postitvity is very important in riding bikes. If you go out there pre-programmed and convinced you are going to fail, that's exactly what's going to happen.

[Jedateach]

Have had many bikes throughout my life starting at like 5 or 6 years old, am 29 now. I currently own a MC22. Was a teenage dream bike so I bought one recently. I'm a little person (5 foot 7 and mid 60kgs) so bigger bikes are too 'heavy' for me in reality. I have ridden much bigger bikes, but due to their shear size/weight I never feel 'right' on them.
My baby (I know it's lacking fairings in the picture and a few little other things need be done)


Dropping your bike can be a luck thing, I dropped my old NX250 at a set of lights, leaning on one leg arms not on the bars at a red light, no traffic around, massive wind came through and I'm not a big person so it pushed the bike on it's side and gravity + 130kgs of bike beat my leg in supporting bike weight. Totally my own fault for being so lax at lights, but these things happen, $20 for a new clutch lever later. :P

And learning how it feels to have no control what so ever on a dirt bike is a great place to start, dirt/gravel/mud is far more forgiving than tar seal and traffic.

But yeah, don't spend a stupid amount on your first bike.

[eSOL]

I actually like that look without the side fairings...

notice anything negative with it being off?

[Toastie]

Only times I dropped a bike was due to my own ****-ups. Once I forgot to undo the steering lock. Stupid. Second time I forgot to remove the disc lock. Stupid. Third time, slowly (<5 km/h) coming up to a roundabout, I was following the car in front of me WAY too close. Car rolled over a hub cap that was on the road and threw it right in my path. The second the front wheel went over it, that was it.

All of these were avoidable.

If you're randomly dropping the bike and then blaming it on 'luck' and 'twich reaction', I am seriously concerned for your saftey on the road. What's up with your attitude? I think postitvity is very important in riding bikes. If you go out there pre-programmed and convinced you are going to fail, that's exactly what's going to happen.

My attitude its reactionary, based on the attitudes of the posts I quoted previously. This is familiar ground that has been gone over many times on this forum, and every time a newbie gets told 'don't buy an expensive learner bike, buy good gear and be prepared to have a crash or two or drop your machine once or twice' people always chime in with shit like 'only idiots drop their bikes' etc. Implying that if you've ever had an off, it's your skill that's lacking. Even if this is the case, it is a redundant argument as learners, by definition, are inexperienced and unskilled. Just because there are those of us that were lucky enough to make it through thus far without having to put a machine down, does not make it the norm.

I've been riding for 25 years, and I still get into hairy situations, it's only through gaining experience in dealing with these that you learn what to do and how to do it, and yeah, sometimes I've come off second best, and a lot of the time, it's been something I could of done differently but didn't know until I learned better. You don't become a long term day-to-day rider by reading a book and passing your basic handling.


also, agree with eSol on the looks of the MC22, it's kinda cool semi-fared.

[Jedateach]

I actually like that look without the side fairings...

notice anything negative with it being off?

I'm sure it makes a tiny difference in performance, but as far as I can tell its cosmetic.

I think if the front was fairing was shaped a little differently down the side it'd look better, but as it as the moment it kind of just stops abruptly which to me looks weird.

I've got to replace the indicators on the front too, it'd got silly little aftermarket LED ones which I hate.

also, agree with eSol on the looks of the MC22, it's kinda cool semi-fared.

I don't mind the look if you ignore the very edge where it would connect to the next lot of fairings. It looks ok, I'm sure I could fabricate something out of fibreglass and have it painted to finish up the look and make it much tidier as an almost naked MC22

Edit: You can see the scuffs on the Engine Casing on the right hand side in that photo where it's been dropped by previous owners (I've not dropped it... yet)

[Sil3nt-War]

hahaha... oh god, CB&M, you guys do elitist douchebaggery so well.

Specifically, Sil3nt-War, posting an FZR that's not learner legal and these little gems:





with quality opinions and advice like this, who could possibly go wrong?

fzr is on lams list and dropping your bike isn't a guaranteed thing. Telling people its going to happen is seriously stupid advice

[vial]

<offtopic>

a girl on a bike doing nothing wrong got wasted by a taxi right in front of me on Wednesday while I was waiting to cross a road, taxi turned in front of her at the last second and she had no chance to avoid T-boning it. she smashed right in the taxi's A piller, impact was hard enough to brake her bikes front forks and buckle the taxi's front wheel

she was thrown into another lane and only just avoided being then run over by a truck

she was in full leathers/boots/helmet

she had at least a broken femur or hip/pelvis, and no feeling in the other leg. took about 15 minutes for an ambulance to arrive.

taxi driver and taxi passenger were fine.

gotta have a death wish riding a bike imho, even if you only crash due to bad luck/idiot drivers, stakes are high...

</offtopic>