Is maintaining a sportbike expensive?

[nismotrinidappa]

i was racking my brain about countersteerand searching on forums trying to understand it......then i realize that it comes naturally and instinctively... i used to ride my bicycle moto gp style when i was small

[cacasplat3]

^^^^kixx

when u body steer(which is still debated as a means of steering) u feel the tension on the inner hand.......u might not notice it...but if u think about it, it is there....

i'm sure there a lot of bike riders who dont know that.....

[cacasplat3]

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/motorcycle4.htm

a good explanation with a diagram...a bit difficult to understand the physics behind it, but i think i got it.

[Monk BANzai]

side bar......2K9 R1.....Splurt...

[cacasplat3]

^^saw those 'preview' shots a couple weeks ago...a couple things about it nice, but a few things i dont like...

love the GP styled side exhaust, love the headlight shape...the bronze wheels i like even though they borrowed it from the 08

i dont like the 'kissing' front air dam, that was always an R6 thing and it should stay there...and i dont like the kind of shark gills on the side.....

however......in black it all comes together nicely

[djcarbon]

Interesting post. I wanna get a bike myself as I usually roll solo, responsible, better frigging gas milage, etc. I too am a newbie and was gonna start by Greene's... Was looking @ a 600cc or a 400cc+ trail period. No 1000's, no love of speed, sheit scared of bikes to be honest. I had an unlicensed 175 yamaha enduro till it got stolen... I prefer the trails cause I can go anywhere... Sand, mud, grass, road, etc... but I will admit even though I fraid a sportbike them things too sweet - I used to hang out with Spider and his people back in the day and I loved his red trail - I think it was a 400cc something... Sport or Trial bike? What is 'better' in Trinidad? Which is 'safer'? Easier to maintain? More durable? I know these are vague questions but I wanna be riding by Feb for the latest as primary transport... Nice thread...

Other than Greene what's the process to bring in a bike from the US? What is the age limit? Same as a car? Licensing? Etc...

Thanks again to all who posted real good info here...

[cacasplat3]

i want to get a Trail too, but i guess there is nothing like riding a sport bike......over the last couple weeks i did some thinking, i'd stick to a R6 if i ever got one. however getting a trail isnt out of the question for me.

i saw a new 175DT on the papers for sale....think its greene selling a 2008 model, 1 year warranty and maintenance......for about 25K, i would have personally bought that if i had the cash.......or a 250xt(or sumthing like that)....gas mileage on the new bikes are like a miricle......kixx.......


for the road its not too hard to riad a trail around....there is a guy in sanfernando that does it all the time........on the highway it going to be a little different since u dont have the top end speed like a sport bike.....
u should get a dirt bike helmet too, or the dual purpose one from Shoei.

[Porn Star]

Got the R6 and it is amazing. The R1 and R6 are two totally different machines.
They don't feel similar at all.
For a beginner, I would reccomend the R6. Lots of power, insanely fast, amazing handling.
The R1 is a beast. The R6 is very fast, but from a stop light, the R1 will slaughter it.
The power on the R6 is alot more controlable or user friendly.
The R1 is just brutal.
I love them both, but for a beginner, I highly reccomend starting with a 600.

[cacasplat3]

^^advice i'll take....thanks

[djcarbon]

Even a 400cc Trail? I figured it should have enuff power for the highway... and yup sportbikes have an allure that is just scary... The look too inviting.... for me at least. I respect and fear them - even down to an R6 or a Ninja or sumptin...

[suspeck]

If you're new to bikes i suggest you start on a 250cc bike. They tend to be more forgiving than the SS bikes.They have more than enough power for a beginner IMHO and are fun to learn on.
However at the end of the day,it all boils down to the ability and confidence of the rider.Mature individuals who know their limits and play within them can start on SS bikes.That doesnt mean you should jump on a 600cc bike to prove you're mature eh.lol.
I would strongly consider a 250cc bike as a first bike if i were you though.More than ample power as i've said before.I've been able to get up to 170km/h on a ZZR250 Ninja.

Back to the topic.LOL.
Maintenance isnt all that complicated.Regular oil and filter changes.I do mine about every 3000km.Carburetors,i clean whenever the bike idles a bit rough,which happens about every year,year and a half.Air filter is changed every 2-3 years.Tyres are the most expensive.
Take care of your bike and it will last you a LONG time.

[TrinbagoMan]

Any number for horsie?

[djcarbon]

R6 for a beginner is suicide. I'd recommend a Ninja 650R or a SV650s like mine...

[PARTS2go]

I do not support learning on a 600 ...unless u have balls of steel...things can go really wrong really fast with that kind of power & little experience...a 250 is the real deal &
It goes fast...enough. A 600 may be ok riding by urself, wait until you bounce up a few bikes peddlin down the road, popping wheelies, it's almost impossible not to try to keep up with them. Having a crew is 3/4 of it. Find a good responsible crew & stick with them. I've seen things go wrong & the guy's crew ride off & leave him alone or not waiting for the new guy which can lead to an accident when u try to keep up. Keep the formation & don't tailgate bikes only stop on 1 tire.

I started with a 250 best bike I ever had!

[ru$$ell]

R6 for a beginner is suicide. I'd recommend a Ninja 650R or a SV650s like mine...

not really,i have a friend who started of on a r6,and as pornstar said,its how much discipline you got,when i mean he started off,he knew nothing about riding.Not everyone has the same respect for bikes if any at all

It goes fast...enough. A 600 may be ok riding by urself, wait until you bounce up a few bikes peddlin down the road

very true,this is why i ride solo.

[RB25-DET]

Andy Clarke is doing bike maintenance, he supplies the parts too oil, filters, chains, sprockets etc. his no. is 645 7297
For the fellas that looking for an edge he also installs and tunes power commander ecu's and all the other aftermarket goodies

[MG Man]

how hard is it to license a left-hand drive motorbike out of the US?

[Rory Phoulorie]

how hard is it to license a left-hand drive motorbike out of the US?

I wonder how many people actually know that motorbikes (actually one part of the bike) are made specifically for left hand drive and right hand drive markets?

[marlener]

I started riding on a kawasaki 250gpx that I brought from Japan,It was perfect.don`t be fooled either you respect the bike or you learn respect for the asphalt.Rode a lot of bigger ones but never owned one.Got a quick lesson from Dale Mayers back in the days.Whatever wear protective clothing and be a mature rider.

[MG Man]

how hard is it to license a left-hand drive motorbike out of the US?

I wonder how many people actually know that motorbikes (actually one part of the bike) are made specifically for left hand drive and right hand drive markets?

rory why yuh so eh?
kill mih fun right there

[Kesi3356]

maintaining a sportbike isnt that expensive once its not ridden daily and even then your main expense would be from the cost of the tires (brutally expensive) apart from that, servicing should be done every 2000-2500km (just my opinion, i'm no expert).....and since everyone is talking about starter bikes, i started on a 250cc trail bike back when i was 15 but that was only for small runs, when i was practicing to get my license the instructor had me use a 175DT...im now 18yrs old and currently riding a 2011 cbr1000rr, very powerful machine but once you're a disciplined rider and know the limitations of your skill you shouldn't have a problem riding anything

[*Phoenix*]

Hey Kesi would love to se your 2011 FireBlade.. Where you from.. Message me..

[djcarbon]

Got the R6 and it is amazing. The R1 and R6 are two totally different machines.
They don't feel similar at all.
For a beginner, I would reccomend the R6. Lots of power, insanely fast, amazing handling.
The R1 is a beast. The R6 is very fast, but from a stop light, the R1 will slaughter it.
The power on the R6 is alot more controlable or user friendly.
The R1 is just brutal.
I love them both, but for a beginner, I highly reccomend starting with a 600.

I can't help reading this again and laughing at how we in Trinidad seem to really think that a R6 is a beginner bike. Help us all.

[Ted_v2]

where can one get a 250cc trail bike to buy or a scooter?

[djcarbon]

Classifieds, here or Miami and ship it in. The latter isn't really that cost effective for a single bike like that.

[Ted_v2]

i see, i got a link sent for me but 10k is a fair price for a trail bike? i want one but i dont want it registered