Is maintaining a sportbike expensive?

[katurbobeast]

is maintaining/servicing a sportbike anymore expensive than a car?
and why?
what kind of prices would you be looking at for a basic monthly service? how often do parts such as brake pads, clutch, engine need to be serviced or engine rebuilds, being high rev-ing motors?!
does anyone have a schedule for bike maintainence?

any other useful info on this topic would be appreciated...

[cacasplat3]

depends on the bike of course, and what size......
if its a ducati spend a lot cuz its italian, if its jap expect it to be reliable, but parts would have to brought out of the US(not too hard) or out of japan(a bit harder to get)
its always a better idea to get a bike out of the US, because u get more power since JDM bikes are limited on power.....

parts arent all that expensive if u buy them new in the US, repairs are a bit tricky to get done in trinidad, since not much ppl know about bikes......but if u get your self aligned with a good mech locally u safe......
i'm looking to get an R6 early next year so i have to organize mehself and research the locals

and never use car oil in a wet clutch bike....

[rishi_j]

i doh think 'big' bikes widly available in japan...

[cacasplat3]

^^êxplain what u mean by big.........u mean liter and up bikes like r1's and zx14's????

its not hard to get cuz they are made there.....but tuned cars outperform them by miles, so ppl prefer cars there...that is when it comes to performance.


katurbobeast do some online searches and reading....some of the forum's are full of info like www.r1-forum.com and www.r6-forum.com both are great, but the r1 forum has more info......
i'm sold on the R1, but i need something smaller first so i'll try to get a late model R6.

BTW wear helmet, boots, a good jacket, back protection, jeans(at least) and prob chest protectors........a good kit could set u back about $10K...better to sweat than bleed.
and dont buy a used helmet

[katurbobeast]

so i guess, a bike is basically no more expensive than it is to maintain a car. actually i was checking out parts and prices for these bikes and they seem real reasonable.....
http://www.stadiumyamaha.com/pages/part ... amaha.aspx
i found this legit yamaha website for all yamaha parts online in the USA. basically they have down to the smallest screw u may need as well as part numbers.
i am a mechanic so im going to my research on bikes so i could do the mechanical work myself. shouldnt have anything i cant handle really....

btw, i am looking at a 2005-2007 local/foreign used 600, considering the Yamaha R6 or the Kawasaki R6.
O and im a newbie to riding.......i thinking about learning on that......i have heard different opinions, some say "yay" some say "nay"!!!
i would be learning in my neighborhood roads first before i move into the public street obviously......i have to learn the bike handling and potential first....!!!

and yea safety would be my #1 priority......better to sweat than bleed for real !!

cacasplat if u find something, let me know.......

[cacasplat3]

^^a lot of guys who ride 1000cc's say start with a 600, and when u go to a guy who rides a 600cc, he says start with a 250...., personally i call BS, cuz it goes down to responsibility of the user and the discipline he has....although most of those bikers say its not impossible to learn on an R1 or R6, they still dont advise it....then again they are all americans and they see enough idiots kill themselves doing sheit.

i was going to get a R1 and i know speed is addictive, but i know i have the discipline to ride it to learn, but i've been told the R6 is one of the best handling bikes, and the 06 model looks damn good, especially in the Raven colour scheme.
my riding test is actually on tuesday, and 4 instructors have said i ride the best of any first timer they have ever seen.......
i guess i comes down to researching what u want to do, before u do it.

i can do almost anything mechanically on a bike except tune it and rebuild the engine......give me a good workshop manual, bike stands and i good engineering in my blood

i was in contact with a dealer in the US, he is a paying seller on the r1-forum and he is doing up a quote for me for a new R6, i just want to know whats the approximate cost for one, then i'll add shipping.....cuz the bike guys locally does try to buss head with price.....
BTW if u find one abroad u can ship via http://www.motorcycleshippers.com/s_int ... _quote.htm

BTW i think maintenance is lower once u dont use it to do the north south everyday commute, cuz it will take a toll on the engine, chain, sprockets, tires and brakes...although there are guys with 30,000 miles on their bikes from new with no problems.......and with Yamaha aftermarket parts are available so when something goes wrong u have an excuse to upgrade.

BTW i think Porn Star on tuner has an R1 and an R6...not too sure....u could pm him this thread

[katurbobeast]

aye tell me exactly what i have to do to get my license?
wats the price? how long it takes to do the test,etc. and what is the test? what do u learn on?

thanks for the shipping website......i'm wondering if it would be cheaper to get one used locally or foreign used rather than ship from the USA....

[cacasplat3]

once u have yur normal light motor vehicle license, u just have to do a riding test.....i got mine test a month later after i got my learners permit($120 to get it, no including the 3 photos u need).....
price varies for practices, i pay $50 a session and its $300 to get the bike for the test....
test is making some '8's in the 3 point turn area in the yard without putting down yur feet, and then u take a small ride in the yard and come back...u have to do 2 hand signals.....unsafe to overtake(when u pulling out) and the stopping signal.
i learn on a scooter most of the time, and its usually automatic scooters. so is real small thing.....just like yur car license u learn to ride/drive after u get it....kixx

horsie sells bikes, but i heard the prices hot, have to look for the number, cuz i wah call him too.......

btw i'm 20 so imagine the trouble the relatives giving me....and i am doing the most dangerous job in the world....and its not firefighting.....although i need to know how to do that too but they doh tell me bot the job

[katurbobeast]

cool cool...
im from POS, do u know any places where i can call to do some lessons?
does the licensing office open on saturday?

[Porn Star]

Learning to ride is not difficult. However, one must always have respect for a motorcycle. There is no room for error on a motorcycle.
If you are a responsible, mature individual, I would reccomend you start with a 600.
Mr. Gear and myself recently started riding motorcycles. He bought an '07 Honda CBR 600 and I bought an '07 Yamaha R1. We are both learners and have been riding for the past 5 months. Neither of us have had any accidents because we don't play heros. We have respect for these machines.
I have to admit that the R1 is not exactly an easy bike to learn on. The power is amazing. Mr. Gear is a better rider than myself because the 600 is a more user friendly machine.
Whatever you decide, always make sure you have propper riding gear and be safe.

[cacasplat3]

^^^^ so apparently u never got around to buying the R6 i remember u posting about........
good advice......Porn Star, and i guess its always better to start riding with sumone who is starting as well.........
pornie, care to share how u got your bike in
i went to license office this morning, and a guy there told me i need a receipt for the bike if i'm importing it myself, and the receipt has to be on the name of the person who is clearing the bike....once shipping and insurance is paid for and u pay MVT etc its no hassle......not sure if u need to get a vehicle importation license like u need if u are importing a car privately. .....i know customs can be a pain, cuz a guy i know (who's also on tuner) who works on the port says he saw a couple bikes there a for a long while.....i guess the importers didnt have everything........

think i will talk to a customs brokerage firm.

katurbobeast i'm not sure who does it in PoS, best thing to do is just go to the office in the morning and speak to some of the instructors..........see who offers it
just got a pm...horsie's number if 750-8000 and the person who pm'ed me says he gives lessons.......

[Porn Star]

^^^^ so apparently u never got around to buying the R6 i remember u posting about........
good advice......Porn Star, and i guess its always better to start riding with sumone who is starting as well.........
pornie, care to share how u got your bike in
i went to license office this morning, and a guy there told me i need a receipt for the bike if i'm importing it myself, and the receipt has to be on the name of the person who is clearing the bike....once shipping and insurance is paid for and u pay MVT etc its no hassle......not sure if u need to get a vehicle importation license like u need if u are importing a car privately. .....i know customs can be a pain, cuz a guy i know (who's also on tuner) who works on the port says he saw a couple bikes there a for a long while.....i guess the importers didnt have everything........

think i will talk to a customs brokerage firm.

katurbobeast i'm not sure who does it in PoS, best thing to do is just go to the office in the morning and speak to some of the instructors..........see who offers it
just got a pm...horsie's number if 750-8000 and the person who pm'ed me says he gives lessons.......

The 2008 R6 is in the country. Picking it up on Wednesday or Thursday. I purchased the R6 brand new from the local Yamaha dealer. The 07 R1 was brought in brand new by someone else, they rode it a few times but had to sell because family was against it. I got the R1 doing only 400 miles.

[cacasplat3]

pm me the dealer location name and number.....didnt know there wasa dealer here...
that makes things a lot easier........

to get a bike with 400 miles is really good.......did u get any problems with the ECU? i know the 07 R1 had a ECU recall, was supposed to be a free change, weather or not it was giving problems.

[Porn Star]

Dealer is Green's Cycles. Located behind Kay Donna Drive-In. 663-BIKE.
My R1 was produced after the ECU recall so it had the good ECU.

[De Dragon]

Dealer is Green's Cycles. Located behind Kay Donna Drive-In. 663-BIKE.
My R1 was produced after the ECU recall so it had the good ECU.

So you and Mr. Gear are self taught?

[Porn Star]

Dealer is Green's Cycles. Located behind Kay Donna Drive-In. 663-BIKE.
My R1 was produced after the ECU recall so it had the good ECU.

So you and Mr. Gear are self taught?

No. We have a few friends who ride and they showed us the ropes. Very patient friends I might add. LOL.

[DF1_2nR]

Is there a limitation on the age of a bike like there is for cars when importing?

[cacasplat3]

Pornie thanks for the info....will be checking them out soon.....i'm guessing Mr. Gear got his out of Ansa...?
i know a couple ppl who ride so wont be too hard to get some pointers out of them....

DF1_2nR,dont think there is a limit, u should check with sumone in transport div. to make sure.


the thing i fear about riding locally is the lack of respect that car men have for bikers, especially taxi drivers and the useless civic/almera/lancer men who's penis is soo small they must prevent u from passing no matter what......
in the many european countries i've been to, bikers are treated with great respect on the road......i was actually talking to W2J about this the other day, and he though that because trinis want to follow the american way of might is right....thats why our bike population will always be small. if bikers were treated with more courtesy on the roads i think the numbers would be a lot more and traffic would be less........

[Porn Star]

Pornie thanks for the info....will be checking them out soon.....i'm guessing Mr. Gear got his out of Ansa...?
i know a couple ppl who ride so wont be too hard to get some pointers out of them....

DF1_2nR,dont think there is a limit, u should check with sumone in transport div. to make sure.


the thing i fear about riding locally is the lack of respect that car men have for bikers, especially taxi drivers and the useless civic/almera/lancer men who's penis is soo small they must prevent u from passing no matter what......
in the many european countries i've been to, bikers are treated with great respect on the road......i was actually talking to W2J about this the other day, and he though that because trinis want to follow the american way of might is right....thats why our bike population will always be small. if bikers were treated with more courtesy on the roads i think the numbers would be a lot more and traffic would be less........

No, Mr. Gear bought his 600 from a friend.
MAinly we ride late at night when the roads are pretty clear. Also, always ride in groups and not by yourself.
Our bike population has been steadily increasing. Many people are getting into the biking scene. You would be very surprised at how it has grown in the past few years.

[wana-B-racer]

this post deserves ah pic

[katurbobeast]

since we on bikes here now.......maybe someone can point me in d direction of where i can get Velocity Stacks for my ITBs.....this is for a car engine now....
48mm

[cacasplat3]

^^^nice
but chrome and performance dont got hand in hand......

so hold this functional one......same colour, same stretched look, but more sensible IMO

[cacasplat3]

replying to the previous post before u katurbobeast......

u search online?????

[Maserati]

since we on bikes here now.......maybe someone can point me in d direction of where i can get Velocity Stacks for my ITBs.....this is for a car engine now....
48mm

http://www.mcadvantages.com/index.cfm?f ... ductid=840

http://www.cbperformance.com/catalog.asp?ProductID=571

or I dunno one of those metal fabrication places can hook you up? perhaps that guy in the auto parts forums..BCRLtd http://forums.trinituner.com/forums/vie ... c&&start=0

[cacasplat3]

forgot to mention, i got my license yesterday.......not going to get a bike now though....will have to hold off until early next year for that

[katurbobeast]

i found some on cbperformance.com

[De Dragon]

forgot to mention, i got my license yesterday.......not going to get a bike now though....will have to hold off until early next year for that

Congrats! Who did you learn with?

[cacasplat3]

thanks....wasent exactly hard though....more like embarrassing to be riding that put-put, my sis catch real kixx on me.
did it with Chanka's driving school from south.

[nismotrinidappa]

i asked a driving school owner in pos .....he has a tractor, big truck, bike ,cars etc everything...

told me it just takes one practice and then you good for the test. once you can ride a bicycle you on...

as caca said you only start learning after you get your permit.

i am looking at a 250 for a starter bike but my friend said when u get good you would become tired of it really quickly(slow) lol. and also he said 400 parts are becoming scarce, so a 600 bike is the best bet right now.

[cacasplat3]

a lot of riders dont realize that when up to a speed of about 10mph and over, steering isnt what u think.....if u dont lean yur body and want to turn, u might be in for a surprise......

u have to countersteer to turn......motorcycles are like this because the wheels become gyroscopes...... when steering if u want to go left, u need to push the left side of the handle, not pull it.....and its the opposite if u want to go right.......
its very good to know this, because if u steer by shifting yur weight, u wont know u are doing it, even though u actually are.....and in an emergency u might be tempted to steer the way u steer a bicycle.....

doubt me? google is yur friend