New guy from the northeast says hi!

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New guy from the northeast says hi! - Bikerz - 01-09-15

New to bikes - looking at getting one but starting the research of which to buy!

Re: New guy from the northeast says hi! - slimwilly - 01-09-15

Hello there,,ooh ,out in the world of bikes and bikers,,well don't worry, we don't bite..

you will get loads of help here, some good ,some conflicting,

Age, experience,height, pillions,using it for what,

good luck

Re: New guy from the northeast says hi! - 7omly - 01-09-15

Welcome to the fold. You can't really go wrong with a Fazer and there a loads of decent people on here only too glad to help out.
Safe and happy riding when you get one.

Re: New guy from the northeast says hi! - Bikerz - 02-09-15

great - thanks for the warm welcome. going to start my research!

Re: New guy from the northeast says hi! - Val - 02-09-15

Hello and welcome Smile

Buy this Foxeye. Research completed :lol

Re: New guy from the northeast says hi! - Bikerz - 03-09-15

comparing the http://www.motorcyclenews.com/bikes-for-sale/yamaha/fzs600-fazer/ vs a used Harley sportster IRON from my local dealer here http://www.leedsharley-davidson.com/pages/used/used-bikes.htm
has anybody ridden both bikes who can give me any advice ppart from obvious price difference I just wanted to see how good the Yamaha stacks up against the Harley?

Re: New guy from the northeast says hi! - slappy - 03-09-15

Had a ride on a Harley Sportster :rollin a few years back, the Fazer 600 out performs the Harley in every way.
But saying that only you can decide which bike suits you and your riding style the best,if your looking at both the Fazer 600 and the Harley you really need to test ride both before you make your mind up.

Re: New guy from the northeast says hi! - Bikerz - 03-09-15

i am swaying toward the fazer to be honest. just seems a better all round bike. Going to test both. thanks for the help.

Re: New guy from the northeast says hi! - Smurfbud - 25-09-15

Probably couldnt get two more diverse ends of the biking range ! :eek

Welcome to the forum Smile

there is some good information and people on here .... enjoy

Re: New guy from the northeast says hi! - bigbluebear - 25-09-15

Go for a mighty Fazer thou....the 600 is pish poor.......blue touch paper lit Big Grin

Re: New guy from the northeast says hi! - Didier9 - 25-09-15

(02-09-15, 03:01 PM)Bikerz link Wrote:great - thanks for the warm welcome. going to start my research!

Good luck with your search.

Just an observation based on my own experience buying my first bike (44 years after I stopped riding the first time...) and looking at comments on this and other forums, there are (at least) two kinds of people: the first kind (like me) who actually does not enjoy the prospect of changing vehicle, so we have to research the subject to death and once we buy something, we tend to keep it until it falls apart. We also tend to get used to its idiosyncrasies and deficiencies. The second type will buy something more on an impulse and may not be as tolerant if the product does not match their expectations and therefore changes rides more frequently.

There is no right or wrong approach, pick the one that works for you, but it's important to realize what type you are so that you can look at the advice you get in that frame of mind.

While I was researching what bike to get, some people told me don't spend so much time looking, just buy something, ride it, and if you do not like it, get something else. It's just not my type, I had to do research, look at reviews and forums and narrowing the field is a slow process for me.

Also people told me to get a 250 or at most a 500 and change it when I outgrow it.

I must say that before I decided to buy a bike, a friend loaned me a Harley Davidson Sportster for a couple of weeks. I rode it around town (did not scratch it) and convinced myself that I did not want a Harley Smile

As I started looking, I found that "beginners" bikes (that many people recommended because that was how they started) were not appreciably cheaper than larger, more comfortable (and a little older) bikes. Of course, people who buy beginner's bikes tend to change fairly rapidly as they outgrow the bike (not my type), so I fairly rapidly narrowed my search on larger bikes, which offer more comfort, better engine and brakes, and will not require a frequent upgrade schedule.

I prefer the look of a naked bike and I also prefer that it facilitates maintenance, so "no large complete fairing" was one of the first decision I made. I wanted a comfortable riding position (I have a bad back from 30 years ago) so that ruled out the super sport bikes. I also did not want a big, heavy bike. That left naked street bikes, some tourers and cruisers.

I ended up with a 2003 US FZ1 1st generation (FZS1000 Fazer in Europe) with low mileage that cost me $2,500. A Ninja 250 in reasonable condition (actually hard to find) would have cost me about as much, regardless of age.

Some of the things that may not be obvious from the reviews, but that I found out AFTER I bought it: the bike is VERY smooth, engine, steering, transmission, brakes are excellent. There is a little bit of engine surge right off idle, worse when the engine is cold but easy to deal with once the engine has warmed but that is the only area that requires attention (and staying away from >5,000 rpm at least for a while). The bike is otherwise so smooth and comfortable (and powerful if you need it or feel like it) that I take it everyday and it would have to be raining (or weekly grocery shopping) for me to take the car now.

The transmission in particular is extremely smooth. I can find the neutral without looking at the dash, the bike shifts on your terms, not on its terms. Try a Ducati or a Harley to see what I mean.

I am not advocating that this is the best way to get started for everybody, just relating my experience and why I went that route. I am 63, so I can resist the temptation to prove anything to anybody. I am just happy to ride my bike.

Note that I observed that people tend to recommend the way they went as the best way and some will not tolerate you not following their advice. You will hear things like "a liter bike can kill you", as if you could not kill yourself on a 250 or a 600. It is of course easier to do something stupid on a liter bike than on a 250, but it's only a matter of degree, not an on/off switch.

My FZ1 is actually a nice bike to learn on for the following reasons: it is not very heavy (500 lbs loaded), quite easy to steer, smooth transmission, has great brakes and a nice riding position and comfortable seat, and as long as you keep the engine below 5,000 or 6,000 rpm, it will be well behaved. Above that, the beast within wakes up, and you may want to keep experimenting with that for when you have more miles under your belt...

This bike also has a center stand, which makes maintenance much easier. Of course, you can always buy a shop stand if your bike does not have a center stand, but if you have any issue away from home, you may not be able to do anything. I strongly recommend buying a bike that has one, or buy an after-market one for your bike if it does not.

The bottom line is that you must use your brain, do something that is sensible and reasoned and that works for you, and make sure you understand the consequences of your choice. Take advice from forums (like this post Smile

as inputs, not as instructions.

Didier

Re: New guy from the northeast says hi! - Ian-man - 25-09-15

I wouldn't get a fader thou for your 1st bike. A foxeye 600 would b perfect, good handling and size, still plenty of speed.

Re: New guy from the northeast says hi! - bigbluebear - 25-09-15

There is a few people on here, myself included that have had both the 600 and the 1000. I found the 600 a capable bike but found it just didn't have enough oomph for me so sold it and bought the mighty thou......remember the 1000 is faster, heavier, not so fuel efficient and the insurance will be more. You don't have to ride flat out at the start and that way until you get used to it.......buy the 600 and you'll be wishing for that extra gear and wishing you bought the 1000.....also depends on your size and riding style too.

Re: New guy from the northeast says hi! - mickvp - 25-09-15

(25-09-15, 06:07 PM)bigbluebear link Wrote:There is a few people on here, myself included that have had both the 600 and the 1000. I found the 600 a capable bike but found it just didn't have enough oomph for me so sold it and bought the mighty thou......remember the 1000 is faster, heavier, not so fuel efficient and the insurance will be more. You don't have to ride flat out at the start and that way until you get used to it.......buy the 600 and you'll be wishing for that extra gear and wishing you bought the 1000.....also depends on your size and riding style too.

Re: New guy from the northeast says hi! - Val - 26-09-15

(25-09-15, 07:32 PM)mickvp link Wrote:[quote author=bigbluebear link=topic=18102.msg211254#msg211254 date=1443200831]
There is a few people on here, myself included that have had both the 600 and the 1000. I found the 600 a capable bike but found it just didn't have enough oomph for me so sold it and bought the mighty thou......remember the 1000 is faster, heavier, not so fuel efficient and the insurance will be more. You don't have to ride flat out at the start and that way until you get used to it.......buy the 600 and you'll be wishing for that extra gear and wishing you bought the 1000.....also depends on your size and riding style too.

Pretty much sums me up too. I bought the 600 due to people telling me the thou was too much, but the 600 does not have that much oomph if your a fat foccer like myself and I always wanted more torque, so the 600 went and the 1000 was bought. Better in every area that I care about (except arguably handling as standard).

Both bikes are cracking buys though, you won't be disappointed in either.
[/quote]

Just to be clear here. When the guys say 600 does not have enough oomph (torque), they actually mean 600 compared to 1000 have less torque.

Which for road ride is still plenty if you put some revs and use gears. In fact I am pretty sure nobody uses all the 600 available oomph on the road.

1000 is just easier to use without changing gear and keeping revs down. But is more heavier and not so agile.

All depends on what you like. If you like to stay in power band on higher revs and the associated howling sound one may say 600 is better :lol

About Harley performance as a bike I will say nothing, one picture worths thousand words :rollin

[Image: gay_motorcycle_guys1.jpg]

Re: New guy from the northeast says hi! - slappy - 26-09-15

Val, which one are you in the Harley picture? :lol

Re: New guy from the northeast says hi! - red98 - 26-09-15

:lol... is that EXUPNUT on the left ?... :lol

Re: New guy from the northeast says hi! - Val - 26-09-15

(26-09-15, 06:54 PM)slappy link Wrote:Val, which one are you in the Harley picture? :lol

Ha ha very funny Smile

I probably would be the guy on the bike :rollin

I wear glasses though...like Peter:

[Image: nbsyzk.jpg]

Re: New guy from the northeast says hi! - anutz - 26-09-15

[size=1.35em]I got a FZS 600 last January, rode it for 3 months, broke it, just had it back on the road for a month....

Val's comment "All depends on what you like. If you like to stay in power band on higher revs and the associated howling sound one may say 600 is better [/size][size=1.35em] "

is spot on for me, i struggled with this bike a little initially, i had ridden an SV650 a little bit before which has a fair bit of torque low down, compared to the FZS600, and at low revvs, the FZS600 i rode in the same style and kept finding it lacking in power when i needed it, till i realised what people mean when they said it was a revy bike, let it howl and its a mighty nice little bike to ride, as soon as i kept the revvs up and resisted jumping into the high gears, and let it howl its been a pleasure around the twisty roads...also nice to click up the box for a little cruise but thats not something i do a lot of....

I have a friend who i ride with a lot and he has a XJR1300, he barely breaks a sweat on some roads and barely has to change gear, i howl around with high revs, usually in 2nd and 3rd....he is doing less than 1/2 the revvs i do....but a much more powerful and torquey engine with a massive power band...
[/size]

Re: New guy from the northeast says hi! - chaz - 26-09-15

Just a point Val, it's not a Harley it's a Yamaha trying to be like a Harley but doing a better job. lol.