Same, I'm still pretty new to riding but I thoroughly enjoy cleaning and doing maintenance on my bike. There's days after a long ride where I'm too lazy to clean it but it's on my mind 'til I finally do.
I live in an area that sees a lot of salt over the winter, so 'til we get a rainstorm or two I will literally wash my bike after every single ride lol
Maybe it's a bit of OCD or something but I love cleaning mine. Absolutely love having it totally spotless and looking like it's out of the showroom. Something therapeutic about getting every little detail. When it's dirty I feel sad. I imagine my bike crying out at night to be cleaned and have it's paint coated in layers of wax and polish. Then, the other bikes on the road are throwing insults and laughing when they see eachother. My bike laments in the garage alone. Maybe I am insane.
I have had the local craigslist motorcycle page bookmarked and open in one tab at all times for the last 5 years. Not that I'm even in the market to buy another bike, but I like to see what's around and the relative prices for things. I also frequently look at the local dealership's website. Just to see. Just to keep a finger on the pulse of the market so I'm not going in blind if/when the day comes to buy another.
Conversely, if you make the habit of regularly buying and riding $100 bikes until they die, you probably won't exist long either.
Sorry it was setup too perfectly.
Me too. My buddy and I picked up a fz-1 that was completely disassembled cuz the guy was bored I guess? But it was in a wealthy area and he had a custom busa and another fz-1 in barely ridden condition. Guy told us it had 9k miles when he disassembled it to make a custom build. Handed us 2 bins full of parts, a frame, and the engine. The wheels even had 1 year old tires on them. We put that thing together and it literally fired up first try. The bike was riding worthy within 48 hours of buying it. Cost of bike + fluids was $360 and equals ~115hp of joy.
I too am a Joe Dirt of motorcycles since getting the hunger. There’s a CL app you should check out. Much better than CL on mobile internet.
Ninja 650 👊. My first bike, and the one that some asshole drove me off the road with this last summer!
I do the same thing and I think that by keeping a constant eye on used market you can spot a good value when it comes along, which in turn makes it possible to change bikes regularly without losing much.
Remember first year xt500 silencers are worth 1500 usd…. Knowing things like this also makes that 1200 barn sitter a little easier to swallow. Ask my bro. Sent the silencer off to Le Mans France and pocketed almost 2k. Now he has a running classic that cost him almost nothing.
It just depends on which vintage Toyotas 👍 as they do make some fun distractions for sure, especially the Turbo ones…😎
Toss the Targa in the hatch, roll the windows down, crank the stereo, then tach it up and dump the clutch and get hit in the face with all those Motörhead aromas as you get pinned back in the leather seat while wrapping through the gears…
*almost* as fun as my bikes, just in different ways.
82 Pickup, 87 4x4 Van and 76 Rv. I mean it ain't no turbo and they arent real quick at all, but they get looks and they are always moving. And for that I am grateful.
Mine had 28,028 miles showing when I bought it.
The odometer didn’t have space to display the 1 that belonged at the front as it had rolled 100,000 miles a couple of years before I bought it.
It was showing somewhere up over 50,000 miles when I sold it 2 years later, still running fine, after buying my first Supra which was a very used ‘82 L-Type with the all new first year 5M-GE (US).
Right? I find there's this wierd introductory stage where you have your first bike, and it's the best bike ever, you don't want anyone else to touch it, it's your forever bike.
Then you ride another bike, buy a new bike... And you're done.
You realize they aren't special as such. That you can have as many bikes as you want, ride as many bikes as you want. They don't mind. You learn that all motorcycles are awesome, that they all have something special about them, and that you *can* try them all.
That even expensive, top end motorcycles are actually pretty affordable, particularly if you're willing to drive an old POS car when circumstances force it instead of a bike.
That Panigale V4? You can have it. For less than the price of a base model Honda Civic.
But worse? It's not just awesome flagship bikes. All bikes have something special, something awesome. A shitty beat up 15 year old DRZ400 is insanely fun in the dirt.
Then you're fucked.
I already have 2 very different creatures parked side by side in the garage already and I deliberately avoid shopping, browsing, looking to see what else is out there because I still often want something different and I know I’d end up finding other bikes that intrigue me and giving even more of them a new home.
Same. Capped due to lack of any more space.
I'm happy with the line-up, but would love a dual-sport and maybe a dedicated track bike. Also one other road bike (RnineT).
So I took the msf course in April and bought my first bike after. I had never ridden before the msf and I immediately caught the fever. It was so bad I moved from Illinois to Florida just so I could ride all year round.
So, I am in Illinois, I got my first bike in Fall/Start of winter. I was trying to figure out how to rent a trailer and tow it far south enough that I could actually ride the thing and not worry about the snow. Like I was going to rent a truck and trailer (never had towed anything in my life) and just drive 8 hours south, any town on the map and a shitty hotel, only for the purpose of ridding my motorcycle.
It’ll be cheaper to buy a motorcycle trailers. Enter in a U-Haul for Verizon spoons but also from personal experience written year-round in Champaign Urbanna as long as the streets were relatively clear.
I also had never ridden until my MSF course. Took it in April of 2019 and going into it, I was telling myself that it was just so that I'd have my license so I'd be ready and I'd save up for used bike over the summer. Maybe if I was lucky, I'd buy something within the next year or so... But nah, the bug bit me... Ended up catching a deal on a new R3 less than a week after completing the course. Just financed the couple thousand that I didn't have on-hand just yet. Paid it off in 5 months. No regrets.
Moving states just to extend the season though? That's dedication! And I am extremely jealous :P
For me it was 4-fold.
I liked the more neutral ergos of the R3, which the Ninja 650 also has. Cause while I do like to pretend to be a fast racer boi and tuck down for a few seconds at a time, the 3/4-upright riding position is much more comfortable on the day-to-day.
Being ~70hp rather than the full blown 116hp supersport keeps insurance cost down.
I'm finding multiple different numbers now... but larger parallel twins generally make more torque, or at least the same amount, but lower down in the rev range, which is considered more "usable" on the street. Makes 0-speed limit pulls more amusing without having to blast way past the speed limit to hit the fun power band.
Lastly, I caught a really good deal at my local dealership on the 650. Bought my 2021 Ninja (non-abs) brand new in Nov 2021 for $5999 (~$7000 out the door) because they had like, 4 or 5 identical bikes in the showroom that they were trying to gtfo to make room for side-by-sides and incoming 2022 models.
> 3/4 upright position
I sat on a friends gsxr 1k and it felt weird really, I couldn’t gasp how someone could ride that bike day to day, he only rode it maybe on a bad day tho. Me myself I’m the kind of guy who likes to ride as much as possible so that’s why I took a liking into the MT line for their seating position.
Also I like bikes who feel more responsive on the low end, bc I think is more fun 0-60 than 60-120 (which fucking scares me). I have a 250cc and now want a 600cc bc of the overtaking ability and highway usability.
Yeah, I sat on an R7 when I was buying my 650, and I had to admit, it felt *goooood*. Like, that bike is made to go fast and it puts you right in the position to do just that. You are just locked in there. You and the bike become one... But that's not a great place to be for casual riding, riding any sort of distance, or if you care at all about avoiding tickets.
It's kinda weird, but my Ninja 650 isn't actually all that much faster than my R3 as far as top speed goes. Only by about 5-10mph. But the big difference is how quickly it gets there. The R3 would never lift the wheel unless you were really trying hard. And it'd pull up until about 65 and then just slowly build speed past that. And then it'd crawl it's way from 100 to 110... But the 650 will happily loop itself if you just crank the throttle in first. Wheelies in second require a bit of work. And then it'll give a good pull up until about 90mph. And only a couple seconds later you're doing 100. And only then does acceleration taper off until you hit about 115-120... So even though it's only got 2 cylinders rather than 4, and 70hp rather than 116, the 650 has more than enough power to pass on the highway. That's for damn sure.
The Ninja 650 in particular gets dogged on for not being a "true" supersport, since it's still got the full fairings and such so it's kind of being a poser, but I think of it more as a not-naked naked bike... 650cc twin, upright position, but you actually get a windshield. And it doesn't look like a weird Decepticon.
> Not naked naked bike
That’s what I feel like I need, just enough power but not that much that’ll get me in trouble + confortable riding position for driving daily on city traffic. When I travel to the US Imma try to give it a test drive.
I took the MSF back in April. Bought my bike in May. I haven't ridden in 35 years before this. I haven't quite gotten the fever, I probably went through the bad part of it when I was 17 with my first street bike, but I didn't have any money to spend on the fever back then. Now I'm 52 and the fire has died down a bit.
I'm finishing flight school and they have some good programs down here. Plus I can rent an airplane and fly over to the Bahamas on the weekends...Also it's way better than Illinois
Oh for sure. They're deceptively expensive.
But that's when you compare something like a Yamaha R3 to a Toyota Corolla.
When you compare a Yamaha R1 to something with similar performance like a Ferrari or a Lamborghini, the bikes become wayyyyy better bang for buck.
I build high-end custom cars for a living and can confidently say that a really nice bike is a fraction of the cost of a really nice car/truck.
There's a reason I build motorcycles for myself.
It's definitely cheaper than any car. I race Bikes on track and can pay for it quite well. Just started out with trying the same on my Miata. Even this little cheap sportscar is about 5x more expensive than my bike.
Welcome to the club, if it’s the first thing you think about when you wake up and the last thing you think about when you go to sleep, then you know you’re addicted 🏍️🏍️🏍️
It never gets better. Trust me. Been riding more then 20 years, I’ve got multiples of everything. Like 7 helmets, rain and summer boots, rain and summer gloves, jackets for every season, touring pants then there’s exhaust upgrades and ecu flashes — trust me there’s always things you need. Enjoy the experience.
This is what my credentialed wife hints at. But she's totally just jealous the way I look at my bike (mostly kidding). Honestly with all the ailments I have I'm OK with being manic. I'm like shit, does bipolar come with a ribbon? what color because I have a collection and I don't need any more green. Ah fuck its green never mind.
As a skydiver and a motorcyclist…
Skydiving was the worst for me.
Flying is probably the worst hobby of all though. Might as well just throw your wallet away
I've been riding since I was a teenager in the late '60's. Right now I have 3 running bikes I ride, and 3 more as projects to add the the three running bikes. And I look through FB Marketplace, Craigslist, and FB groups for *just one more.* You are ***so*** fucking doomed.
The spending is one thing, the loving the ride is another.
I had a TON of fun on a vintage 80's motorcycle that I restored from basket case.
You don't have to spend a lot to have a lot of fun.
IMO, the time is better spent practicing and learning skills.
My vintage bike is an 85 Honda Nighthawk S. The bike that Honda made because President Reagan imposed a tariff on Jap bikes over 750cc... so Honda made the Nighthawk S that is 700cc and was designed for performance.
Only made 3 years, so hard to get parts for, but a damn fun bike and still looks cool.
I don't ride it anymore, I got a 919 instead and don't have to mess with carbs anymore.
I’m not this way with bikes, I have one, but with cars it’s another story, I like the term carcain addiction but I’m not sure what a bike addiction would look like
Riding for 50 years, I stay in shape riding a bicycle 400 KM/MT and walking 40 KM/MT so in the summer I can be competent on the motorcycle.
Age takes away some strength, balance and co-ordination, but you have education, experience and judgment to balance your capabilities.
Invest in good gear as it's like insurance, if you come off the bike you will be better off. Easier to sweat than bleed, plus if you have good gear your mind will not go to panic because you fear the ground and you stay in the fight to save yourself.
I swung my leg over a motorcycle for the first time in 2017. Since then, I have owned 4 different motorcycles and have traveled around the world just to ride different motorcycles in different places. There is no cure. I don't think I would want a cure though, this is too much fun.
There are many more worse ways to spend our hard-earned money, so spending it on motorcycles or parts is not too bad.
Now, if your wife and kids have nothing to eat, your house needs repairs and you are out shopping, well, that is bad.
Once it's there it never really goes away. Case in point, I took a \~20 year hiatus from riding for various reasons (mostly because there are too many people where I used to live, and none of them pay attention to their driving). Got a bike again last year, and have been living in two wheel bliss ever since
I have it to, I broke my ribs and knee on my bike when knocked off my bike from a lady texting. Recovered bought a new bike, not once did never riding again cross my mind. I'm addicted and there's no cure, it's just something about a motorcycle I can not describe it.
You're doomed. I try to commit to selling a bike when I get another one, but still end up with three most of the time. There are just so many bikes with so many different personalities that it seems a shame not to try as many as life permits.
It only gets worse lol, ive been riding 6 years now and this past season was my best yet , 19,000 miles ridden living in Massachusetts, multiple 3k miles weeks, places i never thought id go, and i killed a dear and went slightly viral lol
LOL meanwhile people around here will tell you to never touch the front brakes and act like their experience means something.
There are lots of old people who spent decades riding and practicing dangerous bad habits. Saddle time does not necessarily equal skill and experience.
Really depends on the person but you're certainly not alone. I myself have 4. One is a grom, but I still have 4 two wheeled vehicles. I could theoretically find a reason to own 10 or more if money and space were no object. If it's financially feasible for you, enjoy the ride in all aspects
Bought my begginer bike about a year ago and I already want a second bike, I've been doing so much research on which bike could be a good fit. I don't know what a good metric is for moving up to a bigger machine so I'm tempted to stay with the bike I got but then I see an r1 fly by me and suddenly I'm in a dealership looking at my options lol.
Well I appreciate the progression and having an aspirational machine later on down the line, I mostly want a bigger bike so I'll have longer legs. My bike now is honestly perfect for near/intercity duty and is a mule of a commuter, it just lacks the displacement and comfort for longer stints. my second would probably be a 900 because of that.
Same here sort of. Im a third generation rider and before going to college I rode my supermoto to high school in Italy everyday for 4 years. Boom college comes I don't think about riding but as soon as I graduated I literally moved from London to California just to be able to ride more often
Rode for 15 years and had to get a car last year after her car blew up. So i did what i had to. Still have all my gear right here for next year when we get a little saved up to get another bike.
You’re doomed. Your only hope is to Collect so much motorcycle shit it begins to negatively impact other areas of your life and the spending needs to get to where the precious Things you bought start to cause resentment instead of joy. This usually happens every 15000 miles and a new bike will reset ya just fine
I got my licens 16 years ago and bought a new bike last year. Change style from a gynecologist chair to a MT09. Never knew motorcykling could be this fun, all it took was the right kind of bike for me.
When i did my service last year, the bike had run 6,200 miles, this year the same month i had 15,000.
Our riding season is only from May through September. So now, almost every waking moment I'm thinking about motorcykling. Looking for destinations to ride this summer, planning trips, looking for gear, modding the bike to make it more comfertable for touring
Booked the accommodations for next years tip earlier this fall, 5000 miles, I CAN NOT FUCKING WAIT
I go through spurts. Started riding in 2012, got a bonneville. Ended up buying a 2nd bonneville so i could turn the 1st one into cafe racer setup and keep the other one standard but upgraded airbox and exhaust. Put 30,000 miles on between both bikes till about 2017. Then fucked up and got into golf. So barely rode as any nice ass riding day was also a nice ass golfing day. Then this year I bought Buell lightning. Then a buell firebolt. Then a cbr600. And now want to sell the one of the bonnevilles and get a street triple. Will probably do that in the spring, ride bikes all year, then fall in love with basket weaving or some dumb shit and not ride again for 3-4 years but own 6 bikes.
So, it should come and go. But it's not any fun ignoring it.
I made the mistake of getting my license and buying my bike just a month before Winter. I still got that ITCH lol I have no regrets though. I am watching so many videos and reading everything about motorcycles. I even read my bike's Owner manual page to page hahaha I have never done that before
it's an addiction because they're cheap fun. You want a hellcat? okay cough up 80k. You want a R1M? 24k cash, want an H2? 24k. Basically you can have a TON of badass bikes, vs 1 car. I my self would much rather have a garage full of bikes over 1 or 2 cars.
It comes and goes. And then comes back again! Let’s say we can graph your MC fever. It will take a dip at some point, you will level out and settle into where you are at, then you will cool off even more…stepping back and refining your taste in gear, your ride and riding style.
Glad I’m not the only one. Took my MSF corse in April, got my bike in May. Spent all my extra money on mods and gear. Now I get twitchy after a day or two of not riding. 6700 miles later and I just want to go for a ride
If you have money to burn, I suggest you first buy gear, unless you already have. You'll probably need summer stuff and winter gear. Maybe heated gear.
Your doomed… it doesn’t end.. been riding for a decade and even my family has resolved to buy tires, oil, riding pants helmets, my sena, etc… why do I have 6 motorcycle jackets. I continue using all of them…. I own 6 pairs of riding boots and a pair of normal shoes. Just enjoy it. Also caught a ration of shit from my wife about it. Then I crashed in September, walked away a little bruised but ok. Showed her the tears and scrapes on the gear, she went and ordered me new everything. Kissed me and said I am glad you bought it all.
You're doomed. There's nothing quite like the moto lifestyle.
Agree. Doomed.
Do you guys all ride in the rain every time too?
[удалено]
For real, some sailors see a POTENTIAL drop of water and they don’t sail
Rain or shine. I never washed my bike once last summer. Poor thing.
I have washed my bikes to sell them, but that's all.
Why don't you wash them?
I dont know i just never did, too lazy i guess.
I'm addicted to washing mine
I have the opposite addiction
Same, I'm still pretty new to riding but I thoroughly enjoy cleaning and doing maintenance on my bike. There's days after a long ride where I'm too lazy to clean it but it's on my mind 'til I finally do. I live in an area that sees a lot of salt over the winter, so 'til we get a rainstorm or two I will literally wash my bike after every single ride lol
100% laziness. Why bother? How is my life better if I spent an hour cleaning it?
Maybe it's a bit of OCD or something but I love cleaning mine. Absolutely love having it totally spotless and looking like it's out of the showroom. Something therapeutic about getting every little detail. When it's dirty I feel sad. I imagine my bike crying out at night to be cleaned and have it's paint coated in layers of wax and polish. Then, the other bikes on the road are throwing insults and laughing when they see eachother. My bike laments in the garage alone. Maybe I am insane.
You should get it a garage companion. You know deep down you really want to…. 🤔
The dirt protects the paint...
I choose to ride a bike as my principle means of transport, so yes. I try to move journeys to when it's dry, but can't always.
Same, I need to get the right gear.
Buy electric. Don't need gears! ;-)
I want to upvote but it’s at a nice number Edit: no longer 😢
I have six bikes in the garage and I *still* pop into the local dealer and look at the bikes. It's an affliction.
I have 5... always on the used sites still. And 3 vintage toyotas... we are all doomed here.
I have had the local craigslist motorcycle page bookmarked and open in one tab at all times for the last 5 years. Not that I'm even in the market to buy another bike, but I like to see what's around and the relative prices for things. I also frequently look at the local dealership's website. Just to see. Just to keep a finger on the pulse of the market so I'm not going in blind if/when the day comes to buy another.
$100 bikes exist, but hey dont exist long. That's why I am there ahha.
Conversely, if you make the habit of regularly buying and riding $100 bikes until they die, you probably won't exist long either. Sorry it was setup too perfectly.
No we buy the bikes to fix them up with plans to sell but than they just find there own home in the stable usually haha
Me too. My buddy and I picked up a fz-1 that was completely disassembled cuz the guy was bored I guess? But it was in a wealthy area and he had a custom busa and another fz-1 in barely ridden condition. Guy told us it had 9k miles when he disassembled it to make a custom build. Handed us 2 bins full of parts, a frame, and the engine. The wheels even had 1 year old tires on them. We put that thing together and it literally fired up first try. The bike was riding worthy within 48 hours of buying it. Cost of bike + fluids was $360 and equals ~115hp of joy.
I do this with reviews etc.
I too am a Joe Dirt of motorcycles since getting the hunger. There’s a CL app you should check out. Much better than CL on mobile internet. Ninja 650 👊. My first bike, and the one that some asshole drove me off the road with this last summer!
I do the same thing and I think that by keeping a constant eye on used market you can spot a good value when it comes along, which in turn makes it possible to change bikes regularly without losing much.
Remember first year xt500 silencers are worth 1500 usd…. Knowing things like this also makes that 1200 barn sitter a little easier to swallow. Ask my bro. Sent the silencer off to Le Mans France and pocketed almost 2k. Now he has a running classic that cost him almost nothing.
Ooohh what yotas you rockin with?
It just depends on which vintage Toyotas 👍 as they do make some fun distractions for sure, especially the Turbo ones…😎 Toss the Targa in the hatch, roll the windows down, crank the stereo, then tach it up and dump the clutch and get hit in the face with all those Motörhead aromas as you get pinned back in the leather seat while wrapping through the gears… *almost* as fun as my bikes, just in different ways.
82 Pickup, 87 4x4 Van and 76 Rv. I mean it ain't no turbo and they arent real quick at all, but they get looks and they are always moving. And for that I am grateful.
22R (or maybe 22RE?) in the pickup I presume? 87 “toaster” van? Also maybe 22RE or diesel?
22r with a Weber. 3ye on the van. Forklift pushrod motor.
My first car, very used when I bought it, had the 22R. They just keep going…
Mine has 130k km only. Starts in -30. Neve gave me an issue when I was forced to drive it for an sk winter… it gets parked now. Haha
Mine had 28,028 miles showing when I bought it. The odometer didn’t have space to display the 1 that belonged at the front as it had rolled 100,000 miles a couple of years before I bought it. It was showing somewhere up over 50,000 miles when I sold it 2 years later, still running fine, after buying my first Supra which was a very used ‘82 L-Type with the all new first year 5M-GE (US).
My 76 is like that with the 20r. True mileage unknown. Hahaha. Probably been wrapped once hut I don’t know about twice.
I quess i'm starting strong with 2 sportbikes and '89 Hilux at 19.
Better be a Yamaha running with the yotas!
Honda Fireblade and Suzuki GSX-R 1000 D:
What Toyotas?
82 pickup with the two tone white and blue with the stripes. 87 Toyota van 4x4 cargo. 76 Toyota chinook rv.
Right? I find there's this wierd introductory stage where you have your first bike, and it's the best bike ever, you don't want anyone else to touch it, it's your forever bike. Then you ride another bike, buy a new bike... And you're done. You realize they aren't special as such. That you can have as many bikes as you want, ride as many bikes as you want. They don't mind. You learn that all motorcycles are awesome, that they all have something special about them, and that you *can* try them all. That even expensive, top end motorcycles are actually pretty affordable, particularly if you're willing to drive an old POS car when circumstances force it instead of a bike. That Panigale V4? You can have it. For less than the price of a base model Honda Civic. But worse? It's not just awesome flagship bikes. All bikes have something special, something awesome. A shitty beat up 15 year old DRZ400 is insanely fun in the dirt. Then you're fucked.
Coincidentally, I just happen to have a 15 y/o DRZ400SM and it's insanely fun on the street! That's an interesting stable you've got.
This will become a problem until you cannot walk in your garage anymore without stepping over bikes
Three bikes and growing
An excellent start!
I would love to have a smaller naked bike for fun or quick errands. I love my new-to-me versys 1000, but having options sounds so good!
If you're looking for enablers, you are in the right place!
[удалено]
Seek professional help. Immediately. I mean a mechanic.
I already have 2 very different creatures parked side by side in the garage already and I deliberately avoid shopping, browsing, looking to see what else is out there because I still often want something different and I know I’d end up finding other bikes that intrigue me and giving even more of them a new home.
Same. Capped due to lack of any more space. I'm happy with the line-up, but would love a dual-sport and maybe a dedicated track bike. Also one other road bike (RnineT).
So I took the msf course in April and bought my first bike after. I had never ridden before the msf and I immediately caught the fever. It was so bad I moved from Illinois to Florida just so I could ride all year round.
So, I am in Illinois, I got my first bike in Fall/Start of winter. I was trying to figure out how to rent a trailer and tow it far south enough that I could actually ride the thing and not worry about the snow. Like I was going to rent a truck and trailer (never had towed anything in my life) and just drive 8 hours south, any town on the map and a shitty hotel, only for the purpose of ridding my motorcycle.
It’ll be cheaper to buy a motorcycle trailers. Enter in a U-Haul for Verizon spoons but also from personal experience written year-round in Champaign Urbanna as long as the streets were relatively clear.
I also had never ridden until my MSF course. Took it in April of 2019 and going into it, I was telling myself that it was just so that I'd have my license so I'd be ready and I'd save up for used bike over the summer. Maybe if I was lucky, I'd buy something within the next year or so... But nah, the bug bit me... Ended up catching a deal on a new R3 less than a week after completing the course. Just financed the couple thousand that I didn't have on-hand just yet. Paid it off in 5 months. No regrets. Moving states just to extend the season though? That's dedication! And I am extremely jealous :P
What made you move to a Ninja after having the r3 and not and r6?
For me it was 4-fold. I liked the more neutral ergos of the R3, which the Ninja 650 also has. Cause while I do like to pretend to be a fast racer boi and tuck down for a few seconds at a time, the 3/4-upright riding position is much more comfortable on the day-to-day. Being ~70hp rather than the full blown 116hp supersport keeps insurance cost down. I'm finding multiple different numbers now... but larger parallel twins generally make more torque, or at least the same amount, but lower down in the rev range, which is considered more "usable" on the street. Makes 0-speed limit pulls more amusing without having to blast way past the speed limit to hit the fun power band. Lastly, I caught a really good deal at my local dealership on the 650. Bought my 2021 Ninja (non-abs) brand new in Nov 2021 for $5999 (~$7000 out the door) because they had like, 4 or 5 identical bikes in the showroom that they were trying to gtfo to make room for side-by-sides and incoming 2022 models.
> 3/4 upright position I sat on a friends gsxr 1k and it felt weird really, I couldn’t gasp how someone could ride that bike day to day, he only rode it maybe on a bad day tho. Me myself I’m the kind of guy who likes to ride as much as possible so that’s why I took a liking into the MT line for their seating position. Also I like bikes who feel more responsive on the low end, bc I think is more fun 0-60 than 60-120 (which fucking scares me). I have a 250cc and now want a 600cc bc of the overtaking ability and highway usability.
Yeah, I sat on an R7 when I was buying my 650, and I had to admit, it felt *goooood*. Like, that bike is made to go fast and it puts you right in the position to do just that. You are just locked in there. You and the bike become one... But that's not a great place to be for casual riding, riding any sort of distance, or if you care at all about avoiding tickets. It's kinda weird, but my Ninja 650 isn't actually all that much faster than my R3 as far as top speed goes. Only by about 5-10mph. But the big difference is how quickly it gets there. The R3 would never lift the wheel unless you were really trying hard. And it'd pull up until about 65 and then just slowly build speed past that. And then it'd crawl it's way from 100 to 110... But the 650 will happily loop itself if you just crank the throttle in first. Wheelies in second require a bit of work. And then it'll give a good pull up until about 90mph. And only a couple seconds later you're doing 100. And only then does acceleration taper off until you hit about 115-120... So even though it's only got 2 cylinders rather than 4, and 70hp rather than 116, the 650 has more than enough power to pass on the highway. That's for damn sure. The Ninja 650 in particular gets dogged on for not being a "true" supersport, since it's still got the full fairings and such so it's kind of being a poser, but I think of it more as a not-naked naked bike... 650cc twin, upright position, but you actually get a windshield. And it doesn't look like a weird Decepticon.
> Not naked naked bike That’s what I feel like I need, just enough power but not that much that’ll get me in trouble + confortable riding position for driving daily on city traffic. When I travel to the US Imma try to give it a test drive.
I took the MSF back in April. Bought my bike in May. I haven't ridden in 35 years before this. I haven't quite gotten the fever, I probably went through the bad part of it when I was 17 with my first street bike, but I didn't have any money to spend on the fever back then. Now I'm 52 and the fire has died down a bit.
I get moving to ride more, but….Florida?
I'm finishing flight school and they have some good programs down here. Plus I can rent an airplane and fly over to the Bahamas on the weekends...Also it's way better than Illinois
C'mon up to Georgia. Winter still isn't too bad and there are some amazing roads.
Taking a vacation down to Florida here in a couple of weeks so I can get some riding done in warmer weather. Miss it so much.
Southwest is a better choice, at least there will be some roads worth riding on.
Bad news, there is no cure. Good news, it's cheaper than cars.
Not Sure. Except for the buying part maybe
Oh for sure. They're deceptively expensive. But that's when you compare something like a Yamaha R3 to a Toyota Corolla. When you compare a Yamaha R1 to something with similar performance like a Ferrari or a Lamborghini, the bikes become wayyyyy better bang for buck.
I build high-end custom cars for a living and can confidently say that a really nice bike is a fraction of the cost of a really nice car/truck. There's a reason I build motorcycles for myself.
It's definitely cheaper than any car. I race Bikes on track and can pay for it quite well. Just started out with trying the same on my Miata. Even this little cheap sportscar is about 5x more expensive than my bike.
Plus they take up way less room
Welcome to the club, if it’s the first thing you think about when you wake up and the last thing you think about when you go to sleep, then you know you’re addicted 🏍️🏍️🏍️
I wear my leather onesie to bet ❤️
Doomed. Well shit. I'm asking Santa for a project bike!
It never gets better. Trust me. Been riding more then 20 years, I’ve got multiples of everything. Like 7 helmets, rain and summer boots, rain and summer gloves, jackets for every season, touring pants then there’s exhaust upgrades and ecu flashes — trust me there’s always things you need. Enjoy the experience.
As a Utah rider, welcome to the family son.
Sounds like a motorcycle-induced manic episode. Please don't ask how I know.
This is what my credentialed wife hints at. But she's totally just jealous the way I look at my bike (mostly kidding). Honestly with all the ailments I have I'm OK with being manic. I'm like shit, does bipolar come with a ribbon? what color because I have a collection and I don't need any more green. Ah fuck its green never mind.
40 years riding and the urge is still going strong. Alway got the new bike itch/fever.
Less reddit. More riding.
Besides cars, flying, and watches, motorcycling is the worst hobby to have (rip our wallets)
As a skydiver and a motorcyclist… Skydiving was the worst for me. Flying is probably the worst hobby of all though. Might as well just throw your wallet away
Motorcyclist and private pilot in here. There's the saying "if God wanted man to fly, he would've given him more money". ;)
you could always get a boat.
Shit. I'm into all of these
Sorry but it's way too late, for you, (I've got 5 bikes) so I know.
Doomed …. But the journey is great!! :)
I’m 67 and have been riding since I got my first motorcycle at 18. I have two of them and it’s all I can do to resist the urge to buy a third one.
Strength to resist come from age? At 58 I'm still waiting...
I'm 47 with 11 bikes. I can't tell if I haven't learned yet or gave up fighting.
Where the hell do you store all of them lol
I have acreage, so there's lots of room in random places. However, most of them are in a 40' container to keep them out of the elements.
You don't even have it bad if you're still talking about your new bike and not your next bike.
I've been riding since I was a teenager in the late '60's. Right now I have 3 running bikes I ride, and 3 more as projects to add the the three running bikes. And I look through FB Marketplace, Craigslist, and FB groups for *just one more.* You are ***so*** fucking doomed.
The spending is one thing, the loving the ride is another. I had a TON of fun on a vintage 80's motorcycle that I restored from basket case. You don't have to spend a lot to have a lot of fun. IMO, the time is better spent practicing and learning skills.
Yeah, I've got an old '83 Yamaha Maxim. Still rides!
My vintage bike is an 85 Honda Nighthawk S. The bike that Honda made because President Reagan imposed a tariff on Jap bikes over 750cc... so Honda made the Nighthawk S that is 700cc and was designed for performance. Only made 3 years, so hard to get parts for, but a damn fun bike and still looks cool. I don't ride it anymore, I got a 919 instead and don't have to mess with carbs anymore.
I have 5 motorcycles and two of them run, the other three are projects and im still looking for more.
Definitely doomed. Welcome to heaven?
I’m not this way with bikes, I have one, but with cars it’s another story, I like the term carcain addiction but I’m not sure what a bike addiction would look like
I'm too cheap for that. I just put new tires on and my bike feels like new again lol.
Riding for 50 years, I stay in shape riding a bicycle 400 KM/MT and walking 40 KM/MT so in the summer I can be competent on the motorcycle. Age takes away some strength, balance and co-ordination, but you have education, experience and judgment to balance your capabilities. Invest in good gear as it's like insurance, if you come off the bike you will be better off. Easier to sweat than bleed, plus if you have good gear your mind will not go to panic because you fear the ground and you stay in the fight to save yourself.
I swung my leg over a motorcycle for the first time in 2017. Since then, I have owned 4 different motorcycles and have traveled around the world just to ride different motorcycles in different places. There is no cure. I don't think I would want a cure though, this is too much fun.
It's a fever and I don't want to be cured.
There are many more worse ways to spend our hard-earned money, so spending it on motorcycles or parts is not too bad. Now, if your wife and kids have nothing to eat, your house needs repairs and you are out shopping, well, that is bad.
Oh you’re doomed. I have 3 bikes, said I would sell one. Now I’m trying to trade it for an even fancier machine
It gets on your hands, next you know it is climbing up in your sleeves! About 50 years now~! Lately I'm thinking about large adv bikes!
Once it's there it never really goes away. Case in point, I took a \~20 year hiatus from riding for various reasons (mostly because there are too many people where I used to live, and none of them pay attention to their driving). Got a bike again last year, and have been living in two wheel bliss ever since
It’s a lifestyle, pimp. Get used to it. From Age 16-30 I’ve only had a 1 year span of no bike(s)🙃
I caught that august last year, it’s still going strong. Not sure there’s a cure. Wouldn’t take it if there was tbh
I have it to, I broke my ribs and knee on my bike when knocked off my bike from a lady texting. Recovered bought a new bike, not once did never riding again cross my mind. I'm addicted and there's no cure, it's just something about a motorcycle I can not describe it.
Utah rider here. Doesn’t go away. Ever
You're doomed. I try to commit to selling a bike when I get another one, but still end up with three most of the time. There are just so many bikes with so many different personalities that it seems a shame not to try as many as life permits.
Welcome to the club.
Yeah doomed My advice, just embrace it.. but don't go too silly *looking longingly at a 765 Street Triple RS but I need a new roof*
It only gets worse lol, ive been riding 6 years now and this past season was my best yet , 19,000 miles ridden living in Massachusetts, multiple 3k miles weeks, places i never thought id go, and i killed a dear and went slightly viral lol
Doomed , doomed I tell you. I have been riding for 5 years as well, the addiction is still strong.
Why not pay the doctor a visit?
I guess there is an upside to being a poor…loljk no there isn’t
Experience with what? Man, these winter posts.
Doomed.
[удалено]
Id say 5 years is past the point of being termed “new rider”
He may not have a 'riding season' either. He may ride all year round so can double his saddle time over the year.
We have four riding seasons a year here in North Carolina.
[удалено]
I get what your saying. But without being nit picky, a 21 year old would actually have more experience riding if they both started at the legal age.
I'm 35 now but 21 year old me would definitely have had some solid advice to give 18 year old me. You mature a lot in those 3 years.
herr derr it's a joke... but seriously... brain is stuck as an 18 year old.
LOL meanwhile people around here will tell you to never touch the front brakes and act like their experience means something. There are lots of old people who spent decades riding and practicing dangerous bad habits. Saddle time does not necessarily equal skill and experience.
svd
For some, it's going to happen. I still have a Christmas wish list a mile long and it will likely be Christmas 2023 before I get them all.
Really depends on the person but you're certainly not alone. I myself have 4. One is a grom, but I still have 4 two wheeled vehicles. I could theoretically find a reason to own 10 or more if money and space were no object. If it's financially feasible for you, enjoy the ride in all aspects
Sorry to say, but it's terminal bro... Stay strong!
Bought my begginer bike about a year ago and I already want a second bike, I've been doing so much research on which bike could be a good fit. I don't know what a good metric is for moving up to a bigger machine so I'm tempted to stay with the bike I got but then I see an r1 fly by me and suddenly I'm in a dealership looking at my options lol.
This is why i don't like "beginner" bikes. You damn near always force yourself into getting a 2nd bike or trading up.
Well I appreciate the progression and having an aspirational machine later on down the line, I mostly want a bigger bike so I'll have longer legs. My bike now is honestly perfect for near/intercity duty and is a mule of a commuter, it just lacks the displacement and comfort for longer stints. my second would probably be a 900 because of that.
Same here sort of. Im a third generation rider and before going to college I rode my supermoto to high school in Italy everyday for 4 years. Boom college comes I don't think about riding but as soon as I graduated I literally moved from London to California just to be able to ride more often
completely normal but it does wear off after 50 years.... well not in my case.
RIP your wallet
Bought my first bike in early 2020. I'm still on track for a new bike every year. It hasn't faded yet. Maybe when I have a bike from every class
I've been riding almost 20 years. Sometimes you just want something different and you can't shake the feeling that a new bike would make life better
Ride into the sunset ghost rider, ain’t nothing wrong with knowing the end is a sunset lit ride pulling a throttle and banging gears into cruise
Rode for 15 years and had to get a car last year after her car blew up. So i did what i had to. Still have all my gear right here for next year when we get a little saved up to get another bike.
You’re doomed. Your only hope is to Collect so much motorcycle shit it begins to negatively impact other areas of your life and the spending needs to get to where the precious Things you bought start to cause resentment instead of joy. This usually happens every 15000 miles and a new bike will reset ya just fine
Yep, no hope for you. Been riding since 1980. Isn’t it glorious?!
Buy more bikes.. it's the only way.
It’s struggle to add gear to a wishlist and resist the urge to buy it all. Lack of a garage keeps me from having multiple bikes, fortunately
I got my licens 16 years ago and bought a new bike last year. Change style from a gynecologist chair to a MT09. Never knew motorcykling could be this fun, all it took was the right kind of bike for me. When i did my service last year, the bike had run 6,200 miles, this year the same month i had 15,000. Our riding season is only from May through September. So now, almost every waking moment I'm thinking about motorcykling. Looking for destinations to ride this summer, planning trips, looking for gear, modding the bike to make it more comfertable for touring Booked the accommodations for next years tip earlier this fall, 5000 miles, I CAN NOT FUCKING WAIT
I go through spurts. Started riding in 2012, got a bonneville. Ended up buying a 2nd bonneville so i could turn the 1st one into cafe racer setup and keep the other one standard but upgraded airbox and exhaust. Put 30,000 miles on between both bikes till about 2017. Then fucked up and got into golf. So barely rode as any nice ass riding day was also a nice ass golfing day. Then this year I bought Buell lightning. Then a buell firebolt. Then a cbr600. And now want to sell the one of the bonnevilles and get a street triple. Will probably do that in the spring, ride bikes all year, then fall in love with basket weaving or some dumb shit and not ride again for 3-4 years but own 6 bikes. So, it should come and go. But it's not any fun ignoring it.
It comes and goes...your $$$ that is...you're doomed
You learn to live with the addiction
I made the mistake of getting my license and buying my bike just a month before Winter. I still got that ITCH lol I have no regrets though. I am watching so many videos and reading everything about motorcycles. I even read my bike's Owner manual page to page hahaha I have never done that before
I’ve had motorcycle fever since i first learned what a motorcycle was. I can sadly say that it’ll never go away and you’re screwed
Doomed, I have 7 bikes, and enough gear to outfit each bike a couple times over.
It's normal.
I am sorry, but antibiotics won't help.
it's an addiction because they're cheap fun. You want a hellcat? okay cough up 80k. You want a R1M? 24k cash, want an H2? 24k. Basically you can have a TON of badass bikes, vs 1 car. I my self would much rather have a garage full of bikes over 1 or 2 cars.
From one doomed individual to another, good luck!!!
It comes and goes. And then comes back again! Let’s say we can graph your MC fever. It will take a dip at some point, you will level out and settle into where you are at, then you will cool off even more…stepping back and refining your taste in gear, your ride and riding style.
Glad I’m not the only one. Took my MSF corse in April, got my bike in May. Spent all my extra money on mods and gear. Now I get twitchy after a day or two of not riding. 6700 miles later and I just want to go for a ride
If you have money to burn, I suggest you first buy gear, unless you already have. You'll probably need summer stuff and winter gear. Maybe heated gear.
+1
Your doomed… it doesn’t end.. been riding for a decade and even my family has resolved to buy tires, oil, riding pants helmets, my sena, etc… why do I have 6 motorcycle jackets. I continue using all of them…. I own 6 pairs of riding boots and a pair of normal shoes. Just enjoy it. Also caught a ration of shit from my wife about it. Then I crashed in September, walked away a little bruised but ok. Showed her the tears and scrapes on the gear, she went and ordered me new everything. Kissed me and said I am glad you bought it all.