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WANTED: Looking for my first street bike


youngrider
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What's wrong with riding jeans? I know they won't be as good as leather, but there's at least some protection. I have Bull-it SR-4 jeans with the elbow pads from my jacket in the knees. (I put the knee pads in my jacket. heh) I also have hip pads. I didn't account for one thing; jeans stretch and get baggy. Don't want to wear them out by washing them more than needed. (I fit like a 31" waist which is rare to find. My Bull-it 32's require a belt unless I want them to sag. Probably not what is meant by setting sag.)

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5 minutes ago, hiro said:

What's wrong with riding jeans? I know they won't be as good as leather, but there's at least some protection. I have Bull-it SR-4 jeans with the elbow pads from my jacket in the knees. (I put the knee pads in my jacket. heh) I also have hip pads. I didn't account for one thing; jeans stretch and get baggy. Don't want to wear them out by washing them more than needed. (I fit like a 31" waist which is rare to find. My Bull-it 32's require a belt unless I want them to sag. Probably not what is meant by setting sag.)

No I mean right now I'm in regular jeans not riding jeans. I was looking at the SR line of jeans actually this morning. Sr4 and sr6

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20 minutes ago, hiro said:

What's wrong with riding jeans? I know they won't be as good as leather, but there's at least some protection. I have Bull-it SR-4 jeans with the elbow pads from my jacket in the knees. (I put the knee pads in my jacket. heh) I also have hip pads. I didn't account for one thing; jeans stretch and get baggy. Don't want to wear them out by washing them more than needed. (I fit like a 31" waist which is rare to find. My Bull-it 32's require a belt unless I want them to sag. Probably not what is meant by setting sag.)

Hiro, Only you can come up with these ideas hehe I bet you are using the hip pads for back protector :D and you also need to come out for one ride and meet the rest of the crew. Then instantly you are in the clique. No walking on hot coals or drinking molten steel or stabbing old ladies. Just come for one group ride and meet others. :) 

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53 minutes ago, NinjaDoc said:

Hiro, Only you can come up with these ideas hehe I bet you are using the hip pads for back protector :D and you also need to come out for one ride and meet the rest of the crew. Then instantly you are in the clique. No walking on hot coals or drinking molten steel or stabbing old ladies. Just come for one group ride and meet others. :) 

Oh, so THAT's how it works. hehe

I put the knee pads at the elbows because they position better, have better coverage, and are level 2. (The jacket just doesn't fit well.) The elbow pads fit in the jeans more comfortably, especially whilst walking. The hip pads are level 1 I think, partly to keep their bulk down. Less protection, but more practical for casual use, plus the jeans have the Covec liner. Not hot at all. I really liked the SR-6 cargo pants, too. (There is a lower-leg zip-off version and a regular one.) I don't have a decent back protector. Just the crappy foam that /might/ be good for laying on a park bench.

The one time I did a slow, low-side, the contact points were up the side of the leg, side of elbow, and the shoulder. That's when I decided that hip pads might be good and that the elbow pads were not right. heh I just had on regular jeans at the time. I think only one small section of the seam was affected a little. The bike slid more than I did. Not complaining!

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23 hours ago, Xsr900Rider said:

I probably will one day. I of course need to get some riding pants as that is the last piece of Gear to make me ATGATT. I know let the hazing commence for riding in jeans :nono:. Been putting it off trying to decide on textile or riding jeans.

Don't let the fact that you're riding in jeans hold you back from showing up to a group ride. The first time I ever rode with OR was at an epic ride. I showed up in jeans and a pair of Sketchers. I did have a jacket,helmet, and gloves of course. Nobody said a word to me. I rode in the medium group with Hellmutt that year. It was an awesome day of riding and I met quite a few guys and 1 gal. As far as jeans or textile. I prefer textile. To me they are more comfortable. I'm cheap so you may find a more quality jean comfortable. I bought a pair of jeans from Iron Pony for $60, and then found a pair of vented textile pants for $60 at Motorcycle Superstore. Hope to see you at a group ride someday. 

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23 hours ago, Xsr900Rider said:

Been putting it off trying to decide on textile or riding jeans.

Textile is more versatile and long term cost effective.  You can add/remove layers underneath.  Bike shorts when it's hot......

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When this thing first started, nobody showed up to group rides in anything more than a jacket gloves and a helmet. The more gear the better but no one will shit on you for showing up in jeans. A helmet gloves and motorcycle jacket (not Fonzie jacket) are heavily recommended.

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12 minutes ago, max power said:

When this thing first started, nobody showed up to group rides in anything more than a jacket gloves and a helmet. The more gear the better but no one will show on you for showing up in jeans. A helmet gloves and motorcycle jacket (not Fonzie jacket) are heavily recommended.

I have helmet, gloves, jacket, and riding boots. I'll probably order some pants soon and probably textile to go over whatever I'm wearing and maybe not be freezing when I'm riding in the high 30 degree mornings this year.

 

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I started on an EX-500. It was the perfect first bike. Cheap, reliable, quick but not too fast. 

 

 That being said, I still wish to this day I had started on an SV650. I never would have had to sell it. 

 

As far as gear goes, Justin has the right idea. If I had bought quality products from riders discount when I started, I wouldn't be replacing it now. 

 

Class saved my life, and i recommend it to anyone who will listen. 

 

Keep the the rubber side down!

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It's been a couple days since I updated this so my apologies on that.

I didn't get the first s40 I looked at because the engine had a low end knock in it.

I went to look at another one the next day. 2009 with 7,800 miles. Rides like an absolute dream. Absolutely nothing wrong with it. Picked it up for $1,350 too so I got an amazing deal on it!

On ‎8‎/‎14‎/‎2017 at 9:31 PM, hiro said:

Check the date codes on the tires and be careful on them until you know they stick.

Looks like the S40 has some good torque, like double what a 300 has. A little lower on HP than a 300. Probably more comfortable than a NInja 300, but not as nimble. What I didn't like about the 300 was the lack of torque, so...yeah.

The tires on the s40 I got are pretty much brand new. They grip fairly well too!

On ‎8‎/‎14‎/‎2017 at 9:37 PM, Tonik said:

If cruiser style is what you are looking for it is an excellent choice. Also check out the Honda Shadow 750's and the 650 Yamaha VStars.

All have decent power for a first bike and are light and low to the ground. And expect to sell whatever ypu get next year after you get comfortable and learn exactly what you want.

Did you take the MSF course?

That's what my dad said too (that I'll want to sell it). Probably right! ;) luckily, I got a good deal so hopefully, if I decide to sell, I won't lose much (or any) money.

On ‎8‎/‎15‎/‎2017 at 7:14 AM, NinjaDoc said:

Jesse, I might be very biased but I will advice you as flash said above regarding the class. But if you been riding dirt bikes seriously for many years you will make a good street rider just need more miles under your belt. The s40 might be boring than the 250-300 sports bike in terms of pure drive dynamics if that's what you after. Plus hard to find the right crowd of "real ride" The one thing I can guarantee if you stick around in OR is you will develop some close friends, develop good riding habits, become better rider by riding with good riders, riding ATGATT will become second nature and develop a nasty psycho sick asshat personality :D plus you get to give these kind of crappy advice to the next person that comes in. But seriously get a sports bike and stick with a group that rides with protective gear on and go for weekend twisties and better mileage.

Friends you ride with are almost everything in motorcycling, if you find the right crowd it's easy and better. Those wanna pirates bar hopping crowd and those wannabe renegade punks highway bombing and wheeling around in shorts and tennis shoes just fell with that kind of crowd when they started and think "this is it" and never know what they missing in the real world of motorcycling. 

Wait for the right bike and don't try to get a bike just because it's cheap. It will come to you within weeks, it's that season of "motorcycle giving" away. 

 

Plus you are in Salem close to me, need more sports bike type around here to go for a quick evening jaunt in twisties. Met just recently another guy on white bimmer s1000 from Salem. Rare breed to find around here. Gawd knows the amount of cruisers running around. 

I ended up getting the s40, as seen above, but I absolutely love it. I'm probably going to do a little to it in the future....no ape hangers though.

On ‎8‎/‎15‎/‎2017 at 8:44 AM, Isaac's Papa said:

A Suzuki S40 is a perfect first motorcycle. If you like it, buy it. Take the MSF course and wear your gear. 

Happy riding to you. 

Thank you!

On ‎8‎/‎15‎/‎2017 at 2:49 PM, hiro said:

No worries about coolant! $1000 for the bike leaves $500 for gear, and maybe tires. Unless there is a separate budget for gear?

Spent $1,350 on the bike and actually had all of my gear before I had the bike. I'd really like to get my hands on some riding jeans, but for now I'm just wearing regular jeans. Other than that, I have a nice leather jacket, good leather riding gloves, and a helmet I wear.

7 hours ago, kraken said:

I started on an EX-500. It was the perfect first bike. Cheap, reliable, quick but not too fast. 

 

 That being said, I still wish to this day I had started on an SV650. I never would have had to sell it. 

 

As far as gear goes, Justin has the right idea. If I had bought quality products from riders discount when I started, I wouldn't be replacing it now. 

 

Class saved my life, and i recommend it to anyone who will listen. 

 

Keep the the rubber side down!

I would have loved to get a sv650, budget just didn't permit it :/ the s40 I got though is amazing!

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Congrats on the new bike! Jeans won't hold up to slide, I would still plan on getting some riding pants for extra protection and you will be good to go.  Now it's time to put some miles on that bike.

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