thanks guys for all your advices, my new to the bike world and dont know much

 

I second the notion for a used GSX-R 750. GREAT GREAT GREAT bikes. theyre more than a thrill to ride. One of my closest friends has an 03 and it was actually the first crotch rocket I ever rode. Hell it was the bike that inspired me to get a crotch rocket in the first place. It's still light weight and extremely manuverable and plus it has that extra kick. My buddy had never ridden a bike in his life till he purchased it and now he is the biggest street bike advocate you'll ever meet. We ride together almost everyday. Since you have had a dirt bike you know the thrill and the freedom feeling. I'm sitten here in florida right now kickin myself wishing my bike was here because this would be a fun place to ride. There's nothing like the feeling of being caught up in everyhting and then just going out to your garage and going on a little ride and coming back problem free. Who needs a shrink, I have a GSX-R

 

wonderful advice everyone! Jwool, great advice and really really makes me want to get one for the theraputic reasons only!

And KC-10, I thought the post was going to have some jabs and pessimistic reasoning, but I am actually surprised. The first words in your post contain more truth than most are willing to accept/realize, so it's funny you mention that. I like to think I'm a decent listener but I think you're right, it's the nature of the beast.

So what kind of payments are we talking here, I think I'll buy used so just interested in insurance. I know some folks at an insurance agency so I can get cheaper insurance at an already cheap insurance agency, really curious.

I have a couple buddies already pushing me to get a bike, and I'm pushing them to get a standup jet ski.

The first thing I would do to my bike would be tasteful LED lighting, something about lighting...

I do understand the risk, but I think it takes everyone a spill or near spill to truly realize. I was in the bay area on 680s, saw a biker (typical speedbike) lay it down on the wet highway, I think he was about to take the offramp, it was dark. All of a sudden a flash of light strikes my truck and we all look over, his bike is on the ground pointing at us, the traffic behind him are just sitting there, headlights projecting on him and the bike, everyone stopped or close to stopped. The guy tries to get up and falls down and doesn't get back up, scariest **** I've ever seen. Poor guy, I was angry at everyone for not running to his aid, funny thing is they probably could have done very little to help anyway, wierd how we work.

Anyways, I'm sure you guys have some stories but that was mine, scary!

 

Thanks for the kind words. There is only one thing on earth I like more than motorcycles. That's aviation/aircraft which is why I'm in the USAF & a Flight Engineer. I my be surly & disgruntled but I will NEVER give anyone interested in bikes bad advice. If someone has their mind made up to do anything, the best one can hope to do is steer the individual in the right direction & hope everything works out for the best.

As for insurance, expect to be shocked. I'd be willing to bet a single guy late teens, early twenties with get saddled with about $250/month.

As far as people not helping someone that crashed, are you really surprised? In this day & age when you can be sued for anything at the drop of a hat, most people won't help anyone do anything, let alone drag them out of the road after a vehicle mishap. Sad but true.

As for horror stories, I have two, one that happened to me & one I watched unfold.

1. I was riding along in Volgeweh, Germany circa November 1996. I was slowing down for a red light up the road. This dumb b$tch comes flying out of a parking lot & looks right but never touches the brakes. By the time she looked left to see if that direction was clear, she was already in the road blocking the lane of travel completely. I had about 3 seconds to make a decision, impale the back of an Opel station wagon or bail. I bailed. I mis-timed the jump & landed FACE FIRST on the bumper of a parked car. I was wearing a 80 Deutch Mark no-name helmet & full armor from head to toe. I walked away without so much as a scratch. That day, I learned real quick the value of protective gear.

2. I was following my Wife northbound on the Dragon circa June 2006. We were on turn #311 of 318 & her toe dragged the ground. Very foolishly, she looked down to see what the noise was. One of the basic things we teach in the MSF class: You Go Where You Look. She looked down at her left boot & started leaning that much farther to the left. When she realized she was about to go down, she panicked & GRABBED some brake. Right into the ditch she went at the blistering speed of 7MPH. The only mark on her was a tiny bruise on her leg. I made her contribute what was left of the bolt on Givi Windscreen to the "Tree Of Shame". Again, I witnessed the value of protective gear up close & personal. I was scared sick that she hurt herself but she was up & about by the time I got stopped & parked my bike to help her.

If you're going to get a bike, train yourself, educate yourself & pace yourself. You're not Valentino Rossi or Nicky Hayden & there's no use trying to prove you are.

KC-10 FE out...

 

Bikes are amazing. Rode the Kawi ZX-10 today, got right on and was doing great all day. Started riding around the block, didn't waste much time practicing here as I caught on pretty quick, went into traffic as we had to run a few errands. The bike is almost scary quick at times. The reason everyone suggests a 600, is that so you don't have the urge to push the limits, because I could definitely understand that. This bike is a gateway to trouble, and I have a new addiction/hobby to start.

I understand how you guys become so passionate about streetbikes, it was far more exhilarating than I could have imagined. Everything I've been told on here is pretty much true, in regards to tendencies; i.e. speed, desire to show off, push limits, test boundaries, etc. So easy to see why people get killed :[

 

Sounds like you're hooked josiah and thats cool, it is a great hobby. I've been riding for 31 years now and (knock on wood) have never dropped one. Its all a matter of using your head and never getting in over your head or ability level. My only close call was back in the mid eighties. My father in law at the time had a new Goldwing and I had a new Honda CB1000 4 piper all decked out with fairing and luggage and all. We took a trip from Texas up through the Rockies and had a killer time. We were headed home down I-15 from Denver and trying to beat a storm coming in from the west(stupid I know). The right lane of the interstate was closed for construction so we were sailing along about 70 and came out from under an overpass when a blast of 60-70 mph wind caught us. I was in the lead and he was to my right in the blind spot...imagine that. I could'nt lean right into the wind for fear of catching him and taking us both down so I got off the gas and let it take me down into the grassy median. Never touched the brakes for fear of locking the wheels but I hung onto that sucker and coasted to a stop! The front fork was compressing so fast it looked like slow motion! I stopped, put the stand down and took a bow.

 

Never getting in over your head or ability level is the key. Ride your own ride and let the faster guys go. Eventually you'll be fast enough to keep up.

 

I dont know if this has been mentioned before i browsed threw this forum but i know there are bikes out there that you can set it to be diffrent ccs my friends friends bike has like 3 setting like a 600 800 and 1000 i think it is suzuki gsx 1000 or something

 

yeah, the 2007 GSXR 1K has 3 map settings. Its kinda a gimmick, riding a 600 is going to be different than riding a GSXR 1K on its lowest map.

 

Josiah, since you seem to be the type of person that thrives on extreme sports, my advise to you would be to push your limits on the track(road course...not dragstrip). Pushing the limits on the street will get you killed, mostly by other drivers. I've been riding an R6 for many years now, and have had a couple of 600s before that. You don't need a 1000cc to get your thrills at dragging your knee around a turn. If you push too hard on the street, trees and guardrails are not as forgiving as gravel or an air fence. There are tracks everywhere that offer anyone a chance to ride. Generally they have three levels, beginner, intermediate, and race, with coaches giving you pointers on how to improve.
Welcome to two wheel. Keep the rubber side down.

 

Great advice Ski6. A buddy of mine wants to get into track riding, he is going to buy a new track bike (600) when I get a new one, he was bugging me to go buy one today so he could get one. Anyways, the reason he is getting a 600 for the track is because they won't let him ride his 1000 until he's rode a 600 on the course, something like that. He wants me to get into track riding because he got 6 months in jail (served community service as it was his first offense) for running from the police. He's an honest guy, he was going 100+ and didnt' even know there was a cop behind him, he just drove home and they followed him from the air, showed up next morning. My point is he wants to get his urges out on the track now so he doesn't have those urges while riding on the street. I'm going to look for a track around here, how much does it typically cost to run a few laps?

 

First off, I've never heard of anyone telling you that you have to ride a 600 before a 1000...anyways.
Personal Equipment Needs:
full leather suit
boots that cover ankle
gloves that cover wrist
back protector
helmet under 5 yrs old
*ebay is your friend

Prices for the track range for where you are of course. Typically anywhere between $150-210. And you don't just get a few laps...you get all day! By the end of the day you will be thoroughly exhausted. To get some ideas check out www.teampromotion.com this is mostly for the east coast though. Look for some bike forums (here's mine: www.r6messagenet.com), they usually have a section dedicated to track days and can answer most of your questions("search" button is your friend)
I must warn you though. This is quite addicting and can suck up some money if you do it often.