How much driving experience do you guys think you need to be able to drive a motorcycle safely/ efficiently? Also any of you guys drive motorcycles and love it>>?? EDIT : Do you guys suggest Craigslist or Dealer more efficient./ Pros and Cons of both situations.

8 years ago*

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You don't need much driving experience, but seems like you are in the U.S. Although in California the MSF course is not required, the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's course costs about $250, although I highly recommend taking the course before getting a crotch rocket. It's not required in Cali., in order to pass you have to pass the Skill's driving test. So...you kind of have to take the MSF course.

Of course you need car driving experience, but riding a motorcycle is quite different. As you are using a manual transmission and many things are different, you will have to get used to weight shifting, and many other things on top of that.

Consider spending $500-1000 on gear, not having proper gear and riding in cargo shorts can put your life at a huge risk. I recommend starting out on a used Ninja 250 or CBR 250R - they go for around 3K and will last for a year. You never want to launch yourself onto a 600cc or 1000cc bike, you are signing a death slip going that, as they can go upwards of 160 MPH, with bad weight control for beginners, and 0-60 in 5 seconds. Along with that insurance costs will be sky-high.

TL;DR: Don't be an idiot and launch yourself on a crotch rocket of death - do your research first.

8 years ago
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To add to the above: When (if) you want a bigger bike, look to the 500-650cc twin-cylinder street models. They have more low-end torque than an inline four, are tuned to have linear power curves (I-4 motorcycle engines are like jet turbines - gutless at low revs, with a sharp ramp-up in power as you approach redline), and insurance is much cheaper than for a 600cc supersport. "Will last for a year" means "a good 250cc starter bike will keep teaching you new things for a year," not that it'll wear out. Those are fine motorcycles.

Get a motorcycling friend to help you inspect any prospective used purchases. Expect to drop your new bike a few times. Paying less for something pre-scratched (but not crashed) is a good idea.

I went from riding bicycles and motorscooters on the street straight to an intermediate motorcycle because it's a tremendous bureaucratic and financial headache for me to change motor vehicles, and I really wished I'd been able to ride a beginner motorcycle first. The 250cc bikes are around 300 pounds, while mine is over 400. (If you're looking at getting into cruisers, they're heavier still.) Easy availability of power allows me to be lazy with my shifting, and a stiffer chassis offers fewer warning signs about pushing too hard. For learning the clutch, there was the fear of pulling a wheelie or "whiskey throttle" - tearing off at high speed, frozen and unable to let go of the throttle grip. I got through the initial learning experience without incident and have yet to drop the bike, though I've certainly tried. Get a proper starter bike for learning motorcycle control.

Riding a bicycle (in accordance with all traffic laws) makes you a better motorcyclist fitness-wise and, if you haven't gone biking in traffic before, lets you see how you feel about being on unequal footing with massive projectiles piloted by inattentive humans.

Asphalt can grind all the way through soft tissue to bone in just a few seconds of sliding. Buy good textile or leather gear to protect any body parts you don't want to lose. Jeans are almost the same as riding naked. Polyester mesh gear offers limited slide protection - only a second or two. You need nylon, kevlar, or leather (not fashion leather) motorcycle-specific gear that can withstand at least four seconds of sliding to a stop when you hit the pavement at higher speeds. Full-face helmets are more comfortable in pretty much all conditions and will save your teeth and jaw. Nothing can protect against collisions with solid objects. You can be crushed or severed by cars, guard rails, trees, etc. no matter what you're wearing. Maximize your visibility to other drivers, assume you're invisible, and ride safely. Practice evasive maneuvers in an empty parking lot at least every few months.

Read beginner motorcycle forums for all the answers to your questions. I ride a motorcycle because an accident in an unreliable car left me phobic about driving, not because I love motorcycles. While it is pretty neat to have a $2,000 vehicle that can accelerate to 60 MPH in 3.5 seconds and covers 45 miles per US gallon, the cost of medical care and lost work if you're injured in a crash far outweighs any savings over driving a car. Motorcycle maintenance is more frequent and generally more expensive per unit of distance traveled. Unless you have money to burn, you should be prepared to do some of your own mechanical work.

8 years ago*
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I started to drive a motorcycle when i was 12 cause i live in a island and cops here a stupid :D

8 years ago
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If you know how to drive a bicycle then you can easily drive a motorcycle because it's easier to balance on, but that's at least what I know.

8 years ago
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