Motorcycle questions

SkiWhiz

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Mar 26, 2006
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upstate New York
Seriously consider buying a motorcycle. I am 56 years old and last time I had or drove a motorcycle was in my early teens. Just want something to take on a ride now and then around town. I have read that a chain on a motorcycle needs greasing,etc. every 300 miles or so, so I am think maybe a belt drive would be better??? I don't need or want a big bike and kind of like the look and specs. of the Suzuki Boulevard S40 which is belt drive. It is a 650cc I believe which is big enough for me. What do you that are into motorcycles have to say about the Suzuki, do you think another brand model would be a better option. Thanks! Steve
 
I have been riding since '65, chain is no trouble at all. replace about 5 or 6 K miles. I have 2 Harleys with a belt, 40 K miles on both with same belt. 2 weeks ago I bought a DR650SE to do some light adv / trail again. You should look at dual sports also. You can PM me if I can help further. joe
 
Seriously consider buying a motorcycle. I am 56 years old and last time I had or drove a motorcycle was in my early teens. Just want something to take on a ride now and then around town. I have read that a chain on a motorcycle needs greasing,etc. every 300 miles or so, so I am think maybe a belt drive would be better??? I don't need or want a big bike and kind of like the look and specs. of the Suzuki Boulevard S40 which is belt drive. It is a 650cc I believe which is big enough for me. What do you that are into motorcycles have to say about the Suzuki, do you think another brand model would be a better option. Thanks! Steve

Been riding for over 40 years and have been turning wrenches on bike almost as long. I owned about every brand bike. The Suzuki S40 is an excellent bike, very comfortable and dependable. Also any of the older low mileage Honda Shadow models are a good choice I currently run a couple Harleys as well as a first year Goldwing and several older British bikes.
 
Love riding since the early 70's. The newer bikes are so reliable and a belt drive is nice. My daughter was going to start and we were looking at the 650 class bikes. Economical, low center of gravity, light and enough power to get out of trouble. Go for it and have some fun. Just ride smart . . . it's not like the old days anymore.
 
I've got 3 Harley's, 2 with belts, 1 with chain. The chain will sling some oil, so you'll spend a little more time shining up your back tire. If you're into the clean look. Belts are cleaner and durable. The only reason I've ever changed one is I had the bike tore down enough that it wasn't worth taking the chance to tear it down later just for a belt replacement.
The dual sport bike idea is a good idea. I've looked into that myself, used to do a lot of off-road stuff in my younger days. Can't advise much on the import bikes, but they are pretty much bullet proof, if you're just going to be puttin' around.
Good luck on whatever choice you make, and be careful out there riding. One word of advice is , always try to make eye contact with the vehicles pulling out in your lane or crossing your lane. Try to see their eyes, look at their faces, then you will know if they've seen you. Be safe .
Good to see you back on the forum, haven't seen you posting in a while.
 
Good luck on whatever choice you make, and be careful out there riding. One word of advice is , always try to make eye contact with the vehicles pulling out in your lane or crossing your lane. Try to see their eyes, look at their faces, then you will know if they've seen you. Be safe .

x10+ and if they're looking away from you watch the front tire you can see. For some strange reason the eye picks up the rotational movement of the small tire before the linear movement of the large vehicle. Might just give you that extra reaction time you may need.
 
If you don't want to go fast or buy a tag try an electric bicycle. Been having fun with these. And the brushed geared motors sound cool compared to the brushless.
 

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The 750 Honda shadow is a great bike, I bought one new in 04 and I loved it, very affordable v twin cruiser with nice 2 tone paint and lots of chrome, Good luck with the one you decide on and stay safe!
 
I don't ride anymore due to health issues, but I have always owned bikes over the years. I prefer a shaft drive over chain or belt drive. The only thing as far as maintaining a shaft drive is changing the rear end oil.
 
I've been at it for 45yrs too, and I'd never consider a belt or shaft drive. I don't care for the limitations of either. Just talk to anyone with experience about what it takes (parts and labor) to change gearing on one with a belt or shaft compared to one with a chain. And that's not to mention that the only reason Harley went to a belt was to cut down on vibration.
 
I have had a number of bikes over the years. i don't ride anymore. I gave it up when a lot of my friends were killed by drivers not paying attention. You have to act like every car on the road is going to do something stupid. I have had road bikes and enduro's. I think that I had the most fun with bikes that I could take off the road. While not as fast It would be a big help if you plan to use it for metal detecting.
 
I have had a number of bikes over the years. i don't ride anymore. I gave it up when a lot of my friends were killed by drivers not paying attention. You have to act like every car on the road is going to do something stupid. I have had road bikes and enduro's. I think that I had the most fun with bikes that I could take off the road. While not as fast It would be a big help if you plan to use it for metal detecting.

Same here...I tell all my young friends so inclined to attempt this mode of transportation to Understand this:.."You are gonna lay it down"..."It might be out in the driveway, or it might be going through those Highway cables at 70mph+ dodging a deer or getting hit in the head by a junebug"...a damned old raccoon or muskrat can kill you if you are on 2 wheels at a moderate speed...Take a shot to the chest by a redwing blackbird?? At 70mph+? Game essentially over!

One things for sure...you ride two wheels long enough and you are gonna be laying it down eventually...Those new Interstate median cables are some bad deal for a motorcyclist..as are distracted drivers on their cellphones and whatnot..Those cables though? Imagine hitting that!....Absolutely the creepiest thing imaginable for a 2 wheeler! Like going right through a cheese slicer....

You gotta be a hell of a mechanic too, do your own wrenching or its just not cost effective...Fun as hell though, and you get to buy all sorts of leathers and stuff...so theres that to consider!

My boys used to laugh and giggle as to why I only ran a 15hp motor on my River boat...Well, its the same concept, minus the cables and cell phones and all that...you hit a damned log at night at even at 15mph and you know...

Of course, the Young ask our opinions about things like motorcycles, outboard motors and the like...but they dont really listen...Understandable...we didnt either....everyone is bulletproof to a certain age and extent, and accidents only happen to the 'other guy'...Its a miracle any of us are around here to even comment....
 
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From a Historical perspective, Humans were not intended to go fast, thats just the way it is...We were not built for it....It's only been in the last 100yrs or so that we have attained a modicum of understanding about how to get from 'point A to B' in the least amount of time and effort...We are super fragile, easily injured or killed...A guy gets to be a pall bearer, mentor to Fatherless children, a consolator to Widows...
 
The older (1st and 2nd gen) Honda 700-750 cc V4 bikes are a lot of fun for smaller bikes. Plenty of power, shaft drive, and reasonably priced. The 3rd gen Magnas are nice too if you don't mind chain drive.
 
I have been riding since '65, chain is no trouble at all. replace about 5 or 6 K miles. I have 2 Harleys with a belt, 40 K miles on both with same belt. 2 weeks ago I bought a DR650SE to do some light adv / trail again. You should look at dual sports also. You can PM me if I can help further. joe

I also have a Suzuki DR650. They're great bikes...pretty much bullet proof and easy to ride. I love dualsports because you always see a gravel or dirt road out when you're riding and it's much more fun to explore on a dualsport.
 
One things for sure...you ride two wheels long enough and you are gonna be laying it down eventually.

I have probably put over a 100,000 miles on bikes. I started riding dirt bikes. I have hit trees, other bikes, lost a chain while climbing a steep hill, flipped them end over end and even hit a wire that some idiot had stretched across a trail. Luckily it caught below the handlebars or it could have done some serious damage. I rode them for years before ever getting a road bike. I learned how to slide without laying them down. That came in handy later on the streets. It saved me more than once. You wouldn't think that you can slide a large bike but by using their weight you can. I have never laid down a bike on the street but i did manage to hit a woman hear-on that suddenly turned into a shopping center drive with out looking. I broke her windshield with my helmet and came out better than my bike did. A friend told me I was a coward when I decided to quit riding on the street. He got hit a week later. I did ride one for about six months (during the winter) when my car broke down. Just remember that the people driving cars probably aren't looking for you. They're all out to get you. Always wear a helmet and some protective clothes. I still enjoy riding them. There is a freedom that you can't get anywhere else.
 
I remember when I was a boy, visiting my grandmother in Dodge City. For some reason my family was someplace there that had a wrecked car, it may have been a body shop or salvage yard, I just don't remember. Anyway, they had a car there that had the front fork of a motorcycle stuck halfway into the hood. The story was that some guy went flying down Wyatt Earp (the main drag) at 90 mph then he hit this car head-on. I'm pretty sure the bike rider died--I don't remember about the driver of the car. But they were unable to remove the front fork from the car. Seeing that front fork stuck in that car left quite an impression...
 
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