--- Mitch Haley <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Nope, it's a Universal Japanese Motorcycle, dolled
> up to look
> like a crotch rocket.
That's good. No crotch rockets, please.
> A true crotch rocket, like a Ninja 600, would be
> even more painful
> to ride 80 miles than a Shadow, assuming he lived
> that long (seriously,
> Bob, a 600 Ninja and the other race bikes with
> headlights that it competes
> with are very dangerous in the wrong hands, if you
> move the throttle 1/4
> turn when you sneeze it will bite you).
How true. I think there have been three or four
people killed on these things down here this year.
It's like driving an XJ12 - you don't realize how fast
you're going until you need to stop.
> You might consider something older, like Wonko's
> CB500, or a VT500 Ascot
> (don't see those Ascots very often but there's one
> about ten miles from
> me that the owner is asking $950 for and I'm
> tempted. Then there's a
> wide variety of 400/450/500 twins to choose from
> made in the past
> 30 years, ranging from a 450 Rebel (looks like a
> chopper, can run
> with a 250 Ninja) to a 500 Ninja (which is the
> fastest thing I'd
> want to see you on for the first couple of years).
My thinking was along these exact lines a year ago
when I decided I wanted to start riding again. What I
found was that the prices for the older, smaller
displacement bikes, were pretty stupid. Not to
mention that parts availability is getting to be a big
issue for the older bikes as well, especially the
Hondas.
> Weight is a concern too. It's a lot easier to get in
> over your head
> on a 600lb bike than on a 300lb bike. Going back to
> my first street
> bike, the CB200, it weighed 296 fully fueled, made
> 16hp at the rear
> wheel, and if anything went wrong I could just slam
> on the brakes
> and put my foot down. It weighed 2 1/2 times what I
> did, but I could
> still manhandle it.
I really fretted over the VX1100 that I now ride,
mainly because of the size and weight. My instructor
poo-pooed my concerns, saying that whether it was a
500cc or 1100cc, you were going to have the same
issues. I would tend to agree with him now.
> The first thing you need is a good safety course,
> like the MSF offers.
> They'll put you on a little 250 and make you
> negotiate obstacle courses
> until handling a bike becomes a reflex action.
Definitely. The MSF course is more or less mandatory
here to get your endorsement, and it makes a lot of
sense. Florida may be a whacked-out state in many
areas, but motorcycle and driving safety are big
issues here.
> One main reason
> why I recommended the Ninja 250 if you buy new is
> that it's the cheapest
> thing that will comfortably go 80mph down the
> freeway, another is that
> insurance on a 250 is a lot cheaper than on a 500,
> 750, or 1100.
> For comparison, my 1974 CB200 is closely related to
> the 250 Rebel,
> and the two carb 200 was about as powerful as the
> current one carb 250.
> I'm not sure how fast a Rebel goes, but my 200
> topped out at 80, and
> was reasonable cruising 60 if there weren't a lot of
> hills.
Good points. Not being familiar with this bike it's
hard for me to comment on it. I wasn't sure if it was
a crotch rocket....
Dan
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