zerobounds
01-26-2011, 08:59 AM
If you're a beginner there are a lot of gaps to fill and you have a huge amount of questions, this post is just intended to answer some of those questions and provide links to sites and such that will help you pick a first bike, understand how to buy one and how to stay alive by avoiding bad habits many riders unknowingly develop.
Buying your first bike!
Firstly, you want to read this thread:
http://www.motohouston.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2576
Taking the time to read it would be a good idea. One of the things you need to wrap your head around is that you can easily die or seriously injure yourself on a motorcycle by making a simple mistake so educating yourself on what those mistakes are and how to properly learn to ride is very important. You'll find many riders on this forum that have even 10+ years experience still ride their 250cc motorcycle on the race track or twistie roads and often prefer it over their larger bikes so don't think you'll be out of place riding a 250.
Where do I buy?
There are many places to buy, such as the For Sale section of this forum and other forums but the mainstream places are Dealerships and Craigslist (CL)
Dealerships will 95% of the time be more expensive than buying from a person directly. Dealerships have alot of costs on their end and necessary profits to make for their personnel, so don't expect the deal of the century at one. That is the place, however, to get a brand new motorcycle. They make money by getting Used bikes from auctions on the cheap and reselling them or from trade-ins that customers have when buying a brand new bike. They do not pay out well on trade-ins because they want to make a profit and be able to price the bike on their lot reasonably so it will actually sell.
Craigslist is where you can buy a bike from a person directly, basically bypassing the dealership. They will post an Ad online and you simply respond to it and start communicating with them directly. Beware of scams on craigslist, only deal locally and if at all possible deal by Cash.
Craigslist online.
http://houston.craigslist.org/
Resource for checking the basic market value of any bike.
http://www.kbb.com/motorcycle
Easy access to motorcycle reviews to help in your choice.
http://www.motorcycle.com/
Some more detailed Low-side and High-side wreck info.
http://www.oldguy.us/easy-riding/articles/sa-crashing.php
Motorcycle Slang Dictionary
http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/dictionary/L.htm
What does that term mean?
A few terms you may not know yet ...
"salvage title"
"clean title in my name"
"laid down" or "dropped"
"needs some TLC"
"been sitting"
"...bent..."
1. A Salvage Title is issued on a vehicle damaged to the extent that the cost of repairing the vehicle exceeds ~ 75% of its pre-damage value. Basically a wrecked bike that has been declared a "total loss". The owner has usually repaired the bike already. Sometimes these are in pretty good shape because the bike was damaged in a small accident like a slide or something but the parts scraped were very expensive parts then the insurance company could just say its a total loss but the bike could be in decent shape just needing a new tank and fairings.
2. A Clean Title or similar verbiage to that means its basically ready to sell, the title should be in the name of the person selling the bike - if not then you need to make sure its not stolen. The same applies to No Title bikes where the owner does not have the title, complications with the title after a purchase can be a real headache.
3. If the bike was "laid down" then they usually had a low-side accident and the bike slid accross the ground. Damage is typically to the fairings and breakaway parts like mirrors and pegs. "Dropped" usually means they fell over at a stop sign and cracked a fairing or something minor.
4. A bike in need of Tender Loving Care could mean anything from sitting in the garage or a while to being poorly maintained or sometimes even damaged fairly bad. These are usually fairly cheap, but need some 'tlc'.
5. If a bike has been sitting it can lead to some standard problems, you may need to drain the old fuel, change the oil and filter, replace the battery, change the brake fluid, clean the carb's if its an older bike, check the tires for age cracks replace them if necessary. If tires are good make sure to inflate them to proper tire pressure because weather can make them go flat. Its not likely you'll have to do all of that but if the bike has "been sitting a while" it could involve all of that.
6. If a seller uses the word "bent" referring to anything other than the brake and clutch lever be wary, bent parts can lead to safety issues and handicap the bike's handling capabilities. Bent parts are typically replaced asap.
Don't forget when you're buying a bike you have to consider..
Price of the bike (2007 CBR clean title - FAST!!11 - laid over, needs rear tire ($3,500))
Cost of title transfer (~$400)
Replacing damaged parts (~$600)
Replacing rear tire (~$250)
Inspection tag (~$15)
So your $3,500 CBR just went to $4,765 because of the necessary title fees and repairs. :er:
The Basic Riders Course MSF certification to get your M License will be $200
New Riding Gear (jackets, boots, armor, helmet, gloves, etc) will also run you $300 - $1,000
......
Now that $3,500 CBR could actually cost you ~$6,000 to get on the road with as a first bike with gear and a legal license. :er: Be aware of the costs other than the motorcycle itself!! After you buy gear and take the MSF you'll run into the Title fees and inspection costs and buying can be much smoother for you.
Buying your first bike!
Firstly, you want to read this thread:
http://www.motohouston.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2576
Taking the time to read it would be a good idea. One of the things you need to wrap your head around is that you can easily die or seriously injure yourself on a motorcycle by making a simple mistake so educating yourself on what those mistakes are and how to properly learn to ride is very important. You'll find many riders on this forum that have even 10+ years experience still ride their 250cc motorcycle on the race track or twistie roads and often prefer it over their larger bikes so don't think you'll be out of place riding a 250.
Where do I buy?
There are many places to buy, such as the For Sale section of this forum and other forums but the mainstream places are Dealerships and Craigslist (CL)
Dealerships will 95% of the time be more expensive than buying from a person directly. Dealerships have alot of costs on their end and necessary profits to make for their personnel, so don't expect the deal of the century at one. That is the place, however, to get a brand new motorcycle. They make money by getting Used bikes from auctions on the cheap and reselling them or from trade-ins that customers have when buying a brand new bike. They do not pay out well on trade-ins because they want to make a profit and be able to price the bike on their lot reasonably so it will actually sell.
Craigslist is where you can buy a bike from a person directly, basically bypassing the dealership. They will post an Ad online and you simply respond to it and start communicating with them directly. Beware of scams on craigslist, only deal locally and if at all possible deal by Cash.
Craigslist online.
http://houston.craigslist.org/
Resource for checking the basic market value of any bike.
http://www.kbb.com/motorcycle
Easy access to motorcycle reviews to help in your choice.
http://www.motorcycle.com/
Some more detailed Low-side and High-side wreck info.
http://www.oldguy.us/easy-riding/articles/sa-crashing.php
Motorcycle Slang Dictionary
http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/dictionary/L.htm
What does that term mean?
A few terms you may not know yet ...
"salvage title"
"clean title in my name"
"laid down" or "dropped"
"needs some TLC"
"been sitting"
"...bent..."
1. A Salvage Title is issued on a vehicle damaged to the extent that the cost of repairing the vehicle exceeds ~ 75% of its pre-damage value. Basically a wrecked bike that has been declared a "total loss". The owner has usually repaired the bike already. Sometimes these are in pretty good shape because the bike was damaged in a small accident like a slide or something but the parts scraped were very expensive parts then the insurance company could just say its a total loss but the bike could be in decent shape just needing a new tank and fairings.
2. A Clean Title or similar verbiage to that means its basically ready to sell, the title should be in the name of the person selling the bike - if not then you need to make sure its not stolen. The same applies to No Title bikes where the owner does not have the title, complications with the title after a purchase can be a real headache.
3. If the bike was "laid down" then they usually had a low-side accident and the bike slid accross the ground. Damage is typically to the fairings and breakaway parts like mirrors and pegs. "Dropped" usually means they fell over at a stop sign and cracked a fairing or something minor.
4. A bike in need of Tender Loving Care could mean anything from sitting in the garage or a while to being poorly maintained or sometimes even damaged fairly bad. These are usually fairly cheap, but need some 'tlc'.
5. If a bike has been sitting it can lead to some standard problems, you may need to drain the old fuel, change the oil and filter, replace the battery, change the brake fluid, clean the carb's if its an older bike, check the tires for age cracks replace them if necessary. If tires are good make sure to inflate them to proper tire pressure because weather can make them go flat. Its not likely you'll have to do all of that but if the bike has "been sitting a while" it could involve all of that.
6. If a seller uses the word "bent" referring to anything other than the brake and clutch lever be wary, bent parts can lead to safety issues and handicap the bike's handling capabilities. Bent parts are typically replaced asap.
Don't forget when you're buying a bike you have to consider..
Price of the bike (2007 CBR clean title - FAST!!11 - laid over, needs rear tire ($3,500))
Cost of title transfer (~$400)
Replacing damaged parts (~$600)
Replacing rear tire (~$250)
Inspection tag (~$15)
So your $3,500 CBR just went to $4,765 because of the necessary title fees and repairs. :er:
The Basic Riders Course MSF certification to get your M License will be $200
New Riding Gear (jackets, boots, armor, helmet, gloves, etc) will also run you $300 - $1,000
......
Now that $3,500 CBR could actually cost you ~$6,000 to get on the road with as a first bike with gear and a legal license. :er: Be aware of the costs other than the motorcycle itself!! After you buy gear and take the MSF you'll run into the Title fees and inspection costs and buying can be much smoother for you.