OT: Question about motorcycles and scooters
Never owned a motorcycle or scooter. I'm moving to Florida in the next year and plan on getting one or the other but am hesitant because of my inexperience. I'm not looking to spend a ton of money and am definitely looking to buy something that's easy to drive. I have never had a speeding ticket in my life. I am not interested in going fast or doing tricks, etc. Just looking for something to get around town now and again.
Thus far I've looked at the Sym motorcycles and the SSR Rowdy scooter.
Any suggestions on what to look for or what to buy? Looking for something simple and relatively inexpensive.
I don't think a big guy NEEDS a 1200. I got my 700cc when I was over 350 lbs, and it moved just fine. I never had a problem getting up to highway speeds and it accellerated quickly. Now, it would've been nice to have a bigger bike, but mainly for comfort rather than speed.
Having said that, it definitely moves better now that I'm 200 lbs.
Congrats on the weight loss!
A first time rider shouldn't get a big bike unless they want to eat pavement on their first turn.
My first bike was an 84 Honda Magna (500). That thing was fast, nimble, and super easy for a first time rider to get comfortable on the road. Definitely suggest starting smaller until you are comfortable. Most classes start you out on the 250 cc bikes...
This scooter seems to be pretty popular in Florida:
she once drove it off a dock & crashed into a yacht. (not cause of death)
Driving off a dock and crashing into a yacht is the sort of thing that looks funny in print, and is probably horrifying to witness in real life. Docks are dangerous places for the elderly, what with bad sight lines, no rails, occasional weak or raised boards, etc.
but she was just drunk.
Mom was never lucky.
Fell though the ceiling above our garage triggering the electric garage door & trapping her inside with a shattered ankle (where was Billy Sims when I needed him?)
She had a stroke and the Ambulance caught fire on the way to her house (that was not so funny)
I've got hundteds of stories.
Hickory!
Well, it must be comforting to know you'll be going straight to hell at no more than three miles an hour.
That's a good question. A cousin of mine has had multiple frightening incidents with elderly drivers while riding his scooter.
One memorable case: Wife (who'd lost her license but not her vision) was guiding the husband (who'd lost much vision but somehow still had his license) down the road. Somehow didn't see my cousin (who should really consider another vehicle) ...
is the perfect starter bike, IMO. You can buy one on E-bay with very low mileage for about $3,000. Dependable. I honestly wouldn't bother with a scooter.
It is dangerous out there. Get your endorsement, read up on the tips for riders, and assume everyone is trying to kill you, will pull out in front of you, etc. A couple of years experience builds confidence and you learn what to watch for. Stay out of blind spots...ride the edge of the lane to put yourself in the other driver's mirror. There are a lot of tips out there to help you stay safe.
When you take your riding class you'll probably learn on a Rebel or some similar 300cc bike. But when it's buying time, a 700-750 Shadow is a perfect starter.
The situational awareness you develop when riding will actually make you a better automobile driver as well. As the other posters have noted, drivers are often unaware of your presence on the road --- you have to make sure you see them and they see you. That's why a lot of bikers fly national flags on their bikes. Not so much as a show of patriotism (although for some it's that too) but as another way of announcing they're on the road.
Last I knew FL will allow you to ride without a helmet if you carry certain health insurance minimums. Don't do it --- make sure your health insurance is current and wear an approved helmet at all times when you're on the bike.
is a pretty good bike too, just a tad heavier than the Shadow. Can buy one of those online for about the same price. I bought one in Des Moines for $3,500 with only 1900 miles...mistake was riding all the way back to Grand Rapids the same day. Hoo boy, any more than 300 miles or so (per day) and your ass is like hamburger.
My first bike was a 1989 Vulcan 750. Great bikes, especially for a first.
My father rides a fire engine red Harley heritage softail classic with an American flag on the back. He has been rear ended sitting at a stop light while it is still red on two seperate occasions.
is my main bike now - love it. I keep my 900 Vulcan at my GFs place in GR, in case the weather is shitty and I can't ride the Harley over to her (I'm in Waterford).
Getting excited for spring, obviously.
Shadow is the best bike to "learn" on. I'd start with a 750cc until you get the hang of it, then trade in for the 1100. Whisky throttle is a real thing and the bigger the engine, the worse the outcome.
I've never driven a motorcycle, but in my late twenties, I got the bug and began looking into which bike I would get (before the wife was pretty hard against it). The Shadow looks good and looks like it can carry a second person easily. I know the wind shields make them easier to drive, but I always liked them much better without them. I prefer the 5 spoke rims to the wire rims, but that is just a preference. It was also much cheaper than a lot of the other bikes and loked like it had much better reliability.
I lived in Florida for 10 years and rode a motorcycle for most of my time there.
First, if you are under 25, just wait on getting a motorcycle. Chances are you are just going to die. I have seen many, many people end or ruin their lives in this state because they were not ready. Florida has so many incompetent drivers you really need to be on your game every time out. Second, please do NOT get a scooter. Don't be that guy. You will cause traffic jams and everyone will hate you.
To get a motorcycle license cert in Florida you are required to take a training class. Usually they teach you on something small - 600-800 ccs. Good to learn on, but most people grow out of anything 600 cc's or under.
If you are not looking for something fast (I assume this means no sports bike/crotch rocket), your options are cruiser style or maybe a Harley. I second both posters above - Honda cruisers are great. Also you definitely don't need anything above 1000-1200 cc's unless you want to race. I can pretty much guarantee 1200 cc's will be more than you need under any circumstances.
I currently own a sports bike, 1000 cc's (just about a liter), and in 5 years have never opened full throttle. But that will still get you above 130mph. The market for purchasers is small for motorcycles, so you can usually get something very nice used for under $3000 with some searching.
/my 2 cents
Did you enjoy living in Florida? There's always a part of me that's wanted to move down there, or move somewhere like SC.
If you move to the right spot. Apologies to any Miami-ists, but that city is awful. Parts of Tampa are great, as are parts of Orlando. The Keys....yeah. A large part of Florida is simply no-go, and that makes it a bit tougher.
Also all the crazy people. Many places say "the people here are crazy!" But a huge portion of the people in Florida are actually crazy.
If you're a city person, find the nicer parts of North Tampa or the non-disney parts of Orlando. If you aren't, all along the west coast (gulf side) are fantastic spots within 150 either way of tampa. The middle of Florida is mostly a swamp, and Miami......bad.
As someone originally from SC and currently living in NC, you should consider the Carolinas. SC, and to an extent NC, can have muggy summers but the winters are nothing compared to MI and many folks are moving down here as they get older and get tired of dealing with the northern winters. Places like Greenville, SC and the Triangle in NC are really inexpensive to live, the people are nice, and the weather is wonderful, provided you can handle the warmer summers.
My brother and all of his friends still ride, I don't.
It's just not worth it anymore. Between living in a state with extremely poor road conditions (Illinois) and an infinite number of distracted drivers it's only a matter of time before something bad happens.
bikes are fun but to learn down in blue-hair land is not a good strategy. if you do it, keep your head on a swivel at all times, ride with another bike, etc.
its never the motorcyclists fault (okay, almost never) when they get wacked. first homicide i ever did back in the '80's was a guy riding his honda gold wing to work, minding his own business, and an old guy turned left in front of him thus exploding the motorcyclist's chest cavity on the front of a 1970-something ford truck.
find good riders to learn with. know that you are invisible to lots of other drivers and it's their fault, but your risk.
A great comment, but I want to add something. Many people have ridden for decades, and never had a problem. Some people ride 6 months and get in horrible accidents. My friends call them "skidmarks" because that's what they eventually become on the pavement.
Yes, there is a way to ride where you can avoid just about any accident. Always assume every other driver is going to kill you. Can a car pull out? Assume it will. Always have an out. Some people cannot be convinced bikes are anything but an invitation to get hurt, and I get that. But it's not true.
Find good riders to learn with is some of the best advice any new motorcyclist can ever get. +1
I agree 100% that motorcycles are dangerous and that bike-car accidents typically are the fault of a car driver. Howevah, if you live in a city, you see all sorts of insane bike activity. In traffic jams, you'll see bikes riding between lanes (I understand this is legal in some jurisdictions, but know it is insane everywhere). In lighter traffic, you'll see riders accelerating at unsafe rates. You see unsignaled rapid lane changes and excessive speed all the time. In both the U.S. and in Czech Republic I've also seen bikes doing wheelies/hand stands/etc. at or above the speed of the flow of traffic. Bike drivers' behaviors often create or contribute unnecessary risk.
The bottom line is that, if you must ride, always do so defensively and assume that the other drivers around you are texting, distracted, drunk, or stupid. They aren't all, of course, but a surprising percentage are. And to Xtra M's point, regardless of whose fault a bike accident is, the bike rider(s) nearly always get the worst of it.
Also, if you want to double your chances of dying on a motorcycle, ride a cafe racer. They are cool as all get-out, but the fatality rate on those versus cruisers is markedly higher.
I have to agree. You always see the bumper stickers imploring you to watch out for motorcycles, and I absolutely agree with that. Their size makes them easy to miss - and besides, too many cars are driven by inattentive people who (as my late father so eloquently put it) "have their head up their ass."
But the same thing can be said for motorcycle drivers. I've lost track of how many times over the years that I've been cut off by some jackass on a crotch rocket, weaving in and out of traffic and basically acting like a stunt driver in the latest "Fast and Furious" movie. Whether the vehicle has two wheels or four, too many of them are driven by idiots.
I think we can agree on this: Neither one of us wants your blood on my bumper. So how about we both drive with that goal in mind?
you pretty much just nod your head in agreement.
(picture of cowardly country mouse here----> )
Yeah, I would think that Florida would be a particularly dangerous place to ride a motorcycle given the huge number of elderly drivers on the road.
He called motor cycles, donor cycles since he harvested so many organs from dead riders with head injuries. When my uncle was killed riding a motorcycle, my Dad took away my Honda 100 dirt bike and I was never allowed to ride. Never thought about riding but if you do, you would need be an extreme defensive rider.
If you just want to get around and not have it be too complicated, I would recommend a scooter. Otherwise, if you really want to ride a motorcycle, I wouldn't get anything more than a 600cc model because anything else would be excessive if you don't speed...
I see a bunch of Yamaha TMax scooters around here... they are 530cc. They also have an SMax model that is 155cc and doesn't cost an arm and a leg.
I know nothing about motorcycles, but I do know this: anything with a sidecar would be sweeeeeet.
As soon as they put a seat on the new Boston Dynamic Handle Robot, I would ride it.
and absolutely agree regarding drivers with cell phones. It's not illegal to talk on your cell phone while driving. On my 30 minute commute I see people who text and drive every day.
Distracted driving and older drivers are a real problem here.
and just looking to get around town then I would buy a small lightweight bike. The cc's shouldn't be more than 750. A tiny Honda Rebel 250 will do 80mph.