Author Topic: New Squid in the making (Read 4223 times)

B12Teuton · « **on:** September 28, 2005, 09:13:09 AM »

I went to a dealer on the way home yesterday to have a look around. I noticed a kid that was all nervous and/or full of adrenaline pacing back and forth on a cell phone. He was on with his insurance company. It went something like this:
"I need insurance"
....
"For a bike I just bought"
....
"It's a ZX6R"
....
"No, No that's a Kawasaki Ninja!"
....
"Well I don't need coverage to start today 'cause I still need to get my permit and then my license"
............
"Well what if the bike gets stolen before I start riding it...?"

at that point I just shook my head at him and walked away.

This guy was maybe 22 Years old. Had no experience, or even a PERMIT yet, no gear, no clue and he was buying 100hp supersport.

I just wanted to take his phone away and smack the dumbass.

~End Rant

PeteSC · « **Reply #1 on:** September 28, 2005, 09:23:12 AM »

You didn't point him to a GSXR 1000?

Desolation Angel · « **Reply #2 on:** September 28, 2005, 10:04:02 AM »

Hey, I guarantee you nobody with a brain has tried to guide him through this process.

I also guarantee you the dealer didn't try to advise him as to more appropriate choices.

The kid is winging it and doesn't know any better.

Landry · « **Reply #3 on:** September 28, 2005, 10:36:54 AM »

Kids.

I was in my thirties before I got the balls to buy a bike.

. . . but MINE has <80 hp.

I hope his deal fell through.

B12Teuton · « **Reply #4 on:** September 28, 2005, 11:00:57 AM »

My first street bike was a Yamaha TW200 with probably all of 15hp.
Then I bought an 883 Sportster with like 45hp
Then a KLX650C3 which with mods made 60RWHP and only weighed 320lbs

At that time I worked at a bike shop for several years and rode EVERYTHING from a PW50 to a Ducati 998R... even a turbo ZX-11.

Then I bought a Bandit 1200 with 100hp. I probably rode close to 100K miles by the time I was 30. Not counting 5-6K miles off road.

And now I'm thinking I need to go back down to a 650 thumper for fun.

12sdrag · « **Reply #5 on:** September 28, 2005, 07:59:43 PM »

Hey, Be nice my first street bike was a gsxr 750. I was 20 yrs old. Walked right in and paid cash for it. No license or anything, Called the insurance told them what I got, they said 2,200$ a year and that was that. I`ve had three other bikes after that. Didn`t get my license until I got the bandit. Still bought the first bike and took my test on it. Only had the bike for a month before I got my license. I think the only reason I didn`t get my license with the other bikes is because, I didn`t know better.

turbo-bob · « **Reply #6 on:** September 29, 2005, 12:56:26 AM »

Quote from: "B12Teuton"

I went to a dealer on the way home yesterday to have a look around. I noticed a kid that was all nervous and/or full of adrenaline pacing back and forth on a cell phone.
This guy was maybe 22 Years old. Had no experience, or even a PERMIT yet, no gear, no clue and he was buying 100hp supersport.

I just wanted to take his phone away and smack the dumbass.

~End Rant

Hey, you did'nt mention :

he was in shorts and tennies.

NCBANDIT · « **Reply #7 on:** September 29, 2005, 09:15:45 AM »

I guess I'm far from your average youngin'. My first street bike is/was the B12 I'm riding now, I knew it could be too much for me but I also knew I could keep myself in check. My first motorcycle related gathering was the bandit rally at willville this year. I was about to sign the papers on a 99CBR F4 in 99 and my mom talked me out of it, very glad she did, I have matured alot in 6 years.

I have alot of younger riding friends who were semi-smart and bought 600's to start on, but now they think they need a liter bike after riding about 3000 miles. I try to feed some knowledge into them but I doubt it will work. This guy manny saw just needs some guidance but probably has no one to help him.

Maybe we need to start an "adopt a newbie rider" program

Josh

land_shark · « **Reply #8 on:** September 29, 2005, 11:13:30 AM »

I think I can fill in part of that conversation with the insurance agent...

Quote

"It's a ZX6R"

"Oh, you mean a Zip 'n Splat?"

Quote

"No, No that's a Kawasaki Ninja..."

By 1GB12 was my second bike (had a BMW F650 for a year previous, test-rode a bandit, and couldn't believe what I was missing!!) I have to admit, after 5 years, the bike is actually starting to scare me a little

I've been riding with a friend who is much, much more experienced than I am, and has been helping me challenge myself in some more technical riding.

Although he has no reservations throwing his big Guzzi Bassa into a curve at 90, I feel very uneasy. I find myself understeering, and not able to keep up with all that hp and torque in a turn. I've spent so long 'appreciating'

the straightaways in this big drag-strip called Iowa, and neglecting the joy of the hard-to-find curvies. So, I'm searching for a very used (possibly salvaged) 600 to get started. Any suggestions out there

tacoman · « **Reply #9 on:** September 29, 2005, 01:34:23 PM »

Are you looking for a 600cc sport bike to play around with? Find a clean 600 a few years old, anything from the big 4 is good. the 600s depreciate quick so there are some good bikes out there for cheap. Feel sorry for the kid trying to buy the new ZX. However, there was a flicker of some intelligence as he did check insurance costs before actually buying. When he sees the monthly premium being about 4x his payment, hopefully he'll downsize.

billster · « **Reply #10 on:** September 29, 2005, 02:55:10 PM »

Going thru the same thing with this 'kid' at work. Nice dewd about 24....wants to jump into the Suzuki promo $99/month and get a B12 'just like' mine. He hangs out in the parking lot when I'm leaving...."What's this lever for?" "What's this pedal for?" He's finally starting to listen and I've got him whittled down to considering an SV650....Jesus H. !!! So many used old standards out there to bang around on and learn and they've gotta have NEW NEW NEW...before they even know where the clutch is!

Bill

scooter trash · « **Reply #11 on:** September 29, 2005, 03:19:20 PM »

Quote

I think I can fill in part of that conversation with the insurance agent...

"It's a ZX6R"

"Oh, you mean a Zip 'n Splat?"

"No, No that's a Kawasaki Ninja..."

Denverbandit99 · « **Reply #12 on:** September 30, 2005, 10:54:43 PM »

I'm 22, and my 99 B6 is my first bike. My twin brother bought a Gixxer 600 last summer, so I decided to get my license and a bike this summer. bought the bike a week before I took the class, Figgered "I'll just ride it around the neighborhood a little, get a little head start on the class." Long story short, i had to replace the front brake handle and right mirror after I rode a block, and I understood why my brother wouldn't teach me how to ride on his Gixxer pretty quick. And I didn't ride anymore until after the class. Done my best to make up for the lost mileage since then though.

Doesn't matter what you start with, just how smart you are and how well trained.

scooter trash · « **Reply #13 on:** October 03, 2005, 08:06:16 AM »

Oh the stories I can tell. I was a MSF Motorcycle Safety Instructor. I cannot say enough about proper motorcycle training. But I can also say some people do not belong on motorcycles. As a matter of fact it should be against the law for some people to take mass transit while chewing gum. I think I’ve seen them all. The 70+ year old gentleman with the being stages of Parkinson’s (shook like a tree in the breeze). The young girl after two days of riding couldn’t remember to pull in the clutch when shifting (she wanted a sport bike). The young man that rode his sport bike to class and proceeded to drop the training bike on just about all the slow speed turns (he knew it all). There were so many of them. I’d come in for the Friday night classroom session look out into the class and became afraid. VERY AFRAID. You’ve heard the saying, ‘the lights are on but nobodies home”? Well some of them didn’t even have the lights on.
But there was some exceptional one as well. Like the hearing impaired women that read my lips and passed the course with flying colors. She wasn’t going to buy a bike; she just wanted to see if she could do it.
Long story short (seems to be too late for that now). Get proper training and make sure your friends get proper training also.

The life you save just may be your own.

Swamp Rat · « **Reply #14 on:** October 04, 2005, 10:13:45 AM »

I was 6 months shy of 40 when I purchased the b12s wich is my first street bike. I have a good bit of trail riding under my helmet but the 2 riding styles are nothing alike. If you can keep your wrist in check and assume every car out there is trying to run you over, I think you can live with a bigger bike. I often pretend leaves and sticks are possible hazards and practice emergency manuovers to avoid them. But now, with 2/3s of the New Orleans traffic up here in Baton Rouge, the interstates are a real challenge for the safety minded rider. I only thought the BR people were bad drivers but the N.O. drivers are freakin idiots.