im really starting to think the US should implement rules for riding a whatever cc bike. "you need to start out on a 250 for so many months then move up to a 500 and not a 600 until you have been riding for a couple of years." when i started riding, i would have thought that is BS but now im really starting to think about it.

i met a guy last night who has been dirt bike since he was 8 years old, hes 19 now. he has never ridden a street bike of any kind and thinks he can start out on a R1 which he is about to buy... "just because of the kinda person i am, i get into something new, i look at every possible outcome and i know i can handle an R1."

i said, "let me ask you this, i you can get on fort crook right out here" (a nearby road) "& be doing 150 before you get to the stop light, then why do you need a 1000cc bike?"

his response, "so i can get there faster"

 

that is indeed a pretty squidly attitude to have. i specifically went out and bought a 400cc twin junker just so i knew i could handle it and get my bearings first. i can't disagree with the idea, but i also can't imagine any such legislation getting enacted.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by rol1in0n20s &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">that is indeed a pretty squidly attitude to have. i specifically went out and bought a 400cc twin junker just so i knew i could handle it and get my bearings first. i can't disagree with the idea, but i also can't imagine any such legislation getting enacted.</TD></TR></TABLE>

i as well can't really imagine that ever happening but at the same time, how bad could it get? what would they do? I started out on a 400cc enduro then moved up to a 900RR (stupid). i later moved back down to a 600 and actually learned how to ride. ive got a 919 right now and im moving down to a SV650 just cuz it will be more fun! people are way too caught up in, i need the biggest baddest bike out there. i remember someone saying some time back that they had some random kid ask them if they were riding a GIXXER 1000. the response was, no its a 600. so the kid gets some disappointed look on his face. I guess the American way is to just super size everything. bigger is better right?

 

"no replacement for displacement"

which isn't even true any more, that phrase was coined in an era when they knew nothing about tuning, compression, stoich, etc and the only way to get more power WAS to make it bigger. but today we live in a world where a 2 liter or less inline four can outrun the big bad V8 just because he's made the right changes and tuned it properly. my philosophy has always been that any idiot can mash the gas and go fast in a straight line, but the world isn't always a straight line.

 

i dont think that law should ever happen.. thats removing freedom of choice really. i had two 1000cc bikes before and now ride a 600cc because it's more fun to bang through the gears and have the high rev's for me. on the track i can focus more on my technique with the 600 as well because you gotta keep your speed up in the turns rather than rely on power.


some people just want the biggest and baddest whether or not they can handle or not...hopefully they learn from a lesson that they can walk away from.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by rol1in0n20s &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">"no replacement for displacement"

which isn't even true any more, that phrase was coined in an era when they knew nothing about tuning, compression, stoich, etc and the only way to get more power WAS to make it bigger. but today we live in a world where a 2 liter or less inline four can outrun the big bad V8 just because he's made the right changes and tuned it properly. my philosophy has always been that any idiot can mash the gas and go fast in a straight line, but the world isn't always a straight line.</TD></TR></TABLE>

i feel exactly the same way. but unfortunately people feel that they need to look good. look at all the chrome on the SUVs everywhere.

 

p.s. i'm also thinking about making my next bike an SV650

Chrome? I'd be happy if it was ONLY chrome... I saw an expedition with a very civic-esque body kit on it and I died a little inside.

 

that phrase still holds true for everything. there's a reason that race supersports still put down a lot less then race superbikes - displacement

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by immortal &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i dont think that law should ever happen.. thats removing freedom of choice really. i had two 1000cc bikes before and now ride a 600cc because it's more fun to bang through the gears and have the high rev's for me. on the track i can focus more on my technique with the 600 as well because you gotta keep your speed up in the turns rather than rely on power.


some people just want the biggest and baddest whether or not they can handle or not...hopefully they learn from a lesson that they can walk away from.

</TD></TR></TABLE>

i agree with you that is is a freedom of choice and it sucks but you don't let people run around the supermarket with a sword. i see all these 18 & 19 year olds with sport bikes and thats how i feel.

 

One would think that the astronomical insurance rates on sportbikes for younger folks would be deterrent enough to hold off till they're more experienced, but when mommy and daddy can buy it for them and put it under their name, that gets you around it... and unfortunately, it tends to be the ones who got their bikes for Christmas or their birthday are the ones who only want it to look cool, and ultimately don't respect the bike or what it's capable of. That's where the danger lies.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by rol1in0n20s &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">One would think that the astronomical insurance rates on sportbikes for younger folks would be deterrent enough to hold off till they're more experienced, but when mommy and daddy can buy it for them and put it under their name, that gets you around it... and unfortunately, it tends to be the ones who got their bikes for Christmas or their birthday are the ones who only want it to look cool, and ultimately don't respect the bike or what it's capable of. That's where the danger lies.</TD></TR></TABLE>

perhaps nature taking its course will be enough. many insurance companies are starting to not insure motorcycles at all. it would be funny to see insurance companies to just say, "no your too young, we can insure you on your GSXR1000 come back in a few years after you turn 18."

 

that would actually be pretty awesome, for them just to straight up say "No. We'd be able to insure you if you had a less powerful vehicle, but for what you've got you're just too high a risk, sorry." But then they'd probably just ride it anyway without insurance, and that could lead to bad things...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by rol1in0n20s &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">that would actually be pretty awesome, for them just to straight up say "No. We'd be able to insure you if you had a less powerful vehicle, but for what you've got you're just too high a risk, sorry." But then they'd probably just ride it anyway without insurance, and that could lead to bad things...</TD></TR></TABLE>

no you are right, bad things would come. when i first started riding i was 19 years old and i was shocked at how many people rode without licenses. It seemed like every weekend i was picking up a bike from impound for a friend or a friend of a friend.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by rol1in0n20s &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">that would actually be pretty awesome, for them just to straight up say "No. We'd be able to insure you if you had a less powerful vehicle, but for what you've got you're just too high a risk, sorry." But then they'd probably just ride it anyway without insurance, and that could lead to bad things...</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yeah, that would be pretty neat, an insurance company would turn somebody down, given the opportunity to charge them money. Thats never going to happen. Manufactures can't sell many bikes under 600cc because no one wants them. I tried looking for an old 500cc and gave up. Look at all the people who jump up and stop laws making it illegal for kids to ride adult ATVs. Same thing would happen. "Its a free country, yo"

 

tell this to the guys that go out and buy ZX-14's and hayabusa's as their first bike...

 

yeah, i saw a guy on a zx-14 wearing a t-shirt, jeans that looked too short for him (like 5-6 inches of his ankles were showing), and low-top sneakers... he had a helmet on, but still.

 

I think one of the best things it would do if they did decide to require starting on a smaller cc (which im about 95% sure they do in Europe somewhere) it will actually make the &lt;600cc market sky rocket. The reason it sucks now is cuz the only things available readily under 600cc are the Ninjas, and lets be honest, theyre seriously FUGLY. Yea yea who cares what you look lick but a lot of people do care and if people were required to start on &lt;600cc manufactures would be forced to do development from the demand and then people would be MUCH more inclined to get a &lt;600cc if they were attractive.

The 07 1000RR is straight sex on two wheels.
The Ninja 250 is foul.
Cliff Notes: If said law did happen, it would increase demand, cause building new &lt;600cc models, and people will be much more inclined to start on them.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by thehondabuddy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Cliff Notes: If said law did happen, it would increase demand, cause building new &lt;600cc models, and people will be much more inclined to start on them. </TD></TR></TABLE>

yeah you are right, &lt;600 look like *** and perform like it too. there is no reason for manufactures to make better &lt;600 bikes cuz no one wants one.

 

I think it should be smaller than 600, say four hundred cc's... some thing the Japanese bikes could do tomorrow because that is Japanese limits. than after a year you can step up, this irregardless of age. this is not a new concept, this idea has been around for decades... but now I DO believe its time has come

 

In England they have special limiters on the bikes... I remember reading about it on a Triumph forum I lurked.

Basically, you can buy any bike you want, but you only get xx hp out of it. Then, after having your bike for xx amount of time, you get that taken off.

I think that's a great idea, but it'll never fly here.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by MSchu &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I think it should be smaller than 600, say four hundred cc's... some thing the Japanese bikes could do tomorrow because that is Japanese limits. than after a year you can step up, this irregardless of age. this is not a new concept, this idea has been around for decades... but now I DO believe its time has come </TD></TR></TABLE>

no its not a new idea and the time has come. Bikes were ridiculous fast 10 years ago & there is no word for what they are today. bikes are only going to get faster, something sooner or later has and will be done. I would be great if the MSF was made mandatory but it wouldn't happen unless they got state/federal funding

Right before i started driving my dad said to me, "would you let a random person you didn't know shoot a gun past your head?" i replied, "NO!" for which he said, "thats what you are doing every time you drive a car."

 

Well, as we can see...

2003 Kawasaki ZX-4R -- Pakistan


2004 Suzuki SV400S -- Sri Lanka


2005 Suzuki GSX-R400 -- UK


2005 Honda CBR450 -- Brazil


2005 Honda CBR250 -- Australia


2007 Honda RVF400 -- Ireland


...They're being made, they just aren't in the US. Due, in no small part (as you all have already pointed out), to shear lack of demand.

 

the GSXR-400 looks like a good bike! i'd rock it!

 

he'll be dead soon don't worry.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by god.loves.ugly &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">he'll be dead soon don't worry. </TD></TR></TABLE>

who?