Thread: I would like to get a motorcycle

Originally Posted by astrid

I shouldn't be so sensitive.

Here here.

Originally Posted by astrid

HH I assume you are possum stiring, no one can be that dim.

I never touched that possum...... what do you mean by dim?

Originally Posted by astrid

and I'm not sure mat is a yank?

Depsite his location being USA?

HH.

Originally Posted by jow104

Matt I read one of your other posts.

Dont you think your misses also comes into consideration when discussing taking up riding a motorbike?

QUOTE.

Vegemite and Marmite are basically the same, both are basically byproducts of the brewing industry, Marmite has a smoother texture though. I used to use Vegemite but for some reason its gotten extremely hard to get over here, so I've converted to Marmite, and found I like it just as well if not better.

Bovril is similar to both but is made from beef extract.

I seemed to remember some stink about Vegemite being banned due to excessive Folic acid content or some such thing, but I think that turned out to be urban myth, I don't think you can get too much Folic acid anyway, isn't it just another water soluble B vitamin?

None the less its almost impossible to find around here now.

Well, I suppose I'd better go tell the missus I'm preggers.
__________________
End quote

Nope. None whatsoever.
























Only because I don't have a missus though. That was a joke, I think someone said something regarding pregnant women and the high folic acid content in vegemite and that lead to my jokeing about going to tell the missus I was pregnant.

Negative, I'm to young for that, not that I'm a party animal or anything. I actually lead a very boring existence. I work, I go to college, trying to get a degree in physical thereapy but I'm doubting I get accepted into the pt program, so that probably means I bounce around this next year and probably pick up a degree in bio or sonography tech or such, then reapply next year to the pt program, see if I get in then.

Yes, I am a "Yank" and around here they have what is called the MSF course, or Motorcycle Safety Foundation course. They have one for beginners that is a 2 day event, then they have a whole slew of others for intermediate and advanced and whatnot.

I'd for sure take one if for no other reason than the insurance discount you get for having done so.

I've always had what I would call a "motorcyclists" attitude towards driving though.

When I was taking my driving test, my instructor dropped the saying, “If it happens to you, its your fault”, and I’ve always taken that too heart. If you have an accident, no matter what or who caused it, its your fault because you let it happen to you. I’ve seen people sit like ducks and let people plow them when they could have easily gotten out of the way, but for most people, it doesn’t occur to them that you don’t have to “let” accidents happen.

My motto is “don’t let them hit you”. If for no other reason that, 1 it’s going to hurt, 2 its going to wreck your car and I’m rather attached to my cars, 3 it’s a royal pain to deal with the insurance companies and they never want to give you what your car is worth, 4 even if you have the best insurance in the world, it still takes them time to process and get your check and then you have to go find a replacement vehicle, IMO, a wreck is something to avoid really, really hard.

Shortly after I started driving I came across a book called, “Drive to Survive”, and it had a major impact on my life. It taught how to properly adjust your mirrors, (you don’t need to see the side of your car, you can be assured its still there by your butt being still firmly planted in its seat, you do however need to see your blind spots, so you adjust them until you are right past seeing the side of your car, then by the time a vehicle pulls out of sight on your mirror they are already entering your peripheral side vision, it works very well. Also it taught situation awareness, always being aware of what and who was around you, as well as a escape avenue where you go could if you needed to maneuver around someone/something, the trick is to know that avenue is open and clear before you know you need it.

There was a little game in the book, where every time someone snuck up on you that you didn’t know about etc, you put a little orange sticker on your mirror, and pretty soon you were pretty aware of how unaware you were because those little stickers pile up pretty fast.

The book teaches a lot of other things though, how to properly adjust your seat in relation to the wheel, how to corner properly at speed, how to do maneuvers such as bootlegger turns etc, how to ram people to take them off the road, how to get through blockades and highjacking, how to tell if you’re being followed and what to do, etc, etc.

I'm big on researching things a knowing everthing there is to know before taking on a project, so I've been reading books on motorcycle handing and safety as well. It's good to know some stuff like don't ride the middle of the road where all the oil is, it takes at least 30 of steady rain to wash the contaminants and oil off the roadways, and how to get out of a rut if your wheel should get caught and be tracking down a road seem or such, proper cornering, etc, etc.

OK Matt.
I myself will moderate my tone down a bit. The USA is a different driving proposition to Europe & ~Australia (I have done 30k in the USA)
and the roads in the USA have more driving space than the other two mentioned continents. Your interstates are 3 lanes each direction etc. over thousands of miles.

Mind you the legal speed limits are lower in the USA which can cause frustration I am sure to young bloods on a bike.


I think your weather patterns are more extreme so a motorcar I think will most probably come out tops in the end.
Stay safe.

My .02, since I have experience here and there on the road.

All of it has been good advice.
The only things that I might personally add.

Of the bikeys I've known, those that were least at risk IMO were the ones that started early and learned well and took it seriously. A lot of other friends who did it because they had a screw loose and were nutty killed themselves. Natural selection at work. Overconfidence I think was a big factor, not to generalize.

Learn how to lay it down, because you will have to at some point. Even if you are sentimentally attached to your bike (as you say you are to your cars), it's better to have that hunk of steel hit first if you can.

Get loud pipes. In some places in the states they are illegal. But there's no better way to let people know you're there on the freeway.

You will come off it someday. Be ready as if it can happen anytime. Don't be complacent.

I don't ride. I've got two young kids and even though I've always been above statistics, I have to err on the side of caution now for their sake. When I was younger I didn't have the responsibility.

Enjoy it, as others have said.

Originally Posted by HappyHammer

Buy a 4WD and go places road bikes can't go.

HH.

HH,
Thanks for that snippet of information, I just can't think how after living and working in the NT for the last 40 years in many remote communities, that it has slipped under my radar.

"4WD" eh! I'll google it straight away.

Right, gotcha, I know what you're talking about now. You mean the huge petrol guzzlers that the gray nomads drive. I saw a few of them when I pushed biked into some remote spots in Kakadu the year before last, only after about 10am though, so that gave me at least 3 hours riding in perfect peace. Yeah they are great!

Cheers
Bill

Originally Posted by HappyHammer

Buy a 4WD and go places road bikes can't go.

HH.

You have not seen where I have taken a bike.
The 4wd would be stuck at the start.

Originally Posted by astrid

lookguys
Bikes whether cycle, motor or scooter are a good move in the current climate crisis.
the more who use them the safer it will get with dedicated lanes etc.
I am seriosly thinking of getting a scooter
the drive into work costs 20% of my income and it takes ages.
astrid

Hi Astrid,
I agree entirely.

The problem that I see with riding a motorbike or push bike here in Aus. and I suspect most developed countries, is that a lot of last two generations of drivers out there have gone straight from school to work driving a car. They have never had to even consider using a pushbike or a scooter to get to work.

This has put onto our roads a hell of a lot of intolerant yobs. Just as likely to squeeze you closer than give you room if you are riding and not driving. (Or even indulge in that grand old Aussie pastime of throwing a beer can at you.)

I have ridden in some congested places in SE Asia, but after the initial shock, I found it was far easier to get around on a bike there, rather than here. Riding in the same density of traffic in Australia would scare the cr*p out of me! Their drivers still have that mind set of looking out for smaller and slower road users. They have just about all of them 'been there and done that'.

In SE Asia they are catching up to us fast though, the vehicle is definitely a sign of status, as it is here. Let's hope it starts to change.

Cheers
Bill

Originally Posted by billbeee

I have ridden in some congested places in SE Asia, but after the initial shock, I found it was far easier to get around on a bike there, rather than here. Riding in the same density of traffic in Australia would scare the cr*p out of me! Their drivers still have that mind set of looking out for smaller and slower road users. They have just about all of them 'been there and done that'.

On that topic, check out this video that I stumbled on a while back. It's quite amazing:

Amazing Street Traffic in Saigon

Well, its turning into WWIII around here.

I've went from surprised to really hurt by their response. I would have thought better of them, they are my family after all. I understand they feel strongly about the issue, but they could have went about expressing their feelings in a better way.

I don't even care about the bike really anymore, its past that.

I've always been a good kid. I never drank, partied, or did drugs, I did well in school, perhaps not straight A's, but a good A-B student. When my parents broke up some years back and my family fragmented, I stayed with my mom and little brother while my older brother and sis moved out and basically abandoned us. I've went with my brother to visitation with his/our father every week for going on probably five years now. I'm busy, I have school 3/4/5 days a week and work another 3/4/5 days a week depending on the semester, I don't want to see him any more than my brother, but I've always been very loyal and felt honor bound to go with him so he doesn't have to go alone, quite frankly my father is a bit nuts. Excepting my father I believe very strongly blood is thicker than water and you stick together to the end, my brother and sis leaving hurt greatly. I help around the house, I work outside of the house, I laid in almost 2000' of fence basically by myself over the last summer or so. I reroofed our house. I painted one of our cars. I do all the work on our vehicles, oil changes, belts, water pumps, transmissions, everything from top to bottom. I've had to put up with my little brother pulling the hellion thing hitting the terrible teens and pulling stunts I would have never dreamed of doing being the good little chap I was as a kid, I'm put basically in the position of being a "father" figure, which he resents and truthfully I resent a bit myself, I've decided I'm never having children, they turn your hair grey and give you indigestion and stress you beyond capacity, quite frankly I don't know that I even want to get married, I'm going to stick with the bachelor thing for a while, its nice.

Anyhow, basically I've been told, "You're not getting a bike, and if you do get a bike we'll take it apart and cut the tires" and I've been guilted about how I could even consider such a thing and how I could even keep mentioning it and don't you know how much we need you? My little brother got so mad he was cussing at me and refuses to ride with me(in my car), my sister who I see once every few months made a list of all her clients who have various body parts missing from motorcycle accidents, my older brother expressed his disappointment and surprise that I would even consider such a thing and don't get me started on my mother. I have people changing computer desktops to horrible scenes of motorcycle accidents and victims. (if you want to see my favorite I'll tack it on the end of the post, he should have worn a full face helmet, something like 30-40% of motorcyclists land on the chin area if they crash, Full Face Helmet, wear one and I mean it )

And how old am I again? 12? 15? 16?

No I'm 22, I pull my weight, I thought I was an adult. I wasn't asking permission, I just happend to drop one day that I was thinking of getting a bike and BAM sheiite mountain dropped on my head.

It's like I'm evil and I'm doing this intentionally to hurt them and if I get a bike they won't love me anymore.

I thought, well first off I thought I was rather grown up, but in the case I'm not, I thought that was part of growing up, making ones own decisions.

I'm very reasonable. Talk to me like a person. Express your concerns, maybe ask me not to do this, tell me it would worry you very much, and try to argue in a rational quite way. I respond very well to that approach.

Don't tell me no I'm not going to do get a bike and act like I'm going to die the first time I go out and insult my driving abilities and, meh, I don't know, they just really went about it the wrong way. (ps, I'm also the only one in the family who hasn't had a automobile accident, even my little brother's had one, he drove the lawn mover into the side of the truck at full speed one time before he had even drove a car, thats an automobile accident, I'm sticking to that )

It's like all these years of being a good kid and student and sticking by them dissapeared in an instant. I dunno, I'm to sensitive to such things maybe. Or maybe its because I've never had a fight like this with my family. I've really never had a fight with them.

I didn't even know they were that touchy about this subject. I've always planned on getting a bike basically my whole life, I never really talked about it, it was just there, knowing someday I'd get a bike. I don't feel the need for speed, its just another form of transportation, its economical, looks like fun.

I'm big on self reliance and skill, motorcycles appeal to me, yes, is that a crime?

I don't go into things willy nilly, I research and make careful considered decisions. If I got a bike and decided all my research and planning aside, this wasn't for me and was dangerous to boot, I'd sell the bike and move on. I am a logical thinking person regardless of common census that states otherwise.

I'm not a nerd with coke bottle glasses, I can ride anything with wheels or feet or hooves.

They've expressed "concern" that perhaps due to all the stress I've been under with school and whatnot, that perhaps I'm "not thinking straight" or a bit unrational right now and I should listen to them and take their advice.

You'd think I told them I planned to buy a 1500cc sport bike and how I could be at school in 8 min flat if I drove at its top speed of 213mph.

No, I expressed my interest in a 652cc single cylinder thumper cruiser that has just enough power to keep up with the big boys and out of traffic's way while still turning an economical 60 mpg, its top speed? 88 mph. Hardly a speed machine.

The truth be told I have been under a lot of stress and had a h'ell of a semester and the LAST thing I need right now is people questioning my sanity. I'm already questioning enough things right now, Jeepers.

I don't want to hurt anyone. I don't. I'm not doing this to be rebellious. It really hurts me how upset everyone is getting about this. In the interest of family preservation I would scratch getting a bike. But this has really opened my eyes to an ugly undercurrent that I would have rather not been aware of. This was something that was really important to me. I wasn't taken seriously, my sanity was questioned, my driving ability was questioned, I've had people get so upset they were swearing at me, and I'm just like, whoa, even I'm not this worked up about this?

I'm devastatingly practical. Cussing at me won't do a thing. Logic. Rational argument. Treating me like a person. Recognizing I'm an adult and although I value you and my family and your imput and concerns, and if you give them to me in the proper way I will yes I will factor them into my decision, in the end, I am an adult and it is my decision.

I can't get a bike with them feeling and acting this way.

Already it feels like a little piece of me has died though.

They don't seem to realize some decisions have to be left up to the individual, you can't bludgeon or guilt someone into doing what you want.

I feel resentment because I was forced and guilted into this choice, but I don't want to feel it, I hate that I do, I've always been the good kid, I don't want to be anything else, this is the only thing we have ever really disagreed with.

It's like there's a double standard as well. Other people in my family do stupid things all the time. My brother flew past the house earlier going full speed on the tractor backwards pushing a wooden pallet back to the shed with the box blade. Now tell me that isn't dangerous?

I don't wish anyone any ill over this but I am very hurt and don't know how to express it or what to do about it. I suppose I need to get over the bike deal somehow and move on, but its going to be very hard to let go, its going to be very hard to just let it drop, its going to be very hard to not harbor any resentment over it.

Of course I could just go out and buy a bike and say in your face but I'm not that kind of person and I do worry about other people and think about their feelings and don't want anyone worrying about me or forcing anyone to do anything stupid like tear up my bike, they'd feel bad about it afterwards and it would just cause more trouble.

This is such a lose lose situation. I never saw it coming. That sounds familiar.

Oh yes, the pic, mustn't forget. If you're squeamish, don't look or scroll quickly.

Matt,
I dont know you or your situation of course except what you post.
It could be that your mum and little brother are morbidly afraid of loosing you,
and despite them not seemongly appreiciating you, in fact you are a father/husband substitute.
what they are actually doing is emotional bullying.
You are only 22 and as youve said , your a good kid not a grown man with adult responsibilities allthough youve tried to shoulder these too long.

If you let them bully you over this, it will be the same with every major decision you need to make in your adult life, moving out of home, traveling,
even your choice of partner (when you want one) .

The issue of the bike is irrelevant, I think they would behave like this in any "threatening" situation.
So my aunty advise is,
let the issue drop for now
But quiety and firmly push ahead with the plan to get one.
by this I dont mean go about it secretly, just make prepareations.
If there is a motor cycle training school around they have bikes for you to learn on, enroll in one and just get on with it.
Dont discuss it, just do it and refuse any confrontation or arguement about it, in other words, quietly assert youself.
This also shows that you understand their safty concerns and are being mature and thoughtful about it.

Emotional bullies, like any others, back down when faced up to.
It can be hard on you and you familly as they will do the "we dont understand, dont you care about us? routine"
Just be firm.
By BP partner is now, standing up to a very similar situation and is slowly feeling stronger and happier. Its taken him 48 years to recognise what was going on.
I dont know how to send a link but google "family bullying by a serial bully"

I am sure that your folks dont recognise what theyre doing, but thats what it sounds like.

Its a holiday time, take some time out for yourself and i dont mean in the shed1
Go to a gallery or somwhere

take care of yourself
ASTRID

Matt

truely, why do you want a bike ?

is it economical transport or do you have visions of joining a motor cycle club like the Hell's Angles, Desparados, or Coffin Cheaters.

your description of the proposed bike and the reason for getting that model suggests to me the latter — I wouldn't mind betting the family's opposition is really about "we don't want our son/brother turning into a bikie gang member who never washes, is covered in tatts and deals in drugs"

as to your choice of a first bike, locally you can't legally ride a bike like you describe until you've held your bike licience for 2 or 3 years. From memory the limit is 250cc.
the reasoning being that learning to ride and dodge the potholes, oil patches, loose bits of cardboard, painted line markings, pavement reflectors, etc and avoid the idiot/blind/irresponsible car drivers, and second guess all other road users is a process that continues for some years after you are deemed a sufficiently competent not to need Learner (= give me a wide berth) plates


If I may be frank, reading some of what you've posted suggests, at least to me, that you are not a person prepared to ignore minor trangressions. Rather you are a person who will insist on enforcing your rights or will respond in kind to a transgression no matter how minor — I'm not being critical but if you carry that attitude with you while riding a bike, the dude in the truck will just run you over.
Think about it


take care of yourself and get a big bike after you've learnt all there is to know about handling a smaller one.

ian

While I can understand where their objections might come from, I can't understand such a response. My parents realised the futility in objecting, and put trust in my age and judgement enough to be at least OK with it, and if my girlfriend had objected like that she wouldn't currently be my Mrs

Dunno what the answer is, but it seems like they think you are obligated to behave a certain way for them, and honestly, that is bull plop. Living your life to make other people happy is not what life is about. It is a path paved with futility and unhappiness.

Well that's my view in any case.

Thanks Astrid, I think you are partially right in they are very afraid to lose me, and perhaps so much that they went a bit overboard in dealing with this.

Originally Posted by ian

Matt

truely, why do you want a bike ?

is it economical transport or do you have visions of joining a motor cycle club like the Hell's Angles, Desparados, or Coffin Cheaters.

your description of the proposed bike and the reason for getting that model suggests to me the latter — I wouldn't mind betting the family's opposition is really about "we don't want our son/brother turning into a bikie gang member who never washes, is covered in tatts and deals in drugs"

as to your choice of a first bike, locally you can't legally ride a bike like you describe until you've held your bike licience for 2 or 3 years. From memory the limit is 250cc.
the reasoning being that learning to ride and dodge the potholes, oil patches, loose bits of cardboard, painted line markings, pavement reflectors, etc and avoid the idiot/blind/irresponsible car drivers, and second guess all other road users is a process that continues for some years after you are deemed a sufficiently competent not to need Learner (= give me a wide berth) plates


If I may be frank, reading some of what you've posted suggests, at least to me, that you are not a person prepared to ignore minor trangressions. Rather you are a person who will insist on enforcing your rights or will respond in kind to a transgression no matter how minor — I'm not being critical but if you carry that attitude with you while riding a bike, the dude in the truck will just run you over.
Think about it


take care of yourself and get a big bike after you've learnt all there is to know about handling a smaller one.

ian

Nope, no interest in joining Hell's Angles, Desparados, or Coffin Cheaters.

I spend about a third of my income on transportation, probably more if you factor in parts and whatnot. With a bike I could halve or third that, and since I run on a tight budget, that appealed to me. I drove almost 30,000 miles last year.

As for my choice of bike, I started off looking at Honda Rebels, and no the name had nothing to do with the choice, I saw one outside of a cafe one day and it looked like a neat little bike. I did some research, found out it was a 250, and said to be a good starter bike, and so I went to look at some. I was told, that due to my size, 6' or so, and weight, 240-250lbish, that I was really a little too big for it, and I found out it would not go highway speeds.

The college I go to has four campuses, they are situated so that you can easily and quickly access them from highways as many people travel a long ways in from rural areas to attend, would it make any sense to get a bike that I couldn't take on the highway when I'm on the highway almost every day? I didn't think so.

So I scratched that idea. Then one day I saw an advert for bike, and looked it up to see what it was. That was my first into to the Suzuki S40. Although it turned out they had mislisted it, and it wasn't actually a S40, I still thought, wow, what a great bike. It was simple, it has a single cylinder, a single carburetor, a belt drive, its simplicity at its best.

This may not seem like much to you, but for me, who spends countless hours tearing into engines and transmissions and just in general trying to hunt down why something is not working, often not having any idea how to do it, simply grabbing a manual and hey, lets teach ourselves how to rebuild a transmission today type approach, well, to me thats the greatest thing since sliced cheese, something with a single cylinder, a carb, and a drive that requires no maintenance other that periodical replacement. Maybe it would reduce my time spent under a car at 3am in the morning with an exam later that morning and no clue what I'm doing but just wrenching away because I have little choice but to do or die.

As far as legalities, to the best of my knowledge, its very basic, you show up, to take a written test, you drive around the block, they take your license, trash it, and hand you another with a little "M" endorsement on it, and away you go. You could take the test on Jay Leno's jet powered bike if you wanted, to the best of my knowledge, the only bike restrictions in the state of Oklahoma are if you are under 16. Although you can't drive a car until 16 or maybe now 18, they will let you drive a <250cc bike or scooter around starting at some crazy young age like 14 or 15. Now that I do think is nuts. Whats the reasoning behind that? Well, they're to young to drive, they might hurt someone with a car, so lets give them a scooter, that way the only person they hurt is theirself.

This is what I wanted, I even found a brand new old stock one, an 05, for $2500 on a local dealers lot. I figured if I waited until the new year rolled around, perhaps I could bargin them down even more. Probably not though, thats quite the steal, they go for more than that used.


2007 Boulevard S40

I respect my family and I won't go and blatantly go aginst their wishes, they've raised me well, but now is the time to step back a little and to respect my judgment and trust me to make the right choices, they can't make them for me for the rest of my life.

That they can't see that puts me in a bad spot.

look like a nice bike,
do take that training course though
1 it will help your family get used to th idea before you actually get one.
2 it will be safer for you.
3 it may reasure them a little.

take care and have some fun.

re the computer screen saver photos.
lock your computer.

Astrid