That's a Katana frame I pictured with the bracing, and the real enthusiasts don't like anything but a real Katana, so the few that want a little more performance from theirs will brace the frame and upgrade the suspension and wheels to keep the original looks. For what it's worth, I didn't brace the frame. I just ground off all unused bracketry and had it all powder coated. With the new brakes up front and the wider tire and stiffer shock ('06 R6 I believe) out back, it tips over awesomely.
Example of said lusted after katanas:
http://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/Cus...35R%20%201.jpg

Any other V-Twin bikes I should consider other then the SV?

What about a Harley sportster?

Ducati Monster? Never head one but I hear they are good bikes. Parts might be expensive though. Kawasaki has a small v-twin as well that came out about 3 years ago.

^ Ducati, lol. One day, but not for a first bike.

kawasaki ninja 650r and versys. Two incredible bikes, the versys has won BOTY a couple of times through different magazines, for reason. I've ridden my buddie's 650r, and it's an incredible bike. Very comfortable, lots of torque, fairly easy wheelies in 1st and 2nd gear, 50-60mpg, cheap, easy to ride, nothing wrong with 'em. Apparently the Versys is better, I couldn't imagine.

Very nice looking bikes, parallel twin is a nice option too.

To bad they are new, and not available cheap yet. I am looking at like 02 SV's and they can be hand in like the 2 - 3k price range for pristine examples, which is perfect.

I have always used about 80/20 when it comes to brakes. The proper use of back brakes comes with LOTS of experience. I used my BB's to slide around a stalled car in the middle of the road last week. You will find that once you are completely comfortable riding you can use many of the bikes "faults" to your advantage as long as you dont freak out.

What can you guys tell me about buying salvage titled bikes? Is it a cat in a bag, or depends on the damage that was done?

Depends on the damage. Some guys will total a bike if a rock chips the paint on the frame. That's probably not the kind of damage you'd see, but you have to asses how much damage is present. Most frontal impacts will require replacing the froks, same goes for the back and the swing arm. You'll hear lots of guys tell you never to do it. I'm interested to hear what the rest of the DIY guys here think.

I would like to say go ahead, as I've looked at several *salvage title bikes, but then again I've never bought one. I've owned one, my own, that was totaled for what was basically fairing damage.

They run cheaper, and they're more abundant, and shouldn't be cast out, as long as you have some knowledgeable help. I would definitely at least take a salvage title bike to the shop I would have repairing it, or look online for replacement parts/tools if I was doing it myself.

I went down on my Ninja 500R (R does not always mean fast), and it was easily totaled due to scratches on fairings, forks, and exhaust. I lived with it for another few months, but my front fork was a little out of whack. I fixed that by a method found on the forums which can't be done with all bikes. Since the accident wasn't my fault I actually made out on the bike.

Moral of the story: Salvage bikes usually have a healthy mix of cosmetic and mechanical damage. Sorting out what is superficial and what is substantial can be the key between a bargain and a bust.

So who's got one? Oh Oh me me!!

What kind do you have? 2004 Hayabusa and a YSR50

How long have you been riding, history behind it? 24 years, my Father started me on dirt bikes at age 6 and I'm 30 now. Been riding on the street since I was 16.

One piece of wisdom you would like to pass on to a new rider? Don't get a Busa!! Seriously though start out slow, the day you hurt yourself on a motorcycle is the day you think you have gotten it all under control. Always know that there are so many variables in riding a bike that you don't consider. People will try to race you in ANYTHING no matter what you're driving. Pay them no mind. You will always be the fastest thing on the street and the fastest to get killed.
The one thing I have to pass on is the samething my Father told me when he gave me my first bike. It's not YOUR riding that scares me, it's the other cars that scare me.
Oh and one more thing, some people aren't as ballsy as me but I ALWAYS ride around with marbles in my jacket pocket, my safety isn't a joke...

One more thing, a salvage title bike is fine. Infact I bought a Ninja 600 from a police auction for 1000 bucks that was about 5 years old. No keys, had a guy come out make me a key and after a push start rode it around the block. Don't worry about what it looks like, you're probably going to lay it down anyway. There are 2 kinds of riders, thise who have layed it down and those that are going to lay it down.
Buell Blast is my vote!! They can be had for dirt cheap, and I mean 1200 bucks cheap for one that's 2 years old. The riding position is comfortable and they look pretty cool, plus when you want to upgrade you can go get a chopper frame for it and swap over all the parts!!

Yeah, that's exactly what Sam wants- a bike that looks like a Buell and sounds like a lawnmower. :D


If you're a Japanese schoolgirl.

I would rather be seen on Abe's pink and black tiger-striped homocycle.

Parallel twins sound like sewing machines on their best days. Unless they're 270* cranks, which nothing modern is, their even firing order sounds like a half displacement single at twice the rpms. Not pretty. Otherwise the Kwaks are great bikes.

The little (620, 695, 696, old 750) Ducati Monsters are good first bikes if you have the cheese for one. Personally, I don't have the money to fix an Italian bicycle, much less a street bike.

Harley's suck. Period. An 883 Sportster is slower than your Miata. And it handles like shit. And it leaks. Always. Avoid.

Buell Blasts are SOOOOOOOO slow. I'm all for a new Ninja 250, but a Blast... uh-uh. At least the 250 looks cool...

The moral is that a naked 03-04 SV650 is the correct bike. You can get into one cheap enough that it's disposable, and you will be able to ride it to work for the rest of your life, even after you buy other stuff. That is, unless you are tall enough to be comfortable on a supermoto....

Well I figured since everyone was going for the naked look then the Blast would be fitting. Ninja 250 doesn't look cool at all, it looks like someone trying to hard. I was just giving options a friend of mine had one and he loved it.
Joe you have experience with a Japanese schoolgirl?

I knew a couple of guys that had Buells, though I think they had the Lightning or whatever it is called, not the Blast. They liked theirs a lot.

Not that it matters, but almost no one really races Buells. Hell the AMA had to jerrymander the hell out of the rules just so the Buells could be competitive with the Japanese bikes. They do have aggressive numbers for the frame geometry, and the rim brakes are kinda kewl. I would not get one myself, but to each his own.

Yeah when I mentioned the Duc Monster earlier I was thinking one of the small ones. I am sure though that parts are more expensive than for the SV.

Servicing a Duc isn't cheap but they look cool...

my first bike was a ninja 500 (parallel twin) and it was sweet for like a month or 2. tires are crap, suspension is crap, engine is crap, and they're not as light as people would have you think, in fact it's about the same as my 929. what they are is a cheap ugly bike you get rid of quickly and then get a real bike. I'm also not really sure why everyone is so afraid of a bike with a little power i think they are easier to ride than a 600 that's gutless unless up in the rev range, ride a gear up and it's smooth and powerful but not jumpy enough to get away from you. Besides most of times a new rider goes down is due to inexperience and panic manuever, not so much how powerful the bike is. so my vote is a get something you can afford with a great suspension, tires, brakes....and full coverage. after all that you may go the way many of my friends have and decide after the fad had worn off that they didn't even like bikes.

I have to admit, I like the XB9. I can't explain why, I just do. I know it's not a race bike, I know it's overpriced, and I know it's air-cooled. There's just something about it that prevents me from affording it the animosity which the logical part of my brain knows it deserves.

More than you can possibly imagine.


But getting back on topic, I have to concur with vehicular & co. The SV is the correct bike for this application. If it were me, I'd try to score one of the second gen models ('03+) as, even though I like the curvy looks of the earlier bikes, I just absolutely love the fuel injection system on the later ones. You push the button, it starts, you ride. Every time.

I recon twins be em parallel or V-twins are a personal thing.

For me i prefer a straight 4 or a V4 (or a straight 6 ;)), but that's probably more a case as that's what i'm used to.

Part of the package of a bike for me is a screaming motor, in the past you'd have to juggle the gears to keep the motor on cam or in the powerband, but with modern bikes even my cbr600 pulls away in 4th.


So my advice is just to ride as many and as many different bikes as ya can they're all good (except Harley's ;)).
If you have mates into bikes then usually it's dead easy, you just nick his/her keys and try the bike, if not many of your mates are into bikes though then just visit a few bike shops and make it look like your interested.

Most places are more than happy to let you test ride bikes, and most of the bigger places have demo bikes for the newer models.

Alternatively you can hire bikes out either for the track or road.

Once you've riden a fair few then you'll know exactly the type of bikes you'll like.


I love all types of bikes on-road off-road, street, hypersport, classic Jap, classic Brit etc etc i'm not really loyal to any manufacturer either, i've got Kwaks, Yams, Honda's etc.

But when i bought a bike for everyday use then i bought and would only buy a Honda.
They just seem to use better fasteners and bolt em together fractionally better.

The 2 CBR's i've owned since living here were used daily as they were my only mode of transport, when i owned the FV i used to have to ride off-road for 5 miles every day (airport was being built) a quick bucket of water though and it came up like new every time.
The other bikes i've owned just don't seem to brush off daily use as well as Honda's.



Cheers
Mark