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[Puscifer]

Been considering a cycle for years and I'm just shocked at the prices of weekend warriors selling these things when they have a realization. It would pretty much be a beach, highway 101 and mountain thing for shits and giggles. I haven't had a bike since my dirt bike I rebuilt when I was a teenager.

 

[AJUMP23]

Sounds like a mid life crisis.

 

[Northeastmonk]

My friend/coworker would have been 41 on Sunday had he survived the crash he was in last June. He was riding his dad's bike he had fixed up and some lady (intoxicated with two kids in the car) decided not to yield and hit him. According to the police report the trees got in her way, but he died on impact. He loved bikes. I just hope you stay safe.

 

[p_xavier]

Choppers for me were always side facial hairs.

 

[kanjobazooie]

I thought you meant helicopter.

But these are dangerous too.

 

[Cyberpunkd]

For me the idea was always driving leisurely in the wilderness. With highway you are asking for trouble, same as riding a bike with your kid in Paris - I would never consider it, but a lot of people don't seem to have this issue.

 

[Jinxed]

Sold my bike when we were expecting our first child. Knew a few peeps who got got killed while riding by other drivers.

 

[Bitmap Frogs]

Sold my bike when we were expecting our first child. Knew a few peeps who got got killed while riding by other drivers.

You can't trust cagers these days, they are all driving and using their phone at the same time. I have a small bike I use to move around the city and everyday some dumbass tries to merge over me. Most will realise after I honk them and desist, but you know what's terrifying? Some don't - fuck I don't understand people anymore.

 

[EviLore]

They're great, but life expectancy is too low. Almost guaranteed to splat if you're a lifelong rider.

 

[Puscifer]

Boy there's a lot of death in this thread....

 

[Puscifer]

Sounds like a mid life crisis.

They're great, but life expectancy is too low. Almost guaranteed to splat if you're a lifelong rider.

I mean you're right on some level, but there's times for sure I'm craving a bike.

 

[rorepmE]

Well choppers are custom motorcycles. But if you mean a touring and cruisers.

No. I have a cafe racer that I toot around town on occasions. Never on highways because I no longer have a deathwish.

 

[nush]

 

[HRK69]

Not trying to be rude, but isn't all that chopper noise totally on purpose? The engine could run completely normal if it wanted

 

[SatansReverence]

Boy there's a lot of death in this thread....

Maybe, but it's fun all the same.

I ride dirt and ADV when I can. Only been splatted once so far.

Could always get a dirt bike again and ride enduro/hard enduro. Great way to ride 6+ hours in a day with usually only a few bruises at the end.

 

[midnightAI]

Been considering a cycle for years and I'm just shocked at the prices of weekend warriors selling these things when they have a realization. It would pretty much be a beach, highway 101 and mountain thing for shits and giggles. I haven't had a bike since my dirt bike I rebuilt when I was a teenager.

Do what you like, don't listen to the squares on here

Just ride safe, be aware of your surroundings and don't push beyond your limits.

That picture isn't a chopper by the way (And I never did get the Harley thing). I prefer bobbers over choppers, considering building myself a Honda Shadow bobber

 

[Mr Reasonable]

Been considering a cycle for years and I'm just shocked at the prices of weekend warriors selling these things when they have a realization.

I've no idea, what is the price? How much are used vs new?

 

[Wildebeest]

In terms of a midlife crisis it seems better than getting botched penile implants.

 

[Wildebeest]

Boy there's a lot of death in this thread....

Probably a lot of people know someone who ended up in hospital or died. A lot of bike riders get a sickener when they realize how little other road users give a fuck about their life and drive like a sleepy mad max.

 

[Toots]

If you got the means for it why the hell not ?

Be careful tho reflexes tend to decline with age, and don't forget to rev your engine at redlights.

 

[Power Pro]

 

[Sticks]

 

[DeceptiveAlarm]

They're great, but life expectancy is too low. Almost guaranteed to splat if you're a lifelong rider.

Thanks for that ray of hope before I head off to work.

 

[Trilobit]

My dream is to get a Honda Monkey motorcycle with a sidecar and tour Europe with it.

 

[Smiggs]

My dad always told me (he rode one when he was young) that the problem with a motorcycle is that you can do everything right, it only takes one idiot to make a mistake and you're dead.

Several guys I know that ride have said something similar: There are 2 types of riders. Ones that have laid their bike down, and those that will. Be very cautious.

 

[OccasionalPoster]

lol, no

 

[ReBurn]

I had a chopper bike when I was a kid. Sleek silver with a banana seat. It was pretty rad but someone stole it. After that I kinda got out of riding choppers.

 

[AJUMP23]

I had a Motorcycle in HS, it was fun, but they are dangerous.

 

[p_xavier]

My dream is to get a Honda Monkey motorcycle with a sidecar and tour Europe with it.

 

[Unknown?]

What you posted wasn't really a chopper. Choppers are custom bikes.

 

[Bitmap Frogs]

Do what you like, don't listen to the squares on here

Just ride safe, be aware of your surroundings and don't push beyond your limits.

That picture isn't a chopper by the way (And I never did get the Harley thing). I prefer bobbers over choppers, considering building myself a Honda Shadow bobber

Nothing is gonna save you from a car swerving into your lane because they're about to miss an exit or want to take a turn. Fuck I almost crashed headfirst into a car because the side road was one way out and I didn't expect someone going in that way. My bike smelled of burn brakes for a few days after that.

 

[Idleyes]

An old war veteran friend left me his Harley when he died and I owned it for about six months. I only ever rode it to the store a mile down the street and back. Eventually I gave it to another one of his friends because he could take better care of it (I only knew how to ride that mutha fucka). Boy did my wife absolutely hate the fuck out of the noise. I never did feel safe riding it, it was like a boat on two wheels, not nimble at all.

 

[Trilobit]

You can ride sidebitch. Together we'll spread havoc around the continent.

 

[AJUMP23]

Before you can ride we need to know how you argue.

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

Had an old Vulcan Drifter in the early 2000s that I rode for years and loved it

Two close calls in all the years of riding were passing a dump truck carrying coal and a large piece about the size of a bowling ball flew off and almost hit me actually clipping my side mirror and snapping it off and second one was almost hitting a deer doing about 70 MPH one night

Since my old body isnt what it used to be have really considered a trike as we have a shop in my hometown and that is all he does is convert bikes

While not as cool as a regular bike have had my eye on this 2010 Harley he built

 

[DeceptiveAlarm]

I have a 2018 Indian Chieftain. This is my first bagger. Ive had a crotch rocket and a small cruiser. They are a lot of fun but you do need to be carefull. Like everyone said its the other guy you have to watch for.

I don't have a picture on my phone but its the nicest bike I ever owned. I also use a Shoei full helmet most the time. I have kids and try to ride safe.

 

[midnightAI]

Nothing is gonna save you from a car swerving into your lane because they're about to miss an exit or want to take a turn. Fuck I almost crashed headfirst into a car because the side road was one way out and I didn't expect someone going in that way. My bike smelled of burn brakes for a few days after that.

I've had a couple of close calls also ,one partially my fault for overtaking multiple cars at once which was behind a milk truck and a tractor, as I got close to the tractor he decided he was going to overtake the milk truck and so I had to slam on so I didn't rear end him, the other time was going down unknown single lane country roads and I hit some horse muck in the road causing the entire bike to slide but I saved it, oh, and I have hit a patch of ice going down country lanes, frozen water run off from a field on a really tight S bend so that wasn't my fault but I was going too fast really for the conditions, it was very cold but no ice anywhere else, but again, I saved it (got lucky, I was going round the bend so both wheels slid sideways and it corrected itself as I tapped the curb)

So a few close calls but never come off, I've also been in three car crashes in which all three I was a passenger, in two of them others got hurt and I got lucky.

So while yes, there is more risk on a bike, you are more exposed afterall, most people who have one or are getting one know the risks. Me, it doesn't spoil my enjoyment of them at all. I ride MTB also and I get injured far more doing that (off road that is, on road not really had any incidents but the risk is just as high from idiot drivers)

 

[midnightAI]

An old war veteran friend left me his Harley when he died and I owned it for about six months. I only ever rode it to the store a mile down the street and back. Eventually I gave it to another one of his friends because he could take better care of it (I only knew how to ride that mutha fucka). Boy did my wife absolutely hate the fuck out of the noise. I never did feel safe riding it, it was like a boat on two wheels, not nimble at all.

That's Harley's for you, baffling they are so popular, well, in the US that is, noone else gives a damn about them

 

[Trilobit]

Before you can ride we need to know how you argue.

I loved this show. Especially the goofy brother who felt like a complete misfit among those two.

 

[AJUMP23]

I loved this show. Especially the goofy brother who felt like a complete misfit among those two.

They flew to close to the sun.

Paul SR burned everyone and the show was great because of the personalities around him. But he never gave people like Vinny or the other mechanics much.

 

[Idleyes]

That's Harley's for you, baffling they are so popular, well, in the US that is, noone else gives a damn about them

I always got attention at the store from women. Apparently a Black dude on a Harley wearing a Boonie hat is a rare sight in my neck of the woods. I won't lie… I miss that part.

 

[lifa-cobex]

Ive been riding for a good couple of years now and honestly I can't imagine life without it.
Infact I sold my car. It does wonders for my mental health.
Just dont ride like a dick, ride like your invisible and always try to predict what other drivers are gonna do.
If he looks like a dick then he probably drives like a dick.

 

[Londo]

I entered this thread thinking "Wow, this guy wants to buy a helicopter, I'm so poor".
Then I read the title more carefully.

 

[Mr Reasonable]

Before you can ride we need to know how you argue.

That chair seems to get quite close to the camera, I wonder if the producers said "Yep, that's great guys, you don't need to do that one again today" and sent them both off to go have lunch.

 

[StueyDuck]

You bike-curious are ya

 

[Trilobit]

I entered this thread thinking "Wow, this guy wants to buy a helicopter, I'm so poor".
Then I read the title more carefully.

I feel like that every time a gaffer talks about buying a Switch 2 or PS5 Pro. At least your treshold is incredibly high.

 

[kpopSuperstar]

A guy I went to school with had a kid who bought a bike at 20, 2 days later he spun off the road and got tossed off the bike so hard that he died. It destroyed his family for years. I have no trust in bikes, traffic is too dangerous these days.

 

[rorepmE]

A guy I went to school with had a kid who bought a bike at 20, 2 days later he spun off the road and got tossed off the bike so hard that he died. It destroyed his family for years. I have no trust in bikes, traffic is too dangerous these days.

It's cheap transportation for young guys but if they're big risk takers, it's only going to be a matter of time. So many of them feel the need to ride fast all the time like no fucks given and they end up being organ donors. Also don't hang around other guys that are bikers either. Most of the squid kids I hung around were retards anyway.

 

[SoloCamo]

So many of them feel the need to ride fast all the time like no fucks given and they end up being organ donors. Also don't hang around other guys that are bikers either.

Exactly why I haven't bought one. I like going fast too much and the adrenaline rush will get me. 300-400hp car is enough to satisfy my cravings and yes that's "slow" by today's standards but it at least can scratch that itch when I need it to.

 

[Giallo Corsa]

I'll never understand the gloom and doom regarding the "get a bike and you'll probably die" - it's the most tone-deaf, backwards thinking and alarmist opinion out there...

Guess what, you can also die in a car and if that happens, you can also drag 2-3 people minimum with you.
What's next, don't go swimming 'cause you can actually drown/get killed by a shark ? Don't get on a plane 'cause it may crash ? Don't get on a train 'cause they get derailed often taking out 40-60 people at a time ? The hell is this ?
The whole scare mongering "I knew X guy that as soon as he got his bike got killed" thing is just that, scare mongering, besides, IF that happens it's better to die doing something you love than having an accident on your 09:00-17:00 shitty job...

Having said that :
Puscifer , forget about shitty choppers/customs/tricycles , they're needlessly expensive, they're needlessly heavy, they have God-awful/inexistent brakes, they have terrible suspensions and the only thing they're good at is turning fuel into a loud noise, they're - literally - a relic of the past both looks and performance wise and their main demographic is A) outlaws B) people pretending to be outlaws and C) dads /older gents having their midlife crisis...
I cringe everytime i see a guy riding an HD wearing tennis shoes, puffy synthetic jacket and open face helmet, to ride those things, you'd better look like a... pirate, It's just a "lifestyle" thing at this point.

Instead, If you're looking to get back into riding, get a bike that A) is lightweight B) has great brakes C) has both ABS and Traction control and D) has enough power as to have that "passive" safety ability (i.e, being able to just twist the throttle and do an overtake without scaling down 2-3 gears is considered as such).

There's SO many options out there that fit the description that's not even funny, but, here's a couple of suggestions :

- Ducati Scrambler

187Kg, great brakes (even though it features a single front disc) and 75hp.
It's lightweight, it's nimble, it brakes beautifully, can be taken on fire trails.
Perfect city bike, good-ish price, feels like a...bicycle (it's very, VERY easy to handle).
Comes in a myriad of colors/models/specs (Icon, cafe racer, classic, 1100cc etc).

- Ducati Monster :
One of the most iconic models out there and one with a myriad of MY's : there's the 1st gen 600-750-900cc (which are very old by today's standards) - and the beastly S4R/S4RS (also old).
Personally, the last "good" version was the 821/1200 variant (2014-2021).
The last 2 versions look nothing like a monster and are so homogenized looks-wise that they might as well be Yamahas (no trellis/no SSSA/ungodly amount of plastics/tank that looks nothing like the classic monster one)...
A 696, 796, 821 and/or 1200 (If you can handle that power) are all great candidates...

796

821

1200(S)

Had both a 796 and a 1200S, amazing bikes but...very different, the 796 with its 800cc air cooled motor and 87hp was very manageable and easy to ride, the 1200S on the other hand needed experience/lots of saddle time since the bike was a beast, 145hp + brakes from the (then) Panigale 1199 (Brembo stylema) weren't/aren't a good option for noobies.
796 is also lighter (187kg) Vs the 1200 (210-ish Kg).

- Yamaha MT07-MT09 :
They're Yamahas so they're good, the MT weighs 184Kg while the MT09 194Kg, both have OK-good brakes, 74hp Vs 119hp.
Looks are subjective.

Triumph Trident 660 :
Great performance/price ratio, it's British so it looks good, 190Kg, 95hp (more than enough), OK brakes.

- Triumph (speed/street) Triple series :
That 3cyl motor is s-w-e-e-t, great brakes on both the 765 and 1200 versions, very nimble, fast and great looking, one of the most iconic street bikes alongside the Monster...
106hp for the Street Triple, 177hp for the Speed.
The Speed triple is a bike for experienced riders just like the MT09/MT10 and Monster 1200.
There are also "RS" and "RR" versions which are even better specc'd (more hp, better suspension, better brakes).

If you want something more "classic"/retro, there's also the Bonneville, speed twin line etc...
Not so good money to performance ratio (not many hp, mediocre brakes, heavy) but...you'll get your classic looks If you're into that.

Anyway I could go on for another 10 pages and I wouldn't even be able to do a complete list for your case but, here's my opinion :

Don't get something just because it looks /you think it looks "cool" since that can fade quickly especially if you get into a good "scare", don't get a bike which is beyond your riding capabilities, some of these bikes have literally supercar performance and in the wrong hands (whiskey throttle/don't know how to take lines/don't know how to brake properly/target fixation) mistakes can get costly (to say the least).

Again - and always depending on your riding experience - get something which is powerful enough, is lightweight, has both ABS and traction control and a good braking system (single Vs dual discs and their diameter etc).

Riding is a wonderful thing and don't let anyone deter you from it, It's basically free therapy® and there's not many things or other hobbies that can compare to it (besides surfing I suppose or other physical sports).

Get an easy to ride bike as to do some weekend trips and city riding and whenever you feel confident enough as to be an asshole, don't do it on public roads but instead book a track day.

Also - and I can't emphasize this enough - ATGATT (All the gear, all the time), a GOOD helmet is obviously the most important thing but don't skimp on some Good pairs of gloves, riding pants+ jacket AND riding shoes/boots.

Don't get a shitty HD, there's so many good and beautiful bikes out there that it would be a shame to waste money on one...

Cheers brother