Recommendations for a commuter

[brad black]

i guess my take on putting people new to motorcycling on cheap bikes is like the (now somewhat outdated to to std levels of technology and laws) argument of putting your kids in an old whatever vs a bmw or merc, etc for their first car.  if the shit really hits the fan big time, the people who bought bmw or merc go looking for a new car, the ones who put them in an old whatever go to a funeral.

cheap bikes are just that.  there's no minimum level of inbuilt safety spec.  sure it's light, but that doesn't mean a little single disc is fine, with forks so thin they'll flex so much you can actually see it happening.  and so slow it can't get away from trouble.  i just don't see them as safe.

and things like postie bikes scare me.  i had to ride stuff like that when doing rwc and in the context of current road usage i just don't see them as being road worthy at all.  sure they past the test, but panic stop means hit whatever is in the way.  put an inexperienced rider on it and you consume a possibly significant amount of their concentration dealing with issues riders on larger bikes don't have.  i don't know the answer though.

[monstermick58]

i guess my take on putting people new to motorcycling on cheap bikes is like the (now somewhat outdated to to std levels of technology and laws) argument of putting your kids in an old whatever vs a bmw or merc, etc for their first car.  if the shit really hits the fan big time, the people who bought bmw or merc go looking for a new car, the ones who put them in an old whatever go to a funeral.

cheap bikes are just that.  there's no minimum level of inbuilt safety spec.  sure it's light, but that doesn't mean a little single disc is fine, with forks so thin they'll flex so much you can actually see it happening.  and so slow it can't get away from trouble.  i just don't see them as safe.

and things like postie bikes scare me.  i had to ride stuff like that when doing rwc and in the context of current road usage i just don't see them as being road worthy at all.  sure they past the test, but panic stop means hit whatever is in the way.  put an inexperienced rider on it and you consume a possibly significant amount of their concentration dealing with issues riders on larger bikes don't have.  i don't know the answer though.

Brad you are ahead of your time (in the nicest way) I agree with better brakes (even antilock) better suspension reasonable power etc.

   Motorists have been asking for better equipment in the small car sector and you can see it in the last five years or so they now have ABS, EBD etc fitted without the premium dollars spent.

    Hope to see bikes get better equipment in the lower class of bikes, but somehow I cant see that happening just yet.






                                         Mmick

[suzyj]

My perspective comes from riding pushbikes as well as motorbikes.  My kids also have been riding pushbikes since they could stand up.  My main concern with putting them on a motorbike is the difference in weight.  They're used to riding <10kg pushies, so I'd rather they didn't hop straight onto a 190kg motorbike - better I think to go via something lighter.

When I was a teenager, living in Canberra before the time of size restrictions for learners, my mates learned to ride on some pretty diabolical bikes.  RD350s, big old Katanas, you name it.  These bikes had plenty of power (and power that sneaks up on you and kicks you in the arse, in the case of the RD), but I wouldn't have said their brakes or suspension was anything to write home about.  In fact the RD didn't even have one disk, let alone two.  Sure enough, plenty of my mates wrapped themselves around stuff.

Since those days, all bikes have come a very long way.  Your average cheapy beginner 250 has a decent sized disk up front, EFI and monoshock rear, with much better tyres.  Even this $2K Honda 125 has a disk brake.