Bullet Bikes

Someone please help me talk my cousin out of buying a bullet bike. She is 18 and thinks she'll be fine.
She has never driven a motorcycle. What do I tell her other than she is going to die and leave her family behind to bury her. THis thrill is not for her. She has no idea what she is getting into.

Hi Maggie

I drive mtorocycle since 25 years and no accidents. Tell your friend biking can be a lot of fun, but not by trying to be a stuntman or some kind of heroic person.

Nicest fun on bike is cruising along the country, knowing you have a power engine under your seat and you don't play fun with it. Whenever you need it, you know it is there.

240 Km/h is fun, but look for the road you use.

Have fun, but with intelligence.

I am 19 and i want a bullet bike so bad but can't decide which one to get? I want power but not a ton for my first bike. which should i get? Are they hard to learn to drive if you have never driven one?

ashley Utah wrote:

I am 19 and i want a bullet bike so bad but can't decide which one to get? I want power but not a ton for my first bike. which should i get? Are they hard to learn to drive if you have never driven one?

I highly recommend you take a Motorcycle Safety Foundation course prior to purchasing a motorcycle. http://www.msf-usa.org/
The course will teach you life saving techniques and how to ride properly. You would be very stupid not to take the course. The skills I learned have saved my life many times.

What is a 'bullet bike'? An Enfield Bullet? They are garbage.
If you complete and pass the course, purchase a 400-500cc used bike. After you get better move up when you are ready. The used bike will hold it's value because other beginners are looking for the same.

Good Luck.

Maggie wrote:

Someone please help me talk my cousin out of buying a bullet bike. She is 18 and thinks she'll be fine.
She has never driven a motorcycle. What do I tell her other than she is going to die and leave her family behind to bury her. THis thrill is not for her. She has no idea what she is getting into.

DO NOT LET HER ON ANY BIKE UNTIL SHE TAKES THE MSF BASIC RIDERCOURSE CLASS!! I recently became an MSF RiderCoach and I highly recommend this class for anyone that is thinking about buying a bike!!! It will teach her the skills, techniques, and safety habits to keep her alive to enjoy the motorcycle riding for years to come!!

You need to let her know YOUR stand on her getting a bike and that the Risks are REAL! They are...I own one. Is it dangerous? OF COURSE IT IS!!!!!!! I'm not gonna lie. I love the rush of speed but everyday i have some close calls. It's NEVER me that screws up...it's the other drivers' in cars that LITERALLY don't see MOTORCYCLES. IT's True, they don't see them and it's WAY DANGEROUS!
But you gotta realize that YOU'RE not gonna convince her. She's still gonna have to make that choice for HER. So just let her know you LOVE her and that you aren't in favor of her choice. Just don't be beasty towards her about getting it, and if she does buy a Bike... let it go and just be there for her like family and let her do her thing. She know's about the risks and she'll pick up the nature of the Bike.
!LineBAK!
polo_103@yahoo.com

I am coaching my nephew through the realities and risks of owning/operating a bike. I told him I will not ride with him until he takes the MSF Basic Rider Course, gets his full permit, gets his insurance, took him shopping with his dad and brought additional safety gear(armored jacket, boots, gloves, etc.), bought him a service /repair manual to do his homework on the performance and maintenance issues with his particular bike.

I had him listen to my last accident story and tell me what I could have done differently, talked about human factors (fatigue, alcohol, drugs, vision, improper clothing, road rage, road etiquette etc.)

I asked him why he bought the bike and with his answers (freedom, fun, challenge) we discussed the fact that none of those reasons required him to get on the bike on any given day. I explained that my best flying lesson (I'm also a licensed pilot) was when my instructor made me abort a take-off and after we parked the airplane told me that the lesson was finished, with these words..."never go flying just because you can". He detected that I wss not quite as alert that day, as I should have been. I remind my nephew that the motorcycle is in its most static or dynamic stability when it is laying on its side, and that the one constant in every ride is that someone or something will always be trying to put his bike on its side and him in the grave.

Finally, I insisted that he Google "motorcycle accidents" and read everything he could for our next discussion. When I asked him if I was making him afraid, he replied "a little bit, but you gave me a lot to think about." Not for everyone, but I now have his attention, which allows me to love him to life.

ashley i live in salt lake.Bullet bikes are so much fun.I own 2 bikes one is a 1980 honda cb750k its a cruiser,then 2 weeks ago i bought 1996 honda cbr600f3 its all the power i need and want for now.you have to decide what riding you will be doing bullet bikes are so much fun but not so much fun to drive long distance.but i might try to drive it 1000 miles in a day for a challenge called the iron butt 1000.ill have to let you know how that goes.and if youve drivin dirt bikes there not to hard to learn a bullet bike or any street bike.but remember you have to drive like everyone is trying to hit you,espeicly in slc,cars have no manners.get one and have fun be safe theres nothin hotter then a chick on a bike. p.s all you need is a 600 for your first bike nothin more.

ashley Utah wrote:

I am 19 and i want a bullet bike so bad but can't decide which one to get? I want power but not a ton for my first bike. which should i get? Are they hard to learn to drive if you have never driven one?

ZX 1400, go for broke, at least when you hit a tree, you wont feel a thing, you'll be dead before you can feel the pain...

I don't understand why ppl have to have the thrill of a crotch rocket...it took my sons life while he had everything going for him. My husband and I were just about reday to turn our business over to him which we built up for 21 years...

Maggie wrote:

Someone please help me talk my cousin out of buying a bullet bike. She is 18 and thinks she'll be fine.
She has never driven a motorcycle. What do I tell her other than she is going to die and leave her family behind to bury her. THis thrill is not for her. She has no idea what she is getting into.

If she is new, she shouldnt be thinking about buying a racing bike. She should start off with something smaller. She can pick up a little 250cc for about 2500 bucks new. Let her get used to riding it and learning how to manuver it. Anyone who buys a high performance bike like a Ninja style, will end up dumping it for sure in the first week. I've been riding bikes for many years but had stopped for about 10 years. I bought a little cruiser (Suzuki 650) and for the first 20 seconds I was nervouse about riding it because all the times I dumped my bike came back to me.

it's clear she is buying this to look cool and hang out with her little poser friends. I laugh when I see these n00bs pulling wheelstands and jerking all over as if they're about to lose it. Often, I carry my video camera around in my truck just to shoot those who pull these stunts. Im not looking to videotape someone getting killed but rather just dumping their bike and hoping they learned a lesson while I put it on Youtube dot com

I dont wish for anyone to die on a racing bike or anything. But, I guarentee you if she is a new rider or "Squid" as they call them, she better be ready for lots of road rashes and broken bones. She has no right to buy such a bike. I personally think there should be some kind of special licence to own these things. When you ride a smaller bike for say 3 years then you can move up to the next teir of experience and have to go through some kind of class to prove you can handle the bike.

You really need to drill this into her head.

casey wrote:

ashley i live in salt lake.Bullet bikes are so much fun.I own 2 bikes one is a 1980 honda cb750k its a cruiser,then 2 weeks ago i bought 1996 honda cbr600f3 its all the power i need and want for now.you have to decide what riding you will be doing bullet bikes are so much fun but not so much fun to drive long distance.but i might try to drive it 1000 miles in a day for a challenge called the iron butt 1000.ill have to let you know how that goes.and if youve drivin dirt bikes there not to hard to learn a bullet bike or any street bike.but remember you have to drive like everyone is trying to hit you,espeicly in slc,cars have no manners.get one and have fun be safe theres nothin hotter then a chick on a bike. p.s all you need is a 600 for your first bike nothin more.

LOL What part of "She has never driven a motorcycle" do you not understand. She is trying to drill some sense into her neices head. And you go and offer some encouragment like this. The girl would be better off learning how to ride a dirtbike first to learn how to manuver rather then getting a crotch rocket and taking it out on the highway.

as I mentioned above, its a process. and even the best riders will dump it. even the best riders get seriouslly injured or killed. Im sure climbing into a real rocket and hitting the startswitch would be a real thrill as well.

Hey i am 16 and i want to get a bike i just dont know what to do were to get it how safe it is how dangerous it is someone pls help me out

Travis wrote:

Hey i am 16 and i want to get a bike i just dont know what to do were to get it how safe it is how dangerous it is someone pls help me out

are you this niece she is talking about?

Like I said, I think the safest thing for you to do (But ask your parents first) is to get a small induro dirtbike (Induro means Street and Dirt legal)

maybe a 125 or a 250. I think a 125 is a good starter bike. Take it to some dirt areas and just ride a few times a week. Always where helmet and pads and maybe leather.

Get to know your bike. Become one with it. Learn to pull wheelstands (Wheelies) and be able to manuver around objects and learn how to lean your bike to the side as close to the ground without stacking it. Learn when to accelerate and when to shift down. Learn how to shift. Know when it is proper to shift gears because that can save your life. If you throw it into to high of a gear, and someone barrels down behind you, You wont have enough momentum to get going and your bike will stall or not be able to throttle fast enough to get out of the way.

All these things are important. A bike isnt an automatic. You have to learn how to work gears and clutches and what break to use. If you're flying down the street and lock up on your front break, You flip your bike and cartwheel into the person ahead of you.

Once you have mastered these skills and want a street bike, Get a smaller Streetbike like a 600cc. they're still very fast. in say 5-8 years when you've mastered that, Go buy a super fast crotch rocket if you want. But remember, Even the best riders will dump it a few times in life.

Thats another thing you have to learn. How to dump your bike and live. You have to be able to pull your entire bike sideways and lay down and let it skid into the crash instead of tumbling. If it tumbles, you might get caught underneath and get crushed to death.

cartwheeling with a motorcyle is how alot of people die or break their necks and are paralized for the rest of their lives.

And I think i'de rather die then be a veggie.

whats up

hey im 20 and absolutely obssesed with getting a bullet bike and i only just learned how to shift on a mini crotch rocket and ya know what i only want to get a 600cc bike just to learn but im not gonna even ride it until i get a older one and drop it and learn how to ride it propperly my mother wants me to wait till later when shes not around to witness it but im old enough and smart to know the rights and wrongs of riding but i also have a few friends who have one or had a bike so its not like im jumping into this blind ya just gotta live for your self and to all the people who lost loved ones to bikes thats unfortunate but mabye they werent riding correctly

Riding a bike is one of the greatest feelings of freedom there is. From reading some of the other posts here there is some very good wisdom being imparted to those who have little riding experience. PEOPLE IN CARS DON"T SEE BIKES. The left turn in front of a bike is one of the most common accidents there is. I had a friend this happend to, the car didn't see him and when he hit his head and helmet became "one with" the top of the passenger side door.Also the rider who pushes his or her abilities beyond common sense is going to have an accident. A common form of this is the FREEZE in cornering. The rider is going TOO fast and FREEZES not being able to complete the turn. This is bad news and it happens alot usually at a high rate of speed. I'll be the last to say bike aren't great but you have to respect the territory yau are getting into. Please be careful and live.
FastEddy

Maggie wrote:

Someone please help me talk my cousin out of buying a bullet bike. She is 18 and thinks she'll be fine.
She has never driven a motorcycle. What do I tell her other than she is going to die and leave her family behind to bury her. THis thrill is not for her. She has no idea what she is getting into.

well i have a bullet bike and she should start on a dirt bike before she gets on something alot faster and on the road but if she gets one tell her to take it slow and drive really careful cause so many people have no idea were u are on the road i have been in some close calls with stuff on the road to gravel and with other cars but i enjoy the bike there fun and scare she will just have to be careful. and it also depends on what bike she gets

I dont understand why there called bullet bikes but whatever. My brother was in a serious accident about a week ago, and I wasnt his fault. I have a bike also so im not saying they are bad or dont get one but just be careful of your surrounding and going through intersections. He was hit by a girl talking on her phone. And always wear a helmet please its what saved his life. From his little sister

I have always loved the feel of freedom that a motorcycle can bring to you.

When Bullet Bikes were introduced to the motorcycle world, I instantly fell in love. The, feel of freedom - flying, the adrenaline rush of speed and power are just too awesome!

But I also love the classic and American favorite Harley Davidson's. My Ultimate Favorite style is the Dyna Wide Glide.

I have been reading every one's posts and have agreed with several of you. I have even sympathized with some.

The subject of whether to own a "Bullet Bike vs a REAL motorcycle" has been a popular debate I've noticed.

But one thing that can NOT be argued is that you can be hurt just as much walking down the street as you can on a Bullet Bike. What determines whether there is an accident is the stupidity of the Rider of ANY motorcycle themselves AS WELL AS the DRIVER Of any other VEHICLE.

Drivers DO NOT PAY ATTENTION to motorcycles and that's pretty sad.

As for starting out on a Bullet Bike and NEVER having been on a motorcycle before, your cousin needs to listen to the others on this forum that teach the safety class and have been through it. I myself desperately want a Bullet Bike for myself. I'm not the kind of woman to let my husband drive me around - sorry honey! Gotta do my own thing.

But I'm smart enough to know that safety is the best way to go about it and to do it the smart way.