A Big Decision For Me. Gimme A Hand If Ya Can:

[Manimalia]

So I'm hocking my car and am going to use the money from it to get me a dual sport bike for commuting. I don't want a sport bike, as they are a bit fast on the throttle for me (i've never rode a bike before, and frankly, AM a little nervous). And i don't want a cruiser, as i feel they are a bit bulky, and i just don't like the way i feel when i sit on one (weird, i know). Dual sports are cheap and reliable from what i've been reading. And from my searching, they're also hard as heck to find pre-owned!

So I am likely going to purchase a new one. Now, I don't know much about mechanical things in general, which you all know, includes bikes. I've had my eye on two bikes now for a few days. I was wondering what you all would think of these two.

The thing I notice about the Honda is that it is lower maintenance. Yet, the Yamaha is cheaper and seems to be a bit more user-friendly to a newb like me. And it's cheaper, did i mention that (I have not much money at all)? What do you all think? Here are the specs on the two.


Yamaha TW200:
2008 Yamaha TW200 Specifications, specs, spec

Honda CRF230L:
Honda Motorcycles - 2008 CRF230L - Colors, Specifications, Pricing, Accessories, Gallery
(click on the specifications section to the left if you will)

Thanks for any info you can provide, guys/gals.

 

[Delta Force]

my advice for you is not to get any bike period!

I've had bikes before and got rid of them... I really never had any close calls with cars but some of my friends have had serious crashes and that made me change my mind about taking those type of chances.

Bikes are difficult to see for other drivers, you can sneak up on other drivers before they can see you or hit you, (I know i'll probably get flamed for my opinion but thats fine getting in to a crash in a bike or getting hit by a car is not my cup of tea) if you can live with the consequences of injuring yourself such as breaking a leg and long hospital stay then you're a bigger man than i am.

Plus, winter is slowly approaching you'll not be able to ride often specially in the rain, why do you want to sell your car? gas has gotten cheaper recently

Oh, and don't forget to get good insurance.

 

[dirtydeweyjr]

Riding is GREAT fun, a wonderful experience! I've done it and loved it. And like the poster before me, left it. The most important piece of advice any seasoned rider gave me was GEAR and INSURANCE. Spend everything you can on appropriate gear. Then save some more, sell what you have, and buy better. Other than that, contact your auto insurance company and find out what kind of injury coverage is available while riding. Many of the larger P&C companies have exclusions for motorcycle use in regard to Personal Injury Protection(meaing your medical bills when you get hurt).

And that was not a typo; WHEN you get hurt. Please, do not think im talking down to you. There is 1 constant in the world of riding: its not IF you go down, its WHEN.

Where do you live? Why sell the car for a bike? Sell the car for a more cost effective car?
Research the cost of gear and post back.
Research the insurance stuff and post back.

So far you are doing it right, researching your options for a bike as well as asking around. Best of luck and im happy to stumble upon this thread here in the early stages.

 

[Omen]

I ride nothing but bikes, I don't own any cars and hopefully, never will.

I owned a few bikes(4 and rode 2 for 6 months each,traded with friends) looking to buy a new one too, 1250s Suzuki Bandit.

At 5'10" I think the TW200 is gonna be small, looks wise and functionality wise, I know because I owned one, fun as hell though! I'd run down stairs in the mall, jump off curbs, ride through people's yards, do wheelie's on the sidewalk, run from cops in the "woods" :lol:

However, I also rode 250 dual purpose bikes, Kawaski & Suzuki.

Packs noticeably more power than the TW, easier on the highway, unless you're gonna ride in deep sand 100% of the time, I'd go with the CRF, lots of fun.

If you're a 21yr old newbie and you buy a 600+ your odds of getting into an accident are like not hitting the lottery, pretty damn good.

If you buy a dual purpose 250, learn on it, for at least 6months-1 year, THEN move on when you're ready, you should be fine.

Ride your bike like EVERY SINGLE MUTHERF**KER IN A CAR IS A DRUNK RETARD WITH AN IQ OF 75, IT JUST FINISHED F**KING IT'S SISTER AND IS EATING DONUTS AND HAVING PHONE SEX WITH IT'S MOM AS IT'S DRIVING.

98% of the population are retards, only 2% able to join MENSA, it takes a lot of dumb mutherf**kers to bring the IQ average to 100.

So 98% of people in cars are dumb retarded mutherf**kers, treat them like that, stay away from cars, either stay back or way ahead.

Any more advice just ask, bikes are better.

Bikers are smarter, f**k better, fight better, have bigger balls and are more fun....I can only speak for myself however.:hammer:

 

[jminis]

I would go with the honda but that's a personal preference. If your looking to get rid of your car you may want to look into getting a cruiser. Why not look into the honda spirits or shadows. I believe they start at 750cc. Plus if you want you can add saddle bags for carrying stuff around. I mean if your not going to have a car your going to need something that can hold a few things atleast.

Also I know bikes can be intimidating especially cruisers as they are heavy and have a lot of balls to them but seriously it's just a matter of getting comfortable. I felt the same way hell I was ready to buy the smallest bike I could because the weight and size intimidated me. Good thing my dad looked at me and said don't be a sissy, man up and buy a real damn bike. Needless to say my first bike was a honda vtx 1300, and my dad was right.

As for safety the louder the bike the safer you are on the road, FACT.

 

[bslick69b]

if your single get a bike if not stay in your car,for safety reasons,as far as which bike to pick,i think you alredy know!!honda!!!!lol

 

[dpfisher]

Dual sports are cool and I really want one but if you want to do any serious highway riding you will need a larger one than those

Those will probably be able to hit highway speeds if you change sprockets but you will be at full throttle the whole time.

Some of the larger KTMs would be more appropriate, I think they just came out with a 690 which should be a lot better for highway. The 990 adventure is about the coolest bike ever made but it's also like 14 grand

I'm not saying get the most powerful bike you can find but be aware that most dual sports are not intended for extended periods at highway speeds

Also make sure you save a lot of money for nice gear... you can get a helmet for $80 and it will work fine but if you have something like a higher end Shoei or an Arai that fits properly it won't be an annoyance to wear. Nice gear is an investment, and why spend money on gear if it's so uncomfortable you won't wear it?

 

[dpfisher]

I didn't see the part where you said you don't have much money. If you don't have much money I recommend you forget about dual sports though, I want one more than just about anything but I sure as heck can't afford one that can go on the highway reliably and I know it.

Check into older UJMs. I have a 82 Yamaha Maxim 750- it's shaft drive so there's no chain to mess with, it's an upright sitting position, it's an inline 4 so it has a predictable torque curve (unlike most dual sports which are single cylinder 2 strokes). It cost me $500, but I had to do a little fixing. A working one is like $1000. They also have a 550 and a 650, but with these engines you don't have to worry too much about it being too powerful or uncontrollable because the power comes on late.

Oh yeah, take the MSF! It's usually $100-200, it gets you insurance discounts, and you get to learn on someone else's bike. I can't overstate how good of a program it is.

 

[manny1010]

Why are you wanting to sell your car? IMO a bike is more than dangerous. Where do you live, maybe there is less traffic. If you are not single, I'd keep the car or buy a better car. Goodluck on what you decide bro.