Anyone here know about motorcycles?

[Jody Holeton]

Dear all,


Just had my scooter (yes, a little yellow one) stolen last month.
I have always wanted to get a motorcycle.

I need advice!
I am a new rider (I rode for a bit when I was 18) and I really need to work on my clutch control.

BUT buying a bike?
Engines?
Motorcycle maintenance?
What to look for?
Riding basics?

I looked at 2 Honda 250 ccs, one was a 96 and the other was a 99. Both were 1.6 million wuan= $1,300.
Most foreigners get 150 cc Magmas here ($600) but I want a reliable bike.

Can someone give me some advice?
Next year I want to ride through North Korea (hopefully I can con some e-budo members to come, SOULEND!!!).

[MikeWilliams]

My advice: 250 is probably a good size for a first bike. Don't get anything smaller, and don't get anything bigger than 500cc. Make sure it's a four-stroke - they have more forgiving engine characteristics.

Don't sweat the clutch control - that will come with just a little bit of practise. Concentrate more on your braking and cornering skills (especially braking: for some reason you Yanks seem to get taught to rely on the back brake. Don't. 75% of your braking force comes from the front. Use it.)

Stay relaxed, keep good forward* and peripheral vision, be smooth on the controls. If at all possible, get some training.

(*another quick piece of advice: you go where you look. Most beginners don't look far enough ahead, instead concentrating on the ground immediately in front of the bike. This leads to something called 'target acquisition', whereby you see a hazard or obstacle and although you want to avoid it, you head straight towards it. By focussing on a wider field, further ahead, you can concentrate on your escape routes rather than what you are about to hit.)

Oh yeah: Wear some good quality kit (especially gloves), and get some training.

[joe yang]

A good trick for getting past clutch anxiety, walk the bike, standing on the left, engine running, in first gear, clutch in. Slowly let the clutch engage, we call this "feathering" the clutch. Engage and disengage as you walk. Brake, throttle, etc. till you feel comfortable. If you feel comfortable, as an experienced scooter rider, you should. Do this sitting on the bike, walking it.

[Brian Owens]

If you're worried about clutching and shifting, have you considered an automatic?

I don't know what's available in Korea, but assuming that whatever is available here in the States would also be obtainable there, Honda and Suzuki both make large, multicylinder, four-stroke, fuel injected, etc. scooters.

Were it not for the "step-through" frame and rear engine placement, they would be considered mid-sized motorcycles rather than scooters.

Back in 1985 I had a Honda Elite 250 that I used around town. It was just what I needed at the time. It was stolen a few years later and I've been on four, six, or 10 wheels ever since.

This spring though, I'm getting another scooter, and I've been looking at the Honda Silverwing and the Suzuki Bergman. Both are over 500 cc, and fully freeway capable. On a test ride I had the Suzuki over 100mph and it handled fine.

They're not cheap, of course. Both are over $8,000 new. But the Silverwing and an older, slightly smaller (400 cc?), Bergman are available on the used market.

There's also the smaller Honda Reflex, available new and used.

Anyway, something to think about.

[Jody Holeton]

Dear Mike,

4 stroke engine?

What types of engines are there?

Every foreigner has a 150 cc magma around here or a scooter.

My dad tried me out with his 750 cc virago and that was toooo much for me (at the time).

I think you are right about a smaller engined bike.

Thanks for the trick Joe!

I'm thinking its best to buy a GOOD bike and practice but the traffic is just so terrible here in Korea.

Thanks for the info!

[Brian Owens]

Here's a link to a Motorcycle Daily article:

Scooter or Motorcycle? Who Cares! (http://www.motorcycledaily.com/18march02honda2002silverwing.html)

[Brian Owens]

Originally posted by Jody Holeton
4 stroke engine?

What types of engines are there?
Well, I'm not Mike, but I'll butt in anyway.

2-stroke engines are the kind used on old Evinrude outboard engines, small scooter, lawnmowers, some motocross bikes, etc. They have a good power to weight ratio, but they're usually smelly, noisy, and not very fuel efficient. In older designs you had to mix oil with the gas, but newer models use oil injection.

They're called two-stoke or two-cycle because each piston has only two cycles: a combined fuel-intake/compression cycle, and a combined power/exhaust cycle. Simple, but not very efficient.

Modern cars, motorcycles, piston-engined aircraft, etc. use four-stroke engines.

Each piston has four cycles: fuel uptake, compression, ignition/power, and exhaust. It requires a more complex valve-train system than a 2-cycle engine, but all the problems were worked out long ago.

HTH,

[Brian Owens]

Originally posted by MikeWilliams
...for some reason you Yanks seem to get taught to rely on the back brake...
Not those who get proper training.

The Washington DOL's Motorcycle Operators Guide, materials from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, etc. all stress using both brakes together most of the time.

For some reason, some people think that applying the front brake too hard will cause them to cartwheel. It won't. They just don't understand physics.

[n2shotokai]

Easy on the front brake there. Almost all my riding was in motocross, desert (high speed) or hill climbing. I suggest someone (a class) instruct you on braking. The front brake is essential and so is knowing HOW MUCH TO USE and when to use it! Grab a handfull hitting a sharp turn at high speed is exciting and a painfull learning experience. Relying on the back brake only is not an option. IMO.

[TenguAteMyPuppy]

Next year I want to ride through North Korea (hopefully I can con some e-budo members to come, SOULEND!!!).

I'll do it. :D

[joe yang]

Don't get taught to rely on the front brake? I think we invented the stoppy/endo!

[MikeWilliams]

Originally posted by Yagyu Kenshi
four-stroke engines.

Each piston has four cycles: fuel uptake, compression, ignition/power, and exhaust

Suck, squeeze, bang, blow. ;)

(PS: I highly, highly recommend anyone who wants to develop their riding skills to check out Keith Code's "Twist of the Wrist" books. Despite being published 20-odd yeas ago, they contain the truth.)

[elder999]

Originally posted by Jody Holeton
Dear all,


Just had my scooter (yes, a little yellow one) stolen last month.
I have always wanted to get a motorcycle.

I need advice!
I am a new rider (I rode for a bit when I was 18) and I really need to work on my clutch control.

BUT buying a bike?
Engines?
Motorcycle maintenance?
What to look for?
Riding basics?

I looked at 2 Honda 250 ccs, one was a 96 and the other was a 99. Both were 1.6 million wuan= $1,300.
Most foreigners get 150 cc Magmas here ($600) but I want a reliable bike.

Can someone give me some advice?
Next year I want to ride through North Korea (hopefully I can con some e-budo members to come, SOULEND!!!).

I've ridden for a long time-my one recommendation is to get lessons from a reliable instructor. I didn't have a proper lesson until I was in my 30's and had been riding for years, and I was amazed at the things I learned on that first day.

Four-strokes generally last longer and are somewhat easier to maintain, and a 250cc (one cylinder?) sounds pretty good for a first bike-screw an automatic, though.

Lastly, WHY IN GOD'S NAME DO YOU WANT TO GO TO NORTH KOREA?I went there in '94 ('93?) and-even though we were treated rather lavishly by their standards-it was a cesspool......

[n2shotokai]

I thought South Korea was bad, but from the sounds of it, I'll pass on any opportunity to vacation in North Korea.

[Kimpatsu]

Originally posted by n2shotokai
I thought South Korea was bad, but from the sounds of it, I'll pass on any opportunity to vacation in North Korea.
Steve, have you seen the BBC programme Holidays in the Axis of Evil? (http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/documentaries/features/axis.shtml) If you decide to visit Pyongyang, at least you'll have company: the North Korean goon squad will follow you wherever you go.

[Jody Holeton]

Hey,

I just got this reply to my ad

Hey, I saw your ad on busanweb. I've got a Hyosung Cruise 2
125cc,(1997) In
great shape, runs well, new parts... for 500,000 won. I'm leaving
Korea in
2 weeks, let me know if you are interested.

What do you guys think?

Get him down to 200,000?

Or should I try to get a 250 cc?

[n2shotokai]

A 125cc for the street? Make sure it comes with extra rubber bands.

[Icando]

go for the 250 and remember to be aware! Pretend that other road users are not aware of you - they usually aren't anyway.

good luck with riding through N.Korea

[Jody Holeton]

Is anything less than 250 cc too weak?

Is there anything else I should know about motorcycles?

Like guns, and MA I believe I need to just get out there and DO it!


BUT any comments about looking at a new or used bike?

Haggling/bartering for a bike?

They LOVE to barter here in KOREA!

Things to check for?
Tires, clutch problems, rust in or damage in certain areas, etc.


I got a guy who wants to sell me a 250cc bike but no plates and no insurance papers.

[Soulend]

Originally posted by Jody Holeton
Next year I want to ride through North Korea (hopefully I can con some e-budo members to come, SOULEND!!!).

LOL...that would go over real well with my command.:laugh:

Luckily though, I'll be back in the good ol US of A long before the year draws to a close.

The Cruise II reminds me of an old Virago. 125cc may be a bit underpowered for a street bike though..I'd push for a 250.

[n2shotokai]

Judging from your questions ....... what to look out for?

I suggest you take someone with you who knows bikes and stay away from the three wheelers.