Bloody yanks

[Motoracer]

Have you been around the american bike forums?

Most things are similar to KB, like how newbies come on to ask questions on what bike to start on.

Only difference being that insted of FXR 150s or CBR250RRs at the best, they ask if a Hyabusha is a good bike to start on. If not the hyabusha then they ask if R1 or GSXR1000s are good cause they are so light and "easy" to handle.

If that wasn't bad enough, the people who actually give them some "good" advise sujest that a sporty new 600 like the GSXR-600 K4 should be perfect as a first bike. They also go on to say that the maximum size newbies should be getting is a 750 like the GSXR-750.

To each their own I guess

[merv]

Yeah well no 250 limit on beginners over there and they rule the world eh!

I understand no such thing as a warrant of fitness test is done either - just relies on the cops picking up defects.

Great country full of rednecks and hicks.

[wari]

Yeah well no 250 limit on beginners over there and they rule the world eh!

I understand no such thing as a warrant of fitness test is done either - just relies on the cops picking up defects.

Great country full of rednecks and hicks.

I might move there ... :eyepoke:

[merv]

I might move there ... :eyepoke:

So are you a redneck or a hick?

[Jackrat]

Yeah,Been on a few yank sites,not just bike sites either.
I always end up shooting myself in the foot by commenting on their "Do as we say or we'll kill ya " atittude.
Biggest bunch of weirdo's on the planet.
An R1 is a good bike for a yank to learn on,bit'a luck there'll be one less of the dickheads after the first ride.

So who's voting National huh

[jrandom]

Have you been around the american bike forums?

Used to read rec.motorcycles, but then that's full of potbellied bearded Hardley riding types (including the women).

I generally can't stand online forums with merkin participants. Their utter inability to grasp irony and complete lack of a thick-skinned resistance to bollocking makes it the opposite of fun. You have to watch every word you post lest you upset some idiot from Ohio with no sense of humour.

Also, their language skills are even worse than the average Kiwi's. Reading a long thread of USian-generated posts is just *painful*.

If I had got on a modern 600 or 750 instead of the FXR as my first bike, I think I would have shat myself by the end of the driveway. Being pressured into doing just that has no doubt caused more than a few on-road deaths.

[Motoracer]

Used to read rec.motorcycles, but then that's full of potbellied bearded Hardley riding types (including the women).

I generally can't stand online forums with merkin participants. Their utter inability to grasp irony and complete lack of a thick-skinned resistance to bollocking makes it the opposite of fun. You have to watch every word you post lest you upset some idiot from Ohio with no sense of humour.

Also, their language skills are even worse than the average Kiwi's. Reading a long thread of USian-generated posts is just *painful*.

If I had got on a modern 600 or 750 instead of the FXR as my first bike, I think I would have shat myself by the end of the driveway. Being pressured into doing just that has no doubt caused more than a few on-road deaths.

I fully agree!

I have met some Americans in real life and they are great people but man do the people on these forums lack some maturity. Maybe they are all 5-12 year olds trying to fool each other into thinking that they are hardcore bikers.

Thank goodness for Kiwi Biker

[wari]

So are you a redneck or a hick?

Ime all thingks to All PEople my friend ...

and I ESPecially like this smily

[Motoracer]

Ime all thingks to All PEople my friend ...

and I ESPecially like this smily

One thing's for sure, you'll fit right in!

[MikeL]

Now I will stop generalizing about Americans.

I've learnt that generalizing about Americans as a people, culture, or whatever is pointless. There are many Americas. The East Coast is a different country from the West Coast. The Deep South is utterly foreign. For an antidote to the general perception of American bike culture try BeginnerBikers. Main problem with that forum is that they are just too damned polite.

[wari]

One thing's for sure, you'll fit right in!

ACktually I dont thingk I willl ...

THey carnt spell propler ... ... ANd I like accuracey ..

ANd thats a fact ...

[Drunken Monkey]

Um, there is actually good evidence (see the 'Hurt Report' = will post the link if I can find it again*) that limiting cc size / horse power for learner motorcyclists has little effect. I think the overall summary was the cc rating had no effect on the _frequency_ of crashes, only the severity of the accident. The other reasoning is that if car drivers don't have cc/power limits imposed, why should motorcyclists? There are some who think there should indeed be cc/power limits for car drivers as well (there's an idea!). The U.S.A. is (supposed to be) a fairly liberal country, so if there's any doubt about a law, they will tend to err on the side of being less restrictive. Yeah, I know this isn't true in practice, but that's another thread!

Unfortunately a written law has to set a point or line that can be crossed and measured (see our own circular debates over speed limits), so we are not likely to have a judging system where more responsible drivers/riders are allowed different vehicles to others.

Cases in point: 1, a friend of mine wrote her mother's SS commodore off = too much car for an 18 year old girl driving on a restricted license at 9:50pm at night (trying to beat the time restriction). 2, I have only ever owned GSX-R750's (3 of them). Been riding 5 years and only binned riding dumb, not fast (day-dreaming then locked up the back brake). I'm sure anyone who has ridden with me will tell you I know how to keep my wrist in check (at least on the open road = the track is a different equation all together!)

(Not that I'm saying I support their laws in the U.S. of A. - I'm just saying there are 2 sides to every story)

Personally I think a compulsory scooter or moped license before car or motorcycle license would be the way to go, but I can't see that happening.

*The Hurt report is supposed to be the most comprehensive study of motorcycle accidents ever produced.

[jrandom]

East Coast

Buncha stuck-up overpaid warmongering mommy's boys.

West Coast

Buncha communist freaks.

Deep South

Buncha straw-chewing idiots who talk too slow.

Main problem with that forum is that they are just too damned polite.

See my post above...

[Drunken Monkey]

Used to read rec.motorcycles, but then that's full of potbellied bearded Hardley riding types (including the women).

alt.sportbike was the one you needed to read...

[Motoracer]

Um, there is actually good evidence (see the 'Hurt Report' = will post the link if I can find it again*) that limiting cc size / horse power for learner motorcyclists has little effect. I think the overall summary was the cc rating had no effect on the _frequency_ of crashes, only the severity of the accident. The other reasoning is that if car drivers don't have cc/power limits imposed, why should motorcyclists? There are some who think there should indeed be cc/power limits for car drivers as well (there's an idea!). The U.S.A. is (supposed to be) a fairly liberal country, so if there's any doubt about a law, they will tend to err on the side of being less restrictive. Yeah, I know this isn't true in practice, but that's another thread!

Unfortunately a written law has to set a point or line that can be crossed and measured (see our own circular debates over speed limits), so we are not likely to have a judging system where more responsible drivers/riders are allowed different vehicles to others.


Cases in point: 1, a friend of mine wrote her mother's SS commodore off = too much car for an 18 year old girl driving on a restricted license at 9:50pm at night (trying to beat the time restriction). 2, I have only ever owned GSX-R750's (3 of them). Been riding 5 years and only binned riding dumb, not fast (day-dreaming then locked up the back brake). I'm sure anyone who has ridden with me will tell you I know how to keep my wrist in check (at least on the open road = the track is a different equation all together!)

(Not that I'm saying I support their laws in the U.S. of A. - I'm just saying there are 2 sides to every story)

Personally I think a compulsory scooter or moped license before car or motorcycle license would be the way to go, but I can't see that happening.

*The Hurt report is supposed to be the most comprehensive study of motorcycle accidents ever produced.

Time and time again I have seen people (mostly good mates) who were inexperienced but had the money to buy very fast bikes, crash way too many times for it to be non cc related crashes.

Ok so engine size isn't everything cause I do know of a guy who had only ridden scooters before, who went and bought himself an Aprilia RS250. Crashed and written off in about 2 weeks.

Inexperience + high performance = trouble (most of the time).

Sometimes you'll get riders like yourself who naturally tend to learn quickly and safely but generally I don't think that is the case for most people out there.

EVERYONE knows that the bigger the bike is the more unforgiveing they are for little mistakes. eg going in too hot or locking up wheels or speed wobbels or spinning the rear tire up while cornering etc etc.

I reckon, a newbie is far more likely to come away with a positive result from a danger situation on a small slow bike than a big fast bike. I thought that was a fact and not just my opinion.