To those of you who ride motorcycles, was there a moment where you decided you wanted to do that? I assume most riders already drove cars when they switched.
For me, I had nothing to do with motorbikes growing up. Shortly after my 15th birthday, my mate took me on the back of his zzr600 and thrashed the fuck out of it. I feared for my life but also was completely sold on the experience and had to get one for myself.
I have been riding them since i was 4 years old, as soon as i could ride a pushbike without training wheels i was allowed on the dirt bike.
yeah I was depressed and lonely and full of anxiety and my parents were bugging me to get a car.
Had a housing issue but a good steady paying job, and the issue was trying to keep fuel costs down the hours or so drive I had to make. So instead of buying something boring like a prius for 10 or so grand I bought a motorcycle for about 2500
Ever since I was a little kid bikes have always been cool, my dad is a mechanic and I remember once he thundered out of the garage into our garden ripping a sick wheelie.
He'd also let me putter around on karts or quaddies he fixed up as well.
I was 16, and already had a drivers license. My mom was driving the car somewhere, and headed the opposite way came 2 sportbikes.
A CBR600 and a ZX6. Both hoisted wheelies and rode past. My jaw dropped, I turned to my mom and said "I'm buying a motorcycle."
And 6 months later I had my first bike, a Suzuki Bandit 400. 9 months after that I was doing trackdays and getting my racing license.
Try riding one, if you think it's fun, buy one.
That's pretty much it.
Ever since I was a kid and my dad owned one and let me sit on the tank while he drove around the neighborhood.
I had to learn on motorcycles because nobody I knew had a car or a driver's license, and learner license you have to drive with someone that has a license in the car for the first year. I tried paying for a driving lesson and asked to go to a parking lot, the woman just dropped me into crowded downtown traffic and kept correcting the steering/braking/gas for me on her side without any directions, so it's like I was assisting a self driving car and learned nothing.
Motorcycles let you take a test after 30 days to drive alone on a learner license.
So now my fingers are broken for life because someone did something retarded in traffic.
>need to get it more, get some freedom from things
>isn't practical to get a car because I have no-one to get my hours up with
>'Why don't you get a motorcycle, user? Postie bikes are cheap'
>look into postie bikes, find out they do 90km/h tops, not practical for me
>save up and buy a Ninja 250R
>????
>profit
No regrets.
*Get out more
It all comes back to how much you enjoyed having a bicycle back when it was the fastest thing you were in control of.
I don't know if it's possible to like motorcycles without enjoying going irresponsibly fast on bicycles at some point in your life.
Both my parents have been riding since they were teenagers, I started riding my own bike when I was 6 but i've been riding in sidecars since I was an infant, so there was never really a decision.
I read about the history of motorcycles and got hooked on it.
i always liked them since i can remember
finally bought one in my mid 20s during the poorest year of my life
best decision i ever made, totally changed my life around for the best
it's embarrassing when your jacket rides up like in op's pic
>bought 2 almost 40 year old no title bikes that have been sitting in a yard for over 2 decades each
>intent was harvest engines for kart project
>both were extremely good shape for being left outside for almost as long as I've been alive
>decide to fix rather than strip them
>got one in good riding condition for about $600
>Took it for a ride around the block
>Yep I'mma get my license
75 bucks each, running bike cost about 200 in title/reg (to get a new one) and $400 in parts and repairs to get it running and ridable, plus probably $200 eventually for cosmetic fixes and repainting in the future. Other bike probably will cost near or a little more. Figure 2 grand at the top end for a pair of cool old ujms is pretty worth it since their value has nowhere to go but up.
my dad took me to a automotive show when I was very young. i remember they allowed people to sit on a motorcycle they basically had on stands anchored into the ground or something so it sat upright and my dad propped me up so I could reach the controls and look at the gauges as if I was riding.
in retrospect I think it was a honda goldwing or some other giant jap touring bike. It's one of my earliest memories and I was hooked.
250Rs are fucking rad. Like 70mpg, $30 insurance, and 0-60 as fast as a Corvette.
I never understood why people say the 250R is a beginner bike you upgrade from. I went to a 600RR and all it did was be dangerously fast and triple costs over the 250R. Couldn't ever rev it up without speeding.
It's an alright bike, main reason I want to get rid of mine is I want something that doesn't sit on over 9000 rpm on the highway and can get out of its own way over 70mph.
Also it sounds like ass imo, 180 degree P-twins always do.
Fun in the twisties though, that's for sure.
>was there a moment where you decided you wanted to do that?
Yeah, when I was a kid and my dad took me for the first ride on the back of his. That developed into a tradition where we'd go out every few weekends after he bought me my own helmet.
Finally got one myself now I'm financially stable enough to afford expensive toys. Only got a 125cc bike right now, but that was a choice so I could learn to ride on just the CBT and teach myself properly.
Big bike soon.
Lost my car license for 2.5 years for multiple hooning charges (lmao australia)
Needed something to drive that i could get away with being unlicensed , rode a mates cb400 in a parking lot... loved it, went out bought a cbr900rr
1 year later of dailying still riding with no issues
dad used to let me ride on the back of his, once I got too big I stopped for awhile.
then my parents got me a bike for a good deal for graduation. my dad and I have been riding together ever since, though were both on our second bikes now.
I miss riding on the back of my dad's bike, I was just enjoying it and in my own little world. now, riding one myself, it takes constant focus and you have to try really hard to not die.