Anyone ride a motorcycle?

oh exciting! I have been riding dirt bikes for a few years now, went for a ride on a friends road bike the other day I rode b*tch though, but has got me thinking about getting a road bike to ride to work on.

I don't think our laws on bikes as a learner is that strict, but I maybe wrong at the moment it's all a pipe dream haven't even really riden a road bike by myself before hehe

Anyho my knowledge on this subject is very limited but good luck with getting your new bike! Hope you find the right one & it's lovely to ride.

I love motorcycles but I havenn't ridden in some time and I can't afford one, right now. My first ride was on my step-uncle's '69 H-D Shovelhead, rigid frame, ape hangers, chopped frame, extended front forks and diamond gas tank.

Once it's in the blood, there is no cure for it.

I came >< this close to buying a motorcycle this summer.  I've wanted for the past 5 or so years.  The only reason I didn't buy it was b/c it was a 650 and that's a bit much for a starter bike, plus I haven't gotten my license yet and most of the classes were booked up for this year.  It's deffinately on next years agenda though.

 My BF got a 1999 Ural Patrol about a month ago. We're big Ural fans.

Not too many people out there that like these things - errr would own one. I love them becuase I can take the dogs with me - it least one - and they're 2WD so you can offroad with em

Wow, that's nice. One of the big reasons I tossed up so long about getting a bike was because of the dogs. There was this guy in my home town when I was a kid with a sidecar on his that his dog practically lived in. She went everywhere with him, and never left the car unless he invited her to come along. Laws over here don't allow you to have a sidecar, pull a trailer, or take pillion passengers until you're on your full licence. There is also a list of motorycles you can ride that are Learner Approved.

I originally wanted a 250, but after sitting on loads of 250s I never found one that felt the right height and weight and had pegs that allowed for easy gear changes. So I tried a few of the mid-sized bikes on the LAMS list and they felt perfect. The Suzuki GS500 was just right and I was nearly sold then and there, but read some articles about ABS on motorcycles and decided I wanted one with ABS if I could find one I could afford. Sat on a Honda CB400 today and it was great and felt just right, but you can only buy them new here and the waiting list is a mile long so I wouldn't be able to get one until December. Plus, with onroad costs and everything it's getting up into the top end of my budget. I also sat on a second hand BMW F650CS. I love that bike, but it's just not quite as comfortable as the CB400. And yet, about 5 grand cheaper while being fundamentally a better bike. I think if I could get a CB400 second hand, that's what I'd be getting, but failing that, I'm leaning towards the F650, even though it's a bit bigger and heavier than what I want. It's still very nimble and easy to ride and a very light bike for its size.

 I thought I'd know what I wanted at the end of today, but I'm as torn as ever!
 

My step-uncle's bike was built like Peter Fonda's "Captain America" from "Easy Rider" except that the bike had a diamond shaped gas tank instead of a teardrop and he had shorty pipes rather than the cadillac exhaust. Otherwise, it looked like this.