Choosing Your First Motorcycle - A Beginner's Guide

[sliphorn]

Rumor has it that Triumph will be coming out with an entry level bike. I'm hoping for a single cylinder 500.

[SDRider]

Originally Posted by Dr_Sprocket

The UJM is not the UJM any more. Problem is, they are coming from Europe and cost significantly more. For the $$ value that UJMs offered back in the 1970's and 80's, one would have to look to Korea or China. Problem is, Chinese quality just isn't there right now like it was back in Japan back in the day.

Thanks for letting me know, shows how out of touch I am with the current market. I wonder why that happened to the Japanese machines? Those bikes were such good value, reliable and perfect for beginners. Strength of the Yen?

Still there seems to be a lot of choice out there if that article is any guide, if more expensive. I don't recall one-bangers in my era, or the selection of two's. You pay more but the technology is far better I suppose.

[seruzawa]

Originally Posted by SDRider

Thanks for letting me know, shows how out of touch I am with the current market. I wonder why that happened to the Japanese machines? Those bikes were such good value, reliable and perfect for beginners. Strength of the Yen?

Still there seems to be a lot of choice out there if that article is any guide, if more expensive. I don't recall one-bangers in my era, or the selection of two's. You pay more but the technology is far better I suppose.

What happened is that US buyers decided they have to have big Cruisers or Race Replicas and so that's mainly what comes in. The market for standard bikes is small so it's being covered by smaller companies like BMW, Triumph and Ducati.

Then there's that American thing where people insist on buying a .44Mag when a .38Special is more than enough.

"Buy a 400cc bike? Are you nuts? What would the neighbors think? What would happen to my self image? Yackety yack......."

[Voyager]

Originally Posted by sliphorn

Rumor has it that Triumph will be coming out with an entry level bike. I'm hoping for a single cylinder 500.

I'd be shocked, stunned and not a little amazed if they did offer anything that. Entry level bikes are probably not the right business for Triumph to be in, they can shift what they make now at good profit and don't need to clog up their production lines with low margin units and having to keep an eye on whatever is coming out of China next.

I'd love Honda to make a big single version of the old CG125 though. That thing was nearly bullet proof.

[Overload]

Originally Posted by Idiot

.....Would it be so !@#$%! hard to put out a 400 to 500cc air cooled, fuel injected twin with automatic valve lash adjusters, a small oil cooler, belt final drive and a 6 speed? Make it look like a TU250, heck... Suzuki can easily build one. Throw a set of case guards on the thing and knock it over in the parking lot.

You're describing a Buell Blast (minus the twin part and the FI).