I think I'm gonna buy a motorcycle... help?

Question

Are there any important things I need to know when I consider buying one? I'm completely new to motorcycles and I pretty much don't know anything. For example, I keep seeing "never been laid down". What's that mean? I'm not really asking for a giant list of what to look for or what's best, but what are the main things I should be concerned about? Anything helps, thanks...

OH, I'm looking for a street bike... I seem to have a liking for kawasaki ninjas... heh

Answer 1

lol. ninjas. seems like all the "non-riders" call all bikes ninjas... haha.

anyways.. is this going to be your first bike? you should take the MSF course. i can't stress enough how much the MSF course helps.

how old/mature are you and what type of bike/look are you after?

a 600 is a fine bike for a beginner bike for someone who is level headed and responsible. They have the nice look of a sportsbike that a lot of people are after, they've got a lot of power and you'll enjoy it long after you get over the "newb" phase.

as to what being laid-down means, it means exactly that. the bike lands on it's side after a crash. stay away from salvaged bikes and inspect the frame for any scratches and dents. the slightest ding on the frame can cause it to not be true and cause issues with stability of the bike at high speeds.

Answer 2

never laid down means all the fairings are in good condition,as it's never been on it's side. I personally love the Suzuki SV as you get a nice lower end torque but also some high speed handling, a great hybrid street/racing bike.

Answer 3

There are lots of little things to look for, but here is a basic check list.

1.Is it clean, no oil leaks, rims and frame parts recently washed?*

2.Are the tires in good condition or are they well worn.*

3.Has it been crashed or dropped.   Look for scratched, scraped or broken parts.  This is what happens when the bike falls down, either moving or stopped.  The “laid down” means the bike was on its side while moving.

4.Does it have original paint and decals?  If not, chances are the bike has been crashed.

5.Ask for services records, receipts or invoices for parts and repairs.*

6.Before the seller starts the engine, check to see if it is cool or hot/warm.  A hot/warm engine will mask potential problems like starting and smoking.

7.Do all of the electrics works, lights, horn etc…?

8.How old is the seller?  If they are under 21, be very wary of buying, if they are under 25 only a little less wary, over 25 would be better.

* Negative answers indicate a poorly maintained bike, which means you don’t want it.

Answer 4

There are a few things you should know before buying your first motorcycle. First and most important, learn how to ride. If you don't know how, you shouldn't try to teach yourself. It's too dangerous. When you go shopping for your first bike, go to many different places to look around and sit on a lot of bikes. You may like the look of the Ninja's but you might not like how it feels when you sit on it. Take the bike out for a test drive if you can. Watch out for scrapes and scuffs on the sides of the bike. That is what they mean when they say "never been laid down." If it's been laid down,  it's been dropped and there could be more damage to the bike that you don't notice right away. Make sure you watch how many miles are on the bike. If it's fairly new and it has a lot of miles, that's not good. You want low miles. Ask when was the last time it was tuned. This will tell you if they took care of it or not. I can't think of anything else. Good luck and enjoy!

Answer 5

If you past you car test before 2001 tou can ride up to a 125cc. Honda are the best and most reliable. But i would take a CBT test anyway. it's safer. To ride anthing bigger you need to pass your theory test and then iether take lessons or take a direct access course. I f you pass direct access, you can ride any powered bike. If you take lessons and have a test by the DVLA, you can only ride up to a 400cc for first two years or more powerful, but it has to be restricted to 32 break horse power.

Answer 6

Never laid down means never falling over. Always been on two wheels. be concerned about its engine and how all the sprockets are. That's vital while most everything else is secondary. CC's are how the engine size is rated. As a new rider I would suggest not going over 500cc. More cc=more power=more dangerous. The rest is up to you and how it looks and feels. Hope you get a good deal!

Answer 7

Well bikes are popular right now cause of as prices.

I would suppose their are two types. Commuter, and fancy pants. Never laid down might be about the paint job, aka fancy pants.

At very least you need to get a motor cycle license. The lessons cost about $150 in my state. Then think about renting a few different ones. Sometimes you can get a cut rate if you just want to rent it for 4 hours instead of a whole day.

Good luck

Answer 8

"never been laid down" means just what it says, 'never been laid down'.

Think about it. How would a motorcycle be 'laid down'?

It means that it has never been in the situation where someone is riding it and makes a mistake or error in judgment, causing the bike to stop traveling on its wheels but rather on it's side.

This causes a loss in value and is why sometimes someone is selling a bike at a very low price. It's damaged.

Oftentimes when someone damages a bike like this, and the damage was not extensive, they will say that it's never been crashed. 'Crashed' is just another term for 'laid down', when the damage is much more extensive and maybe when another vehicle caused it to be on it's side.

As a new rider, here is another piece of advice: Get Leather. A favorite topic of mine. I apologize for going off topic, but this is important. If I could offer you only one tip for improving your life, leather would be it.

The long term benefits of leather have been proved by serious bikers over many highways and many years, whereas wearing something unreliable like shorts and flipflops means you will experience a trip to the emergency room.There, uncaring nurses will scrub gravel out of your wounds, and doctors will dispense ineffective painkillers and meaningless advice...like telling you to trade that "murdercycle" in for a Camry.

Bullshit. I will dispense some real advice right now:

Enjoy the power and beauty of your ride;  If you don't already; you can fully enjoy it by doing block-long smokey burnouts in the parking lot at the local drive-in.

Trust me, in 20 years you'll look back at the photos of you and your pals on your bikes and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much fun you had and how fabulous you really looked hauling *** down the highway dressed in leather.

Leather is as s**y as you imagine.

Don't worry about what your Mom thinks;  or worry, but know that worrying about what other people think is as effective as trying to scratch your nose in a blinding hailstorm at 80 m.p.h. with a full- face helmet and winter gloves on.

The real troubles in your life are apt to be Volvo station wagons, driven by some dipstick talking into his cell phone or doing her makeup; the kind that blindside you at 4 PM on some urban roadway and then claim you crashed into THEM.

Do one thing everyday that scares other drivers... Lanesplit.

Sing into your helmet. Use mouthwash first.

Don't be reckless with other people's bikes, especially if you don't have insurance. Don't put up with people who mess with yours.... in fact, beat them with a chain.

Ride Fast.

Don't waste your money on chrome, or fancy paintjobs; spend it on racing or partying. Sometimes you're fast, sometimes you're slow. Sometimes you're hungover. The ride is long, and in the end, a cold beer tastes pretty d**n good.

Remember the good rides you've had, forget the cuts and bruises; try to wear out the sides of your tires before the middle.... if you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your oil changed, throw away old traffic citations.

Take chances.

Don't feel guilty if you ride faster than the posted limit ...the most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 how to ride conservatively, all the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don't.

Get plenty of saddle time.

Be kind to your passengers, you'll miss them if they fall off.

Maybe you'll crash, maybe you won't, maybe you'll have surgery, maybe you won't, maybe you'll ride a cruiser off a cliff doing 40, maybe you'll get a new motocrosser for your 75th birthday ...whatever you ride, don't congratulate yourself too much - your choices are 90% foreign,10% domestic,

so are everyone else's.

Enjoy your bike, use it every way you can...don't be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, it's the greatest instrument of pleasure you'll ever own, not counting p**n sites and a fast modem.

Wrench... even if you have nowhere to do it but in your hotel room.

Read the owner's manual, even tho' you won't remember any of it.

Do not read American motorcycle magazines, they will only make you wish you'd bought a British one instead.

Get to know your brake pads, you never know when they'll be gone for good. Be nice to your tires; they are your link to the pavement and the things most likely to save your butt from a nasty highside.

Understand that mechanics comes and mechanics go, but for a precious talented few you should pay them well and buy them sixpacks. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle because the older your bike gets, the more you'll need the mechanic who worked on it when it was young and

still not paid off.

Ride in New York City once, but leave before you get killed; ride in Northern California whenever possible, but leave a plausible excuse when calling in sick for work.

Do lurid wheelies.

Accept certain inalienable truths: prices will rise, traffic will get

worse, you too will get old, and when you do you'll fantasize that when you were young, gasoline was cheap, the highway patrol couldn't catch you, and Harley owners weren't all yuppies.

Respect your rev-limiter.

Don't expect anyone else to see your bike unless it has really loud pipes. Maybe your bike has a big gas tank, maybe a smaller one; but remember, either way you'll have to make bathroom stops.

Don't mess too much with your carburetors, or by the time your done, you'll be walking home.

Be careful whose advice you buy, and save your receipts. Don't take advice from those who supply it for free, especially if they own a Britbike.

Motorcycle restoration is a form of self-torture. Doing it is a way of pulling the past from the dustbin, degreasing it, painting over the rusty parts and dumping way more money into it than it's worth.

But trust me on the leather...

Answer 9

okay if you have never driven one then buy a crappy one first. One you don't care about if you have to dump it due to some in experience and that way you can beat on it and try things to improve upon your driving skill after having that for a couple years go for the better one.

Answer 10

that means wiped out... fallen, dropped the bike.... get it?

and motocyclyes r really dangerous, but i love it and will prob get one.

im going out in style