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Yet another post about friends hassling me to get a "big boy bike"

12K views 48 replies 26 participants last post by  FalconCBR2786 
#1 · (Edited)
Hey guys, I've been riding for almost 10 years now and have mainly ridden small displacement bikes. There's a couple I'm friends with who ride a CBR1000rr and a ZX10r. For the most part, they're cool and we have a good time riding. However, I constantly get to hear "You need a bigger bike if you want to ride in our group" Well, I've ridden with their group which consists of pretty much all GSXR's and R6's. I'll tell you, it is no fun trying to keep up (and I refuse to ride like an idiot) They will be passing 1-2 cars at a time, going 90-120mph down 55mph country roads. They of course lose me when they start riding like that. Is this really what I'm missing out on...I think I'll pass...

Anyways, his wife owns the ZX10r which seems to be waaay too much bike for her. She's owned it for a few months now and broke her foot when it fell over on her because she can't support the bikes weight. Before that, she owned an R3 as a beginner bike but I already know her husband convinced her that it was just 'too slow'

They keep giving me 'reasons' to validate me 'needing' a bigger bike, like "That bike's dangerous for the type of riding you want to do" or "We just don't want to see you hurt, the suspension can't handle the turns on these roads"

Am I the only one that calls bs on this? I would like to eventually buy a larger displacement bike (something reasonable but not stupid) in the meantime, I have absolutely no issues riding with them and handling turns at reasonable speeds. I believe it is a very flickable bike and carves turns and I accept the fact that my CBR250 isn't going to be able to do 0-60 in 3 seconds. I guarantee I could stay on her rear wheel thru any turn. I've looked at bigger bikes, like the SV650 or FZ-07 but I really haven't found a bike that screams out to me.

This is so annoying, I'm almost to the point where I want to find new friends to ride with. When it is just us, his wife will be the leader of the pack and we do ride very sensibly. At this time, I really can't justify buying a larger bike...it would be 100% peer pressure.

My wife also owns a CBR250, but rides it much more seldom than I do. I think they have talked her into 'needing' a bigger bike...

That's my rant...sorry if this has been told 50 times already on here. I just refuse to accept the fact that I 'must' buy a big bike if I want to be accepted as a 'real' rider.
 
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#2 ·
I rode 100-250 cc bikes for 54 years before treating myself to a CB500XA for the touring comfort and ABS. I figured that if I upsized at age 72, it wasn't peer pressure.

A motorcyclist is one who rides a motorcycle in preference to other forms of transportation, when feasible.
 
#3 ·
My question is "what defines a 'real rider'?"

I too have gone through what you're describing in your post. Drove me nuts for several years. Then I decided that my riding limitations and style did not match, in any way, the super sport riders approach to riding. My man has rode bikes for over 40 years, and every class of bike as well. His favourite is his current ride, a Honda cb1100. I ride a Honda cbr 500r. Both of us love our bikes and our riding style is the same. We enjoy the journey, not how fast we get there. I've come to the conclusion I prefer to ride either alone or with my man. It is far too stressful riding with others who are aggressive, pass on solid lines, exceed the speed limit, and act all bored and impatient because I desire to obey road rules and arrive at my destination alive.

It is good you approach riding with a mature and safe attitude. As well, it appears you respect other motorists. It is ashame that the peeps you ride with are robbing you of some of your joy. If I cld afford another bike, I'd purchase the R3. Sweet bike. Small displacement bikes are every bit a motorcycle than the larger ones. Different tastes. I won't encourage you to drop your riding posse but maybe ride with like minded riders?
 
#4 · (Edited)
Thanks and good post. I really like the 500r but my friends kept telling me it's not an upgrade from my 250....really? It has twice the power!

It seems like every 'hobby' has snobs who insist that you can't have fun without having the best. I enjoy spirited riding but find mastering the fundamentals more enjoyable than seeing how far I can get the bike leaned over on a turn. I know myself and my bike well enough to know my capability. That to me is what riding is about!

Yes, the r3 is a sweet bike. They let me ride it one evening and wow, it's a different breed...much more power than my bike. I still like the styling of my cbr250 better though
 
#5 ·
I learned the meaning of the phrase "Ride your own ride" the hard way.

It was just me and one other guy. We were both on our airhead BMWs, him on his R100 and me on my R65.

We were headed a few States away for a gathering, riding through some countryside consisting of forest and farms.
I was leading, and riding too fast for conditions. Yes, the weather was perfect, but I came upon a blind left curve at too high a rate of speed.
I didn't want to get too close to the center line because I couldn't see around the curve if there was any oncoming traffic.
The next thing I saw was the gravel on the shoulder.
DON'T LOOK AT THE GRAVEL!!! ;)

My explanation was that I was pushing my personal limits, in order to make sure my friend was having a good time. He told me never to do that again!

I went down, and had a VERY sore shoulder. It turned out, when I saw a doctor the next week, I had broken the tip of my left collarbone.

We proceeded on our way, but it was not much fun.
I would bring my left arm back to my body for cruising, but when it came time for "driving", I had to pull my arm into place by creeping my hand forward along the fuel tank with my fingertips.

Ride your own ride.

There is nothing more dangerous than group riding, even with people you "know".
 
#7 ·
I just finished reading your entire initial post (sorry).

I am very worried for your "friend"s wifes' safety!
She should have stuck with the 300 until SHE was ready.

I honestly don't know why these testosterone-engorged males need the fastest bike on the road.

It must be me. 40+ years of riding, and the fastest bike I had was an air-cooled 750 triple. And the shaft drive robbed that much more HP before it got to the ground.

I would stick with riding with just your wife, if I were you. It does not sound like your "friend" has your best interests in mind.
 
#8 ·
To Steelo. It looks like you need to spread yourself about a little more and hopefully find a group that exerts less performance pressure on you. Don't completely abandon the original group as you have said that some situations still work well.
I went through a similar situation with my mountain biking a few years ago. The group I'd been riding with for several years started caring less about the riding and more about the drinking. What started as a good workout followed by a couple of beers had turned into a gentle bimble to the pub where we'd be planted for most of the evening. Initially I started riding on my own and meeting them a bit later after I'd done my own thing but then took to riding with another group I vaguely knew and that has now become a permanent thing. I still see the original guys quite often as they're a great bunch to socialise with but I avoid the rides I know I'm not going to enjoy.
 
#9 ·
Thanks for the reply, I hung out with a similar group while I served in the Air Force. They for the most part were cool guys, but on the weekends liked to drink, act stupid and inevitably get into fights. Eventually fate caught up with them and they got into big trouble.

This current group I ride with (at least the wife) rides fairly safe, it's just the attitude they have that I absolutely cannot stand. I also don't appreciate him passing me on the right at 114mph to show off for the camera. Like I mentioned, she usually leads our group of 3-4 and rides sane. He is usually in the back vlogging about his infinite knowledge of riding and sportbikes, even though he hasn't even been riding a year yet...LOL
 
#15 ·
He is usually in the back vlogging about his infinite knowledge of riding and sportbikes, even though he hasn't even been riding a year yet...LOL
BTW over here in Germany most riders who die, die in their second year of riding. That's when they think they know it all and become cocky with the expectable result. Your friend hasn't even been riding for a single year...
 
#12 ·
Vloggers; flashbacks to CycleCruza when he was here.....*shudders*. I ride my own way. If the riders I am with don't want to ride similarly, then it's not a good group to ride with. Period.

And ANYONE, friend or not, that encourages you to ride recklessly and says you need a bigger bike so that you can ride more recklessly, shouldn't be heeded and should be dually ignored.

There's nothing wrong with the suspension on this bike, and anyone in your group who said you needed a bigger super sport to "be safe" doesn't know their anus from a snakehole. The front is a tad soft comparatively, but it sticks and corners like glue. In fact, it's faster in the corners than most larger, more powerful, super-sports. Just watch track days with someone on the CBR250 going against R1's and CBR600's-1000's. Yes, they're faster in the straights, but a good rider will catch them in the twisties. There's no problem with this bike's setup; it's very flickable.

I've said it so many times before: No one "NEEDS" a bigger bike; they WANT one. Which is fine. But trying to justify the purchase and pressuring others to do the same with the excuse of a "requirement" just doesn't fly. My group friend rides an 1800; he laughed when I brought my 250 to the start of our mountain trip. He wasn't laughing at the end of it. :)
 
#14 ·
I´m a new rider, I took my license few months ago, in my opinion the CBR 250R is a perfect beginner sport bike. But in some cases I would like to have a little bit more power. To ride inside de city it can be a long time bike, but to ride at highways or roads I think it´s underpowered. More power is not to run faster, above speed limits, but is more security in a overtaking or to get out of a dangerous situation. I used to ride with two friends, they have a R1 and ZX-6R, they talk all time to me to buy a four cylinder bike, but I´dont mind. I´m inexperienced, my plan is to ride at least 2 years with CBR 250R and after that change to a new CBR 500R or a new Ninja 650.

*sorry my poor english, I´m from Brazil and speak portuguese.
 
#16 ·
I am completely with you...I'm sure having unlimited power is exciting and adrenaline pumping, but I can see it being very tedious (and dangerous)

As I mentioned earlier, I would like a bigger bike eventually (maybe a cbr500 or cb650, which my friends still call 'slow' incapable bikes) but I definitely don't 'need' one to have fun. I don't particularly enjoy chasing 100+hp bikes down country roads at 80mph so I just don't do it anymore. It's stressful, dangerous and not a fun time (to me at least)
 
#17 ·
Buy a bike that suits your riding style and find a group that matches that (or go solo). I for example ride alone to avoid the hassle of having to adjust my style to something I don't want. I don't care for speed and love to just cruise along (sometimes even below the speed limit if no one else is around). I like the freedom of deciding myself how I want to ride and that's why I still have fun with my little 250 even after 3 years of riding it.

Or in short:
You ride for your pleasure and not for someone else's. If they don't like your bike or try to make you do stupid and dangerous crap then it's time to part ways (at least when it comes to riding).

@Pullin
Your English is fine. As long as we can understand what you're saying (and so far I do) everything is cool.
 
#18 ·
mate, listen to your own self, as clearly expressed
in your initial post descriptions and questions..
im another whose ridden a lifetime incl larger
capacity bikes, but today i dont use expressways
or do interstate runs etc, so dont need that high
hp for high speed overtakes etc..

while defining 'big enough' and 'you need' etc,
take a closer look at what 'a friend' really is...

friends will behave in ways that make you feel good
and comfortable, accepted and worth knowing..
plenty of people share hobbies and activities etc,
and might be friends,, but thats not the criteria..
sounds like your riding companions on big bikes
are telling you about being 'part of their, group'
as in of riders riding the way you describe..

they may see you as potentially one of them,
as a beginner who now needs to join their
group of high hp high speed riders etc..

aside from anything external to your own being
fact is we only live once.. every moment is
precious,, never to come again..
live your moments as you please
and as make you feel good as yourself
without need for outside comparisons..

sure there are other motorcycles..
its all wonderful.. but your motorcycle
is also another one of them with its own
special characteristics and charm..
to many, worldwide, a 250 is 'big'..
so what seen to be 'big' or 'small' etc,
is different based on the mind of
he/she behind the eyes looking..

mate i really couldnt give a toss
about what anyone thinks of my bike
[third in same line cbr350r/300r]
other than genuine motorcyclists
who see it for what it is,,
a well designed lightweight
honda motorcycle..

many,, members here over the years have
expressed their pleasure at riding their bikes,
incl the fun/thrill of wringing out a good
250/300 where the big bikes stay in
second or third.. ie riders riding..

it is handy to ride with other riders
esp at first, after learning the basics etc..
but its not necessary..
esp when they are not presenting
as role models and examples
to learn by or from..

distractions from anything can only,
distract from potential learning
and potential pleasure..

if your 'friends' are a distraction
when riding, by what they do
or what they say or what
they or thus you, think,
then you know what to do..

ultimately solo or in a group
its you and your motorcycle..
a very special life experience
not to be lost or wasted..

whatever you do with others,
go for your own early morning [etc]
ride as another separate special
experience.. just you and
your motorcycle..
 
#19 ·
A wise person once said "It's more fun to ride a slow bike fast, than a fast bike slow".

No, I don't think the 250 is the right size for high-speed highways (interstates, here in the U.S.).
I commuted on mine across Indianapolis, where the speed limit is 50 MPH (80 KPH), but on a typical day, most traffic is going 70 MPH.
And since I am my most comfortable in commuting, close-quarters situations, going faster than most of the other traffic, that was stretching it for my loaded CBR.

Now I work 10 miles outside the city, and the interstate hwy heading NW towards Chicago is 70 MPH (~ 113 KPH).
I took this highway on my CBR for 1 hour once to see a friend. I had a hard time keeping a steady 75 MPH, and it was exhausting, as well.
Of course, everyone that was late for their appointments was blowing by at 80+.

Oh, but head South, instead, and get into the hills of southern Indiana, and it is in it's element.
But with wildlife and driveways, I think a race track would be more fun. I learned a long time ago, that a motorcycle is not a good platform for sightseeing, unless you are the pillion.
 
#20 ·
I say bs too….. After 55 years of getting around on two wheels, 51 of them on motorcycles, I have ridden all sizes of motorcycle from a nifty fifty to more than a litre, and can say that big bikes can be a buzz, but for a practical, economical day to day ride a quarter litre is all the bike you need. The biggest bike I have owned is a Honda CB350. Time was that I desired more, but having been there, done that with bigger machines I came to realise that it is chasing fantasy rather than dealing with the real world. Yeah, if you want a big toy, and can afford it, go for it. If you are happy with what you have for your needs, stick with it.

These days my daily ride for use within about a 8 - 10 mile radius of home is a bicycle. For longer journeys and weekends I have had a 1997, 100cc Honda Dream for the last 14 years, on which I did a 1,500 km trip last year. Travel times between places were in keeping with suggested times for a car on Google maps.

North of Thailand's South - 6 days | Adventure Rider

"Bigger bikes are safer"….. Nonsense; safety is more about the attitude and awareness of the rider than the size of the bike. It is over 40 years since I had an accident on the road, where I err on the side of caution. Off road I sometimes push it a bit, albeit at lower speed. The odd off goes with the territory, but at lower speed on more forgiving terrain, a drop is less damaging to bike or rider….. Now that's fun you can't have on a big bike, even the big so called adventure bikes.
 
#21 ·
Hi Steelo, this is one of my personal pet hates too.

My CBR250 is predominately my daily commuter, however I hit the track with it about once a month or so.

I was there last Saturday, sharing a garage with a guy on a speed triple. After the second session, the guy comes up to me and craps on for a while about how impressed he was with how my "lightweight" bike could flick through corners, and what a great move I made on him when I overtook. Then I get the inevitable "You need a bigger bike".

I just smiled and said "yeah" as usual.

So I'm sitting there a while later considering this guy. He's really impressed with me because he's seen a bike with 250 written on it's fairing going around the outside of him dragging a knee and grinding the side stand (I have rear sets) on turn 6, but HE wants to hand out advice.

You know what? Maybe HE should get a SMALLER bike and learn how to turn. Any f#ckwit can go fast down a straight road, but don't judge me by my bikes top speed.
 
#23 ·
I am riding since more than 45 years and got ALL types of bikes, motocross, sport, touting, from 50cc to 1100cc. If you want to stay alive, there is one rule you need to respect: Ride for you, knowing you are invisible for others, and don't go over your own personal limits and over the limits of your bike. Don't try to follow riders too fast for you. You will get at same destination anyway! Enjoy riding on the bike you like (no matter what others think or say) and try to ride with riders with similar pace (riding tempo). My CBR250R REPSOL is not the most powerful bike I own but is among the funniest ! Keep in mind that you better ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow!
 
#28 ·
At 6'2" and ~ 210lbs, all of my coworkers gave me trouble about having a too small of a bike and I would get 'bored' with it. I think I put more seat time in during my first year of ownership than some of them had in total.

Ignore them is the only advice I can think of.

The pro's of the 250:

Insurance is cheaper
fuel consumption is less
less expensive to purchase and maintain
no multiple throttle bodies to balance

The con's:
It requires you to be aware due to slower acceleration
It doesn't go over ~95 mph (no triple digit speeding tickets!!)
The seat is uncomfortable after about 170 miles

Having, comparatively, few miles on the road I can't think of a reason to go much bigger.

I plan on "upgrading" to the new CRF250 so I can ride again and potentially try motocamping
 
#29 ·
Totally agree, bajarage. I'm 6' and 225lbs. I'm sure I look a little large on my CBR250R. A 600cc-800cc bike would cure that "problem", but it's just not a "problem" to me. I felt cramped on my Ninja250R, but the ergonomics of the CBR250R don't make it feel like a small bike like the Ninja did. The very small differences in bar and peg heights make a huge difference in comfort and the ability to remain in the saddle for long periods without feeling like you're riding something that's too "small".
I've always loved small displacement bikes and I think the CBR250R "fits" more sizes of riders than any other small bike I've owned. I was really excited about the Yamaha R3 when it came out, but sitting on one at the dealers it instantly became apparent that it didn't fit me at all. It felt even more cramped than the Ninja with the high gas tank and short reach to the bars. I felt like I was sitting "in" it instead of "on" it and there was no way I was going to get used to that feeling.
Every time I consider going bigger, I'm reminded of the incredible advantages of owning a 250. Not only the great mileage and the fact that I never feel guilty on nice days for not riding it as I probably would if I owned a $12000 bike, but I just got my 2017 insurance bill and it's only $87.95 for the year!
95% of my riding is rural back roads where I'm the only vehicle in sight for miles on end. I don't think the cows and horses I pass notice that I might appear a little large for the bike I'm riding. As long as I'm perfectly comfortable in the cockpit and have absolutely nothing indicating to ME that I'm riding a bike that may appear smaller than optimum, I could give a rat's ass if someone else thinks that way.
 
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