Ok, so I wanna buy a new bike, but I’m stuck between two models. So I’m going to make a blog post about them. Deal with it. The R6 and the Daytona 675 are both similar sized bikes, and while the R6 technically should win on a race track, I think that the Daytona might be a little easier on the street. This is making me question, though, as a devout self-proclaimed yammy boy.
While it seems that the 675 has better mpg, it’s not by much (just a couple mpg) but it would add up over time. Now I had an R3 before, so going to an R6 would be familiar territory and easier to get the hang of in terms of reading the gauge cluster and stuff like that. However THe 675 wouldn’t be that hard to get used to, as they are still very similar.
The power gives a slight edge to the R6 but are overall very similar, and I will probably have to decide simply based on looks. While I have liked the R6 for a very Long time, I think I’m going to settle on the Daytona because it’s a very pretty bike and you just don’t see many around.
Long has there been a debate of what size motorcycle you should get for your first one. Some people say you can start on whatever you want because “hey, you’ll want to upgrade anyway”. While that is valid, it’s not very safe, and most people generally agree you should start with a small one.
Depending on where you live a small bike could mean a couple different things. In america, scooters are usually scoffed at and not considered “real bikes” and the 250-400cc motorcycles are the small ones. In some other countries, mostly in europe, there are different stages of a motorcycle license which allows you to get different sizes of bikes.
Now, I have some fundamental problems with the graduated license way of determining what bike you can get. This is because I believe anyone should be able to do anything given they have the ability to do so. No one knows how long they’re going to live, so you have to live your life to have fun while you can, and unnecessary laws that limit what you can do because you’re “too young” make no sense because everyone is different and some people are ready for things before others are.
Getting back on track now, I think the bikes that are around 300cc are the best bikes to start on. While they lack in power, they don’t lack in fun. This is because, as a wise man once said, “better to drive a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow”. That and starting with smaller bikes will give you an appreciation for all sizes of motorcycle as you start to get bigger bikes. This can allow you to stretch the “honeymoon phase” of riding motorcycles out as long as possible
First off, let’s get this out of the way. You should be wearing a full face helmet. Over 50% of crashes involving a rider’s helmet impact the jaw portion of the helmet, and no other helmets- except modulars which are basically full face- protect against those kinds of crashes. But obviously, little squid, you don’t care about helmets and would rather roam the streets of Florida on your liter bike with no helmet picking up all those ladies in your cargo shorts and muscle shirt. But this post isn’t for you, Kyle. This post is for people with much more responsible names, like Craig or Jerry.
#5 Bell Qualifier Helmet
Normally, I’d say not to cheap out on a helmet, as it’s the only thing protecting your brainy bits in the events of a crash. However, The bell qualifier offers some things a lot more pricey helmets offer, such as a polycarbonate shell, removable liner for easy cleaning, adjustable ventilation systems, integrated speaker pockets, (perfect for your sena, or a bluetooth speaker) and most importantly, is DOT approved, to deal with that pesky pesky government. All this for the price point of $115, and this is a pretty good deal. The price does show through, having to deal with those D-ring straps and not having anything interesting in terms of looks. That would make this helmet for either the person that just wants a mandatory helmet for cheap or the motorcycle minimalist.
#4 Simpson Street Bandit Helmet
Coming in at $319.95, we have the Simpson Street Bandit. This helmet is a bit pricey, but offers amazing visibility and aerodynamics for the dragstrip. Honestly, though, the reason I put this helmet at #4 is the customizability of it. It is a premier choice for people that make custom helmets because of it’s availability in solid colors and the smoothness of the helmet for paint to adhere. Plus, with it’s large visor, you could do some visor customization and it wouldn’t hinder you if you needed a spot near the top or bottom.
#3 988 Moto-1 Voss Helmet
The Moto-1 voss helmet was actually my first helmet. With the affordable price of $180, you can get so many visual customizations. They probably have some you haven’t even thought of. My personal favorite is the american flag one, because I think it looks amazing with the red Iridium visor. The visors do cost extra, but most helmets charge extra for colored visors, so this one isn’t any different.
#2 Atlas Ruroc (and the Atlas 2.0 that’s coming soon)
This next helmet is a bit pricey. With the price being $400, I don’t think anyone should buy one without knowing they love riding. That being said, what you get with this helmet is well worth the money. I challenge you to find a bad review of the quality of this helmet. It’s made of one of if not the strongest materials for a helmet, aerospace-grade T300 carbon. It has a lot of closable ventilation and is even bluetooth compatible.
#1 Icon Airflite
And finally, my favorite helmet. The one that needs no introduction, the Icon Airflite. Icon is the only company in the helmet industry that seems to be wanting to “break the mold” with their helmet designs. It’s finally something different that is noticeable at first glance. It is one of the coolest looking helmets on the market, and for $250, you’re definitely getting your money’s worth. With a polycarbonate shell, removable washable liner, and optional anti-fog visors, this helmet has more going for it than just the looks. But still, who doesn’t love that Hannibal Lecter mask.
Welcome to my blog, Spalding. If you’re reading this and your name isn’t Spalding, I commend you for somehow finding this website, but also, how long did it take you to find this? You must have a lot of time on your hands, little squidling.
I want to use this blog to show people motorcycles are pretty fun, and just because they’re a little more dangerous than a car doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try them out. And besides, they’re only dangerous because other people on the road are stupid, let’s be honest. Most accidents that happen on motorcycles can be avoided if everyone on the road just paid attention (yes, I’m looking at you texting in your Honda CR-V, Karen) then motorcycles would be relatively safe.
Not only do I like to preach about safety and how great it is to not be surrounded by a big metal cage as you drive, I would also like to turn more people on to bikes. I don’t think anyone is arguing that it is a great hobby, but if you live somewhere nice like the holy lands a.k.a. North Carolina, you can even have motorcycles as your main mode of transportation.
More people should at least try it, either by buying your own or trying one of your friends’ bikes. Who knows, maybe you’ll like it, maybe you’ll love it, maybe you’ll hate it but you’ll never never know until you try. Plus, who doesn’t like to learn how to pop a dank whoolie once in awhile, from being on a grom to a supersport.
