Topic: Motorcycle Riders

[BLACKDOG]

Since bikes having been coming up more and more on the board, I was curious to see who rode, what you ride, and what kind of safety gear you wear. (full gear at all times?,what kind of helmet (brain bucket, full face, etc? )Also, if anyone has any, how 'bout some advice for a first time bike purchase (know how to ride dirtbikes, looking to buy  CHEAP ($500 or so) bike to learn on.

No, I'm not buying to avoid gas costs, I've been wanting a bike for a while, and may be able to finally afford one this summer and have the time to really get out there and learn. 

[Rockcrawlintoy]

i ride a 1993 xr650l. i usually wear a joe rocket jacket, alpinestar smx gloves and a HJC helmet. i try and wear pants as much as i can but when its hot i will ride in shorts and knee and shin pads. this is my first bike by the way i got it for 500 bucks 

[kneedownnate]

First things first, a starter bike.  Man, this is a toughy for you because you're just so damned big!  My standard "swallow your pride and get a ninja 250" answer doesn't apply cause you're just too big for one.  I'd stick with something in the single/twin configuration and 500cc.  Staying with a smaller engine will give you more leeway to be able to focus more on learning how to safely ride rather than worrying about the power biting you in the ass.  A kawasaki ninja 500 or suzuki gs500 (like mike has) are both parallel twins and have both enough power to keep you outa trouble but not so much to be intimidating.  Both of those models also haven't changed much in the last 15+ years, so I'd lean toward getting an early 90s version and save some cash.  Oh wait, you said $500   Well.......... you're gonna be very limited.  Almost anything you can find in that price range will potentially need some money dumped into it, so you're really not gonna be saving too much.  I'd bank on spending about $1200-1500 for something in decent shape, but you never know what you may find   Don't be afraid to check tow yards too, I've seen decent bikes in there that they'll sell cheap.

Now gear.  How much does a good helmet cost?  How much does a new head cost?  When I crashed at a high rate of speed I trashed a $600 helmet but my head came out mostly ok.  I was so happy with the helmet that I purchased the exact same model, just different graphics.  I can't say it enough, ARAI HELMETS KICK ASS!!  Yes, they're spendy, but I don't doubt that a lesser helmet would have provided worse results, especially after seeing the metal reflector post my head reshaped   You can pick them up cheaper off ebay or craigslist, but you'll want to try on different models till you find one that fits just right or you'll regret it on the road!  I got my last arai off ebay for about $250 cause the guy's wife swore her head was small

Riding to work I wear a jacket and good gloves atleast.  I'd like to have some good protective boots but haven't found any that fit right.  Trust me, my track boots are very well braced but I still broke my leg through them despite the boots looking ok afterward.  I've been lucky enough to get a couple alpinestars jackets cheap off ebay, but it's been a game of patience!  I have one that's waterproof with a very warm liner that I use in cooler weather and another that's fairly well vented for warmer weather.  Both have shoulder, elbow and back protectors.  You'd be hard pressed to catch me riding without a jacket, no matter how hot it gets.

Gloves are definately important.  I got a smokin deal on ebay for both my sets.  Alpinestars gp plus retail for about $150 or more, paid less than $100 for a new set.  Icon hooligans retailed for like $80 I think, paid less than $30.  The icons have a shorter cuff so I use them for my casual riding, etc, while the alpinestars have a long cuff and the two outermost fingers have a webbing between them to help prevent broken fingers from rollover in a crash.  There again, you will NOT catch me riding without gloves.  I did that riding bicycles growing up and got tired of picking gravel out of my hands.  You won't even catch me riding a bicycle without gloves either.

I also don't ride in shorts, no matter how short the trip.  I like my legs and the skin on them, and as much as I move around and bump into stuff at work I can't afford to have scabs irritating me all the time!  Plus your legs just get ass hot.  I used an infrared thermometer to see how hot my header got last summer and they hovered around 385*, and that hot air is blowing on your legs while you ride

Lastly but probably most important, take a motorcycle safety report.  I don't care how comfortable you are on a dirtbike, it's not the same.  You'll come away with a much better understanding of both how the bike works and what you can actually do with it.

[limegreen82]

I ride a 2006 KXF450 dirtbike. Wear my gear at all times. alpine star vector boots, thor pants, shirt, gloves, knee guards, troy lee motoX helmet. thor chest guard.

[blyota91]

I ride a 2006 Honda XR650L.  I have two riding jackets, a cold weather water proof with shoulder, elbow and back padding.  I also have a mesh type jacket with the same padding.  I always wear one of those.  I always wear pants of some kind, sometimes my water proof riding pants.  Motorcycling gloves of some kind too, and a full face helmet.  I've been looking into some kind of riding boots recently too.  This was my first bike, and I am very happy with it.  As for a riding course, I would definately take one if you can, I did and am happy I did.  And I get a discount on insurance because of it.

[83yota]

this is my take. first do you want a crusier, sport, dual sport or some sort of combination? i perfer crusiers because i love to ride distance. stay away from harley just for money and maint sake (lack of reliability from anything your going to get for 500). now for what i ride i run a 76 harley FXR that has been fully restored. now i ALWAYS wear a full face shoie helmet, alpine star simulated leather jacket, alpine stars half gloves, and davis built armored blue jeans. the reason for the full face on a crusier first off i ride for me not every one else second i saw a video of a guy wreck and get his jaw ripped off wearing a half helmet going 45mph. yes i for got i always wear either combat boots or harley riding boots

[dime]

honda magna 750 no gear sometimes just shorts and a brain bucket just too be legal i dont recomend not wearing gear but i personaly dont

[BigMike]

honda magna 750 no gear sometimes just shorts and a brain bucket just too be legal i dont recomend not wearing gear but i personaly dont

Heck, I ride with shorts and sandals, yes, I said I ride with sandals on.

People keep telling me not to ride in shorts.. I've heard exactly as Nate explained it, but the heat from my engine/exhaust has little to no affect on my legs when wearing shorts. I am MUCH MUCH cooler with shorts on. It is so comfortable in fact, that I am willing to risk leg injury in order to remain cool and comfortable. No doubt I will change my mind after my first crash.

My first and only bike:
I ride a 1993 Suzuki GS500E. Here it is in all its glory:






I bought the bike with only 12,000 miles on it from a close friend for $700 two years ago. It has ran great with no problems at all. Its been very reliable and is lemonless. I have replaced the clutch cable, both tires, upgraded to better performing brake pads, and changed the oil, oil and air filters once. Thats the only service in two years. It burns about a quart of oil every two months or more with my abusive driving style, has no external leaks.

In the winter it makes about 40-45 MPG because its air cooled and never warms up enough to run without the choke on. Thus it drinks gas when its gold.
In the summer it makes 50-58 MPG; the hotter the better.

I have had it up to 115 MPH where it pretty much runs out of steam. It gets to 105 pretty quick, but then it starts running out of steam around 115. I would need a lot of room to get to 120 I imagine, but I enjoy having a clean driving record instead

It runs great in the dry as well as in the wet. New tires made a huge difference in wet handling.

Riding with my buddy (who weighs 210?) really killed it. I had to run the RPMs up to feel the same power. If you weigh over 240? 250? then maybe you would want a V-Twin bike instead, something with more torque.

The only complaint I have is that the front fork springs were made for a 20 pound japanese man. They will bottom out whenever I brake hard for a light, and I only weigh 170 lbs. There are stronger replacement fork springs made, but I have not looked into it.

One thing that is cool is that it has a 6 speed trans. I love 6 speed trans in cars and even more so on a bike. The redline is 12,000 RPM but the valves seem to float somewhere around 11,500 RPM. Basically it sounds like crap at near 12k RPM, sounds like an automatic riffle. Speedometer tops out at 130 MPH as I remember.

My next bike:
I am really turned on by the Honda Hawk 650GT (Honda Bros overseas). Its a V-Twin 5spd with a single rear swing arm. I've seen these bikes in person and I love them! A good clean 100% stock and well cared for Hawk GT will run around $3k. Produced only from 1989-1991? Very rare which makes me desire it that much more-

Some pics:




Tips for new riders:
Getting the permit was very easy. I read the book and took the test. Kept the permit for 5 days short of 1-year, where it expires, and got my M-class license.

The permit limits riding to daytime only, without a passenger, and never on the freeway. I violated all three of these rules by the 3rd month at the same time.

You can go to your local DMV and practice on their course before you take the driving test for the license. I had a years worth of experience on my bike, so I was very comfortable and passed with flying colors.

Always believe that people do not see you. One time it was explained to me that if you hold a pencil up to your face while looking at on coming traffic, that is all it would take to block the vision of an approaching motorcyclist.

Drive defensive always. I always run with my high beams on in the daytime. I always position myself to the outside of the traffic infront of me to maximize the chance of on coming traffic to see me. Never forget that an automobile can run you over. Driving in the Rock Crawler gives me the ability to be a bit rude with people, but I never try this on the bike for obvious reasons.

One time I gave a passing H2 driver a thumbs down signal while riding the bike, and he gave me an angry face in return. I used to do this a lot, then I realized that a H2 can run me over like a squirrel, so I stopped.

I STRONGLY recommend using a full face helmet. I can not tell you how many times I've hit bees at 60 MPH so hard against the visor that it moved my head. I also had a bee hit my neck and roll down my shirt to the middle of my chest. I'm not worried about getting stung or bit by a bee much, but I am when I'm trying to ride a motorcycle! I just began beating my shirt with my gloves and when I got home I had squashed bee guts all over. That sucked and scared the crap out of me.

I have a reasonably high tolerance to spiders, but one time, after my bike and helmet had sat in the school bike parking lot, I geared up and began heading home. By the 2nd or 3rd light I noticed a small spider spinning a web from the inside of the helmet and was lowering itself down right in front of my face. When I opened the visor, the wind blew him somewhere in my hair or something. I didn't care about the spider so much, so I continued to ride. Then I began thinking that he could locate my ear and try some spider ear spelunking, and since the helmet restricts myself from accessing my ear, my anxiety increased so I pulled over, removed my helmet, threw my hands through my hair as if I was lathing shampoo in, and I never did find the spider.

Good times. I've got more stories to share I never had this much fun driving around in the cages.

I am recommending everyone everywhere to get a bike. The more bike riders there are, the more aware cage drivers will become to them.

[BLACKDOG [OP]]

My summer semi intentions are basically to do what Big Mike said about the permit.  I plan on getting it, and riding for a while with just that, in town, during daylight, etc.  I'm not restricting myself to $500, just seemed like a good # to throw out.    I figure I can at least get the hang of the bike, in town, and then move up if I need to. 
As for riding gear, I've always thought that when I get a bike, the least I'd ride with is Jeans, boots, and a helmet and gloves.  mabye I'm stupid, but I'd rather have my legs covered than my arms

Don't you have to take a riding course to get your license in CA?  I thought you did, but mabye not.  I know my insurance through my company drops a lot if you take one, so I would anyway.

[83yota]

i have wrecked twice (due to people pulling out in front of me) and i am glad i was wearing my gear like i said i ride for me not for what others think of me. like i was once told you dont need therapy if you ride a bike (soooooo true)

[jimbo74]

mike that is crazy! i wouldnt go near a bike without gear on..... i saw firsthand in the ER not too long ago what happens even @ lower speeds in a crash, there was a girl o nthe bike with her bf, and he was screwing around with anotehr bike and they kissed... so anyways, both dumped and the girl had gear on, still had a shattered shoulder and degloving of her knee area and elbow area.... that was nasty.... the skin was worn away so much that there was like a huge chunk of skin just missing, looks like the skin peeled off like a banana peel..... from the pictures, i could actually tell that the regular layer of skin was 1/8" higher than the nasty part.... thats crazy when you think of the skin being that thick, or missing that much.....

[BigMike]

Don't you have to take a riding course to get your license in CA?

All I had to do, and this is another good story, was ride back and forth in the parking lot under DMV employee supervision to demonstrate if I can up shift, down shift, brake, and accelerate properly. Then there is an agility test where you must accelerate into 2nd gear, and then zig-zag left-right-left-right around alternating markings in paint on the pavement, then ride between two coaxial circles twice whilst keeping your front tire within the inner and outer diameters. Then I had to ride around the block on a public road while the employee walked on the sidewalk for visual confirmation that I was capable.

So the night before my scheduled appointment, I practiced going around the circles in 2nd gear over and over and found it to be very easy to do. I also zig-zagged around the paint and made sure I could do it.

In the morning, when I went to the DMV, for some reason there were like 4 or 5 CHP cruisers parked right on top of the circle and the zig-zagging area. As I was walking into the building, I thought, "man this sucks, I am going to have to wait for them to move their police cars." So when the instructor took me out side, I identified all of the accessories on the bike, where the horn is, where the blinkers are, etc, and after I rode up and down the parking lot showing him that I knew how to downshift, it was time to do the agility test, and so he went inside to get the drivers of the CHPs to move their cars, and he came out all frustrated and just said "well lets see how you do on the streets"

After watching me ride around the block, when I came back, he said "I'll see you inside, congratulations" That was it. So I actually didn't do the agility test but I passed and got my M-license.

I remember when I was identifying the controls, he asked me something that is impossible. I think it was "show me how to turn your headlights off" or it was "show me reverse" or something like that.

[jimbo74]

some bikes have reverse, lol

[BLACKDOG [OP]]

I was wondering what those circles were in our DMV parking lot  guess if I thought about it I coulda figured it out


  

[BigMike]

mike that is crazy! i wouldnt go near a bike without gear on..... i saw firsthand in the ER not too long ago what happens even @ lower speeds in a crash, there was a girl o nthe bike with her bf, and he was screwing around with anotehr bike and they kissed... so anyways, both dumped and the girl had gear on, still had a shattered shoulder and degloving of her knee area and elbow area.... that was nasty.... the skin was worn away so much that there was like a huge chunk of skin just missing, looks like the skin peeled off like a banana peel..... from the pictures, i could actually tell that the regular layer of skin was 1/8" higher than the nasty part.... thats crazy when you think of the skin being that thick, or missing that much.....

ye-ouch! Can't tell ya how many times people have told me stories like this. Angelo at the shop must have a dozen of them.

I will never say that I won't crash. I would put money on if I do crash, then it will probably be the result from me playing around without anyone else near me.

This morning I rode at about 7am to college. It was a bit chilly. I had my moto GP leather gloves on, full face helmet, a t-shirt, jeans, ankle high socks, and hiking shoes. It was still pretty uncomfortably warm in the afternoon when I rode home. The only reason I wore jeans and shoes is because I had a lab class today that requires it.

Yesterday when I rode to work, it was my camo army cargo pants, short sleeve work shirt, and hiking shoes. I think I rode twice last week with shorts and sandals. It feels so nice.

It also feels nice having all of my dermis intact. It's a thin line of chance that for two years and counting I have been willing to walk. Just personal preference and I am sure I am offending people when I do it.

I know I offended Chris Geiger when he worked for us. He said I will crash and die because I am not wearing proper gear. It took me over a year to purchase a Joe Rocket jacket, a proper riding jacket with leather, padding, and composite protection.

The reason why I decided to buy the Joe Rocket Jacket: Because my Quicksilver cloth jacket wasn't warm enough at 32 degrees F. I stopped wearing the jacket as soon as it warmed up, or about two months ago.

[jimbo74]

that was one of the nastier ones i actually dealt with in the ER while i was there for my internship for the day.... i had to clean the bed of a decedent though, he was 25 and had full gear on was doing about 20 mph in a residential, hit a pole and died, not instantly, but pretty quickly, had a helmet


then there was the girls boyfriend, not sure what happened to him, but he was in surgery way faster than she way... i just had contact with her because i had to help transfer her to Another floor and help move her from bed to bed.

there were 5 traumas from motorcycles that day....



seeing stuff on bikes in the medical field is crazy, i've gotten to see red asphalt type videos, but the real videos, the stuff that isn't allowed on tv, the stuff the fire dept sees when they arrive on scene.. its very gruesome..... i want a bike, but i want a streetable dirt bike.... wont be for awhile though, they still scare me..... may not ever happen

[BigMike]

Thankyou for the kind words directed towards my safety and others. I do appriciate when people show their concern and I've never been rude or played the "ohh it'll never happen to me!" game because statistics show that it will. Fortunately I've never become part of a statistic.

I have never seen a motorcycle accident first hand. I have no doubt that when I do, or if a close friend gets in a serious accident on a bike, then it for sure will hit home with me.

I in no way consider myself to be wreckless in the same manner that I would not consider someone riding on a bus to not use their seatbelt.

There are two serious fears I have when riding that far supass everything else I think about:
#1 by far: A Front tire blowout. Especially on the freeway interchange corners. I ride "superman" as my friend described it, by laying flat atop the gas tank and placing my feet on the passengers foot pegs. Therefore most of my weight is over the front tire and that is all it would take to put me in a very inconvient situation.

#2: I don't know if this happens or not, but sometimes I fear the chain will break and take my leg with it. Has anyone heard of this happening?

I've locked up the rear tire only twice when not expected and both times I found the bike is very easy and forgiving to control in a like manner to my Mountain Bike.

Perhaps the #3 concern I have is if I lock up the front tire under extreme braking. This has never happened, and in fact, in two years I have never experienced an extreme braking situation. Call it lucky if you like.

All other concerns I have on the bike have no affect on my life. Life goes on, ride on.

[kneedownnate]

Heck, I ride with shorts and sandals, yes, I said I ride with sandals on.

  jerk.  Just wait till johny law decides to give you an ass chewin for riding in sandals

Also, I've come back from a ride WITH pants on in the dead of summer with bright red inner thighs.  Worse than any sunburn I've had, can only imagine how much worse it woulda been if I'd been wearing shorts.

My next bike:
I am really turned on by the Honda Hawk 650GT (Honda Bros overseas). Its a V-Twin 5spd with a single rear swing arm

or could it possibly have a single SIDED swingarm?!  I'm no rocket surgeon, but I'm pretty sure all bikes have a single swingarm

Don't you have to take a riding course to get your license in CA? 

There's an age cutoff for having to take an msf course.  I think it's 21, but I can't remember.  After X age you can just get your permit, ride for the short period of time required then get your license. 

[kneedownnate]

I have never seen a motorcycle accident first hand. I have no doubt that when I do, or if a close friend gets in a serious accident on a bike, then it for sure will hit home with me.

You couldn't be more right.  In my first year of riding I probably was with atleast a dozen people who crashed, 5 of them in the same corner within 5 weeks of each other.  2 the fist time, 3 the next.  Once when we were leaving starchucks late one night, guy does wheelie with girlfriend on the back and loops out.  Guess what softened his landing?  Let's just say I'm pretty sure her fun spot would have appreciated more protection than those light workout pants  

Most the people I've seen crash brought it on themselves, myself included.  Atleast when I crashed I had on full race gear, full leather suit etc.  Aside from the still sizable divet in my calf there's only one small scar on my hand where my glove tore a little. 

[jimbo74]

i firend of mine got speed wobbles slowing down to 70 haha, from liek 90, and he dumped... spent liek a week in the hospital and racked up like $50k in medical bills..... pretty much came away with road rash... still nasty, and still expensive... luckily he knew how to fall... but his whole side of his body looks like a cheesgrater now..... he had a full helmet, gloves and a leather jacket.. i saw the jacket, it was a heavy jacket... it wasnt torn all the way through, but it was thing to the point it looked like mesh and see through

[BLACKDOG [OP]]

Hey nate, have you ever had someone open a door on you?  A guy in one of my classes was on his way to class a few weeks ago, was splitting the lanes at a light to get to the front, and a guy 3 cars back from the front deliberatley opened his door on him!!  he hit the door, flew over the handle bars, hit the doorframe with the front of his full face helmet (thank God he was wearing a full face instead of a bucket)  cracked the visor, and the helmet all the way up the front (don't know the brand, but its the helmet with the old airplane style graphics with the pinup girl on the side?)  destroyed his riding jacket, and his jeans, but he walked away with a little road rash on his arm.  Thankfully there was a cop a few cars back in the other lane, cop got out and arrested the guy who opened the door on the spot.  The guy in my class said they may be charging him with attempted murder

That being said, I still want a bike   I understand the risk, and that if you let your guard down it can/will kill you.  However, to live your life in complete safety is to not live to your fullest IMO.  Every rider I've ever known has said that they wouldn't give it up for anything.  I used to work with a guy that destroyed his leg when he laid his bike down, so he went home, and built the bike into a trike, with a suicide shift, so he didn't have to use his foot.  He just didn't want to give it up

[kneedownnate]

That's pretty funny, while I was reading that I was already planning on responding that the driver could get arrested, glad he did  

Never had it happen, never seen it happen, but then again redding drivers come to a stop in a zig zag pattern, making it pretty hard to lane split usually.  I've never had anyone yell at me either, but they've yelled to my friend that it was illegal and they should open their door into him.  He stopped in front of me, had some choice words with the people and informed them that they should try it in front of all the witnesses, cause they'd be spending atleast a night in the poky

I'm usually a very respectful rider in traffic.  I don't tach out around cars, just usually short-shift.  If somebody is driving like a complete asshat I'll usually drop a gear or tow and ride where my pipe is right next to their window as long as I can though.  That said, I feel very confident that you need to inform drivers when they have screwed up.  None of that pretending like you didn't see it crap.  I'll make sure they're looking at me and tap my eyes with two fingers :LOOK WHERE YOU'RE GOING/WHAT YOU'RE DOING:, shake my head very visibly, point directly at them long enough for them to know I mean THEM then tap my head with a finger :THINK THINK THINK:

I rarely flip people off, but if I feel it's needed to get the point across then it gets done.  This is usually reserved for the assfaces who intentionally screw with you on the bike.

[kneedownnate]

Oh yea, there's also a speed differential for lane splitting.  Don't know what they are, but there's a maximum speed at which you're allowed to split and you're only allowed to go X mph faster than the cars, either 10 or 15pmh

[BLACKDOG [OP]]

I didn't see that on, he just told us about it (and showed us his stuff)  but I did see one on the freeway (dead stop traffic, bike just cruised through, not  going too fast prolly 15 or so, like you said) and someone did that.  He hit the door, dropped the bike, he didn't fall, but he turned around and beat the living out of the guy who opened the door. 

I try to be as respectful as possible toward people on bikes. If I see one splitting a lane, I'll pull to the other side of the lane so they can pass.

[kneedownnate]

#2: I don't know if this happens or not, but sometimes I fear the chain will break and take my leg with it. Has anyone heard of this happening?

Buy a better chain   When they break they usually just wad up above the countershaft sprocket.  If you're lucky it'll just crack of break the little sprocket guard, but it's also likely to crack open the cases or bend the countershaft.  Neither one is fun to deal with   Make totally sure you have your masterlink clip on facing the right direction, or better yet use a chainbreaker and make it a permanent link.  Much safer   I research the tensile strength of the chains I may potentially buy in each size I'm considering.  Don't expect a chain to last as long as the package says either, the o-rings often fail early and the chain starts to kink.

[kneedownnate]

I didn't see that on, he just told us about it (and showed us his stuff)  but I did see one on the freeway (dead stop traffic, bike just cruised through, not  going too fast prolly 15 or so, like you said) and someone did that.  He hit the door, dropped the bike, he didn't fall, but he turned around and beat the living out of the guy who opened the door. 

I try to be as respectful as possible toward people on bikes. If I see one splitting a lane, I'll pull to the other side of the lane so they can pass.

I woulda paid cash to see that   Check around on barf (bayarearidersforum.com) and you'll see plenty of stories about stuff like that, or the guys who'll punch somebody's window when they swerve toward them as they're lane sharing.  It definately happens.

[jimbo74]

nate, one of the times i was in traffic school, someone asked the instructor ( a motorcycle cop i know) about splitting he said it is legal... up to the speed limit given conditions etc, blah blah... someone asked then abotu the x miles over and he said, there is no set number, but if your doing 60 on the freeway and traffic is bumper to bumper, your an idiot, and can be charged with wreckless driving because its too fast for conditions

[blyota91]

My next bike:
I am really turned on by the Honda Hawk 650GT (Honda Bros overseas). Its a V-Twin 5spd with a single rear swing arm. I've seen these bikes in person and I love them! A good clean 100% stock and well cared for Hawk GT will run around $3k. Produced only from 1989-1991? Very rare which makes me desire it that much more-

Some pics:

I know a guy with a hawk, fun bike to ride>  Kind of small though, seems it to me anyway after I get off my 650l

[Rockcrawlintoy]

lilbuddys brother took a spill last year doing like 65 mph. he was in a turn and hit some sand and water. he lost quite a few toe nails and bruised his feet pretty bad. luckily he had a full face helmet and most of the riding gear. it makes me want to wear boots when i ride but i have not bought a pair yet, and im not going to ride to school in my alpinestar boots.

[toyo487]

Well first off I would only ride a bike if your are comfortable with it if you have any doubts about it then stay off of them. 
I do not have any bikes right now but my first bike was a Honda CB200t  good starter bike but very slow.  then I went to a Kawasaki 454LTD (uncomfortable for longer rides but decent bike)  I then got a CBR600 loved the bike very fun to ride it was an 89 and completely restored.  I ended up selling it because I lost respect for it and the power it had.  If I wasn't going 100+ then I just wasn't having fun.  There were many times when I took it 156 down I5 near Salem Or.  That is why I sold it, it ended up in California (near Modesto) and a guy decided to show off his ridding skills,  I got a call from the CHP (title was in my name still) Kid died on it on a Friday night and they found his body 200 feet from the bike.  Sport bikes are very fun and in my opinion they are comfortable, but you do need to have respect for the road and other bikers.
My last bike that I had was a Kawasaki KLR650, it was fun because I could take if offroad (on old fire roads) but I got board with how slow it was so I sold it and have not purchased a bike since. 
As for gear I wore shoie's for a couple years but then went with the Aria and I will never buy a different brand of helmet now.  Aria's are simply the best.  I always wore a Joe rocket jacket with all the pads, and when it was raining I would wear my Joe rocket pants (they had pads and were water proof. 
I have wrecked (I was on my KLR)  I work grave yard and was on my way to work and my headlight went out.  I was living in Newberg at the time and took back roads in to woodburn where I work.  I was going way to fast for having no headlight and ended up going straight when their was a 90 degree corner.  I hit the ditch and flew from the bike  I was wearing my jacket and that saved my upper body.  Got a nice roadrash on my hip because I was not wearing my pants.  I got very luck and walked away and made it to work on time and worked my hole shift (mainly because I didn't have a headlight to get back home).
My advice for you is to take a ridding coarse (we have a very good one here in Oregon called Team Oregon) buy good ridding gear and have respect for the bike, and others on the road if you loose the respect that is when you do stupid stuff.