motorcycles??

[Kitsune06]

I think if I went with a motorcycle (and I just might) I would think seriously about a smaller bike given my size/weight and handling. Yes it would make highway speeds a little more difficult, but that would be something you'd have to consider for yourself. I was tempted most by a Rebel or a Virago. I'm not much for Harleys given the expense of their parts, but then again, if you do your own mechanical work, it might be worth it in terms of being able to buy factory reproductions etc.

As it is I need to sell the CB 650. PITA does not want it, will not ride it, and will not put the time or effort into it. What a waste. Yet somehow I knew it would be this way, from the moment I started her up and felt her run. Oh well.

[Cha Cha]

I took the Basic Rider course a few years back and loved it. It was a long and very tiring weekend, mentally and physically, so you might not want to make any other plans... It proved to be "not for me" (I don't trust my reflexes to be fast enough to get me away from trouble), but it was a great experience and I wouldn't trade it - or the "M" on my license! - for anything!

FWIW, as others have written, I sought a lot of advice about what kind of bike to get, and it seems to come down to two schools of thought: either (a) start with a smaller bike to get comfortable and then upgrade or (b) start with a somewhat larger bike (600) and then you don't have to upgrade. I'd lean toward option (a). Used Rebels in great condition are not hard to find, as people buy them and either upgrade or quit riding altogether.

But it all depends on your comfort level, and you won't really know until after you've completed the course, so the best thing to do at this point is keep a very open mind. You'll have a much better sense of it by then, and your instructors will have some good advice for you too.

Most of all, enjoy - and let us know how it went!

All the best! Vroom!

Cha Cha

[Kitsune06]

A friend of mine in Eugene gave her bike to a friend of hers, bought a hot red motoguzzi and as we sat outside chatting over her sexy machine, she said "That little kawasaki has taught five biker chicks to ride. She needed to be passed on.".
What a legacy.
Perhaps this is the sole purpose of smaller bikes.
but whatever you do, mind your protective gear. @ssless chaps are hot, but not generally a good idea- guess where lots of road rash happens. Look into jackets with really honestly body-hugging spinal protection. A lot these days have very flexible sorta foam/plastic cr*p to say they have it, but I wouldn't trust my mobility to it. for that, look into these. Make sure it fits snugly. If it shifts under normal circumstances, you better bet it's going to shift if/when you go down.
Rotten.com used to have a great ER pic of a guy who kissed pavement wearing a brainbucket helmet. Not recommended. Cannot believe guy was still conscious.
I grew up with an interesting dual way of thinking regarding motorcycles. On one hand, Dad would tell me fondly of the Honda CB350 he rode from WI to PA when he was drafted for Vietnam... all painted like the bike in Easy Rider- his trips to Canada motorcycle touring, etc...
then Mom's side where after Dad filled my head with enough 'nonsense' she'd make him pull out the white helmet with canuck flag and then the face shield (that nifty '60s sorta bubble-face shield) with the side ground off and gravel imbedded, go on about how he still has gravel in his butt, etc etc after a particularly nasty lay-down/near-collision with a power pole. Why my mom made him sell his bike.
So have fun, and be safe. And I'll eye you with more than a little envy 'til I can be there, too.

[logdiva32]

Don't know if this is still true. But when I bought my first Harley, I was able to take it back a year later and trade up, They credited me the full MSRP!!

Second note: I have been riding since 12 also. My HB bought a huge bike to match mine, and ride with me, come to admit, he's not into MC at all. So we spent alot of money for nothing. So my .02c do it for you.. Then if it is a mutual hobby, it is a plus.

[horsemom]

FWIW, it is a good idea to by the best helmet you can afford. I have a good friend who was in an accident last summer and if not for the full face, very expensive helmet he was wearing, he might not still be alive. My DH and I just bought SHOEI helmets--$600 for the two, but worth it, we think.

Laura

[Pax]

I love my current bike so I just have to share a pic of her, here we are heading out for a balmy 25 degree ride.

[CyclChyk]

Queen's bike - also referred to as a "crotch rocket"!! (can I say that????)
A very sexy bike!!! I love the bumble bee sound they make - we used to take my chihuahua to the race track in Loudon NH, and while he tended to hide in his duffle bag during the door slammers, he was VERY attentive to the jap bikes and their thunder. It was the cutest thing! So much so that the owners of the track allowed him a front row seat in the tower while they moderated.

Perhaps he will ride "double" with me?????

I am really hoping I don't flunk out - I am so PUMPED about riding solo!

[logdiva32]

Now you can look fwd to the advanced street riders course, have to bring your own bike, case you drop it...

[Pax]

I just realized the pic of my bike isn't there anymore, I changed online photo hosting sites...ooops.

Here she is:

[OakLeaf]

I didn't see this thread until somebody just revived it. CC, I am SO glad you decided not to start on a Sportster. I did, and it was an enormous mistake.

If you've managed to get 5-10K miles and the ERC under your belt this summer, you can probably handle a Sporty if you still want one. But you probably don't want one any more now that you've been riding a real motorcycle, do you?

The myth of HD reliability is just that, a myth. Now, I never had an pre-evo bike, so for all I know they did improve. But if you get a HD, be prepared for constant, expensive and time-consuming repairs. Not just my experience - I was just talking to a guy last night with a brand new Road King, for example.

Plus, I see the Sportster still has a totally inadequate single front disc. Conversions are available, but very expensive. You really don't want a 583-lb motorcycle that doesn't stop when you apply the brakes, trust me. (Good grief, I just looked that up, it's nearly 100 lbs heavier than my '91. Why in the world would they make that thing heavier? Except, the conspiracy theorist in me says, to make sure they no longer perform better than the Big Twins.)

And they handle like a mattress that you've left out on the curb because it was too sacked out to sleep on, but it's still two more months until large item pickup day. Again, you can upgrade the suspension for under $1000 if you do the labor yourself, but why not just buy a real bike to begin with?

And +1 on getting the best gear you can find. Not just a helmet, but good gloves, boots with shin and malleolus protection, good-fitting jacket and pants with CE armor, and a CE-II back protector, and WEAR THEM... what we call ATGATT (all the gear, all the time).

I'd recommend a brand-name helmet also (Shoei, Arai or Suomy), but you can get a Snell, CE or British-rated helmet for $200 or less, and the rest of what you're paying for is comfort and convenience (light weight, quiet, balance, ventilation, washable and custom fittable liners, etc.). It's worth the extra money hands down, but it's not necessary for safety (unless a helmet is so uncomfortable that you don't wear it). Also be sure to price a base solid color helmet (black or white). Snazzy solid colors are usually $50 above base, graphics another $50 above that, and racer replica helmets can be $200 or more over the base MSRP.

But anyway... sweet Bonnie, maillotpois! That's a nice standard. More and more standards are becoming available: Suzuki SV650N; Kawasaki 650R (despite their including it in the Ninja family, it's a standard, not a sportbike). And the new bikes that everyone's coming out with in Supermoto trim look really cool, and they're supposed to be a lot of fun.