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I swore I'd never ride a motorcycle in South Florida given the bad driving around here, but DH just got a used Harley and we spent the weekend riding. I love it! I'm registering for a safety course but we've started looking at bikes for me. I have a 30" inseam and I'm 5'2, 130 pounds. I need a low seat and a narrow seat itself since even getting on my husband's Harley hurt my legs - it was not comfortable. Very awkward for me to sit on, plus I need some extra cushioning for my rear! It's killing me today. I also need some back support - I've had a chronically bad lower back so when I used to ride passenger on DH's old Honda sport bike, leaning over him killed me (and him!). That's why I want to be relatively upright on the bike.
Anyway, we're considering the Honda Rebel or the Kawasaki Vulcan but DH says the 500 is too much for me and to try to get a 250 or something like that. I don't want a sport bike - I want to go nice and easy on local roads and perhaps venture onto the turnpike... one day. I'd love to commute from West Palm to Jupiter for work but I don't think I'll be ready for that for awhile.
I totally agree about the Honda Rebel. They're a rock solid little bike. Tons of them around, so you should be able to pick up a used one pretty cheap. Then, when you want to move to a bigger bike, sell it for about what you paid for it.
I started on a Ninja 250...Rode it for a year and then sold it for what I had in it. Kick ass little bike. (Looking back, I could have started on a 500 no problem.)
I now ride a Triumph Bonneville and probably could have started on it no problem, tho' I'm glad I didn't..It would have slowed down my 'getting comfortable on a bike' period.
I, too, am surprised how often new riders are told they'll quickly get "bored" with a 250. I primarily ride a 600cc and a 1000cc sportbike. But I also have 2 little dual sports, a 200 and a 250. I have been riding 13 years. Let me tell you, I have as much fun flinging that little 200 around as I do riding the sport bikes. Power is nice, but in all honestly, it is not a necessity for having fun.
Awesome info, Brian! I will check out the ergonomics for sure since I have an ergonomic setup at work and it's great for my back. And yes, I'm looking at used - I'm also concerned about weight so perhaps that's why I'm focusing on the size of the engine. A 500lb bike might be too much for me.
I agree with the posters that said a standard is the best way to go. Cruisers are just as hard, if not harder on your back than a sportbike, as all of your weight goes to your butt, as opposed to your hands, feet and rear on a standard.
There's a lot of great options out there to choose from.
Ugh, so I took the beginner's motorcycle course to get my endorsement down here in Florida - fantastic class (MTII) and I loved riding. I had an old, beat-up Kawasaki Eliminator 250 although it still seemed "wide" to my legs. My legs are seriously sore today and my butt is skilling me, as well as my clutch hand. I guess I need to build up my grip strength. Anyway, I got skills down like quick stop, front, rear braking, press and roll, changing lanes, but there were 2 things that ultimately led me to lose points so that I didn't pass the range portion.
U-turns (without putting my foot down in a small box area) and shifting to a higher gear as I gain speed. I was afraid to put the bike in 2nd gear for the U-turn because I was not going into the drill with much speed and then for the cornering exercise, I started to speed up, pulled in the clutch, and put the darn gear into neutral by mistake instead of 2nd, so the bike slowed down immediately while the engine revved. On this bike it was hard to gauge by "clicks" going from 1st to 2nd vs. DH's Harley where you can hear a clear "clank" as he moves through the gears.
Any tips for making U-turns and shifting? I'm going next Saturday to try again and get this thing done!
Also, DH says that we may not have any money right now to buy me even a used bike (of course since he spent a whole lot $$ on his Harley lol) so I'm afraid my new skills are going to go down the tubes if I don't keep practicing. Is renting bikes cheap? Is it worth it try a scooter or moped in the meantime?
Thanks all!
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Cause dudes sounds cool saying "Man, I just love riding a fatboy"...hey, fatboys need love too, but they gotta pay!
