Harley Davidson--which one?

[getitdone1]

I don't question the fact that a smaller motorcycle is the best for a beginner. Last night I got to looking at a Yamaha V-Star 250. Only 250cc, weighs about 300 lbs and I think it'd be a fine, inexpensive bike for a newby. Also I believe when you pull-up to people on a smaller bike you seem like less of a threat. Well...that's just some people but I think you know what I mean.

See where I can buy a used one without a lot of miles for about 2000. It's size and price both make a lot of sense for a beginner.

http://www.cruisercustomizing.com/mc/mo ... o250-1.jpg

Don

[wecsoger]

Looks like an *excellent* option for a starter. If your finances will swing it, get a stack of cash (and a friend to come along with you!) and see if that price is negotiable. People tend to fold easy when the hundred dollar bills are in front of them.

Put 500 miles on it doing parking lot basics, you'll nail the Motorcycle Safety Foundation class and test for your endorsement. Good training and percentage points off your insurance.

Put another 500 on it getting more familiar with the road, clean it up real well and you may get your money back out of it.

That would be a good down payment toward that HD Road King. Wouldn't mind a Street King either. Although I do kinda have the hots for a BMW 1400RT.

Please report back. You know what a nosy bunch we are.

[Booger Bill]

I dont know about that rideing a smaller motor being safer. I dont ride now, but belive I put on over 200,000 miles years ago mostly on harleys. I usualy owned two bikes at a time for a lot of years. Always a full dress harley and a lot of time a britt bike or something else with it. In the same day I might ride a harley with no trouble. Later I would get on my enfield or suzzuki and people would pull out on me or cut me off with regularity! Might have been something to do with "copites". When I rode my smaller stuff I soon found it was safer to double distances between me and cars that looked like they wanted to make a left etc.
Let me add: Learning to ride isnt the problem. The problem is getting over confident too quick!

[getitdone1]

Could anyone tell me the advantages and disadvantages of large vs small front tire. I definitly like the looks of the big front tire. Plus, seems to me you'd have more overall traction with the big front tire making bike a little safer.

Also concerned if use bike offroad that the belt type final drive might give me trouble with dirt/rocks getting under it. Read the chain type final drive is noisy but is this really a problem?

If I get into a little mountain trail riding will my motorcycle be able to climb as well as a 4 wheel drive truck?

Don

[Booger Bill]

As said I am NOT a current rider but have a lot of rideing behind me many years ago. I ride a quad a LOT on mountain trails here. Our quad is a bombardier 2 seat 650cc 4wd 2005 traxtor. Nothing stops it. Fast too. Yet I am easily passed by motorcycle dirt riders that know their stuff. I would want a chain for a dirt bike. I have been out of it so long that I assumed a harley was the only bike with a belt. Are there others? A harley is too big and heavy for the dirt. I wouldnt do mods to a motorcycle`s tire dimentions to start with.

[getitdone1]

Booger Bill,

Nice picture. Your Quad looks like a dandy and for sure it's a lot safer than a motorcycle.

Think you are right about big bike vs small bike safety. The "safety" is between your ears, whether big or small bike. This assumes adequate physical strength and sense of balance.

[Booger Bill]

Thanks. I had everything from a whizzer in the 40s all the way up to harleys through the 80s. Something like 12 to 16 cycles. For me I thought the harley the safest I still had 2 crashs on them that should have killed me plus one a 750 suzziki.
Telling ya again, the problem is you WILL get overconfident too quick!

[wecsoger]

If have a taste for the off-road, do some research on the dual sport bikes, Kawasaki KLR650, BMW G650 GS, etc. Google on 'dual sport' or 'dual purpose' motorcycles.

Full disclosure, I've got a KLR650. It's a something like a 70/30 bike, 70% street, 30% dirt. I can't go blazing like a bat out of hades up all the forest trails or logging roads like the full dirt bikes - but I can sure go up most of them.

As far as visibility. If a cager doesn't see you, a cager doesn't see you. Regardless if you're on a 90cc dirter or a full dress hawg.

You can cut that percentage some with high-viz clothing and even a high-viz helmet.

But as Forest said, "stupid is as stupid does" and you have to take the attitude that they all are out there to kill you through negligence and you need to watch them like a hawk.

[Streetstar]

You mentioned some limited dirt usage ----- the next bike i am going to bring will seem like it is entirely from left field, but it is a cool , practical bike that will tolerate being dropped on occasion, can handle light trails and still stay up with traffic, --- BMW build quality with a light , friendly 650cc single as opposed to the horizontally opposed twin they are known for.

Neat, smaller adventure bike with a lot of bags and things available for moderate touring duty

http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/motorcyc ... Sertao.htm

[Old Ironsights]

I dislike the furniture, but I like the concept...

[Blaine]

I really like this TW200....might even trade the Zuma 125 off for one...
Under 300 lbs, 70 + MPH and MPG both...
My short 28" legs proscribe most enduro bikes.

[Lastmohecken]

Based on my own riding, people don't see you nearly as well, if you are riding, fast, on on a quite bike, that is narrow, like a trail bike or sport bike, and espacally if you are tucked in, like a sport biker or anyone with low narrow handlebars. The thing is they don't see you, and or you don't get any respect. If you look like a Hell's angel, or a cop you will get a lot more respect from the cages, and they won't crowd you like they will a punk on a sport bike.

But you still need to learn how to ride, and there is lot more to staying alive on a motorcycle, then shifting to high gear, and leaning when you come to a corner. There are a lot of rules of the road, that if violated too much, will catch up with you, like riding behind big trucks with duel wheels, speeding thru intersections, or staying stagnet in traffic, and riding in someone's blind spot, watching for edge traps, and loose gravel, oil, deer, dogs, and all kinds of junk that has fallen out of someone's pickup, blown recaps, etc, and not learning how to use your brakes, or understanding counterstearing. It's not always the other guy that gets you, a big precentage of wrecks are single vehicle (yours) accidents.

[getitdone1]

Based on my own riding, people don't see you nearly as well, if you are riding, fast, on on a quite bike, that is narrow, like a trail bike or sport bike, and espacally if you are tucked in, like a sport biker or anyone with low narrow handlebars. The thing is they don't see you, and or you don't get any respect. If you look like a Hell's angel, or a cop you will get a lot more respect from the cages, and they won't crowd you like they will a punk on a sport bike.

But you still need to learn how to ride, and there is lot more to staying alive on a motorcycle, then shifting to high gear, and leaning when you come to a corner. There are a lot of rules of the road, that if violated too much, will catch up with you, like riding behind big trucks with duel wheels, speeding thru intersections, or staying stagnet in traffic, and riding in someone's blind spot, watching for edge traps, and loose gravel, oil, deer, dogs, and all kinds of junk that has fallen out of someone's pickup, blown recaps, etc, and not learning how to use your brakes, or understanding counterstearing. It's not always the other guy that gets you, a big precentage of wrecks are single vehicle (yours) accidents.

Lastmohecken,

You said a lot of good things above. I had an experience with a recap on my way back from Indiana not long ago. Me and another car were side by side, going down a long mountain grade. He's on the outside along side me and we come around this corner and there's a complete truck recap in front of me. I quickly slowed down and veered around it but scary for a second or two. Recaps are a real danger for everyone and not just bikers. Not too long ago I was talking to my brother, not watching the road as close as I should have been, and ran over a piece of steel. About a half mile later I'm putting on the spare. NOW those two happenings are just one good reason to do as much of your driving during the day as you can! Good visibility is really important.

Don

[twoguns]

I'm going to sell my 1986 FXRD as soon as I can get my act together to advertise her. Got her i n 1988 with 12,000 miles on her. I added all of the Screaming Eagle performance gear and that made my bike a very competent canyon cruiser. It leans better than the FLHs and has a some guts. I just don't ride her much any more, so she sits in the garage waiting for my once a month ride from Pagosa Springs, CO to Creede, CO and back. She is a sweet machine...

[madman4570]

You mentioned some limited dirt usage ----- the next bike i am going to bring will seem like it is entirely from left field, but it is a cool , practical bike that will tolerate being dropped on occasion, can handle light trails and still stay up with traffic, --- BMW build quality with a light , friendly 650cc single as opposed to the horizontally opposed twin they are known for.

Neat, smaller adventure bike with a lot of bags and things available for moderate touring duty

http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/motorcyc ... Sertao.htm

Yep-----would do well! (and Extremely FUN)!

[getitdone1]

I'm going to sell my 1986 FXRD as soon as I can get my act together to advertise her. Got her i n 1988 with 12,000 miles on her. I added all of the Screaming Eagle performance gear and that made my bike a very competent canyon cruiser. It leans better than the FLHs and has a some guts. I just don't ride her much any more, so she sits in the garage waiting for my once a month ride from Pagosa Springs, CO to Creede, CO and back. She is a sweet machine...

twoguns,

Dandy picture.

Says good things about both rider and bike.

Don

[stretch]

I've stayed out of this thread for awhile, but I just can't resist
throwing my two cents in! I've been addicted to two-wheelers
since I was a kid. I got my fist motorcycle at 16, and my first
car at 24.

Wecsoger is the man to listen to. Start on something small. 250
is fine. I started on a 125 Honda, and it was perfect. Go back to the
1970s and the Hurt report, one of the first analyses of the causes
of motorcycle accidents, and new riders are disproportionately
represented. Fast forward to today, and the 45-55 age group is
also highly represented in the accident staitstics. Why? Because
they go out and by a big Harley to relive their second childhood,
and having never learnt to ride correctly, they crash it. The small
bike is MUCH easier to learn to ride on. Used ones in nice shape are
common. My first one had something like 45 miles on it. Somebody's
wife tried it and didn't like it. I bought the my GB500 from a doctor.
He bought it to learn to ride on, and sold it to me with 700
miles on it. It was, and still is, 20K later, like new.

I currently have 5 bikes, the smallest is the Honda GB500, and the largest
is a Triumph Rocket III Touring. That Rocket III is NOT a beginner's
bike under ANY circumstances! Neither is a big Harley. It can be done,
of course, but that doesn't make it a good idea.

it's kind of analogous to teaching a new shooter. Say we're going to
teach two wives/girlfriends to shoot. We'll give one girl a 4" 357 Magnum
with full-house loads, and the other a Ruger Mark III target. Who's going
to be safer, more comfortable, more accurate, have more fun, and want to
come back for more?

Good Luck with your choice! Report back on your progress.

-Stretch