Topic: On my way to meet my life insurance agent this evening.

[sparty]

Unbelievable, I post two totally different bike stories in the same day!

On my way to meet my life insurance agent this evening.  I was driving my car and in front of me was a ‘cruiser” type motorcycle.  I was following the bike at a safe distance (traffic was moderate behind me) as we came upon a red light on a slight uphill grade.  I noticed that the bike had a 5-08 tag on the license plate (brand new maybe).  As the light turned green, the rider stalled the bike letting out the clutch.  He turned is head to look behind him (at me and the other cars) and he must have let go of the front brake level as the bike began to roll backward.  He got a bit off balance because of the road crown and dumped the bike on its right side as he sort of hopped out of the way trying to catch it.  He stumbled and fell on his side. 

I put on my four ways, put the car in park and set the E brake.  I jumped out and jogged up to the bike to help the guy pick it up (that MF was HEAVY).  We rolled it over into a restaurant parking area.  I said to him “hold on, I’ll be right back”.  I got in my car and pulled into the same parking area.
 
I walked over to the guy and he was looking at the bike saying, “crap, crap, I don’t know what happened, I just got this bike on Friday!”, as he looked at his dented Cobra mufflers and cracked throttle end.  To make a long story a bit shorter.  Turns out this was his first ever motorcycle, a 2008 Yamaha Road Star S 1670cc with a dealer installed Cobra exhaust (now dented and scratched).  He just completed the MSF course two weeks ago and bought the bike last week.  He was probably not ready for a bike of this size.  I asked him if he was okay (just mad at himself) and if he wanted me to start the bike.  It started fine.  He was a little shaken so I said that I would follow him to where ever he was going.  He said he just lived on the other side of town and that he was okay, he would take the side streets home.  As he left the parking area he did not use his turn signal and stalled the bike again!  Nerves maybe?  I couldn’t help but to shake my head and wish him luck. 

Maybe I’ll see that bike on Craigslist later this week.

Maybe we need a CC and (weight) size limit for new bikers.  I looked it up, that bike weighs 700lbs. dry!

Sparty

[edbikerii]

Hey, at least he had the sense to take the MSF course.

[Gordon]

Maybe we need a CC and (weight) size limit for new bikers.  I looked it up, that bike weighs 700lbs. dry!

Unfortunately that will probably never fly.  At least not if Harley and "made in America" have anything to say about it.  At least there's a silver lining.  There will never be a shortage of barely used, severely depreciated motorcycles for sale.

[fuzzybutt]

alot of countries have size and/or cc limits for first bikes

[Gordon]

alot of countries have size and/or cc limits for first bikes

Yeah, but a lot of countries aren't the U.S. of A. 

[fuzzybutt]

this is true. kid that worked for me at the pizzeria got his first bike a few weeks ago, a yammy r1, i told him how damned foolish he was buying it but...........hes a teenager and knows better than old farts like me i guess.

[tsp37]

Nerves maybe?

If I do something stupid and get a little shaken, stand back 'cause I'm about to do several more stupid things.

I had someone in an early model Mustang make a left turn onto a split four-lane and try to share my space.  I had been watching him and failed to take note of the traffic over my right shoulder (there was none) so I stuck to the lane and grabbed brakes.  I could have put my left hand onto his rear quarter panel without releasing the throttle.  He pulled over to the left in the median up ahead and waved.  I could hear "sorry" and I waved back and passed.  He was shaken and my armor was soiled.  I watched him in my mirrors as he pulled out in front of someone AGAIN.  He roared off this time but he needed to pull over and smoke a cigarette.

[Cvillechopper]

I've talked to several people that are talking about buying bikes and they love to say stuff like "I don't want to buy a little 750 that'll be too small for me in no time!"  I just laugh and try to explain that a 750 is probably a bit on the big side for a first bike and that they won't "outgrow" it for a long time but it's hard to talk sense when someone's got the "bigger is better" thing in their head. 

[Bob Wessner]

I've talked to several people that are talking about buying bikes and they love to say stuff like "I don't want to buy a little 750 that'll be too small for me in no time!"  I just laugh and try to explain that a 750 is probably a bit on the big side for a first bike and that they won't "outgrow" it for a long time but it's hard to talk sense when someone's got the "bigger is better" thing in their head. 

+1
I find my 750 quite adequate and I'm no lightweight. I'm sure a normal person could have a blast on one.

[fixahonda]

I love all of the people saying they will outgrow the "little" 600s in no time.
Just because you can wind it through the gears on a straight road does not mean you are a motorcyclist. I have been riding for years and have to work pretty hard to get all that my little 350 has to offer on a windy road. 

[jsaab2748]

I've talked to several people that are talking about buying bikes and they love to say stuff like "I don't want to buy a little 750 that'll be too small for me in no time!"  I just laugh and try to explain that a 750 is probably a bit on the big side for a first bike and that they won't "outgrow" it for a long time but it's hard to talk sense when someone's got the "bigger is better" thing in their head. 

I had a woman come up to me and say that same thing almost.
Talking about how a 750 is the perfect size beginner bike, and would I want to sell mine, and how much do they cost, etc. blah blah...
My 750 is by todays standards a slow bike. But it can go plenty fast enough to kill me several times over. The thought of these naieve people riding for the first time on something with over 5 horsepower is scary. I've seen people who didn't understand the concept of throttle control. It aint pretty. Anybody remember the opening scene of "American Graffitti"?

[Gordon]

Anyone who wants to buy a bike and thinks that 750cc is too small should be forced to stand immediately trackside on a sharp curve of a 250cc bike race. 

The size of your ego can kill you a hell of a lot quicker than any monster bike can.   

[hopterfixer]

I don't see how anyone can say a 750 wold be a great beginner bike, 485 lbs, high center of gravity, tall seat height, less than amazing braking..... Of course these are all the reasons I love mine 

[rachet]

10 years ago I owned a Yamaha 125 street legal dirt bike, and that's what I learned to ride on.  I still remember that "floaty" front end feeling at 45 MPH!  This go-round I purchased my 750, took the MSF course, and have been riding ever since.  I fit the bike, so it's been a great "starter" bike, although I don't see getting anything bigger.  hitting 90 mph in third gear is MORE then enough power for me!  My Brother-in-Law however, Him I convinced to pick up a Honda 250 Rebel for his first bike.  He's several inches shorter then me so it fit him really well.  He's since moved onto a V-Strom 600 and well... he's riding it...  but seems a little awkward on it.

I'm actually excited about going smaller to my 500 project bike for the lighter weight and increased agility.

Rachet~

[slabbedask]

I think this very typical. Everybody too "cool" to fart around on some pocket sized 750 when they could be flying low on a 1100cc toothpaste tube instead ....
I've got the impression that this usually is the idea of people not riding motorbikes themselves.
Personally I had only experience from riding around on 2.5hp mopeds before taking my MC drivers license at the age of 25. Bought a 78 Yamaha XS500 twin, and had a blast driving around on it. Plenty fast enough! After all it had a whopping 48 hp!! I don't even think I ever tried to find out how fast it could really go...
After being without an MC for several years I bought my current bike, a 76F1, last summer. With my relatively limited driving skills, I don't think I'll be pushing that close to it's limits for years......
But then again I guess I've crossed the "old fart" limit having passed 40, and realize I'm not immortal...
In the words of Woody Allen: "I don't want to achive immortality through my work. I want to achieve it through not dying...." 

[toycollector10]

In New Zealand if you had a motorcycle licence in, say, 1975, and that is when you stopped riding, the endorsement still stays on your licence. So lots of "Mr Born Again Bikers" rediscovering their roots 30 plus years later rock on up to the dealers and ride away on a FatBoy or similar.

If you are a youngster you have to ride on a Learners endorsement which means speed restricted, no passengers, daylight hours only and 250 cc or less for 6 months.

Someone posted up here that "$20,000 and 200 miles doesn't make you a biker" Very true.

I see them all the time, for example this week following a guy in his mid 50's on a very large sport bike of some description. No proper gear, i.e. Nikes on his feet and no proper riding gear, blowing every 5th or 6th corner he came to. He couldn't do the most basic thing which is to keep to your own side of the road. It was pathetic and dangerous.

[troppo]

I greww up in Queensland, the laws up there were both good and bad. You started on your learners permit, nothing bigger than 250cc,GOOD. Problem was as a learner you had to be accompanied by a qualified rider (open licence) who had to follow you on another bike or ride pillion, how the hell is he going to help out in either situation? Then your provisional licence, another 12 months restricted to a 250 then you automatically went to an Open licence, but restricted to 250cc still, you had to do a driving test to get your open unrestricted licence before you could ride anything bigger than a 250.
You learned to ride and handle a bike that way. I dont know what the laws up there are like now.
Down here in South Australia, you can get your learners permit one day, do a two day course and ride out of the testing centre on a 1300cc bike, you have to wear an L plate but you can ride solo anywhere anytime. How are they sposed to learn to control or handle a bike like that?..........




Want to learn to shoot? Heres a 50 cal sniper rifle, the targets a mile that way>>>>, now learn to shoot on your own.....................

[nickjtc]

All good stuff..........but it's all been said and seen before. Disposable income and a consumer society means that we can get ourselves any little thing our heart desires.

[SD750F]

Funny story here too.

My neighbor's dad just sold his '84 Suzuki 800 to my brother in law. He hasn't rode that bike well over 10 years so he figured what the hell. Okay then he got the itch, went out and bought a brand new custom Harley and paid over $30,000! Trailered to his sons house, pulled it out, started it up, and decided he wanted to ride with his son. He twisted the throttle a couple of time to let the whole block know he had a Harley and on the forth rev he dropped the clutch.

All I saw was this man almost falling of the back of his bike, the front wheel off the ground with his hands trying to hold on the handle bars with the bike swerving side to side as he tried to regain control... I laugh my ass off!

Scott

[Raul CB750K1]

The only positive thing of all this is that while it may be laughable to see a "fashion biker" drop his brand new, sparkling bike, only his wallet and ego gets damaged. It is much worse that somebody gets a sports bike as his first bike and get injured or killed.

In Spain there are learner laws for the first two years, and while they piss you the second year -when you have outskilled your bike-, I admit that they are a good thing. My 250 cc bike is like a bicycle with motor, but I remember very well how frightened I was when I get it out of the dealer and got into the morning traffic.

[nickjtc]

I've lost count of the number of squid-wannabees who ask my advice on what 'learner' bike might be appropriate and then tell me they can't decide between the 600 or the 1000 Honyamakawazuki....all their friends say that they'll get bored with the 600 pretty quick so the 1000 is the way to go, right?

I'm with Raul. The cruiser crowd will end up with tears because their pride and joy gets scratched. The sportbike crowd are in serious danger of involving other traffic: Wheelies and stoppies on busy urban streets. Excessive speed. Other unsafe vehicle handling. All the while riding inappropriately dressed because they've blown their payment money on the bike, helmet and insurance.

It seems that as long as a newbie can afford the payments they will get the biggest/badest/most powerful/noisiest (delete as applicable) bike they can.

[DarkRider]

One thing thats always a constant....Some members of my riding crew tend to keep telling me to get a newer 600 and replace my old 750 Interceptor..and the funny thing is its usually the Interceptor that draws peoples attention when all the bikes are gathered together.....

[hoodellyhoo]

I can't help but laugh nervously when I'm browsing craigslist and I keep seeing these older early 90's 600+cc sportbikes or 1000cc 80's UJM's advertised as "good learner bike". It's as if they feel that just because it's older, it's slow enough to make a good learning bike.

The first few times I rode my 350 I felt like it was a beast of a machine. Now that I know how to manage it well, I feel capable of managing a larger bike but my no means do I feel obligated to get something larger. Quite frankly, the 350 does everything just fine, including 70mph interstates. The only drawback I've found is that it is sometimes too light and thus is susceptible to winds.

[Shenanigans]

I cant count the number of times I have read people saying a 600cc or even 750cc sport bike is a "good starter bike". Craigslist seems to be the worst offender.

[tramp]

read somewhere that most motorcycle fatalities have no cycle licence
hopefully that bit of stupidity will theach him to be more carefull