totally new, working on getting license and looking for a bike
I live in St. Paul, MN, and taking basic riding course in April, and working on getting my first bike. I am also over 50! Life is short, right? I want to have this life experience and excited about all of this. Just wanted to say hello. So many choices for that first bike. Not sure where to go. Suzuki GS500 maybe or SV650?
What do you want to do?
What kind of riding do you want to do? Commuting? Casual cruising? Ripping up the twisties? Eventually hit the track? Do you want your bike to be comfortable or sporty?
impulsively bought one yesterday
I was very excited and had read quite a bit about good learner bikes, so went to a nearby Suzuki dealer, to check out the GS500. They had a black/grey new 2008 model, and I negotiated and bought it on the spot. Taking my basic rider course in April. Of course my kids think I'm crazy, and are very negative, but I expected that. Thanks for offering to help. Did I do ok?
New in Minnesota
A little advice...
Ok, now you've got a bike, and it's going to be very tempting to ride it...DON'T DO IT! You've got some time before you take the class, so in that time, get familiar with the bike as it sits. Read your manual cover to cover, and then read it again. If you haven't shopped for gear yet, now is a great time to consider it. Set out a budget and begin to look for the basics. There's a lot of great advice here, so take some time and research it.
Allen Dye
MSF Rider Coach
Track Day Instructor
Ironbutt Rally Finisher '03-'05
Congrats on the new bike...
Congrats on the new bike... Though, we are whores for bike pictures, let us see, let us see!
+1 on letting it sit until you get through the MSF course. You may be tempted, but you won't regret it. Allen is right, do some reading, maybe check out Crash's videos (http://howzitdonecrash.com/), get some gear (at minimum, a helmet and some decent gloves and boots if you don't already have some).
Best of luck!
Owlie
Related...
...to Owlie's advice, if you haven't already, watch some squid vids on YouTube. Just search for "motorcycle crash" or something similar.
They'll definitely impress upon you why it's good to wait to get professional instruction before riding! And they'll make you feel good about being the kind of person that's doing this the RIGHT way...
Congrats
That's a great bike and one that should end up enjoying a lot.
Too bad your kids are so misguided. You might have to tell them to chill out or you'll spend their inheritance on biker tats and Ducatis.
Nice I am same position but
Nice I am same position but not about to impulse buy I'm type of person to research and look at everything before I buy any recomendations on bike for a beginner that's 6'6 280?