[haakon59]

I have decided to drop the Harley after the feedback I have had the last few days.

Given that you used to be a bull rider, I plan to listen. I have never done anything like that ever!

Your experiences when you slow down for stoplights bothers me. No one else has mentioned this to me and yes, that would make a huge difference. Obviously, I live in the city and will be doing a lot of riding where there are stop lights. What you are talking about scares me.

How long did you use the 500 before you decided to upgrade? I assume your bike is functioning correctly and that what you describe is part of the manner in which the bike functions if you in those situations? I have had 6 people today tell me they started with the 900 and had no previous riding experience whatsoever and have had an excellent experience. But you are bringing up a situation which is going to happen all the time (slowing down for traffic lights) and I can see how feeling out of control like that would scare anyone, myself included. Obviously the reason why I am investigating this stuff so thoroughly is because I want to learn what I have to learn and do what I have to do.

My goal after learning this skill until I am comfortable is to do a little bit of travelling–see America so to speak. I was eventually planning to buy a tourer. Speed when I start is a secondary concern–I want to go fast enough to not endanger myself on the freeway, etc., but I don’t need to win any races either. I need to go tonight, but will think of more questions tomorrow. Thank you for your kindness–I appreciate learning about all the negatives as well as positives.

I was hoping to get to the point where riding the motorcycle will be fun.

By the way, this reminds me: have you ever thought of adding some motorcross training to your skill set. A gentleman today told me that he did this because it helps you deal with negatives situations, at least it might give you more options and more rider skills.

Thank you for your help, it has been very good of you to warn me about pitfalls.

[Munch]

I kept my 500 for quite a few miles before even considering up grading. Even then most of those miles were spent in parking lots and in town practicing and polishing everything I could. With the 500 I got to where I could easily bang a U-ey without worries in the span of 2 parking spaces….. some times even less. The V500 once you get skilled with her can get you from 0-100 and a decent amount of time leaving you catching your breath of “Oh wow!”, however work your way up to that carefully. Like I said the 500’s throttle is solid all the way through with no surprises. Lay into her though and she goes where you point her without hesitation. If I remember correctly the 500 is about 6inches shorter in length then the 900. The handlebars are definitely closer together giving you plenty of arm swing for control. The only down side I ever had with my 500, which I had bought new, was the company that put her together had pinched a fuel line and there were some stalling issues. Once we figured it out…no other issues and none before that either.
Don’t get me wrong, a V900 is not so terrible that it couldn’t be learned on. However it’s learning curve is a little unforgiving and if done should be approached with caution. My V900 is brand new ’09. You can see pics here in the forums under Munch’s 900. The bike is very much in excellent condition and I have done some recent mods to it to suit my needs. Even with my experience on the V500 you sit on the 9 and has a much bigger feel to it. You will feel the weight difference the first time you have to back her up. Handling at slow speeds feels sluggish at first to as the wide grip I mentioned before. Just imagine yourself trying to hug a century old oak. Oh yea another thing. If/when you get the V500 make sure you practice counter steer. The 500 is light enough where you can lean and make her turn but the 900 will require counter steering for anything sharper then a mild sweeper.

[eternal05]

If you’re shopping used, ABSOLUTELY bring your mechanic or gearhead friend to come run the motorcycle through its paces and give it a looking over. It may cost you a bit if you’re hiring a mechanic to come out, but for an hour’s “labor” you can save yourself several thousand bucks in dud motorcycle.

[chipshot]

I second Munch’s opinion on learning on the 900. I am currently riding an ’07 900 Custom and have over 1K miles on it now. I had absolutely no riding experience before either.

First, I absolutely love my bike. I ride it everyday, to from work, errands, and fun on the weekends. I don’t regret getting it in any way whatsoever.

However, be prepared for a much steeper learning curve, and be honest about your skills and confidence before you decide to go with the 900. I aced my MSF test, and I still crashed my 900 on my very first ride. I took a left turn from a stop, but I went way too fast and right into the curb on the other side of the street. As the bike was going down, I tried to catch it quickly and ended up pulling my hamstring quite badly. The bike was okay, but I had a bad limp for the next couple of weeks.

For me, it is the weight of the 900 that causes me the most anxiety. I’m at the point now that I can do turns and u-turns at will, but it took a great deal of dedicated practice to get comfortable. In the MSF course, I had almost no real anxiety about that stuff at all, because I could really manhandle those bikes.

So, I’m not anybody to tell you not to get a 900 for a learner, but I just want to let you know that it is going to be more difficult even if you feel supremely confident in the courses. At this point though, I’m really glad I did, because it has a number of really nice features, and handles like a dream on curvy roads. I have to keep myself from scraping pegs now because I love how it handles so much I tend to lean more than I need to. Anyways, I could go on, but good luck on your choice, and go in with your eyes wide open! I would have gone with the 500 Vulcan if I had found one.

[Dagger]

I still think my V-Star 650 was a great bike to learn on as far as cruisers go. You can pick up a used one really cheap ($2kish) and it’s a light bike for it’s size. The only draw back for me was the forward controls but once I put some extenders on it I was a lot more comfortable riding (6’1 185lbs).

The Sporty is a nice bike but as far as learning goes, for the price of a Harley (Unless you come across a great deal on a used one) I’d suggest starting off with something cheaper. You can always sell your bike later and move up to something else. It’s not a life long commitment.

[Vitric]

I bought a Sportster 883 a few months back as my first bike, and I can’t say anything else other than I love it. It is heavy, but you just have to have confidence. I got it just about immediately after completing the MSF course, so I applied the techniques taught to us at the riding grounds to how I learned the Sportster, and within 2 hours I was up and riding around my neighborhood, and 2 days later, I was on the road. With traffic. Doing 45mph tops. Because it wasn’t broken in yet.

I would say go for it if you want to, BUT REMEMBER that it’s a very torquey engine in a very heavy bike. Just go easy at first and you will become proficient at riding it in no time.

[Rab]

I know you don’t want to hear this, but unless you’re very heavy you should buy a new or used 250 if you’ve no previous experience. That will provide you with all the challenges you need in the early days.

Once you’ve put a few thousand miles on that, riding in town, on the freeway, in the twisties, in the wind and rain, then you should consider graduating to a bigger bike like the Sportster 883. You’ll be much safer doing it that way.

Yes, it is what I did and yes, I am biased, however, I’ve never regretted starting on a 250 Nighthawk and graduating to a Bonneville.

You need to walk before you can run.

[Author]

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