[mr.nick]

Hi BBM and Folks

Well, im another newb to 2 wheels. Im kicking myself for not taking interest sooner… but im really happy to be a part of the culture.

In July, i bought a Piaggio Fly 50 (One of my best friends had bought a 50cc Zuma last fall and really was pushing for me to get something so i could join him on some rides).
As soon as i pulled away from the Vespa shop, it was on! Addicted to 2 wheels.

3 weeks later, about to enjoy a sunny ride after work on a friday, i get myself into a minor wreck with a curb and i broke my left wrist. fun times. Good news was that since i had on some decent gloves (Carazzo Carbone), i got to keep the skin on my hands and the gloves looked basically unscathed. Fortunately for me, the doctor who wrapped my wrist left me plenty of finger/palm room so I could still ride to work and back… (my fiance frowned at this)

4 months later, the scooter is doing great, I’m doing great… but!

Now, I am looking forward to my next step. Motorcycle time.

I have been doing some research and came across the 4 part review of the ninja 250 on this site. awesome. Other reviews of the bike are quite similar, I’ve found.

Anyhow, Im in the middle of learning a lot of this stuff. When money permits, I will be taking the MSF training. Their website even has a couple videos that i find helpful. Anything I learn, i try out on the scooter, some tips and good habits are just as applicable. My intent is to start small and gradually go bigger (bike-wise).

Im not sure what else you guys would want to read about. im just trying not to lurk anymore. I could talk about all of this for days, its becoming very important to me.

Anyone in Seattle? Where do you like to ride? this is great. thanks.
-nick

[owlie]

Welcome to the group!

There are a couple of members in the Seattle area. They were swapping favorite rides a week or two back, but other than up around Snoqualmie Falls, I don’t remember any of the details.

[eon]

I am one of the Seattlites on here, and also a fellow Piaggio owner though I do have 10x the cc’s you have and 1.5x #wheels

I would recommend taking the MSF class as soon as you can. If you cannot afford that then you cannot afford a motorcycle IMO. At this time of the year the classes are probably half empty and you can get one for around $120 I think (been a while since I looked). 99% of what you learn in the class is applicable to scooters. Only difference is obviously changing gears (N/A) and feathering the clutch (you ride the back brake instead on a scooter).

There are no shortage of great rides in this area. Out to Duvall, Carnation area and up to Granite Falls is my favorite haunting ground for small day rides. Longer rides take me over the Cascades, down to Rainier, up to Baker, over to the Olympic Peninsula. Too many to choose from that I have not done all the rides on my list yet.

Closer to home and more appropriate for 50cc’s is around the Arboretum area. Great twisty roads with a country feel in downtown Seattle. You can have a lot of fun around there (though the roads are in bad shape).

Have fun learning and hope you get your upgrade soon

[JtownJJA]

Although I’m NOT from Seattle, glad to have you here. The story of your start with the 50CC scooter is unique one, and it will be interesting to read of your future adventures.

[knolltop314]

I too “graduated” from scooter to motorcycle. Took MSF course before riding the motorcycle. Best investment I ever made!! Learned tons without having to learn the ole fashioned way … school of “hard falls”.
Both the riding time and the coursework were highly useful.
Hope ya go the MSF route ………………

[mr.nick]

Yep, 50cc’s is a bit limiting for riding. but still fun.

I got married last month and my wife and I did horrible things to our bank accounts while on our honeymoon! haha. So, im playing a bit of catch up before i take the MSF training… then, it will be all gravy.

One ride that was fun, my wife and I went to the southern end of Vashon Island on the little beast. From capitol hill, down 1st ave. till Spokane st., Spoakne st. bridge to West Seattle, across West Seattle to the ferry terminal, 20min ferry ride (which peds and motorcycles get first on, first off), then a nice ride through Vashon Island. There were a few times I wished for more power, but for the most part it was smooth travels. It took roughly 2 hours each way, by far my longest journey so far.

Lake Washington Blvd. is another place Ive found to be fun, in-city riding. Along the lake on a sunny day!? are you kidding me!? awesome.

I was also curious what you guys use for rain gear and where you think is a good spot to get it from? So far, the rain isnt too crazy yet, so I get by… but not for long!

[eternal05]

As everybody has said, the local MSF course is absolutely your next step. Get that under your belt and they’ll have you riding well, and getting used to a clutch and gears. If you’ve driven a manual car that will be a SLIGHT advantage, but really only slight as you will know that developing the muscle memory is, at least at the beginning, way more important than actually knowing what’s going on, and in that respect a bike is completely different.

Just like I tell every new member coming through here, I heartily advocate the ninja 250. I still own one, despite having enlarged my paddock, so to speak. They’re great bikes to learn on, and plenty of fun.

As far as rides go, I’d say once you get comfortable, just take out a map and look at minor highways (i.e. the type that have one lane in each direction and a speed limit of 50+mph). I haven’t really gone wrong yet, though some are definitely better than others. Really you should be asking eon about his rides in the Rainier area…some of those pictures he posted were really breathtaking.

Anyway, welcome to the club, and best of luck getting your $$$ in order for your new addiction

[eternal05]

With respect to rain, I really recommend avoiding it all together until you have some serious miles under your belt. I hate riding in the rain still, even though at this point I’ve done track days in the rain. It just sucks. Visibility sucks, other drivers suck, and traction is TERRRRRRIBLE. Obviously, living in Seattle, it’s a fact of life if you depend on your two-wheeler for transportation. I just beg you to master the bike before you attempt it.

Great rain gear is available all over. Depending on where in Seattle you are, here’s a few:

Aurora:
http://seattlecycle.com/
http://www.aurora-suzuki.com/

Lynnwood (yeah I know, not Seattle, but this place is HUGE):
http://www.lynnwood-cyclebarn.com/

Lake City:
http://www.lakecitypowersports.com/

[eon]

I am assuming you live in Capitol Hill then (for the non Seattle folks that’s still pretty close to downtown). I would urge you to be extra cautious on damp days as they are worse than full on wet IMO. I live downtown and the amount of oil on the roads has been driving me crazy. Standard advice is to be aware of light rain after a long dry spell as it brings all the oil that’s been dumped in the road to the surface. I’m thinking in city streets there is a never ending supply of freshly deposited oil so EVERY time it gets damp it looks like Rainbow City down here. Very slippy conditions

Having said that, today is gorgeous sunny day so I’m outta here and getting out there

[mr.nick]

yes.

having grown up in the northwest, i feel comfortable in wet conditions. i do ride a lot more cautious, knowing that the grip and braking changes, not to mention visibility and other drivers with their head up their butts. i really do my best to assume no one can see me, so i dont get taken out at an intersection.

in a car, ive never been in a wreck. not even close. on 2 wheels, just that instance with the curb. not to say it wont happen. but i do my best to avoid sketchy situations always.

yea. ninja 250. i would love to have that bike. but i really need to make it to Lake City so i can sit on one. probably others as well, so i know for sure what feels right.

i did learn to drive on a manual transmission. i prefer it greatly over automatics. i know what you mean when you refer to “muscle memory”. it takes time and practice. but i am a very patient person, rest assured i wont be stretching myself beyond my experience.

and look at the time! my work day is nearly over!

[eternal05]

…WHEN you get that 250R, put up some pics! That’s how we get off…living vicariously through the first-bike joy of each new member.

[JtownJJA]

So well stated…

[mr.nick]

no problem!

[LuxMundi]

I love my 09 250r. I was about to buy a Kawk Elim 125, but it seemed like it lacked the power to move in traffic. I paid $2,500 more for the Ninja, but haven’t regretted it a minute. I was able to go on a poker run and didn’t feel out of place at all alongside the bigger bikes.

I’ve made so many dumb little mistakes that would have cost me on a larger bike; the 250r is very forgiving of a learner.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

[eternal05]

Man that is a sweet little bike. Looks exactly like mine (shocking, cause it is). The ONLY thing I don’t like, aesthetically, is that dumb looking can. If only they had slicker-looking exhaust to match the sleekness of the rest of the bike. Then again, that’s a $350 fix

[Author]

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