[Amoryl]

so it happened, I got my first bit of illogical peer pressure about what bike I should get, from my sister who doesn’t and has never ridden, of all people.

I mentioned thinking about getting a bike (ok I know I’ve already decided to, but my family is very severely anti-motorcycle to the extent that mom made both my sister and myself promise when we were like…5 or 6 or so…that we would NEVER even SIT on a bike, let alone ride one) and after the reminder of my childhood promise, to which I replied “I don’t think I was old enough to legally enter a contract of that magnatude” she moves on to “what Harley are you getting?” I said I wasn’t going to start on a Harley, as I don’t feel most of them make good beginners bikes (let alone they’re very overpriced compared to the japanese cruisers in the lower cc’s) and she responded with the most amazing rant of ignorance I’ve seen from her in a long time

to sum up, here are a list of arguments my sister gave me about riding a non Harley even to learn

“girls will see you on a japanese bike and think you have a tiny d**k”

“small bikes are for pansies (well…not her exact word, but it DID start with P)”

“all Harleys are good for all riders, you won’t have any problems learning on any Harley” WTF?

“if you don’t have a huge loud Harley, you’re not really a man, if you get one of those japanese bikes girls will think you’re gay”

“the only way you can learn is by getting on the biggest baddest bike you can find and riding like hell”

I was kinda stunned. I mean glancing around at other forums where experienced riders would often reccomend foolishly large and powerful bikes to new riders is one thing, finding someone you know with the same massive level of ignorance is kinda surprising. and honestly my sister’s total disregard for my safety and desire to get a bike I’d feel comfortable on while learning is depressing.

anyone else have any good stories of friends of family telling you what your first bike should be (or should have been)?
or even what your next bike should be?

[Ben]

Wowzers! Your sister has quite the uninformed opinion about motorcycles. Next time she mentions harleys tell her that you aren’t trying to attract HER, you are trying to attract more intelligent girls

I’ve had my share of people with ignorant opinions about bikes, but most people are of the mindset that I shouldn’t ride a motorcycle at all because it is too dangerous. I don’t think I’ve met anyone in person who has told me my bike is too small (even when I had my GS500 this wasn’t the case). I guess I’ve just been lucky.

Ben
~Best Beginner Motorcycles Admin

[Munch]

Wow, sounds like a mental meltdown my lil’ sister would have. Personally I grew up around HD type people. In my area the stigma with em go 1 of 2 ways. Your either a gear head and affiliated someway with a bike gang…or… your a Dr. that went for the expensive bike instead of the Ferrari. I ended up getting the Vulcan 500…. smaller more controllable motor with the big bike look, oh yea… I still can hear after my 45 min commute to work.
I got mixed emotions from my family and girlfriend…. Family…. “be sure your the poster child of safe” ….Girlfriend ” Go for it!!!! We can go cruisin’ after the kids are outta the house”. This is pre- bike purchase.
Post purchase: Family …..well their motto only changed with “The bike is purdy , but, make sure your the poster child….”
Girlfriend “OMG Please be carefull…..you mean oyu have to take it to 70 mph!!!”
LOL…..amazing how things change.

[Amoryl]

yeah I guess I love my sister but…

she’s the poster child of white trash, in many ways. all her friends are basically the same, the female friends are bleach blonds, the guys are all painters or contract workers (not that there’s anything wrong with that, I work in plumbing myself) and they’re all without exception heavy HEAVY drinkers. sis, while not a rider herself, has a lot of Harley friends, and they’ve surely colored her opinion of that. plus she has a tendency to be convinced that any whim she has is absolute fact, and therefore never actually researches anything for herself.

I’ve learned to take everything she says with a grain of salt, but this was a bit much even for her.

[TheAbomb12]

“girls will see you on a japanese bike and think you have a tiny d**k”

as opposed to a guy on a huge 1600cc Harley? Just tell her you don’t need to compensate for something (or lack thereof).

[Ben]

Why do you think those harly’s come with saddlebags? Gotta store their huge balls some place!

Ben
~Best Beginner Motorcycles Admin

[Munch]

I thought that was why the wives rode on the back?

[Amoryl]

because a bike loaded with 3 or more HUGE purses with frills and matching clasps and tassles is sooooo manly

last I checked (ok…I didn’t check) the Harley dealership doesn’t measure your junk to see what bike you qualify for.

maybe someday, for a lark, I’ll go in and tell em “I’ve got a really tiny thingie, like REALLY small, do you have a model called ‘The Overcompensator? or something similer?”

[SaleenDriva]

Actually…I think you have to be under a certain, ahem, “length” for some of their bigger bikes

I just took the MSF course and the permit test, and am now a fully licensed rider, and the amount of horrible advice I have heard is ridiculous. One of the guys in our class said his friend had told him the CBR 1000 was a great bike to start on. After layin it down 8 times in 3.5 weeks, he went down to a ZX-6R (not far enough I dont think, but whatever floats your boat).

Also, after telling a few people my intention to start off a little smaller (Im still plannin on a Ninja 650R), I was told by a number of people that the ZX-6R would be a great starter bike for me, and that I would be bored with the 650R. I say “Nay”. After driving my tank of a Volvo 960, and even after a higher perfomance car like my moms Mustang, I feel that a 12-flat 1/4 mile time will work out just fine for me. Some people just have no clue what they are talkin about. The guy in my MSF class with the ZX-6R responded to my wanting a 650R by saying “My 636 (the cc’s on the ZX-6R) has more than enough power for me. Why do you want the 650R??” I then explained the whole 2 vs 4 cyclinder bike, and the fact that I will have 70 hp to his 115-120 hp!

I guess we have been a little more thorough with our bike searches than some of the other guys and gals we all know.

[ShannonG]

This is so classic. I met a woman at the bike shop yesterday who was as new a rider as I am. Her first bike is a SV650 and she’s lost control of it and scraped it down a guardrail on the Trans Canada Hwy. Now, the SV is a pretty noobie friendly bike but then she was looking at my husband’s Shiver and going on about how she should get rid of her Suzuki and get one. I was sort of like, “Um, learn to ride the one ya got!”

[Ben]

I agree 100%

Ben
~Best Beginner Motorcycles Admin

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