[labellavienna]

Hi i am about 5’10 and weigh in at 117 lbs since i last checked, i was told by a friend of mine that i am not “strong” enough nor big enough to ride a bike. I was wondering if this is a true case? Does anyone have any advice for me? thanks.

myspace.com/vienna_rossi

[Spool]

Riding a motorcycle does not require size or strength. It’s all about skill. With the proper skills in place anybody can ride.

[SantaCruzRider]

Hopefully, you’ll be riding it, not carrying it — so strength has very little to do with it.

Your light weight gives you additional incentive to start with a smaller, lighter bike, since being strong can sometimes help save you from mistakes and poor technique that we all have to get over as we learn. Plus, your being light doesn’t necessarily mean you’re weak.

If I were you, I would not be discouraged from riding. Start small/light, develop good habits and learn how to use balance and technique, develop strength where needed and have fun with it.

[ranette]

Anyone with your last name can ride a motorcycle. Simple as that.

[labellavienna]

thank u so much for the insight and the great confidence boost…i am definitely going to train as hard as i can so i can maximize my skill. awesome!

[WeaponZero]

the only thing where strength/weight will work against you is if your bike falls over and you have to pick it up off the ground. aside from that, no biggie.

although i do know a guy who owns a hayabusa (500+ lb bike) who, interestingly enough, says that he used to be able to flick the bike a lot easier back when he weighed 300 lbs, and now that he lost the weight and got down to 170 the bike is a lot harder to handle.

[spiccnspam]

Its not about the size but how you use it… Other then that sexual reference.

As long as your practice letting your motorcycle do the work for you then you don’t have to worry about shear strength. Learn how your bike works and you wont have to worry about your size.

[eternal05]

…and they’re your strength-to-weight ratio and muscular endurance. Once you’re on the bike, you’re only going to need to hold yourself on with your legs and support your upper body’s weight using your lower back and other core muscles. Depending on what type of bike you want to ride, you may also be carrying a lot of weight in your legs, so being strong in the squat/lunge/jump department will help a lot as well. Then again, for street riding this isn’t as much of an issue to begin with.

I’m sure you’ll be fine!

[labellavienna]

Well i was planning on getting a ninja 500r ….is that a good beginner model?

[WeaponZero]

The 500R is one of the quintessential beginner bikes. Along with the GS500, it is one of the two bikes most recommended by experienced riders as the ideal first bike.

[Tara]

Your weight and size are definitely NOT a problem!!! I’ve ridden Ninja 250’s here and there (I’m 5’4″, 118 lb) and it’s not problem at all for me to handle it.

The Ninja 500 is supposedly a highly recommended bike to start on, but most people don’t like the styling. But if styling isn’t an issue with you, it sounds like that’s a great bike to start with. I myself would be all over a Ninja 500 if it had the styling of their ZX line…It’s the only thing holding me back, honestly. But then again, the light weight of the 250 makes it easy to flick around.

Good luck! (I can see that you’re very adamant about the 500 since it’s already on your MySpace page

[labellavienna]

Yeah i do not see why people dislike the 500 so much just based solely on looks alone, i do not think it looks THAT bad. But then again i am not an experienced rider nor an expert, i agree that it looks a bit bulky and stocky compared to other more slick and clean cut designs…but i kinda like it. i dunno.

[WeaponZero]

The 500R hasn’t got a styling update since it first came out back in the ’80s, which is why it doesn’t get the press that it deserves. The GS500 from Suzuki, its main competitor, got a styling update that included a full fairing based on the GSXR bikes a few years back and because of that people have ignored the 500R, despite being a newer and more technologically advanced design, with liquid cooling and 4 valves per cyinder versus the GS500’s air cooling/2 valves per cylinder. It also offers more performance and is just as reliable.

It got an engine overhaul in 1995 that fixed what little reliability issues it had and improved performance slightly, and they also redesigned the tail section for a slightly (but not very) updated appearance. Ones before that were called EX500, ones after that were called 500R. That is the only update of any kind it got in its 25+ years of existence.

[megaspaz]

the 500r is UGLY!!!! hahaha!

but it is a very very good starter bike.

[Eddiepowerfm]

call me old fashion but I like the look.

Keep rockin

[Author]

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