[briderdt]

They won’t still be MAKING parts for a bike that old, so you’d be relegated to junk yards. I’d pass.

[briderdt]

These are the bikes that they use in the Harley version of the MSF beginner class. I wouldn’t think they’d be putting you on something too powerful.

Also look at the V-star, virago, and maybe the Suzuki M40/C40. Depends a lot on the style of bike that she would want to ride, though. These are all cruiser types.

[briderdt]

…scraping pegs while demonstrating some of the exercises. Kind of funny on a 250 Nighthawk.

But when we were discussing things in the classroom, we had a chance to “stump your classmates” with questions. One that came up: You’re going into a right hand sweeper, oncoming traffic, you realize you’re going in too hot. What to do?

The answer (from the instructor): Unless you’re scraping hard parts on the road, you have more lean angle — press and pray.

[briderdt]

I’ve been told that the reason I haven’t had a close call with a car yet is that I ride a bright yellow bike and carry a flame orange back pack when I commute to work… Not the same as lighting my bike up like a Christmas tree though. But still, haven’t even had a close call yet, 10 months into my journey.

[briderdt]

That’s the valve that either closes off the fuel flow into the carbs, or takes fuel in from the top part of the tank or the lower (reserve) part of the tank (kind of like a manual low-fuel light).

[briderdt]

…in that the smokers, for some reason, don’t see the butts as “litter”, and have NO problem throwing them where ever gravity takes them, but they wouldn’t do the same thing with anything else.

[briderdt]

I have never considered myself a bad driver, in fact probably on of the top 25% maybe (doesn’t every one say that?). But riding has definitely upped my game for being smooth in traffic, and watching for potential dangers.

[briderdt]

I’ve got some Rigg’s Wear pants, both the Ranger pants (cordura — the same stuff that the textile riding pants are made of — double layer front, and cargo pockets) and the Tradesman jeans (heavy denim, double layered knee), and wear Fox knee/shin guards under them (with short riding boots). So far I haven’t had to pavement test them, but they seem as sturdy as any riding pants I’ve seen. I got them from http://www.denimexpress.com for great prices ($33 on the Rangers, $24 on the Tradesmans).

http://www.denimexpress.com/riggs-jeans.html

[briderdt]

…is looking for a cell phone plastered to his ear…

Then looking to see if the door is locked, to drag his sorry a$$ out for a royal beat-down. ;^)

Okay, not really, but it’s one of those movie scenes where this happens, then the picture cuts back to reality.

[briderdt]

Awesome! YOu guys slay me! :^)

[briderdt]

Cruisers. Meh. ;^)

[briderdt]

As a former bicycle racer… I’m surprised I never made the connection to using them for motorcycle riding. But the difference is like night and day.

[briderdt]

Can’t help you too much about the language barrier (I don’t speak Spanish), but I’m sure there’s something available online. Maybe check out http://www.ninja250.org for more info.

[briderdt]

You actually want the shift to happen quickly, so you roll off the throttle while engaging the clutch, hit the shift lever, then roll on the throttle as you disengage the clutch. The engine won’t go all the way down to idle while you’re doing this. If it’s all done quickly and smoothly, you almost won’t hear the engine speed change at all until you disengage the clutch and it revs down to match the new gear.

Don’t worry too much about the rev range now — you’ll figure it out in time. But if this is a NEW 250r, don’t you also have a manual with it? I think the answer to your question might be inside there.

[briderdt]

Often times, LEO’s will pull over a motorcyclist simply to make a check on the endorsement. They’re doing that more and more around this area. And… no endorsement = impound and you walk home. But if you HAVE the endorsement, then they’ll drag out all the little regulations that really don’t mean diddly (come on — how many sport bikes have a fender that reaches to the axle? even from the factory?) and see what they can pin on you.

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