[briderdt]

…and I figured out that, in order to break even, including insurance, bike payment, and something thrown in for maintenance, I’d have to ride some 1000 miles per month that I would normally drive my car. Hmm… Probably isn’t going to happen, especially considering the days that I go the farthest (and that’s 4 out of 10 work days) I am taking my daughter to school (8 years old). I’m not putting my daughter on the back of the SV…

But I really didn’t get the bike for money savings…

In reality, though, the only way to increase a bike’s efficiency on the road (at highway speed) is to re-gear it. There are some great gear calculators out there that will give you a good idea what will happen. I know that when I need to change my chain/sprockets, I’m going to go +2 up front and -1 in the back. That will bring my highway RPMs into the 3-4K range at speed.

[briderdt]

Maybe you should read some of the books by Hough, where he quotes the findings of the Hurt Report. Something like 60% of the reported accidents involved riders who were trained by family or friends. I’m probably mis-interpreting what you said, but I’d be really leery of depending on your husband to train you.

Even with only a couple weeks on my bike before my BRC, I’d developed habits that, while not necessarily bad (like covering the front brake with two fingers at all times), were not what are taught in the BRC. I talked with the instructors, and while they agreed that the habits I had developed were either not a bad idea, but actually ideal for the bike I already owned. So I had to reprogram myself for the class.

[briderdt]

…and I’m not one to say you shouldn’t (I did, on a much bigger bike), I’d recommend getting the first Ride Like a Pro DVD (by Palladino) and following the exercises he has on that video. Definitely get used to using the clutch, getting a feel for the friction zone, and grabbing the clutch when things start to get out of hand (rather than letting go — what many people seem to do when they panic).

[briderdt]

Not on the bike buying end (wasn’t looking at a bike that had been dropped), but some one with a lot of road bicycling experience (I raced for many years), and starting out on an SV650s.

Respect the throttle. Definitely. I did some easy riding on mine before I took the MSF class. Parking lot stuff mostly. But the throttle really surprised me. A couple things helped with that (besides just gaining some experience with it) which I can go into if you get one of these bikes. Even after I did take the class, the difference in the throttle (the on/off feeling) took some acclimatization.

But the advantage one has from a lot of road bicycling experience is already having a lot of the “road radar” already built-in. It’s more automatic, so you don’t really worry about that part and can concentrate more on the mechanics of riding. I think you’ll probably pick it up pretty quickly.

Looking back, though, would I have rather picked a different bike? Maybe. I had myself down to 3 bikes that I was choosing from (SV650, Ninja 650, or FZ6), and chose those for fuel injection. After having ridden a carb’d bike in the MSF class, I’ve come to the conclusion that it really doesn’t matter so much. I’ll probably pick up a Ninja 250 or maybe a Hyosung 250 as my second bike (used) to rat out.

I also HAVE dropped my bike. I was at a stop light, couldn’t see well for traffic coming from the left to make a free right, and I thought I was in first gear (I was in 2nd). When I started rolling forward, I killed the engine. Problem was, I was already leaning into the turn. I put my foot down and tried to hold it, but it was just too far over already. I eased it down to the ground. Fortunately there was no damage (a couple TINY scratches on the bar end and the muffler).

Definitely get that bike checked for frame or swingarm damage. Either one would probably have an insurance company total it out.

[briderdt]

“Now, what is really the most power to look for if I wanna ride also with a passenger?”

Get a good 6 months to a year on the bike before you even ask this question. If you’re just learning on a bike, don’t put some one else (who has no control over what happens) into that equation.

[briderdt]

Your foot isn’t on the brake pedal when you’re driving a car until you want to apply the brakes. It may feel strange, but it will alleviate the tendency to drag the rear brake (or trigger the brake light even if the brakes aren’t engaged — anything from an irritant to drivers behind you to an outright danger because nothing changes once you DO apply the brakes). Put the balls of your feet on the pegs. You’ll get used to it quickly.

[briderdt]

Don’t know much about specific models, but I know there are ways to modify the peg position for my particular bike (Suzuki SV650s), with “riser plates” that can be mounted upside down, or using pegs from a Buell (slightly modified to fit the Suzuki bracket) that lower the pegs about 1″. Also, just as you can buy different seats that lower the rider, I’m sure something could be done to raise the seat as well.

Of course, it all costs $$ above the purchase price of the bike.

[briderdt]

I wish Honda WOULD import those into the US. I’d take one even as a second bike.

[briderdt]

My wife is into the whole cruiser thing. I have an SV650s. She thinks our “next bike” will be a Goldwing. I have NO desire to have one.

But I really think my next bike will be something like a Ninja 250, or a Hyosung 250 and make it into a rat bike. But I also like the set-up of the Aprillia Mana. Not so much the “semi-automatic transmission, but I like the “trunk” instead of a gas tank, and the actual gas tank under the seat.

I’ve also got some mods planned for my SV. Sport-touring wind screen to cut some turbulence, a disk-only muffler to replace the stock cannon, frame sliders (hardle a mod, but I think they’re needed). And long term will be a new tank with more capacity. That’ll have to be a one-off.

[briderdt]

My wife has had a huge problem starting on slopes. Why? It’s the “give it a little throttle” thing. She just seems to have some fear of revving up the engine.

Just remember — the CLUTCH controls the speed, not the throttle. You can have the engine red-lined, and you won’t go anywhere until that clutch is let out into the friction zone.

[briderdt]

The one with the LED lights built into the the helmet. But this… No batteries to change. Powered by the wind. I like the idea, and had I not gotten a helmet with lights already built in, I would have gotten this wind-powered unit and added it however I could.

[briderdt]

… to wear armor. Mostly because it rarely gets much over the low 80’s in the hottest summer months (okay, weeks). But even on those warmer weather days we see it a lot.

[briderdt]

Often times I’ll drive silent in my car. But when I’m ridng, I’m 110% in the ride, even on quiet backroads. Music would just be a distraction.

But there are times in my car when I’ve got the music cranked and I’m doin’ the Rock Star thing down the highway… I just don’t miss it when I’m riding.

[briderdt]

…but that SV is gonna be WAY too much bike for a beginner.

[briderdt]

Yeah, any ride is a good one. But there was one in particular that was… taxing?

Foggy commute to work on a cold morning. Fogs is more like a heavy misting rain, and the visor gets that nice layer of water droplets that act like little lenses for every oncoming headlight. So at the first intersection I tip the visor up. Hey, I’m wearing clear safety glasses under it (I do almost all the time — either the clear safety glasses or polarized sunglasses), so I’m thinking all is well. Until they do the same thing. Less than a half mile later I have to take the glasses off so I can see at all. Then I go through the tearing process with unprotected eyes. Every time I have to stop for a light, the same process all over again.

Took my eyes a couple hours to recover from that little 8-mile ride.

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