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Yamaha Jog (CE50, CG50, CY50)
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CBBaronParticipant
Ride your own ride. With time and experience you will feel more comfortable at speed. Most men and especially young men have a much higher tolerance for risk than women so they may be willing to go fast sooner, but they feel the thrill and fear just the same. I know the first few times I was out on the road it was scary once I got above 50. Now I don’t think too much about 55 but speeds much over 65 are still thrilling.
Riding with full gear including a full face helmet will help as you will feel safer. A wind screen and/or ear plugs will also help as you won’t feel the speed as much. However don’t try to completely ignore your warnings. They are mostly telling you that you are not confident at handling your bike at speed yet. Spend time working on you skills and most of all ride.
Craig
CBBaronParticipantI think I am about 3000 miles from a snow capped peak, and the east coasters are even further. The mountains on this side of the country (if you are near them I am not ) are much shorter than the western mountains and are usually clear by June.
I did check several lakes around here that I thought had docks but it ended up they only had loading ramps. I guess I should have went downtown to the big shipping docks.
Craig
CBBaronParticipantIf you are just looking for rain gear, Frogg Toggs are inexpensive, lightweight and breathable. Would atleast keep you clean and dry.
CBBaronParticipantNothing wrong with starting on a scooter. They are very practical and still fun to ride.
I think the Mana and DN-01 are a little large and expensive to start with. I would suggest 250cc class scooter. If later on you want to learn to ride a motorcycle it should be a little easier to transition.
If you take a basic rider course they will provide a motorcycle to learn on. So you will have the oppurtunity to learn to shift and use a clutch. If your hand/wrist can survive the class then I think you will not have any trouble with using the clutch on a regular basis. The class is alot of low speed maneuvers so you will use the clutch in the class much more often than you normally would unless your riding is off-road or in the city.Craig
CBBaronParticipantYou must travel very light and have a very tolerant partner if you can do 9000 miles in 4 weeks, 2up on a GSX-R.
Craig
CBBaronParticipantIt seems to me that the no brainer is the new bike. You will have the warentee on the bike and not have the worry about what kind of abuse the previous owner inflicted on your bike.
Usually a used bike is a better deal but when the prices start getting that close I think it makes sense to go new. As mentioned that price is a significant percent off the MSRP.
Craig
CBBaronParticipantWelcome
Nice bike. I was thinking the 650r would make a nice commuter and light sport touring bike.
Gear up an practice, practice, practice.
Craig
CBBaronParticipantShow Off
So were those full lock turns?
BTW for others the “4RT” is a trials bike.
I know it is possible but it is mental. I do need to practice more.
One of my issues is to practice I feel like I need to be able to get my foot down quickly for when I screw up. However at 6’2″ on a Ninja 250r my legs are pretty folded up so it makes it difficult to move my feet quickly off the pegs. Plus my knees interfere with the handlebars as I approach full lock. I’m considering a dual sport just so i have more room.Still I know it is not the bike limiting me only my own skills and confidence.
Craig
CBBaronParticipantI agree, skip the ATV.
First most ATVs do not have the same controls. CVT, automatic and push-button electric shifting are all common on ATVs. Only the sport/race bikes seem to still use the traditional clutch and foot shift arrangment on motorcycles.
Second as mentioned riding one is nothing like riding a motorcycle. You have to really manhandle the controls and throw your body around to ride quickly. Or with the more utilitarian models at a sedate pace the controls are like driving a golf cart, with perhaps heavy steering.If you want to break the learning steps apart, start with a scooter. It atleast is very similar handling characteristics to a motorcyle and the controls are for the most part just simplified from the full motorcycle controls.
Dirt bikes are a good way to learn at a slower pace without traffic and a softer landing. Small dirt bikes are much lighter than road bikes making the process easier.
Craig
CBBaronParticipantThe Ninja 250R will definately hold its own on the freeway, and thats from a rider who is 6’2″ 220#.
It seems to me to go from 65 to 80 faster than nearly any car I have driven. It is slow compared to the supersport bikes are even good sport cars but will hold its own.
Whats more important is that it is a fun bike. It is also light and easy to learn on.
I think so many people recommend the Ninja 250R for a first bike because it offers a good bike to learn on, while still providing freeway capable performance, all at a very affordable price.Other good sport bikes to start with are the GS500F and Ninja 500R. They are more powerful but also heavier and usually more expensive.
Craig
CBBaronParticipantMotorcycle riding skills take time. However once you get the hang of it you will go from feeling like this is impossible to having tons of fun very quickly.
If you really want to ride keep trying. I don’t know if you are in a state with free or inexpensive BRC, but if you are just do it again. It will be much easier the second time. Other good options are getting a small inexpensive dirt bike to practice with off road, or a scooter where you can practice riding without the worry of clutch and shifting.But if its not for you thats OK. Just don’t give up because it didn’t come easy.
Craig
CBBaronParticipantMost of the reviews I have read of the Versys say it is a great bike. Very nimble and quite comfortable. Only minuses have been lack of wind protection form the fairing and some people have complained about the motor being buzzy. As a beginner bike it is the upper range for power and weight. In addition it is tall so feels a little top heavy at slow speeds. This means you are more likely to drop it once. It probably will be one of the more comfortable bikes available for a larger rider starting to ride. However I am really enjoying my Ninja 250r despite being 6’2″ 220#.
CraigCBBaronParticipantMy first day every move required thinking about what controls to operate in which manner. It seemed like every skill we did was a struggle because things were happening too fast.
By the second day things started happening without me thinking about them so much and it became much easier.
After a few days of practice I was able to worry more about traffic and the road and less about how to ride.
You just have to build up muscle memory so that operating the motorcycle becomes automatic, just like it already is with your bicycle and car.
Craig
CBBaronParticipantThat sounds like a great deal if new and even a good deal for a low mileage used bike. As mentioned just be aware of extra fees that the dealer may add to the final. Even if you buy private party you will be responsible for sales tax and any registration fees but dealers often add additional fees and charge for handling the registration.
Craig
CBBaronParticipantThe Triumph Scrambler is heavier than most recommended beginner bikes but the power is probably managable, though it is still twice as powerful as a Ninja 250R and probably 3X the power of the other 250cc bikes.
The BMW is another possible choice, even more powerful and lighter weight. I’ve seen alot of good reviews of the F650GS on advrider.com. I know it can be lowered easily to help those with shorter inseams.
Beaware that both of these bikes are considerably more expensive than the Ninja 250 and GS500 and will be harder to find used. Buying a used Ninja250R, GS500 or similar is an expensive way to get a motorcycle. You can learn, both how to ride and what you like/dislike about the motorcycles before spending much more on a bigger bike. The Ninja 500R, Ninja 250R and GS500F all have standard riding positions and are very capable of your commute. One of these might be a good place to start then you will have a better feel for what you really want in a motorcycle.Craig
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