[Dagger]

Say it ain’t so! You left the V-Star family??? See what happens when I’m not around. All hell breaks loose!

Just givin’ ya a hard time.. Looks like a fun bike.. But yeah.. Slow down on the trade-ins! lol Did you check out the V-Star 950’s or 1100’s? Anyways.. Was supposed to pick up my Roadliner last night but the guy got stuck in traffic and now I have to wait until tonight to get it

Well I’m glad to hear you’re still safe and having fun riding.

Dagger

[Dagger]

I started out on a V-Star 650.. I’m 6’1, 185lbs and didn’t have any trouble with it weight wise.. Also it took me a while to grow out of. I think if I had gone with a smaller bike I would have had to move up to the 650 fairly quick.. It has a nice look to it but as far as cruisers go, is pretty nimble in traffic.If you’re fairly comfortable riding I highly suggest it.. The things to look out for are seat heights when it comes to cruisers.. The Savage sat a bit too low for me.. The Honda Shadow was a better fit.. And the V-Star was just right.. Well.. I did have to put forward control extensions on it for my long legs but the seat height was perfect. The best thing to do is get on them and see what feels bet for you.. IMO as long as you stay under 650 I’d just find the bike that fits your body the best.

[Dagger]

Not sure about the MSF classes near you, but here they had one day of indoor class which was at night and then for the driving part they split the group up into two. If you register early enough you have a better shot of picking the time that suits you.. I went with the later classes myself because I had no desire to get up at 4:30 to be at my class by 6am..

As for safety, You can do the cable lock or front disc lock, but like Clay said, unless you’re physically bolting it too something it’s more of a deterrent than a fail safe way to keep your bike safe. I personally went with the disc lock. It’s small and easy to deal with. The only other thing you could do is add LoJack to it if you’re that worried about it.

Dagger

[Dagger]

Like Clay said.. You’re not going to forget what you learned in the MSF if you can’t buy a bike right away.. Just remember when you finally do get a bike to take it easy and start with the basics on it.. Get used to the feel of it and how it handles before hopping out into traffic..

I bought my bike before I took the BRC.. Mostly because I got a great deal on it and didn’t want to pass it up.. I had also ridden as a kid so I wasn’t coming into it completely new.. For anyone coming in never having ridden before I think it’s best to wait and buy a bike after your class.. A lot of people get in there and realize that riding just isn’t for them.. And even though it makes for great deals on bikes for the rest of us (Buying bikes from people who decided they don’t like to ride that is..), it’s a better deal for you to wait.

Dagger

[Dagger]

How thoughtful of you to test it out for her like that Clay..

[Dagger]

I was in Bucharest for 3 months for work.. There were some AMAZINGLY beautiful women there.. Not what ya normally think of when you think of Romania…

[Dagger]

My “first” bike was a CZ250 when I was 13yo… Then when I turned 39 I got back into bikes and bought an ’02 Yamaha V-Star 650 Custom.. Been riding it since last Sept. and still loving it.. I think I’ll probably move up to a bigger bike this summer if I can afford it and give the 650 to my gf.. She keeps asking me when she’s gonna get the bike.. Either way.. I don’t feel like I’m in any rush for anything else.. Who knows.. I may just buy another 650 for her.

[Dagger]

On the V-Star forum they suggest using lemon Pledge to wipe your bike down.. Been using it on my chrome and painted parts and it’s staying shiny..

Dagger

[Dagger]

Yeah.. That was about my only complaint as well.. The class I was in was mostly good riders, so when I came to something that I wasn’t as good at (ie. the figure 8 box) we jammed right through it and ended up finishing early both days. It would have been nice to use that extra hour for more practice. I understand that for some the class is only a means to get their license, but for some it’s how they learn to be better riders. The 3 people that ended up failing the class probably would have passed if the instructors had given them their full time of practice and instruction that they paid for.

[Dagger]

Like tap said.. If you’re just looking for something to commute on that will give you good gas mileage, then a good 250 scooter will do you fine. My dad is 67 and he rides his scooter everywhere. But most of it is to and from work. I, on the other hand, enjoy the actual act of riding. And when I decided to get back into riding I considered a scooter for a bit but quickly realized that I would not be happy on one for long. I love riding way too much.

If you decide to go with a motorcycle, I would stay away from the 750 if you are completely new to riding. I’m not sure how big of a guy you are, but if you’re small enough to be comfortable on the 250 cruisers then that would be a good place to start. There’s a number of themIf you’re taller you might want to look into either the Vulcan 500 or V-Star 650.. Both good bikes and not too heavy. As far as gas mileage, I’m getting between 40-45 on my V-Star 650. On a scooter you can get upwards of 100mpg depending on the type you get.

Dagger

[Dagger]

The main reason most riders crash making a 90degree turn is they go into them too fast and end up going wide.. Which either ends them with clipping a curb or going into oncoming traffic..

[Dagger]

There’s lots of riders who ride their 250’s for years before moving to a bigger bike.. It all depends on your learning curve.. The Ninja 250 is more than able to ride at freeway speeds.. Unless you’re wanting something that will do 100mph +.. The 250 is a great starter bike as far as sport bikes go..

As for turning around and selling it when you’re ready to move up, don’t worry about it too much.. 250’s usually hold up their value and they usually sell fast.. There’s always some new guy looking for his first bike..

I read the review on the 09 FZ6R and although they said it was a good “starter” bike.. A. I think for sport bikes, 250 is a much safer way to go for new people (Though on a cruiser I think you can go up to a higher cc bike to start with). And B. Personally I wouldn’t want to spend over 3k for a first bike.. Odds are you’re going to lay it down a couple times while learning..

Dagger

[Dagger]

Before I took the BRC I found a guy that gave private lessons on a Rebel 250.. So I went and had an hour lesson.. I hadn’t ridden a bike in almost 25 years. But I figured that I had rode enough as a kid that it would come back to me quick.. In the first 10 minutes of my lesson the guy asked me if I had ever ridden a bicycle in my life.. That’s how shaky and unbalanced I was.. By the end of the hour I was back to being pretty comfortable on a bike again.. In the beginning I think a lot of it was my nerves.. Wondering if I’d remember how or not.. Plus the 250 was kinda small for me and finding my balance was a lot different than on a dirt bike.

After that I took the BRC and didn’t stress it at all.. Did great on all the exercises (except for the damn figure 8 box) and when it came to the final exam I stressed out again.. Completely blew it on the 8 box.. But did good enough on everything else that I passed..

After the class I started riding my bike on the side streets around my house.. Getting used to starting, stopping and turning.. After that I started taking it on longer rides around town, then finally started commuting to work..

A lil bit of fear in you is a good thing.. It keeps ya safe and alert.. Just don’t let it get the best of ya and you’ll be fine..

Dagger

[Dagger]

Don’t be fooled Stump.. We only sound like we know what we’re talking about.. Anyways.. Welcome to the site.. Where abouts in SoCal? You have your MSF class set yet?

[Dagger]

As far as I know drilling the pipes doesn’t effect the catalytic converter… I believe it only effects the sound levels and not the emissions.. I’ve had them drilled out for a couple months now and no cops have bothered me yet.. Though I rarely see cops stopping cruisers anyway.. It’s always street bikes.. If I get a fine I’ll let ya know..

Dagger

[Author]

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