[eon]

+1 on how misleading the cost efficiency of bikes are. If you are getting into bikes to save money you will be in for a surprise.

If you want to be comfortable I would look at bikes with fairings. Just last Saturday a long time rider (decades) was telling me he could never go back. The comfort level is just much higher due to the increased protection from the elements (wind, bugs and of course rain). I would assume a fairing helps the fuel economy too?

Being the resident scooter nut I will throw them onto the list. Commuting is really their forte. I get 55mpg on my large scoot and will happily cruise at 80mph (can do 95mph). It will be hard to beat their comfort and practicality levels, you will just never win any prizes for being cool. They can be expensive but you should be able to pick one up 2nd hand for a reasonable price. I guess it really depends on what you want out of your bike.

Here is an interesting article that may at least make you consider one.
Scoot-Touring the Honda Silverwing and Suzuki Burgman

[eon]

Normally I recommend waiting for the course before riding but it sounds to me that you have a lot of fear. It also sounds like your hubbie is doing a great job and is very patient with you so I would say stick at it. If you go to the class with a lot of fear you may end up bailing out. The trick is to be able to relax and sometimes that just takes practice. But the most important persons point of view is your own. If you would be more comfortable waiting for the class then just do that. Best of luck with whatever you choose.

[eon]

Do not buy a Burgman if you answer yes to any of these questions:
1) You like chrome
2) You like tassels
3) You liked the movie Wild Hogs
4) You want to get a knee down
5) You want to wear full race leathers
6) You want to wheelie down I-5
7) You want strangers to be afraid of you
You want to ride with Ewan & Charlie

If on the other hand all you care about is the ride and 6 grand will not break the bank, then by all means put it on your list. Maxi-scooters will never be bad ass or sexy but they make great beginner rides. They can be heavy and are full of expensive plastic, but are very practical and easy to ride (and fun!).

I would take the MSF course on a normal bike and see how you feel. It’s always best to keep your options open.

[eon]

I had the same feeling of euphoria after riding at night in the rain. At first it is a terrifying experience and you question your sanity, but once you get a bit of confidence the fear recedes and it can be fun. Don’t like doing it in traffic though. The cars will be right on your ass as you take corners which is an unnerving experience. I found 60mph to be my comfort zone. Any faster and I worry about hydroplaning, but when I saw an 18 wheeler catching up with me one night I made dam sure I got to my exit before he caught up with me.

I also found that riding around suburban neighborhoods in the rain a challenge. At less than 30mph, RainX or no, the water was not shifting from my visor right when I needed the best visibility to avoid those driveways and side streets. I ended up riding with my visor up as that was the only way I could see. And I was very aware that the visibility of those in the cars suffered as well so I was on high alert.

[eon]

I think you have a great attitude and it will serve you well. Nothing wrong with admitting you are looking for an adrenalin rush. Knowing that and keeping it under control is what will keep you safe and riding for many years. Starting out on smaller bikes is the way to go as it will help you learn how to ride. The fun part is taking corners well and you can take those corners faster if you master the proper technique. Simply accelerating/braking from corner to corner will teach you nothing.

Get yourself a copy of Proficient Motorcycling by David Hough. That is the bible when it comes to learning how to survive on the streets. There is so much more to learn than simply mastering the bike. And that is part of the fun.

Good luck finding the bike you want but I would not rule out the Ninja. They are very common but for a good reason, they are great bikes (at least according to everyone who has ever ridden one). Having a great handling bike that you can learn on is no bad thing. The fact it is the bike every beginner wants is no bad thing either come the time you want to move on. Selling on your 50cc might me more troublesome.

[eon]

Say no more.

[eon]

Be aware that the EXO 400 & 700’s are made from different material (forget what exactly) but the 700 is noticeably lighter. I got the 400 and I can’t say it feels heavy when wearing it. I could swear they size differently as well. I think the 700 large size seemed a lot tighter on me than the 400 large. Never heard anyone else mention this so maybe this is just me.

[eon]

Oooohhhh….that’s fighting talk right there!
What’s this all this talk that scooters are not fun to ride! At the end of the day it is an automatic motorcycle. Sure there are differences but I would say it is no more different from a bike than a sports bike is from a cruiser. The thrill you get from riding is the same. If you like to go long distances a maxi-scoot will get you there just as easily as a cruiser (but you cannot wear leather chaps and a skull bandanna ). If you are riding round town then a small nimble scooter could be more fun than a trigger happy sport bike.

Last time I went riding with a cruiser group I was frustrated as they chose to stay on straight roads and ride in formation when my favorite twisty road was on the other side of the valley. Everybody has their own idea of what they want to get out of riding but to say that scooters are not fun or are simple utilitarian means of transport is just plain wrong.

[eon]

I think the key to the BRC is to relax and try and enjoy yourself. If you worry about the test you start to stress over little things and it almost becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. I beat myself up in the beginning as I seemed to struggle at times but I just reminded myself this was supposed to be fun. By focusing on the task at hand and taking pleasure from making small steps I did well enough to ace every test apart from the effin’ figure 8

[eon]

To quote a Scottish self help book, “Dinnae be feart, grab life by the nuts” (I’ll leave the translation to you). I jumped straight into rush hour traffic in downtown Seattle. Admittedly I headed straight to the nearest quiet suburban area to practice but there was no way I could wait for the traffic to die down. But, you have to use your judgment based on the traffic and streets around you. Some places are just more dangerous than others.

As far as gear goes, I spent months reading every review on webbikeworld.com to find what suited my style and budget. It all got a bit confusing as there is rarely a bad review on there, it just comes down to personal preference and budget.

Bet of luck!

[eon]

If you go on a test ride make sure you know what the consequences are if you drop the bike. I have read several posts of people being burned with repairs in the 2 to 3 thousand dollar range. I have also read of some dealers doing group test rides. I would avoid them. The thought of riding with 6 unknown people on unfamiliar bikes is pretty scary.

[eon]

I would say go with the Ninja (oh I so wanted one of them 6 months ago). For all the reasons you mentioned plus
– you will get most (if not all) of your money back if you decide to upgrade later
– with this economy the price of those 600R’s is not going up anytime soon

I don’t know much (ok, anything) about the 600R so cannot comment on how beginner friendly that is but I think you are making a mistake about riding before your course. At least your reasons for it. The course is designed for beginners. I had never sat on a bike before the course and I passed. By teaching yourself beforehand you run the risk of
a) crashing your bike
b) learning yourself bad habits

I honestly think you would do more harm than good by learning beforehand. Plenty of time to build up those muscle habits afterward.

[eon]

This company may or may not fold but I cannot see the brand being gone for too long. Look what happened to Triumph.

[eon]

Piaggio owns Aprilia (and Moto Guzzi and Vespa). HD bought MV Augusta.

But yeah, they spent $109M just a few months ago to buy 100% of an Italian sportsbike company (and pay of $70M of it’s debt) and now they are looking for taxpayers money?

[eon]

It seems to me they rely too much on brand image and patriotism. They certainly have the whole ‘lifestyle’ thing going on but I would prefer to have better/cheaper products than your competitors.

I found the following article interesting.
http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa032.html
It’s a bit long and dry but some interesting info in there. In summary, from 1972 to 1982 HD went from having 100% of bikes over 1000cc to less than 15%. They were about to go bust so they got Ronnie Raygun to introduce tariffs of 50% for Japanese bikes over 700cc (did this create the 600cc class bike?).

[Author]

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