[eternal05]

…but unless you’re riding in a gale, you’ll be fine (I’m speaking from experience). You’ll learn to be more aware of what the wind is doing in order to compensate (which you’d have to do on any bike, just not as much). There are some minor downsides to the 250R, but honestly, they’re such minor issues that, especially for a beginner, the incredibly beginner-friendly nature of the bike wins out without question. It’s also a hoot to ride, and a sexy-lookin’ thing to boot (well, the ’08+ model anyway).

As far as needing a permit, that’s a question easily answered by your local rider course providers. It differs state by state, and each organization that offers rider courses does a slightly different job of it.

[eternal05]

…regarding your choice of bike, I think, realistically, there’s not a lot we can do to talk you out of it. If you’re going to be smart, you’ll do exactly as he suggests: buy a crappy $1000 250cc dual-sport bike and get bloody good at riding, then pull your GSX-R out of the garage and have a go.

That said, if you’re going to be a lunkhead and ignore every experienced person’s advice here are some things that will help:

1) Start in a parking lot. This is not optional. You will be blown away by the difference between your gixxer and the 250cc bikes you rode at the MSF course. Think you can get on a GSX-R after 8 hours on a 250? You’re wrong. You can’t. You’ll die. Simple as that. So go to a parking lot, and go through EVERYTHING you did at the MSF course on your new bike: find the friction zone, get comfortable with slow rolling starts, get comfortable with finding the footpegs, which are going to be much higher and farther back than you remember from the MSF course, get comfortable changing into second (the highest you’re going to get in a parking lot with that bike) and back down again, and get comfortable with the brakes, both for casual speed adjustment and hard braking to a stop from “high” speed (e.g., 40mph). Remember, on this bike, ONE OR TWO FINGERS on the brake, NO MORE! Four-finger the brake MSF style and you’ll be on your back in an instant.

2) When you do go out on the street, riding like a the biggest wuss you can manage. Everything is different when you get out onto the street for the first time. You could do it just fine in a parking lot, but now that there are cars to hit, potholes to avoid, oblivious pedestrians not to kill, and oil slicks to ruin your traction, you will not have the confidence you did in the parking lot. Take your time, be careful, and for god’s sake, don’t get into a big-dick competition with another rider or a car. Ride carefully, and ride your own ride.

Why should you listen to me? Because I ride a GSX-R too. And I’m not dead. Yet.

[eternal05]

There’s a sequel, “Faster and Faster,” which covers the next two years (’03 and ’04) of MotoGP racing, including Rossi’s switch from Honda to Yamaha.

The same guys put together another documentary called “The Doctor, the Tornado, and the Kentucky Kid” which is about the first US Grand Prix at Laguna Seca in 2005. That’s a great one too.

All of these are really cool introductions to racing, and if you don’t see what all the fuss is about, I highly recommend that you check these vids out. Good call, Jeff!

[eternal05]

Though I think I’ll probably try out some of the other cuts if I end up really liking these. I was thinking about exchanging them, but honestly, for another $50 round-trip, it’s really not worth it to me. For now I’m content to lose a little gut and keep the tight size

[eternal05]

I had to import them, hence the high price. They’re definitely worth reviewing though. If you can’t get them (Hood) to send you a demo, or if you don’t want to shell out $$$, I can throw a review of my own your way.

[eternal05]

…was in a car. I was dead-stopped in a sudden traffic jam on the freeway, just over the crest of a hill. Got rear-ended by a speeder who flew over the top of the hill going 60mph. Luckily, German engineering saved my life (thank you little Jetta) and I walked away without a scratch (the car wasn’t so lucky). All the same, I was paranoid as hell from then on, and have been especially nervous about anybody tailgating me since then. I leave extra following distance now so that I can brake slowly enough so as not to get an unexpected prostate exam from the jerk behind me, and even then I still get twitchy.

Getting over your fear is important; you don’t want to be controlled by irrational urges. But that fear is there for a reason! You suffered a horrific accident, and you should give your mind and body some time to recover. Don’t think that pushing yourself to start again right away is necessarily the best thing to do, and certainly don’t force yourself to do anything you’re not ready to do, just because you feel the need to make progress. Take it easy, breathe, relax, and give yourself time to enjoy yourself. Hopefully, the rest will follow.

[eternal05]

The Street Triple R is just a naked Daytona 675…Triumph’s bigger-than-600cc middle-weight supersport. As much as I LOVE the Street Triple, any bike that power wheelies easily is no beginner bike. Those Triples are hooligan material. Make sure you a ready for a real bike if you take the plunge on a sucker like this (where “you” is Del, not romalo).

[eternal05]

Like I said, buying $130 adjustable footpegs allowed me to lower the pegs enough that my knees fit under the grooves in the tank. However, at 6’6″, you may have more trouble than I did. The real question is this: what’s your inseam?

As far as wanting a new bike, that all depends on how speed-thirsty you are. If you’re patient, and willing to learn all the lessons the Ninja 250R has to teach you, you can ride it happily for a long, long time. The truth of it is, however, that most of us (myself included) are ALWAYS lusting after an “upgrade.” I’ve been riding for three years and I have three motorcycles, and I STILL drool at the ones I don’t have. It’s a disease. It will infect you. Really the question is, do YOU have the RESTRAINT to hold your horses on an upgrade if you know that you still have a lot to learn?

[eternal05]

If you’re tall enough, the 250R won’t be comfortable when you sit on it. Don’t worry though; I’m 6’4″ and I made it work anyway. Whether or not you want to is up to you, but you can buy adjustable footpegs which allow you to lower the pegs just enough to create room for your legs. Again, it all depends on what you want to do, but it worked out just fine. Let me know if you choose to go that route and I can give you more info.

[eternal05]

I’m not a big fan of big rigs at all. NOTE: THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH TRUCK DRIVERS. They just have poor visibility, they’re often in a hurry and straying slightly around their lanes, especially on tougher turns, and their trailers often sway with the wind or road conditions. Treacherous if you’re on a car, straight deadly if you’re riding a motorcycle.

But that video? Holy #$%^! I don’t know what to say to that. Any idea what caused it in the first place?

[eternal05]

500ccs will haul ass with just about any rider on it. Your comfort as a tall guy will be the main issue. The 500R is pretty darn beginner-friendly, with relatively light weight and a reasonable throttle. As always, start with care and go one step at a time, but yes, the 500R will do you just fine.

[eternal05]

I think this website probably carries far more weight with Doohan as the spokesman than it would if it were some Australian government Joe Schmo. The guy’s a legend…he’s so hardcore that he tried to race just after a ridiculous leg injury. One of his legs was dying off, and he had to have it surgically grafted to the other leg so it could “feed” off the healthy leg. He had just had the two separated when he was back on the bike, desperately trying to keep the title lead. You have to take it seriously when a guy like that tells you to protect yourself.

[eternal05]

You know what the solution to your camera woes is, right? You just get more cameras Haven’t you seen photos of Mega’s track day set-up? Two in the rear and one in the front on the gas tank:

[eternal05]

Let me preface this with “I know WHY it is the way it is.” There are a lot of reasons for it. But that doesn’t make it right. That said…

Why the !@#$ is the parallel parking bit the “hardest” part of a US driving test? Really? Parallel parking? What about threshold braking? What about braking safely while turning sharply? What about emergency maneuvers? What about recovery from a slide? Coupled with awareness (which you can’t test effectively…people can just “turn it on” while the test is in effect and then pull out the phone and makeup on the way home) THESE are the things that prevent accidents. In this country, driving tests only ensure that you’re reasonably good at guessing your way through a standardized test and that you picked up a few basic road rules from all the hours sitting in your parents’ car.

[eternal05]

I love the “less internet forum bullshit” part. It’s the reason I stick around.

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