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The “Five to Survive” Rule & Why You Should Use It
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Jon D.Participant
Because of your upgrade potential being pretty much out… the Kawasaki Vulcan would be a very good choice. I would also suggest either the Suzuki S40 or S50. Â Both of these bikes offer standard controls and a low center of gravity. the Kawasaki’s center of gravity is higher than a cruiser. Any of these choices will allow saddlebags, windshields, and other upgrades to make it your own. They will also allow you to hit the open road at some point as you attain the skills and increase your experience. You WILL NOT outgrow any of these choices in a season and each one will give you many years of great riding. I realize that this goes against a lot of the advice given on this forum, however, each person ( I feel ) needs an approach that will work for them. This is just a suggestion and many others will give their ideas on the best approach that they feel will work for you. Hope this helps, Ride safe and God bless, Jon D.
Jon D.ParticipantMy wife is also a very short woman. She did not like the honda 750 due to the forward controls. the Suzuki’s fit her best as she didn’t feel as though she was reaching for everything. The S50 fit her so well it looked as though they made it just for her ( posture was great and all controls in easy reach ). I will lower it for her so that she will be able to touch flat-footed ,but talking only an inch. The S40 is a very mild performer and will make a great first bike with a possible S50 to graduate up to. my wife is only 5′ tall with a 26 or so inseam and she still fits a bike that states it is taller than it seems to be. check them out and I think you will be glad that you gave the Suzuki’s a look. Take care and God bless. Jon D.
Jon D.ParticipantYes there are MSF courses in the area , but the waiting list is long and there is only a few places that offer them. The employees club is a special entity of the company where you can purchase reduced priced tickets,work out in the gym, and a lot of other assundries that the are offered to the employees. A large number of the employees drive from 20 to 80 miles away to come to work due to the rural population that works at the plant and commutes back and forth. ( I myself live 53 miles from work ). I felt it would be easier and that the employees would be more inclined to take the course if it were in a more familiar area that did not constitute additional mileage. As it stands I would have to tack on an additional 25-35 minutes for my wife and son to attend. The fact that a number of co-workers have not attended or do not carry an endorsement for their bikes is another reason that I would like to see if there would be a way to set up a class at the plant. Yes, to your question about advertisement, you must go online to enroll and the only way I found to get there is through a search engine and then to narow down from that point. I have found 1 college and a Harley dealership that offer the class and that is about it. Both locations are off the beaten path for me. Will make it there, but is very inconvenient, thus my query. Jon D.
Jon D.Participantchk recall notices on the blast, I am aware that they had fuel tank issues and there may be something else that is going on with your bike. It sounds like a fuel delivery problem, so I would start with a google search to see if anyone else has had the same issue. Good luck,ride safe and God bless
Jon D.ParticipantWelcome to the site, you will find a lot of support here. From what I have read the Ninja 250 will fit you fine, just going to the dealership and taking a seat on one will help make up your mind on it. The suzuki dual sport that is reviewed on this site will also be an excellent choice. It posesses the higher seat height and may be more comfortable for you. Keep in mind, your first bike is for learning on, as you gain practical experience ( shifting,braking,steering,quick stops), then movement up to the bike that meets your desires will not be problematic. Aim low, get the experience, and then move up to your dream ride. Ride safe and God bless. Jon D.
Jon D.ParticipantLooks like the ninja 250 would be the bike for you after all. I would still stick with my original feedback on saddle time prior to adding a passenger. I am not sure what or how much riding time you will get this season, so 2010 may be the year for 2-up riding. I am sure I had multiple years riding before going with a passenger (ugly duckling syndrome). The ugly is still there and I improve on it as time passes, but the wife doesn’t seem to mind. Anyway, be honest with yourself and you will make the better choices because of it. Ride safe and God bless. Jon D.
Jon D.ParticipantMy oldest boy is home from college for spring break. We spoke yesterday and he is wanting to learn how to ride as well. Looks like I will end up with a family deal as the years roll on. Will probably send the Kawie with him as soon as we get my wife her second bike. Getting pretty exciting ’round here. He said he would like it for tooling around town. Should have an interesting summer this year and more so in 2010. Enjoy the warm weather this year folks and I will keep you up to date on my family’s progress. Later, Jon D.
Jon D.ParticipantVery nice ride, may you get many many miles of enjoyment out of it in the years to come. Ride safe and God bless. Jon D.
March 14, 2009 at 6:05 pm in reply to: What after MSF class and a few days riding in traffic? #17045Jon D.ParticipantI wholeheartedly support what Elwood recommended. Since you are in a situation where you have to use your bike, take any spare time you may have to practice and get more comfortable with your bike. The leaning into the turns will become more natural as time progresses. Think of how a child rides his bicycle the first time out vs. the way it is handled after more time is spent on it. Your muscle memory will come into play much quicker than you realize, but it all comes with time, patience, and practice. Be careful,aware of your surroundings, and time will ultimately take care of your misgivings as experience developes.Ride safe and God bless. Jon D.
Jon D.ParticipantI know that you have perused these forums so here is my opinion/feedback on your question. First and foremost welcome to the site, you will find great info here. There are quite a few threads that suggest the ninja 500 is an ok beginner bike, not as popular as the 250, however I haven’t viewed too many negatives about it. Take an MSF or equivalent course prior to purchasing the 500. If you do well and are comfortable with the smaller bikes than I would say that the larger ninja should be okay. You will also need to get in some seat time ( 2-3000 miles experience) prior to adding a passenger. It actually wouldn’t be a bad idea ,if you can talk her into it, to take the riding course with you. It will give her a better idea of how a bike operates and reacts to inputs. Mainly balance inputs. This would help both of you in the long run. All in all, it seems to me that you are trying to get everything right the first time, so be honest with yourself and I would say your choice will fit your needs. Ride safe and God bless. Jon D.
Jon D.ParticipantRead the bike reviews, there are quite a few on this site from members with discussion that follows. Take the info that you will get from there to narrow down to a select few. Once you come to that point you can research other forums and reviews to narrow down more. Continue to ask those of us here, any questions you might have about your choices as you continue on. First and foremost take an MSF or equivalent course. That alone will give you some insight as to what you might want to purchase. Ride safe and God bless. Jon D.
Jon D.ParticipantHelmets have earned the nickname ” brain bucket ” for a reason and is, in my opinion, the most important piece of safety gear for a rider. The next 2 things to keep in great repair are tires and brakes. The bike essentially has only 1 square inch of contact with the pavement at any time so check them for wear and dry rot. I used to do tractor/trailer repair and my old boss’s rule was stopping, steering, then you can worry about putting the vehicle in motion. without the first two, you don’t want that vehicle to move. Congrats on the purchase but use these principals prior to hitting the streets, We all want to hear your success stories. Ride safe and God bless. Jon D.
Jon D.ParticipantFirst and foremost , are you a beginner or have some riding experience. Have you taken the msf course. I haven’t checked on your intro. ,so I am unaware of your experience. I would say that you need to have a seat on both to see which fits you best. You also didn’t say what your primary riding style would be ( recreational, to and from work, weekends, touring, etc.). If you are new to riding, I would say that the Savage is a great choice. It is forgiving, easy to ride, a very low center of gravity, and has a power band that is predictable. You will easily get a good season out of it before wishing for more, but it will also prepare you for the move up to a larger cruiser. If you are planning to advance to a sport bike ,I would lean more toward the ninja 250 or equivalent. I have owned a Savage in the past and it will adequately do local and some weekend touring. I don’t really know much about the Honda so can’t say yes or no to it. Honda has a great reputation for their bikes so I am inclined to say it will be as capable as the Suzuki in all respects. Keep checking back, the Honda guys will have a better take on the Shadow. Ride safe and God Bless. Jon D.
February 26, 2009 at 10:56 pm in reply to: Looking for Second Bike–Thinking Used Middleweight Cruiser from 1990’s #16756Jon D.ParticipantThat Intruder is beautiful….no more to say. Jon D.
Jon D.ParticipantKnew you guys are on your toes here. Recalls are not always life threatening, but it is good to know that there is a place to check on your current ride for defects. New models or platforms are prone to recalls, usually a ” real world glitch ” that the engineers didn’t detect in the design. I build business jets for a living (sheet metal assembler) and you would be amazed at the number of modifications they go through to meet FAA requirements and customer expectations. Just want those that come to this site to understand that a recall does not mean that the product is bad, forums and reviews will lend to better information while researching. Ride safe and God bless. Jon D.
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