[Jon D.]

Not uncommon, I see a large number of the people I work with that don’t bother with a helmet. Eye protection is all that is required here in Kansas. I have seen people wearing shorts,tank tops and flip flops, cruising around on their sport bikes pretty regularly. Ben has a video of a recent accident and he was wearing his gear. worth a look for anyone who visits this sight. Ride safe and God bless. Jon D.

[Jon D.]

Don’t know if it will work, but rain x came out with wipes that might help with the heavy mist deal. Know what it is like to lose visibility when riding. we used zest soap to keep helmets from fogging up back in the day. Man I “am” gettin’ old. Ride safe and God bless. Jon D.

[Jon D.]

Ouch, glad the ride was good. Ride safe and God bless

[Jon D.]

I took the same route down. The Dragonfly that wiped out my vision as I was coming out of New Orleans, still sticks out in my mind. Pulled into a rest area soon afterward and slept on the bike that night. Man, what a trip. Take care,God bless. Jon D.

[Jon D.]

That is not a bad quote, I would have same shop look bike over to see if any other repairs are in order, prior to purchase. If you are still hooked on this bike it might help you haggle down to offset repair bill. Ride safe and God bless. Jon D.

[Jon D.]

I would say find a shop to get a price on the repairs. I also suspect some hard riding ( wheelies,burnouts, etc. ) that might explain why 2nd gear is going out. If it has been rode hard and put up wet, I would avoid it altogether. My opinion, your choice. Ride safe and God bless. Jon D.

[Jon D.]

I am not one to tell you what is best for you. As said before , are you looking for advice, or agreement in your choice. With no experience riding, the only guarantee with your choice is scratched up fairings. To start with an advanced sport bike may be a bigger bite than you may be ready to chew. Not all of us started on 250’s, but most of us started on smaller cc’s and advanced up as our skills and pockets allowed. Read other posts and glean information from there, once you have done the research, make your choice. Have an open mind, these are opinions based on experiences of all sorts. Above all take the MSF, if the 250’s they use present a problem, the YZF600R will be more than a handful. Ride safe and God bless. Jon D.

[Jon D.]

Give a good look at the Kawasaki 454Ltd, The Suzuki S40(Savage), or Suzuki GS models, I am sure Honda has a few you could look at as well. After graduation,and a good job, you could move up to a Victory and enjoy some great touring/ 2-up riding. In my opinion, the aforementioned Kawie 454Ltd is one of the best bikes ever built, and would accomodate all your needs while finishing up college. Ride safe and God bless. Jon D.

[Jon D.]

First , I would say get a good 90 days worth of good riding time before going 2-up.The dynamics change quite a bit with a passenger. Pretty much any bike with 400cc will be fine for a rider/ passenger situation,unless you are going to be doing some extensive touring. With you being new at this, a smaller bike will be much easier to navigate when you first start carrying a passenger and will also be more recoverable. Remember, upgrading to another bike is normal so get the experience first and foremost. The safety of your passenger is a big deal, so be good at what you do before bringing in another. As far as mileage, if it has been well kept, I could deal with a bike that has up to 15,000, keeping in mind that I will probably upgrade next year anyway. Take care,Ride safe and God bless. Jon D.

[Jon D.]

I was given an ’81 Yamaha XS 400 about a year ago. The bike has been sitting since 1982, so you can imagine the amount of work (and parts that I needed to get) to get it road worthy again. Thus far I have been able to purchase a starter, throttle cable, fuel shut off valve, etc. from EBay. the throttle cable itself was genuine yamaha, and only cost me ten bucks, the starter was twenty. What I am trying to say is that if you are considering an older unit and are willing to invest a little bit of cash vs. buying a higher priced ride, then go for it. You will probably find someone at work or even in the neighborhood that has or knows someone to help you out. Keep in mind you can take the ride to the dealership and have one of their mechanics go over it, or a local shop. Make sure to find a reputable shop nearby, for tune-ups and repairs. Also, take plenty of time to choose and purchase your ride. As experience developes you will desire to trade up, so don’t be picky. 2 wheels, a seat , and a good year of riding, means more than anything at this stage. This is something you do for yourself, not the people in cars and on the sidewalk. Choose wisely and your riding time will be more enjoyable each and every following year. Ride safe and God bless Jon D.

[Jon D.]

When I was in the military , in order to get a base sticker(parking sticker that allowed you to park on the base) you had to take the motorcycle safety course. We were already liscensed riders and I had the great dis-pleasure of taking it on the back of my Yamaha XS1100. To add insult, our instructor would go through everything on a full dress Harley just to let us know it was possible. What I took away with me was a much better understanding of what my bike and I were capable of. After years of riding I still learned a great deal and will be going through it again ,prior to getting back to riding again. The safety course is great for all riders new and old. I was nervous as others have said but in the end ,all paid off. By the way, the cones are a pain, I don’t care how much riding you have done.Especially on a Big Bike, when you have never done anything like it before. Ride safe and God bless. Jon D.

[Jon D.]

I was speaking with a buddy of mine and he remembers those old bikes being TOP Heavy. My XS 1100 was the same way. He now rides a 1500 VTX and says it is easier to handle than his old 400. I do appreciate your tie in… Another thing I need to consider. Ride safe and God bless. Jon D.

[Jon D.]

Thanks for option, … are you talking about a V45 Magna?…Looks like a V65 in your pic. Jon D.

[Jon D.]

Thanks. I really appreciate your opinions. Ride safe and God bless.

[Jon D.]

Hey Folks, It just dawned on me , I have an ’81 xs 400 Yamaha sitting out in the garage. I think with some carb boots,tires,and rebuilt carbs, I could make it street worthy again. Like I said, I can’t turn around in 6 mos. and buy the wife another bike. I think I could however ,fix up this Yamaha for her to build on and have the S50 waiting in the wings. Jon D.

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