[madjak30]

In my opinion, the bikes you should be looking at used to be call enduro bikes…now called dual sport…

If you are planning hiway, the Suzuki DR400S should be a nice starter…enough power to keep you entertained and has semi-knobbies so it will be good in dirt/loose gravel roads…the Suzuki DL650 (Wee Strom) would also be a good one…just depends on whether it will be more dirt, or more pavement…the DL650 is more street oriented, but okay on gravel…the DR400S is more dirt oriented, but has enough power to do hiway…the comfort issue that was mentioned can be solved with aftermarket seats, chances are you can find one that is already outfitted. Honda has the XR650 that will do it as well…the other Japanese makers also have their version…the Versys that was mentioned is more street oriented than the Wee Strom, with sport bike tires…street tires can be a little spooky on gravel…that’s why I didn’t mention the Super Moto version of the DR400S…the DR400SM, which has sport bike tires and brakes…the brakes will be a lot more “grabby” than you will want in the dirt…

If it is mostly rough paved roads, the Versys and Wee Strom are probably the best choices followed by the DR400SM…you just have to decide what type of riding you will be doing…you will want a bike that is set up mostly for that type of riding…

All of these bikes will fit you reliability requirement, along with the KLR650 from Kawasaki…but most of these bikes have a 32″ or higher seat height.

As for the manual transmission experience you have, it will definatly be helpful, but you will still have to get used to the clutch being your left hand in panic situations…I dropped my bike because of that…grabbed a handful of brakes and forgot the clutch…I was on gravel and the back end just slid out on me, then I realized the clutch was out…pulled it and I got pitched over the bike…what is called a high side…funny to see, but sucks because you dropped you bike…potential damage…I was lucky, just scratches and bruised ego…

Good luck.

[madjak30]

The 250cc bikes are a great starting point, especially if you will be riding in the rain…the lower power output will be a huge help in the wet…no wheels slipping out from under you from too much throttle…and as long as the bike has decent tires, bikes have surprising amounts of grip in the wet…the course is excellent, I really enjoyed mine…make sure you sit on all of the different bikes that they will provide, you may be surprised what bike will actually suit you.

Good Luck and glad you enjoy the site, I do too.

Later.

[madjak30]

The ER-6n is the naked version of the Ninja 650R, in fact in Europe it is called the ER-6f (“n” for naked, “f” for faring). Everything is the same, the tune of the engine, the suspension and the steering…it has a slightly tighter rider triangle (your foot peg is closer to your butt) than the Gladius…but other wise, it is very similar…usually in comparison tests the Gladius gets the nod because of the slight edge on Hp (I think it has 5Hp more), and the engine runs slightly smoother (less vibration).

As for the bike being a good beginner, well like the SV650 it is on the edge of what would be recommended for a newbie…but you said that you had ridden before ten years ago, so it shouldn’t be a big deal. The biggest question is what will you be comfortable on, so go and sit on them…a lot…before you make a decission…if you are commuting on the hiway at 60mph most of the time, you may want to consider a bike with some kind of wind protection…the Ninja 650R (obviously), the Yamaha FZ6R, the Honda CBF600 and the Suzuki GSX650F are all in the same ball park…all of these are retuned versions of some potent equipment…they have had new cams and other tweaks to make them more newbie friendly…even they are probably too much bike for the first time rider, but being you are returning to riding, they should be okay.

Anyway, good luck!!

[madjak30]

Mine is a 2003 with about 18,000 miles on it, and it doesn’t burn any oil (mine leaks it, but that is a different issue…) Maybe they changed something in the motor to make the rings seat better to the cylinders, but I would be a little concerned that the bike has been abused…you should be able to get a newer one for the same price…it’s also getting to be a buyers market (end of summer is coming), and riders will be trying to sell their bikes so that they can get a new one next season…or maybe take advantage of the end of season deals themselves…

I think I would keep looking…burning oil usually means an engine that hasn’t been properly maintained…

Just my two cents…

[madjak30]

I think the best starter bike is a dual sport…light, easy handling, good sight lines, torque lower in rpms, go anywhere, have a blast doing it…but they are not for everyone (tend to have a high seat)…the Ninja is probably the best “sporty” starter bike (if you aren’t “super sized”…like me, although I know a couple of heavy guys that ride them and think they are great for every size)…Honda Rebel and other 250cc cruisers are popular starters (I think 250cc is pretty small for a cruiser unless you are only riding on city streets, 650cc is probably a better size for a starter on a cruiser to give you access to the hiway)

It all depends on how you are going to use the bike, the style that you like and what size catagory you fit into…

The lighter the bike, the easier it is to learn the skills needed…but if you are going to be hitting the hiway, you will want something with some weight to it…

Good Luck!!

[madjak30]

If you enjoy the sound of loud pipes that’s one thing, but the loud bikes aren’t heard until they pass you, or atleast beside you (and that is best case). The best bet is to not travel right beside anyone…NEVER ASSUME THAT THEY KNOW YOU ARE THERE…even with loud pipes, cagers are oblivious to us…I got cut off again yesterday…some kid in a hopped up Honda with his stereo blasting…I could have reached out and slapped the car, maybe even his face (window was open), I was that close when I stopped…I got the shrug and oops look…I really have to be quicker with the horn…anyway, there was no way he would have heard me, even if I just had straight pipes…your best defence is between your ears…

Later.

[madjak30]

I still get passed by the transports on the “Alberta Autobaun” (hiway 2 – Queen Elizabeth II Hiway) when I am doing 120kph.

[madjak30]

You will just get buffetted around…kinda lightly pushed a bit…the first time it happens you might get a little concerned, but after a couple of times you just “go with it”…just don’t have a “death grip” on the handles…stay loose and just ride it out…back off a little to get out of the buffet zone, or pass the vehicle if you can…it’s only a little wierd the first time then you know what is happening and you deal with it…

If I had it to do over again, I would have bought the DRZ400SM as my first bike…not that I am unhappy with my bike, I just think the Moto would have been more fun. (don’t let the hard seat put you off, seats can be changed and there is lots of room to move around on those bikes)

Later.

[madjak30]

They are safe, but they are lighter bikes and will be more effected by wind than a heavier bike…basically the heavier the bike, the more stable it is on the freeway but you pay for that in slow manouvres. Heavier bikes suck around town when you are new to riding. They make it harder to learn (mostly because you are worried you will drop the beast), and usually don’t have a very tight turning radius…the lighter bikes are great for slower/in town and parking lot speeds, they turn on a dime and you don’t worry as much about dropping them, but they feel the effects of a truck passing you or following a car too closely a lot more. If your riding will be mostly in town and on less travelled two lane, then I would get the lightest bike to help you learn and get quite comfortable with the controls of a bike…but if you are planning on hitting the freeway a lot, I would look at the larger beginner bikes (Ninja 500, GS500F, or maybe a KLR650) to make the freeway less stressful…

Make sure you take the course that you mentioned, through the military I think you said, and get your bike afterward…the course I took had samples of the different types of bikes for you to try out…they had mostly dual sport bikes (DR200 and Super Sherpa) and cruisers (Honda Rebel 250 and Yamaha 250), but they also had a couple of sport bikes and a Super Moto (Konker 200…and they were all really impressed with how the Konker was holding up)…I had already bought my bike, so I stuck to the dual sports for the course (made it very easy, nice to ride and steer…vision was excellent), I wish I had waited because I probably would have bought a different bike…

Anyway, good luck. And make sure you spend a lot of time in the bike shops and sit on all the bikes that appeal to you…try to sit on them for about 20mins as you talk to the salesman (the longer the better) to get an idea of whether or not the bike will be comfortable or not.

[madjak30]

Yup, the pricing is very seasonal…where I live the riding season is quite short (5-6 months), you can ride later into the fall and start earlier in the spring, but the gravel from the winter is on the road late into spring…so the buying season is much longer than the selling season…Buying season: Late August to Mid May…Selling season: end of May to Mid August…you will get/pay about 20% more in the selling season due to demand…

I just seem to be racking up the miles on my bike…riding since May 15th and have put on over 3100 miles (5000 kms) so far, and I haven’t done any long distance tours…just riding every chance I get, and commuting on the nicer days…I seem to be adding about 1200 miles (2000 kms) everymonth, and I plan on going on a couple of longer “Day rides”…

Later.

[madjak30]

Atleast you put the effort in to color match…lol

What happened to the Bandit?

[madjak30]

I started riding May 2010, and by mid June I was complaining about my bike…mostly that I didn’t fit the bike, but also that I craved more power…now that I have been riding another few weeks, I have figured out that my bike is powerful enough to have lots of fun and keep up with traffic…and as for the fit, it will come with time…your body will get used to what ever you decide to ride. If you are looking at a Ninja 250, your knees will be bent more than if you are looking at a Honda Rebel 250, or an enduro (dual sport) type of bike like a Suzuki DR200…all of them will move you along pretty good, and you will think they are quite fast for the first few rides. They can all get up to hiway speeds, but after a few weeks (depends on how much you ride it) you will get used to the accelleration, and want more…you just have to realize that your first bike is for learning, and not for being the fastest or coolest set of wheels ever. With you being taller, you will probably find the enduro bikes more comfortable, but that doesn’t mean that you won’t get used to the Ninja…it will just take a little getting used to. I find that stretching and getting more limber before rides helps (although I’m certain that you are in better physical condition than I am), and once you are comfortable on the bike, go for longer, and longer rides to get your body used to the riding position.

Just remember that when you are picking your first bike, lighter and comfort will be more important than fast and cool…the other bonus of the smaller bikes…fuel economy…you will get 60+ mpg out of the 200-250cc bikes, not that bigger bikes are terrible…but it sure is nice to get out of a truck that gets 16mpg, costing me about $125 per week in fuel, and getting on a bike that only costs me about $30 for the same distance travelled…and it is much more fun on the bike.

[madjak30]

Nice choice in bikes…how long have you been riding?

[madjak30]

If you have agreed to ride together and have come up with acceptible stop distances…I have only done one of these rides, where the expectation was that everyone stayed together…no one is left behind…but I find that those rides, if they are longer, are not as enjoyable…some want to stop more often, others get impatient and want to “get going”…the best rides I have been involved with are destination rides…you agree to meet at the destination at a certain time…this way you can either ride alone if that is more comfortable for you, or in smaller groups or couples…as long at you get to the destination at the agreed time, all is good…if you are going to be late, I would call one of the riders and let them know so that no one is worried…obviously you would need to get a couple of contact numbers for the just in case…this way everyone goes at their own pace and has a better time…good stories over the dinner/lunch/or just a coffee stop…

I would say the way you did it would be my preference…I’m not really a large group kinda guy…and like Munch said, have the hand signal thing going…hazards, stops, signal still on, need gas..etc…

One of the guys in my group likes to see how fast he can get his bike up to, and always tries to get others to go on a “how fast can we go” ride…not for me, I just let him have his fun being a squid and go my own way…hopefully he doesn’t have to learn the hard way to make better choices, but hey, I’m not his Dad…?? I guess he is still invincable, I’m not.

As for your question, if you are part of a group that will start and end up at the same destination and have a get together…it’s a group ride…just kinda spread out…

Later.

[madjak30]

Basically, it’s what you don’t want to hear…you just need to ride more and get your senses used the feeling of going that fast out in the open…when I first started (only two and a half months ago), I took the beginner riders course and the fastest that we went during the course was maybe 50kph (30mph ish) and on the last day they took us on the two lane hiway…I got up to 85kph (53mph ish) and thought I was flying along until I looked down at the speedo…and like everyone here is telling you about earplugs, they told me…I got some and like eon said, it didn’t seem so fast anymore…it also depends on the amount of traffic that is around you. If you are on busy streets, that can add to you stress and cause you to think you are going too fast as well.

I would suggest just going out in off peak hours and just getting some more experience…get up to 50mph and try 55 for a short period…then slow down to your comfort zone…if there are people behind you, pull over and let them pass…do not carry on “white nuckling” or you will be in a world of trouble…you will actually panic in an emergency…or overreact in a situation that only requires a small change…only go outside of you comfort zone for a short period to push yourself a little, then come back…eventually you will raise you level of comfort and be able to ride with the flow of the traffic…also if you are following your husband and he is going faster than you are comfortable with…let him go…he will realize you have dropped back and either wait, or you will meet at the destination…definately don’t speed up to keep up, or you could really scare yourself.

Good luck.

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