[namvette68]

I live across the lake in New York ,and we still have a few days to go. We might even make it in to December?

[namvette68]

We all were new riders…..ONCE! We almost all started out on an older bike, borrowed or what not……ONCE!
We all went to the dealers, and either made a wish list, or plopped down some hard earned money for a shiny new bike…..ONCE!
Katina, now it’s your turn. You went through the course, bought your own bike, and now you can navigate the roads of MA without a problem at all. Twelve hours is not a lot of experience, but you’ve gotten past the rough stuff. Now it’s time to have fun. I live in NY and ride to NH quite a bit. Maybe we could do a few miles someday? Anyway, have a great time and hope to see you out here soon.

[namvette68]

I like that Yamaha FZ6R. It has the better of both worlds, and looks good too! In the end, the wallet makes the final decision.

[namvette68]

All of my bikes have been kick start. I just bought a 2005 Suzuki S-50 for local tooling, and was completely baffled for the first 500 miles. This is also my first bike with blinkers. Oh…..disc brakes, electric start, shaft drive, water cooled, dual carbs……..yada,yada. I downshifted a dozen times before I realized it has the brake on the right. I also miss the spark control on the left twist grip, but that’s really old! I also broke the right rear blinker off the first week. I have to kick my old leg a little higher from now on. I guess I’m a noob too?

[namvette68]

I believe the law mandated all bikes had to shift on the left side from the 1973 model year on. Signal lights and full time headlights were also some of the federal regulations. My old Harleys all shift on the right side.
I believe you’d be better off in the long run with a standard trans. Go to a dealer and ask for a road test. I think you may be pleasantly surprised with the “new” generation of bikes.

[namvette68]

They make a few 5.00/16 snow treads still, and work quite well. I even had put one on the front, when I still had a dresser. I guess about the coldest weather I’ve done any long riding is about -30F. You cannot leave your bike outside or the oil turns to grease. I am not able to find a decent snow tire for my Sportster, so it stays in the shed all winter. The Suzuki may come out on the few nice days we get. I find my hands, face, and kneecaps are the first to get cold. Proper and adequate apparel makes a difference. I do like the new leathers with armor. They take a little getting used to the weight and inflexibility, but it isn’t obnoxious.
I’d love to move south or out west in the winter, but for now I’m stuck in upstate NY. I’ll add some photos as the white stuff gets here. Happy Riding!

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