[owlie]

A friend has a leather riding suit with skeleton pattern. It is freakin’ cool. Not sure if it is reflective, or not…

[owlie]

More snow??? Are you sure that you didn’t accidentally transplant to Alaska sometime this year?

Wait… We aren’t expecting any more snow this weekend…

That looks like a gorgeous trip. I don’t think I’ve made the trip to Mt Scott- but I think that Eon’s version of riding in the mountains may be a little more extreme than your recent experience.

[owlie]

I’ve spent a little time in Kentucky, and it is beautiful country.

Welcome to the group. It is always nice to have a voice of experience.

[owlie]

That is quite the review. Kind of sounds like the fun I had with the bike I rode for the MSF. While everyone else was struggling with the box, I was whooping it up.

[owlie]

Glad its been helpful. Stay awhile. Its the questions and conversation from friendly people like you that make this a fun place to hang out.

[owlie]

While I don’t agree with people’s decision to not take an MSF course, I do understand.

1) Not all insurance companies offer a discount.
2) Guy or girl, there is a certain machismo to having taught yourself to ride a bike. Not to mention that some people just don’t want to admit to not knowing how to do something…
3) For people who “just have to get a bike right now” the MSF course can be a real expense that eats into the $2000 dollars that they have for their dream bike that is a “great deal” on Craig’s List.

For people who fall under categories 2 & 3, category 1 is irrelevant anyway…

It is stupid to not get professional instruction on riding a motorcycle, but we all know that stupid is rampant in the world…

[owlie]

Glad to hear that you are okay. Thanks for sharing the story with us. Too often it seems like the stories are about all the things that went wrong, but don’t really reinforce how things work when we apply the skills.

+1 on sticking around and dealing with the cops. It makes it so much easier when there is a witness to help sort out the stories. About 10 years ago, I had someone run a red light in front of me. The only reason it wasn’t my word against hers was that there was another driver who could coraborate my story.

[owlie]

From one girl to another, it really doesn’t matter how big the bike is if you are comfortable riding it. We all have stories about petite ladies and their Harley monster bikes.

That said, you should sit on a few different bikes and find out what feels comfortable under you. I probably sat on 20 different models of bike (some appropriate for my inexperience, some not) before I settled on the Suzuki S40. Neither the Rebel nor the Blast felt right to me, but you might think they’re great. Alot of people detest my bike, but I couldn’t stop raving about it.

Best of luck!

[owlie]

I have a Suzuki S40 (savage). It fits me right, but I am about a foot shorter than you. When I sat on the Vulcan, it really felt too big to me. Same with the V-Stars. Mostly, you should just find a dealer and butt-test a few to see what is comfortable.

Good luck!
Owlie

[owlie]

Welcome to the group.

What kind of bike are you interested in? What kind of riding do you want to do. Just because one bike might be the perfect first bike for one person, doesn’t mean it is the right bike for another.

[owlie]

Welcome to the group. Hopefully, you have taken the MSF course, but if not, sign up ASAP.

[owlie]

Thanks for the thoughtful write up on this. I like the way you have broken it out since it seems like everyone who wants to start riding to save money forgets some of the other realities about riding.

Glad to know that the riding to commute thing is working out for you!

[owlie]

You can also get Lo-Jak for your bike. I think some of the guys around here have taken that route and had favorable results…

[owlie]

Be sure to take a friend with you who knows bikes. Without really knowing why you are getting a good deal on it, I would be skeptical…

[owlie]

Congrats on the new bike… Though, we are whores for bike pictures, let us see, let us see!

+1 on letting it sit until you get through the MSF course. You may be tempted, but you won’t regret it. Allen is right, do some reading, maybe check out Crash’s videos (http://howzitdonecrash.com/), get some gear (at minimum, a helmet and some decent gloves and boots if you don’t already have some).

Best of luck!
Owlie

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