[SantaCruzRider]

Arnold — California’s governor — does. And I remember there was a bit of a flair up when he took office and it was learned that he was riding (and had been for years) without a valid MC license.

[SantaCruzRider]

In all likelihood, his Mercedes is leased, his million $ home has a $900k mortgage and is now only worth $500k and the rest of his money goes to his ex-wife for alimony and child support.

[SantaCruzRider]

Here’s my short list of suggestions for an already great site:
1. Search
2. Ability for moderators to make some threads evergreen and at top, or perhaps an FAQ folder with copies of threads that answers those questions that seem to come up again and again and again…
3. The ability to link to all a poster’s comments so you can see if they are for real.

[SantaCruzRider]

It may vary slightly by year, but I think that’s the ballpark (and it includes you/passenger and all your gear).

But I’d advise not even considering carrying a passenger until you have several thousand miles experience. Bike handling is seriously impaired with a passenger.

Also, you’d want to consider how the weight is divided up. I’d be even more cautious about putting more than half your max capacity on the pillion, as it puts a disproportionate amount of weight on the rear tire and will unweight the front.

[SantaCruzRider]

The Kawasaki 650 is another great bike.
I have a buddy with a DR-Z400 and it’s a nice ride. It moves him just fine as highway speed (he weighs at least 250) and it’s a nice nimble bike.
You mights want to consider whether you really intend to ride any dirt or gravel roads. If you do, the dual-sports make lots of sense. If not, the standards may also be a good choice.

[SantaCruzRider]

I still remember driving in to Memphis on highway 78 and my 5-year-old son was excited to see all the nice residents waving their welcome as motorist entered the city. I chose not to enlighten him that 78 cuts through the red-light district and the greeters were all working girls.

[SantaCruzRider]

I think Mr. Bond would likely go for a black textile oversuit that you can zip off, drape over the tank (mind the exhaust), and then head off for the baccarat tables.

Just be sure to watch the martinis.

[SantaCruzRider]

The guy either doesn’t know jack about riding, or he’s a jerk who’s counting on you knowing even less.

When all things are equal (and they NEVER are), cruisers are less likely to wheelie and a bit more stable in a panic stop. Compared to a standard, they are also less responsive to rider input and may be less likely to be safely ridden through a tight situation.

Truth is that with even the smallest bit of common sense/training you are perfectly safe from unwanted wheelies and stoppies with a Ninja 250 (as well as a Ninja 500 or GS500). I ride a 1000cc bike with about 100hp and I live a life free of the worry of wheelies. I’ve seen U-Tube vids of my bike on the rear wheel, but getting it there requires concerted effort.

Having ridden both cruiser and standard/sport, I would advise you to spend time sitting on both, riding as many as you can. I personally believe that the safest will be the one that you find the most comfortable. For me, that is the standard style like the Ninja 250. Your choice may be different, but it’s equally valid and should not be left to a dealer rep to decide — in my opinion.

[SantaCruzRider]

I use it constantly, though I never do aggressive engine braking that would cause the revs to get even 50% to redline.

On mountain roads, I find that I contol my bike speed almost 100% with gearing, but frequently have one finger on the front brake to give several flashes of brake light to cars that are following.

To me, worrying about wear and tear on the engine from engine braking is a bit like worrying about the fact that riding all your miles on the highway prematurely wears out the crown of your tire and too much city riding wears out the left side of your tires — just ride the d–n bike already !

[SantaCruzRider]

Luckily, he probably can’t reach the clutch and shift at the same time, so he probably won’t get too far! )

I had a very strict rule for my son, not to touch the bike or have his friends do so either. If they were curious, I’d let them sit on it while I was supervising, but otherwise tried to tone down the attractive nuisance by keeping it covered.

[SantaCruzRider]

I’ve had this happen once or twice while getting used to a new bike — though luckily never resulted in anything more than a quick overrev (which I probably then repeated a couple of times to make sure any observers thought I was being bad-a–, as opposed to thinking I was lame).

One thing to keep in mind is that to get down to first, you have to pass through neutral. On some bikes, this is a noticablly longer throw than the light tap in takes to shift down through 6th-2nd. On my bike, a light downward tap brings in the next lowest gear, but 2nd to 1st is more like stepping on the shifter.

If that doesn’t solve the problem, you may also want to check your clutch adjustment to ensure that it’s disengaging properly. If it’s not, it may be trying to make to shift twice to get from 2nd to 1st. More mechanically inclined folks on this board may be able to offer better advice in that arena.

[SantaCruzRider]

I don’t know if I could get more than a couple blocks from my house without crossing paths with a Starbucks )

[SantaCruzRider]

It was really easy to install.

What was harder was replacing the fried wiring when it shorted out a month later. The only thing that saved the car from catching on fire is the fact that the engine had a master fuseable link (basically a cable meant to melt when subjected to a couple minutes of intense heat.

I second the recommendation to call a professional.

[SantaCruzRider]

Nice looking bike — I suspect you’re in for an aweful lot of fun.
I have to admit that I always liked the build of the Virago — even the now unpopular 750 no-frame-in-front ’90s look.
Now ride the tires off it! Cheers to you on the bike.

[SantaCruzRider]

Old technology from an untried manufacturer of bikes built in China — as long as it’s your dime, I say go for it and tell us how it works out.

They certainly look a lot better than a Yugo, a vehicle that shared many of the above listed traits.

No offence to JP, but if it was my hard-earned money, I’d rather buy a used 250.

[Author]

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