[ShannonG]

If a motorcycle for your first vehicle is your only option, then don’t let anyone tell you a 250 is not enough. It’s plenty. And make sure you take a riding course.

[ShannonG]

I think a tall person has fewer issues than a short person. I don’t see you being too big for a 250r.

[ShannonG]

The GS500 has been around for a million years and there’s tons of inexpensive upgrades you can do to boost power. I’m sure I increased power around 10% just by adding an aftermarket muffler. Unless you’re planning on street racing or jackassing, any 500cc bike will serve you well.
Four years is a long time to pay for a motorcycle though. Even though I think they hold their value better than cars.

http://www.gstwin.com/index.html

Edited to add: the bike has a bit of a cult following. Here’s a great site of GS500 nuts:

[ShannonG]

I paid $5800 CDN for my ’08 GS500f. I can’t really tell you what to expect to pay for one in the US.

[ShannonG]

First of all, good on you for not buying the R6. Second of all, you will love a GS500f. Very forgiving bike, enough jam to have fun on without smearing the pavement.
Oh, and spaz is right. The SV650 is also a nice choice. I’m partial to fine Suzuki products. Even my car is a Suzuki.

[ShannonG]

You majored in Food Processing and Packaging? Weird.

[ShannonG]

But they probably don’t enjoy the disgruntled customer in there chewing them out that they didn’t sell them enough bike in the first place. Truly, more bike shops try to sell you big in the first place than get you into a sub 500 cc bike.

[ShannonG]

My husband’s bike is April. :rollseyes:
I don’t think women name motorized things the way men do.

[ShannonG]

Wise, wise advice.

[ShannonG]

I have to disagree on the CBR 125. It may be a great little bike and I love the looks, but you put a reasonably sized adult on it and they look like a Shriner in one of those tiny cars on parade day.

[ShannonG]

I use this stuff called BoeShield (I use it on all my bicycles too). It was developed by the Boeing corporation. It’s this super slick spray film that has the capability to remove itself from a chain every time you reapply. If you don’t let a chain get too dirty, every time you wash your bike (which is pretty much every hour, on the hour for me) you just spray, then wipe. It cleans and lubes at the same time and doesn’t pick up road gunk.
I hate that waxy crap my bike came from the shop with. It’s like glue for road sludge.

[ShannonG]

I dropped my brand new bike. They’re sort of set up to land on the front signal/foot peg. Unless you’re moving when you dump it (which is unlikely, since noob drops seem to happen when you’re almost stopped) you’re not going to do a ton of damage. And just think; then you can make up some story about drag racing a Hayabusa on the Trans Canada!

[ShannonG]

I have a serious case of that too. I may wash the paint right off it if I’m not careful!

[ShannonG]

My sister is a competitive dirt bike racer and every time she sits on my street bike she squawks about how leaned over the position is, how stretched out she is, blah blah. It will feel different to you, without a doubt, but you know where the clutch/throttle shifter is and that goes a long way towards shortening the learning curve.
It’s like riding a road bike vs. a mountain bike. They’re very different but I can do both.

[ShannonG]

And for God’s sake get rid of the rear fender!

[Author]

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