[ShannonG]

I would generally agree but I do know lots of people who started riding as teens and lived to a ripe old age. The fact that Loki bought a GS500 for his first bike speaks volumes about his mindset.
That being said, I’m a better defensive driver now than I was when I was younger. That’s definitely something that comes with experience.

[ShannonG]

I always think of his theme song as the Ghost Riders in the Sky song. Probably because the first video i ever watched of his was set to that song.

[ShannonG]

Have you seen

http://www.gstwin.com

They have a lot of howto stuff.

[ShannonG]

I think the Ninja 500 has solid sales despite needing an update. Suzuki made the GS500 (another parallel twin) more modern looking without doing much to the engine. They’re bomb proof little bikes, and many people want that for a first bike/commuter. I agree that it could use some modernizing though. Apparently the ’09s look the same.

[ShannonG]

You’re never too young if you have the right attitude!

[ShannonG]

I actually have way better throttle control without it. I thnk once I get used to it, I may keep it like that!

[ShannonG]

Since I didn’t get my bike until mid-May, my insurance doesn’t expire until Nov 15. I hope to ride until then, although it could be pretty chilly in the great white north by then. It would be a rare occasion for us to have snow by then.
All my best/favorite toys are good weather things; winter sucks!

[ShannonG]

Wow – are you the other half of my brain? lol

[ShannonG]

My bike intimidated the crap out of me the first time I got on it. But that feeling went away after the first week. If she’s still nervous she needs to tell her husband it’s too much for her.
Riding motorcycles is supposed to be fun!

[ShannonG]

If you look in the dictionary under ‘damn hard to wheelie,’, there is a picture of my bike. You have to hit 4000 rpm in gear, engage the clutch, rev it to 6000 and dump the clutch.
Not that I know anything about that. But no, I shift fast enough that I didn’t get the front wheel up. Alhtough to passing cars it must have looked like that was my intention.

[ShannonG]

Tell her to expect the same from her GSXR 600. Only she’ll be gong twice as fast when she crashes.

[ShannonG]

I can only speak to the GS500, but it would be more than capable of the commute you’re describing. The faired version would protect you a little more from the wind.
All the bikes you are considering have a sporty, yet slightly upright ride position, good for longer commutes.
That said, buy the GS500f! It is the greatest bike EVER!!!!!!

Oh, and as for breaking in the engine, I was told to vary my engine speed. So probably the first couple of hundred miles ride neighborhoods, etc, lots of shifting up and down, revving etc.

[ShannonG]

And you hit the nail right on the head….
I’m glad I had to wait until my 30’s to buy a bike. I’m a better rider for it.

[ShannonG]

Has she ever ridden a motorcycle?
I can almost guarantee you she will get on her brand new $10k bike and scare the living sh^t out of herself the first time she tries to ride it. You see it all the time (youtube, etc) of girlfriends practically crying on their boyfriends’ sport bikes, saying “I’m scared’ and him laughing in the background and telling her she’ll be fine.
Once she’s scared and ready to listen to you, then you can start working on the common sense angle. And probably her parents will be choked about taking a bath on a bike she can’t ride and get a little more involved in the decision making process.

[ShannonG]

Congrats on the new ride!

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