Buying Your Two Wheeled American Dream
Oct 18 '00
Don't be a dreamer get some qualified training and be one of the ones to experience the freedom of riding a motorcycle, If you have ever looked out the window of your four wheeled box and longed for the life of a modern day adventurer on two wheels you may find that the sport of motorcycling is for you.
Granted there are conditions and limitations to be met before pursuing your dream (There always are). The motorcycle market has expanded into a dazzling world of sleek speed machines and sporty cruisers, you should base your choice of motorcycle on your abilities and tastes.
Remember as you get older things will change,That awesome speed machine you once blazed around on may be a liability to your body due to certain ergonomic limits down the road. To save your self unnecessary complications when purchasing a motorcycle always err on the side of caution and buy one in prime condition. any shortcuts here may result in unmentionable horror stories later. Poking around a bike dealership or shop and asking questions or Looking around the showroom is a good place to start, of course its nice to ask before you try on a few for size, going to the bike shop on a quiet day will give you time to look at all the different choices and there are a few...
You may see many styles represented such as Grand touring machines with saddle bags and trunks and sometimes a whole host of other advanced goodies to entertain yourself with Radios, C.B.s etc... These are reserved for a more experienced bunch adept at riding, paying attention and manipulating these devices. sometimes the price will scare away the uninitiated before they can buy these beasts and try to start their riding career on one.
(The age old adage Crawling before walking comes to mind). Don't be discouraged or try to be heroic, Fellow motorcyclists that came before you have learned some hard lessons when they got ahold of a handful of machine that was either too complicated or powerful for them.You can start to best develop your survival instincts for riding by making sensible choices in the showroom, Choose a bike for its reliability and safety and comfort. the looks are a given, All bikes look good when being ridden.
Other bikes you will encounter will be the speed machines They look like they are going 100 miles an hour just standing still. I find sport bikes to be worthy of a healthy respect, anything that can pound out 100 miles an hour in a few seconds with a handful of throttle demands a certain kind of elevated attention span, if you are a more reserved rider you may find that these machines may move faster than you can process life saving information (like stopping before the end of the parking lot). You will find that leaning over the tank in a racing position tends to do something to your mental state you will soon find that either you will have lots of police attention or the orthopedic device companies will just love you(If you forget that racing is for the track). Riding a sport bike requires a special breed of character, If it suits you remember to invest in the extra protection that your body requires to survive your exploits.
By now you hopefully have migrated to a realistic choice that suits your needs and experience The other styles of bikes include the Cruiser that looks (and is) laid back so laid back that even the foot controls are placed in a position that best suits cruising. you may want to be aware of the unique balance requirements such as holding up the bike with one foot on the rear brake and one on the ground when stopped on an incline.if you feel better with conventional controls so be it just be warned.
Choosing a bike that you can comfortably reach the handlebars on and place both feet on the ground on seems to be outdated sense to some however you will need to consider this in the overall decision to purchase your bike. you may outgrow the power characteristics of your motorcycle once you have become a more experienced rider and purchase a more powerful machine but these physical requirements still apply.
A smaller less powerful motorcycle may be your best option to start I have found that when I taught motorcycle safety courses that the little 250cc bikes were perfect for beginners They held up well under the increased demands on their performance and the expense involved when minor mishaps occurred were minimal (sometimes safety courses return these bikes after using them and the dealer really sells them for reduced prices).
Finally just a thought on Dirt and Street machines these bikes will handle the rigors of everyday commuting to work and will just as readily hop off road and take you into the realm of riding in the dirt making your own trails, they have been made "Street Legal" meaning they have turn signals,brake lights and headlights. These make fine beginning bikes.
Not all dirt bikes were made for the road small lights don't always mean street legal Be forewarned some Dirt bikes have high suspensions that make them taller in the saddle than most bikes and their knobby tires make them very distinctive, certain types of knobby tires were not meant to be used on the street and will just result in all those meaty knobs breaking off as you ride on asphalt, if you are not sure ask before you take that jump.
Before you make your final choice on a motorcycle style take a look at the protective gear that you should have before you ride, as a minimum ensure you have an approved helmet (by the sticker inside the helmet and the DOT tag on the rear) You should base the helmet expense on the saying "How much is my head worth" Choose a helmet based on comfort and visibility, ensure that the helmet does not rotate around your head as this will certainly impede vision while riding, invest in a good pair of gloves and riding boots for additional protection and peace of mind. The argument for equipment is sometimes debated I base my choices on the fact that I ride in the cold and wet and any other conditions and I am not going to suffer.Fellow motorcyclists will have more respect as a whole for a well prepared biker in this day and age of motorcycles.
There is nothing like the feeling of riding a motorcycle off the showroom floor with all those zeros on the odometer It will probably take a figure with a few zeros to get there as well, in the end you will be the one to live with the final choice.
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Epinions.com ID:
CharlieHood
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Member: Charles Hood
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Reviews written: 12
Trusted by: 4 members
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