WOW!!!
now that i have had the chance to catch up on some "LIGHT" reading in this thread.
and i'm sure it is about as far as it is going to go in regards to discussion,i will put in my 50 cent's worth of advice....
1.i have never had a person ask me what i think will be the best bike for them to learn on...it's always the same story.
" that one looks cool,what do you think??"
NAH!!! most likely too much for you.
" i think i can handle it"
can you handle what will happen when you drop it?? can you afford to replace it?.....or are you just trying to impress your friends.
i have been on quite a few shopping sprees with associates that want to look and ogle over what they want....not what they can handle.
would i suggest to them a 250....NO!!!
i tell each person that mentions to me that they are interested in learning to ride that they should take the MSF course. i tell them the advantages of doing so and they listen.
some balk at the price of the class itself,but i remind them that i believe it would be in their best interest.
there are many people who have taken the class and decided that motorcycling is truly mot in their blood.
how many (kids)(adults)(darwin candidates) have you seen go to sell their new machine because they found out just how much beyond them it was to handle??
most have never taken the class.
2. I have never owned a "SS" type bike,but i have ridden quite a few.
the comfort level was not something to my desire.....to each their own i guess.
it does go to say that i have a somewhat powerful bike and that after an 8 year hiatus i should have gone with something a bit smaller in CC's,but i was quite aware of the possibilities of what the machine could do(i read and understood the specifications)and how i could expect it to respond to my type of riding.
3. even when i was a NOOB i had that "you can't touch this" attitude(please,no MC hammer jokes) about what i thought i could do as a rider.
i never too the BRC class.never knew it existed or it didn't exist in my area to my knowledge.
i learned how to ride the street on an old bike that i was not afraid of.
it showed me what fear should be.
i slammed a car at about 35mph. IMO it was both our faults.
that didn't seem to stop me.
i went on to the next bike....a little less power,but not because i felt i needed less power. only that i was somewhat poor after my hernia surgery....
i was glad to be back on a bike after a year away.
i wanted more power....got it in a 750 turbo.
insanely stupid power and i was stil IMO a NOOB.
couple of dumb mistakes later and i was ready(or so i thought) to jump up to a more powerful brand new bike.
GPZ1100. loved that bike.
didn't keep me from crashing it 3 times.
once was my "show off" attitude and one other was being forced into a median by a straight truck that wanted my lane more than i neede it.
both were the cause of (still) inexperience.
now i am on the bike that i love...
power,sex appeal and comfort.
still it has shown me on many occasions that "IT" is the one that is in control.
never have i claimed to be a superb rider,many have given me praises for my ability,but i write it off and don't let it go to my head.
4. this is where the problem lies....
GO TO MY HEAD
"i can handle it"
"i'll take it easy"
"i know my limitations"
"i'm not immature"
"impress myself,not others"
no matter what you think of yourself, you always tend to prove yourself wrong.
anyone confused on where i am coming from???
SO AM I!!!
must be age setting in.
recommending something to someone will never get the response you were hoping for.
trust me on that.
someone ask's you for your opinion on what they should do with their need for something far beyond what you feel they can absorb, tell them....
i doubt it will do any good.
man my fingers are numb now.