I took ownership of my W800 4 weeks ago. My first bike ever. I spent the first 2 weekends in parking lots getting used to the slow speed essentials, friction points, stop and go, 90° turns off a stop. I then started riding around my neighbourhood, all 40/50kph roads and just yesterday, garnered the courage to head out beyond the safety of the known into country roads and traffic. My first ever fill up at a gas station, first time in top gear, first time on sweeping roads. Sensory overload would best describe my ride yesterday, there wasn’t a moment where I wasn’t overthinking every fraction of every second. I kept talking to myself and reminding myself to keep my arms and shoulders loose, to keep a firm grip on the tank with my knees, to keep my head on a swivel at stops and intersections …and most importantly, to turn off the turn signals! The anxiety slowly lifted as I rode and by the time I got back home, I was definitely more at ease.

The W800 is great, but there is one issue I wasn’t prepared for, due to my wide shoulders, my mirrors are useless. All I see are my arms, even leaning to one side I still can’t see the traffic behind me. I’ve adjusted both of them to give as much of a sight line to the left and right adjacent lanes just behind me, enough so that I still see a bit of my arms and shoulders. I’ve ordered a set of aftermarket mirrors with longer arms and will change the stock ones asap.