Just finished my motorcycle safety class :)

[DoctorSig 0]

Just spent this very windy weekend doing a lot of turns, stop and go, etc.
This was my first time ever on motorcycle and I must say, it was a lot of fun. I could do the slalom course all day long.

The class helped clarify a few things like scooter or motorcycle - Definitely motorcycle for more visibility, noise and power to get out of tricky situations.

I took the class at a Harley dealership and I'm choosing to ignore the sales guy recommendation to get a 1200cc as a first bike and just grow into it, but I did like their training models _ 500cc Buell Blast

Anybody familiar with the Buell Blast?

[Squeak 17]

Nice oneIn my 30+ years riding accerleration and power have saved me far more times than braking.

Gutless motorbikes and scooter are dangerous.


you dont need a bike that will do 200mph but you do need some get up and go low down.

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[NewGuy2005 51]

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Anybody familiar with the Buell Blast?

They no longer make them. You can probably get them pretty cheap.

[Beerlight 0]

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Just spent this very windy weekend doing a lot of turns, stop and go, etc.
This was my first time ever on motorcycle and I must say, it was a lot of fun. I could do the slalom course all day long.

The class helped clarify a few things like scooter or motorcycle - Definitely motorcycle for more visibility, noise and power to get out of tricky situations.

I took the class at a Harley dealership and I'm choosing to ignore the sales guy recommendation to get a 1200cc as a first bike and just grow into it, but I did like their training models _ 500cc Buell Blast

Anybody familiar with the Buell Blast?

Congrats!! I have a friend that's a Buell guy, I'll ask him about the Blast if I see him.. Let you know.

And for what it's worth, may I suggest a good "used" bike to really learn on. Something that has a few dings on it..... that way, "if" you do lay it down in your intial rides, you won't be as mad at yourself...

[SkymonkeyONE 3]

There is one major problem with Buell Blasts: you will not find a Harley dealer that will service them any longer. You can find them for dirt cheap and they are good little bikes to tootle around on, but when Harley Davidson dropped the line, they also stopped servicing them as well (at least here at the huge Cape Fear Harley Davidson in Fayetteville, NC). I had a Buell XB9SL for a few years and LOVED it. I have a buddy with a Blast that I guarantee he would sell for around $1,500 if you are interested.

Chuck

[davelepka 4]

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I took the class at a Harley dealership and I'm choosing to ignore the sales guy recommendation to get a 1200cc as a first bike and just grow into it,

The smallest bike Harley makes is an 883 Sportster, but that's a base model and kind of a chick bike. The 1200 Sportster is un upgrade from that, and a little more manly. Neither one is a good choice for a first bike. Many people have used tham as first bikes, and will say that they were fine, but whatever,

The Blast is discontinued, along with every other Buell. A month or so back Harley pulled the plug on Buell (Harley bought Buell a few years back).

There are great starter bikes available in any style you want. Do you want a cruiser, like a Harley, or a sportbike, like a Ninja? How about a dirt bike that legal to ride on the street, or just your basic sit-up straight motorcycle?

Once you pick that, we can offer some suggestions for models to look into. Buying a used bike is a good idea for the first bike. You can ususally find something nice $2000 or less, and if you drop it or ding it up, no big deal. You'll also be able to sell it for most of the purchase price after a year of riding.

[AggieDave 6]

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There is one major problem with Buell Blasts: you will not find a Harley dealer that will service them any longer.

Buying an orphaned vehicle, motorcycle or car, is ok, if you are very secure with your mechanical abilities. That or you have an independent mechanic that you implicitly trust. Otherwise, you will get yourself in well over your head.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[wmw999 2,122]

Yeah, I had an 883 Sportster as my first bike. Not the best choice. For all the same reasons that you start skydiving with a canopy that you can torture and make mistakes on, you should start motorcycling on a bike that you can torture and make mistakes on. That means small and short enough that you can flat foot it, and muscle it up if you start to lose balance in a parking lot or at a stop.

Of course, if you're taller than about 5'5", finding one might not be such a problem .

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[DoctorSig 0]

Thanks for all the replies. I'm definitely going with a used first bike. I knew the Blasts were discontinued, but did not know about HD not servicing them, so with that I'm assuming that getting parts would be more difficult.

I ultimately want to get a nice cruiser, but I'm in no rush to get there, so I plan on having a couple of intermediate bikes until I get my desired "dream" bike

[shah269 0]

buy safety gear ASAP!
newenough.com

Life through good thoughts, good words, and good deeds is necessary to ensure happiness and to keep chaos at bay.

The only thing that falls from the sky is birdshit and fools!

[davelepka 4]

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I ultimately want to get a nice cruiser, but I'm in no rush to get there, so I plan on having a couple of intermediate bikes until I get my desired "dream" bike

They make Jap cruisers in every size from 250cc up to 1800cc, so you should have no trouble finding one in there to get started on. Honda makes a Shadow 600 that was a good bike you could find for low dollars.

Also, if you put in a year on a 'starter' cruiser, you could almost go right to any cruiser you want. Especially with cruisers, once you're comfortable with the controls, and dealing with traffic, a bigger bike isn't a big deal. A 1200cc cruiser isn't exactly twice as fast as a 600cc, and even then it's only faster if you give it the gas. Once you get comfortable with the controls (like the throttle) it's just a matter of not dialing in too much throttle, and the bike will go as slow as a 250cc. The main benefit of a big motor cruiser is the low RPM on a highway, not the balzing fast top end.

Sport bikes are another story. A top line sport bike will do 175mph, and will get there very quickly, much faster than it will stop from 175. Also, the intent of a 'sport bike' rider is to be sporty. In that sense, those riders would benefit from some restraint when it comes to bike selection. If you intend to go fast, how fast makes a difference.

[shropshire 0]

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The smallest bike Harley makes is an 883 Sportster, but that's a base model and kind of a chick bike. The 1200 Sportster is un upgrade from that, and a little more manly. Neither one is a good choice for a first bike..

That's hardly fair... as both bikes are the same size with different engine heads.

But I agree that they are not ideal 1st bikes - from a U.K perspective, their engines are too large, heavy and powerful for a beginner, who should be concentrating on Road Craft and not dealing with performance related issues.

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[AggieDave 6]

The Honda Shadow 750 is the perennial favorite for a first bike. The aftermarket is huge, there are a lot of used ones available and the resale is really good. A couple of guys I know that had one for their first bike, bought them used for about $3k then sold them after a year of riding for about $3k.

Also, go buy Proficient Motorcycling. Its a book and its a good read!

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[NickDG 23]

AggieDave posted while I was writing the below but I agree you might think about Honda at first. The Shadow 600 VLX or the bigger Shadow 750 (Ace or Aero) are cheap, plentiful, and damn close to maintenance free. And more in line with the "cruiser" you want than the Buell.

It's too bad though as Harley Sportsters are so dirt cheap right now it's kind of a shame not to snag one.

But you'd need tools . . .

Ebay Shadow VLXs:
http://motors.shop.ebay.com/Motorcycles-/6024/i.html?_nkw=honda+VLX&_catref=1&_fln=1&_trksid=p4506.c0.m282

Ebay Shadow 750s:
http://motors.shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=honda+shadow+750&_sacat=6024&_dmpt=US_motorcycles&_odkw=honda+750+four&_osacat=6024&bkBtn=&_trksid=p4506.m270.l1311

However you go have fun! Congrats on passing your course!!!

NickD

[SARLDO 0]

Congrats on passing the course and welcome to the world of motorcycling. I'll 2nd (or 3rd) the Honda Shadow recommendation. My wife actually has one as her first bike and she can handle it pretty well (the only other bike she rode was a 50cc Rebel in training). We bought it 2.5 years ago for 3.5K and can probably still get that if we sell it now. Plenty of power for a first bike and very well balanced.

Be safe, have fun, and remember - everybody else is trying to kill you out there.

"Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest" ~Samuel Clemens

MB#4300
Dudeist Skydiver #68

[ianmdrennan 2]

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The Honda Shadow 750 is the perennial favorite for a first bike. The aftermarket is huge, there are a lot of used ones available and the resale is really good. A couple of guys I know that had one for their first bike, bought them used for about $3k then sold them after a year of riding for about $3k.

Also, go buy Proficient Motorcycling. Its a book and its a good read!

That or the SV650 (which I have and LOVE).

Ian

Performance Designs Factory Team

[CanuckInUSA 0]

Good stuff (you taking the MSF class).

Over a decade ago I took a MSF class and they had us riding over old tires and crates of wood in the parking lot to prove to ourselves that certain objects in the road are more safely ridden over rather than trying to swerve around them. Many people have crashed trying to swerve around things like pot holes when they could have easily ridden over them. But when the time does present itself where you must instantly change direction, counter steering could save your life one day. Also unless you are ultra current on the bike, don't be afraid to take to a vacant parking lot every now and then to practice what they taught you in your MSF class. Practice your emergency braking, practice your counter steering, etc, etc, etc.

BTW ... did they also teach you the optimal places to place yourself for maximum visibility in traffic? That was another great piece of information I was given in my MSF class. Always expect the unexpected out there on the public roads and assume the other drivers do not see you.

Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

[DoctorSig 0]

The MSF course was well worth the price with excellent instructors and a very nice and diverse group of students that ranged from people like me who have never been on a bike to a former 11 year city motorcycle cop who hasn't ridden in 8 years.

[danornan 64]

Lots of good information above.... Lower power for the first bike, protective gear etc.... Above all, pretend that you are invisible and 100% responsible for everything that happens on your bike. If you find that you have to hit your horn to alert the cagers, you are not defensive enough. Anticipate the worst and you won't be disappointed.

Dano

[jim_32766 0]

Congrats on taking the course and getting into motorcycles. A couple of years ago my wife showed some interest in bikes so I took the course with her - even though I was already licensed. I was really surprised how much she enjoyed learning to ride her own motorcycle. We ended up getting her a Kawasaki 900LT Classic as her first bike two days after she finished MSF. She took great care transitioning to it from the little MSF bikes, and has now put over 6000 miles it, plus a couple thousand miles on rented a Road King and Heritage Softail.

Don't get too small of a motorcycle as your first bike. You'll be surprised at how quickly you adapt to something larger.

The meaning of life . . . is to make life have meaning.

[skyrider 0]

I'm not real sure why so many negative comments about Sportsters...other than NEVER buy oen new...you just threw 3 grand out the window for resale value...

But they are good dependable bikes now, the throttle is there to keep you from riding stupid or above your level!

My son also just finished the Motorcycle safty course here in Cal. he was the ONLY , (brag brag) 100 percent in both riding and written! makes me a proud poppa~

But this is his first bike...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v400/onekick/Bikes/010.jpg

[skyrider 0]

BTW, after the course, they offered him a job teaching the course!

[Zep 0]

Tell me why my Sporty kept burning out the rear exaust valve, London's no 1 Harley dealer did'nt know why and it was a blessing when it finally got stolen.

Gone fishing

[davelepka 4]

Lean condition? Poor cooling? Lot's of stop and go traffic?

The rear cylinder on an aircooled twin has a tough time as all of it's air has already been heated by the front cylinder. This is why Ducati uses such a wide angle V, and the front cylinder is always laid down close to horizontal. It allows the rear cylinder access to clean, fresh air, and it became neccesary as the power output, and of course heat production, of their engines went up.

So a lean condition that might not effect the front cylinder as much because of it's superior cooling might manifest itself as burned valves in the rear cylinder.

A leaking intake valve would also result in a lean condition as more air would pass through the leak than fuel, and result in a leaner mixture. The size and shape of the carb, intake port and valve are all designed to optimize the fuel atomization, and when you alter that by partially closing a valve (like when a valve doesn't seal) the fuel atomization will be compromised, and the mixture that makes it past the leak will be lean, which of course burns hotter.

[wmw999 2,122]

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I'm not real sure why so many negative comments about Sportsters

My objection is because at least when I had one for my first bike, it was more top-heavy than I think would be great for a first bike. My next one was an FXLR -- that was a sexy bike. Now it's a Honda -- not as sexy, but it's a little more comfortable for me, and just a little shorter (I had shortened the Low Rider, but not quite enough to flat foot it).

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)