I'm considering getting a motorcycle and really like the style of the Harley V-Rod or possibly one of the Victory models I recently saw that is similar in overall shape / size.
I'm 41, 5' 11" 210lbs in "reasonably" good health and I've NEVER ridden a motorcycle before.
I have a lot of current road %26amp; mountain bicycle experience but other than basic balance I do not think the skill set will be all that similar fo an experience.
I have also ridden a small 125 dirt bike just as recreation for a few years off road years ago but other than that nothing.
I fully intend to take a local motorcycle training class but that will probably only give me a few hours of riding experience on a smaller bike.
So, given my lack of experience, I'm wanting opinions on if this choice of bike would be ok as a first bike or if I would possibly be endangering myself with this choice.
Any thought or advice would be appreciated.
Thanks!|||i don't advise it as a first bike..too fast ..too heavy..too expensive|||no, that is too much bike for a beginner, even after a training course.
It's a good bike to have but start on something around 500cc and 5-10 years old.
Honda Shadow, Kawasaki Vulcan, maybe an 883 H-D if you can find one cheap|||The V-Rod is a muscle bike. It has a huge amount of low end torque, and high end RPM power. The posture on the bike is also a very unusual and (in my opinion) unfriendly posture. I personally believe that it is NOT a beginners bike.
If you really want one, I would suggest you take advantage of the deal that Harley is offering right now to give you the FULL value of any sportster you buy now back in trade when you upgrade the bike. Get a Sportster1200 (or an 883, but get the one with a larger frame), which is a much lighter and less aggressive bike, while still being plenty powerful and fast. Spend a year learning to ride, then trade it up for a V-ROD.|||I used to hear that half of all buyers of new Harley Davidsons were either total newbies to riding or else coming back to riding after 20-30 years (raising a family, no doubt). I wondered why total noobs would want a bike so big and heavy (not to mention expensive!)
Well, last year a friend of mine was thinking about a new Harley, so I suggested we rent one for a day and ride it around and see how we liked it. I was amazed at how manageable the Harley was. It's big and heavy, and not a great handler, but very easy to handle because of its low center of gravity. It was also very comfortable. It's not my kind of bike but I really liked it better than I thought I would.
Normally I'd say you want to start out on something smaller. Years ago we all started on 150s and 250s. Today there just aren't many bikes that small, so people learn on 500s, 600s and 650s.
When kids ask here if they should start on that hot Japanese sportbike, I'm worried they're going to kill themselves. In your case, that's not the problem--I'm more worried about the bike than you. 8^)
The V-Rod is a very powerful bike, more than enough power to get you into trouble, but let's assume that at 41 you're a grown-up, out of that 'testosterone-poisoned' age, and you don't have to use every single horsepower every minute. It's still a very heavy bike. Plus, if you ran out and bought a new one to learn on, it's very likely you're going to drop it once or twice while you're learning an that would be just heartbreaking with a brand new V-Rod. Or a Victory.
If you bought a Japanese bike, say 5-10 years old, maybe even with a few scratches and bruises on it, you could learn to ride, you could abuse the clutch, maybe even drop it once or twice. Then after six months or a year, you could sell this bike for about what you paid for it. and by then you'll know better what you really want. THEN go treat yourself to that new V-Rod. Japanese cruisers are pretty good--Honda Shadow and Magna, Yamaha Star, etc. Yamaha makes a 650cc Star, which would be the perfect little cruiser-trainer. And they're pretty cheap used, because, like you, people want to trade up to something bigger after a while.|||NOOOooooo,... You can't just walk onto an airfield and jump into a F-18 and go chase bad guys. Its the same with motorcycles; Bicycle experience? counts as zero. A 125 dirt bike ridden for a total of around 25 hours over a summer? counts as +.05. Thats the reality.
The MSF course will give you an leg up on the world of motorcycling, but will not get you ready to go out and ride a V-rod, bottom line.
You will have to start with a bike such as will be represented in the course. Whether it be a Ninja 250, a Yamaha XV250, or a Honda Rebel 250. Get your feet wet before you decide to ride over Niagra Falls in a milk crate....|||I agree with Spencer. Too much bike. Look for a used bike like a 600cc up and learn the skills. Then look to buy a newer bike. I don't agree with buying a new bike as a first bike because you are most likely going to drop it in the first year to 18 months. You'll be upset about scratching it up or breaking the mirror or something else. I have several years experience but recently crashed my new (one year old) Shadow when a dog ran out to grab the front tire. The dog was black and it was dark. He ran out of the unmowed median strip (knee high grass) and was there almost in a blink. Nothing I could do to avoid it. I remember grabbing the front brake and putting my foot on the rear one but have no idea if I ever had a chance to apply either. The next thing I remember is the noise of impact and my helmet grinding on the road. From where he lay dead and where I got up off the road was roughly 100 feet or so. 2700.00 damage to the bike and insurance for the hospital emergency room and such was around fifteen grand. (specialists and everything). Just remember to be safe whatever you buy.|||Ok. The Sportster is not much lighter than the VROD so I don't consider the weight of the bike a factor.
The VROD will have more power than something like a Sportster but you can get yourself in trouble on just about any bike.
While you don't have a lot of experience, you do have some. Given your age you are probably mature enough to keep yourself somewhat under control.
Hold off on purchasing until you take the MSF class. That should give you an idea of how confident you feel on a bike. You should be able to make an informed decision then. I've taken the class and it is real easy to tell who gets it and who doesn't. If you feel a little hesitant, go ahead and get yourself the Sportster. Ride it for a year and trade it in on the VROD. The ride free guarantee is a good deal.|||No. After taking the motorcycle class, get on a 750cc or higher bike. If your heart's set on a Harley, try a lightly used twin cam like a Super Glide. See what's for sale in Cycle Trader, at the dealership, etc. Some dealerships will give you a decent deal if you buy a used bike and trade it in within a year. Harley's current plan, Sportsters are given 100% of money back within one year if trading up. Get experience please. $20,000.00 and 200 miles does NOT make you a biker. Work your way up to a V-Rod, they accelerate very well and handle like a sport bike, so easy there turbo.|||I agree with everything here, but an exception to Polarbear. The MSF (at least when I taught it in the early 90s) actually expected you to know how to ride a bicycle, they stated it ahead of time. (The balancing on 2 wheels thing).
Yeah a VRSC would be too much to start with in my opinion. Go through the MSF (or RidersEdge if you are predetermining yourself to be a Harley guy). RidersEdge teaches you on a Buell Blast, which might be a good first bike for you, then maybe a Sporty, then think about a VRod. My advice on the VRod is to test drive one as the riding position/ergonomics of those are kind of funky. Neither me (at 5'9") or my older brother (about 6'2") find the seating position very comfortable. Myself, I find the frame section just under the tank digs in to the inside of my knee area, very uncomfortable, unless you want your legs spread out at the knees about 2 feet!!!!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment