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Getting into motorcycles now

Wannabewoodsman

Wannabewoodsman

Custom
Went to look at guns today and the girlfriend wanted to check out the Harley-Davidson dealership. Her family is big into bikes (her dad used to ride but can't because of medical issues and her brother does ride still) and she always loved riding as a passenger with her dad or brother.

I always wanted a bike but no one in my circle had one and I could never figure out where to learn. No friends, no family are involved with bikes. At the dealership, I fell in love with several but primarily a blue heritage.

Getting classes (MSF certified) next year and buying a bike then too.
 
Well, I hope you get a license before it snows or freezing temps. My senior year I bought a cycle and when I went to take my test there was snow and temp was below freezing with subzero wind chill. So cold that the cycle almost didn't start (electric only, no kickstart). This was almost Halloween just after my birthday. I rode it to school every day no matter the weather until Christmas break. Hope you have fun!
 
TEXASforLIFE said:
Well, I hope you get a license before it snows or freezing temps. My senior year I bought a cycle and when I went to take my test there was snow and temp was below freezing with subzero wind chill. So cold that the cycle almost didn't start (electric only, no kickstart). This was almost Halloween just after my birthday. I rode it to school every day no matter the weather until Christmas break. Hope you have fun!
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The dealership does the classes for $300 and this is the last month of the year so I'll have to wait until next year.
One of the bikes I fell in love with. Girlfriend loves it too.
IMG_20221029_155048644.jpg
 
my state has (and i believe still does) motorcycle riding classes, at the state university. i cannot recall the pricing. you'd ride around in the parking lot, at low speed, and maneuver around cones.

then, after you "graduate", you have to (supposed to) go riding with a licensed rider (separate bikes of course), for a couple of weeks, but i cannot recall.

then you go to the DMV, and get your license.....(this is how i had to do it, back in the late 1990's)

one guy (true story) when i ran a repair garage (in the late 1970's early 1980's) , he showed up for his road test, (back then you had to go to the DMV and demonstrate with the cones again), well when he go there, the examiner asked him, "how did you get here"?

to wit he said, "from Providence, to here, I had to take I-95 south"...

the examiner said, "let me have your permit", he thought he was in trouble, and the examiner stamped it "PASSED"....!!!

then the examiner went on to say, "if you survived 95, you're good to go"....!!

that guy, and his GF were customers of mine, and i could not stop laughing at how he passed his DMV motorcycle riding test....

but when i went to buy a bike, i looked at the then new Road King....slate blue....

just the MSRP (that all the dealers ever sell for AND MORE...!!) well i had family, mortgages, etc,etc..

i went full on Japanese bikes (owned 3) and NEVER regretted, not buying a high dollar BRAND name, that either leaked or seeped oil....

best times i had, care free, worry free, and 1000% dependable. Suzuki's (2), and (1) Honda
 
Wannabewoodsman said:
The dealership does the classes for $300 and this is the last month of the year so I'll have to wait until next year.
One of the bikes I fell in love with. Girlfriend loves it too.
View attachment 31966
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Beautiful bike, that being said and with all due respect if you have never ridden a motorcycle that is a big bike for you to start with, I rode motorcycles for close to 40 years and put over 250 thousand miles on two wheels. I started at 19 years old with a 500cc then moved to and owned (2) 750cc sport bikes. My 3rd Honda was a 1200cc GoldWing and my last was a 1800 GoldWing.
F8385E32-96CC-459B-AB4C-1E6C748E8E2A.jpeg

You can obviously do what you want but my suggestion would be to pick up a smaller bike; no bigger then a 750-1000cc (sportster) to spend a year on riding and learning before going to big.
You admit to having no experience on two wheels and a big bike is not the best way to learn.
Keep this in mind, the salesman doesn’t care as he just wants to sell bikes.
My son started riding a 50cc dirt bike at 8 years old and although he was good at it when he went to buy his 1st street bike the salesman talked him into a Yamaha 750cc rocket which he was not ready for and he had an accident that almost cost him his right leg.
Going too big too soon is a recipe for disaster. My opinion.

Edit….
Many states don’t allow passengers on motorcycles for new riders for up to 6 months, learning to ride safely is hard enough without adding extra weight.
A passenger changes the handling characteristics of a motorcycle drastically. Please be safe.
 
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Keystone19250 said:
Beautiful bike, that being said and with all due respect if you have never ridden a motorcycle that is a big bike for you to start with, I rode motorcycles for close to 40 years and put over 250 thousand miles on two wheels. I started at 19 years old with a 500cc then moved to and owned (2) 750cc sport bikes. My 3rd Honda was a 1200cc GoldWing and my last was a 1800 GoldWing.
View attachment 31968
You can obviously do what you want but my suggestion would be to pick up a smaller bike; no bigger then a 750-1000cc (sportster) to spend a year on riding and learning before going to big.
You admit to having no experience on two wheels and a big bike is not the best way to learn.
Keep this in mind, the salesman doesn’t care as he just wants to sell bikes.
My son started riding a 50cc dirt bike at 8 years old and although he was good at it when he went to buy his 1st street bike the salesman talked him into a Yamaha 750cc rocket which he was not ready for and he had an accident that almost cost him his right leg.
Going too big too soon is a recipe for disaster. My opinion.
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Good points! I learned to ride a dirt bike before a bicycle. Started at 5. It's not fun getting yourself out from under a 600# bike.
 
TEXASforLIFE said:
Good points! I learned to ride a dirt bike before a bicycle. Started at 5. It's not fun getting yourself out from under a 600# bike.
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Exactly.
That and riding in the rain and you WILL get caught riding in the rain.

My ex-wife and I still talk about a ride we took on my 1200 GoldWing Interstate,
0A2D1F6D-6FCA-48F6-978B-42D775E9055D.jpeg


we left at night to ride from Connecticut to Vermont to attend a wedding, well it started to rain and I’m saying it poured so hard I had trouble seeing the highway, my ex knew to stay perfectly still and I rode through the storm with no issues.
 
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Keystone19250 said:
Beautiful bike, that being said and with all due respect if you have never ridden a motorcycle that is a big bike for you to start with, I rode motorcycles for close to 40 years and put over 250 thousand miles on two wheels. I started at 19 years old with a 500cc then moved to and owned (2) 750cc sport bikes. My 3rd Honda was a 1200cc GoldWing and my last was a 1800 GoldWing.
View attachment 31968
You can obviously do what you want but my suggestion would be to pick up a smaller bike; no bigger then a 750-1000cc (sportster) to spend a year on riding and learning before going to big.
You admit to having no experience on two wheels and a big bike is not the best way to learn.
Keep this in mind, the salesman doesn’t care as he just wants to sell bikes.
My son started riding a 50cc dirt bike at 8 years old and although he was good at it when he went to buy his 1st street bike the salesman talked him into a Yamaha 750cc rocket which he was not ready for and he had an accident that almost cost him his right leg.
Going too big too soon is a recipe for disaster. My opinion.

Edit….
Many states don’t allow passengers on motorcycles for new riders for up to 6 months, learning to ride safely is hard enough without adding extra weight.
A passenger changes the handling characteristics of a motorcycle drastically. Please be safe.
Click to expand...
The forum won't let me load the photo of the bike I really want (they call it a heritage) and it's considerably smaller. And one thing I told my girlfriend is she won't be riding with me until I'M comfortable with it and she'll also be wearing a helmet
 
I agree with everything posted above. Learn how to pick that big bike up because at some point you will have to. I am sure they will teach you how during the class . The fact that your wife has been on a bike as a passenger before gives you a jump on that. There is nothing that will test your skill as a rider more then a passenger who wants to change their seat position just as you are coming to a stop or just taking off from a stop.

I started out on a mini-bike , then to an old mo-ped ( it had a clutch with the shifter in the left hand grip that you twisted to change the 3 gears ) , then to a 100 CC dirt bike , 250 dirt bike , a 400 YZ Yamaha dirt bike . then moved to a 450 street bike , and had two 750 Honda super sports.

I always wanted to move up to a bigger bike but wasn't able to due to my ex-wife wanting to spend every dime I made before I got my check.
 
I would only recommend to plan out your licensing process. The MSF classes now usually give you your temporary permit, but not always. Practice as much as possible. The exam for the full license may be a road-test or closed course test. If your state does a closed course test, beg or borrow the smallest bike you can find to take that test. That monster HD (the blue one) above would be very difficult to pass a closed course test for a new rider.

If your state does road tests with a radio in your helmet, examiner following you in a car...you might be okay taking the exam on a monster cruiser. No cone-weaves, larger u-turn radii, etc.

I did the MSF thing in MN in the early 90's...it was well worth the time and money.

I'd love to get back into riding, but my taste in bikes exceeds my budget these days (BMW K-series, could settle for the R1100). I'd have to cut back on guns and ammo...not willing to do that at the moment!
 
Wannabewoodsman said:
The forum won't let me load the photo of the bike I really want (they call it a heritage) and it's considerably smaller. And one thing I told my girlfriend is she won't be riding with me until I'M comfortable with it and she'll also be wearing a helmet
Click to expand...
www.harley-davidson.com

2022 Heritage Classic Motorcycle | Harley-Davidson USA

The 2022 Heritage Classic's dark style, modern edge & reinvigorated ride with customizable engine takes nostalgia ripping into new places. Explore more roads.
www.harley-davidson.com www.harley-davidson.com
 
Definitely take the lessons from an established outfit. Find out beforehand what they provide for training. When I took the formal lessons it was on a Buell Blast sport bike which was the Dealers fleet for the the program. What a crappy and twitchy bike that were too short for most of the student taking the course.
I’d wouldn’t recommend starting out learning on a heavy bagger, it may seem too clumsy and control by be compromised by that heft. If you can “borrow” a bike for a weekend or two, get out and practice. Friction zone is the first thing they teach at HD course. Seek out an I solated business districts, parking lots, set up a cone slalom (I cut tennis balls in half as markers), a truck loading ramp helped with uphill/downhill clutch/brake manipulation, and the all important Slow speed U turn without setting feet on the ground. I think the crowned achievement is making a u-turn within two standard parking spaces without setting a foot on the ground.
ALSO - very important…LOOK ahead where you want to go and the bike will take you there!

When I first learned, it was on a buddy’s Yamaha 500, over the course of two days in a desolate industrial area streets I was able to get the hang of the clutch friction zone before I even knew what that was. Never had time to ride and the desire faded until I got way older and had $.

After three decades, I started putting around again on my sons Harley Sportster for a few years and eventually took the H-D Riders Edge Course, 3-day $300 Basic. You learn how to get ride properly and get rid of bad habits.

Eventually wanted a FatBoy, got a StreetGlide added a TourPack, now I’m on the fence to get something lighter and nimble. Long range Touring models are best for comfort, city jaunts not so much. The Dyna and Softails seem about right.

Good Luck - Ride safe - Watch out for the other guy.
 
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