Guess what hubby and I did today?

[mountainhorsega]

If hubby has never ridden, he should take the msf FIRST and see if he really even likes to ride and has the coordination for it (not discouraging anyone but, some people think it looks cool and fun until they spend the $ on a bike that is to much for them and then scare themselves out of it) . Then start on a smaller bike - even a used 250 or so. Get used to balance, shifting, braking, controls. a 250 hurts a lot less when it falls on you. Don't ride two up until he is VERY comfortable. A scooter is great and the burgman 650 would probably be just the ticket for the two of you but, the only learning experience you get from a scooter is balance and traffic management - no shifting, no foot braking, and not much weight control. A guy at work just jumped from a Piaggio MP3 (3 wheel scooter) to a Triumph rocket III touring(2300cc). He has taken the msf course (which is a GREAT idea) and has dropped it at least 5 times. He just isn't used to the balance and coordination required. but, he is learning - I just wish he had gotten something smaller to learn on.

 

Start small and used, sell and replace with something a little larger. Going from a 300 or 400lb 250cc or even a 650cc to a 850lb 1300cc touring bike is a totally different ride and takes a lot more experience and care.

 

I wish the states would adopt the European requirement of starting on a small bike and growing into a bigger one over time regardless of age.

 

Oh yah - Enjoy! and remember, a motorcycle, especially a large one will probably not save you $. Insurance, maintenance and tires pretty much eat up our savings in gas.

[GAWildKat]

I have a question then, I and he are are concerned about this, tho I know it's not the same exactly. He had 2 Blazer s-10's for years, 2.8 V6, older 80's models and while he didn't push them hard all the time, the traffic conditions would sometimes demand more speed, over time this would blow the engines, went through 2 engines in a bit more than 2 yrs, and one went prior to meeting him. He bought the caprice for me as an engagement prezzie and has yet to abuse it to that point. His concern is that with an ultra small cc engine like the 250 and maybe the 650 too that he might have similar experiences and doesn't want to spend money on a bike that doesn't fit his style of in city driving and abuse. He's alot better than he was temperament wise than he was 5 yrs ago. I can say he also looked like a gorilla on the 650. Said it was not even remotely comfy to sit on. Was hunched over on it to reach the handlebars and said his knees were too bent while getting a feel for riding. Overall said that's what made him turn it down for him. If he was shown a reason to reconsider then he'd look into that. He knows handlebars can be changed out, it was more way he'd be sitting on the bike that bothered him. If I can ride a bike and the bike's throttle and clutch can be switched to the opposing handlebars from stock then he may consider the 650 as a learning bike then graduate to a bigger bike and give me his 650 when he wants bigger and better. 950 was about as big as he wanted to go for his daily driver. He likes power but the caprice satisfies that desire easily.

 

Tricia

[curtis]

Yeah really! Hubby was just doing a comparison between all the brands of bikes we had access to for today. We included harley because it was nearly next door to the second place we went to. Hubby was thinking of the idea of having a quick connect backrest that he could take on and off for me to get on and off and wanted to see how the part of me getting on first would work. Worked well enough til the HD guy fussed at us. But based on that he's prolly not getting HD ever.

 

If you are not getting a Harley because of one dealer then you are the one losing not he dealer.

[dunvilsteev]

then he may consider the 650 as a learning bike then graduate to a bigger bike and give me his 650 when he wants bigger and better. 950 was about as big as he wanted to go for his daily driver.

Tricia

 

If you ARE truly intersted in riding in the future, this is a good way to go. BECAUSE anything over 750 puts you in a higher insurance bracket (at least up here) and you are at the highest now being a beginner, so more $$$ for the next 3 years.

If you plan on touring and 2 up trips, I think he will be leaning towards a bigger bike than a 950 in the future. Which is really a big mid size bike nowadays. Figure out what you think you will want in the future, if your riding the "old" 650 he might only want an 1100 with some bags for storage... if you get my drift?! And do you really want to sit on that little peapad on the 950 vs the venture "momma couch"? I know which way wifey voted here.

PS: Invest in a membership, a fantastic deal.

[Iowawegian]

Well, I'm going to throw my 2 cents in......My sister in law drives a 650 V Star and I think it would be to small for him...

I understand he's just going to be learning on it, but if it's a bike your going to keep for a few years, it isn't going to be comfortable for you, the passenger.

 

Good luck on what ever you decide!

 

Welcome to the site!

[utadventure]

Tricia-

 

Although important to consider, don't let engine size distract you from or lead you to a specific bike. You want to make sure the bike is comfortable for where you'll be driving and that you can handle it properly. Weight and center of gravity can be big factors here.

 

My wife originally rode an '82 Suzuki 650. This bike was geared in a way that she had no problems keeping up with my Venture and it's acceleration was only slightly less but more than enough for day to day riding. For long trips, it wasn't set up well for comfort.

 

She now has an '08 Harley Sportster 1200. Although bigger in the engine department and able to accelerate a bit better than the Suzuki, it's center of gravity is lower and so the bike feels and handles like it weighs less than the Suzuki. With some upgrades she is able to take it on our longer rides and stay comfortable even though it's not considered a long distance cruiser.

 

I encourage you to find a bike that you feel comfortable with physically and that you can handle on the road while you get some riding experience. It won't be long until you decide to upgrade.

 

I don't know if you can switch the controls from right to left and vice versa but many of the original bikes were designed that way.

 

Dave

[GAWildKat]

Another thing I'm considering too is if we want to 2 up the 650 is WAY too small for the 2 of us, if 350lbs is the max it should carry even if we wanted to do a day trip to a state park or something we blow that out of the water with me sitting on the bike And yes, I plan on joining up...need to send that check in I guess heh. I'm pushing him to at least get his learner's now. Take the MSF class ASAP (prolly will register him next month like it or not) and start hunting a bike down for him. Also in the process of trying to move as well as the moment too but that's a whole different can of worms there...

[Jethroish]

The as we left the salesguy was very snobby and said on avg it takes 22 trips into an HD dealer before someone buys a bike, what trip is this for you?

 

 

 

I hope your answer to him was, "Our Last!"

[dunvilsteev]

Another thing I'm considering too is if we want to 2 up the 650 is WAY too small for the 2 of us, if 350lbs is the max it should carry even if we wanted to do a day trip to a state park or something we blow that out of the water with me sitting on the bike And yes, I plan on joining up...need to send that check in I guess heh. I'm pushing him to at least get his learner's now. Take the MSF class ASAP (prolly will register him next month like it or not) and start hunting a bike down for him. Also in the process of trying to move as well as the moment too but that's a whole different can of worms there...

If you look in the manual for a venture it has 450 lbs .... take a look at our member gallery. Trying to be PC here .... lets say that number is bogus.

The courses will fill up quick this time of year (from experience) you will be booking for weeks ahead.

Phone insurance company and find out prices, from $800 for a 650 vstar to $1300 for venture becuase I still had learners permit. I know its cheaper down south, but that SHOULD be figured in too.

Good luck, and what a great plan .... course for two, how romantic!!

[Jethroish]

My first road bike was a VStar 650. I am 6' 1" and 210lbs. There are many time I feel a little cramped on the 650 (still have it, wife rode it, but is for sale now). Not sure what type of "city" riding your hubby will be doing, but my experience is this: the 650 has good acceleration up to about 65 or 70. After that, if you need to roll the throttle quickly, it is slow to respond. Especially if you are 2-up. Also, the stock seat is very uncorfortable for trips over 60 to 70 miles. IMO, the 2 big pluses for the 650 is its light weight and low center of gravity.

 

Being in GA, I would want a liquid cooled engine. I used to ride the 650 in Oklahoma 100 degree temps and would roast my azz off.

 

I agree with the other post about the safety class. Take the class (it will most likely be on a 250) and see how comfortable he is on a bike.

 

Next, if you are looking for a bike to get acclimated to riding then sell in a year, I don't know that I want to buy brand new. You might take a beating when you try to sell it.

[GAWildKat]

Hubby says his elbows bumped his knees on the 650 and thought that was a bad thing on a bike. there was no 750 to compare to that so the next one he looked at was the new fuel injected 950 Vstar and that had the best fit for his size, it's still a few mons off yet before we buy anyway, he wants a class before the bike. As far as quotes go, Progressive quoted me $353/yr for full coverage on a Vstar 1100 with no license and no classes yet... checked the 650cc bikes and the insurance is the same on them as the 1100. he looked at the 1600cc roadstar just to see what it was like but immediately walked away saying he needing to bulk up to move that thing lol. The 950 was something he could lift off the kickstand easily with no strain, he lifted it off the floor to test that and sat on it, but we'll see what happens.

[Wanderer]

My recommendations, based on your info: Suzuki C50T 800

Kawasaki LT 900

VStar 1100 Silverado

[Bwhite]

Being hubby and you are just starting out, I highly advise against jumping into riding on a Royal Star Venture. I just purchased a used one this winter and have now put about 1200 miles on it. The top heavy weight takes some getting used to. I've been riding for 30 years and rode a 1100 Vstar for the last 7 years before the RSV. I really liked the Vstar. The wife convinced me to buy the cadillac RSV after she got vertigo and couldn't ride her own bike any more. Have you considered looking for a used, for sale by owner, bike such as the 1100 Vstar? Will give hubby time to become seasoned on a mid weight bike.

[GAWildKat]

The Venture will not be the first bike, a yr or 2 down the road sure, I can ride a cruiser bike with a backrest w/o problems been doing that now for 5 yrs with friends lol.I want to make sure hubby is satisfied with the bike he gets as a first bike because he might not have the ablity to upgrade later when he's needing it. We considered getting a Venture at the same time (if we can afford it) and park it in the garage and crank and run it every few days to keep everything sound til he is able to drive it. Yeah, not the best idea for the bike but hey was a thought.

 

Regards,

Tricia

[tpalshadow]

The Venture will not be the first bike, a yr or 2 down the road sure, I can ride a cruiser bike with a backrest w/o problems been doing that now for 5 yrs with friends lol.I want to make sure hubby is satisfied with the bike he gets as a first bike because he might not have the ablity to upgrade later when he's needing it. We considered getting a Venture at the same time (if we can afford it) and park it in the garage and crank and run it every few days to keep everything sound til he is able to drive it. Yeah, not the best idea for the bike but hey was a thought.

 

Regards,

Tricia

 

Better idea...you buy the Venture, I'll ride it and store it for you until you are ready. I'll do all maintenance and everything! It'll be in brand-new (with a few miles) condition for when you are ready and any kinks will be worked out!

[GAWildKat]

:rotfl:LOL ummm NO! I made the mistake of letting the hubby drive the caprice after he bought it for me....now it needs bodywork from and I quote "Other ppl running into me!)" Any Venture we buy will be as a used bike anyway. Anyone who lives in the Macon area and has seen a black 90's model black caprice with a banged up front end and a pit style dent in the rear passenger quarter panel....that's my car! I'm still waiting on him to take it into a bodyshop and get an actual quote on bodywork. But that's another rant all together....

[wes0778]

 

Trish,

June 19th Oberlin, OH - Maintenance Day

Plan to be there and look at ALL the bikes!!!

Besides, Mini and Lonna could use another redhead to blame trouble on...:stirthepot:

:rotf::rotf:

 

Now back to the regularly scheduled program!!!

[GAWildKat]

We've love to go, unfortunately other things atm are more pressing like I need tires on my car *grumble* We'll see if we can get to one of the meet and eats at some point this summer or fall.

Edited June 4, 2010 by GAWildKat

[Poledar]

Take the MSF course first, discuss your wants in a bike with the instructor, and ask if he/she can go with you to the dealer. The instructor has no commercial interest in what you buy, only that you get something that is appropriate for what you plan on. I agree with the others that a Venture is probably too big until there are quite a few miles under the seat of the pants and one is used to a mid-size bike before making the move to the bigger machine. No matter what you do, the MSF course is critical and THEN get the bike that feels good to you.

Lotsa luck and pleasant, safe riding!!

 

Retired MSF instructor POLEDAR:sun:

[Woody]

More info please....what brand of back rest is it??

 

ok, try this and see if it might be what you want.

http://www.grasshopperlimited.com/

[bj66]

you guys are gonna think im nuts for this but. I hadnt ridden in about 10 years or so. Last bike was a yammie 750. My first bike was a kawasaki 90 enduro when i was 8. I had a couple of other enduros etc. then a 3 wheeler, then finally a 82 honda 500 custom street bike. All of them were fun etc. But when I decided to ride again. I knew i didnt want to start on a new HD. I kind of did some research etc, finally decided on a tour deluxe. I never rode one or anything. I figured id like whatever I got on, cause it would be so much better than the old 750. I bought my bike at a dealer 300 miles away, and trailered it home. That is when I first started it, even heard it. Within 30 miles of riding it felt like I had been riding all this time. It never occured to me how big the bike is until i got on my buddies HD a year later. The RSTD/Ventures are huge compared to the HD bikes. But not knowing any better it never occured to me. I live in a rural communty and could get out and ride with very little traffic and take my time. My buddy was understanding and was in no hurry to get anywhere, so it worked real well for me. Of course i had alot of past riding to remember from. My decison to get the tour deluxe was a great one for me, and I'll never regret it. My situation is different than most, But the decison to go with the RSTD was perfect for me. I have to admit I was a little nervous when i let the clutch out right away, but within the first mile I knew i made the right choice. Plus I dont have to go bigger, they dont get much bigger than that!

[Brenda H]

As an ex scooter rider, I'm a big fan of them. I'm also working my way up to a RSV. I'm a fan of the Burgies and am thinking about getting one as a short trip bike after I get my Venture of course .

 

I can reccommend a scoot as a first bike. I rode my Aprilia Atlantic 500 for 3 years and 17k miles. I went Texas to Illinois and back on it and had no problem keeping up with Interstate traffic. I've ridden the Hill Country [central Tx] on it in tandem with a group of 1000cc sport touring bikes and had no problem keeping up there either and we were not exactly obeying the speed limit . One gentleman I've met has 40k miles on his tricked out Burgie 650. A Houston friend is a full time Honda Silverwing 600 rider with 35k+ miles on it.

 

They are FUN! They are a blast to ride. Good aftermarket support with the increase in popularity they've been having in recent years. My Atlantic was certainly easier to ride than my 650. I think that one of the bigger scoots would be a great first bike for the hubby that can be passed down to you when he feels ready to step up to something bigger. A Burgie 650, Silverwing 600, or the older model of the Aprilia Scarabeo 500, sister bike to my old Atlantic, [new version looks like a Vespa. UGH!] would make a great riding bike as well as a possible tourer.

 

Something to think about! Who knows, he might decide that he doesn't need a RSV .