Getting a first bike soon and need a gear checklist!

[dalv]

If you are thinking you might want your own bike eventually, I would recommend he start on a V-star 650, nice light bike but still has some room and potential for comfort. And would be right there for you when he decided to move up.

 

I personally never felt I needed anything over a 650 when I rode solo. And even two up I never had anything over a 750 until I got the Venture.. Still never felt I needed more power than a 750, just wasn't enough room to be comfortable on any of the modern 750s riding two up. And as the years have gone by, comfort has become more and more important.

 

 

My lovely wife of 30+ yrs (and HS Sweetheart) and I have been riding together all that time. I bought the 750 in 1978 and continue to ride it to this day. I agree with hig completely. We just moved up to the Venture ('08 S) for the comfort reasons he noted. The size and weight of the Venture can be quite a handful for the inexperienced. That, coupled with the availability of the V-Stars for very reasonable pricing especially this time of year as people look to unload before winter are valid points to consider.

I understand the attraction of the Venture but you might want to think about working up to it's size.

 

Remember the old saying: " 2 types of riders...ones that have dumped their bike..and ones that will!" (Easier to pick up the 650:doh:)

[CaptainJoe]

"If you are thinking you might want your own bike eventually, I would recommend he start on a V-star 650, nice light bike but still has some room and potential for comfort. And would be right there for you when he decided to move up.

 

I personally never felt I needed anything over a 650 when I rode solo. And even two up I never had anything over a 750 until I got the Venture.. Still never felt I needed more power than a 750, just wasn't enough room to be comfortable on any of the modern 750s riding two up. And as the years have gone by, comfort has become more and more important. "

 

 

I agree with hig4's.

 

I have a 2005 650 vstar and drove it the whole way to Eugene,OR and to the

keys,Fl. Its best use is 300 miles or less though. If, thats the type of riding your doing, a 650 -750 is more than adaquate.

 

The only reason I bought the venture is "for the long trips" +500 miles a day. You can't, in my humble opinion,beat their comfort and dependability.

 

I wouldn't however recommend, someone just starting out with motorcycles, to buy a bike this large... after all thats how I got such a deal on mine. The guy only had 482 miles on his 2007 after owning it for 3 years cause it scared the BEJESUS out of him.

he ended up selling it to me for bank payoff after he had made 3 years of payments for something he could not ride...

 

Do what you want, but most MSC let you putt around on little 250cc MC, that are easy to handle. It would be lile going straight from no driving at all, to a geo metro for 1 day, to a TRACTOR TRAILER....

 

I know you didn't want to hear this, but better hearing it from me, than making bank payments for something you can't use, or worse yet, something that gets you into trouble.

Edited October 1, 2010 by CaptainJoe