I'll use the form, but add what I'm wondering.
Try to include the following info in your first post
1) Your physical size (both height and weight are important)
5'8' 135ish
2) How physical / aggressive are you ?
Good question. If I had any skills I'd probably be really aggressive. However, prudence dictates I only go fast on straight roads with no crosswind or out of the stoplight. The rest of the time I'm a big chicken crybaby waah waah girl. My motorcycle came with a walker and a cane.
3) What do you plan to ride?
50 mile commute on 2 and 4 lane highways, curvy poorly maintained bluff roads, lots of semis and lunatic country hammerheads. DEER!!!
Traffic speeds ranging from 35-75.
4) Do you have any riding experience?
a little over 1 year...not a lot.
5) Do you think you will race ?
n/a for now.
6) Are you mechanically inclined and will you be doing your own bike work?
no
7) Do YOU have a preference to a brand/ motor choice?
At present my mentor has narrowed me to: Suzuki SV650, 2008 (the pretty one) Suzuki DR-Z400SM, 250Ninja
or (my mentor would shudder) any
cheap beat up goofy used sports bike sitting for sale this May. I'm not keen on cruisers, just now.
8) Do you have a dealer close by your home that you might use and what brand(s) does he carry?
yes.
9) How much ($) do you plan to spend on a bike?
Considering trading in or selling my dr200se....see below. $5000-$6000 unless I can do better.
10) Do you live in California?
na/no
11) Your age?
48 going on 100.
12) anything else that you think would help form an opinion.
I hope you guys can help. I've really been a humongous pain in the fanny to my one patient and willing motorcycle friend with annoying pestering question after question. (Coincidentally, the only person whose opinion I trust, so you've got big shoes to fill.) I thought I'd see what kind of advice came up here, in the interest of not getting my neck rung.
Although my heart would love to concentrate on the dirt skills, my membership in the Real Life Club didn't come with those benefits in 2008. Some sort of fine print in the contract details. However, it does afford me the possibility of riding at least a few days a week 100 miles a day on my work commute.... My little dr is a fun bike, and I love it...However at anything above 50 to 55 she shakes miserably. I'd like to either modify the bike, or buy a bike that will be more comfortable at those speeds.
q1.) Are there modifications I can make to make this itty bitty bike to make her worthy of rigorous commuter duty?
q2.) Which bike to add to the corral next?
I've test road the Suzuki SV650, but not at high speeds just yet.
I've not test road the Supermoto, but I have a preference for light bikes.The sleek black 2008 calls me... However, see above comments on the dr. Is it going to solve my problem? It certainly would have more power on the big hills here which will keep the hammerheads from running my sorry sagging fanny over....But what about headshake? Crosswinds still an issue, I'd guess?
I road the 2007? Ninja 250 (not the new improved 08)...It was okay....It might be a fun bike to get accustomed to the sport bike feel...However, I didn't like the ergonomics and steering as well as the more upright sv650. Again, that dirtbike thing, I would guess.
Having said that, months later, (and seeings how well JLW likes her Ninja 250) I'm feeling nervous about a 650. It's a heavy bike, and, my skills training has been downgraded to "what you can learn while taking a dirtbike class with an 11 year old." (yes, mommy guilt). The Supermoto seems to be the midpower bike, but again, is it the bike for a 50 mile (one way) commute?
q3.) Financial. Do I dump (sell or trade) the dr and move up as my circumstances dictate, or do I keep it just in case.
(As in: In case it turns out I'm just a wimpy over the hill hag and have no business on a real bike?)
Okay- have at it if you are still awake. I realize this is long.
Thanks in advance. Mods please move to general forum if this isn't the right place for this post.
Try to include the following info in your first post
1) Your physical size (both height and weight are important)
5'8' 135ish
2) How physical / aggressive are you ?
Good question. If I had any skills I'd probably be really aggressive. However, prudence dictates I only go fast on straight roads with no crosswind or out of the stoplight. The rest of the time I'm a big chicken crybaby waah waah girl. My motorcycle came with a walker and a cane.
3) What do you plan to ride?
50 mile commute on 2 and 4 lane highways, curvy poorly maintained bluff roads, lots of semis and lunatic country hammerheads. DEER!!!
Traffic speeds ranging from 35-75.
4) Do you have any riding experience?
a little over 1 year...not a lot.
5) Do you think you will race ?
n/a for now.
6) Are you mechanically inclined and will you be doing your own bike work?
no
7) Do YOU have a preference to a brand/ motor choice?
At present my mentor has narrowed me to: Suzuki SV650, 2008 (the pretty one) Suzuki DR-Z400SM, 250Ninja
or (my mentor would shudder) any
cheap beat up goofy used sports bike sitting for sale this May. I'm not keen on cruisers, just now.
8) Do you have a dealer close by your home that you might use and what brand(s) does he carry?
yes.
9) How much ($) do you plan to spend on a bike?
Considering trading in or selling my dr200se....see below. $5000-$6000 unless I can do better.
10) Do you live in California?
na/no
11) Your age?
48 going on 100.
12) anything else that you think would help form an opinion.
I hope you guys can help. I've really been a humongous pain in the fanny to my one patient and willing motorcycle friend with annoying pestering question after question. (Coincidentally, the only person whose opinion I trust, so you've got big shoes to fill.) I thought I'd see what kind of advice came up here, in the interest of not getting my neck rung.
Although my heart would love to concentrate on the dirt skills, my membership in the Real Life Club didn't come with those benefits in 2008. Some sort of fine print in the contract details. However, it does afford me the possibility of riding at least a few days a week 100 miles a day on my work commute.... My little dr is a fun bike, and I love it...However at anything above 50 to 55 she shakes miserably. I'd like to either modify the bike, or buy a bike that will be more comfortable at those speeds.
q1.) Are there modifications I can make to make this itty bitty bike to make her worthy of rigorous commuter duty?
q2.) Which bike to add to the corral next?
I've test road the Suzuki SV650, but not at high speeds just yet.
I've not test road the Supermoto, but I have a preference for light bikes.The sleek black 2008 calls me... However, see above comments on the dr. Is it going to solve my problem? It certainly would have more power on the big hills here which will keep the hammerheads from running my sorry sagging fanny over....But what about headshake? Crosswinds still an issue, I'd guess?
I road the 2007? Ninja 250 (not the new improved 08)...It was okay....It might be a fun bike to get accustomed to the sport bike feel...However, I didn't like the ergonomics and steering as well as the more upright sv650. Again, that dirtbike thing, I would guess.
Having said that, months later, (and seeings how well JLW likes her Ninja 250) I'm feeling nervous about a 650. It's a heavy bike, and, my skills training has been downgraded to "what you can learn while taking a dirtbike class with an 11 year old." (yes, mommy guilt). The Supermoto seems to be the midpower bike, but again, is it the bike for a 50 mile (one way) commute?
q3.) Financial. Do I dump (sell or trade) the dr and move up as my circumstances dictate, or do I keep it just in case.
(As in: In case it turns out I'm just a wimpy over the hill hag and have no business on a real bike?)
Okay- have at it if you are still awake. I realize this is long.
Thanks in advance. Mods please move to general forum if this isn't the right place for this post.
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