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**DGXSER** · 05-25-2012, 01:20 PM

John, I was just having this discussion with a fellow rider the other day. It amazes me how it has become this size matters deal with riding. People even advertise anything under 1000 CC as a beginner or womans bike. And what woman who wants to ride her own bike is going to want it seen as a "girl's" bike. Not to be stereotyping, but typically women who ride do not want to be seen a woman playing in a man's world. So they go for the big MAN size bike. Same thing could be said for small guys or beginning riders. I started on an XS750 and thought I was really going large for a beginner bike. But today I swear folks would call me a sissy riding it. I just do not get it.

Realistically, I own an XS1100 because that was the bike I found that was in the best condition for the money I had to spend.

**jwhughes3** · 05-25-2012, 01:38 PM

let them call me a sissy...

Not many would at 6' and 250 lbs...

But back when I started riding again after a twenty year hiatus I bought an XS400 and let people say what they may...I was determined to stay small until I felt comfortable in my skills.

Granted within a few months I was itching for the 1100, but I am still alive because I dont want to be a statistic based on what others think of me.

Heck I get crap all the time at the local watering hole from mostly Harley riders about my bright yellow vest...but Id rather be alive than cool.

I was an ER nurse for way too long and seen my share of "cool" riders who arent so cool out of their minds in road rash pain or missing a thigh, or dead.

I have an ulterior motive too, and thats to set the example my sons will follow in safety so they stay alive too.

John

**Rasputin** · 05-25-2012, 07:14 PM

Used to be we could get our license at 14 years old for a bike up to 100cc's.
Now at 16 we can buy and ride the highest powered bike available. Seems stupid to me.
I had 6600 miles on my first bike before I was old enough to legally ride it and it was an HS-1 90cc yamaha twin. I think we all do a disservice, in all countries, to first time riders by not making them ride smaller bikes first. I do not care if you are 100 yrs old if you have not ridden before you NEED to start out on a smaller bike. They can be every bit as dangerous as a big bike but the speeds are lower.
700 pound bike and a 120 pound woman beginner rider, without a safety course would simply be asking to be highlighted on the nightly news. The fact that she dumped it and had to get help speaks volumes. It may takes a while but yes I agree you will see her hurt one way or another due to her riding skills lacking.

**b.walker5** · 05-25-2012, 11:44 PM

We have to start on a 250 or less here with a graduated licence system that has a Learners, Resticted and Full classes.
Leaners first have to pass a basic skills practical test, and then road rules theory test, and are only allowed up to 250cc, no pillion and a curfew (5am to 10pm), for a minimum of 6 months.
Restricted riders have to pass a practical riding test and have basically the same conditions as a learner (without the L plate) for another 18 months, and then they sit another practical test to get a full, unrestricted licence.

Works reasonably well at keeping riders alive, but as some of the small 'sports' bikes these days can be just as fast as some of the bigger bikes the regulators are now looking at a HP restriction instead, which will allow bigger bikes like 450 and 650 singles etc.

**planedick** · 05-26-2012, 08:19 AM

Lesson learned

I got the neighbor's Honda 600 sport bike running so he could sell it. The guy who bought it went riding right away before any MSF course, or insurance, or endorsement for bikes on his license or any common sense for that matter and wouldn't listen to me about the consequenses of a mistake. He got lucky because he got caught by a cop doing 80 in a 40 and got wrote up real good. It cost him right around $2500 before it was all over and done. Lucky because he didn't end up as road kill and he had to sell the bike to help cover some of the cost.

**natemoen** · 05-26-2012, 08:21 AM

Originally posted by planedick View Post

I got the neighbor's Honda 600 sport bike running so he could sell it. The guy who bought it went riding right away before any MSF course, or insurance, or endorsement for bikes on his license or any common sense for that matter and wouldn't listen to me about the consequenses of a mistake. He got lucky because he got caught by a cop doing 80 in a 40 and got wrote up real good. It cost him right around $2500 before it was all over and done. Lucky because he didn't end up as road kill and he had to sell the bike to help cover some of the cost.

Glad to hear he got nailed by an LEO rather than a wall!

**trbig** · 05-26-2012, 10:48 AM

let them call me a sissy...

Not many would at 6' and 250 lbs...

Well said... Sissy.

All I can envision now is a guy that size putting around on a 400. Monkeys, fornication, and footballs comes to mind.

You guys ride safe down there this weekend.

**WSL91** · 05-31-2012, 03:20 AM

A guy I work with bought his wife a Yamaha Stryker, her first bike. Thats 700+lbs and 1900 cc. He's been riding it as his is down for a repairs and he made the comment she doesn't ride it as much as he he expected.

I have friends that ride and she rides a 750 Shadow and she can barely touch the ground. Had to help pick it up off the street last weekend as it got away from her taking off a t intersection with multiple grade changes. It's not about being a woman or man it's about physics and when you are maybe 5'1 and 110lbs you probably need a real low seat ht and you probably don't need 100hp unless you have a lot of experience.

After she dumped her bike she asked to find better roads as that being the cause. I didn't say anything as I thought the cause was she didn't fit the bike.

**natemoen** · 05-31-2012, 04:57 AM

Had a guy come in to work yesterday and he needed help getting his bike back upright. He's a little Indian dude, probably about 5'4" and maybe 140 soaking wet, all decked out in shiny new early leathers. I go help him and he had a brand spanking new CEO ultra classic electra glide. Said it was his first bike and he had just picked it up a couple weeks ago. It had about 30 miles on it....

**sparks** · 05-31-2012, 09:48 AM

Dont know if I should feel like an idiot or not.. After 25 years without a bike, I just got an XS11 Special. My wife wont let me ride unitl I complet the
Team Oregon 4 day course.. 2 days in class and 2 days on the bike.. My
class starts the 13th.. Ive been waiting for a couple of weeks or so.. I go out to the garage and start it up and warm it up every couple of days.. Getting insurance tomorrow and, perhaps a helmet.. Could get some advice.. Walmart sells helmets.. would I be better off driving 30 miles to a bike shop and spending large bux for a name brand?

Regards,
Lee

**old_chopper** · 05-31-2012, 10:15 AM

You'll would have hated watching me ride the old Suzuki 175 then. I was maybe 5' tall and I had to stop and start next to our porch as I couldn't touch the ground, at all. I later perfected the running start and stop. I'm not sure I could touch the ground now on that beast! I swear the handlebars were at eye level but that has been 30+ years ago!

**motoman** · 05-31-2012, 01:00 PM

Originally posted by sparks View Post

Dont know if I should feel like an idiot or not.. After 25 years without a bike, I just got an XS11 Special. My wife wont let me ride unitl I complet the
Team Oregon 4 day course.. 2 days in class and 2 days on the bike.. My
class starts the 13th.. Ive been waiting for a couple of weeks or so.. I go out to the garage and start it up and warm it up every couple of days.. Getting insurance tomorrow and, perhaps a helmet.. Could get some advice.. Walmart sells helmets.. would I be better off driving 30 miles to a bike shop and spending large bux for a name brand?

Regards,
Lee

not large bucks..........but get a quality helmet...

**steelraider** · 05-31-2012, 01:06 PM

Helmet

As I have always been told "How much is your head worth?"

Buy the best you can afford !!!!!!

**crazy steve** · 05-31-2012, 02:19 PM

Originally posted by sparks View Post

...Could get some advice.. Walmart sells helmets.. would I be better off driving 30 miles to a bike shop and spending large bux for a name brand?

While $$ spent can equate to better quality and features, more spent also doesn't mean the helmet is neccesarily safer. There was a multi-page article published by Motorcyclist a number of years ago (sadly, no longer available online) that tested then-current models, ranging from discount-house brands up to big $$ models with all the latest Snell ratings. The very interesting results were that the cheaper DOT-rated helmets (without the 'better' Snell rating) were judged to be a lot safer than the more-expensive Snell models.

Reason for this? It seems that Snell has 'upgraded' their spec over the years, making the helmet better at withstanding impacts without breaching the shell. The problem they found in testing is that by doing so, the helmet now transfers more of the shock load to your brain, increasing the chance of permanent brain damage or death. The cheaper DOT-rated helmets would fail, but by doing so they would absorb that shock. This is a very abbreviated explanation, but the original article had all the details. The testers were a former researcher for Snell (who helped develop their first 'standard'), a nationally-known brain-injury specialist, and a rocket scientist (no joke..). Not a single lightweight between them; these guys knew what they were talking about.

The magazine took a lot of heat for this (several high-end helmet makers pulled their ads after this), but felt this was important enough that they let the chips fall where they may...

The 'winners' in this particular test? The top two 'safest' helmets were DOT-rated-only (not Snell rated) models sold by K-mart and GI Joes, both under a $100...

Note that Snell-rated helmets will always meet the DOT standard, but DOT helmets may not meet the Snell standard, so the presence of a DOT sticker doesn't mean that's the 'safer' version. It's the Snell sticker you want to avoid IMHO.

I'll note that they only tested full-face units, but they said that you could probably expect the same results in other types.

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New rider falls, i worry im gonna see her in the news

New rider falls, i worry im gonna see her in the news

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