Need Recommendations for GF...
#22
05-22-2007, 04:31 AM
RE: Need Recommendations for GF...
ORIGINAL: dieselmech
BTW my ex rides a 06 650r and its almost the perfect bike for her, light, balanced well, not over powering, pretty foregiving, upright riders position. Its a great 1st bike. I even have a great time riding her 650r so its not a bike she will want to replace in a month or two. They are a good lookin bike as well with lots of hop up potentioal.
BTW my ex rides a 06 650r and its almost the perfect bike for her, light, balanced well, not over powering, pretty foregiving, upright riders position. Its a great 1st bike. I even have a great time riding her 650r so its not a bike she will want to replace in a month or two. They are a good lookin bike as well with lots of hop up potentioal.
#23
05-22-2007, 04:47 AM
RE: Need Recommendations for GF...
ORIGINAL: srobak
I will have to give a +1 on the gs500. In all honesty - it is much better put together and quality than the Ninja 250 or 500, and the overall handling and front-end feel are much better, yet the power & delivery is not ramped up to something as extreme as a 600. Someone else mentioned it will likely get dropped - so do keep that in mind... most folks - men or women - drop their first bike. It is the 2nd most educational day you will have on a bike, 2nd only to the MSF. So keep that in mind and either get something used (but decent quality), or pick up some sliders when you pick up the bike. The MSF is a must. I know a lot of people think you need to flat-foot a bike, but I actually do not agree with that. For cruisers - it is a given, due to the riding position. There are many sportbikes however which not even men can flatfoot. I am 5ft 10 and I cannot flatfoot the zx9 on both sides... but it's ok. If you can lean it just a couple degrees and rest it in the inside of your leg, you should be good.... and so long as you have decent balance and negotiation skills, as well as strong legs... if you can almost get your heels down on both sides, you should be ok.
Yes, lowering links are also an option for a taller bike - just make sure you adjust the rest of the suspension when you do it, because it will have some pretty dramatic effects on the handling & geometry. Make sure she is geared up right, and spend a LOT of time with her in the parking lot before & after the MSF. Also - don't put her in the city and traffic right away. Go find some back-jack county roads that are in decent shape without a lot of traffic, teach her about focusing down the road, not in front of the bike (big mistake everyone makes) and target fixation.Let her get used to riding where it is just her and the bike and the road for a couple weeks, then work your way into town & traffic.
Otherwise... MSF MSF MSF MSF...
Take lots of time in empty parking lots... learn the clutch, the balance and the counter-steer.
I will have to give a +1 on the gs500. In all honesty - it is much better put together and quality than the Ninja 250 or 500, and the overall handling and front-end feel are much better, yet the power & delivery is not ramped up to something as extreme as a 600. Someone else mentioned it will likely get dropped - so do keep that in mind... most folks - men or women - drop their first bike. It is the 2nd most educational day you will have on a bike, 2nd only to the MSF. So keep that in mind and either get something used (but decent quality), or pick up some sliders when you pick up the bike. The MSF is a must. I know a lot of people think you need to flat-foot a bike, but I actually do not agree with that. For cruisers - it is a given, due to the riding position. There are many sportbikes however which not even men can flatfoot. I am 5ft 10 and I cannot flatfoot the zx9 on both sides... but it's ok. If you can lean it just a couple degrees and rest it in the inside of your leg, you should be good.... and so long as you have decent balance and negotiation skills, as well as strong legs... if you can almost get your heels down on both sides, you should be ok.
Yes, lowering links are also an option for a taller bike - just make sure you adjust the rest of the suspension when you do it, because it will have some pretty dramatic effects on the handling & geometry. Make sure she is geared up right, and spend a LOT of time with her in the parking lot before & after the MSF. Also - don't put her in the city and traffic right away. Go find some back-jack county roads that are in decent shape without a lot of traffic, teach her about focusing down the road, not in front of the bike (big mistake everyone makes) and target fixation.Let her get used to riding where it is just her and the bike and the road for a couple weeks, then work your way into town & traffic.
Otherwise... MSF MSF MSF MSF...
Take lots of time in empty parking lots... learn the clutch, the balance and the counter-steer.
#24
05-22-2007, 04:49 AM
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Washington
Posts: 21,060
RE: Need Recommendations for GF...
My wife took the MSF and passed, she said it was the best and the worst thing she had ever done. The best because she learned a lot, the worst because the instructors were 25 year old punks that were taking over for their dad teaching the class. I bought her a XT 225, yea yea yea I know its a DS bike, but consider getting her a used 125 and teaching her to ride away from traffic, I taught her and she practiced the clutch walk for days on end, and I think that may have been the single most important thing she could have done. Good luck.
#25
05-22-2007, 04:54 AM
RE: Need Recommendations for GF...
good view deej, then playing again the hand control to slide the rear of a zx to control the slides??? Shehad a good ride.
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