Got My Motorcycle!

[MNeedham73]

After much decision making back and forth between and sport tourer and a cruiser/tourer, I ended up deciding on a Yamaha V-Star 1300 Tourer. I'll have the saddle bags and passenger backrest for it next week. :)

Here's what it'll look like once I've got everything on it. I've also got the engine guard for it.

http://www.cmgonline.com/bikes/articles/06_V_Star_1300/BigP/VStar_1300_x_2_bg.jpg

[Coot]

WOOT!! Congrats, Mike!

[ethics]

Wow, awesome! Best of luck with it, man! I am jealous. I want a bikey too! :(

[MNeedham73]

Just wait until you get your license, bro. It was killing me watching my dad ride it home for me LOL.

[ethics]

You can ride it with a permit though. :)

Big test tomorrow. MUST pass! :)

[Violet1966]

Wow sweet looking!!! Congrats!!! Ride it in good health!!! ;)

[Brazbit]

Gratz man. I really need to get my bike back up and running......

[tke711]

Congrats man...nice looking bike.....for a non-Harley. ;)

[MNeedham73]

Congrats man...nice looking bike.....for a non-Harley. ;)

Well see...I don't own a pickup truck.

And since one thing that dogs and Harleys have in common is that you see a lot of them riding in the bed of a pickup, I couldn't get one ;)

[mikeky]

Congrats! Should bring you much enjoyment.

[Piobaireachd]

Sweeeeet!

[Coot]

And since one thing that dogs and Harleys have in common is that you see a lot of them riding in the bed of a pickup...

Well that, and leaking oil. ;)

[cmhbob]

Should have gotten a Honda, because "Good Things Happen on a Honda!"
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[MNeedham73]

Well, I didn't get into the riding class yesterday. 12 openings, 3 no-shows leaving openings for walk-ins, and roughly 20 people trying to get into those 3 slots. Oh well. I'll get my permit on Monday instead :)

But, my dad and I did get everything installed on my bike last night instead. My apologies for the pic quality..but here she is all put together :)

[ethics]

Nice!

Yah, the classes are a bitch to get in to this time of year.

[MNeedham73]

I was hoping I could because the weather is so shitty this weekend (low 40's..possibility of snow). No luck. I wasn't the only one who had that idea. :)

There are classes open in September. I'll just ride on a permit until then.

[MNeedham73]

Some better pics I took this afternoon.

[Coot]

Lookin' sweet, Mike!!!

[ethics]

Looking good, man. :)

Bet you can't wait to take it out?

[MNeedham73]

Oh man, you have no idea LOL

[ethics]

Oh man, you have no idea LOL

*I* have no idea?

I was at the bike shop today and just drooling.

Also, over the last few weeks I've changed my mind. Instead of going with FZ1, I am going to go 100lbs lighter and 400cc less. I can handle the 1Kcc but I'd rather start with a smaller--yet very capable bike:

http://www.yamaha-motor.com/sport/products/modelimagelib/8/15/1/0/image.aspx

[MNeedham73]

lol, my dad and I were goofing off and stopped at a local Harley dealer today. Was drooling on a few they had too.

[MNeedham73]

Just went and got my permit...look out world LOL.

[ethics]

Look out YOU! Remember, Bike vs. Car, car wins 100% of the time.

[MNeedham73]

True enough. :)

[MemphisMark]

Otherwise known as "The law of gross tonnage always applies."

[MNeedham73]

Yep, which is why I'm glad I live where there are plenty of rarely traveled country roads. :)

[cmhbob]

Yep. I know from personal experience that you cannot push an Expedition with a 1500 Goldwing. Just can't be done.

[dsl987]

Some better pics I took this afternoon.


Congratulations - that's a nice bike :)

[MNeedham73]

Nice bike to ride too. Dad started my lessons today after I got home from work. Rode around my folks' neighborhood a few times, and then dad decided I was a little nervous. So what did he do? Got his bike and we rode into town together lol. Found an empty parking lot and he had me practice slow speed turns and figure eights for 45 minutes or so, and then we rode back.

Per my dad (who has been riding 30+ years), I did very well once I got rid of the nerves :)

[ethics]

Nice, meaning you have the feel. IMHO, you either have it or you don't. Folks who try to force it while not getting the feel, will be the ones making up the fatalities statistics.

[MNeedham73]

Yeah, about the only issue I had was with the bike that's easily fixed. Need to adjust the handlebars a little bit, I was hitting my knees with the ends doing slow speed turns. Pain in the ass when you're trying to feather the throttle making a slow right turn. Had to put my foot down a few times because of it, which pissed me off lol.

[ethics]

You just started man, don't be too hard on yourself. :)

[MNeedham73]

I'm my own worst critic. I freely admit to that :)

[MNeedham73]

Lesson #2 today.

Went to a nearby school parking lot and did a few figure 8's, U-turns, and hard stops from 35-40mph, then dad and I went out for a short (5-6 miles) ride on some of the quieter back roads and one 55mph busy two-lane. Got introduced very quickly to semi-truck wind blast lol.

Screwed up twice along the ride. Stalled it once (I swear I had it in first! lol) and took a corner a little wider than I would've liked. I didn't cross the center line, but it was close (no cars around, at least). Dad said he was going to give me an "A" until I did that (he overlooked the stall lol). Gave me a C+ instead for taking that corner bad. Guess he doesn't grade on a curve ;)

Had a good time though. Just working on relaxing a bit more.

And, my helmet came in today. Matches my bike quite well. Most people don't wear full-face helmets on cruisers, but I have to be different :)

[Brazbit]

Guess he doesn't grade on a curve ;)Sorry I can't figure out if I should cue the rimshot, groan, or crickets for that one. Sounds like a fun day.

[MemphisMark]

You will be very happy with that helmet. If you ever go down face first, that will save your chin and face from getting scraped off.

I always rode with a full face, after I went down face first. Luckily I was able to keep my face off the pavement. And that was when I took a curve the wrong way.

[MNeedham73]

Sorry I can't figure out if I should cue the rimshot, groan, or crickets for that one. Sounds like a fun day.

Like you wouldn't have used that pun if you could :biggrin:

[Violet1966]

OMG how did I miss this one with the updates? LOL

Congrats on the permit and nice move on the full face. I know why people like less helmet, but the full face is better to avoid bugs and that can be a life saver from what I've heard from others who ride. Bugs on the highway can really hit you hard. You get the handlebars adjusted to your needs yet?

And stalling happens. To everyone. It's much worse to miss gears and have others be able to hear it, than to stall when stopped. I've never heard anyone say look he stalled. I have heard comments from riders say ouch he missed. LOL ;)

[MNeedham73]

Yeah, I adjusted them yesterday. Rotated them as far as they would go without pinching anything between them and the windshield. Much better now :)

[Biker]

Screwed up twice along the ride. Stalled it once (I swear I had it in first! lol) and took a corner a little wider than I would've liked. I didn't cross the center line, but it was close (no cars around, at least).

Lesson number one.. Look THROUGH the turn. Remember, the bike goes where you look. If you're looking wide, the bike will go wide.

Think you're ol' man is bad on grading? I was known for being a complete prick when I taught the MRC. But if you passed my course, I knew you had a good chance of surviving on the road.

Look on the bright side.. At least you didn't drop yours like Leon did.. :lol: He gets the nipple!

[ethics]

Lesson number one.. Look THROUGH the turn. Remember, the bike goes where you look. If you're looking wide, the bike will go wide.

Yah, best advice here. I will even go one further, don't look at the ground right in front of you less you want to end up there.

And I got your nipple right here, Tom. ;)

[Violet1966]

I saw a guy who was a die hard biker one time, I swear to God.... I'll never forget this one. Me and a friend were out before our curfew and it was dark, behind the grammar school sneaking smoking cigs on the stairs. We were like 13 or so. This guy was a bad ass and also the father of a crush I had, who was a bad ass as well. The guy had bikes galore over his house all day long, always a burly bunch of bikers. Always packs of them. They lit the town up coming and going to that house. Always beautiful bikes and really a rough looking 70's biker crowd. Had some really cool modified cars too coming and going with that crowd at that house too. Crazy times always there. The father this night, was working on his bike in his lit up garage. We're sitting there in the shadows so no one can see us, and I don't think he noticed us there kind of watching while we talked. He was tinkering around, and then got on the bike while we were talking and, and was upright on it, then all of a sudden he went over sideways on the thing. Like he was sitting on it upright, and just plop, fell right over. Didn't stick his legs out or nothing. We had to hold our hands over our face and look somewhere else to not embarrass him, while we silently were just cracking up. It was the funniest thing I'd ever seen in my life. The guy had to be loaded or something. So, I've seen some supposedly great riders, dump some bikes I guess. LOL ;)