have i bit off more than i can ever chew?

[jgypsy]

i am definitly a newbie biker and and learned alitte to late.my bf bought me a1996 harley sportster 1200 for my first bike in 20 yrs.i dont want to go into the whole details of what happened after that.suffice it to say,i blow it.he then decided that to save parts on the harley he would buy me a much smaller bike.i just couldnt handle the 1200.way to top heavy for a newbie.i now have a 250 pagsta and im loving it.ive put 300 miles on it in the last week.feelin my confidence coming back but im still concerned hat i might never be ready for the sportster.i already see the 250 is too small but i can seem to get the whole pic. i read the posts and hope i can make it put the question is...could it be i wont ever be ready for the sporty?im very small frame and am intimidated by it,a new feelig for me.will i ever be ready?

[blues2cruise]

There are plenty of bikes you could ride other than a Sportster.....Also...if you really think you need a HD....there are other styles available...they have lower seat heights and lower centers of gravity....
Road King
Heritage soft Tail
Dyna Low Rider

If you don't need a HD...Yamaha makes a nice 650 cruiser, Honda makes a nice 750 cruiser, Kawasaki has a 900 cruiser....etc., etc.,

[wrecks]

Eventually you can as your comfort & confidence level increases riding motorcycles. Just start baby steps at a time & you'll be fine.

[jonnythan]

Have you taken a class? Proper professional instruction will go a long, long way to increasing your ability and avoiding accidents.

[Lion_Lady]

A 1200 is a HUGE machine for anybody, let alone a brand new rider. Small wonder that you had trouble. (Have you taken the Riders Edge or BRC?)

Don't leap ahead. Work on your skills on that 250 and just focus on getting the basic skills down to where you don't have to think about all the different steps involved in riding.

Start looking for a (used) 650 as your next step up, if you really feel that the 250 is too small.

P

[jgypsy]

i want to thank you for the advice.there arent any classes close enough for me to go to.the closest is 2 hrs away.i have been riding the baby bike and feeling better everyday.i would like to sell both bikes and get a smaller one i could stay with a few years but other half is determined that i ride the 1200 so i guess ill get there at some point.i wish i would have found this site before i got the big one.i would have known better.ill be lurking around the site and learning all i can now.thanks again.

[Wrider]

Hey, speaking from a guy's perspective here... The sig. other is being a jackass if he's so sure you have to ride a Sportster 1200. I say screw it and get/keep riding with whatever you're comfortable on. If he's so sure the 1200 is right he can ride it!
Just my

[Batan]

... but other half is determined that i ride the 1200...

Sounds to me like you need a new bf. That one sounds like a dud.

[Zagnut]

If the other half is determined to have the sporty ridden... tell him to ride it his damn self!

In your first post you answered your own question:

i just couldnt handle the 1200.
way to top heavy for a newbie.i now have a 250 pagsta and im loving it.
im very small frame and am intimidated by it

someday you may be ready for it but probably not anytime real soon.

You ride what you want... not what he wants you to ride. Tell him you want him to ride a pink vespa, and after he complies, then you will consider his wishes concerning your ride... Seriously, if your uncomfortable, you're alot more likely to get hurt.

..and Harley make some nice bikes, but they are all big bikes. Even the Low Rider, which will sit you close to the ground and is ideal for short folks have a big V-twin in it... it's ideal for short folks who are experienced riding big bikes. Yamaha V-star 650 is a smaller bike that will sit you low to the ground, but its alot cheaper and less powerful than the big twin harleys or the sporties.... and still has the "harley look" that your hubby desires...unless he's one of those "I'd rather push a Harley than ride a japanese bike!" kind of guys...which it sounds like he may be.

You have the right idea... go with what your gut tells you ...not your hubby. Then, after a few thousand miles if your skills and your confidence improve, then you can revist the idea of a bigger bike.

I also really feel you need to take that class. Arrange for a weekend class and you and the hubby can stay there and make a weekend getaway of it or something... He can hang out in a titty bar all day or something while you take the class (that oughtta sweeten the deal for him...lol... hell, even offer to buy him a lap dance or two!), but I believe you should figure out a way to take that class... it's your life and/or your safety you are gambling with... Also, get a hold of that book "Proficient Motorcycling" from Amazon or somewhere and read it cover to cover.. It's like the bible of staying alive on a motorcycle.

Good luck and stand your ground, girl!
.

[Lion_Lady]

Get a hotel room and spend the night for the class. You won't regret it. . . Have had folks do that, here in MD.

Regarding the 1200. I've got to agree. If bf is insisiting you ride that beast, you need a new bf. He seems to have an image of "his" woman on a motorcycle and he's just thinking about how it will stoke HIS ego. Not about how safe or confident you'll be. What he fails to realize is you riding confidently on a "little" motorcycle is waaay hotter than you doodling along, terrified, on a too big bike.

Do NOT let him pressure you into taking on the 1200. His money. His choice. How would you respond if he brought home a pit bull and said it was your dog - without asking if you like pit bulls first?

P