I need helpful advice, not post-facto criticism, please

[Thumper]

Check with the shop where you have the bike...for a few bucks, someone will ride it home for you. My first bike was a tiny Honda Rebel, but I still had someone deliver it...there was no way I was ready to ride on the street. Not too many people are, straight out of the rider's course.

[sv-wolf]

Hi hosiecow

It's not just a 1000cc bike - its THAT 1000cc bike. I've got two one-litre bikes but they are chartreuse in comparison to what you got. As a bike for beginners the ZX10R is way, way down at the back of the line.

If it were me, I'd accept my mistake and get a smaller bike. There are two reasons for this. The first you know. A bike with this kind of power, sensitivity and sharp handling is a risky thing to start your riding career on. Still, if you are of the right temperament, have the right kind of nervous system and the right kind of luck you might just be able to manage it without killing yourself. (Good sense and maturity help, but they aren't enough.)

The second reason is more definite and more long term. There is no way that you will ever learn your basic riding skills properly on a bike like this - no-matter how much you practice on it. Long experience shows that you can only acquire those skills on a smaller bike. Start small and work up - that's the golden rule for ALL motorcyclists whatever their aptitude. A bike like this will never make you a good rider.

Still, if you really want to give it a try out, I'd suggest this. Get someone to truck it home for you. Then ride it to a big local car park early on a Sunday when there is no-one around. Find some place where there are no other moving vehicles and take all time you need to get used to the controls and handling. (Take a friend too, in case of mishaps.)

Whatever happens, go helluva gently on that throttle. You'll need to give it all the respect you got.

Keep in touch.

[Lion_Lady]

Have you considered spending say, $500 on a dinky little "universal japanese motorcycle" - to get well acquainted with the skills you learned in the ABATE class? You can keep the sportbike while you decide. Chances are good that you'll be able to recover the money spent when you sell the "practice bike" to another learning rider down the road.

P

[jstark47]

+1 to SV Wolf and Lion Lady.

Like SV said, if you're lucky you won't kill yourself on the ZX10, but you won't learn thoroughly either. To learn you have to "stretch" a little, extend yourself a little outside of your comfort zone. You're less likely to do that on the ZX because it's an intimidating bike. Heck, I've been riding six years and I haven't tried my hand at a litre sportbike yet.

Like LL said, try a beater UJM. Or, a Ninja 200 or Ninja 500 or GS500, or even a Buell Blast. You can find examples of any of these for less than $3K, use them as a learning hack for year. Tool around on the ZX once in a while just to keep it running, but be careful with it.

[earwig]

I'm too tired to read all of the posts so I'm not sure if someone suggested this or not... you can rent a uhaul for like 50 bux to bring it home. I think a 1000cc inline 4 is way too unpredictable to ride/learn on. You'll be surprised how fast you can grow into that bike... maybe even after just a month or so of riding but to start out on it is just dangerous.

If you do decide to ride it... twist that throttle very slowly/carefully at first

[Flipper]

First of all. thank you for your service.

Pay whatever you need to get the thing delivered.
Don't ride it home, it's not worth it. You'll be in way over your head.
Park it in the garage.
Get a small cheap bike to learn on.
Best of luck.

[shane-o]

lol I dont care whether your military, a CO, spiderman reborn, tinkerbell or the head of the purple cobras, what a stoopid ignorant thing to go and do !!!!

Never ridden and ya buy a zx-10 cause it was cheap, how old are you??? I hope ya made better decisions when you were overseas


get rid of the the bike, geezuz I cant believe one has to explain this, use the proceeds to buy a another bike, only this time how about researching it for 5 extra mins and get ya self something a little more in your skill range (QT-50 I reckon for you).

As for getting the bike home, pay the shop staff to ride it home then drive em back to the shop.

hope that helps

hugs


me



.

[Grey Thumper]

The suggestion to have the bike brought over isn't just a "new rider" thing. Even though I've had some riding experience under my belt, I've still had newly bought bikes delivered to my place instead of riding them from the dealer or previous owner. After all, it's a bike you're unfamiliar with; it'll handle differently, brake differently, the riding position, steering, and throttle travel will be unfamiliar, maybe even the controls might be in slightly different places (Japanese bikes vs. BMW or Harley, for instance). Too many unfamiliar variables to deal with, and all that is compounded the less riding experience you have. A busy road with all its hazards is not the place to get familiar with a new motorcycle (or with riding in general).

You're an Army officer who has trained and served (and survived) in some pretty tough war zones. You should know more about assessing and managing risk than the vast majority of people. Use those skills.

[Gina]

Please don't ride that bike. If you have to swallow your pride now, it's still better than riding in the back of an ambulance.

[Bill_T]

you have had plenty of feedback here, but I wanted to toss out my thoughts too... I am a self declared newbie (at 53) and my advice comes from the not so distant fear I had when I began to ride this summer. Having a smaller bike, without a lot of HP was a blessing. I scared myself enough in the dam% parking lot with my Vstar 650! If it were me, I would take a small loss if necessary and trade the bike for some thing you are comfortable with... Above all, trust your instincts.. if this bike feels as if it is "too much", then let it go.... Your training will be negatively affected if your gut is telling you "no" every time you climb on.

Good luck
Bill