Finally out riding!!!

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Reddemon · #1 Unread post by **Reddemon** » Sat Jun 17, 2006 5:20 am

Woo hoo! Picked up my new bike end of May (a little Honda Nighthawk 250 cc, great starter bike). I fiddled around in the back fields for 2 or 3 days, until I could do figure 8's and could slip the clutch comfortably on the steep hill in our driveway. Rode the streets in the neighborhood for a couple days, then ventured into town to get it inspected. Surviving that intact (except for the moron who decided to pass me on the RIGHT in a single lane!!) I decided to start commuting to work on it.
I've been grinning from ear to ear.

I have a 15 mile one way commute, on a fairly busy two lane road. The recent spike in gas prices spurred me into this bike (it was costing me $70 per week to go to work) At 70 mpg, it was a no brainer.
I didn't say anything to anyone here, I just drove in on it. All the guys have been coming up to me, raving about how they always wanted a bike, and their wife/mother/father/etc wouldn't let them have one. (I'm a 40's something female...) Too funny. I wasn't expecting that sort of reaction, and it made me smile.
There's nothing like the feeling of riding. I used to ride a lot as a kid (teens/20's) but have been away from it until now. And damned if I know why it took me so long to do this.
Oh, I have to share my first biker salute with you. On my way home that first day, I encountered another biker. I know that you acknowledge each other, so when I saw him and he lifted his hand, I lifted mine too. Err, unfortunately, I was doing 50 mph, and I lifted it UP off of the handlebars...right into the slipstream. So my salute turned into a Gernam style Sig Hail salute!!!

I'm sure the other rider was saying, "Newbie!" in his helmet. I figured out why they were all dropping their hands DOWN from the bars when they greeted you.

Ah well, I'm really enjoying it again. I'll run this bike for this season, and then start figuring out what I'd like to have for my more or less permanent ride. I can tell I'll be outgrowing it fairly quickly. But hey, better less power and more forgiveness than the other way around.

Scott58 · #2 Unread post by **Scott58** » Sat Jun 17, 2006 6:31 am

i love 250's. Have a great time!

Dragonhawk · Sat Jun 17, 2006 6:51 am

Congrats. I always smile when I read the excited newbie stories.

I recall my first wave too. I was on a new Ninja 250 at a stoplight and a guy on a custom cruiser waved back. I was so excited. Like, "Hey! Hey! Look! He actually did that wave-thing back to me! ... Why did he point down? Hmmm."

Have fun out there.

BigChickenStrips · Sat Jun 17, 2006 9:04 am

yea, 250's rock. and girls on bikes is cool too.

have fun and stay safe.

Mon Jun 19, 2006 2:02 pm

That's awesome to hear. It took me a while to wave, I didn't want to lift my hand off the grip

so I nodded for a while.

Mon Jun 19, 2006 5:53 pm

Congratulations!!! Sounds like you are having a great time and getting used to your ride

Enjoy!

Kim · #7 Unread post by **Kim** » Tue Jun 20, 2006 4:21 am

Congrats! I'm also a 40 something female and new to riding.

Sculelos · #8 Unread post by **Sculelos** » Tue Jun 20, 2006 11:16 am

Sweet Tooth wrote:That's awesome to hear. It took me a while to wave, I didn't want to lift my hand off the grip so I nodded for a while.

Hmmm the wave where I live is just a finger pointing to the side of the road, if I see others do It I will usually do it back.

Reddemon · #9 Unread post by **Reddemon** » Sat Jun 24, 2006 4:34 am

Kim wrote:Congrats! I'm also a 40 something female and new to riding.

Cool! I was worried that I was having a midlife crisis when I finally got the darn thing. I mean, c'mon, it's been 20 years now. How dumb was I going to be to crawl onto a motorcycle in MA

of all places.
But then I thought, what's the point of having a second childhood if you are too old to enjoy it??

Once I was on it and moving, I coldn't believe it took me this long to do it again. I've only been thinking of it every year since I stopped riding before.
What do you have for your ride? Are you totally new, or getting back into it as well? Is your family cool with it? I was pleased that my husband not only was cool with it, now he's talking about getting his own.
Now I'm poring over the bikes for the next step up. I'm liking the BMW F650, with an eye to one day do the R1150.

sharpmagna · Sat Jun 24, 2006 5:37 am

Hahaha, sounds like you'll be passing the hubby the 250 and getting yourself the Beemer

"Honey, if you want to ride the Beemer I'll put the passenger seat back on for you"