My Take on the First Bike question...

[Skier]

I didnt really post here to change anyone's mind. Simply to introduce my prospective on the issue. I'm excited about riding..i LOVE it and I wanted to share my choice with you all. I GET IT, you disagree, and I really do respect that.

I'm a newbie, a noob, and I'm happy to be a part of this riding culture. I'm glad I made the choice i did. I have ALWAYS wanted a ducati 748 and I have it now..its an accomplishment to look at that title and know its paid for. To anyone out there who is new or relatively new like me, I suggest you listen to these folks who are more experienced and buy a 250cc or maybe a 50cc. Probably the safest start might be a scooter or something. I dont know. For me, Ducati 4 life. Thanks for listening!

What disappoints me the most when new riders buy their dream bike for their first one is they will never get the true performance out of it. All the "soul," performance and history of the Ducati is lost on someone who doesn't understand the difference between a utilitarian Japanese bike and an Italian crafted racing machine.

Instead of understanding how to properly use the two-wheeled tool, the bike is used as a crutch to hide deficiencies in riding skills. All the painstaking design, engineering and testing is used to hide and mitigate rider error rather than be used to its fullest potential by an adept rider. Since the rider is so enamored with their bike, they close their eyes and ears to anyone that disagrees.

Who knows, though? Perhaps you will be some of the exceedingly rare, minuscule group of riders who can learn proper skills on a bike that hides their bad habits. More likely you may prove the crash statistics correct.

Right now, the only part of the Ducati thrill of ownership you are receiving is the wallet weight reduction.

My and all that.

[R3sp4wN]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAoeJUKg36g&NR=1

This is all I'm thinking about with regard to cornering at high speeds.

I was getting kinda queesy BEFORE he crashed... maybe I will stick to strait streets.
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Mercedes Benz Viano

[Dragonhawk]

I got a Virago 250, which is the same bike I rode in class. I had contemplated buying a Honda Shadow 600 up until the week before I bought, but in the end, I'm really glad I didn't. Not so much because of the power but because of the weight. See, I live in a hilly area and every day I've gone out to practice I've stalled my bike starting from stop on a hill. Ugh! I'm so glad I'm trying to learn this skill on a lighter bike. As frustrating as it is, I know I'm not going to drop it and I'm not going to roll down hill. LOL! How I see it, I gave myself two less things I have to worry about by getting a smaller bike.

Awesome.

Very shrewd and prudent decision on your part.

I've been riding for about 5 years and 35,000 miles and I still consider myself to be a very inexperienced newbie. The nuance and subtlety of riding is an ever-evolving experience.

Good luck with learning those hills. Living in LA forced me to learn them fast, but I do recall that frustration and trepidation quite clearly. Have fun!

[Brackstone]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAoeJUKg36g&NR=1

This is all I'm thinking about with regard to cornering at high speeds.

RhadamYgg

Wow that guy really had no control over his motorcycle.

That road looks wet to me too. But yeah what an idiot I can't believe he went over that far.

[dr_bar]

I've had a high speed braking situation to avoid an accident already (im still living),

Hmmmm....

I wonder if you would have gotten into this situation in the first place if you had been riding a less powerful bike, or if you had more experience riding???

Just because you were lucky this time, doesn't mean the next time will be the same if you put yourself into that sort of situation because of inexperience...

[flynrider]

Bigger bike means chance of getting in an accident is higher. NOT QUITE.

Riders that CHOOSE bigger bikes usually choose them to go faster...A rider that CHOOSES to go fast on a big bike would CHOOSE to go faster on a smaller bike. BIKER ERROR is NOT the same as BIKE CHOICE ERROR.

I think its wrong of you guys to give new guys the impression that a 250cc is a safer bike. Impact on a 250 doesnt seem to me to any different than impact on a 750/1000 at the SAME SPEED.

You seem to be hung up on speed. The point of the small vs. big argument is not about speed. We were all noob riders at some point and we all made common noob mistakes. Until riding your bike has become as instinctive as breathing, you risk making them. The most common mistakes involve mishandling the throttle and brakes. These kind of errors are magnified when the throttle can easily deliver a huge blast of power in a hearbeat, and when the brakes are powerful enough to send the rider over the bars. These mistakes will usually show up when some traffic situation requires the rider to respond instantly and correctly. Where a 250 might just stall or have a low speed drop when mishandled, a race bike can easily get out of control under the same conditions.

Personally, I don't care if a noob starts out on a Hyabusa. It's quite possible that they will acquire the skills they need before they really need them. On the other hand, when asked, I do point out to noobs that the risk of losing control is greater on a race bike than a typical learner bike.

In a nutshell, the 250 cc bike IS safer when you're first learning to ride because it won't allow you to get into as much trouble as a race bike when you make a mistake.

[MZ33]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAoeJUKg36g&NR=1

This is all I'm thinking about with regard to cornering at high speeds.

I was getting kinda queesy BEFORE he crashed... maybe I will stick to strait streets.

Yeah, but I'm getting my inspiration from this guy instead: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99KKx7cB-Ok

I wonder how long it takes to be able to do that?

~~MZ

[RhadamYgg]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAoeJUKg36g&NR=1

This is all I'm thinking about with regard to cornering at high speeds.

I was getting kinda queesy BEFORE he crashed... maybe I will stick to strait streets.

Yeah, but I'm getting my inspiration from this guy instead: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99KKx7cB-Ok

I wonder how long it takes to be able to do that?

~~MZ

I love watching those videos! I keep getting wrapped up in wondering how he knows what path to follow with that fleet of cones on the ground - nevermind the rediculous size of the bike and the sharpness of those turns.

No doubt about it that is awesome to watch, but I wonder how much training these go through to be able to do that. Certainly more than MSF class!

RhadamYgg

[dr_bar]

Funny thing is, contrary to everything I've read, he never moved his azz off that seat once. No sliding from side to side, he never even leaned into a turn with his body either....

[jonnythan]

Funny thing is, contrary to everything I've read, he never moved his azz off that seat once. No sliding from side to side, he never even leaned into a turn with his body either....

He counterleans every single turn. He leans away from the turn in order to lean the bike over more.

When traveling at speed, you lean INTO the turn so that you don't have to lean the bike over as much.