New Rider Needing Advice

[sapaul]

That is a good looking wee beastie.



and yeah, leather is the way to go.

[Grey Thumper]

If you've got access to an empty parking lot, I'd recco a lot of practice on it (stops and starts, swerves, figure 8s, U turns, and especially hard braking). Just gotta get all the basic control stuff into muscle memory, so once you're on a busy road, you'll be able to react instinctively to things that crop up.

[EatenbyAsphalt]

New to the forums myself, so take what I say with a grain of salt. Go on Craigslist and get a ninja 500 and ride it until you lay it down. I was told by many riders there are 2 types of riders, those who have fallen and those who have yet to fall. I fell twice before I got my new bike and I'd hate to drop that pretty beastie you got there. Oh, and stay off the highways for at least a year.

[JackoftheGreen]

Just gonna throw in my two cents.

First, let me just say I love your introductory paragraph. "Ex wife said I wasn't responsible enough...me and the girlfriend just went and bought some bikes." Classic. And in leiu of that comment, buddy, I totally get the pretty bike. (-;

That said...

I'm a relatively new rider myself, just started last summer. I started on my wife's '03 Shadow 750, rode that for a couple months and then bought a 1984 Magna V65. Ask around -- that was a hell of a lot of bike for a beginner too. But I didn't drop it, and my approach was the same as yours. Respect for the power underneath me.

It sounds like you're thinking if you're going to drop a bike in your first year, you might as well drop a crappy little one instead of the Victory. That makes sense, but in my youth one of my bosses told me "Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right." That is to say, if you buy a little bike with the intention of getting that 'first drop' over and done with, I think you're just that much more likely to drop it. You know what I mean? Slow and steady is the way to proceed, and you can do that just as well on the Victory as on some 650 Nighthawk. And really, at your size, if you get a smaller bike (especially that Yam 535) and spend a whole season getting used to that sewing machine, I gotta say that might actually increase your chances of dropping the Victory once you step up to it. So IMO, you're doing just what you should be doing.

Hey, you already dodged one bullet. You managed to get outta a Harley shop without buying a Harley. (-: Has your girlfriend got her first drop outta the way yet, so you can buy her something nice?

[Lucky Lady]

What a gorgeous bike! I'm a relatively new rider, too, so am in no position to give you advice, but will, nonetheless, put in my 2 cents. Everyone chuckled when I said, at the age of 59, that I intended to learn how to ride a motorcycle, a Harley no less... so I set out to prove the naysayers wrong! Just dumped the bike last Sunday and fractured the end of my collarbone, but already am back on it. The mishap involved just me (fortunately) on a partial U-turn that I hadn't given much thought to and wasn't prepared for. Stupid...but it won't happen again! You have to learn from your mistakes.

Took a long trip just yesterday with my brother. Fortunately, as long as I don't raise my arm too high, I can manage the bike. There's not a whole lot you have to do with your right arm.

My motto: Just DO it. That bike is not too big for you. You just need to get used to it, which you are doing. YOU are just the type of bikers we need out there: cautious and sensible, setting a good example. Happy riding!