V-MAX too much for a beginner?

[Loonette]

Welcome to the forums! I'd suggest taking the MSF class before even worrying about the bike. Try not to over analyze it at this point - you need to learn about the basics first. Some folks are comfortable working with a larger bike right out of the MSF course. You can search around these forums and find 100 other newbies asking the exact same question. It's a curiosity because you just don't know yet.

So keep the bike, read up about the bike and its characteristics, do some basic wrenching on it to get acquainted, take the MSF course, and then if you decide to use the VMax right away, just take it in baby steps. Learn and practice a lot!!

Good luck and keep us posted.

Cheers,
Loonette

p.s. How fortunate for you that your mom is standing behind you. Very cool!!

[Mad Mac]

I am new to this forum but not to the V-Max. Rode 67,000 miles in six years. It was not exactly my first bike, but my experience before it was very limited and in another life time. If you are a big, strong guy, heavy and long-legged, you may not have much trouble. For me, a short, old, fat guy, it was a handfull.

The V-Max is known for an unforgiving throttle. It may be helpful to keep the RPM steady around 2,500 and use a little rear brake and clutch slipping for pulling away smoothly and manuevering in tight places. Resist the urge to use the front brake when parking -- the short handlebars do not provide much leverage. My '98 went down on me so often, I nicknamed her Monica.

We did have some adventures together. You can read about them here: http://www.best-motorcycle.com/rides/index.shtm Take it easy and enjoy the ride.

Mad Mac

[dynamike]

I'd agree with taking the MSF safety course first.

I get folks ask me all the time, "What kind of Harley should I get?" That's such an open ended question and the answer has a lot to do with what type of riding you'll be doing.

My recommendation is to always take the MSF course and then rent every single bike Harley makes. Rent each one for a weekend. Yeah it might cost you a few bucks, but I would much rather do that than I would have a shiny new bike collecting dust because I didn't have fune riding it.

As for the V-Max, it's a lot of bike. You could learn on it, but just make sure you respect it at all times. The more powerful the bike the easier it is to ride above your skill level and that's how new riders get killed.

Anyway, good luck! And Rubber Side Down!

[scooter78666]

You have heard a lot of good advice here to your question about your V-Max. It is not the usual "learner" bike, because of its size, weight, and power. But my first motorcycle was way too large for me too. I compensated for that by being very conservative and careful in how I rode it. You definitely need to respect all that weight and horsepower. The moment of discipline is NOT when you are riding in a quiet neighborhood with no one watching. That moment of temptation will be when you are being challenged in some way by another cycle, car, truck, etc, when you get the right wrist urge to BLAST AWAY with the V-Max power and acceleration. Most motorcycle accidents are caused NOT by lack of technical riding skill, NOT by unsafe or faulty equipment, but by LOUSY judgment on the part of the rider. Take the MSF course by all means. Good luck with your V-Max

[colorado58]

Please be careful, bigger the bike the less you have room for errors.
small bike you may have have some pain for your mistakes,
large power bike mistakes, well............. you could pay for them for months in the hospital.