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I finally have got it all together and signed the papers for the new bike this afternoon. Yesterday and today, I finally got the motorcycle put together. I actually had it together last night but you know how it is, it's going to be "family". Since then I've put on close to a couple hundred miles on her, breaking her in to the best of my ability. I think it would be so much easier if motorcycles were just "born" but I'd hate to have to carry it around for 9 months.

As I said in an earlier post, I only had one scary moment. After riding it around for a while, I rode back to the dealership and told everyone who couldn't run away fast enough, just how great a bike it was. After listening to everyone tell me they told me so, I realized that I wasn't going to get any sympathy. So I decided that I would just take off. While talking to assembled people around the bike, I bliped the throttle to shift it into gear and the blipped it again (it makes such a lovely sound) and accidently dumped the clutch. On a Harley, no problem. But the ST1300A, her nose went skyward. (Just a bit more horsepower) So I have a very expensive motorcycle going vertical. Did I say expensive and covered with very expensive plastic fairing, However, all I did was unroll the throttle and her nose came down again and she just went forward. It looked like I had planned it that way. However, the seat covering was just a bit pinched.

Anyway, it is everything they say it is. I've installed the new handlebars but I haven't redone the seat. It will be a while before I can conceive of parking the bike for a couple weeks so that I can get the seat done. Who knows I may just get used to it and say to heck with the modification after all.

Anyway, I'm still getting used to it. It isn't a liter bike like the 1000RR but it gets up and goes like one. You have to be careful of the super slabs because it doesn't strain all that much getting past the century mark. Though the brakes will bring your speed down fast. Wheelies are possible and easy to maintain but the LDS means no stoppies.

Anyway, I've only got the one picture because I still can't get the camera to do what I want. So here she is.



I'm sorry that I've been a bit wordy but this is the culmination of a month of talking to myself a lot. Things should get back together now.

Awesome! Congratulations and I wish you the best.

THAT my friend is a beautiful bike. I wish you many many happy miles together without any more of your bike doing stunts or showing off for people milling around.
Enjoy.

I don't want to be a nagging Nancy but take your first wheelie very seriously please. It's a reminder of what will happen when you become over-confident.

Personally? I like your steely nerves and the fact that you didn't panic (butt-clenching aside). That gives me more confidence in your ability to handle the situation.

Some people don't feel safe, and keep trying to find safety anywhere they can, they never will. The reason is it's inside of them all along.

Congrats on the new bike and be careful.

Very nice! I see you took my recommendations... Aren't you glad you listened?
Congrats on the new bike!

So I gues you don't hate Honda afterall.

HYPERR wrote:So I gues you don't hate Honda afterall.

yeah, i was hearing the word "appliance" in my head repeatedly, too.

grats on the bike, Ryethil. looks nice.

Brackstone wrote:I don't want to be a nagging Nancy but take your first wheelie very seriously please. It's a reminder of what will happen when you become over-confident.

Personally? I like your steely nerves and the fact that you didn't panic (butt-clenching aside). That gives me more confidence in your ability to handle the situation.

Some people don't feel safe, and keep trying to find safety anywhere they can, they never will. The reason is it's inside of them all along.

Congrats on the new bike and be careful.

You'rer not nagging. It was a stupid thing to do on my part. I'll just chalk it up to a bad childhood.

As for my nerves, I raced for a few years and I learned much of my skills in competition. One of the things beside not being stupid is that you test your machine to its or your limits so when things get a bit testy, you have faith in your motorcycle and can do more than can be normaly expected. It helps keep your shiny side up.

Yes, you have to start with the basics but then hopefully you gain experience to replace fear with confidence and to a greater degree, you gain situational awareness. If you can't get over your fear, IMHO, you should take up cars. Riding is supposed to be food for the soul not something to dread. And yes all this comes down to what is inside of you.

For all those people that put up with my hysterics and still gave me advice. I thank all of you. it was a hard thing to do but I think I made the right choice. And the person most important to me feels safer riding it.

No, don't hate Hondas, never did. I just didn't like the fact that every motorcycle that Honda seemed to build was gelded so as to meet acceptance from the largest group possible. However, they have made and still make some of the finest motorcycles when they feel they don't have to bean count. Of course, one of the beggedt things about buying this bike now is that the VFR1200 is supposed to replace the ST1300 in the sport touring market. So I got one when I could.

BTW, I haven't given up on Harleys. I've got a couple of project bikes to work on and we'll see how they come out in the end.

Anyway, I have a lot of learning to do. And for that matter, I need a new helmet... It wouldn't hurt to match my bike.

What the hell?

Red?

I was expecting a black-n-white cop-lookin' thing, maybe with some empty holes where lights and Department logos would mount......

Yours looks much nicer.

i read in another post she got the police special and turned around and immediately turned a nice profit on it, then bought the civilian model.