Total Motorcycle Community Forums

Having completed the MSF Basic course 2 and 1/2 weeks ago, I found myself helplessly addicted to motorcycling. I've spent the last 2 weeks researching bikes, and after ruling out my heart's desire, a brand spanking new YZF-600, I chose to go with what my brain had to say, a Kawasaki 500R, which as it happens, a friend wanted to sell me. Turns out *he* wants to upgrade to my heart's desire!

I have taken possession of the Kawasaki, as of 8:00PM last night, and am looking forward to a safe, and enjoyable ride.

Cheers.

Good for you and welcome to the forums.
Regards, Wizzard

A smart move, the YZF might have had too much zip for a starter bike.

Welcome!

My first first: Riding my "new" (2002 EX500) around the neighborhood a few times.

My Second First: Exceeding 35 mph

My Third, and potentially disasterous first-first: Riding to work in Tampa, some 20 miles from my house, in soccer-mom cellphone-ridden SUV infested traffic.

I decided to wait until 10:30AM this morning to begin my trek to work. I'd been watching the morning rush on traffic.com to try (empasis on 'try') to gauge when the best time to depart would be.

After the traditional morning accidents (because of aforementioned jack aces in their SUVs), I packed up my gear, put on my goodies, and left for Tampa.

The first portion of the ride was great. All the way down 4th street to the final interstate on-ramp. I didn't want to hop on the interstate too soon, rather, I wanted to delay my interstate travel as long as possible for obvious reasons. There's a mile-long section of 4th street, as it approaches the interstate, which gave me a good chance to speed up, and "get used to" interstate-like speeds.

Anyhow... I got on the interstate, merged, using my blinker and checking blind-spots, the works.

My next first, was noticing just how quickly, compared to my Jeep TJ, this bike (which is, by some accounts, a "Girly Bike", haha! right) accelerates. WOW. From 50 to 75 in no time flat.

No sooner do I get up to speed, when I notice brake lights up ahead. Guh-reat! another accident!

I proceed to spend the next 40 minutes bumper-to-bumper, inching across the bridge, with a nice 20mph (thank you Hurricane Wilma!) crosswind. By 20 minutes in, my clutch-hand is starting to hurt.

I pass the accident without affair and continue on my way, a merge onto a notoriously nasty stretch of road, but, because I delayed my departure to minimize traffic, it was devoid of traffic. Chalk another one up to preparation (heavily focussed on in the MSF class, "know thy destination")

I arrived to work about 10 minutes later, pulled up into the parking lot, and dismounted my bike.

Yahoooo!(tm)

I plan on leaving about 1 hour before rush hour traffic today, to stop by the motorcycle dealership to get a refund for my 2006 YZFR6 deposit (I made the deposit to hedge my bets, and it was a good idea, in retrospect, as I am #1 on the list of some 20 people).

I will post updates for your reading pleasure as my motoring skills improve.

P.S. ... before I get flamed for making a mistake buying the 600, i should mention that I reserved it ONLY before I took the MSF class, some months ago. I wanted to "guarantee" myself an option, and with the fully-refundable deposit, I did just that.

After taking the class, and doing more and more reading (on this forum, and others) and having suspicious reactions to what 1/2 of the MSF instructors (and sales guy said) about "Sure! you can start off with a 600! no problem!" I decided to get the EX500. The bike kind of "plopped" into my lap. It was the beginner bike of my girlfriends cousin. She's done with it, and if everything goes well, in a year, i *will* have the R6 I want so desperately.

Cheers!

Congrats on the first ride!

If you've got a friend with some free time I'd love to see a pic of you on your new bike!

Start a bike blog dude, I love reading these things, and it's nice to have your own personal thread to do it in. Glad to hear your first was uneventful for you... though you probably scared yourself a little.

And yes, there are very few bikes that won't blow away the most cars off the line. It's a pretty cool feeling.

Trial by fire eh?

Glad you like your new bike.

The ride to work, as you may have read above, was quite uneventful. The ride home was not.

The crosswind that was a mild annoyance on the way to work was a real task to handle on the way home. It was blowing a good 30 mph, and to compound the wind, the "lovely traffic" was as absurd as ever.

Regardless of the mild discomfort provided by the wind and the traffic, I did get home with no issues at all.

Here's a satellite view of the bridge I keep talking about:
(it's the long one in the middle)
http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=27.92071 ... &t=k&hl=en

After I got home, I jumped in my trusty jeep, and went down to the Tax Collector's office to take care of the title transfer, and the new registration and tag. On the way back from the tax collector's office, I'd decided to stop for a beer, and I will not ride with even a hint of beer in my system, no sir, no way, no how.

Oh, I must add, that my left hand / wrist is *SHOT*. My poor hand, used to typing G-d-knows-how-many-words-per-minute these last 10 years as a programmer, was simply not ready for the assault I threw at it. It aaaccches. Nothing like my guitar, more painful. I'm icing it after I finish typing this, almost singlehandedly, and I think I might not ride to work tomorrow. I think I'll telecommute

We head off to Jamaica on Thursday for a "replacement vacation" (Key West was the destination, but I need say no more about that). I'm sure I'll be thinking of nothing but my new bike, and the freedom I am discovering riding it.

Who knows, maybe we'll rent a little 125cc down there in Negril to scoot around town. There are more bikes, seemingly, than cars down there. Or, maybe I'll just stick to the beach and get schnockered!

I see that you live in St. Petersburg. I live in Tampa and we have alot of idiots in cages, right? The roads are congested and no one pays attention. Don't drive on friday or saturday nights here. And the heat in the summer can be a real hassle but its a good place to ride even if we don't have mountain roads around.

thaimike wrote:I see that you live in St. Petersburg. I live in Tampa and we have alot of idiots in cages, right? The roads are congested and no one pays attention. Don't drive on friday or saturday nights here. And the heat in the summer can be a real hassle but its a good place to ride even if we don't have mountain roads around.

We do have some of the worst drivers around here. Between the tourist morons on the beach who can't quite figure out that they're not in Guernsey (sp?), and that the RIGHT SIDE is the right side, or the Germans who think I-275 is the Autobahn, or the Cannucks with their oversized RVs (thankfully they stick to Clearwater or better yet, Destin).

Nevermind the soccermoms & bushites who take up a lane and 1/2 with their Expeditions, Rovers, Escalades and the obligatory Hummers... driving with cellphone attached to ear, discussing the latest episode of Desperate Housewives, while simultaneously ordering take out from Outback and reprimanding their 3.5 children in the back seats, applying their mascara and adjusting their silicone boobies...

EOR - end of rant.