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Hello all. This is my first post though I've been perusing the archives for sometime. Let me tell you a little about my self and my situation before I get to my questions. I'm a 29 year old complete newbie. I'm planning to take the MSF in February/March thru one of the local Harley Davidson Rider's Edge programs. After that I will be looking to purchase a bike. I've been looking at the Yamaha V-Star 1100. I've read all of the posts warning against starting with a bike that big but frankly I just don't get it. I'm definitely not the hot rod type and I honestly have zero desire to go 100 mph on a bike. I just want to be able to cruise around town and maybe hit some country roads every now and then. I love the styling of the V-Star 1100 and the weight did not feel heavy at all. In fact the V-Star 650 really didn't feel sturdy enough for me (I'm a big guy and I'm afraid that the 650 won't be powerful enough for me down the road when I do get on the highways).

Most of the posts warning against starting with a bike that big seem to be concerned with a few things such as the weight and the power (by this I'm guessing people mean taking off too fast). I guess the consensus is that a beginner cannot control a bike this heavy with this much power. But tons of people start on bikes just like this and even bigger all the time. It seems like once you master the throttle/clutch relationship everything else would be the same as learning on any other bike. Perhaps it would be a bit easier to learn on a smaller bike but I'm planning to finance my purchase and I just don't see the point of buying a bike with the intention of moving up to a bigger model in 3, 6, or 9 months. Is the V-Star 1100 really too big for a responsible adult to begin with? If I do happen to drop the bike, what kind of expense might I be looking at? From reading the posts on this forum it seems to me that most bikes get dropped in the MSF class and only a small percentage of bikes get dropped after that. I'm sure I will have an accident one day as almost everyone does, but if I take it slow early on and practice a lot before I even bother to get on the road, shouldn't I be okay? I just feel that even a veteran rider can drop his/her bike and I don't want to go into this thing with this constant fear that I'm going to hurt myself or the bike. To me awareness and fear are two different things.

One other thing to keep in mind is that I live smack in the middle of Downtown Atlanta near the Georgia Dome. Luckily they have lots of huge empty parking lots that I can practice on before I take to the road. After that I would say that the bulk of my riding will be around town at first. What kind of problems do you think I will encounter as a newbie in this situation?

I dont know a whole lot about cruisers, but I do know that heavier bikes are harder to ride. The weight difference between a 650 and 1100 is probably at least 100 pounds. If your talking about a V-Star 650 versus a V-Star 1100, your getting an extra hundred pounds with only a modest increase in horsepower.

If you weigh over 250 pounds, then maybe bike size should be more of a consideration. If your under 250 pounds, I would say start with the 650 because it will be alot easier to learn on.

Believe me, whatever bike you get, you will likely want another, so you dont have to get your dream bike as your first bike. You will likely find your preferences have changed after a few months. Take it easy, this wont be your only bike purchase.

"From reading the posts on this forum it seems to me that most bikes get dropped in the MSF class and only a small percentage of bikes get dropped after that. I'm sure I will have an accident one day as almost everyone does, but if I take it slow early on and practice a lot before I even bother to get on the road, shouldn't I be okay?"

Chances are you wont kill yourself, but drops within the first six months are extremely common. I know I dropped my bike once because I mis-judged my speed entering dirt while someone started to pull in front of me. No big deal for me, but the same spill could cost you alot on a brand new V-Star. The fact is there is alot to learn, alot of things you can only find out yourself. Give yourself a break, dont make yourself ride on egg shells.

Not sure where you get your information that few bikes are dropped after the MSF. Most newbies and experienced riders alike will drop their bike at some time. I understand your line of thinking, but it is all too common and is nothing that hasn't been posted here a thousand times by people wanting to be told to go ahead and get a bigger bike. The fact is, and always will be, you will be a much better rider if you start on a smaller bike and learn to ride it to it's fullest potential. There is much more than saying "I will respect it and won't go fast, after all, if I don't twist the gas I won't have any problem." YOU WILL MAKE MISTAKES, and that's were the problems come in. A new pilot doesn't just jump into a 747 and say "I'll just take it easy and I'll be ok." If you do some research on these forums you'll see plenty of reasons for starting small. It's your choice, just make an educated one.

Since you're able to take the MSF first, and are already planning on it, now's a good time to read, and try to get rid of preconcieved notions. You'll have a much better idea what you want after the course. Knowledge of the mechanics of steering before classroom instruction and practice could be helpful...again without preconceived notions. This sport is like any other..everybody hase their own learning curve. I'd just put the bike choice on hold til after the class, since you're already planning it in that order anyway. Oh, and UJMs rock!

The V-Star 1100 is a very easy bike to ride with pretty good balance and ample yet predictable power. If you're willing to take it slow for a while and learn what you need to learn I see no problem with the V-Star 1100. If you're a big guy, as you claim, the V-Star 650 will become a real disappointing PITA in no time.

I'd sit on them before deciding.

No matter who you are if you need to hold up 400 lbs compared to 600 lbs the smaller bike will be easier to balance, and it's easier to arrest its momentum should something bad start to happen.

Someone is going to pop in here shortly and say somthing about how they had a really unbalanced 400cc bike (hi Zoo) but I'm talkinga about the v-stars .

Sevulturus wrote:Someone is going to pop in here shortly and say somthing about how they had a really unbalanced 400cc bike (hi Zoo)

For the record, it was a really unbalanced 500cc bike!

Another good thing about the V-Star 650 is that you can easily flat-foot it......on your knees!

Slow speed operations will be the biggest problem on a bigger bike (turning a corner slow, u-turns, moving around your driveway). Most cruisers, even the larger engines have predictable power curves. Sport bikes are a whole different game, as are sport cruisers. So a V-max, Roadstar Warrior, etc, are not the same - they are very powerful bikes, not for learning. But back to the big weight thing that Sev mentioned above - the more bike you have to stop, turn, and muscle around, the harder it will be. If you start lighter you will probably be better equipted later to push a bigger beast around. If you can sit on a few bikes and see how they feel under you, and even better, if you can push one a few feet you'll see what its all about. It is your money after all, and if you feel confident on something bigger, go for it. If nothing else you'll have a great story for some other newbie.

ZooTech wrote:

Sevulturus wrote:Someone is going to pop in here shortly and say somthing about how they had a really unbalanced 400cc bike (hi Zoo)

For the record, it was a really unbalanced 500cc bike!

Another good thing about the V-Star 650 is that you can easily flat-foot it......on your knees!

My finger slipped... I meant 500 *avoid eye contact*

And maybe you 7 foot giants can. But I sure as hell can't

I also forgot that the turning radius on a smaller bike will be tighter simply because the wheels are closer together. That's a small part of the reason a sportbike can turn so much easier (as well as rake, high weight, bars etc etc etc).

No denying that folks start out on 1100cc and bigger bikes every day. If you really really feel that you can start out on the 1100, go ahead.

But you did ask, 'why not?' The answer is that it makes learning a bit harder, muscling around 500-600 lbs in your driveway or at a stop sign. That's where the learning curve is the roughest, in the slow speed stuff.

If you are concerned that you'll 'outgrow' a 650, then why not buy a used one that someone else has already taken the 'new bike' $$ hit on, and PLAN to sell that and move up in a couple months? It is your FIRST bike, certainly not your last.

Until you've actually RIDDEN, it is hard to 'get it' about starting out on something smaller... you don't know how much you really don't know.

P