CJ,

You referring to sport bikes or cruisers? I wouldn't touch anything over a 750 sport bike right now though I'm tempted to add an Aprilla to my stable and I've been riding for about three years now. Everything I've ridden has been a cruiser with the exception of my enduro (650), weight difference in all of them was very little, once you get over 500lbs you can either handle the bike or you can't :) And you're right about 250's, some of them are very powerful and very fast, heck my Suzuki RM250 dirt bike was the fastest bike I ever rode, big mistake buying a race prepped bike for my first biking experience, let's just say I hope I got all my crashes outta the way off road with that bad boy :)

Ride on and keep the rubber side down

Be a real man and steal one, if you park it 3 blocks away she'd never know.

i never would have guessed that cj has a Harley. thats cool :okthumb:

i don't! i've just ridden one in circles around a quiet back street learning how to use my turn signal and steer at the same time :awinky:

the only 'harley' i have is my dog ;-)

It's not if you'll go down on a bike it's when.

http://www.tooley.us/bike/rightaf.jpg[/quote]
exactly. speaking of "laying it down..."

in Alaska, part of the test to get your motocycle license is that they ask you to lay the bike over on the asphalt and stand it up again. it was really funny. i went there to get my motorcycle license on a Kawasaki ZX-11 and he asked me to lay it down, step back... then walk up to it and stand it up again. i just looked at him and said "fuck that" and got on my bike and left. imagine paying 10 grand for a bike and being asked to throw it on the ground.

you won't make it. at least not riding the bike.

While that is insane I can understand the skill they're trying to make sure you have but that seems a little unncessary.

FYI, Best trick for picking up a bike I've ever seen: Went to a State Police safety show and they laid down their Road Kings and asked for the smallest lady in the audience to come up, she was probably 100lbs soaking wet the bike is around 800. Stand on the same side as the seat is facing, crouch down, put your butt in the seat and hold your handlebar with the hand closest to them and step-back into the bike, this girl picked it up with ease. Haven't tried it on my road bike but given the test I did on my enduro I'd say it'd be no problem to lift any size bike this way.

http://www.foxnews.com.edgesuite.net/story...3,94981,00.html

Buy a small bike

LEARN how to ride

Listen to someone with 3 years experience

or someone with 24 years experience and 40k+ miles ridden

its only your life your playing with

Or even worse

"Live to ride...
Ride to live"

OK..

so by this logic if you are a pilot and plan on flying Jumbo Jets you shouldnt start with a single engine plane?

or a race car driver and should go straight to the fastest cars?

or a scuba diver and .......

Forest,

I fail to see the correlation. A jumbo jet and a cessna are no where close to the differences in the following bikes:

1100 cc V-twin 500lbs
1800cc V-twin 700lbs
Vrod 700lbs

There is a throttle on these and if you can hold the bike up why buy a starter bike?

Guess I should have clarified, 3 years on the road 15 on dirt, I know they're not the same but if you learn throttle management it doesn't really matter what you ride.

dirt and road completely differnt

you have front and rear brakes

apply the front brakes incorretly and go over the bars

the rear slide or skid

people who have never ridden have no real experience with a hand throtle

another new experience

balance HUGE issue

speed and speed wabbles and if you loose a tire and being cut off and
ect ect ect

the pilot compaision was to show the amount of differnt things you need to learn between the 2

again its only your life...OR your lack there of if you are in an accident and loose all your faculties

Would you scuba dive 120ft BEFORE learning at 15?

It's not if you'll go down on a bike it's when.

I don't agree with the mentality of buying a small bike to start out with, if that's not what you're gonna ride normally then why learn on it? I started with an 1100, moved up to an 1800 and am now my first Harley, the Vrod. Having been through 3 bikes in 3 years just buy what you want to begin with and learn on it, there's a throttle on every bike and it only goes as fast as you want it to.

http://www.tooley.us/bike/rightaf.jpg[/b][/quote]
Sweet!!!!!!! vrod How do you like it my partner just looked at one and I a fat boy its all we are talkin about !

i got a nice custom harely for sale ill get you the pic if you want

pete

u never did answer my question on another board about your trumpcash

does the don know your useing that name?

Trump is a common word, no? Can we start suing adult websites for using our last names? If so, I'm gonna be worth a FORTUNE! :bjump:

Trump is a common word, no? Can we start suing adult websites for using our last names? If so, I'm gonna be worth a FORTUNE! :bjump:[/b][/quote]
peaches

i just know how over protective trump is of his name and trademark so i was curious

BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

:wnw: :wnw: :wnw: :yowsa: :biglaugh:

sports bikes

good choice!
although a little more than a 750, this 2004 release is nice!
http://www.aprilia.com/models03/road/eng/r.../rsvr2004.phtml

this thread is bringing back my motivation :okthumb:

Aprila doesn't make a 750 like most of the Jap. Manufacturers does it? A 1000 with good gas control would be fine, though on open roads I definetly lack that :)

HGH,

On the Vrod or Fat Boy, only bad thing is the solid wheels, tend to cause a waver at unstability.

Forest,

I'm not pissing with you on this, you've ridden longer than I have, I'm giving my POV on buying the bike you want for the first time, either you'll learn to ride it or end up hamburger on the highway, easy enough. Hooper isn't even looking at a normal Harley but a hopped up 102 ci, if you've got the nutz and gumpstion to buy it as a starter bike then more power to you.

Does harley make a decent cruiser that isnt ridiculous?

Thanks to all the hamburger talk we've decided to take courses...fly to Phoenix.. buy bikes there.. ride to san diego.. boat to cabo... then ride san diego to phoenix and then fly home if we're still alive.

I had a Harley years ago, but then Carol got pregnant and wouldn't let me put a children's seat on the bars.

Had to sell it :(

Danny

For a first Harley I'd be looking at the Dynas Hooper -- they are great bikes for distance, have the low balance that the more dynamic bikes have (Sporters have a really high center of gravity -- even tho they weigh less this does not make them any easier to handle btw) and ride really smoothly.

No, they dont have the flash of a Deuce or a FatBoy, but there's this thing in bikes called trade ins, just like in cars :)

If you're really set on getting a Softail right out of the gate, I'd have a close look at the Springer, especially the Heritage edition if there are still any available...