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Crusty
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 10, 2006 - 06:01 am: | 
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After my wife took the MSF course, we got her a Yamaha Vision. She rode that around for a couple of months, but had a hard time with it at low speeds. The first time she sat on a Blast, she liked it, and wanted one. We bought one, (she rode it home in 23 degree temps) and absolutely loved it. She put 10,000 miles on it, then we sold it and she got a Sportster. The Sportster got totalled when my wife was hit from behind sitting at a red light. After my wife recovered, she wanted another Blast.
The Blast is confidence inspiring and fun to ride. It will be my daughter's first bike. Ours were as reliable as anvils; the biggest weakness is wearing out rear tires every 4,000 miles. It makes enough power to keep up with traffic, but not so much that a novice would be in danger.
Ghostrider, I don't know who you've been talking to, but every person I've met who owned one loved it. |
Sarodude
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 10, 2006 - 10:13 am: |
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Ghostrider-
I did have a TERRIBLE experience - but really, it was a bad DEALER experience as opposed to a bad Blast experience. It was my first new vehicle and I went against my DIY at all costs attitude 'cause it had a warranty and it was new and the dealer should make it right. Literally EVERY SINGLE PROBLEM they tried to fix brought on AT LEAST one more problem. They just didn't give a sh*t.
Blasts are awesome little bikes if you don't feel too imasculated by the perceived lack of power. I mean, sure - just about any bike you buy in the states is faster / more powerful. Point is that the motorcycling public is somehow brainwashed into believing that excess is the norm. The Blast's only "shortcoming" is a lack of excess.
Is it a perfect bike? Hell no. However, you should ask the folks on bigger, badder, faster, better handling bikes what they think when Loli (my better half) sticks her front tire under 'em going through the twisty bits. For her, the list of bikes she can ride is short - and so is she. By the way, if ya ask her, she won't tell ya she's fast. And she's probably not.
A guy once asked me what kinds of internal mods the motor had 'cause "the bike" kept up with him so well. He was on an XB12 and I was just cruising up a nice road. Oh, I weight 225+ without gear and this was uphill.
Motorcycling is fun - whatever your persuasion.
-Saro |
Slaughter
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 10, 2006 - 10:30 am: |
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I've ridden with Saro and Loli - Saro on his "Big" Buell or HD or Blast - and Loli on her blast. We've been in groups on the freeways and in the twisties and I've seen NOTHING that says the Blast aint a great bike for use around town or just for fun. |
Nasty73z
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 10, 2006 - 11:05 am: |
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I think the SV650 is a great bike for someone wanting to get into the sportier motorcycle scene. Nice tractable V-twin powerband, great handling, decent brakes, HUGE aftermarket following, and a decent amount of power. Plus I think the S models look fantastic. They're reliable to boot too. They can keep up with the bigger boys too when you get more comfortable on it and can push the envelope. I ran a 12.1 @ 111 on mine at the drag strip, top speed comparable to a Buell (13X) and good for twisty riding. Once my girlfriend takes the MSF I think I am going to pick up a used one for her. I really miss mine, wish I had turned it into a track machine.
Oh and they sound fantastic with an aftermarket exhaust! |
Newfie_buell
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 10, 2006 - 01:10 pm: |
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BLAST |
Doughnut
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 10, 2006 - 01:38 pm: |
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I learned on a 250 Honda Nighthawk. |
Ezblast
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 10, 2006 - 02:22 pm: |
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Saro - yes she is!
GT - JBOTDS! EZ |
Ravensmith22
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 10, 2006 - 05:19 pm: |
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I loved my Blast! It was my first, and I think it was the right bike for me to learn on. I'm pretty short myself, and it was nice to be able to flat foot at stops. After a while, I started changing things, new bars, rearsets, exhaust...Just ask EZ about my crazy plans. The only reason I traded it in for a '9R is that I kept breaking footpegs and rearsets off going around corners. I guess that bike handled too well for it's own good! By the way, Crossroads bought that bike for drag racing. My girlfriend will be taking the Rider's Edge class in the spring. She bought a '74 CB450 from a friend. It'll take a little work to get ready(somebody decided to put apehangers, a "tractor" seat, and a really ugly teardrop tank on it), but it should be a great little bike for her. |
T_sport
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 10, 2006 - 08:44 pm: |
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I've come to the conclusion that there is no such thing as a "beginner bike", although there are bikes that are more suited to experts only.
The best bike for a beginner is the one that is physically sized right, and matches the beginner's requirements (there are no safe bikes for those with poor judgment or a total lack of ability).
Since every beginner is different, I wouldn't automatically assume a standard solution. A few years ago, my wife returned to motorcycling by purchasing an 883 standard. She had only ridden a Honda 185 for a short time some 20 years earlier. She isn't short and so felt right at home on what was once considered a big bike.
My daughter, who is a bit shorter, recently purchased the Blast (not always considered a small bike) after riding one (as well as a Honda 125) at her safety training course. She has since ridden the bigger Buells and found them even easier to ride than the Blast. She probably will get one eventually, but is quite happy with her current bike as it does everything she wants from a bike right now.
Her boyfriend picked up a Blast at roughly the same time as she did. Physically much larger than her, and with some dirt biking experience thanks to friends who had bikes, he quickly found the bike too small for him. With his natural skills and level-headedness, he could easily have chosen a more powerful machine for his first bike - insurance piracy was really his main obstacle. (He will be on a 1200 Lightning next summer).
So, in my opinion (of course), matching the bike to the individual is more important than simply worrying about cc's. After all, 30 years ago my "beginner bike" was a Honda 65. |
Iamike
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 10, 2006 - 08:46 pm: |
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Hey, JProvo rode his Blast all the way from CA to the Homecoming and back! What else do you need to prove about it? |
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