| Author | Message | ||
     Birdy |
Took the road test yesterday, hard to get a spot here in the the sticks as they only have the test once a month and for three hours then! Over 40 riders showed up for the test IN the rain! I did good one guy said I must be a "Ringer" as I made it look easy, of course he was on a Dyna! I pointed out that the Buell in made for this stuff. 3 or 4 folks got sent home...WHY people BUY these monster cruisers for their first bike I'll never understand. BTW In Indiana all I can see the real license gets you and the "Right to ride without a helmet, at night and to double up. no big deal to me other that my insurance will go down a bit. There was this one lady who had a smaller bike that me! Said her Sporty was to nice to drop so she showed up with her sons "Redcat" looked like a knock off of the old Honda Trail 70. http://home.comcast.net/~davemckie/cort/ct705.jpg | ||
| Tramp |
You took the road test yesterday, and you're criticizing other riders' motorcycle choices already? People buy heavy cruisers because they like them, plain and simple. Think of them as the SUVs of the two-wheeled world. Ignore them, ignore their comments on your riding, and your mount, and all will go well in the world. | ||
| Birdy |
No I'm not criticizing them. I just don't get how a dealer will sell someone a bike like that to someone who has never ridden before (other than greed). I don't see it as a service to anyone. If that's what they what to buy more power to them, after all it's their life and choice to make not mine I needed to get a license in Indiana and my MC license was long gone from Florida. BUT I have been riding on and off for over 35 years. BTW I started off on a Yamaha 125 and worked my way "Up" to the Buell. I still understand that you never learn it all and as soon as you think you have THAT'S when you are heading for trouble. Anyway the way I see it is doesn't matter what you're riding you're head and shoulders above the guy in the cage! (Message edited by birdy on June 29, 2008) | ||
| Firebolt32 |
Dealerships don't care. They got their money. Now I have seen sales men/women try to talk people out of the bigger bike. If that's what they want, thats what they get. I took my test on my 9r only a month after having it. It was extremely easy compared to looking at these other guys struggling on the cruisers. Too heavy at too low of a speed for a cruiser I thought. | ||
| Cityxslicker |
When it comes down to it, the customer is going to buy what the customer wants and can afford or can finance. And they will do what ever the hell they want as well. And you had better be very careful about thinking that you can tell them what to ride, where to ride, when to ride, what to wear. Whether its a new rider, a rider returning to the sport, or somebody buying their first new bike in years, its their bike, their ride, their riding experience; not the Dealers. Its called personal choice and as long as we have it, people will do as they please. Besides, if it were up to me, maybe you would be on a step through 90 cc for your first bike  I know mine served me well. | ||
| Regkittrelle |
Tramp, You're probably being a bit hard on Birdy, but I mostly agree with you. The fact is it's easy to ride a "monster cruiser" than it is a Buell (the Blast being the exception). There exists a certain smugness with many sportbike riders (not with ref to you, Bird.) when it comes to those awful Harleys. I've never understood this. An FL, a Star,a Boulevard, et al, can do a number of things better than most sportbikes (and certainly conversely). It seems that many sportbike riders feel obliged to diss the the Big'uns just because, well, just because they heard someone else do so. I gave up doing this years ago, but at one time I'd challenged the critics by asking them if they'd ever ridden a Harley. More often than not the answer... when they'd admit to it..was "No." When pressed as to why they held the opinion they'd usually revert to the dusty "Well, I had a friend...," and the ever-handy, "I read it in... ." I ride in both worlds and enjoy each immensely, and I certainly can't imagine criticizing anyone's choice of ride. Last night I was riding (on the Road Glide) with a casual friend when a scooter past going the other way; I waved. When we stopped, my friend asked why I had waved. "Why not? He's on two wheels and facing the same obstacles as are we on our Harley's." We've had this conversation before and he remains unconvinced. (Think about it a bit and you'll see that scooter riding is actually more dangerous than riding a full-sized motorcycle). BTW: The dealers aren't the problem. It's the wimp-ass license requirements that need attention in this country. | ||
| Tramp |
Thanks, Reg- you're right,I was being a bit harder than I should have been. Birdy didn't mean it as a swipe at cruiser riders. Apologies for any insult, Bird. Like Reg, I ride in both worlds as well, and see a scoot as a scoot. ....and I agree, the dealers are NOT the problem, the licensing requirements, in fact, are. The granny factor of my country is shooting off the charts, of late. | ||
| Diablobrian |
I still fail to see how being able to weave cones at low speed is the test we as motorcyclists must pass in order to be allowed to ride on interstate highways at high speed.  It's similar to issuing a concealed carry permit based on a person's ability to play darts. For those that want the dealers to pressure new riders to pick smaller bikes: How do YOU feel when you go into the H-D shop to look at Buells and they try to direct you over to the sportsters or v-rods? It's not the dealer's place to give more input into the purchase than what the customer asks for. Peer pressure is much more appropriate for applying pressure on new riders to pick a suitable bike for them to learn on before graduating to what they really want. Of course we all know a great many more people are in love with the IDEA of riding than actually getting out and doing it. I remain convinced that in many cases this is because the new riders buy too much bike and become scared of it. They will never own up to this when it happens for fear of public ridicule but it does happen. | ||
| Birdy |
No problem Tramp, I didn't state what I wanted to say very well. I felt bad for some of these folks as those are big bikes to try and weave around a parking lot on. Diablobrian I think you have it nailed I remain convinced that in many cases this is because the new riders buy too much bike and become scared of it. They will never own up to this when it happens for fear of public ridicule but it does happen. "Pride goes before the fall" Anyway I keep looking at buying a 125 Madass to zip back and forth to work! Not what you'd call a big bike at all! Heck I'd look at the 50 but 30 MPH on these roads is just asking to get run down! | ||
| Regkittrelle |
DevilDan.. Weaving those cones, riding the required circle is NOT a problem. If it is then you should not be riding, regardless of the bike. A simple test for Cruiser riders: Plot out a 24ft. dia. circle, then ride circuits within it. THAT should be the first step in obtaining a license. I know riders (all brands) of many years experience who cannot make a u-turn on a standard suburban street. That's not an "experienced" rider. I call them "groundhog riders" (re the movie)because they keep repeating their same limited experience over the course of years. You're dead on with the peer pressure issue. One of the worst examples of that is when a Harley-riding husband insists that his wife ride a Harley. Compounding this, he then decrees that she should be aboard a Sportster... a bad beginners bike. The best, IMO, "starter" Harley is the Softail Deluxe: v. low seat, v. easily manuevered | ||
| Tramp |
Groundhog Riders  (I'm hearing Sonny & Cher's "I Got You Babe" in my mind....) | ||
| Bigdaddy |
Couldn't agree more Mr. Kittrelle! A Sporty is a terrible bike for beginners. My wife rode passenger for years and when she decided that she wanted to ride her own we put her on a FLSTF and it worked out very well. I'm currently trying to convince her that she needs a Fat Bob. (hidden agenda) | ||
| U4euh |
Seen the same thing when I went to 'renew'. Lady showed upon a brand spankin new fully faired/bagged out Yamahe Royal Star, I believe. Don't know about your state, but over here we have to do a slow speed turn around in less space than the length of a truck. Sure'nuff over she went, it didn't fall all the way over, just kinda rested on the bags and floorboards. Felt sorry for her, for a while. If you can't handle the bike, why take the test on it? | ||
| Rainman |
I stood in a Suzuki dealer the other day and listened to a salesman try and talk a 20-year-old out of a GSX-R 1000 and into a new GSF-650 or whatever the new bike is. He woulddn't hear of it. He finally talked him into a GSX-R 600. Still too much bike for the kid. He said he'd rather sell a smaller bike and then sell the guy a bigger one later, make two sales, than sell one bike and the guy get hurt. | ||
| Littlebuggles |
Birdy, glad you got your license, many ride without, most police will let these people off with a warning, I think they should write them up, it would force more people to take a class and learn to ride properly. My dad has been riding as long as I've been alive, usually pretty safely, but he still does things that make me shake my head and wonder why he ever learned to ride that way... What is unfortunate is that many people think they can simply get on and ride, any knuckle head can go fast in a straight line, but what happens when it goes bad? You have to know how to maneuver a bike and that doesn't usually teach itself. Bikes are inherently more dangerous (for the operator) to operate than a car. Good for the salesman that does try to push common sense on the buyer, that's not the easiest thing to do. Sales is a service job, so you tend to cater to the customer, that's not wrong, what is wrong is some clown who thinks he/she can just ride whatever their bank account can afford. Then ends up injured because of it. They cannot legislate common sense, or good sense for that matter... Be safe and be polite, I'd say be friendly but I'm not, so I usually settle for polite. |
