I bought my first motorcycle today

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

And I haven’t been that embarrassed in years.

ETA: What? You want details?

Okay, okay. Let’s start with some background. While I have never owned a motorcycle before, I have ridden a little some 20 odd years back. Friends dirt bikes and small street bikes. I’ve got a quad that I’ll take out to the woods from time to time when I want to get some air.

Having a motorcycle has been on my list for years, but never really near the top. But with the divorce and not having the kids every other week, and gas rapidly approaching four bucks a gallon I decided to take the plunge. Looked at new bikes, looked at used bikes, local thrift papers, and finally settled on one I found on Craigslist.

Did the bank and payment thing, nothing unusual there.

Got the SO to drive me over to pick it up and that was when the fun began. I had gotten the keys when I picked up the title.

Backtrack a little, it’s a 2004 Honda Shadow Sabre 1100C2. What I consider to be a couple of steps under a cruiser. On the high side of a medium sized bike. Also the largest I’d be comfortable on after such a long time out of the saddle.

Back to the fun begins. I unlock the front fork and turn the ignition on. Whereupon I notice that the neutral indicator isn’t lit. No problem, I’ll pull in the clutch and kick it down to neutral. Okay, problem. The shift pattern isn’t the same as my quad. They’re both Honda, shouldn’t they shift the same? Apparently not. So I sit there for five minutes working the shifter up and down hoping for even a glimmer of light from the indicator, no joy. By now the SO has shut off the car and I don’t even want to know what she’s thinking.

At some point during my trials the MIL of the seller has pulled up to pick up her daughter and grandaughter to go somewhere. They’re sitting there watching me, I’m pretty sure I don’t want to know what they’re thinking either.

Inspiration! I remember Billy (the seller) saying something about having to have the kickstand up to start it. I kick it up, pull in the clutch and push the starter. Joy! It’s running!
Emboldened by my recent success I give it a little throttle and ease off the clutch. Lurch, die. Obviously I’m in too high a gear to get started. I kick the shifter a few times and try it again, not surprisingly with the same result. Lather, rinse, repeat. After 8 or 10 repetitions I have managed to move about 6 feet. I glance over at the MIL and company. I’ve got a pretty good idea what they’re thinking, they’re laughing. I, on the other hand, am less amused. Fortunately I’ve learned long ago that you have to be able to laugh at yourself before you can laugh at others. I’m sure I’ll be laughing. Maybe in a year or so.

After a few more agonizing starts and stops I’ve finally managed to get it in first, or at least second and kept it running long enough to make it to the end of the driveway. Killed it a few more times getting onto the road, but man let me tell you how great it felt cruising down the road towards the house. Rolled through every frickin stop sign along the way, fortunately the whole sordid tale occurrs in the country so traffic was at almost non-existent.

Made it home without incident or accident and now it’s parked in the front yard. I’ll move it into the shop tomorrow while I’m taking care of all the insurance/tags/title thing. And my motorcycle driver’s license I suppose.

And before anyone suggests it, yes I’m going to take a training class.

Hopefully that will be the most interesting thing that happens to me this year.

Last thing, the look on the SO’s face when I suggested going for a ride was priceless.

2

You should’ve seen the look on my face when I didnt find any body parts (yours or the bikes) along the road on the way home.

You looked good on the bike once you got going… hurry up with the class, I want to go for a ride! (on the bike, silly!)

3

Congratulations. If it’s any consolation, I have a slightly less embarassing tale. The previous owner of my bike delivered it to my house. I had a grand total of 5 minutes of motorcycle experience at that point. I scheduled the MSF class, but I had to wait a couple of weeks. I figured, in the mean time, I would ride around the block a few times in my quiet neighborhood. After a couple of trips around the block, I stopped at a stop sign and put my left foot down, leaving my right foot on the brake. I got a little uncoordinated and shifted my weight to the right and the bike started leaning right. By the time I got my right foot down, it was too late. I strained the dickens out of my hamstring trying to stop up, but all I could do was slow it down. It seemed like it took a full minute for it to teeter over in the middle of the street. Fortunately, the crash bar and the saddlebag preventing any damage. Also, fortunately, no one was watching.

Ride safe.

4

I very nearly dropped my bike while riding it home from the guy’s house I bought it at. I stopped at a stop sign, then started to turn through the intersection. Let out on the clutch without quite enough gas, stalled it, and was leaned way over to the left. Luckily, I was able to manhandle the thing back upright with only the left peg hitting the ground.

And there were lots of people around.

5

hehehehe

I got a discount a discount on my first bike, a '71 Honda, because theowner could not get it started. I fussed over it for a week, fiddling and cleaning and adjusting, before I got it to make a satisfactory vrooom. feeling rather exaltant, and mostly flat tires notwithstanding, I hopped on, pulled back on the throttle, and let loose the clutch. With eyes wide open and legs flung loose I charged right into the side of the shed. Yippee.

It was a few minutes before I felt confident enough to declare I had not broken a leg. Luckily, there was no one watching at the time. Have fun and go slow.

6

Could be worse.

I used to know a guy in Chicago who was a motorcycle riding and safety trainer. Should be an absolute ace at all things related to keeping a motorcycle safely upright.

Well… One day, they go off and buy a big fat Gold Wing. Something plush and cushy for days-long interstate highway cruises.

He didn’t have it for more than five hours before he dumped it while parking. He didn’t have the hang of reverse gear yet, and the bike’s bulk got away from him. The battery acid stains on the chrome served as a silent reminder for several years.

7

Motorcycle threads should be like cat threads: it isn’t valid unless there are pictures.

8

Here, try this. :smiley:

9

I haven’t dropped mine yet, but I got into some precarious positions on the mossy grass covered hillside of my previous house.

Yeah take the course. It’s actually a lot of fun even though it will probably start off painfully basic for you.

10

Congrats on the purchase. I just love my V65 Magna. I have an amusing story about the safety class I took as a child with my mother. Yes, My mom thought it would be a good thing to take with her son so the entire family could ride together. Since I agreed about it being cool I paid for her class along with mine. We both did great all through the class until we got to the collision avoidance test. For those who do not know to avoid a collision on a bike you shove the handlebar towards the side you want to go. You want to go right? Push the right side of the handlebar forward and the bike will respond by going to the right. Well, in NM they used a lighted pole that you are ride towards at about 10 mph and then swerve to whichever side as indicated by a light flashing on either side of the pole. During our class the light pole was not working and the instructor decided he would stand there with his arms extended and drop one as we approached and we would swerve to whichever side he dropped his arm. While not a bright idea in my head everything was going smooth until my mother’s turn came up. As she cruised towards him at about 10 miles an hour he dropped his left arm indicating he wanted her to go to her right. Instead of pushing the handlebar to the right she pulled down on the throttle, accelerated and popped a wheelie right at him. He dove for his life and my mom roared right past him. She recovered quite nicely and stopped. When she saw us rushing to check on the instructor (he was ok) she yelled a red-faced apology to him. She then rode right to the gate, parked, turned off the bike and walked out the door. 24 years later my mom still does not have her license.

11

Congratulations on buying a really huge bike. Now please don’t even sit on the darn thing again until you take a class and learn what you’re doing, okay? You just jumped into the demographic with the highest rise in fatalities, and we don’t want you to be a statistic.

In the meantime, do some reading on safety, buy a helmet and the rest of the gear (no matter what ABATE says, 'cuz they’re a bunch of idiots) and next time I’m down south we’ll go for a ride.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I think it’s time to add some more bling to my 650 Bandit :wink:

12

Older story:

I had picked up my bike a few weeks prior, and felt comfortable on it. Went to the gas station as I had done before, and got gas.

Went two feet forward after filling up, and found the oil spot I had forgot to check for. Whoop! Out from under me came the bike. Only scratched the handlebar end on that side. I quickly bought new ones :slight_smile:

13

You know, I’ve been know to complain that my 450cc bike feels like a toy sometimes, but I’m pretty sure that takes the cake.

14

:dubious:

I suppose I could start a thread over in IMHO about bike sizes, but I’ll just disagree with this assessment. I wouldn’t have any trouble picking it up if I laid it over so it’s a good ways from huge.

I’ll concede that it is bigger than I started out looking for (650-750), but it was just too good a deal to pass up.

Classes are booked up until July, but I’ll definately be in the first one I can. And a brain bucket was included in the deal so I’m covered. Literally.

I’ll be looking forward to it! :smiley:

And thanks everyone for sharing!

Pics will be forthcoming this weekend if I can get any love out of my dieing digital camera.

15

Barbarian’s quite right, and for the record I’ve always posted strongly pro-bike, as you can see over in IMHO at the moment. The question isn’t whether it’s too heavy to pick up when^H^H^H^H if you drop it, but whether it’s got the cubes to get seriously away from you. Granted you can get badly out of shape even on a small bike, as my cousin learned when he decided to wring the 'nads off the first bike he’d ever sat on within five minutes of sitting on it, but oomph has a way of catching you unawares.

Mind you, experience isn’t necessarily a guarantee. A mate of mine who’s ridden more bikes than I’ve had hot dinners managed to lay a brand-new bike down within a hundred yards of the showroom. :smack:

Sending many positive thoughts your way, however. I came back to bikes in '97 after about a five-year layoff and it felt really strange, even on my own bike that had been gathering dust in my garage all that time - but after a few miles something just clicked and it was like I’d never been away. May you find your ways as pleasant.

16

If it’s a big deal for you I’ll trade my 06 Honda Aero 750 for it. :slight_smile: I like the Sabres, flames on the tank and alloy wheels.

17

Over the course of 14 years I have gone from a 90 to 400 to a 500. I don’t know how long until I hit the 1100’s. I may have to wait until money starts growing on trees.

18

Welcome to a new world! My first was a 400. My second a 650. My current, the love of my life (and the curse of it) a BMW, K100RS 1985.

An instructor of mine once said “There are two types of motorcyclists, those who have dropped their bikes and those who are going to drop their bikes”. :wink:

I had been off a bike for several years when I bought the BMW. By far the biggest bike I had owned. Driving home, I was just worried that I’d lose control of it and kill someone. It’s fully capable of doing 120 mph, and is designed to cruise at 80. Not for the faint of heart!

Like your Honda, mine had a start/neutral/kickstand/clutch interlock. It still has the start/neutral interlock. I took out the rackin’ frackin’ kickstand/clutch interlock cuz it was a PITA and only served to wear out the clutch cable more often.

In time you’ll forget all this and think to yourself “mebbe I could get a bigger bike.” Just don’t tell your SO.

19

Are you saying that you rode the thing in public without having a license or insurance?

If I fully comprehend your actions, your story is frightening.

Novice motorcyclist riding an 1100cc bike. Can’t or won’t control the bike enough to stop at stop signs.

This is not a cute story.

20

Heavy? Well it’s a foot longer and 100 pounds heavier than what I ride. And even though it’s no sportbike, the engine can still pull those 600 pounds through the quarter mile in 13 seconds. http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/roadtests/1100_1200_v_twin_cruisers/index.html