DTMWAP
Active Member
I saved-up from my various part-time jobs, and upgraded to a Suzuki TS90, which I thought at the time was a rocket.
Did exactly the same at 15. Bought a green 1971 Suzuki TS90
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I saved-up from my various part-time jobs, and upgraded to a Suzuki TS90, which I thought at the time was a rocket.
Very wise words.. . . I heard an MSF coach tell a graduating class a few years ago “Congratulations, you are now fully qualified to operate a 125cc machine at low speed on a closed course under adult supervision. Do not, for one minute, think you are a motorcyclist and ready for the street. Get a small bike like a 250, take it to a large closed parking lot and learn how to ride it, well, before you ever venture onto a street. The life you save may be your own”. Wise advice methinks.
That somehow reminds me of a person that used to advertise on the local Craigslist, offering temporary use of a 200cc scooter for a fee, so riders could take their motorcycle license test on it, rather than the 800# hog they intended to ride. That really irritated me, even though it didn’t directly affect me.Very wise words.
Both my wife and I rode in our youth. Switched to scooters for a few decades. Got back into real motorcycles and we eventually decided that we probably should actually get our motorcycle endorsements added to our licenses after riding without proper documentation. Took the MSF course for the first time in our lives. We were shocked that the top speed in the course was about 25mph and some students never got up to 3rd gear . . . but we all graduated together and were "qualified" in the eyes of our government to run a 800# hog down the interstate.
It was also interesting that at least 50% of the class had been riding for a long time and just wanted to get their license (for a variety of reasons).
Generally I think that England is about 500 years past its prime, but they do have a couple different levels of motorcycle licenses and that actually, from the safe & sane standpoint, makes a lot of sense. I'm very libertarian in my personal views, but we'd probably see fewer people die in the US on 2 wheelers if we had a multi-tier licensing system. Maybe? Probably?That somehow reminds me of a person that used to advertise on the local Craigslist, offering temporary use of a 200cc scooter for a fee, so riders could take their motorcycle license test on it, rather than the 800# hog they intended to ride. That really irritated me, even though it didn’t directly affect me.
That’s my feeling as well. Many years ago when the Yamaha V-Max first came out I was hanging around the local Yamaha shop. The owner was an old guy (probably 20 years less than I am now). This young guy (19 or so) came in and was drooling all over the V-Max. Speedy (the old man) talked to the kid, found out that he’s never ridden, and began trying to point him toward much smaller, beginner class bikes. The kid wanted no part of it. He wanted the V-Max, period. Speedy then refused to sell it to him saying ”sorry kid, but I’m not going to be responsible for you killing yourself”. Kid stormed out of the shop, but Speedy just smiled and said “well, at least he’ll not be on my conscious when he crashes”. I really admired the old man for that.Generally I think that England is about 500 years past its prime, but they do have a couple different levels of motorcycle licenses and that actually, from the safe & sane standpoint, makes a lot of sense. I'm very libertarian in my personal views, but we'd probably see fewer people die in the US on 2 wheelers if we had a multi-tier licensing system. Maybe? Probably?
Which is why you see so many used bikes several years old with super low miles On them. Makes for good deals for the second owner, kind of a losing proposition for the original owner though…Many riders never reach 6,000 miles in their whole lives…
Is this an exaggeration? I can’t imagine buying all the stuff and just letting it sitMany riders never reach 6,000 miles in their whole lives…
My mom/pop shop just sold a 1998 Honda Shadow 1100 with only 16,000 miles on it.....23 year old bike....that is less than 1000 miles per year.....Is this an exaggeration? I can’t imagine buying all the stuff and just letting it sit
That’s pretty depressing honestly.My mom/pop shop just sold a 1998 Honda Shadow 1100 with only 16,000 miles on it.....23 year old bike....that is less than 1000 miles per year.....
My wife's bike was bought used with 4 miles on the ticker.Lots of guys hit middle age, decide to get a bike (never rode before), get one, ride it enough to scare themselves or discover that they don’t like it and park the bike. True story, guy I used to work with, based in Minneapolis, was about 50. Never had a bike. Decided he wanted to ride. Bought a new Honda ACE and trailered it to our facility in Hot Springs SD. Took it off the trailer and started to ride. Two blocks away was the facility flag pole in the middle of a traffic island (road went around the flagpole). Guy hit the curb of the traffic island and dropped the bike. Got skinned up a bit but no real damage to him or the bike. He pushed the bike back to the trailer, loaded it up and took it home. Sold it a year later, had never been ridden again. Bike had 12 miles on the clock when the second owner bought it.