Down goes Fraiser, down goes Fraiser!

[Cuda]

The inaugural ride on the Harley didn't turn out so well.

[Cuda]

I didn't even get to the end of the driveway before I had to exit the bike. I was even thinking how funny this must look to Deb and my buds as I was bailing off. I hadn't even gotten off the dirt yet when Debbie said I was selling that thing! I found I wasn't broke or bleeding, so I had to get back on with my boys watching me. It has been 31 years since I rode a motorcycle, and it was a 175 Yamaha. I think maybe I better get a smaller bike for Debbie for me to learn on first.

[txtaz]

Ohhhhhhh man Joe,
Ouch. I mean the bike dude, that is one sweet Harley.
Riding on dirt/gravel is tough on a street bike, you have to take it slow and not turn too fast. Hope the bike is ok, ohh and you also. :)
A sporty makes a great ride for women. My cousin has one and she is 95lbs. wet. She can handle the bike very well, but on a bigger bike (Road King) she has a hard time balancing it.
You might consider roll bars to protect the bike or training wheels. Sorry I just had to. :jestera:
Wes

[Cuda]

It's funny, I bought the bike from a guy on another boat forum. Ten minutes after posting the picture of the bike down, he called me. He was concerned if the bike was ok! :eek:

He said his wife saw the picture and freaked out because the bike had never been down before. Didn't take me long to change that! :smash:

[TuxedoPk]

I guess this seems like as good a place as any to ask- what is a good 1st street bike? I was considering a Fatboy but I'm thinking now that a starter bike might be in order as I've never riden before.

[txtaz]

Tux, Fatboys are nice but I wouldn't recommend one for a first bike. Look around for a used 750cc in the cruiser style. We got our second bike, a Honda Shadow 750 to kick around on and not worry about it getting stolen. It's an 02 for about $4k. It is lighter than the Road King so easier to handle at slow speeds, plus if you are going to drop it, I rather drop a $4k bike.
While you are getting your feel for bikes, look for a good Fatboy to trade up to. BTW, Harley dealerships are renting bikes now with insurance. Might be a good option for you to see what bike you want in the long run.
Plus I recommend everyone take a motorcycle safety class at some point. It saves on insurance and lives.
If you want to chat about bikes, give me a call. Plus I can fill you in on the mortgage I got.
210-421-7827
Wes

[txtaz]

Ohhh yeah Joe,
Man I know the feeling. That was their baby. Fortunatley I have never dropped anything other than a dirt bike. Take care of that bike, it seems a lot of love went into it. BTW, it's a custom which means someone went to a lot of trouble getting it to were they wanted it. Just like us Donzi nuts.
Wes

[BUIZILLA]

you must remember to put BOTH feet down...... at the same time... :yes:

[gcarter]

There's a WHOLE LOTTA bikes out there besides Harleys! After all, they didn't invent motorcycles. There's a jillion Hondas that have quality Harley never dreamed of. They're a lot less expensive, a lot lighter, and maybe a lot easier to ride. Most of them you can even decipher what you see in the rear view mirror. :eek!:

[Formula Jr]

Depending on your state, you're going to have to pass a driver's test to get your MC endorsment. Most of these are low speed handling tests. I wouldn't even try to pass with a Harley as your first bike. There are plenty of 450-650 cc twins out there that would make a better starter bike.

:moped:

[txtaz]

I agree with George but don't tell my Dad (hard core Harley), I can only do about 300 miles a day on our Road King before the middle of my back starts to kill me, but when we got the Honda I was shocked. I could ride that thing all day without any pain. So it has become our daily goof off bike and the Road King is for HOG trips.
One thing to say about Harleys is HOG (Harleys Owners Group). Great bunch of people just like the Donzi group. They have great get togethers all across the country several times a year AND they fill up fast. Most of the people are professionals that stay together and help each other out. The cool thing is just ride up to a shop and everyone is your friend.
Formula Jr is correct, you need the motorcycle license in all states I know of. I would not go anything below a 650 for single riding or 750 to take someone along. You will need the power for the highway. Driveshafts are cool but real quick to get the power to the rear tire and need a cetain touch on the throttle. Drive chains are more forgiving.
Hope this helps.
Wes :wavey:

[boxy]

The inaugural ride on the Harley didn't turn out so well.

Fraiser ??? You ride more like Niles ..... :D





pretending that I don't know where the original quote came from ......

[Formula Jr]

When I went for my Oregon MC endorsement (20 years ago), there were four other riders there that day. One had a Honda CB 500, I had, and still have, a Yamaha SR 500 Single. Of the two other guys, who were older gentlemen, one brought a Gold Wing and the other a full sized dresser Harley. I remember saying to the CB owner that this was going to be fun to watch because the test just was not set up for large motorcycles. It was like a Trials Course. The guys that brought the big bikes, obviously were experienced riders. You could just tell by what they were wearing and how smoothly they rode before the test. But they both failed, since the course involved very slow speeds and very tight turns. The Gold Wing couldn't even make one of the turns with out tipping cones as it mechanically could not turn as tight as the course. The Harley guy was having fits, because one of the rules was that you could not feather the clutch and Harleys have that very powerful double pulse at slow speeds. So I let them borrow mine and they both passed. Then I had to grin and bare it when they joked about me bringing a "Bicycle" to the test. But I did get two free beers out of the deal and we had a lot of laughs about how stupid the test was designed.

[Cuda]

you must remember to put BOTH feet down...... at the same time... :yes:


I did, as I was dismounting the bike! :eek:

[Cuda]

I'm definitely going to get something lighter and more nimble to get my sea legs back under me. I know I'm going to have to end up getting a bike for Debbie anyway, so I'll get one that I can learn on, and then she can drive. Most likely a 883 Sporty. They had one at the place I bought my first four wheeler. Debbie loved it. I stopped there today to see if they still had it. It belonged to a freind of the guy that owns the car lot. The man working today said they didn't sell it, but the owner came back and got it. I'm going to see if he still wants to sell.

[boxy]

Cuda, just remember a Sporty is a small Harley, not a small bike.

[ToonaFish]

wusses.. My dad was 64 when he got his MC endorsement on an FLH Harley... Passed the first time :) :)

And the voice resounding in my head from my earliest memory is Dad's gutteral, "Murdercycles..."

And I could not begin to count the number of times I heard (and continue to hear), "the happiest two days of a boat owner's life are the day he buys it and the day he sells it..."

Clearly, I am the rebellious child!