Don’t make this expensive mistake…
Motorman’s Tips, Tricks, and Techniques
Don’t Make this Expensive Mistake
I may have discussed this before, but, a recent conversation with a friend made me think it’s worth mentioning again.
A friend of mine said he was seriously thinking of buying his wife a new Harley Street Glide for Christmas. I was unaware that his wife was even a rider since every time I’d seen the two of them together, she was always on the back of his bike. My friend said, “well, she does ride but she has a Suzuki 800 and feels like she can’t keep up with the group he rides with because they all have big touring bikes, thus, she always rides with him as a passenger”.
Now, I know the kind of riding my friend and his group usually go on. They stick to back roads and their rides are almost always 150 miles or so, round trip. The 800cc bike is fine for these types of rides. He said, “yeah but, whenever she tries to ride with the group, she would always fall way behind, especially on any kind of windy roads”.
That statement told me his wife’s problem was not the bike, but her lack of skill. I asked him what kind of training she’d taken. He told me just the basic beginner class about five years ago. I then asked him if he thought his wife’s confidence and skill would improve with more training or a bigger, heavier, bike? He admitted that more training is what she needed but said she was afraid to take any kind of advanced riding class.
I told him that if he wanted my honest opinion, putting his wife on an 850 lb. bike will simply amplify her lack of skill and will destroy her confidence completely and would possibly have disastrous results. Whether he takes my advice is strictly up to him.
Through the years, I’ve seen way too many people, men and women, move up to a full size 800 or 900 lb. bike long before they’re ready to do so. If you have problems at low speeds on your Sportster or any midsize bike, getting an 800 or 900 lb. bike will only make things worse and more dangerous.
The better, safer, and cheaper answer is to get some serious advanced training on the bike you already ride. Then, when you can ride that bike with skill and confidence, you can move up to a bigger bike and then take some more advanced training on the heavyweight motorcycle. You will then enjoy riding so much more and get your money’s worth out of that big touring bike.
It’s just common sense. With the holidays right around the corner, don’t forget to check out my website, www.ridelikeapro.com for everything you need to know about riding with skill and confidence and get the best bang for your buck! Think about it, you spend thousands on a motorcycle but not one dime on learning how to ride it with skill?! My Best Combo Deal is the best accessory for any rider and their bike.
“Motorman”
Copyright 2018 Jerry “Motorman” Palladino
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