Hi there
I decided to start riding a bike again at the age of 55, after packing it in at 20. Back then I owned a Yamaha DT175, and my brother had a Yamaha RD350 which I often rode. Having the advantage of a full licence, and being 190cm tall, I decided on a 500 twin as a nice way to ease myself back into riding, so a few weeks ago I purchased a Kawasaki KLE500 dual purpose. After buying the requisite gear, helmet, jacket, pants, boots and gloves, I first rode the bike from the Wairarapa to Lower Hutt. I felt very rusty and a bit hesitant on corners, and found the Rimutakas quite a challenge. I rode with an experienced rider, which was a good support to have. Since then I have ridden a fair bit round Lower Hutt and Eastbourne, rode the Akatarawas (very narrow in parts but I love that road and scenery), communted into Wellington, and attended a basic skills course which I found very worthwhile. In May I plan to attend an ACC subsidised course at Lower Hutt. I must have some ingrained memory from my prior riding, as I have found I have quickly gained in confidence, but am careful not to get overconfident. I do need to improve my smoothness, especially at cornering, and gain more confidence with the brakes. The KLE500 is a very easy bike to ride, drops instinctively into corners and is easy to lean with the wide bars, and has a high riding position giving a good view forward. The mirrors are not the greatest, being partly obstructed by my elbows. I am gradually adjusting the tilt of the brake and clutch levers to get better feeling for them. Next I will play with the footbrake and gear lever angles. Downsides are the seat is not the best, gives me pain at the base of the spine. The front forks, being for a dual purpose, are very soft, which is great for speed bumps but not so good for front braking. All in all though I am pleased with the bike, the 500cc engine gives me ample power at this stage of my return to riding. My wife is keen to ride pillon but I have told her I need to ride considerably longer before taking her safety into my hands. Next summer we will go on a North Island tour together. So far I am enjoying motorcycling again, I do need to make a concious decision to ride more frequently. I will commute to work (when the Welly weather co-operates) once I get myself better organised. I also will have a check on here for any organised rides in the Wellington area for riders at my stage of ability. Ciao for now.
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