Attitude Change

[Teflon]

Well, i was riding around on a GSXR11 when i was 15, I never crashed it, or did no harm to my riding style. I respected the GSXR more than the NSR I had at the time. Never dropped the GSXR, but the NSR, shit-loads of times, the bitch highsided me.

Had a FZR1000 ( less than 10,000 on the clock) when i was 17, i survived.

[FROSTY:Me]

this debate could go on ad infinitum.
I personally couldnt give a fat rats ass if its a girl a boy or a friggen monkey.
I firmly believe that an inexperienced rider on a powerfull bike is stacking the cards against themselves. Heck look there are those who will ride safely and sensibly and legally no question. well good on em and I will be the first to congratulate em
BUT I will not ENCOURAGE them to move up.
My reasons I have stated earlier -its arguably irrational as everybody is different but Im not prepared to run the risk of being proven right.

[bugjuice]

i agree with frosty. this is one of those 'why a litre' debate thing.. people are going to stick with what they think. end of the day, you can't change the world. just hope the person(s) in their situation make the right choice. I've also stated my opinions and will stick by them to the deathbed..

[cowboyz]

Why not, its a slow night.

I don't remember learning how to ride a bike. I think I rode one out of the hospital and left Dad to pick Mum up. My parents never liked the idea of me being on the road (in fact they still don't) so I spent all my life on dirt.

When I came round to getting my licence in the latter years I didn't want to pay the $4-500 for a learners how to ride course and convinced the guy to let my *just* sit the basic handling test without any classes. The guy old me I would fail and no one ever passes the basic handling test without "learning" how to ride a road bike. I told him that I had spent 20+ years on dirt and he was convinced this didn't matter because riding on the road is so much more complicated than riding on dirt.

So I did the test and passed (of course). Got my little ninja and rode it round and round and learnt how the bike leans and how it picks up. Up till last week I never dropped it at all but that was unavoidable, unlucky.. however you want to put it. I don't care how experienced you are my accident was just freaky and I don't believe anyone could have avoided it.

(ego time)... I believe I walked away from it due to keeping my head on striaght and processing what was happening quickly enough to realise the front of my bike was missing and keeping balance enough to slow teh bike so I could drop it at rest rather than skidding down the road at 100k/hr. Maybe it was pure dumb luck. Maybe in the same scenario again I won't walk away from it. Hopefully we will never find out.


I don't condone anyone riding outside the conditions of their licence (I had to put up with the crap time restrictions, so can everyone else!) but simply saying someone has to *almost* crash to gain experience is just wrong. You don't have to stack a bike to learn that it is going to hurt if you do.

All you need to ride on the road is alot of common sense and a little fear... Don't forget that little fear. It is the fear that keeps you smart.

[Paul in NZ]

jims right,

if i wasnt poor i would buy a 600-1000 an tell all of you to go fuck yourselves when ya started preaching, until then the nsr is going to get given death until death gets me,

Aw jeeze Mikey ya don't need a 600-1000 to tell me to go fuck myself mate... Soon as i start preaching get stuck in dude...

[R6_kid:Me]

only read the first page so this may have already been said (and i wont be checking back to see the replies to this )

With regards to CaN2 as she is known:
A race bike perhaps? After blatting it around puke on saturday i found my road riding was sedated quite a bit... i.e i didnt feel the need to be a rampant hooligan and redline it off every set of lights. For me this is quite wierd but i actually enjoyed just being there on my bike and knowing i was safe as houses (no cars around) just riding. Now im not sure if this is the same for people like loosebruce! (i highly doubt it )

What i can say about her riding ability, despite not seeing it first hand is that i know she is good/quick. Dont take this the wrong way, as we were riding across the coromandel and werent doing anything dangerous. BUT she was the first bike off the hill after the 3 sprot bikes that were giving it a nailing.

After trying out a small handfull of 750's (ZX7R and GSXR750's of various descriptions) i can only say one thing, as said to me by SPB - "The throttle goes both ways" If its straight line speed you want (and dont care too much for the licence restriction) then by all means there is nothing stopping you from getting something bigger than 250. As long as your head is in the right place, which im sure hers is, then there shouldnt be any problem. She doesnt want to go out and kill herself, she has simply expressed a desire for more speed/power which in all honesty we all do at some stage.

I'll give her the same advice i have been given about the 'step up'... Get the bike YOU want (okay so your old man might have say to some extent), learn at your own pace, and stay within your comfort zone. All the guys i have spoken too that have large bikes (ZX12R's etc) talk about immense learning curves when changing between bikes. You have to remember that you wont be able to the push the bike to the max straight away, but if you take the time to learn the bike and where its weaknesses are then there is nothing stopping you from being a great rider.

[anhrefn]

I could only find 1Cent so heres my little bit. Put her through the courses, not just defensive driving but perhaps a riding school. I know there are probably better ideas out there but these are the basic recognised ways and have all that "approval" stuff with it. She wants a bigger bike? Why not set the goal of saving up for one she wants and aiming to get it when she has her full lisence, no fines to worry about then. Ok ultimately it is her father that has to feel comfortable with his girl getting on her bigger bike and well to put it simple it really is between him and her. I guess if it was me and my kids I would want them to learn as much as they could and make there own discisons on the matter, but well to be honest I know I would try and have some kind of influence on them.

[Jackrat]

Personaly I try not to encourage anybody into buying a bike of any type.
But once they've made that decision for themselfs I'll support what ever they want to do as long as it's legal.
As far as wanting a bigger bike,,,,,,at that age who doesn't??
If dad made it obvious he wasn't into it I'd just say nothing at all.

[mstriumph]

hang showing the young lass - wish someone would show me ..............

Yeah! You "advice givers" shoulda been showing the young lass how to pop a phat mono.

Sheeeeesh, what the hell is wrong with some people.....

[Macktheknife]

A wonderful voice of reason, its too easy to knock others for their faults or poor decision making. Good one girl, gets my vote.

[SixPackBack]

THROTTLE ACTION IS REVERSIBLE..........WANT ANY HELP OR ADVICE CaN, I'M LISTENING

[James Deuce]

Get over yourself. They can add a certain efficiency.

I refuse to get over myself (it's too far to climb. I'm starting to feel uncomfortable with being taller lying down. Bloody Pies.)

[Big Dave]

I refuse to get over myself (it's too far to climb. I'm starting to feel uncomfortable with being taller lying down. Bloody Pies.)

I have/can tell you how to fix all that.

[scumdog]

Hehehehehe Mikey - isn't that the real reason why ducatis and harleys and ferrari's and porsches are all supposed to be riden/driven by tossers..... while the real people buy secondhand cheap japanese stuff?????

No, those that buy 'secondhand cheap japanes stuff' just say that to compensate for the fact that 'secondhand cheap japanese stuff' is all they can afford.

[Waylander]

No, those that buy 'secondhand cheap japanes stuff' just say that to compensate for the fact that 'secondhand cheap japanese stuff' is all they can afford.

You say "cheap" I say more originality. Not hard to follow a crowd. The real work comes in making yourself stand out as an individual.