First time riding a bike bigger than a 250cc. Share your experiences!

[koiwoi]

Use to ride a beat up old 250cc about 10 years ago around the streets for fun, nothing serious, didn't use it to get to work etc just to mess around on. I got a taste for motorbikes again a few months back after riding a friends 04 gsxr1000 after he offered me a blat, I was so impressed with the smile factor I decided to look into getting a bike of my own the next weekend. I went out and test rode an 08 zx-10r and absolutely loved it! The power, seating position and the handling felt perfect and I bought it the same day much to my wifes disgust and haven't looked back, the thing has so much power it puts an ear to ear smile on my face every time I ride it. It has more power than you would ever use on the street, and to be honest I think a 600 or 750 would be PLENTY for my next bike but wow just wow!!!
So far I have done more km in the last few months than I would have in the entire year in my car, I can't not ride the thing, rain or shine!

[Mr corse]

Bike's always gave me a shit eating grin from ear to ear.

[Lucy]

Well I was in love with my GN250, so thought I would never end up riding a bigger bike, then Wolfe Hucke came to stay in our backpackers, and let me have a spin on his BMW. I only went up and down the street, but as soon as I got home I hopped on trademe and started bidding on an old R80, which I now own.

I kept the GN, and still loved to ride it, it was much better for the gravel roads around here, but I ended up selling it for monetary reasons, (along with my van and various other stuff).

The R80 for me is not all that much different from the 250, it's stable, easy to ride, and is happy to go at nana speeds, which is most of my riding. I do like having the extra power that makes Highway 1 rides not too tedious.

I don't like dropping it whilst exiting Wanganui McDonalds though...oops.

[fatzx10r]

my first ride on a big bike was my brother's fzr1000 (hope he isnt reading this lol). took it over the northern motorway out of dunedin and thought i'd open it up a bit to see how it went. cracked the trottle open in third gear and held it up to the redline, and im thinking faaarrrkkk! this thing's fast. then i go to hook it up a gear then let the clutch out and the motor just scream's and the back end is all over the place . i quickly pull the clutch back in as im shiting myself and im thinking what the hell just happend.......... then i rememberd that the gear linkage was set up for a race shift so i flicked the lever down a couple of time's and carried on rather gently after that, makes me laugh now but it gave me the shit's at the time.

[CookMySock]

Years and years ago, we had dirt bikes of various types, and my little brother had a road-legal XR500. What a blast around town! The power, the noise, the vibration, and the wheelies!! MUAHAHAHAHA!! Sigh, I want a motard!

Ten years ago, I rode my brother in laws 90's inline4 suzuki something. It was lame. Yeah it could pull a bit, but otherwise it was like riding my mrs bernina sewing machine. Not impressed.

After all this time, this year I get my learners, and my GT650R. Ooh this is like the XR500.. noise and vibration!! That grin returns. Tap it hard in 2nd and 3rd gear and my god it departs! I like. Gawd hold the tap hard open in 4th and 5th and it fucken mounts speed reeeeel fassst! Much too fast for me just yet - its like a missile with footpegs. Whew. I'm nowhere near ready for something faster.


Steve

[gijoe1313]

McJim gave me permission to ride his Duchess ... when I was still in the 6R stage. I couldn't bring myself to do anything more than ride it up his driveway! It was magic. Vibration, noise and the hidden expectation growling in the frame.

It was not until April of this year when I test rode the shop demo in Botany Honda of the Big Ol'Hornet that I really got to ride a bike bigger than 250cc properly.

What a blast. The power rolled on so easily, when I glanced down to the speedo, I was in licence losing territory in the urban roads I was riding! :

It felt exactly as I expected. A bigger brother to my lil'ol'hornet and pumped up again on steroids. The big clunk to the clutch was suprising, but the position and riding style of the Big Naked was like I never left my lil'ol'hornet (which I still ride with gusto, just spending more time getting to know the Big Ol'Hornet better)

Of course, Daisy, the RZ250 she-devil in yellow probably could count as being the first "big" bike I rode Still gives me plenty of joy and grief! Mmmm two-strokers ... gotta loves 'em you do! Smelly, smokey and noisy ... everything bikes should be!

[Chisanga]

I think also my first "big" bike was taking McJim's duchess around the carpark at Lloyd Elsmore was scared I was going to drop it and have a mad mad scotsman out for me blood!

After that just after getting my full and a few days before departing for the uK and Africa, I took a Kawasaki 636 for a ride... great bike but far too aggressive a riding position for my poor old back... loved the fact that you barely touch the throttle and you are approaching licence losing speeds.

After I returned from Africa I took a Street Triple for a test ride to Maretai and back.... it was love at first twist and I purchased one about a week later.....only three "big" bikes ridden... I'm happy with the triple but I would love to ride some more bikes to get a feel for what's out there.

[captain_andrey]

First big bike ride - Wasp's Kawa, 1 day after i got my 6F paper. Never ridden anything other then a Hyo and some 125 for the BHS. All I remember is twisting the throttle, having a minor heart failure, looking at the speedo and thinking I better slow down or this license wont last long
Thats when I was sure I wanted a 600cc sport. Week after that, test rode a daytona 675 and a CBR600RR which I now own

[HenryDorsetCase]

Did a 3 week tour of the South Island with my GF ( now wife), back then is was like going to a different country. Some guys on Triumphs at Mt Cook could not believe we had ridden " all the way from Auckland on a 500..."

...........back then?

[EJK]

I want that kind of experience

[Maki]

About 20 years ago I rode a Honda 500cc 2 stroke bike after only having ridden a 125cc previously. Holy crap... That thing was like a wild animal. I just took it for a short blast and I had to hang on for dear life...

I didn't then realize that the power of a 500 cc 2 stroke is equivalent to a 1000cc 4 stroke...

[Odin]

I have never been on anything less then 400cc. I took my license on that (you can in Denmark, or at least you could). Then i had a Suzuki 650 savage. Thats one cylinder and not the fastest. I then had a ten year break before my next ride. I bought a Honda magna 750 in Coromandle and drove it back to Auckland for my first ride in 10 years. That was dam exciting as this bike was way heavier and way more powerful. And maybe the road down the coromandle isn't the best for re learners. Dam nice bike though. I "accidentally" got too 190km/h somewhere after Thames.... Man i felt alive...

[Hitcher]

The first bike I rode that was bigger than my 250 was a Honda CBR1000XX Blackbird. If it had been a better "fit" I may well have bought one. Immediately after that I rode a Hornet, and liked that a lot better. I would have bought that, but Sawyers sold it to somebody else while I was riding it.

The biggest shock that day was getting back on the 250 to ride home: no power, no brakes, cramped riding position, hard seat...

[James Deuce]

Immediately after that I rode a Hornet, and liked that a lot better. I would have bought that, but Sawyers sold it to somebody else while I was riding it.

Thank goodness they did sell it or you would have been JAHW.

[rocketman1]

First time I rode a 1200cc I found it didnt want too steer around a corner, I forgot that you had to countersteer those big beasts, can be a bit scary in the first fast corner.