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Too much bike??


jclevenger

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Hello, brand new here and hoping to tap into some of the expertise collected here. A relative has offered me an great deal on a 2000 R1100RT. I love the bike and have been reading some great things about it. Here is the catch...I am a brand new rider, taking the Basic Riders Course next month.

 

I am 5'6", 175lbs with a 30" inseam. I understand height issues can be dealt with somewhat with custom seats. Aside from the seat issue, is this too much bike for a first timer? I have gotten answers in both directions, but they all seem to come from someone trying to sell me something.

 

Should I jump at this great deal and consider myself lucky to have such a nice bike as my first, or should I be looking at a smaller bike in the 500cc range? Thanks for any help!

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Well, here comes one more opinion.

 

Your physical size is quite enough to comfortably handle the RT, no problem there.

But being your first bike, YOU WILL DROP IT.

Maybe not right away, but sooner or later you will. Maybe even more than once.

 

You should ask yourself is the RT the bike you want to drop once or twice while learning to ride?

 

If it is, fine. If not, then you should first practice with something else.

 

Personally, I'd get done with those first few "learning experiences" with something that is easier to pick up and cheaper to fix.

 

--

Mikko

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Personally I think you'd struggle with the bike. Have you sat on it? How confident are you sitting on it and tilting the bike side to side? It's a scary thing to pull up to a light, put your foot down, only to realize your wheels are sitting on the high part of the lane and your foot is headed for the rut and the bike just keeps tilting before your foot has even touched the ground! It's different once you have some experience, then a taller bike won't be so intimidating, and you learn little tricks to just scootch a cheek off one side to get a foot down etc. But being new, you have enough to worry about and concentrate on.

 

I only say this because my wife loved the RT, but she just couldn't get her feet down and a few times if she didn't stop absolutely straight up and the bike started to go over, there was no way she could stop it. It took the fun out of riding for her to the point she didn't want to ride because she was scared she was going to drop it every time she stopped. Bought her Ninja which she can flat foot and she loves it. Plus the Ninja has a very narrow seat which makes it even easier to get your feet down, the RT's seat would splay her legs, robbing even more height on her.

 

Do you have any experience with dirt bikes? If you have lots of dirt experience on taller bikes, I would probably say go ahead and try it, otherwise pass.

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With a 30" inseam, you will be flat footed with the seat in the low position. The 2000RT comes stock with the same seat that is the special order low seat on the 1150 (not the comfort seat). Ride height is 30.3".

 

You would be getting a great bike, however, there is no doubt that it will be quite top heavy, and is not known for its nimbleness at parking lot speeds. It is unforgiving of rider error or the need to respond quickly to a surprise in such conditions and is very easy to drop and do a lot of expensive damage to. It is not overly powerful, so you wouldn't be struggling to cope with excessive acceleration.

 

I think it is not a good first bike, but if it is a great deal, grab it and put it away while you learn on a smaller unfaired bike.

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Well, here comes one more opinion.

 

Your physical size is quite enough to comfortably handle the RT, no problem there.

But being your first bike, YOU WILL DROP IT.

Maybe not right away, but sooner or later you will. Maybe even more than once.

 

You should ask yourself is the RT the bike you want to drop once or twice while learning to ride?

 

If it is, fine. If not, then you should first practice with something else.

 

Personally, I'd get done with those first few "learning experiences" with something that is easier to pick up and cheaper to fix.

 

--

Mikko

Totally agree about the dropping thing, but not the picking up. First few times Jodie dropped the RT, I was amazed at how easy it was to pick up. I love the boxers, they don't really fall over. They just roll onto the cylinders, then you just roll them back upright. thumbsup.gif We had installed cylinder guards so they got scratched but that's it.

 

It's a real personal thing as well. It crushed her that she dropped her bike and was almost in tears. Me I just pick it up and hop back on, it's not a big deal for me to drop a bike, I know it's gonna happen so why sweat it. Maybe it's those dirt bike years, you just get used to picking up your bike. wink.gif

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Should I jump at this great deal and consider myself lucky to have such a nice bike as my first, or should I be looking at a smaller bike in the 500cc range? Thanks for any help!

 

It's hard for me to say this, "too much bike" but it's probably true (or at least it's my opinion).

Ideally, you'd have relative hold bike for you (perhaps by agreeing to pay something on account) til next spring while you found a small 'beater', something like a 10 year old suzuki 500 (vertical twin). In this way you'd make rookie mistakes on an allready scarred motorcycle and move up to the pristine (and infinitely harder to pick-up) RT new moon in April.

OTOH, some have started in the deep end, e.g, RT and lived thru it albeit with cracked plastic.

 

Wooster who at 5.5 ft, 150 lb manages his RT mostly thru many years' experience

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Alien_Hitchhiker

Clevenger, you're asking some tough questions !!!

 

It's a heavy bike - not ideal for starting out on - but having said that, it's well balanced, has excellent brakes, easy to use engine power and is fairly forgiving on the road.

 

And...it sounds like it may be very well priced.

 

It will help alot if you're the type with quick reflexes and a good sense of balance - maybe even a bicyclist - and if you drive a manual transmission car. You'll know alot more about yourself (as a rider, that is) after you complete the Rider's course.

 

The best advice I can offer is this: If you flunk the riders course, don't start out on the R1100RT

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If it's a GREAT deal, go ahead and buy it. And then park it. Meanwhile, but a Ninja 500 or KLR 650 for $1,800, drop it a few times, learn about riding, and sell it for the same amount. Then get on your RT.

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Please forgive my utter ignorance...and thank you all for the input. Sadly it sounds like I'm hearing a lot of my own concerns being echoed. Unfortunately the one chance I had to sit on it I was wearing flip flops and was unaware the seat height could be adjusted.

 

What is this talk of 'dropping it'? I understand what is generally meant, but under what circumstances does this normally happen?? Sounds painful smile.gif

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russell_bynum
Hello, brand new here and hoping to tap into some of the expertise collected here. A relative has offered me an great deal on a 2000 R1100RT. I love the bike and have been reading some great things about it. Here is the catch...I am a brand new rider, taking the Basic Riders Course next month.

 

I am 5'6", 175lbs with a 30" inseam. I understand height issues can be dealt with somewhat with custom seats. Aside from the seat issue, is this too much bike for a first timer? I have gotten answers in both directions, but they all seem to come from someone trying to sell me something.

 

Should I jump at this great deal and consider myself lucky to have such a nice bike as my first, or should I be looking at a smaller bike in the 500cc range? Thanks for any help!

 

Your size shoudn't really be a huge issue.

 

And certainly there have been people who have bought an R1100RT as their first bike, and done just fine with it.

 

But the odds are against you.

 

The RT is a very tall, very heavy bike. The parts that will be easily damaged in a tip-over are very expensive.

 

My advice:

1. Take the class first. You don't even know yet if you have the aptitude to ride a motorcycle.

2. Buy a USED bike. Something cheap. Something with 500cc or less. Ride it for a year or so. Really ride it...if you think what you want to do with the RT is long tours, then do som mini-tours on the small bike. The goal is to build your skills on a cheap bike and figure out what kind of riding you like to do.

3. Sell the "starter" bike (or keep it as a fun bike for around town) and buy whatever it is that you really want. By that time, maybe the RT isn't it. Maybe you discover that you hate long rides and you just want to go play in the twisties on the weekends. Maybe you decide you want a dualsport to go see where those dirt roads go. Maybe you decide the cruiser thing is more your style.

 

The point is, right now you don't know what kind of motorcycle you want. You see the RT sitting there, and it's beautiful. You probably have fantasies of taking off on a long cross-country tour, or whatever. But until you actually get out there and try it, you don't know if that's even the type of riding you want to do.

 

Then there's the skill issue.

 

All of the things that makes an RT great at what it is, make it a bad bike for new riders. It's heavy, the fairing masks your speed (makes it real easy to get into corners going faster than you thought you were going), and it doesn't fare well in a drop. I'm not saying you're going to wad the bike up at speed...but it's extremely likely that you'll drop it in a parking lot, or during low-speed manuvers. It doesn't take much for that sort of drop to become a multi-thousand dollar ordeal with an RT.

 

Start small, build your skills, figure out what type of riding (and motorcycle) you realy want, then go for it.

 

It is highly unlikely that your neighbor's RT is such an incredible deal that you would not be able to find another one when you're ready.

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After finishing the MSF course I went bike shopping. All of my rider friends encouraged me to buy a small, used, cheap bike and to ride it for a few months and then sell it. Then, they said, go buy the bike you really want. Of course, I ignored them and bought a R1100R, which is not a really big and powerful bike - for an experienced rider. I dropped it the first day and then proceeded to overpower my way through an intersection and come to rest on my butt in someone's front yard, but not until I collided with a yardman's trailer. It took me a week to generate the courage (stupidity according to my wife) to get back on the bike. That episode set me back months in learning how to ride. Eventually, a combination of practice and the Kevin Schwantz Suzuki School got me going in the right direction.

 

The RT is, IMHO, too much bike for most people to learn on. EBay is full of cheap used bikes that are perfect for a beginner.

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wrestleantares

I started out with a "big" bike 20+ years ago.

 

However, I must point out that:

 

1. 20+ years ago the big bike was a 650

 

and

 

2. It was a piece of junk

 

I necver dropped a bike until 20 years after I started riding. Then I dropped my LT twice in a month (Grabbed the front brake in the parking lot due to inattentive drivers - would have been fine on my previous bike, but the LT at the time was more bulk than I was used to - had to change my parking lot habits).

 

Anyway, I have mixed feelings on the "too much bike" philosophy. There are those that understand riding is a continuous learning experience. That respect MC's and their own limits. They could take the MSF and hop on a Hayabusa and be OK. Then there are those that do not even need to be on a 125. By and ride what you are comfortable with, as long as you recognize:

 

1. You are probably going to drop it.

 

2. You should learn whatever bike you get at YOUR pace. Don't be enticed to go on a long trip or technically demanding ride before you are ready.

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What is this talk of 'dropping it'? I understand what is generally meant, but under what circumstances does this normally happen?? Sounds painful smile.gif

 

Well, I ditto the "dropping it" part. My three "dropping it's" have all occured while taking it off the stand or pushing it around , all with the engine "off". I had owned about 12 bikes prior to the RT. The problem was, none of them weighed more than 300 lbs. The cylinders stick out to the side on the boxer twin and balancing issues occur if the bike leans too far in one direction when pushing it around by hand, or stopped stationary while on you're top of it (i.e. traffic lights). Also, if you "rev" the motor while sitting still, the bike torques to the right and can tip over if your right foot isn't down.

 

Riding the bike in a normal fashion is easy. There is no requirement to ride "hard and fast". The bike is comfortable at moderate speeds. There is no "sport bike" mentality of having to ride with the throttle pinned. The RT is really quite docile once you learn proper shifting techniques and don't let the weight "get ahed of you" in the planning curve (stops, starts, rolling it around the garage).

There are easier bikes to learn to ride, but the RT shouldn't scare you.

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Please forgive my utter ignorance...and thank you all for the input. Sadly it sounds like I'm hearing a lot of my own concerns being echoed. Unfortunately the one chance I had to sit on it I was wearing flip flops and was unaware the seat height could be adjusted.

 

What is this talk of 'dropping it'? I understand what is generally meant, but under what circumstances does this normally happen?? Sounds painful smile.gif

Basically just tip over when you come to a stop. In a perfect world, we would all come gracefully to a stop perfectly balanced and merely dab a toe down to keep us balanced. Every once in awhile you have to stop quickly in the middle of a turn because a pedestrian walked out in front of you etc. So you need to stop quickly before you hit them, and you may not be perfectly balanced. If you stop while leaned, the bikes going to start to tip over. Tall heavy bike, falling over means one of two things: it falls, or you catch it. But trying to keep a tall heavy bike from falling is a good way to pull back muscles, etc. And it gets ever tougher if you can't "flat foot" the bike to begin with because the bike gains momentum as you're waiting for your inseam challenged foot to reach the ground before you can even begin to "catch" it. The fastest, easiest way to drop a bike is to try to stop using the front brake while turning at parking lot speeds.

 

There are a hundred ways to drop your bike, just know that you WILL drop your bike. I don't mind the dropping the RT, I just let it go over and step away from it. Then pick it up. Only dropped the RT once so far, but I have dropped every bike I've owned.

 

You don't want to be under a 500lb bike when it falls. BTW, the RT is the ONLY bike my wife has dropped of the 5 bikes she's owned.

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russell_bynum

What is this talk of 'dropping it'? I understand what is generally meant, but under what circumstances does this normally happen?? Sounds painful smile.gif

 

It's a very big, very heavy bike.

 

If you keep it vertical, it's no big deal.

 

As it starts to lean, it becomes more and more difficult to hold it up with your legs.

 

We're talking about dropping the bike at very low speed...usually while manuvering in a parking lot or something like that.

 

You'll be making a sharp turn in a parking lot and a car will come...you'll have to stop. The bike is leaned over since you've been turning. You will not have the experience to tell you to straighten the bike up before you stop, so you stop while it is leaned, and it is too heavy for you to hold it up...down it goes.

 

Or you'll pull up to an intersection, put your foot down in a puddle of oil, antifreeze, etc. Your foot slips and down you go.

 

Etc.

 

All of that is stuff that you learn to avoid, or deal with as you get experienced. But without that experience, you're very likely to drop the bike a time or two. If it is a heavy, tall bike, you're even more likely to drop it.

 

And the RT adds insult to injury in this area since it's so bloody expensive to fix the stuff that'll get screwed up in these low speed drops.

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If it's a GREAT deal, go ahead and buy it. And then park it. Meanwhile, but a Ninja 500 or KLR 650 for $1,800, drop it a few times, learn about riding, and sell it for the same amount. Then get on your RT.
Most everyone is saying mostly the same thing, but David summed it best: If you have to have it, buy it and park it for a year while you learn on something that is basically expendable.
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Jerry_75_Guy
If it's a GREAT deal, go ahead and buy it. And then park it. Meanwhile, but a Ninja 500 or KLR 650 for $1,800, drop it a few times, learn about riding, and sell it for the same amount. Then get on your RT.

 

Exactly.

 

I made the mistake of buying and learning on a '94 K1100LT. This worked, but I did drop it once, and my enjoyment of the bike was greatly diminished by the steep learning curve I commited to by using such a large bike.

 

The wise learn vicariously as much as they can; don't be stubborn like me, learn from my error.

 

Just as David said, if it's a really good deal, but it, park it, then buy a temporary bike to build your skill with.

 

If it's just an OK deal, don't sweat it; another one will turn up when you're ready.

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It’s not that your 100% guaranteed to drop the RT but the odds are working against you and you have been warned about the expense should you drop it. Your learning curve will go much quicker on a smaller bike. One other thing I would caution you about is avoiding distractions. Hang around here for very long and you will be tempted to have the RT equipped with radio, GPS, intercom and bike to bike radios. It would be best to avoid these distractions until you have a few thousand miles experience.

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It is too much bike in ways other than size and power, too. I think you owe it to yourself to start with something not only smaller, but simpler. In a way, riding a bike like an RT is like playing golf with game-improvement clubs or tennis with an oversize racquet. It can hide some faults that you'd be better off not having. If you can learn to ride a lesser bike well, you shouldn't have any problem riding an RT well.

 

On a bike without ABS or linked brakes, you can learn and then practice what it takes to stop hard and fast WITHOUT locking up either wheel, or how to recover from a skid. Those are skills that could save your bacon regardless of the bike you ride.

 

On a bike without a telelever suspension you can learn how to brake firmly yet smoothly enough to minimize the front end's diving, and you WILL learn how to recognize (and hopefully avoid) road surface irregularities that can otherwise make your sphincter clench, but that the telelever can handle without drama.

 

I'm sure there are several other things that a good, honest, simple motorcycle can teach you that you might not learn on a bike like a RT. These are just a few that came to my mind right away. I spent a few years on a Suzuki SV650 before buying my GS. I hardly miss the SV, but I do know that it taught me a lot.

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I'm in the "ride something smaller" crowd, at least until you get some miles under your belt. I also agree that if the bike is a good deal, you might want to go ahead with the purchase, but park it for a while.

 

Riding a motorcycle is different from a 4 wheeler. You not only have to deal with being invisible, but you also have to deal with the challenges presented by a tall, heavy bike, i.e. "the tipping over problem." There are a lot of things to adjust to, and I would simply submit that, IMHO, that you should try to control the adjustment issues by limiting the number of things to which you are adjusting all at once.

 

Whatever you do, ride safe.

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Count me among the "Buy the RT and park it" bunch. Learn on something smaller and cheap like the afore mentioned Ninja. When your confidence and skills advance then ride the RT. You'll likely be able to sell the Ninja for about the price you bought it for. Your inseam shouldn't pose much of a problem on the RT once you have a good grounding in your riding and observational skills. It's a wonderful bike. If it's a screamin' deal, why pass it up? If it magically turns out that riding isn't for you, you can always sell it.

 

In the meantime, hang out here and start learning all about your future steed. Oh and let us know how your Basic course goes. wave.gif

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Hey JC,

 

I'm going to call you that since your profile does not mention your name.

 

I am not going to make a suggestion as I am sure that you will make the right decision but I will tell you about my experience. I bought a brand new BMW R1100RT after a 23 year hiatus from bike riding. This was AFTER I attended the California Motorcycle Safety Training course. The day I rode that bike from the shop I killed the engine three times in less than a block, mostly because I was so excited. I didn't drop it though, that came much later.

 

The first thing I did was find a huge empty parking lot with some planter boxes out in the middle and I practiced doing figure eights around two of them. I tightened the turns as my skills and confidence increased until I could comfortably and confidently perform tight figure eights in both directions in first gear. Then I picked some painted parking lines to use for reference and I practiced stopping using the front brake over and over again. I started out slowly at 25 miles per hour and practiced braking at that speed until I was consistently activating the ABS system. In my mind I just kept telling myself "A CAR JUST PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF ME! BRAKE! ! !Then I increased my speed ten miles per hour and repeated this drill until I was completely comfortable with full panic braking up to 70 miles per hour. Next, I picked a reference point and practiced how close I could come to it and swerve to avoid it starting at 25 miles per hour and then in ten mile an hour increments. After I mastered these three skills I went up in the hills and found myself a nice open corner that I could see all of the way through with little traffic and practiced braking in a turn to a full stop. Once I mastered these skill I practiced other skills such as braking before entering into a corner, rolling on the throttle at the apex, engine braking into corners by down shifting prior to entering the corner, looking up the road/through corners as far as possible (Site line), using my peripheral vision to pick up objects, ect. None of the skills were obtained overnight. In fact it took me three or four months of consistent practice to get the basic skills down. I firmly believe it is very important to practice basic skills and limit your riding until you do so. This will help you develop solid basic skills and develop riding confidence. I still practice these skills even after 105,000 miles of riding.

 

Good luck with what ever you decide.

 

Cheers! wave.gif

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If you park it, find someone to ride it for you.

Nothing sends a bike down the road to perdition faster than sitting for a long time without being ridden.

DO NOT just crank it up to run the boxer. This is bad for it also and can lead to more problems.

Go small and learn.

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I see lots of good advice here ... and find myself aligning with the "start smaller" camp (whether you buy the RT and park it or not). Here's why:

 

Started out on a '99 R1100S. Loved it, loved it, loved it ... but hindsight being 20/20, I know now that I was WAY over my head. Wadded it up in May '05 only to replace it a month later with the '04 version... and spent a miserable year being terrified of my own ride frown.gif

 

Finally parked the R11, bought a Suzuki SV650S and spent 6 months re-learning my riding skills; and building confidence. When I did get back on the R it was HEAVEN! clap.gif

 

Good luck with your decision. Keep us posted! wave.gif

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I agree with everyone here. I started on a 600cc sportbike. It was a good compromise, but I too dropped it hte first week (didn't have het kickstand all the way down) and lowsided it 2 months later after getting overconfident. I was young, rode aggessively, and lucky that years of riding MTB off road was enough to save my a** several times.

 

I'd recommend getting a dual sport with a lower seat hight like a KLR or KLX and learn the basics of motorcycle control and take it on some dirt roads to learn how to control a bike through a turn on a road with poor traction. Learning how to ride through gravel in a turn will dave your bacon.

 

You can find a used KLR650 or KLX250S for under $3000. both can be or lowsided with little or no damage to the bike.

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Most of us here have ridden RT's long enough to have forgotten that they are a bit "quirky." Tall first gear, dry clutch, snatchy throttle, etc. I'll toss in my caveat that I love my RT and its "character" etc., so I'm not bashing.

 

But, I also remember the process of getting accustomed to the RT's character coming off of well over 200k miles of riding all sorts of other bikes.

 

For a brand spanking new rider, I can't think of a worse bike to learn to ride on. Well, maybe a Boss Hoss lmao.gif

 

It is the equivalent of putting a student pilot in a Harrier as his first airplane.

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Let's not forget that riding small bikes fast is way more fun than riding a fast bike slow. Jodie and I bought two DRs to do some back roads exploring, and just got back from our first trip, 1300kms with about a third of that on paved / unpaved forestry roads. These bikes are a hoot! We were railing through corners like Rossi wink.gif and grinning like fools. Jodie's is only the DR200 and she said once we move to BC, she probably won't be riding her Ninja much, she likes the 200 so much.

 

I think once you get to a certain point in your riding, the bike isn't near as important as the ride. Small bikes rock! clap.gif

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Wow, I must say I am overwheled by your responses! Thank you to everyone who has offered their suggestions. Based on what I am reading I think I'll keep an eye on Craigslist for something small and see if I can't work out a deal to still have the RT end up in my garage for a bit.

 

I have been reading through various forums on bikes and trying to learn as much as possible before I ride. I can't tell you how impressed I am with this particular community. I have read many threads on other forums that have the basic theme of "Our ____ is great...everything else sucks", you can fill in the blank with just about anything with two wheels...except a BMW. When posting I fully prepared to be hammered, oddly many communities don't seem to want you to post until you have accumulated 1000 postings and see questions from newbies as a waste of their time. I am incredibly impressed by the group of people here, thank you for being willing to provide the best answer even when it isn't "ride our bike" clap.gif

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If you're like 95% of my MSF students you'll know the answer at the completion of your BRC. However, if you are one of the 5% who scores a perfect 0 on the skills test, then maybe you could ride the RT safely on the street. Just pick your roads and traffic conditions carefully. Bottom line: almost every newish rider is better of starting with a light weight used bike and then moving up when the skills warrant.

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Wow, I must say I am overwheled by your responses! Thank you to everyone who has offered their suggestions. Based on what I am reading I think I'll keep an eye on Craigslist for something small and see if I can't work out a deal to still have the RT end up in my garage for a bit.

 

I have been reading through various forums on bikes and trying to learn as much as possible before I ride. I can't tell you how impressed I am with this particular community. I have read many threads on other forums that have the basic theme of "Our ____ is great...everything else sucks", you can fill in the blank with just about anything with two wheels...except a BMW. When posting I fully prepared to be hammered, oddly many communities don't seem to want you to post until you have accumulated 1000 postings and see questions from newbies as a waste of their time. I am incredibly impressed by the group of people here, thank you for being willing to provide the best answer even when it isn't "ride our bike" clap.gif

If you do decide to get a Ninja another great site similar to this one is:

Kawasaki Motorcycle

 

Very friendly helpful people without the attitude (just like here) ;-)

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I'd get the bike. Then get a cheap-o learner bike to learn on while knowing you've got a sweet ride for a sweet deal when you're ready. That is, if your finances can swing a second $2000-5000 bike.

 

I actually purchased my 1200RT a month or so after completing the Rider's Edge program at a local Harley dealer. My brother and I got a sweet deal on a V-Star 650 Classic, we went halfsies to learn.

 

My situation was a bit different from yours... I'm 6'10", 280lbs (so the RT didn't seem like a big, heavy bike to me). I was one of the 5% of students that LuckyLief said pass the skills test with a perfect score. The Buell Blast we rode felt like a scooter to me.

 

And last, I dropped my purdy new RT within the first month in a parking spot. You can't let your attention lapse for a second. Oops. blush.gif

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A RT as a first bike is like giving a BMW M5 to a 16 yr old as a first car. The RT is meant for exprienced riders. Start out on something like a SV650 and work your way up. In Europe, you start out small and earn your way up. BTW, my first bike was a Yamaha 90 in 1969.

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A RT as a first bike is like giving a BMW M5 to a 16 yr old as a first car. The RT is meant for exprienced riders. Start out on something like a SV650 and work your way up. In Europe, you start out small and earn your way up. BTW, my first bike was a Yamaha 90 in 1969.

C'mon, you can't make that compare-o. A K1200GT would be like an M5 for a 16 year old. I'd say the RT would be more like a V8 Mustang... and pleny of punks have those and don't wrap them around trees.

 

I agree to start small(er), but sometimes you can't pass up a stellar deal.

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wrestleantares

My wife and I both made perfect 0's. I just took the course to take it with her (but glad I did as even after 20 or so years of riding I learned a bit).

 

My wife had only ridden pillion up to that time and that sparingly.

 

I was very proud of her.

 

I actually would have trusted her at that moment on any bike.

 

1. She is an excellent driver - always scanning, drives proactively, makes good decisions - this of course is a hallmark of someone that will transition well to a bike.

 

2. She has little to no ego. She rides her ride or drives her drive regardless of what others around her do.

 

I learned a lot from her - especially to just let things go.

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