First Bike

[rpiian]

WELCOME!

Good luck with the bike buying! The SV is a proven bike, but I'm sure you will happy with anything once you get on the open road. I know I was.

I bought my KZ for $1000 in '05. I've dropped it three times.

First month I had it a deer jumped out in front of me at 20 mph. Narrowly missed it but I laid the bike down and broke a mirror. Few scuffs.

Second time (year later) was when I came to intersection and it just started to rain. Made my turn, started to accelerate and it was so slippery my bike slid out from underneath me and landed on my leg. Again low speed. Broke my OTHER mirror.

Third time (year later) my untrue front rim put me into a speed wobble coming out of a turn. 30 mph. Put me headfirst into a curb. Bent swingarm, dented tank, broke the mirrors that had replaced my previous mirrors. No injuries.

All accidents with my first bike. Were they all avoidable? Maybe now, but maybe not at the time with my skill level. You know that question on your endorsement test where they ask you when they ask you what are the worst conditions to ride in? Well I KNEW that it was when it first starts to rain and I KNEW that the road was slippery when my foot went down and it felt like I was standing on soap at the stop sign. I had all the confidence in the world. I didn't think that I was going to drop my bike when I pulled away from that stop sign.

POINT IS, you won't necessarily be ready for an accident, nor will you have one, but be ready to accept that something could happen at any time, for any reason.

I will also agree with Dan's math rant. People can say you will break even when you argue fuel savings, tires blah blah blah. Sure if you have a cage with an average of 25mpg. Argument is NULL AND VOID when you are commuting in a pickup that hovers around 10 mpg. Ask me, I've done it for 4 years.

-Ian