Helmet Bill Amendment

Bill Walker · Nov 22, 2004

Beemer Biker said:

If you have have trouble riding a bicycle and chewing gum, then a moped
might be a good choice to start and probably stay with. A scooter is good
for carrying newspapers and can be modified to carry pizzas. Any good MSF
school will have 100cc to 250cc motorcycles. Those are not mopeds or
scooters and I assume you are not planning on a newspaper route. These
100-250cc will have the same turning radius (according to the instructors at
SW motorcycle school) of most of the "larger" bikes. At the class I was in,
somebody brought up a question about making those in and out turns about the
pylons on a "large" Gold Wing and the instructors said the Gold Wings had
the same wheelbase as the "smaller" bikes he was offereing in the class. He
went on to state that some Buells were known to have a larger wheelbase. He
was refering to stock motorcycles and heaver does not mean the bike has a
longer wheelbase.

Who I was talking to when I listed about 6 reasons for getting a larger bike
to start with was people who want to ride, eg commute to work and use a
motorcycle for transportation. I think it would be a mistake to get a
smaller bike just because you are afraid of a larger one. You will quickly
outgrow it especially if you needed one for transportation to start with.
Clearly if you just want the thrill of going fast and the capability of
doing stunts any of the crotch rockets will get you that and the MSF course
is good only for going lidless. Fullstate mentioned the GS500e. We bought
one of those back in 1996 as a first bike for our older kids and it was
wreaked in 3 days. http://tinyurl.com/64e68 My son Brian went over a curb
to avoid a car. He was not going very fast and landed in the grass. He was
unhurt but the bike was totaled. It was too cheaply made was what we found
out later. Sports bikes (gsx550e ?? i forget exactly) have rims that dent
easily and do not bounce back like spoked rims. The tires (sport wheels)
are not designed to take an impact of going over a curb and passed the
damage on to the rims as a result. We lost both rims due to dents, the
front forks leaked as it bottomed out too easily because the shocks could
not handle a 6" curb. $500 for rear wheel, $400 for front wheel, $500 to
replace tank that had a small ding and the front fork had to be rebuilt so
the insurance wrote it off as totaled even though Brian rode it home. I
went over a curb in 1971 when I got squeezed out by a lane changer. I think
I was going about 40 - 45 and there was no damage and I didnt drop it. Rode
down the sidewalk a ways till I could get back on the road behind the jerk.
Fortunatly there was no grass or bushes or I might have gone down. I had
true spoked rims with tubes and got myself up off the seat before I hit the
curb and the bike (350cc street kawasaki 2-stroke) was undamaged. My son
was going slower and the GSX550 was ruined. A better bike (heavier) would
have ridden thru but I am guessing.
Click to expand...

I actually learned to ride on a 650 Honda Y twin.. LOL.. On the showroom
floor, I thought that I was buying a smaller motorcycle.. When I started and
mounted that puppy, I realized it was far from being a "smaller
motorcycle".. That puppy was massive for a rookie.. Damn..

After about six months when I was staying on top of it more than it was
staying on top of me, I went to a Kawasaki Voyager 1300 inline six.. Now. we
are talking massive.. Way too much motorcycle.. I finally settled down with
a 1200 Aspencade and it was a perfect fit.. Only the good Lord and some
masterful guidance and mentoring from a seasoned Biker, kept me alive
thoughout the entire ordeal.. Whew.. talking bad decisions.. yep. sure made
a slew of them..

Someone later told me that if anyone survived the Y twin and the Voyager,
they could just about ride anything.. hmmmm.. hindsight.. I guess they were
about right..

I rode that old Wing through some real bad scenes without dumping it..
Dropped it a few times while I was sitting, but that sucker carried me for
over 160,000 miles without a scratch.. I'm not sure, but I believe, that if
I was riding a lesser and lighter bike, I'd never have made it..

Your friend in Irving
Bill Walker

Brian Walker · Nov 29, 2004

Albert Nurick said:

What's a normal riding condition? Wet pavement? Oil patches? Leaves?
Click to expand...

"Leaves"? You're worried about "leaves"? And this is why you buy a
bike with ABS brakes? And this is why you wear a helmet?

My suggestion to you is "stay out of the trees"!!!!

How much thought have you put into that?

Helmet Bill Amendment

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