Sportbikes are not beginner bikes

[McHack]

Grats!   Welcome to SV'dom...   anything you want to know about them = www.svrider.com

[Sport-Touring]

[nater]

Very nice!  Glad you found something you like!

[shift]

Thanks again for all your help guys.. went on my first ride on it yesterday for about an hour.. was awesome!

[lgman]

Good stuff

[Mrs. DantesDame]

Thanks again for all your help guys.. went on my first ride on it yesterday for about an hour.. was awesome!

   


 

[shift]

Well I only have one from before i left the drive way! In other good news i got 100% on my motorcycle skills test so i can officially ride on my own now!

[ArizonaRocket]

Just met a young guy .. never been on a bike.  A local dealership convinced him to buy a 155 hp GSXR 750 as a first bike.  He had to take a learning to ride course before taking it out of his garage.  Insanity...

[shift]

It other good news I took the SV on my roadtest today and passed with flying colors!
No more restrictions!!  

[jdgretz]

 

Good on you shift - Ride careful and enjoy getting used to your new bike.

jdg

[Mrs. DantesDame]

It other good news I took the SV on my roadtest today and passed with flying colors!
No more restrictions!!  

Enjoy the roads before the ice comes!  

[McHack]

It other good news I took the SV on my roadtest today and passed with flying colors!
No more restrictions!!  

Grats!   Labor Day weekend,  I yanked the forks off of mine...  & upgraded the springs, & installed new damping rods & cartridge emulators.   Gotta say,  its an improvement...  but, I dont think I'll realize how MUCH, until I do the rear shock, too...

[jesse v]

I completely agree with the OP.  Great article.

...And this is coming from a guy who bought an SV1000 as his second bike.  My first bike was Marauder 800, which was a good choice for a first bike (albeit a cruiser).  I rode it for 2.5 years before getting the SV.

Was it too big of a jump too soon?  Probably; namely because I had never ridden a sport bike before driving this thing off the consignment lot.  I justified it by telling myself it was a v-twin, and therefore would be easier to control (i.e., less likely to accidentally get out of control) than an I4 liter bike.  "The power is practical," I told myself.  "It only crazy when you ask it to be."  And to an extent that could be true.

However, with my (still) perfect driving record and self-proclaimed responsible nature, I was taking a big risk.

[ambientboy]

However, with my (still) perfect driving record and self-proclaimed responsible nature, I was taking a big risk.

I feel you there.  Things might change the first time you're on a 75mph limit highway (doing 79 of course) and a semi decides to change lanes with you next to it...and you decide to punch the gas to get out of the way.  Then you look down and you're doing 110mph and you realize how great the adrenaline feels...

[Cablebandit]

Or the first time you're on a two lane and you have 4-5 cars in front of you.  You round a corner see a straightaway and decide to pass all 5 at once.  Over a double yellow of course.  

[ambientboy]

 

Or the first time you're on a two lane and you have 4-5 cars in front of you.  You round a corner see a straightaway and decide to pass all 5 at once.  Over a double yellow of course.  

Exactly.

[jesse v]

The ability to pass is wonderful.  Don't get me wrong, I DON'T mind using the power available.  The "big risk" that I was referring to was the possibility of accidentally using the power.

[Cablebandit]

True, and that comes with letting that thing in your helmet control that thing at the end of your right arm.  I think once you control the bike though muscle memory you can ride anything.  If you still need to think, even for a split second, what to do regarding the controls you should stay away from the more powerful bikes.

I see it all the time in the MSF courses.  A student grabs a handful of 125cc and not much happens.  Even if it does the speeds are usually still slow enough once you figure out what to do to correct it.  Grab a handful of a modern sportbike and you're doomed by the time you can correct.

[Kootenanny]

...I think once you control the bike though muscle memory you can ride anything.  If you still need to think, even for a split second, what to do regarding the controls you should stay away from the more powerful bikes.

This is a good way to put it.  The problem is that so many new riders don't want to take the time to learn the "muscle memory."

[Cablebandit]

Yup, the only way to get it is seat time.  How many of these new riders will be out there for years on 3 months worth of experience repeated over and over.

I had a guy in a class last year that has ridden on a permit for the past 20 years.  He got one of the lowest scores on the skills test because he was a fair weather rider who never had enough consecutive days riding to develop the skills you or I take for granted.

[jesse v]

I think once you control the bike though muscle memory you can ride anything..

Awesome line.  

The problem is that so many new riders don't want to take the time to learn the "muscle memory."

And muscle memory is what makes motorcycling so fun!  You think it, the bike does it.  These are the kind of people that just ride to look cool and couldn't care less about the actual experience.