Found the bike I want!

[gruntygiggles]

Ok, so I'll be taking my test in July and I was going to have Stretchies old (but lovely) Thundercat as my first bike. I've always been happy with this thought, but a little scared as I can only get my tip toes on the floor and it leans to quite an angle for me to get a full foot on floor for the purpose of stops at lights and roundabouts. It's a big heavy bike and I know full well that I am going to drop it at a stop or low speed because I can't move it around easily.

Now.......Stretchie and I went with Squirrel to look at the Buell 1125 that he wants and outside was a line up of Buell Lightnings. There was a rather pretty looking XB12Scg there in red. It has red wheels, translucent red tank cover (I know it's not the tank as the fuel is held in the frame, but I don't know what to call it) and a translucent red screen.

It's a stunning bike to look at. Stretchie had a sit on and fell in love, also loving the others there. I sat on it and it was like getting into your own bed after a long day of hard work. It just felt right. It fitted me, I could get both feet comfortably on the floor thanks to the 28.6 inch height and as the fuel and oil are in the frame and swingarm, the centre of gravity is low so the bike is light as a feather.

I could sit on it and keep both feet off the floor for up to 3 seconds sometimes because it is so well balanced and I could easily walk it backwards and forwards while sat comfortably, not having to work too hard.

My only reservation has been that it has a 1203cc V Twin Thunderstorm engine in it and I know a lot of people will probably say I'd be stupid to get a bike with such power as a first bike.

The dealer and many reviews have said that it is a great bike for novices as the front wheel never gets light, even when the throttle is fully opened and it is very sensible in traffic and sympathetic to novice riders.

So......Thundercat :-

Keeps having problems (sorry love) and has to be fixed regularly
Is big and heavy
I can only just get my toes on the floor
Has a 600CC engine
Cost to insure - £308 fully comp for me and Dan
Already scratches fairings so no biggie if I drop it.


and Buell:-

Brand new bike with warranty and great user reviews
Is small and light and well balanced
I can get both feet well on the floor
Has a 1203cc engine (with the same power delivery as a modern 600)
Cost to insure - £560 not including Dan (with Dan, over £5k)
New bike, so be gutted to drop it, but not the end of the world.

Your thoughts guys and gals of the org?????

http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/photo...g-XB12Scga.jpg

[fizzwheel]

I'd be inclined not to get a new bike for a first bike, theres no guarantee that your going to drop it, but you may well do at some point, but then thats what insurance and crash bungs are for...

You dont need to get your feet flat down, Liz manages to ride all her bikes and cant get both feet flat down on any of them. But theres a lot to be said for being confident on the bike and if that means you need have your feet flat down then so be it.

In your shoes, I'd be inclined to use the Cat for a few months just to get you up and running and then get the Buell that you want. Also if you wait a few months till the clocks change back and bike dealers go quiet you may get a better deal at the end of summer / autumn to...

you just want the throbbing vibrations dont you...

Bikes are about something you love not something you should put up with buy what your heart wants.

+1, to fizz....... you will be gutted if you drop the buell, not so gutted if you drop the cat

plus buells are expensive when they go wrong,

if you not comfy on the cat sell/px it for somthing cheap, just while you get used to riding

[gruntygiggles]

Originally Posted by fizzwheel

I'd be inclined not to get a new bike for a first bike, theres no guarantee that your going to drop it, but you may well do at some point, but then thats what insurance and crash bungs are for...

You dont need to get your feet flat down, Liz manages to ride all her bikes and cant get both feet flat down on any of them. But theres a lot to be said for being confident on the bike and if that means you need have your feet flat down then so be it.

In your shoes, I'd be inclined to use the Cat for a few months just to get you up and running and then get the Buell that you want. Also if you wait a few months till the clocks change back and bike dealers go quiet you may get a better deal at the end of summer / autumn to...

Yeah, that's been my thought process so far, but when I sat on the Buell, I just felt at home. I'm extremely comfortable on bikes, so I'm not going to be an overly nervous new rider, but I also don't want to make life more difficult for myself. My priorities would be to learn slowly but surely and get in some track time with tuition to learn some valuable skills. I'm very good at controlling myself in terms of being able to stop myself pushing it too far. If I was out with others, I'd just go at my own pace and be more concerned with improving skills than getting the bike leant over or picking the speed up etc.

I think with the Thundercat, I would ride it and enjoy it but be constantly worrying about dropping it and I'd be nervous at every set of lights, roundabouts, junctions where I have to stop as it's not got the smoothest gears (waits for many comments aimed at Stretchie) and I can't move it on my own very well if I ever needed to back it up a bit.

The Buell just felt like an extension of me and so I feel like the benefit of starting out on a bike that does not make me worrysome or nervous would outweigh the possible need for damage repair. The power isn't a major issue in my mind as that is under my control, but the weight of the Thundercat isn't always.

Thanks Fizz.....this has really got me thinking today.

[gruntygiggles]

Originally Posted by 454697819

you just want the throbbing vibrations dont you...

Bikes are about something you love not something you should put up with buy what your heart wants.

Well, now you come to mention it....lol

[gruntygiggles]

Originally Posted by hovis

+1, to fizz....... you will be gutted if you drop the buell, not so gutted if you drop the cat

plus buells are expensive when they go wrong,

if you not comfy on the cat sell/px it for somthing cheap, just while you get used to riding

Yep, that's the obviously sensible option. Can't sell the Cat though.....Dans first bike and it's here to stay. Maybe I could get a cheap older high mileage bike for a few months first, but I honestly would not be that gutted if I dropped the Buell. Gutted yes, but I see things like that as little stuff in life....it's fixable and the individual parts are actually not that bad on the pocket....not like some of the other models and much cheaper than it was before Harley bought them out.

Ahhhh, We'll see. I know Dan won't like that he can't be insured on it!!!

If, like me, you will be riding for fun then you shouldn't just consider practicalities - your bike should make you smile.

If you like the Buell and can afford a new bike then what the hell. If you drop it, that's why we have insurance.

Yes, Buells have a chequered reliability reputation but much of what would go wrong on a new bike will be covered by warranty so it'll just be an annoyance that the bike's in the dealership rather than on your drive.

Oh and if you do opt for one, question the list price or see what you can get thrown is, as I bet you could count on your own fingers how many Lightnings the dealer will have sold this year!

[yorkie_chris]

Originally Posted by gruntygiggles

Has a 1203cc engine (with the same power delivery as a modern 600)

I doubt it!


It will be a total pain in the rse to work on with a mish mash of imperial and septic fittings, will vibrate itself to bits. Have they finally sorted the gearboxes out, or do they still eat themselves?
But, it will probably be a laugh to ride.

[fizzwheel]

Your other option like you say is get something cheap and nasty.. i.e

GS500 or an ER5, you'll more than likely do your training on either of these bikes so you'll have a little bit of familiarity with them to.

Failing that you shoudl be able to pick up a cheap curvey SV, great first bike IMHO

I know what you mean about the Cat, if you arent confident on it you'll always have that niggling at you in the back of your mind. The other way to solve your feet down problem is to ride and never stop then you never have to put your feet down anyway. I bet if you do go down the cat route, you'll get confident on it very very quickly and you wont notice the weight etc when you've got it on the move...