Beginner Biker - Cruiser Advice
Discussion
Hi all,
Recently I ran into a couple of old mates I used to ride BMXs with when we were younger- in the intervening years they've got into harleys in a big way, and having browsed the interweb obsessively for several days I'm feeling the need to join them.
The only problem is, apart from push irons I've never ridden anything on two wheels- not even so much as a scooter.
I've been reading around, and I think I'm going to do my CBT/DAS next spring, but I'm not really sure where to go from there. My heart wants the harley, my head says I'm being an idiot (most other people seem to share this opinion).
For reference, I'm 29, 6"1 and about 13 1/2 stone (in reasonable shape), and I'd like to think pretty level headed. It's not the power of a cruiser that bothers me so much as the weight- I can't imagine what it feels like to ride a 300+kg monster when my only frame of reference is a bmx. I get the feeling that being comfortable doing tricks isn't going to help me here!
Please help me with sage advice- I think my life might be in danger if I show my girlfriend another photo of a bike
Recently I ran into a couple of old mates I used to ride BMXs with when we were younger- in the intervening years they've got into harleys in a big way, and having browsed the interweb obsessively for several days I'm feeling the need to join them.
The only problem is, apart from push irons I've never ridden anything on two wheels- not even so much as a scooter.
I've been reading around, and I think I'm going to do my CBT/DAS next spring, but I'm not really sure where to go from there. My heart wants the harley, my head says I'm being an idiot (most other people seem to share this opinion).
For reference, I'm 29, 6"1 and about 13 1/2 stone (in reasonable shape), and I'd like to think pretty level headed. It's not the power of a cruiser that bothers me so much as the weight- I can't imagine what it feels like to ride a 300+kg monster when my only frame of reference is a bmx. I get the feeling that being comfortable doing tricks isn't going to help me here!
Please help me with sage advice- I think my life might be in danger if I show my girlfriend another photo of a bike
Cheers for the replies guys, most of what you say semms pretty much in line with my thinking (apart from the bit about being gay- cheers for that!).
). I think it's definitely worth doing the test, but maybe finding something cheaper to run around on for a year or so, to see how I feel.
The thing is, what's a good compromise between a harley and a 125? I really don't care what people think, I'd happily pootle round on a 125 if it was the best option to make me a better rider, but I can't help but feel that learning the ins and outs of a small bike I could lift over my head might not really help in the long run if the end goal is a big cruiser. Like I said before, I've spent thousands of hours on a BMX but put me on a MTB and I'm like Bambi, all over the place- totally different geometry/riding style. That's my only worry.
Just had a look around, those Honda Shadow 750s look nice, seems they're about 50kg lighter than a Harley as well. Still heavy, but I imagine every little helps!
Cheers again.
Mastodon2 said:
Ask yourself if you really want to get into biking / HD ownership, or whether it might be a passing phase. Not that I'm saying you shouldn't, but it would be a lot of wasted time, money and effort if you have a few goes and decide it's not for you.
This is a valid point- I'm not really a phases kind of guy, but it's definitely in the back of my mind. I can't really say for sure until I've had some experience, I suppose. It's not about looking cool in front of mates- I pretty much bumped into them having not spoken for years, don't think I'd be riding with them much anyway! It was the bikes that grabbed my attention, not the hairy bearded men riding them (see, definitely not gay ). I think it's definitely worth doing the test, but maybe finding something cheaper to run around on for a year or so, to see how I feel.The thing is, what's a good compromise between a harley and a 125? I really don't care what people think, I'd happily pootle round on a 125 if it was the best option to make me a better rider, but I can't help but feel that learning the ins and outs of a small bike I could lift over my head might not really help in the long run if the end goal is a big cruiser. Like I said before, I've spent thousands of hours on a BMX but put me on a MTB and I'm like Bambi, all over the place- totally different geometry/riding style. That's my only worry.
Just had a look around, those Honda Shadow 750s look nice, seems they're about 50kg lighter than a Harley as well. Still heavy, but I imagine every little helps!
Cheers again.
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