Way back in the 1970s I briefly tried and didn't follow up on motorcycling.  I did bicycle lots.  Didn't own a car.  Although I worked as a mechanic for a good while.  I didn't bicycle slowly.  Alps.  Tracks.  Fast. Following big name riders down hills.  Pumping up mountain passes.  Carrying weight for weeks and camping.  I still ride and will eventually get some images of my current steeds up.  So I remained used to balancing and track standing, descending at 45 mph in the mountains, maintaining crisp situational awareness.

I also learned to drive a car at one point.  Double declutching, high speed cornering, all that good stuff.  Which I can probably still do fine, even though I drive like a little old lady because of the morons who have moved out here into the countryside.

But I maintained an interest in motorcycles.  My brother in law, a former professional rider, indicated I would do very well on a motorcycle because of the above experience and approach.

So this year I decided to learn motorcycling.  I got a scooter, a 125 Honda.  It was easy and I learned to handle it well. Took a few 20 mile rides.  Then my wife destroyed the scooter.  

I missed it.

I took the basic rider course.  Got a perfect score riding a Honda CB125 with a glitchy clutch.  Lots to keep track of.  I started shopping for a bike.  First I rode a Royal Enfield.  Which I liked.  Then a Suzuki GZ250.  Too small - girl's bike.  No trouble riding it, even though 2 people pulled out into me.  Then a Honda 250.  Too small again, although I liked the standard position.  Clearly I had to get something.

So I found an S40 at a car dealership and got it wholesale.  Rode it around the parking lot and it seemed fine.  The cruiser geometry was a bit different, but my feet do reach the ground!!!  The guys from the dealership brought it halfway to a service station about 12 miles away.  

There I was, on a strange bike with virtually no traffic experience on a bike I didn't really know in a parking lot.  My wife followed me home.  I had no trouble at all.  45 mph road.  My biggest trouble was remembering to turn off the turn signal.  

I changed the oil and adjusted the valves, etc.  Just about all the way gone through now.  Fork oil this weekend.  Replaced the front tire (I didn't know that people usually don't do this in the living room - I'm a bicycle guy and we change our own tires).  

The bike has a windscreen.  Raised seat front.  Different jets.  New air filter.  Sheepskin seat cover.  It's black.

I ride it everywhere except in really heavy traffic.  Figure I need to get 2000 plus miles on as soon as possible.  I'm very cautious.  Finally getting to realize that the beast likes whipping up through the gears briskly.  A big problem has been the tac.  I have to ignore the tac and just feel and listen more.  The position has been tough to work out.  I do need the forward controls.  And probably pegs with a rear extension.  Can tell I like both the laid out position the beast is probably designed for, and a more forward position leaning towards the windshield.  At 60 mph, the bike likes this forward position really well.  Gets nice and stable, less buffeting, and I can really relax into it better.  

My longest trip was 109 miles.  From Friendsville I went up in the Smokies along the Foothillls Parkway over to route 129 (the infamous "Dragon" lies a bit further east on that route).  I had no trouble at all.  I do tend to go pretty slowly.  Can't make myself overdrive my sight line.

Thinking of taking the local advanced rider training to get better low-speed handling skills and imprint better emergency handling stuff.  And I'll get a video or two.  Once I have 3000 miles there's an advanced cornering course given regularly right near me (easy riding range) that I'll take.

My wife remains amazed that I would suddenly take a class, get a bike, and ride everywhere.  She says I look like a real motorcyclist on the highway.  And my brother-in-law indicates that the 650 is a real motorcycle even if it only has one cylinder and is small by today's standards.  Even the Harley boys like it.  I get the impression that some consider a single to be a hard-core kind of thing.  

I'm thinking the production is probably nearing the end.  Unless they retool to make the bike EFI for emissions.  They're about at the limit for how clean an old-school single can run and how quiet they can make it.  I'm amazed at the long production runs for motorcycles.  I like the easy take-apart aspect.  I'm not sure I really want a bike I can't see the parts of.  On the other hand, some fairly to block the slipstream would be quite nice.  I rode a Honda Reflex 250 scooter with fairing, nice and sheltered.  Always a compromise!

As to the bike itself, I'm not sure that a used and older one would be good for the non-mechanically inclined.  I see threads on getting screws out of the carb.  I have to wonder whether someone who can't get a screw out or deal with the consequences of breaking it off should really be digging into one of these.  I have a stuff cam-cover screw at the moment, but I know how to handle that eventually.  When the opportunity to really get at it arises and I have the gear at hand, I'll slice the head off so I can pop the cover off, then I can get to the base of the screw and work in lube.  If that doesn't work, I'll drill out the thing.  Just saw it off, dimple the center of the stub, and work a bit in, then pull the slivers out.  Chase the threads and be OK.  Or possibly have to overdrill and put in new threads.  I'm not sure the average non-mechanical person is ready to do that type of thing!!!

So I'm having fun. Will be interesting to see how late in the year I can ride.  I'll bicycle my commute down to 20 degrees F.  Thinking I'll get better insulated leathers and go for it as long as feasible!

I ride all winter as long as it is dry. 20 degrees is my limit though.
As for riding position when we have time to get together you should try mine out to see if it's better for you. Forward controls, dually iso pegs on a 2 1/2 extension, sportster seat and drivers backrest. Also got high rise buckhorns. Much different than stock. I like wrenching myself, and wouldn't want to own a bike I couldn't work on.
Seviersavage

Looking forward to that.  Actually, we have a ride Sunday afternoon, if you're interested. Just set it up.  Foothills Parkway, probably meet in maryville.  My friend has a Vulcan 900.  

I'm not intimidated by traffic.  I used to commute by bicycle in DC.  It's simply the objective danger of being surrounded by a mix of locals and disoriented visitors heading to the Smokies.  Too many uncontrollable variables.  I can generally keep myself out of trouble, but I recognize when trouble may happen that nobody can keep out of.  I've been tapped often enough along that corridor in a car!!!  Just some places slot traffic in an unwholesome manner.  Fortunately I have a pleasant bypass to use on lightly traveled parallel streets.

Moto tire really wasn't all that different from a bicycle.  Just bigger.  Little different technique, and I needed help holding things down!

Wife missed a corner, then tried to ride back on.  Rear wheel caught and she high sided.  Scooter slid on the front, then flipped.  Will probably work, but lots of body damage and so on.  I'm just going to sell it as a project/parts machine.  She's OK.  Was wearing my mesh jacket, gloves, helmet.  Tore the jacket up nicely!  Slid the helmet a little, but didn't bang it.  Abraded knees, wrist, and one elbow from abrasion inside the jacket.  Jacket worked, but it was a one-shot deal.

I drove our Explorer over 129 ("Dragon") to the Kilmer forest today.  Hiked there, then drove back over Cherahola Skyway.  I saw nothing I wouldn't be very comfortable on if left to my own devices.  Only one jerk on a moto - saw him later chatting buddy buddy with an LEO, so I think he was an off duty LEO.  Tailgated me on the Dragon like mad, didn't say thanks when I let him by.  Twice.  Moron!  

Didn't see any big singles, though.  Mainly big twins, a few sport bikes.  Very little traffic really.  Pretty pretty up there.

voldigicam wrote on 07/31/09 at 06:50:46:

you have a tach?

Sure wish it had a tach, I don't care if it was a small one, or placed in some odd location on the bike.

Brand new Savage last year, 2008 S40, during the first three weeks it was hot out, 80s -90s.  Noticed if it idled more than 3-5 minutes it would suddenly idle rough and then quit within, say, 30 seconds of that.  My guess is it suffered from oil starvation.  Fortunately it didn't seem to cause any lasting damage to the engine, and after a slight increase of the idle speed knob the bike could idle with no problems.

(warning, sarcasm) I am so proud of my dealership for setting the idle speed incorrectly when they did their pre-sale inspection  (which added a couple hundred $$ to the out-the-door cost.... grr.)

Pabst 2006 wrote on 08/02/09 at 19:11:04:



tach  ENM  PT15B2 from   enmco.com about $25 selfcontained. Hourmeter when off. 2 wires, wrap one around sparkplugwire other to ground.  now have 2 years and almost 12000 miles on it.

Vista cruse Throttle lock (I think)