Gyrobob
Serious Thumper
Offline
Posers ain't motorcyclists
Posts: 2571
Newnan, GA
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This bike is perfect for you. It has enough power to haul your petite little,.... well,.... haul your attractively-sized self around with ease, and yet it is REALLY easy to handle; plus it has such a low sitting height.
It is not primarily set up to be a highway cruiser, but it does nicely, and with your "profile" it'll keep up 80mph all day. The motors are truly understressed, so reliability will not be a problem.
Most would recommend you get a windshield of some sort, because with the sit-up-and-beg riding position, you'll get weary in well less than an hour of trying to hold on to the handlebars at highway speeds.
Yes, you will get blown around some. We all do. Deal with it. Soon you'll learn how to react (mostly just stay away from the bow wave, and try to not react at all -- just keep it stable).
You'll also need some way to carry some stuff, so start checking into tank bags and soft bags for the back.
I'd recommend that you make your decision soon. Then:
-- Do a complete maintenance on the thing, not just what is due next. Do the oil, filter, air filter, check the belt, lube the cables, look at the plug, check the battery water level, and any other stuff the manual mentions that I have forgotten here. On a trip (especially your FIRST trip) you need peace of mind about things mechanical.
-- Do something about a windshield and cargo capacity.
-- Start riding the bike around. Don't just ride it around on short hops in your neighborhood,.. take it out on the highway for half an hour at a time.
-- Conversely, go find an empty parking lot and spend more time than you think you need (at least a few sessions) doing things like panic stops, very slow speed maneuvering, and lean-way-over turns at various speeds so you'll know about where the pegs start dragging. It is important that you know where the handling/braking boundaries are, so you don't need to actively think about what to do when something unplanned happens. Panic stops with these bikes are a matter of using almost all of the front brake, and maybe a fourth of the rear brake.
Your statement, "My bf is afraid that I will outgrow it quicker than I think, but right now I'm more worried about building confidence on a bike that I can ride, not just manage, before this trip." is right on target.
-- Even if you DO outgrow it in a while, what's the big deal?,... get something else. I doubt you'll outgrow it anytime soon.
-- If you do think you've outgrown it at some point in your future, sell it, and then get something bigger, there is at least a 50/50 chance you'll regret what you did and wish you had your Savage back.
-- Keep in mind,... just because someone else's bike can out accelerate yours, doesn't mean you need to get a bigger bike with more power. You use (not need) that power maybe one-half of one-percent of the time. The other 99.5% of the time you have an easy-handling, lightweight, bike that gets great mileage, has very low maintenance, is cheap to insure, looks cute, and is not at all intimidating.
Sorry, I tend to pontificate,... but, in any event, I think you are on the right track, and have a very realistic attitude. These opinions are based on the good and bad times I have had on bikes since I turned 13 (the legal age for a motorcycle license in Albuquerque in 1960). 28 motorcycles later, I'm glad to see you are taking a conservative approach that will scar you up a lot less than the approach I used.
I hope you get that S40, practice a lot, take your trip, create a wonderful set of memories, and keep us posted here on the forum.
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