New toy

[CINDERS]

Pick my wifes brand new bike up this Wednesday, it has taken a fair bit of persuading to have her enjoy riding bikes as she has never ridden one before but seems ok on the back of my Blackbird XX now after a few long rides enjoying the experience.

I decided on the CBR 500R for her as a good first bike not too heavy it has ABS is miserly on fuel 70/mpg and wont be screaming its guts out at 110kph.
I have to ride it home so will remain quiet lest I cop a pasting from my mates at riding a 500cc machine I do like the colour as the candy orange is metal flaked and really pops in sunlight.

We are looking forward to touring together also acquired a pair of Sena communication devices I am getting a Sena with the camera on it later next year.

[CINDERS]

Well it is home now I have to start teaching my wife how to control it, its perfect for her balances well does not have gobs of power 5 grand on the tacho gets 100-103kph but I am about 40 kilo's heavier than my wife so it should do the 110 at that all in all very nice, not much engine noise very little vibe's even for a two pot, I like the big rear tyre 160/60 for instance my 1100 XX Super Blackbirds rear tyre is a 180/55!
Typical Honda finish just bang on took a few snaps with the I-phone you can see the nice flake in the fairing shot.

Merry xmas & New years to you all in Milsurps land.

[Bruce_in_Oz]

Bit flasher than my old Yamaha 465 IT!!

[browningautorifle]

I've thought about it but decided a pickup truck is more my style...

[30Three]

That's a great bike to start on. If she's new to motorcycling. Make sure she takes her time and gets the confidence and also the low speed control. As you know it's very easy to drop when manouvering at low speed!

When riding together with a novice; I will let them take the lead for a while and keep an eye on road position and reactions to traffic etc; the stop for a coffee and discuss any issues. Then take the lead and go back over the same piece of road. Then get them to do it again.
A few years back I had a novice friend bottle out of a corner and ride very slowly into the mud and slide off his brand new 600. I was following so pulled up and asked him if he'd looked at the mud when entering the corner? He confirmed that he had; so I then explained that's why he was sitting in it! You go where you look, so it's vital to look where you need to go! Luckily the only damage was to his pride; but I think he learnt a valuable lesson.

[Youngblood]

My years in my '69 MGB back in the '70s satisfied my small-vehicle-going-fast/wind-in-my-hair needs.

To me, motorcycles were a real RUSH but, the few times that I drove one, I never could get over the feeling of impending doom that being wrapped across the outside of a small fast-moving vehicle occasioned.

... and, yes, I have always felt a bit disappointed because of it.

CINDERS, I hope that you and the missus have safe & fun times touring on your bikes! Thanks for the pics.

[CINDERS]

Well to keep the thread alive we had a 1 hour lesson around the streets near our house all 1st gear stuff 18 K's Hr my wife was a tad slow so therefor had to have too much input into the bars I managed to coax her up to that speed to be more stable I guarded the rear with my bike strategically positioned, only had one tosser in a white SS commodore get right up my date revving.
As my wife has only had 2 hours prior on a 125cc road bike this is a quantum leap for her so its the stop starts getting the clutch right along with the throttle she is tending to strangle the grip but hopefully she will relax as time passes, we have voice communication so I just say if you feel unsure pull in the clutch & stop to reset no probs whilst praising her efforts.
Its all confidence building I mentioned about using the indicators but got an emphatic I cannot manage that yet, we are on back streets so I use my bike as an indicator besides we are in a rural town and its only small, will get some pics when her confidence is up more doing a ride by along with some runs we intend to do.

I've always liked the fast lane myself, now being older and somewhat wiser I take things a bit more steady eddy though I do have an occasional fang I really do not think that bug ever leaves us really.......

[Ovidio]

Very nice bike for a start.
Back at the time when my wife was thinking about driving herself, we were looking for a Suzuki SV650 for her.
Another great one for a beginner.
Then.....kids, job, business trips one after the other.......
No bike.
Her decision, but it's a pity.

[JimF4M1s (Deceased)]

I've haven't been without a bike since Oct 1964 when I was fifteen and got my first. My wife, then girlfriend, has been on the back the whole time. She tried to ride a couple of times, but said she prefers me to do the work. Nothing like your gal hugging you all the time.

That's a nice bike, but as a first I don't know if I would have chosen that model. I would have thought a more upright sitting position to learn balance and control handling. But you know know your wie and what she can do.

Enjoy riding together. But you just lost the hugging and upper body press when you put on the breaks.

[CINDERS]

My wife is not overly tall @5' 5" and 70 kgs I looked at her on the bike today and she is nowhere near as crammed up as I am on my 1100 then again I'm 6' 3" and 107kgs the power of it is not explosive but very tractable I could have gone the 300R but then when we got on the open road it would not have kept up without reving like a banshee being a single pot.
Other LAMS bikes were either to small or too big when I saw this model and its modest output I spoke to my wife at great length about what she would like and how she felt about a bigger bike it was her decision holy & solely as she is the rider of it so it was her pick I would go either way if she wanted.

Riding is like anything experience & confidence all of which take time especially the latter the amount of times I fell from my scramble bikes or the 3 really good accidents I had on road bikes knocked me about my confidence suffered for a while though it was not through my errors but that of a driver who failed to stop at a stop sign, a roo and a sheep from a farmers paddock the latter 2 hit at high speed. (140kph & 110kph)
Nope it is the old school of steady as because the last thing I want for her is to have a big scare and park it up never to be ridden by her as it is a sorta new horizon we want to share riding together but if she feels that its not for her then no dramas we will sell the bike straight away easy as that.

JimF4 In my old day's (Z-900 ones) I used to put armor all on the back half of the seat then pick up a chic whilst riding along slam on the front brakes whilst pushing back on the bars they had no option but to slide forward against ones back..................