I rode my GS for the first time today :)

[Jinkeez]

Well, a few weeks ago, after a long, long, loooonng wait (5 freaking months!), I finally received the paperwork from the MSF course that I successfully completed this past October... So I paid a few visits to the DMV and wound up with my plate and everything ready to go as of yesterday!

So, today when I got home, I threw on all my gear and spent a good hour or so cruising around the smaller residential streets here and practiced with the stop signs and tried to tighten up my turns a bit. When I got confident enough, I ventured out onto some slightly bigger roads and topped off my tank at the nearest gas station before I headed back home--I didn't really want to push too hard. I think a lot of parking lot practice is still in order, but the 650G feels good!

I did it..!

[Lil_Red]

Good job! Fun, isn't it ?

[omaharj]

Perhaps your avitar says it all?:-D Glad to see you've weighed the risks/rewards and opted to minimize your risks. Have a blast!!\\/

[marvinsc]

Excellent! :-D

[brenno]

Onya Jinkz

All the best with it.

Brenno

[snark]

And the picture of the bike is where...

[Jinkeez]

And the picture of the bike is where...

It turned up in an older thread somewhere, but in case you missed it, here is a shot from a few months ago. It looks the same now, but not as cold out, hehehe

[MissFabulous]

Woohoo!! Glad you got everything together and can enjoy it now!! Can't wait to ride with you!!

[KGB]

Woohoo!! Glad you got everything together and can enjoy it now!! Can't wait to ride with you!!

So get off your a$s, stopp buying bikes! and get into the MSF course.

I'm loosing patience !!


Jinkeez GREAT !!

See you in June. And help Shirley, feel free to kick her butt to get into a class.

[Baatfam]

So get off your a$s, stopp buying bikes! and get into the MSF course.

I'm loosing patience !!


Jinkeez GREAT !!

See you in June. And help Shirley, feel free to kick her butt to get into a class.

Hehe he! He's a talkin' to you, Shirley....guess ya best get a movin'....:-D

[Redman]

Jink,

Hey, Go ahead and take it slow. Chances of problems may be small, but concequences could be large.

Keep in mind that going straight down the road and going thru the gears is the easy part, you or about anybody can learn to do that fairley quick. The hard part is stopping and starting, and one of the hardest parts is getting going from a stop and immeadaitly making a 90 degree turn, which is what is required to pull out of your driveway.

SO yah, take some time in parking lot or neighborhood streets, before mixing it up with heavy traffic or going on challanging roads. While practicing: Use both brakes, well, maybe let off front brake as coming to a stop. But get in habit of using both brakes. Practice in parking lot till most everything is habit. Cant stop to figure out what to do while rounding a curve and a car is backing out of a driveway.

Friend of mine wanted to get bike. I offered and suggested and offered and harrassed and offerd to let her use our old beat up SHadow 500 for some practice first. I could give her lessons, her husbband could give her lessons, she could take it herself if she prefered. But NOOooo, she had "ridden dirt bike when younger". So they go and buy a brand new Sportster, brand new - and she wants to ride it home - and she dumps it at an intercection - 4 miles on the odometer (she not hurt).

Nice looking 650 (I had 82 650G from new for 20+ years, pic on weblink). Has been nice looking for 20 some years, right? and you would like it to continue to be nice looking, right? So, yah, dont feel bad about taking it easy.

DAVE

[bradleymaynar]

Congrats on a successful first ride!\\/ My moment came when I got an old CB200 running and was able to take up and down the alley a few times!:-D

Brad bt

[Jinkeez]

Jink,

Hey, Go ahead and take it slow. Chances of problems may be small, but concequences could be large.

Keep in mind that going straight down the road and going thru the gears is the easy part, you or about anybody can learn to do that fairley quick. The hard part is stopping and starting, and one of the hardest parts is getting going from a stop and immeadaitly making a 90 degree turn, which is what is required to pull out of your driveway.

SO yah, take some time in parking lot or neighborhood streets, before mixing it up with heavy traffic or going on challanging roads. While practicing: Use both brakes, well, maybe let off front brake as coming to a stop. But get in habit of using both brakes. Practice in parking lot till most everything is habit. Cant stop to figure out what to do while rounding a curve and a car is backing out of a driveway.

Absolutely! I feel like I'm taking the 90-degree turns pretty wide, so that's definitely something I want to work on for a bit

Thanks!

[Billyboy]

Congrats Jinx! Sounds like you're doing things smart. That's just what I would recommend. Nice looking bike too. I'd like one to get the missus riding.

[DimitriT]

A pic of a bike with snow all around is the sign of a true rider.
Congrats!