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Friday, November 30 Dear VTwin Mama, Dear Linda, Oh, that's right, it's us ! ! ! – Mama Thursday, November 29 Dear VTwin Mama, I am 42 years old and have never owned a street bike until two months ago. I too, would always check out the bikes who rode up next to me at a stop light as I sit in my car wishing that was me. Until one day I said why not, and I went out and bought a new 2002 Honda Shadow 750 Spirit. I went out and checked out every bike that had been made, yes even a Harley, and I do love the Harleys but decided on a Honda Shadow. The 750 is light, only 504lbs with a full tank of gas, and only 25 inches seat height, I'm 5'3 and did not have to have the bike lowered, and both feet plant on the ground. What a great bike for my first, performance is awesome, and so easy to ride. When I went in to buy it, I had no bike license or permit at all, and I had them deliver it to my house. The next day I went to get my motorcycle permit and passed so now I was nervous about my first ride, but I did it and within one week I put 154 miles on it. I am still very cautious when I ride but once you do it you will be hooked. I just signed up for the Toy run here in my city, so I'm excited about riding with another 5000 bikes. A little more advice about the bike you choose, don't let anyone put you down for what you decide to buy. A few of my friends who ride (mostly the guys) ask me why I didn't buy a Harley, and I tell them its not what you ride as long as you ride. I love my Shadow, its a beautiful bike, and I'm not afraid to ride next to any Harley, so come on girl you can do it too. I wish you the best, and get that bike, if I can do it so can you. You Go Girl – Kathy Dear Kathy, Wednesday, November 28 Dear VTwin Mama, My five rules to motorcycling in order: Dear TuG, Tuesday, November 27 Dear VTwin Mama, I tried almost all of them - Shadow, Magna, Virago, Intruder, Marauder - and in several sizes from a 535 to an 800. Anything bigger felt too big and heavy. I knew my feet needed to reach the ground firmly and I had to feel comfortable in the seat. I bought my 1988 Honda Shadow VT800 with only 6500 miles on Sept. 21, 2001. It is in near perfect condition and I believe I have the best beginner's bike as well as one that I can ride for years. It is powerful enough to cruise the highway and carry both of us, if necessary but not too big to feel intimidating. I graduated my class on Oct. 2 and on Oct. 18 we left for Daytona Beach, Florida (from Atlanta, GA)- and I rode MINE! The biggest piece of advice I can give Sissy is don't rush into one because of the excitement you are feeling. Be as sure as you can that you would feel comfortable out on the streets alone. I have been tearing up the streets and now have over 11,000 miles on my bike - I absolutely love it. I wish I hadn't waited so long to learn. I wish you luck Sissy and I hope you love it as much as I do. – Laura Dear Laura, Monday, November 26 Many of the privileges you enjoy
came from women who couldn't acknowledge they were feminists. Friday, November 23 It's time to get back into the swing of things, post gobble gobble tummies and all! Here's a list of topics currently on the table. Help a fellow sister out by sharing your insights or send your own question in for review. Cami is interested in learning how to ride and wants to know what steps to take. Sissy is ready to buy her first bike and could use some input. – Mama Wednesday, November 21 Dear VTwin Mama, Dear Michele, Dear VTwin Mama,
Dear Cami, It's a little late in the season, so I'm not sure if a Motorcycle Safety Foundation riding course would be available to you until next spring, but hop on their website for more info. Also, lots of times, motorcycle shows are held in the winter, so if you are in or near a big city, check with the local shows and conventions center to see. That's a great opportunity to look at all kinds of bikes and sizes and sit on them! Visit the Women on Wheels website to find women in your area who are willing to correspond with you one on one --- it's a great confidence booster and they'll be able to answer lots of questions specific to your local area. Also, check the links in the next letter (Monday, November 19) for articles in Woman Rider magazine that pertain to beginner bikers. Another great resource is the Motorcycle Madness website. You can read through the VTwin Mama archives for specific subjects and also some great links. Learning to ride is all about proper instruction and the knowledge that the lesson is never over, safe riding is the result of using your brain at all times, comfortable riding is a combination of your body, body strength and bike choice, and happy riding is in your heart. It takes a bit of everything to make a good ride and a great rider. Good luck to you Cami. Lots of new riders start writing a journal to chronicle their path, something that may be of interest to you too. Visit us often and ask as many questions as you would like. That's why VTwin Mama is here! – Mama Dear VTwin Mama,
Dear Sissy, HD Fat Boy or Heritage Softail Some of these come in different horsepowers (650s, 800s, 1200s, etc.). Many of these bikes have the lowest sitting height available and this is an important consideration because the number one main point stressed in all discussions is . . . make sure your feet are firmly planted on the ground when sitting on the bike or you will have problems too numerous to list here. If need be, have the bike lowered (some have lowering kits) so that your feet are firmly planted on the ground. And by the way, did I mention that whatever bike you end up buying, make sure that you can firmly plant your feet on the ground? Check an article printed in Woman Rider magazine on the subject of being a new rider which also has more links to articles about picking that first bike. And stay tuned to VTwin Mama to ask more questions! We're glad you found us! – Mama Friday, November 16 Dear VTwin Mama, Here is an English site that also deals with picking up a fallen motorcycle. I have used this technique, and it works great! Be careful that you don't use too much force and toss that puppy over to the other side. It really is that easy. I am 5'3" and have picked up my husband's Softail. No sweat. http://www.ibmwr.org/otech/pickup.html – Cathy
Dear Cathy, Monday, November 12 Dear VTwin Mama, Then I went to a lower grade of gas and I have not had any trouble out of my bike yet. I went over 3,000 miles without changing a spark plug. I went from High Test to Regular Grade. Maybe this might help your bike out. It sure did help me out and saved me money on spark plug and gas price. – Debbie from Tennessee
Friday, November 9 Dear VTwin Mama, The other thought I had, was if the carbs were done there could be a bit of dirt, gasket material, any speck of dirt can cause a carbed model to run punky. Depending on who did them, and how fussy they are with putting everything back together. Your right about the gap of the plugs, or there is a possibility that the spark plugs have a hair line crack, or the wires do. This will cause a lot of trouble too. My guess would be that the carb job should have included a tune up, as the timing is probably off. But I would just take and drive the bike for 50 or miles if it is possible. My Sporty would pop too with the choke on. It would take 5 miles or better in cool, under 60 and damp like Linda would have it in Florida, to get my Sporty to run good. And if she sat for extended periods like 2 weeks, well then it would take 100 miles. Moisture is a bad thing on a bike. Like here in Wisconsin, the days are
warm nights are cool now in fall. Even a full tank can condensate, and
cause rough idle etc. My new bike is fuel injected, and I would never go
back to a carb model. Never thought I would hear myself say that, but I
love it. I started my Road QUEEN, aka Road King, last week, it was 35F
out, and she fast idled for a while, then to me it sounded like a diesel,
but then she leveled off and ran like a charm and I never had to push or
pull anything. I love it. –
Jo Ann, VTwin Sister from Wisconsin P.S. Thanks for the bike-n-snow picture posted at the top! Ready, set, go -- it's winter! – Mama Friday, November 9 Dear VTwin Mama, Thursday, November 8 If you obey all the rules, you
miss all the fun. Dear VTwin Mama, Any other suggestions VTwin Mama sisters? – Mama Tuesday, November 6 Dear VTwin Mama, I'm still interested in the levers for added comfort. I
checked out the Iron Braid levers in either spoon or trigger and I figure
with a more comfortable reach along with the added leather I should be in
good shape. Thanks again to everyone, I hope this also helps a lot of
other women. I look at it this way, although motorcycles may still be
primarily a "man's game", with appropriate comfort and safety
modifications women can be major players too! Support by appropriate
riding partners is also extremely important. Thanks again, Ride Safe, Have
Fun!– Lil' Hands (previously
wrote under the name Frustrated) Thanks everyone who took the time to share insights and opinions. You're making this website really ROCK! Love 'ya all. – Mama Tuesday, November 6 Dear VTwin Mama, Monday, November 5 And now it's time for New Rider to get a few responses from the VTwin Mama sisters: I've been riding a HD Fat Boy now for a year and a half and I chose the bike because of its low center of gravity and lowest seat height of the Harley's. I also had the bike lowered the day I bought it an inch front and back. I can plant my feet just fine, and I am barely 5'1" tall. The bike weighs close to 650 pounds so if I can handle this type of bike so can you. When you get down to it holding up the bike is a lot about balance. No one can hold up a bike when it reaches a certain angle. So do some research on the bikes and see which ones can be lowered and which ones can't. Some people don't feel that you need to be able to plant your feet when you stop but I believe it makes a big difference in how you feel comfortable to ride. So good luck and don't be afraid to try the bigger bikes. – Julie in Louisiana Just a tidbit of input for New Rider in New England regarding her Virago. I have had the opportunity to ride many different bikes in the classes I teach as a MSF instructor. The student bikes we use are all smaller models but I have noticed that the Virago has a little longer front end "rake" which tends to make steering a little more challenging. The amount of angle on a motorcycle's front forks changes the way it handles, hence a "chopper" is much less easy to maneuver than a sport bike configuration. Anyway, I'm not sure but maybe that is why your Virago feels a little "top heavy". Just a thought. – Amy C. I also had a Suzuki Savage and loved it. I am 5' tall and 56 years old. I have never owned a Virago, but I know a number of people who do and none have ever considered it as being top heavy. Surely after riding it as long as you have, it should not matter since you are already used to it. I currently ride a Yamaha 650 V-Star Classic. The weight on this bike before accessories are added is 504 pounds. If you are 5' tall there are a couple of things you need to consider regarding the V-Star. The "Classic" has wider tires and longer fenders, and has a 28" seat height, so if this is the model you are considering you would need to have it lowered. The newer models (2001 and newer) have floor boards and the peddles are closer for the rider than the older models. Mine is a 1999 and I had to have the peddles modified so I could reach them. That turned out to be a bigger job than we expected it to be. The "Custom" is a sportier model of the 650 V-Star which has a 25" seat height. This would make it more comfortable for you without modifications, but it has narrow tires (similar to what you have been riding) plus the shorter fenders. The "Custom" is a little lighter than the "Classic" but not that much. Both models have a 4.2 gallon tank. The V-Star also comes in an 1100. I have not ridden the 1100 and other than the fact that I could not touch the ground when I sat on a few of them, I am not sure of the height or weight of this model. The 650 V-Star is a dream to ride. The wider tires of the Classic give it more stability. My only adjustment factor was getting used to the weight of the tank as I turned corners although I would not consider that a problem in any way. No...it is not top heavy, and is actually easier to stand it up and push it from one place to another than the Savage was. I loved my Savage, but I love my V-Star even more! I hope this information helps you in some way. Ride safe. – Bootygrandma (aka Betty) Friday, November 2 Dear VTwin Mama, A quick search of the web found this link:
http://www.vabiker.net/lifestyle/tips.html Also found this link: I had it added to my 2001 HD Superglide very soon after purchasing the bike. I have small hands and the clutch was just too stiff, especially on long rides. It has been wonderful and I've had no problems with it. I also got some trigger levers, which are intended to help with the clutch and brake. I'm pretty comfortable now. Enjoy the riding and don't hesitate to try the Easy Boy. – Diane Well, I don't exactly have huge hands either, and some of us women don't have the strength in our fingers either. Like opening one of those darn ole olive jars. YIKES! Well I have a grip from Iron Braid. They are braided leather and the PISTOL GRIP STYLE. And I LOVE em...Also I heard of this device that replaces your clutch lever and it actually works like a bow, for bow and arrow that is. You pull it so far then like this weight kicks in and it makes it like almost nothing to pull in. They sell it in JP Cycle catalog. Which is the bible so to speak at our house. But take it from one with hands that can't open the olive jars, the pistol grip style make a huge difference. They have this little place to grip onto with your pointer finger or whatever finger would make ya happy. – Jo Ann in Kelly Lake, WI I have never tried any of the items you inquired about, but you might see if you can get someone to adjust the levers for you. My husband made some slight adjustments to mine which made them much easier to use. As for small hands? When I was going to the MSF course I needed some leather gloves, the only ones I could find were in the children's department and were labeled "Just like dad's". If the adjustments worked for me -- maybe they will work for you! Also...the handlebars can be adjusted as well! Ride Safe – Bootygrandma (the nickname comes from her granddaughter who tried to call her "beautiful" grandma, but at 3 years old it came out Bootyful -- isn't that a precious story?!) Thursday, November 1 Dear VTwin Mama, At first I thought the device would look "weird" once it was installed on my bike, but it actually blends in quite nicely - I hardly even notice that it's there. The product claims to make pulling in the clutch 50% easier ...from my personal experience, I would say 30-40% easier is a more accurate estimate, but it's still a huge difference from what it was before. The only other aspect that I noticed after it was installed, was my "friction zone" did slightly change. I have to let out the clutch a tad bit more now, before that rear wheel engages. This took some time getting used to - about 2 weeks before I felt really comfortable again, but now I'm fine with it. I just see it as a "new" characteristic of my bike. As far as the ergonomic levers go...I can't really
comment on those, as I don't have them. I did look into them - a pair of
trigger levers by KurAkyn (around $32 a pair), but once I had the Power
Clutch installed, I felt I didn't need the levers. Hope this helps! Good
Luck! – Linda in Riverside, IL |
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