It's My Turn!

[princess]

Hey guys! I have finally taken the step! :ecstasy: I have always wanted to get into riding but friends and family and other circumstances have always prevented me in the past. I’ve been a passenger every now and then and I love the feeling of the engine, the wind and the thrill. Now I’m almost 25 and getting my life the way I want it to be. :wootrock:This is MY year! :wootrock: I went and got my class MP back in March. I have a friend who had a “junk” bike that he didn’t mind teaching noobs on. I had gotten pretty good with the basics but unfortunately he wasn’t the best teacher. I had some close calls that scared me away from riding for a while.


So this past weekend, after a lot of pressure from my responsible friends, I decided to take MSF. I was running on pure luck. No appointment, I just walked in 30 mins before class and hoped that they would have a spot for me. They didn’t. I waited till the class started and it seemed that everyone had showed up. As I was pouting and stomped away I figured it shouldn’t have been a surprise to me that I didn’t get in because people sign up months in advance. As I start to get into my car; I take a look over my shoulders and out comes the instructor! One person decides to not show up after all and I got the spot! :pompom:Let me tell you: I had so much fun! It was a million and one degrees but I didn’t care. They gave me a cute blue Honda Rebel that was way too long for me. The gears, back brake pedal, the clutch, and the front break were way too spaced out for me. I’m about 5’2 when I stretch and 140 lbs.


The instructors says I’m very good with leaning the bike (I got my moto-gp lean on!) but not….counter-steering or counter-weighting….I can’t remember the correct term; the one where you lean the bike away from you instead of with you. I need more practice with u-turns and sharp corners. Using the back break is new since I wasn't taught that way....but it's makes a huge diffrence with my quick stops.
Anyways, I can’t wait to get my own bike. I will be parking lot practicing for a while then when I can stop being such a big baby, I’ll face the real world. Wish me LUCK!


Btw, any of you ladies or gents in the 30022 area? :howdy:

[Batgirl]

Congrats on taking MSF. Parking lot practice is a great next step to further practice the skills that you learned. I go to the parking lot at the start of each spring, when I pick back up with riding (no winter gear).

Not in 30022 but in GA, south of Atlanta.

[LittleRedRider]

Hi Princess :welcometwf:. Congrats on taking the MSF. I'm 5'2" with short legs and started on a Rebel. As BatGirl said lots of practice. Countersteering came to me without me realizing I was doing it. Corners & leans, I still gotta work on :D:. What kind of bike are you looking for?

[Luna Tique]

:pompom:Congratulations princess.... Now the real :riding:learning can begin :wootrock:

[princess]

What kind of bike are you looking for?

My first will be a ninja 250. I would get so much crap from my friends if I get anything bigger. All of them all have big bikes but they have also been riding much longer than I have.

[tempest]

Congrats, princess. You'll never regret taking the class. Best way to learn, in my opinion. Better than having an individual teach you and picking up their poor habits. I took the class at 40 years old. It changed my life, in the best way!

The trick to counter-steering: just push on the side for the direction you want to turn. Before you know it, it will be intuitive. You can even practice it on a bicycle. It works there also, although most bicyclists don't realize that.

[Lady of the NightHawk]

Good for you!!!!!! Like others I am still practicing on the curves and counter steering.

My sister-n-law lives in Newnan, don't know where that is in relation to you.

[Follow]

My first will be a ninja 250. I would get so much crap from my friends if I get anything bigger. All of them all have big bikes but they have also been riding much longer than I have.

Hi P-N.I.T. If that's what you want go for it:wootrock:but even if you get loving crap, don't be guided by it. Awesome fun to ride, no matter how long people ride including your friends we all can use pointers and more practice.

Have fun!!!:thumbsup:

[motochica]

whoohoo! Congrats, Princess, on taking that class. That's how I got started last year and it's been awesome. I think you'll do well on the Ninja 250. I was told (often) that i would outgrow the a 250 in months. and I did. But I wouldn't have started any other way cuz the smaller bike (nighthawk250) gave me lots more confidence to lean, steer, push it around, etc since I was dealing with a small mass. My dad also gave me some great advice: get the cheapest thing you can find. If it turns out you don't like it, not much money lost. If you do like (as I suspect you will) you don't have much invested in it and you can go get what you really like after a season.

So...from one new rider to another.... CONGRATS! have fun! and ride OFTEN! :riding:

[Astir]

:cheers: Congratulations!

It sounds like you have some wise friends steering you to MSF and a smaller bike to start on. What a lucky shot to just walk in and get a slot.

[msyzf2u]

Welcome to the addiction :)

[kawichick]

Welcome to the addiction :)
+1

Prepare for mornings of waking up early because you're so excited you get to ride that day:ecstasy:

[princess]

+1

Prepare for mornings of waking up early because you're so excited you get to ride that day:ecstasy:


As a passenger, I already have this trouble!

[Luna Tique]

:lol:

[princess]

What a lucky shot to just walk in and get a slot.


Thanks. I was so happy. I'm hoping my luck doesn't run out but I'm having trouble finding a good starter for around 2k. no more than 2500. I like the 08 or newer ninja body style but craiglist has been nothing but scams for me.

[Luna Tique]

Thanks. I was so happy. I'm hoping my luck doesn't run out but I'm having trouble finding a good starter for around 2k. no more than 2500. I like the 08 or newer ninja body style but craiglist has been nothing but scams for me.

:zen: coming at you for finding your bike. I am sure something will come along and this time of year you should be able to buy it right. :thumbup:

[tempest]

Have you shopped in Cycle Trader? You can look online or pick up a printed copy. I sold a bike thru them years ago. Seemed pretty legit. It was a good experience for me as a seller.

[kawichick]

Cycle trader is bueno. Do NOT finance a bike, whatever you do! Josh made that mistake, and we're really paying for it now.


Craigslist is usually pretty good. I have an 08 Ninja by the way, great choice. I LOVE my baby :D:

[ImaSoftT]

Princess, you are a very bright lady to make your first bike a smaller, reasonably priced one. I remember when I first started riding, I rushed out in a frenzy and bought a brand spanking new bike, which I thought I couldn’t live without. After just one year I found the bike that was really meant for me, and when I traded they only gave me about half of what I had paid for it. So stick with your plan, you will find a good deal, it may take a little while, but it will be worth it. You are on the right track.

[motochica]

So stick with your plan, you will find a good deal, it may take a little while, but it will be worth it. You are on the right track.

:iagree:

I also agree with Kawichick, don't finance. My motto is: never be without a bike, and never owe on one.

[princess]

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/mcy/1968609293.html

is this a good one? i offered 2500.00?
if i go look at it, i'll have good friends with me.

[BlueLghtning]

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/mcy/1968609293.html

is this a good one? i offered 2500.00?
if i go look at it, i'll have good friends with me.

That looks good. $2500 would be a good price for that bike. The 08 Ninja's were only $3499 new in 08. I think a lot of people are in fantasy land when they are pricing their bikes.

The best way to negotiate is walk up with cash in hand and be ready to grab the bike if you make a deal. When you start showing them the money, they get weak in the knees! Especially knowing the bike will be leaving right then and there.

[kawichick]

Tellin yaaaa, Ninja 250 is the BEST beginner bike. Hell, I'm not a beginner and I love my squeaky :D:

[kawichick]

Cash definitely talks, 2500 would be a really reasonable price.

[princess]

my friends told me to look at KBB. i really suck at this. http://www.kbb.com/motorcycle/trade-in/2008/kawasaki/ex250j-ninja-250r/232232?r=68790358057613648 so 1900.00? man....if he would do that, i would be happy on my birthday!

[princess]

never mind, 2810.00 http://www.kbb.com/motorcycle/retail/2008/kawasaki/ex250j-ninja-250r/232232

[Luna Tique]

l, I'm not a beginner and I love my squeaky :D:

Me too :thumbup:

[BlueLghtning]

my friends told me to look at KBB. i really suck at this. http://www.kbb.com/motorcycle/trade-in/2008/kawasaki/ex250j-ninja-250r/232232?r=68790358057613648 so 1900.00? man....if he would do that, i would be happy on my birthday!

never mind, 2810.00 http://www.kbb.com/motorcycle/retail/2008/kawasaki/ex250j-ninja-250r/232232

There's a couple things to keep in mind here on both those prices. The first one (trade in) is a wholesale price. This would be what you expect to get if you traded your bike into a dealership to buy a new one. Now if you can buy a bike from a private seller at trade in value, that is a sweet deal, but normally you would expect a private party price to be above this.

The 2nd one is a retail price. This is what you would expect to pay when buying that bike used from a dealer after they have absorbed the cost of preparing the bike for for sale and advertising etc. This should be the very high end of what you would buy a bike from a private seller and usually means its not a very good deal. (Although the market can sometimes skew this if the demand is unusually high for a certain bike).

So, what that means to you is that buying a bike from a private seller is that the price should be somewhere in between. So using those values, you can go to the seller and show them they are asking more then KBB retail and what a dealer would be selling it for. Seeing those KBB values, $2500 would be very fair and reasonable for both you and the seller. Since GA doesn't charge sales tax on used private party sales, you'd come out better then buying from a dealer too.

The MC market is also really soft right now with the economy the way it is. Plus even though it doesn't get that cold here in GA, its still a decline for most people. The negotiating power is in your court here!