New to Riding, Got My Dream Bike!

not me each:

 

Damn you guys........... I told you be easy on the noob ound:
She probably sold the bike and get a :biggrin:

 

Two things! I believe the most experienced rider should lead and the noobie goes 2nd. Leader should set an easy pace for the noobie and point out road hazards!

Go to www.motorcyclegear.com They have a section called "Customers Closet" with great buys on gently used clothing. Very Nice Helpful People.

Welcome and good luck!!

 

When I was learning my friends that already rode one being Barry Burke were REAL fast and told me when the time was right I would move up from last......rode to my level and never tried to hang with them (suicide) I would watch there lines when they would slow to keep me with them and then of cource that would last 15-20 minutes and then bye-bye....they always assured me they would wait up ahead....took time but after awhile
(on a new 84 Interceptor) I was hangin and bangin.....never tried to prove anything.
I think what helped me the most was getting into street riding with one of the best bikes ever to learn on...that bike did everything perfect. This was way before track day's so since Barry was the Formula USA Champ we would get about 10-15 guys and rent Willow Springs for a day.....when there was only the one track (original) that helped immensely.
Sorry for the rambling. ..got excited thinking about those awesome days on Hwy 33 and the Crest

 

You guys ran her off.

 

Nah.....she's just out riding. That or she looked at the chat box. :uncomfortableness:

 

Haha I didnt run off you guys my email stopped notifying me for whatever reason!! ;D The response has been amazing to read! You all are so HELPFUL thank you! For a little back history I have an amazing story about how i got this bike but that can be for a different thread haha... But I help run a performance shop for drift cars and have had the need for speed in my blood since the second I got behind a wheel of a car. My mother has been a motocross champ since her 20's and NEVER taught me how to ride (only child paranoia) But it was bound to happen and I bought my VFR before I learned how to ride... turns out it was a blessing and a mistake haha I LOVE my bike wouldn't sell her for the world... But shes SO big and tall so im struggling on learning how to ride with such an advanced beast. I am indeed a female rider so my strength is definitely my short coming when it comes to riding. I am very used to being INVISIBLE having a ton of experience driving a very small very fast black car for years and years. One thing my mom did tell me about riding is that indeed you ARE invisible to everyone on the road. Best advice she could have ever given me. I am being taught by my two best friends who are both very experienced in riding. The picture you see above is from a successful day of practicing in a closed parking lot at a local school. I cant thank you guys enough for all of your advice! The gear I am wearing in the photo is what I have so far, my next buy will be the pants and then the boots. I WILL NOT be hitting the streets without a full set of gear that would just be silly! I am although having a few troubles being a female rider... Gear is SO hard to find especially being so petite as I am.. I am about 5'4" and 130 lbs... If anyone knows Great brands for women gear that don't look like garbage that would be awesome haha... I am a huge fan of alpinestars and fox anyone have something they would recommend??? Thanks again you guys! Also i am in Southern California in the Vista Area... I am just practicing right now because I want to feel confident enough to slam on my breaks and or make last minute decisions... I wont be hitting the roads until i know i can pull myself out of a squeeze... In the mean time its just going to be obsessing over knowledge and practice practice practice! I just rebuilt the carbs and breaks on my VFR and she is as torkey as ever... SUCH A PAIN TO LEARN ON but shes worth it... The BIGGEST thing i need right now is a lowering kit for my short legs! anyone know a great kit for my VFR? Its the next thing i need to do to her! In the mean time i will be looking into classes and the books recommended above....Thanks again and again you guys im so glad i found this forum its so awesome to see a whole herd of folks who love these bikes ive been admiring your photos and stories ill stay in touch guys!

 

Enjoy the 86. It's a great bike and can be ridden hard with the most modern of sport bikes. I'm not aware of any lowering kits for it. A cheap option though would be to take the seat to a shop and have them shave down some of the foam which in effect would lower your riding position. Then reupholster. You could probably even do it yourself if you were patient enough.

 

Cool Beeline...I to am vertically challenged as well at 5'6 ...the first day I owned my ride I took my seat in and had the top and inside the thighs shaved. ..huge difference. .then Lustracing has lowering triangles..at least for my 02..people have said if you flip the stock ones it does the same thing...not at all familiar with your year.....remember when you come to a stop, I always have just one foot down...outside of what ever lane and either left or right side to keep your foot out of the oil and coolant in the middle portion. Motorcyclegear has some great stuff......go in and try some on...mostly there line is BiLT....alrighty then ...sounds like your on the right path...thats exactly what my friend taught me in a Penny's parking lot......Braking.......and how much your front brake really matters stopping fast......enjoy

 

Again for the clothes go to www.motorcyclegear.com They review ALL the items they sell so lookk at what you want and read their reviews. Their reviews are honest and they will even tell you what they don't like about the item. I would also consider making a call to them, they would be very helpful in making suggestions for a petite rider. The big bonus us their used clothes department called the "Customers Closet". They will sell your used items as well!

These people have been so good to me over the years I always give them first shot at what I need.

 

Hey Ducc, just a little mistake. The outfit you are recommending with the BILT products is www.cyclegear.com. Yes that is a great place to go try things on!

 

Haha you guys are very fun to read. I had to respond again! I am very grateful for all of the info not overwhelmed at all this is my latest self project is to ride... I dream about it when i close my eyes i see myself in the seat with the gauges in front of me... I can feel the gforce like no car ive ever been in its a feeling i am familiar with but have never experienced i know i belong on a bike! I want to Share my story with you guys since i have had such an abundant response i know i said i would post it in another thread but i feel like you guys would appreciate knowing how i got her.... Ill try to make it short and sweet and a hopefully a little interesting


One day i woke up with.....the bug.... that itch.... and I started spotting bikes on the road. I was ultimately with out a better explanation JEALOUS just GREEN with envy of EVERY rider... So i started analyzing the bikes they were on, what they were doing on them, how they sounded, what size rider was on what size bike, etc. Then one day it happened.... i was at a gas station by a main road where i couldn't ignore the biting, billowing sound of a MEAN motorcycle driving by... i Jumped out the window in excitement to see over the cars next to me.. "WHAT IS IT??" I saw it... i saw a beautiful bike splashed with black purple and green. (they had customized their vfr)... I had never seen anything like it before. I FLIPPED jumped out of the car and ran across the parking lot to chase this guy! I was DYING to know what it was!!! He eventually escaped my gaze as i walked sadly back to my car.... I saw it... the bike i had been looking for but not close enough to see what it actually was... My friends saw my disappointment and we all made it a point to find that bike, to find that guy... we never found him haha... but it was heavy in discussion, buzzing to all of my motorcycle friends and about a month and half later after weeks of frustration and SO much research trying to find this bike.. I am so unfamiliar with motorcycles i couldn't even explain what it was... but of coarse someone had to know! I spoke with my Body/Paint guy he specializes in having to know different body types i figured id ask... He knew RIGHT OFF THE BAT exactly what i was talking about... It was the sexy tail light that gave it away i drew pictures of this bike described it to a T as much as possible and he had me look up "1986 Honda VFR 750f"...DONE.... It was over THE SEARCH WAS OVER! little did i know the search had just begun....

So I go home and immediately start looking for this beast for sale... I had no idea I was looking for the white buffalo. I find Two for sale in the WHOLE U.S. one an hour north of me for like 5k with 11k miles on it super sweet super cherry super awesome... The other all the way in Colorado it had been laid down and had a couple of issues but ran great, had 63k miles and it was for $1500.. a little more my speed for a first bike but it was really far from San Diego CA!... So I went to Santa Ana where the cherry VFR was so I could at least SEE and TOUCH to make sure this was the one... I dont have 5k in my pocket but I HAVE to see this bike... I go up there and I'm so nervous I'm shaking ... I'm not going to buy the bike. I even explained to the gentleman why I was there to see and touch to get to know it because I'm looking for one... The second I saw it TIME FROZE... usually that happens to people with lovers or babies or whatever mushy shit people get all gushy about... this motorcycle was my life force I HAD TO HAVE ONE!!! My heart sank knowing I wouldn't be taking this one home but i knew there was one out there for me if i could just get to Colorado... the guy was really nice and flattered that I had driven so far just to have a chance to admire his bike.... But it seems so out of my reach I am discouraged and set my dream aside... I kept an eye on the auction for the VFR in Colorado just to break my own heart when i watched it get sold... But i noticed something funny about it, no one bid on it, at all.... I couldn't help but email the guy and ask him whats up? whats wrong with the bike?... Its a project about 1500 miles away but I just had to ask... the guy was really nice informative professional knew what he was talking about and responded to me quickly... He sent me videos pictures emails and was really into the VFR said he had TWO and this one he had laid down in a low speed drop... no impact.. he said he thought he hit a pot hole or something on the road because he was cruising an it just went down... The auction was over and the bike didnt sell so i stayed in touch with him..."maybe I could ship it..." I thought to myself... but in a weird turn of events a few days later i had to go on a completely unrelated business trip to ....You guessed it... Colorado!!!! I hardly ever have to travel around the US and we have to go to Colorado right when I'm looking at this bike... so to shorten this story I wasn't going to let this chance slip through my fingers... I pulled some money together contacted the guy in Colorado and went out on a whim to deliver a car to Wyoming. The issue with the business trip was. IF I see this bike love it and buy it how am I going to get it back? I cant ride... My friend who was accompanying me on this business trip was an experienced rider and we conjured up this plan to drive the car out and take said mystery bike back from Denver Colorado to San Diego Ca..... I was very nervous.

The trip to Colorado couldn't have been longer the miles seemed to stretch the closer we got. I never knew Utah had such LONG miles!!! I had one small bike bag with a change of clothes for what was about to turn into a week endeavor... We finally arrive at this beautiful house in the middle of a hilly part of Castle Rock Colo. The gentleman had a kind face and an honest disposition i couldnt have felt better about who he was. My friend took the bike out for a ride and basically said wed be stupid not to buy it. It ran perfect. NO LEAKS no ticks sounds putts nothing... just perfect. This man had a collection of rare bikes from all over the world a true Honda enthusiast who loved and cherished his bikes... i couldn't have found a better person to buy the bike from. I was in complete disbelief and awe by his personal garage and collection, not a drop of oil or anything on the floor anywhere SO perfect! I tell him that i have to have this bike and explain him the story up until this point on how we got there. He was flattered and amazed that we went on such a stretch for a dream. I asked him if he would please take 1300 so we had some spare cash just in case something happens along the way home. He told me that he wasn't sure about 1300 and he said he wanted 1000. I paused my brain didnt process it... Wait i said I just offered 13 and you want me to take it for 1000? and he laughed he said he didn't want it going to anyone else the love i showed for the bike it already found its home and wanted to make sure it gets there safe...Such a nice man. i couldn't thank him enough... Being a girl it was hard to hold back that mist in my eye. Kindness like that doesn't come everyday and i was very grateful to have him treat us so well...

We drove the bike to the hotel and parked it in a spot i could watch it all night while i didnt sleep... the next morning my dream got a little clouded when we discovered what caused the accident... the front breaks are locking up.... great... i thought to myself "BURNED AGAIN!!!" i screamed inside.... but my friend and I are both mechanics and we called the guy he let us use his garage and in between the hotel and his house we rebuilt the master and went on our way! Couldn't have done it without his help. Such a bitchin garage i should have taken a photo of it!... We had about 1600 miles ahead of us because we had to drop the car off in Wyoming and then head to san diego after. So first night we leave it Rains.... and rains.... and just for some fun it rained some more.... i couldn't help but feel crushed seeing my bike helplessly getting wet out in the mist... a Bike thats been garaged all its life is gunna feel some weather in the next few days... We leave Wyoming fortunately by morning its not raining any more and we've dropped the car off. I was grateful to a motorcycle shop in colo for having a Military discount sale where we dropped about 200 dollars on some much needed gear that retailed out to almost 500 bucks... what a life saver... i thought to myself as i held on to the back of my friend on the back of my new awesome bike... "I wish I could RIDE!!!" i thought to myself the whole time we were riding home.... then hell strikes.... we get to the north east side of Utah coming down from Wyoming when were cruising down a glorious hill and the breaks LOCK. We're in the middle of a constriction zone and there is no place to pull over safely...Semi trucks are pounding down this mountain INCHES away from us and my baby... in between us and the side of the road is a gap between the lanes about 5 inches deep and 6 inches wide we had to literally ride in this ditch til it ended got out of it where a construction truck guided us to the next exit... fortunately i bought a tool kit and fixed the problem the calipers need to be rebuilt but there no where to do that here so we move on... then we see clouds... not just any clouds, these r mean... I've never seen this in California i say to my friend as we fill up at a gas station... He nervously responds "I hope mother nature gives us some forgiveness on this ride...." I'm immediately scared... nothing freaks me out more than hard wind on a bike and we've been facing that for an hour now... we hit the road in north Utah and its just Hell. The wind is beating down on us the bike is trying to kick out from under us... my giant bag i bought with our gear is acting as a parachute and i feel like its pulling me off the bike! The wind gets too intense we HAVE to take a break FINALLY we find a bridge on these open roads and hid under it for a while so we can look up the weather and try to figure out a different route... There's a monsoon coming.... A MONSOON????? WHAT!?!?! the news is freaking out about winds and storms and rain and lighting thunder everything... I just about shit my pants that night at the hotel thinking about the ride tomorrow... We have to head out tho we cant just STAY in Utah.... So the next morning I'm trying to clear my head of all the knocked over semis and buses on the news and the clouds ahead are looking very aggressive... We hit the storm the rain is falling sideways the bike is leaning as my friend is stabilizing it going about 50 down the freeway in the rain. I'M TERRIFIED. we pull over on the side of a two way highway with the wind POUNDING us we park the bike and HOLD IT UP and we hid behind it the wind and rain is just beating us down.. "HOW THE HELL R WE GOING TO GET OUT OF THIS?" i yell at my friend.. He reassures me that this will pass and we have to be strong and wait. The wind raddles and my body shakes every time a semi truck passes... The wind lets up a tiny bit and we ride... We ride like I've never ridden before hes hauling ass down the hill to get out of the valley and to safety thank god mother nature let up just enough to get safely to a city where we waited out the storm. Next day we have to go down the mountain. The monsoon is so bad we cant even see in front of us. At this point were both a little nervous because cars are passing us on a double lane very winding road were both unfamiliar with and its pouring rain with absolutely no mercy....at night.... I honestly cant remember how we got out of there it was one of those situations i probably shouldn't have put us in. But fortunately I was with a good rider and he got us out of it safely... we were shook up for sure but were alive... At this point i feel like ive been through it all on the damn bike. Sunshine Fog MONSOON... Thunder lightning rain... WIND oh my god whats next SNOW?!!?!? were getting into Nevada... ahhhh i can see my reward ahead (day in VEGAS!) but its so far away! another stretch through the desert and well be good! we get to Beaver, Utah where the weather FINALLY....FIIIINALLY gives up and we have sunshine enough to take my first picture of her and me at a gas station.




Im pumped we're in the clear i thought.... We have a cruise to Vegas and its gunna be groovy...I couldn't help but notice the closer we got to the valley the stronger the desert winds were getting... the bike keeps kicking sideways... literally out from under us the wheels want to leave the ground.... the sensation is very intimidating to a point where my friend wants to pull over.... were about 45 miles away from Vegas and hes debating towing it because the winds are just INSANE... i encourage him a little that we've gotten so far and maybe if he takes it a bit slower we might be okay... The bike nearly falls two or three times fortunately when we get to Vegas the winds die down and we have a moment to sigh from relief.... Its the same battle from Vegas to LA...Winds harder than ive ever experienced... we finally make the home stretch and get her into the garage.... The weather was very unforgiving but I was not going to give up and I am so glad I had an experienced rider to take my baby home.... Also i never knew you could fall asleep holding on to someone on the back of a bike going 120 miles an hour... haha

Now its been getting her fixed up getting to know her getting to know the ride... I have about 2k miles of me being ON the bike but maybe only a couple of miles of me actually being in control and riding the bike... I am so looking forward to riding through a monsoon of my very own someday....

So if you've gotten this far and actually read my whole story...Thanks!!! I wanted to share with you guys how much this bike and this experience with my bike means to me. Anyone else have some amazing stories about how their bike was just.... meant to be? I love love stories haha Thanks again for reading guys I hope you all enjoyed it

Ha that was alot longer than i expected sorry about the long story guys XD

 

Thank you guys for the Gear advice and although I have a BILT helmet I am really not a huge fan of their quality of products... My helmet has broken a few times and i never feel quite secure in any of their gear... I know life time warranty and good prices but honestly id rather spend 500 bucks on a jacket that i don't have to take in for warranty... Cycle gear has let me down on numerous occasions... that and when i go into the store they dont have a lot for females to try on (at least maybe the stores in my area 0 female pants).... also anyone know a company that makes WHITE jackets?! god forbid wed try to stay cool out there right? haha ;D

Anyone have any opinions on Arai I'm thinking about buying one but I dont want to waste my money if its just brand name crap. I'll also be getting some Fox Boots soon if anyone thinks I'm making a mistake by going to these brands let me know! Thanks you guys r a big help!!

OH and I'm going to be looking into that whole seat adjustment thing but honestly my legs are i believe 30 inches long i dont think the seat cut is gunna cut it haha I might have to do suspension and a seat adjustment... Do you guys know roughly how much the seat shave should cost so i dont get ripped off? I'm so new at this I dont want someone taking advantage of my not knowing.... thank you a million times guys i appreciate all your help!!

 

I think you are going to be the poster child for VFR Love!

 

www.motorcyclegear.com is not cyclegear. Give them a try you will be happy.

 

I had an Arai back in '83 and loved it. It saved me several times. I now have a Shoei RF-1200 which is great. It will all depend on the shape of your noggin. Some models favor a round head, other favor an oval head. Don't skimp when it comes to safety.

Big mistake is getting one that is too loose, has to be snug all the way around. You just have to try different models on. I got my Shoie at Cycle Gear because I needed one in a hurry and I wanted silver to match bike.

 

Haha maggot youve made me lol on a few occasions thank you XD

and Allyance thanks for the info i got my BILT because it was a quick helmet on sale before the trip but my head it worth much more than 50 bucks so i want something much nicer Arai is my favorite i havent herd anything bad about them yet so im gunna stick to my guns!

Thanks so much fro your info guys this has been alot fo fun for me

 

Welcome to The World Bee! A lot of good advise here. Being in Vista you are really close to Camp Pendleton and many times during the year they host the Lee Park's Total Control Class. It is well worth the money IMO, and you will come out of the class a much better and knowledgeable rider, providing your a quick learner :wink:. Look at the http://totalcontroltraining.net/ website for class schedules.

I also agree that Motorcycle Gear is a great place to shop and have been providing great customer service as well as great deals. I actually sold some SIDI boots using their customer closet and received a store credit (as they take less of a cut) and bought some new gloves with the money. Good people over there. I also go to Revzilla.com for video reviews as they do a lot of them and they also have great customer service. The biggest issue though with buying online, if you don't know what make/model/fit that works for you, is the risk of having to do many returns. Although, Cycle Gear is a great place to try stuff on, but I'm sure you found there wasn't much in choices of stuff to try on!

As far as women's clothes, yes unfortunately there is not much of an offering for women, at least for in store items and rider gear, tons of passenger wear that is more fashionable than protective. I took my wife to several places here in the OC area and we could not find much that fit her or that she was comfortable in. She had a Bilt Jacket (Temporary) and we were looking for some pants as the matching Bilt ones weren't all that great fitting or to her comfort. As a last ditch effort, I took her to the 'D-Store' in Costa Mesa and she had a field day and yes there are some jackets in white too. The only issue with the D-Store is price! The Dainese products are typically more than what you'll find elsewhere but IMO, have a good reputation and quality to back those prices up. They have a closeout section where you can find some great deals, I ended up buying the wife a jacket to match the pants we found for her and it was 45% off. Less than $150.00!

There are a few stores here in OC that offer some great selection in helmets and prices but obviously it would be a little bit of a trek for you. Maybe there are some gems in SD that you can find too, a bit closer I would say. I'll see if I can find the name of the one shop that is in San Clemente, a few OCMoto members made a mention of it, just not sure if it was male rider centric but for helmets there's not that much of a difference really.

Congratulations on your new (to you) ride and definitely don't ride amongst the "crazies" until you feel you're ready!

Cheers!

 

Margot...you are correct Sir...auto correct sucks....didn't catch that thanks

 

Holy cow Bee...what a story..gave me chills...been in weather like that also coming home from Colorado ....and your friend..props to him..what a trooper. Glad you made it home safely. .....ya never bought anything other then boots and gloves from BiLT.
Girl..you were on a mission. .and I do believe everything happens for a reason. .. Destiny....