I have always been negative about bikes because of the danger involved.

Unfortunately I went into my local bike showroom and saw a new black Triumph Speed Triple. Now I am in love. God that bike is nice.

It is pulling at me and I don't know how to escape. I am 40 and have two small kids- you would have thought I had some sense at last.

 

Your kids would think you are the coolest dad in the world if you rode home on that bike. Just be sure and invest in protective gear and take a MSF course first. Happy riding.

 

Those are nice bikes, but definitely designed for experienced/advanced riders. My advice, take the MFS class first and buy good gear. Buy a beginner-sized motorcycle, ride it for a few thousand miles over a couple of years. Then work your way up to that beautiful beast as a third motorcycle.

My goal is to someday have the skill to ride a V8 Boss Hoss. But for now (after three years and 12,000 miles) my skills are still on-par with my first motorcycle (an 800cc Volusia, generally not recommended as a first bike), although I may be ready to move up by next spring.

Good Luck and Best Wishes,
-Bob

 

"new black Triumph Speed Triple"
may be a good bike but for your first bike consider a used bike. also look at some of the japa stuff. the "standard" beginners bike is a sv600. jsut thinking parts and maintance costs are lower. just about anything will do tho if it is lite weight and has fuel injection. an r6 is the upper scale.

there is very little physical effort in riding so our age is not a big factor

rember to reserve enough money for some gear; full helmet, leather jacket or a summer jacket, racing gloves and boots. if you are strong on the protection and take an interest in an appropriate riding style you dont have big safety issues.

the fear factor comes from:
-people who dont ride
-people who only occasionally ride
-people who dont wear the gear all the time
-people who are not able to scale their performance with ability.

 

Hey, me again. Just wanted to throw some references your way to help in your research.

The David Hough books, Proficient Motorcycling and More Proficient Motorcycling are excellent and widely recommended. I read them while weighing the risk-vs-reward aspects before I spent a penny on gear or a bike. David's discussions of managing risk and statistical risk factors were priceless. Then, after I bought a motorcycle, I read the books again. You should be able to get them through your library, or Amazon has a great deal if you buy the two as a set.

Here are two websites with forums designed specifically for assisting new riders:
www.beginnerbikers.org
www.beginnerandbeyond.com

You won't find more friendly or more helpful people on the internet anywhere. And the groups are quite eclectic: riding instructors and safety experts, long-time riders, new riders, and plenty of people considering whether or not to make the jump. Many of the forum users were in your shoes not long ago and know exactly what you're going through.

The bike reviews at Beginner and Beyond are written with emphasis on suitability for a new rider. Definitely worth reading.

Best Wishes,
-Bob

 

I probably won't ride street after I have kids, maybe even a wife for that matter. I'd probably only ride track to get it out of my system. The problem on the street is no matter how well you ride, that ignorant bastard is gonna get you. There's nothing you can do about it.

If you do choose to go with the bike, make sure you wear all protective gear. Also, avoid high risk situations: bad weather, traffic, excessive speeds, or riding beyond your capability.

Good Luck!

 

the speed triple is a beautiful bike.

 

Buy gear first, then get a bike. That why there can be no incidents where you are not well protected.

 

QAt least you're picking a bike that stops well. I don't know about the new ones but a few years back they stopped shorter from 60 MPH (on OEM rubber) than just about anything else.

 

40 yrs old with 2 small kids: DON'T DO IT!