First Motorcycle Choice

After the course and many hours of discussion and shopping, I narrowed down what I wanted as my first motorcycle.

At first, the discussion was whether or not we would purchase a new bike or something used.  If we went used, we could save some money potentially by getting something previously owned by a woman or short rider that would be low to the ground and we would not mind as much if it took a couple of falls as I learned to ride.  We looked at a few options but ultimately the resale value would not be as good either and I knew I would want an upgrade soon.

If we purchased new, then if I decided I really did not want to ride on my own, then we would lose money.  Or worse, if I damaged the bike, we could stand to lose a lot more.  What we figured was that either way, it was going to cost money to get something and there were risks either way.  I wanted to pick something that was small and light enough for me, and that I could learn on, but also something that I would still want to ride a year from now.  So we decided we would purchase something new..

And on to the selection...

Having ridden touring and sport touring bikes with Darcy, there are certain aspects of that style of riding that was important.  I didn't have any intentions of riding off road, but did need something I could be comfortable on for hundreds of miles each day.

Since we are a BMW family and with a K1600 in the garage, a few models of BMW were on the list to consider.  I always liked the looks of the Kawasaki Concours and the Honda ST1300.  The seat on the Norge was unbelievably comfortable - nothing like a Guzzi seat!

Unfortunately some of those were just too tall or heavy for the novice rider.  The Norge was too bulky and heavy.  The bigger BMW's are too top heavy; the other dual sports were way too tall.

I then focused on the style of bike.  I didn't feel like I would be comfortable with my feet out in front of me and avoided the cruisers.  I really didn't want a sport bike with my feet behind me and my knees jammed up against my chest.  So I narrowed to those with an upright sitting position with a seat height that would allow me to touch the ground. 

Bikes on the shortlist:
1. Honda CB 500X
2. BMW F700 GS
3. Honda CTX 700

I tried out many models and styles - Triumph, Suzuki, KTM, Ducati, Honda etc.  The bike that felt the most comfortable to me was the F700 GS.  The sitting position was really nice.  The arm reach was comfortable.  I could touch the ground..

The local dealer had two in stock.  Next was the discussion if I wanted to lower the suspension.  I really would be more stable if I could flat foot.  But after reading reviews and the feeling that everyone said - that after a couple of months, I wouldn't be concerned about it, we didn't want to modify the bike (and because the center stand would not fit if the bike was lowered - making chain maintenance a pain) and so I kept the regular suspension.  The stock suspension offers some adjustment and that little bit of adjustment was just enough to get me started.

This is the one -

Now the options...

The comfort seat felt a lot more cushy so opted to order that, a V-stream Medium shield for wind protection and the BMW Vario cases for the side saddlebags and the BMW soft bag for the top. 

Once I can practice in the parking lot - I am going to be ready to hit the road (hopefully only figuratively) with my new machine!