Motorcycle Safety & Driveability: New To Riding - Bike Too Big?, dyna lowrider, recommended path

Question
Hi Tom,

Before taking the Rider Safety Course I purchased a 2009 Dyna Lowrider with only 1100 miles.  Great deal, beautiful bike, and a perfect physical fit with feet squarely on the ground.  Now that I am through the course and have my license, I am trying to perfect slow speed maneuvering in a local parking lot.  Problem is that I am so distracted by all the power and torque of the bike, that I can't just focus on my drills.  The weight of the bike and the explosive power (in comparison to the 125cc Suzuki I learned on) leaves me no room for error.  My concern is that I'll never advance my skills, or I will get tired of weeks worth of parking lots and hit the road before I'm ready.

Question:  Should I stick with getting a grip on the bike I have, or sell it and start over with something more appropriate for my skill level.  I really didn't want to get a Japanese bike that may be hard to sell later, because in the end I wanted a nice Harley cruiser.  If however that is the recommended path, I'm ready to surrender.  What do you think?  

Answer
There are several points that you bring up in your question each point is worth addressing.

First, welcome to riding and congratulations for choosing to take the MSF course. It sounds like you are taking the right approach to riding a motorcycle.

It is prudent that you selected a motorcycle that fits you well and is comfortable for you. With some practice, experience, and saddle time it sounds to me that you will be happy with your choice of the Dyna Lowrider. The challenge now is to get you comfortable with riding and making the transition from the training bikes to your ultimate motorcycle.

You mention that you got a great deal on it. That's a good thing and therefore I wouldn't necessarily recommend selling it for a smaller bike yet. There may be some options.

My first suggestion is to consider buying a second "transitional" bike. There are some great deals to be found on Craigslist and similar websites for 500cc or 600cc cruiser type bikes. Even older models that are relatively inexpensive will serve your purpose. At first look it may seem like an undue expense. But consider hunting for a bike in the $1200 price range or less. Ride it and practice on it to gain experience and confidence. When you feel ready to return to your Harley, you can sell the smaller bike and recoup most of your investment.

Consider if you continue to practice on your Dyna and are not comfortable and should drop it the expense of repairing even a parking lot drop would likely exceed what it would cost to have the medium size bike for a few months. And if you should have a small drop of the mid-size bike, you will probably not be the first one to scratch it and won't feel intimidated to continue using it for a practice bike.

When you are ready to return full-time to your Harley you'll probably feel a lot more confident practicing on it. And your chances of keeping the shiny bike pristine will be much greater.

The second alternative would be to continue to practice on the Dyna while remembering all of the tips given in the class such as:
-head and eyes up, looking through your path of travel
-use the friction zone during slow speeds
-if you are doing tight u-turns try a slight amount of pressure on the rear brake (avoid using the front brake while the handlebars are turned)

I don't recommend the previous option since you seem to be apprehensive about the distractions you find while practicing on the Dyna.  

The third and fourth options are to find an instructor who will work with you on the practices or as you mentioned selling the the Dyna and buying a smaller, lighter weight, lower powered bike until you feel ready to move up again.

If you have the space to store a second bike and the finances to purchase one temporarily that may be the best option if you wish to keep the Dyna Lowrider. Since you got such a good deal on it and say that you ultimately want a nice Harley cruiser I suggest storing it until you are comfortable enough to practice on it and comfortable riding it in traffic.

Continue to be safe and please let me know how you make out.
Thanks for the question. Please let me know if you have any follow up questions. I'm curious where to took the MSF class.

Tom