QuestionITS BIG.. ITS MINT GREEN AND CREME TWO TONE, ITS ALMOST MINT
CONDITION, ITS $6000 (98 OR 99 MODEL 30K MILES )
ITS ...THE BIKE! ITS PHYSICAL WEIGHT ON 2 WHEELS..700 POUNDS... IS..SCARY... TELL ME NOT TO BUY THIS BIKE....
EVEN THE WIFE LIKES IT...
NEVER RODE BEFORE. 53 YEARS OLD..
AnswerYou're in luck.
To quote from my book How to Ride a Motorcycle, "The bike you're lusting after is almost always NOT the best bike to start on." This is especially true of a 53 year old newbie and a Valkyrie!
Let me quote a passage from the book about first bikes:
"What People Say and What People Mean #2: “Start Small”
"If you’re going approach motorcycling from a holistic perspective, your first real act of intelligence will be what you choose for your first bike."
"When experienced riders tell you to start small, they don’t exactly mean that you should start on a little bike, (though as a rule of thumb, it’s not bad advice.) What they mean is that you should start on a bike that you’ll be able to handle physically, financially, and psychologically. The bike you’re lusting after is almost always NOT the right bike to learn on."
"This means start on a bike that’s size and power won’t immediately overwhelm you while you’re still learning to keep it balanced and work the controls. It’s hard enough to get basic motorcycle handling mastered without trying to rein in a bike that wants to continually leap from your grasp or crush you in your garage when you forget to put the sidestand down. Buying an older used bike means when you tip it over or crash it (and you will), the repair bills won’t cost you more than your first car did. Most importantly, starting small means your focus is still on you—-your priority is not what bike you own, but learning how to ride. A state-of-the-art machine will whisper to you to do things you’re not ready to do yet. A big, expensive bike will make you look and feel like a better rider than you are, and you absolutely do not need that sort of distraction this early in the ballgame."
"Too many riders make the mistake of buying the bike they’re in love with for their first bike. These bikes will typically answer the question, “What is the best bike?” when what a beginner really wants to know is, “What is the best bike for me?” It is only with heroic self-restraint that most new riders can commit to buying a bike they know they’ll outgrow in a year or two. But the riders who do are rewarded with a quicker learning curve and low cost, which leaves lots of room to practice, experiment, and have fun."
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
However, I do know of a man about your age who learned to ride in his early 50s, a well-known attorney. He took the MSF basic course (I was his instructor) and kept in touch with me afterwards. He bought, for his first bike, a Valkyrie (probably a 96 or 97 model). At first he regretted his decision and was terrified of the weight and power. However, he took it very slow, and was careful not to put himself into any bad situations, and gradually became comfortable with the bike. Now he is a dedicated motorcyclist, with bikes stored all over the country, who rides as much as he can, traveling all over the US.
Now I am NOT recommending that you do this, but wanted to at least tell you that it's possible to get a bike like this at your age and experience level and succeed. If your physical strength, judgement, coordination, ability to learn (old dogs/new tricks), and self-control is good, you at least stand a chance at surviving.
My recommendation is to find something like a Yamaha V-Star 650 and spend a year or two cutting your teeth on that. Then you'll be ready to move up to a bigger bike.
I hope this helps.
Pat
