SCMike
06-30-2014, 08:24 PM
I'm used to getting looks and heads turning when I ride my bike. Many people give me thumbs up or roll down their windows and shout "nice bike" about the F6B.
What I'm not used to is people pointing and laughing, but that's the treatment I got Saturday.
My wife recently finished the MSF course, and I wanted to buy her a bike while the training was still fresh. I had wanted to put her on a CTX700 or a Honda Shadow, but when I showed her those bikes, she said they were too big and too heavy. She's very small, 5-2 and about 115. What she really liked was the Yamaha V Star 250. So I figured, get her what she wants and what she is comfortable with so she will ride it. When she gains experience and comfort on the bike, we can always upgrade her to something bigger.
Well, the local shop only had new V Star 250s, and I wanted a used one. I didn't want to spend much on a bike for her until I see that she's really going to ride it enough to justify the expense. The only used bikes I could find were in North Carolina, about 90 miles away. So, Saturday afternoon, we drove the car to the dealership there, she picked the one she liked. I test rode it, and bought it.
The problem is that she only has her learner's permit, not her license. So she couldn't ride the bike in North Carolina, and she's not comfortable riding in traffic yet. So I had to ride the bike home. While my wife is diminutive, I am not. I'm 6-2, 300+ pounds. The V Star 250 is not made for riders of my dimensions. I looked ridiculous riding all the way home on this bike. But I entertained everyone on the road. They laughed. They smiled. They pointed and giggled. I decided to just flow with it, so whenever anyone pointed at me, I gave them a twin beep-beep on the little bike's horn. Physically, it was a very different experience from riding the F6B, tremendously uncomfortable. The bike fits her. It doesn't fit me. But socially, it was also a very different experience.
What I'm not used to is people pointing and laughing, but that's the treatment I got Saturday.
My wife recently finished the MSF course, and I wanted to buy her a bike while the training was still fresh. I had wanted to put her on a CTX700 or a Honda Shadow, but when I showed her those bikes, she said they were too big and too heavy. She's very small, 5-2 and about 115. What she really liked was the Yamaha V Star 250. So I figured, get her what she wants and what she is comfortable with so she will ride it. When she gains experience and comfort on the bike, we can always upgrade her to something bigger.
Well, the local shop only had new V Star 250s, and I wanted a used one. I didn't want to spend much on a bike for her until I see that she's really going to ride it enough to justify the expense. The only used bikes I could find were in North Carolina, about 90 miles away. So, Saturday afternoon, we drove the car to the dealership there, she picked the one she liked. I test rode it, and bought it.
The problem is that she only has her learner's permit, not her license. So she couldn't ride the bike in North Carolina, and she's not comfortable riding in traffic yet. So I had to ride the bike home. While my wife is diminutive, I am not. I'm 6-2, 300+ pounds. The V Star 250 is not made for riders of my dimensions. I looked ridiculous riding all the way home on this bike. But I entertained everyone on the road. They laughed. They smiled. They pointed and giggled. I decided to just flow with it, so whenever anyone pointed at me, I gave them a twin beep-beep on the little bike's horn. Physically, it was a very different experience from riding the F6B, tremendously uncomfortable. The bike fits her. It doesn't fit me. But socially, it was also a very different experience.