I had spent 18 years being told by my parents that I was sure to hurt myself if I got a motorcycle. When the time came to buy a motorcycle I was particularly cautious. My lack of experience on motorcycles was not going to be a deterrent for me, I was determined to find an affordable and perfect motorcycle for myself.
As one of the first generations to grow up with the internet, I relied on it heavily to find information and determine if motorcycling was something I wanted to get into. Since I didn’t have a mentor that rode motorcycles nor did I know anyone mechanically inclined who could help answer any of my new rider questions, I turned to the world wide web. Perusing the Total Motorcycle Beginning Rider Forum was one of the most valuable resources I had starting out...
As one of the first generations to grow up with the internet, I relied on it heavily to find information and determine if motorcycling was something I wanted to get into. Since I didn’t have a mentor that rode motorcycles nor did I know anyone mechanically inclined who could help answer any of my new rider questions, I turned to the world wide web. Perusing the Total Motorcycle Beginning Rider Forum was one of the most valuable resources I had starting out...
Information on the forums should always be taken with a grain of salt. As I read and learned more, I evaluated all the forum advice carefully and decided for myself what to believe and what to pass off as bad info. While I got a lot of useful info from the new rider forums, I was particularly disturbed by how quickly fellow riders were pointing potential new riders to websites with gruesome crash footage and images of fellow riders who had unfortunately lost their lives in accidents. While it is important to be aware of the risks motorcycling inherently comes with, fear mongering new riders not a useful way to grow the sport. This is something new riders need to watch out for as they learn about motorcycling. Basing your decisions on statistics and data is much better than being turned off completely by a disturbing image. After seeing these horrific accident photos, it took me awhile to commit to street riding. Most risks inherent with motorcycling can be mitigated by taking the proper steps, from choosing a motorcycle you’re comfortable on, to wearing a helmet, to not drinking and riding, to refraining from riding at night.
Once I determined I was going to be a motorcyclist my natural ability to be extremely detail oriented took over and I researched everything to death from what motorcycle I was going to ride, to what gear I should get, to the cost of insurance and to all the relevant safety stats. I recall spending an awful lot of time ironing out all the details especially since my parents put a lot of pressure on me not to get a motorcycle. I think I spent a month or more on focused research so that I could make the right choice.
My first motorcycle sort of fell into my lap and nowadays probably isn’t a common choice for a first motorcycle. I ended up buying a 1984 Honda Nighthawk 700SC from my high school. The shop classes had been trying for years to get it running right. I took it home for a few days and had it running well enough to do some test riding. To my despair I discovered that second gear never engaged. I enjoy a good project so I decided to buy the bike for 500 bucks and get my education in mechanics at the same time.
My first motorcycle sort of fell into my lap and nowadays probably isn’t a common choice for a first motorcycle. I ended up buying a 1984 Honda Nighthawk 700SC from my high school. The shop classes had been trying for years to get it running right. I took it home for a few days and had it running well enough to do some test riding. To my despair I discovered that second gear never engaged. I enjoy a good project so I decided to buy the bike for 500 bucks and get my education in mechanics at the same time.
I split the crankcases, repaired the transmission, and replaced all the broken parts. I carefully sand blasted all the parts and repainted the motorcycle adding some custom touches I thought were pretty cool at the time. I was fascinated with the 4 into 1 Kerker exhaust systems which were prevalent in the 80s and couldn’t find one so I even fabricated my own. Luckily, my lack of exhaust tuning didn’t cost me too much power and the motorcycle still ran great and made an awesome sound!
The Honda Nighthawk was a great first motorcycle for me because it fit me well, had enough power to be entertaining, but was forgiving enough that I wasn’t going to get into too much trouble. The Nighthawk had a claimed 80hp that came on pretty steadily and was manageable. I used the motorcycle for everything from commuting to trips and it was always pretty comfortable with enough range that I didn’t have to stop in every town for fuel.
I put on over 12,000 miles on the Nighthawk in five Wisconsin riding seasons and loved every minute of it. From the 100 degree summer commutes to work, to the rainy rides home, to the beautiful late season fall color rides, to the frigid November “will this be my last ride of the year?” rides the Honda was a great motorcycle to me. It never broke down and it costed pennies to maintain. It will always have a special place in my heart as my first motorcycle, my first major project, and my first restoration.
Whatever your reasons may be for considering getting into motorcycling, I know you won’t regret it! If you’re anything like me, you’ll get completely hooked, and be on track to collect more sweet riding memories than you’ll know what to do with!
Are you thinking about getting into motorcycling? Do you have a fear you’re trying to overcome? Leave a comment and share what may be holding you back from getting your first motorcycle.
Be sure to sign up for our new rider E-Newsletter to stay up to date on our latest new rider info so that you can become a better more educated rider. Click the button below to subscribe.
The Honda Nighthawk was a great first motorcycle for me because it fit me well, had enough power to be entertaining, but was forgiving enough that I wasn’t going to get into too much trouble. The Nighthawk had a claimed 80hp that came on pretty steadily and was manageable. I used the motorcycle for everything from commuting to trips and it was always pretty comfortable with enough range that I didn’t have to stop in every town for fuel.
I put on over 12,000 miles on the Nighthawk in five Wisconsin riding seasons and loved every minute of it. From the 100 degree summer commutes to work, to the rainy rides home, to the beautiful late season fall color rides, to the frigid November “will this be my last ride of the year?” rides the Honda was a great motorcycle to me. It never broke down and it costed pennies to maintain. It will always have a special place in my heart as my first motorcycle, my first major project, and my first restoration.
Whatever your reasons may be for considering getting into motorcycling, I know you won’t regret it! If you’re anything like me, you’ll get completely hooked, and be on track to collect more sweet riding memories than you’ll know what to do with!
Are you thinking about getting into motorcycling? Do you have a fear you’re trying to overcome? Leave a comment and share what may be holding you back from getting your first motorcycle.
Be sure to sign up for our new rider E-Newsletter to stay up to date on our latest new rider info so that you can become a better more educated rider. Click the button below to subscribe.
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