Originally Posted by: PonyOne...Those old Yamaha FJ's are pretty slick, I just don't know if I want anything that powerful to start with. ...[font=trebuchet ms]Not unless you have a death-wish!! :eek:
Maybe an FJ600. Or, IIRC, a Honda 550 Interceptor might work well for you. Given your proclivity for pushing the limits on four wheels you're likely to want something with more 'urge' after a year or so, but you should start with something light and easy to ride. A big, heavy, powerful bike is not a good tool for learning the necessary skills. And your survival depends on learning those skills well.
A mid-size bike is capable of out-accelerating and out-braking any car on the road. I haven't looked at bike reviews in a long time, but they used to routinely take a selection of bikes to a drag strip to compare their performance. Even 20 years ago, stock 500's were running 13-second quarter-miles. And for the first 50 feet, there's still nothing on four wheels that could touch 'em. Look at the braking distances in the comparison write-ups and match those numbers against new car reviews. Don't feel that you're settling for less by starting with a half-litre bike.
As the Midas ads used to say: "First you get good - Then you get fast!"[/font]
