Eville Rich
Well-Known Member
My advice in a sea of advice.
1) Take a MSF or similar training course.
2) Get a lighter bike that fits. The Tenere 700 might be a good option, or the KLR 650. But also look at smaller dual sports - even a 250 or 300 can do a lot. You don't need to be on the freeway as a newbie.
3) Spend less on a bike and more on good and comfortable safety gear that you will want to wear.
4) Spend time riding. Find out what you like to do and what you are less interested in. Even a small displacement dual sport can do way more than you'll be able to do for a good while.
5) If you still want a bigger bike with more power, get one. But test ride them AFTER you have developed a level of riding comfort.
I started riding later in life than many here and am quite happy with the S10. But I would have been very unhappy with it if it were my first bike. I suspect I would have stopped riding out of frustration or fear. Or possibly something worse. Growing into a lower displacement bike gave me a bit more room to make mistakes and develop confidence. I'm still growing into the S10, after almost six years with it, and continual improvement. And that's with riding about 4500 miles each year just on the S10. Breaking bad habits, finding new ones to break, and practice, practice, practice.
Naturally, your mileage may vary, but don't feel like you need to rush it.
Eville Rich
1) Take a MSF or similar training course.
2) Get a lighter bike that fits. The Tenere 700 might be a good option, or the KLR 650. But also look at smaller dual sports - even a 250 or 300 can do a lot. You don't need to be on the freeway as a newbie.
3) Spend less on a bike and more on good and comfortable safety gear that you will want to wear.
4) Spend time riding. Find out what you like to do and what you are less interested in. Even a small displacement dual sport can do way more than you'll be able to do for a good while.
5) If you still want a bigger bike with more power, get one. But test ride them AFTER you have developed a level of riding comfort.
I started riding later in life than many here and am quite happy with the S10. But I would have been very unhappy with it if it were my first bike. I suspect I would have stopped riding out of frustration or fear. Or possibly something worse. Growing into a lower displacement bike gave me a bit more room to make mistakes and develop confidence. I'm still growing into the S10, after almost six years with it, and continual improvement. And that's with riding about 4500 miles each year just on the S10. Breaking bad habits, finding new ones to break, and practice, practice, practice.
Naturally, your mileage may vary, but don't feel like you need to rush it.
Eville Rich
