[Tfug] [OT] WTB: motorcycle

[Jeremy D Rogers]

> As I was in Tucson, I had an ol' Ranger pickup and a Chevy Metro (Zusuki
[snip]
> And, its July 4th. Do you really want to motorbike monsoon? My Harley
> Sprint in the Northern Illinois winter cured me.

Eric, you are freaking me out.. do I have a split personality?
When in Tucson, I had a ranger and now live in Chicago. Weird.

Matt, I suspect you are in the same mindset I was when I got my first
bike a few years back in Tucson. My car had been stolen and I only had
liability, so I needed something cheep to get me around and bike
sounded like a good idea in a climate like Tucson (cheaper to buy,
less gas, more fun, better parking). I wasn't too thrilled about a
Harley or a scooter, and I was most inclined to look at 'crotch
rockets', but I am no daredevil. I totally agree with Jim's comments,
but I also think much of the problems new riders get into on faster
bikes are because they are young and thrill seeking. I found a 91
honda nighthawk 750 (not really a crotch rocket) in a classified and
had a friend drive it home for me. I then drove around the parking lot
for days until I was forced to go out on the rode to get to a gas
station. Not exactly a dare devil. I know people who start small
(250cc or even 400cc) and get bored after a year. The 750 nighthawk
has kept me happy and enjoying my commute for years. After my wifes
car was stolen we were down to just the bike and then bought the
ranger. Then the bike was stolen and sat in a parking lot for a year
before we saw it driving by one day. One thing I don't miss about
Tucson. Anyway..

Tucson has straight streets, and if you mostly use it commute, I don't
think you will have problems with power if you aren't 18 and full of
testosterone.

But definitely buy used, that way when you fall off and add dents, you
won't be as mad about the dents and scrapes you add. The first time I
fell off was in the rain (yes, monsoons are a PITA on a bike) on
University where the trolley tracks turn. Turns out steel is slippery
when wet. I must have been going 5 mph, so it wasn't bad, but
something like that is bound to happen eventually. Just be careful and
when you ride in town, watch every car around you and always assume
someone is going to unexpectedly do something stupid.

-- 
Jeremy D. Rogers, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Biomedical Engineering
Northwestern University