Bite My Tongue Friday: 700 Miles and 6 Weeks Was Enough For Me!

Here’s a gem from the Rebel Forum:

So after riding my Rebel 250 for 700 miles and 6 weeks, I broke down today and got the V-Star 650 Custom 2009 model.

The little old Rebel was just way too small in the Houston Interstates. And I always have its speedo at 65-75mph, which give me a lot of vibration. After my commutes it feels like my hands and feet are asleep. Don’t get me wrong, the Rebel was an awesome learner bike, but I just didn’t think I would outgrow it really quickly. Anyways, its up on Craigslist for sale if anyone in the Houston area is interested: [link redacted because he linked to the manage post page, which pretty much would let anyone edit or delete his post]

I will post some pics of the Vstar 650, which is so beautiful. It also has a great deep ticking sound.

And then a little later on in the same thread:

I took the bike today and some heavily traffic routes as well as twisties. The bike actually felt much better in terms of handling than my Rebel. Seems like the heavier and lower center of gravity helps a lot. I feel really comfortable with it. My 650 miles on my Rebel was 80% interstate in the Houston which is known to be 4th worst traffic to drive in the USA.

Bottomline, I dont feel intimidated by it one bit and actually feel much better riding. I am by no means an expert rider, but I personally felt ready for a bigger bike. The only thing I do not like on the Vstar is that it will not start on 1st gear. It has to be in neutral.

Anyways, I just got a flat after my ride today. My rear tire hit a nail, and my rear was completely flat. Fortunately, I was like within 1/2 mile of an Autozone was able to get a Fix-a-flat to get me back home. Sucks I have to wait till Tuesday, when the dealer opens to get it fixed.

Sometimes posts just speak for themselves, but I really can’t resist this time.

And I always have its speedo at 65-75mph, which give me a lot of vibration

Honey, if you think the Rebel vibrates a lot, try riding damn near any other bike ever made.

The bike actually felt much better in terms of handling than my Rebel. Seems like the heavier and lower center of gravity helps a lot. I feel really comfortable with it.

And that’s why Valentino Rossi rides a Yamaha Road Star for MotoGP, due to its excellent weight and low center of gravity.

The only thing I do not like on the Vstar is that it will not start on 1st gear. It has to be in neutral.

…

Fortunately, I was like within 1/2 mile of an Autozone was able to get a Fix-a-flat to get me back home. Sucks I have to wait till Tuesday, when the dealer opens to get it fixed.

I feel sorry for the poor tech who ends up with that job.

Thankfully, posts like these are less frequent than you’d think!