Friend needs a Monster

[OddDuc]

She's 35, single (never been married), bl/red, 5'8", very easy on the eyes.  (Down, Tony.)  She's also a fascinating, intelligent person who could use some cool friends. 

She wants a bike to save gas on her 50-mile daily commute.  I want her to have some fun while she's at it.  Anyone know of a good Monster deal out there?  Needs to be ~$3,500-- doesn't have to be fancy or shiny -- just reliable.

[Ducatista]

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/mcy/668784556.html

This one could be haggled down some:  http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/mcy/674841524.html

And she doesn't need the bike to meet the people, silly! 

[mdubya]

She's 35, single (never been married), bl/red, 5'8", very easy on the eyes.  (Down, Tony.)  She's also a fascinating, intelligent person who could use some cool friends. 

She wants a bike to save gas on her 50-mile daily commute.  I want her to have some fun while she's at it.  Anyone know of a good Monster deal out there?  Needs to be ~$3,500-- doesn't have to be fancy or shiny -- just reliable.

Is this her first bike? I wouldn't recommend a bike to any newbie rider for commuting. JMO.

[Ducatista]

Is this her first bike? I wouldn't recommend a bike to any newbie rider for commuting. JMO.

Dude!  Where the hell have you been?

BTW, I respectfully disagree.     I think that commuting is a wonderful way to get lots and lots of saddle time, and that's what gets a person comfortable on a motorcycle. 

[zooom]

Dude!  Where the hell have you been?

BTW, I respectfully disagree.     I think that commuting is a wonderful way to get lots and lots of saddle time, and that's what gets a person comfortable on a motorcycle. 

he's been around....

and because that worked for you, doesn't mean it'll work for everyone.....everyone has a different learning curve...everyone has a different level of comfort for pushing their limits and learning capacity to coincide with it...it isn't formulaic despite the idea of riding familiar roads being a good one to get comfortable with because there is so much input and the logostics of everything when you are 1st getting aquainted with all things around riding a motorcycle or any 2 wheeled vehicle and the dynamics surrounding it all....so to a degree I have to agree with Mike.....get a beater Japanese bike that is ready to be dropped while learning!...get comfortable for awhile on the weekends on back roads and in parking lots and work the way up to commuting.....because there are way too many cell phone in the ear driving idiots to care about a motorcyclist in their way when they decide to move and it takes a certain level of experience to be able to react with some proficientcy

[tocino]

Wait, it hasn't been said if she already has experience or not, and what commuter she'll be doing. Is this 50 miles each way, or round trip?

[Ducatista]

I find more surprise moments on back roads on weekend rides than while commuting.  Sure, there are more people on the road during commuting hours, but I have much greater visibility of what's coming at me from all sides (my first commute was down Leesburg Pike and then it was from the Toll Road to the beltway).  It is on those back roads that I find more gravel, sand, birdseed, leaves, and other junk that can make it ... interesting.  I don't ride those back roads every day, so I certainly haven't memorized every pothole, bump, off camber turn, and place where junk collects.  Even at slow speeds, all those things cause me more pucker than any angel of death on a cell phone. 

It's just another opinion, Zooom, not a way of life for everyone. 

And of course I didn't just jump into commuting on my first day.  I took the bike out every night for a week and ended up putting about 200 miles on it before I did my first commute.  I know that wasn't much, but it got the jitters out.  I did all my grocery shopping on it, took it to hang out with friends, etc. 

[dolci]

I think it depends more on what causes your "pucker factor."  For me, I need to spend the time locally on smaller back roads, around neighborhoods and in parking lots until I was comfortable enough with riding to get myself on a "larger" street.  I still don't feel comfortable enough to commute from where I live. 

[ducpenguin]

I know it is above what you posted...but, Donnie (Ducpond) has some rediculous deals on 07 models right now!  I think he actually has an S2R for under $8,900...

[Stillie]

If you can tolerate another SV rider in the midst, there are some ridiculous deals floating around for SV's right now.

[Ducatista]

I think it depends more on what causes your "pucker factor."  For me, I need to spend the time locally on smaller back roads, around neighborhoods and in parking lots until I was comfortable enough with riding to get myself on a "larger" street.  I still don't feel comfortable enough to commute from where I live. 

Like I said, it's just what worked for me.  I'm not saying it's the way it should be done.  200 miles of dorking around on local roads around my house got me comfortable enough to brave the 15 miles down Rt. 7.  I proceeded to put another couple thousand on my bike until the beginning of 2005 when I went overseas.  When I got back in 2006, I put another 8.5k miles on my bike that season between commuting and longer weekend rides.  It all depends on the rider.  I was terrified of my first commute, but then after about a week, I would dread the days it would snow and I had to drive the cage.  I was afraid of it sitting in my townhouse, but once I got my tush in the saddle and just made myself do it, it wasn't so bad, and turned out to be an enormous amount of fun.

[Ducatista]

No one has asked the obvious question:   Does she need a personal motorcycle riding instructor, one with 14+ years as a professional Motorcycle Safety Instructor for the Virginia Rider Training program, one with a proven track record of successfully training individual riders, one with a truck and the capability to load and unload a motorcycle for transport to and from safe training areas, and who can tailor a training program to the individual rider's needs and experience level?

I'll bet she does.

I wonder where she could look to find an instructor like that???

H'mmmmmmmm.......     

Scammer.   

[Stillie]

just made myself do it, it wasn't so bad, and turned out to be an enormous amount of fun.

 

[dolci]

No one has asked the obvious question:   Does she need a personal motorcycle riding instructor

I'll bet she does.

I wonder where she could look to find an instructor like that???

H'mmmmmmmm.......     

Can't imgaine where she would find someone like that.....

[mdubya]

Dude!  Where the hell have you been?

BTW, I respectfully disagree.     I think that commuting is a wonderful way to get lots and lots of saddle time, and that's what gets a person comfortable on a motorcycle. 

Hey Emily.    I can see where you are coming from. I am just cautious and scared and worried for any new rider (the experienced ones too!). Most of us come to motorcycling with great enthusiasm. But most of us don't realize just how dangerous the act of riding down the road can be. Take Loudbike's incident for instance. I had a room mate who had something similar happen to him. I have a brother who was killed by a left turning truck. He had 30 years riding experience with no accidents. I watched a former girlfriend fail to make right hand bends in the road on 2 different occasions, cross the double yellow and run off the road. Luckily, there wasn't any on coming traffic and she was able to crash in nice soft grass both times. Fooking scary to watch your SO lose control and not be able to do anything about it.

I just needed to throw up a caution signal. Most people that think they want a motorcycle think it is all fun and games. Those of us that remain motorcyclists for very long usually have to learn the hard way just how dangerous and serious riding a bike can be.

Sorry if I sound all bummerfied.    You all know I embrace the risks and generally thow caution to the wind when I swing a leg over one of my bikes.    I just worry about everyone else.  [moto]