Last minute tips for riding a cruiser?

reaubideux · March 7th, 2012, 11:59 AM

Ok, so my dad apparently was trying to ride wheelies on his Honda Shadow up the highway to impress a van of baby boomers or something and wrecked his bike this morning and messed up his ankle. That's all the details I have for now but bottom line he's okay other than his ankle. I'm very glad I pressed my mom to get him armored overpants for Christmas, and of course the weakest link in his gear... his boots. Just some "motorcycle" boots that really just looked like work boots to me.

Anyway, the bike should be ride-able from what I was told so they're asking me to drive it home at some point from where ever it's been towed. It's an '05 Honda Aero Shadow 750. Thing's a beast compared to my Ninja (about 100lbs heavier) and the only other bike I've ridden was the cruiser 250's at MSF so I'm a bit nervous about riding this thing. Are there any tips or traits I should be weary of before riding it? Slow and easy obviously, but at some point I'll have to take it on the highway. Please help a newb out, my more experienced riders.

Alex · March 7th, 2012, 12:21 PM

You'll need this:

But other than that, you'll be fine.

The clutch will not be too heavy, the shifter will be exactly as you'd expect, and it will be relatively easy steering. Just take it slow and easy, and there will be no surprises. Be gentle on the brakes, and the bias from front/rear might be different than you expect on the ninjette.

reaubideux · March 7th, 2012, 02:47 PM

Thanks Alex.

leed · March 7th, 2012, 02:59 PM

You have to go slow in turns. Your pegs will scrape at the slightest angle. The steering is slow, and you have to consider that when making any lane changes or turns. Setting up for your turns is a little different too. And you don't have to worry about wheelies but don't forget clutch control for burnouts that turn into high sides. Oh and lastly, wear earplugs. Srsly.

KawiKid860 · March 7th, 2012, 03:00 PM

Only cruiser I've ridden was an HD fatboy lo. It has floorboards so I had to move my foot to reach the brake pedal and the shifter, dunno what the shadow would be like there, and it scraped like crazy going around corners when I wasn't even trying to. Shadow will probably be more nimble and less hefty than a 1600cc harley, but just take it nice and slow and you'll understand that cruisers are easily tamed beasts. Torque is a good thing too, but it wont be a whole lot if any quicker than your ninjette.

gt_turbo · March 7th, 2012, 03:53 PM

I rode a shadow before. Just have to het used to the body position and control locations. Other than that pretty fun. Lots of torque, so take it easy.

reaubideux · March 8th, 2012, 05:43 AM

Thanks for the extra tips, guys.

Spent last night visiting with my dad and helping my mom get him set up in their house. He's going back in for surgery in a week or so to get 2 plates and some pins inserted into his foot/ankle. He also got a couple of spots of road rash on his knee and elbow so his armor shifted during the wreck apparently. Come to find out, he doesn't have motorcycle boots, just some taller dress shoes, and he wasn't wearing his overpants.

I jumped on my "proper gear" soapbox for a minute (how often does a child get to lecture their parent

) but he's doing fine. Basically an old fogy didn't see my dad and made a left turn in front of him right as my dad approached the intersection. Dad got on the brakes too hard and locked up the rear. He doesn't remember everything simply b/c of how fast it happened but basically it sounds like he high sided; back end was swerving a bit and he ended up tumbling while his bike slid into the rear fender of the old guy's car.

Dad said he may have the bike towed home, he doesn't want to worry about me riding an unsafe bike and they have AAA anyway so it'll be free. I offered to go check it out with him if he wanted and determine if it's safe to ride or not at that point so we might do that.

sombo · March 8th, 2012, 07:24 AM

Things to remember. First off the bit about lane change being slower is false. Cruisers have such a low center of gravity that transitioning comes rather quick and they can lane change rapidly. Now going into heavy turns is a different story all together. Less clearance, less lean angle, combined with more weight (which you won't feel till these types of turns) will make you take the hard turns slower.

They also are built to be torque machines, so they get quite a bit more torque at low rpm's. With that in mind just go easy on the throttle at first to feel where the torque really hits home and go from there.

Also all cruisers have less suspension travel in the rear than sport bikes. So big bumps will cause you to bottom out more often than the ninjette and can disrupt you if you're not careful or paying attention.

Xoulrath · March 8th, 2012, 08:57 AM

If the towing is free, I think you're both better off having the bike towed. He doesn't have to worry about you riding a potentially unsafe bike; and you don't have to worry about being on a bike that is unsafe if you miss something in looking it over.

reaubideux · March 10th, 2012, 09:04 PM

My dad ended up getting the bike towed to the shop where it'll be repaired. Talked to the other guy's insurance and b/c it was the other guy's fault his company is paying for towing. So far the rough estimate is about 2300$ in damage and that's without a full inspection of the mechanical side of things. My dad paid a little over $3K for it but they valued it at about $5200 b/c of all the extras that came with it - wind screen, saddle bags, etc, etc. I thought it was going to be totaled for sure until he told me the value; guess he got a pretty good deal on it after all.

Only good thing coming out of this is that he's letting me use his Shoei Qwest until he can ride again.

I'll probably use it from time to time. I'm hoping to get an RF-1100 for my b-day this fall so using his Qwest I think may give me a bit of a test on how well Shoei helmets fit me.

LoD575 · March 11th, 2012, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reaubideux

I'm hoping to get an RF-1100 for my b-day this fall so using his Qwest I think may give me a bit of a test on how well Shoei helmets fit me.

The RF-1100 and the Qwest have different internal head shapes. The RF-1100 is based on intermediate oval where the Qwest is more round.

Glad to hear your dad is doing ok after the crash.

coondog · March 12th, 2012, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reaubideux

Thanks Alex.

That WAS good! Personally if the bikes insured I'd see if I could have it totalled and use the replacement value money towards a newer (better) cruiser. Check with Pa.

Didn't read other posts, but the add-on reasoning isn't valid from where I stand. It's replacement value of course, if the mechanics of the bike are shot. (make sure they're shot)

coondog · March 12th, 2012, 03:59 PM

$2900-$3900 is top retail for that bike as of 2012. Get with insurer and "Let's make a deal" Take $4450 and save agent $750. Great start for a new ride or dads pocket if he's done with it. Just thinking out loud dude, no offense. First off I'm glad your father is O.K.

reaubideux · March 13th, 2012, 02:47 PM

No offense taken. It's my dad's bike and he's fairly confident it's mostly cosmetic damage but he's been busy with other things the past couple of days to check and see if they've inspected the functional bits. He's in no hurry, he'll probably be out of commission for at least a couple of months.

March 7th, 2012, 11:59 AM	#1
reaubideux Perpetual Newb Name: Jason Location: Imperial, MO Join Date: Mar 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2010 MIB Ninja 250R [sold]; 2006 CBR600RR [sold]; 2013 Triumph Street Triple R Posts: 782	Last minute tips for riding a cruiser? Ok, so my dad apparently was trying to ride wheelies on his Honda Shadow up the highway to impress a van of baby boomers or something and wrecked his bike this morning and messed up his ankle. That's all the details I have for now but bottom line he's okay other than his ankle. I'm very glad I pressed my mom to get him armored overpants for Christmas, and of course the weakest link in his gear... his boots. Just some "motorcycle" boots that really just looked like work boots to me. Anyway, the bike should be ride-able from what I was told so they're asking me to drive it home at some point from where ever it's been towed. It's an '05 Honda Aero Shadow 750. Thing's a beast compared to my Ninja (about 100lbs heavier) and the only other bike I've ridden was the cruiser 250's at MSF so I'm a bit nervous about riding this thing. Are there any tips or traits I should be weary of before riding it? Slow and easy obviously, but at some point I'll have to take it on the highway. Please help a newb out, my more experienced riders.

March 7th, 2012, 12:21 PM	#2
Alex ninjette.org dude Name: 1 guess :-) Location: SF Bay Area Join Date: Jun 2008 Motorcycle(s): '13 Ninja 300 (white, the fastest color!), '13 R1200RT, '14 CRF250L, '12 TT-R125LE Posts: Too much. Blog Entries: 7	You'll need this: But other than that, you'll be fine. The clutch will not be too heavy, the shifter will be exactly as you'd expect, and it will be relatively easy steering. Just take it slow and easy, and there will be no surprises. Be gentle on the brakes, and the bias from front/rear might be different than you expect on the ninjette. __________________________________________________ Montgomery Street Motorcycle Club / cal24.com / crf250l.org / ninjette.org ninjette.org Terms of Service Shopping for motorcycle parts or equipment? Come here first. The friendliest Ninja 250R/300/400 forum on the internet! (especially Unregistered)

March 8th, 2012, 07:24 AM	#8
sombo Newb..... on a steeek! :D Name: Mike Location: Windermere, FL Join Date: Feb 2009 Motorcycle(s): 2012 Harley Davidson XL883L Sportster Superlow Posts: A lot.	Things to remember. First off the bit about lane change being slower is false. Cruisers have such a low center of gravity that transitioning comes rather quick and they can lane change rapidly. Now going into heavy turns is a different story all together. Less clearance, less lean angle, combined with more weight (which you won't feel till these types of turns) will make you take the hard turns slower. They also are built to be torque machines, so they get quite a bit more torque at low rpm's. With that in mind just go easy on the throttle at first to feel where the torque really hits home and go from there. Also all cruisers have less suspension travel in the rear than sport bikes. So big bumps will cause you to bottom out more often than the ninjette and can disrupt you if you're not careful or paying attention. __________________________________________________

March 8th, 2012, 08:57 AM	#9
Xoulrath ninjette.org sage Name: T Location: U.S. Join Date: May 2010 Motorcycle(s): Current: '11 ZX-6R; Previous: '09 Ninjette; '08 ZX-6R (Ex-Wife '09 TU250X) Posts: 981	If the towing is free, I think you're both better off having the bike towed. He doesn't have to worry about you riding a potentially unsafe bike; and you don't have to worry about being on a bike that is unsafe if you miss something in looking it over. __________________________________________________ R.I.P EthioKnight (Alex)

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Comfort Riding Tips?	DmbShn41	2008 - 2012 Ninja 250R Farkles	12	May 8th, 2014 10:30 AM
[sportrider - latest stories] - Riding Skills Series: Summer Riding Tips \| Outriding	Ninjette Newsbot	Motorcycling News	0	July 3rd, 2012 02:00 PM
Great Riding Tips	akima	Riding Skills	4	September 12th, 2011 08:01 AM
Going to go see an 08 tonight... any last-minute tips?	adouglas	General Motorcycling Discussion	24	July 30th, 2009 09:22 PM
Riding 2-Up for the First Time... tips?	muffinman	Riding Skills	31	March 26th, 2009 07:15 AM

March 7th, 2012, 02:47 PM	#3
reaubideux Perpetual Newb Name: Jason Location: Imperial, MO Join Date: Mar 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2010 MIB Ninja 250R [sold]; 2006 CBR600RR [sold]; 2013 Triumph Street Triple R Posts: 782	Thanks Alex.

March 7th, 2012, 02:59 PM	#4
leed ninjette.org sage Name: David Location: Loves Park, IL Join Date: Feb 2011 Motorcycle(s): Time will tell Posts: 969	You have to go slow in turns. Your pegs will scrape at the slightest angle. The steering is slow, and you have to consider that when making any lane changes or turns. Setting up for your turns is a little different too. And you don't have to worry about wheelies but don't forget clutch control for burnouts that turn into high sides. Oh and lastly, wear earplugs. Srsly.

March 7th, 2012, 03:00 PM	#5
KawiKid860 ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Murphey Location: Eastern Washington Join Date: Apr 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2002 Honda 919, 2004 Ninja 500R NAKED Posts: A lot.	Only cruiser I've ridden was an HD fatboy lo. It has floorboards so I had to move my foot to reach the brake pedal and the shifter, dunno what the shadow would be like there, and it scraped like crazy going around corners when I wasn't even trying to. Shadow will probably be more nimble and less hefty than a 1600cc harley, but just take it nice and slow and you'll understand that cruisers are easily tamed beasts. Torque is a good thing too, but it wont be a whole lot if any quicker than your ninjette.

March 7th, 2012, 03:53 PM	#6
gt_turbo ninjette.org sage Name: L Location: WI Join Date: Apr 2011 Motorcycle(s): '09 250R, '13 CBR500R Posts: 709	I rode a shadow before. Just have to het used to the body position and control locations. Other than that pretty fun. Lots of torque, so take it easy.

March 8th, 2012, 05:43 AM	#7
reaubideux Perpetual Newb Name: Jason Location: Imperial, MO Join Date: Mar 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2010 MIB Ninja 250R [sold]; 2006 CBR600RR [sold]; 2013 Triumph Street Triple R Posts: 782	Thanks for the extra tips, guys. Spent last night visiting with my dad and helping my mom get him set up in their house. He's going back in for surgery in a week or so to get 2 plates and some pins inserted into his foot/ankle. He also got a couple of spots of road rash on his knee and elbow so his armor shifted during the wreck apparently. Come to find out, he doesn't have motorcycle boots, just some taller dress shoes, and he wasn't wearing his overpants. I jumped on my "proper gear" soapbox for a minute (how often does a child get to lecture their parent ) but he's doing fine. Basically an old fogy didn't see my dad and made a left turn in front of him right as my dad approached the intersection. Dad got on the brakes too hard and locked up the rear. He doesn't remember everything simply b/c of how fast it happened but basically it sounds like he high sided; back end was swerving a bit and he ended up tumbling while his bike slid into the rear fender of the old guy's car. Dad said he may have the bike towed home, he doesn't want to worry about me riding an unsafe bike and they have AAA anyway so it'll be free. I offered to go check it out with him if he wanted and determine if it's safe to ride or not at that point so we might do that.

March 10th, 2012, 09:04 PM	#10
reaubideux Perpetual Newb Name: Jason Location: Imperial, MO Join Date: Mar 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2010 MIB Ninja 250R [sold]; 2006 CBR600RR [sold]; 2013 Triumph Street Triple R Posts: 782	My dad ended up getting the bike towed to the shop where it'll be repaired. Talked to the other guy's insurance and b/c it was the other guy's fault his company is paying for towing. So far the rough estimate is about 2300$ in damage and that's without a full inspection of the mechanical side of things. My dad paid a little over $3K for it but they valued it at about $5200 b/c of all the extras that came with it - wind screen, saddle bags, etc, etc. I thought it was going to be totaled for sure until he told me the value; guess he got a pretty good deal on it after all. Only good thing coming out of this is that he's letting me use his Shoei Qwest until he can ride again. I'll probably use it from time to time. I'm hoping to get an RF-1100 for my b-day this fall so using his Qwest I think may give me a bit of a test on how well Shoei helmets fit me.

March 12th, 2012, 03:59 PM	#13
coondog ninjette.org sage Name: john Location: Palm Beach County, Fl Sligo County, Eire Join Date: Dec 2010 Motorcycle(s): 2005 ninja 250 street fighter, 2008 street fighter ninja 500, 2001 nsr 125 Posts: 812	$2900-$3900 is top retail for that bike as of 2012. Get with insurer and "Let's make a deal" Take $4450 and save agent $750. Great start for a new ride or dads pocket if he's done with it. Just thinking out loud dude, no offense. First off I'm glad your father is O.K.

March 13th, 2012, 02:47 PM	#14
reaubideux Perpetual Newb Name: Jason Location: Imperial, MO Join Date: Mar 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2010 MIB Ninja 250R [sold]; 2006 CBR600RR [sold]; 2013 Triumph Street Triple R Posts: 782	No offense taken. It's my dad's bike and he's fairly confident it's mostly cosmetic damage but he's been busy with other things the past couple of days to check and see if they've inspected the functional bits. He's in no hurry, he'll probably be out of commission for at least a couple of months.