OK, I've been lurking for a few months, (yes, I read the FAQ's and the kiddie boards!) and I am close to pulling the trigger on my first bike, and I thought I'd run some of my thoughts up the flagpole here - and see what the experts think.
So I'm 36, about to be divorced, living in NYC, and I at least did the right thing a few weeks ago and attended (and passed) the MSF Rider-Ed class. I've wanted a bike forever, and now that I'm (almost) single, I get to live the dream.
I have my heart set on a Monster 695 - in red - but I have a few questions that may lead someone here to think - no, you should not get a Monster.
1 - I live and work in New York City. I see Monsters all the time, but I'm still a relative Newbie and know exactly what this city is like on the roads.
2 - My goal is to take trips out of the city to the Princeton area (abt 65 miles) to see my kids, to the Jersey Shore (abt 90 miles) to see my parents and then just anywhere else I want to ride. The problem is those two routes are easily done on the NJ Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway - two roads I don't imagine are the best roads for motorcyclists. I may be wrong, but that's why I'm asking.
3 - I'm 5'10", and over 200lbs - I don't need a super-fast bike, I just want to have fun and be in control. There's no modest way to ask this, but should I be thinking of an entirely different kind of bike than a naked streetfighter for someone my size?
4 - I'm used to rough rides. My "daily driver" cage is a '97 Jeep Wrangler (120k+ miles), and my fun car is a restored '67 Mustang. I know what noise, wind and the feeling that EVERYONE wants to hit me is like.
I've liked Harleys and cruisers for a long time, but they're not for me at this stage in my life. I also just can't see myself buying a Japanese bike. I can't see myself walking into a Honda or Suzuki dealer. I don't like being a dime a dozen, sorry.
I checked out the 695 in the dealer before my Rider-Ed class, and since then I've checked out a few other bikes, but I keep coming back to the red Monster. I know you all know this, but they're just so cool...!
Anyway, there's a lot of crap here, and I appreciate your thoughts and experience as I get closer to pulling out the wallet for this. I can walk to Ducati NY from my place, so now it's a matter of time.
So I'm 36, about to be divorced, living in NYC, and I at least did the right thing a few weeks ago and attended (and passed) the MSF Rider-Ed class. I've wanted a bike forever, and now that I'm (almost) single, I get to live the dream.
I have my heart set on a Monster 695 - in red - but I have a few questions that may lead someone here to think - no, you should not get a Monster.
1 - I live and work in New York City. I see Monsters all the time, but I'm still a relative Newbie and know exactly what this city is like on the roads.
2 - My goal is to take trips out of the city to the Princeton area (abt 65 miles) to see my kids, to the Jersey Shore (abt 90 miles) to see my parents and then just anywhere else I want to ride. The problem is those two routes are easily done on the NJ Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway - two roads I don't imagine are the best roads for motorcyclists. I may be wrong, but that's why I'm asking.
3 - I'm 5'10", and over 200lbs - I don't need a super-fast bike, I just want to have fun and be in control. There's no modest way to ask this, but should I be thinking of an entirely different kind of bike than a naked streetfighter for someone my size?
4 - I'm used to rough rides. My "daily driver" cage is a '97 Jeep Wrangler (120k+ miles), and my fun car is a restored '67 Mustang. I know what noise, wind and the feeling that EVERYONE wants to hit me is like.
I've liked Harleys and cruisers for a long time, but they're not for me at this stage in my life. I also just can't see myself buying a Japanese bike. I can't see myself walking into a Honda or Suzuki dealer. I don't like being a dime a dozen, sorry.
I checked out the 695 in the dealer before my Rider-Ed class, and since then I've checked out a few other bikes, but I keep coming back to the red Monster. I know you all know this, but they're just so cool...!
Anyway, there's a lot of crap here, and I appreciate your thoughts and experience as I get closer to pulling out the wallet for this. I can walk to Ducati NY from my place, so now it's a matter of time.