Coming home today from the store with my daughter in the car we passed what we thought was a typical fender bender. Getting closer I saw what appeared to be a bicycle laying behing one of the SUV's involved. Again closer, I told my daughter to turn her head when I realized it wasn't a bike, but a motorcycle. The rider lay on the side of the road, motionless, and medical attention had just arrived. I have no idea how serious the guy was hurt, God willing he was just shook up.
A good look at the bike reviewed two long forks raked way out and a 300 rear tire, and a tone of Chrome. And this is when it dawned on me. The best advice I ever received before buying my first bike. "For your first bike, get something small enough that you can handle".
Where I live I see more and more of these custom choppers. I also see most of the guys are the typical "Hell's Accountants". Guys with too much money to know what's good for them. Dropping $50k on a custom chopper is nothing for these guys. The problems are almost endless. Most of these choppers have huge, powerful engines, not to mention how hard it is to handle a huge raked out bike, and for kicks let's add a 300 series tire!
Seeing stuff like that, always makes me a little apprehensive to ride. But it also made me recall the numerous people who know their motorcycles giving me the solid advice of not getting a huge bike first.
