Yeah the author is definitely an idiot. I'm not so sure we shouldn't have graduated licensing here in the states, with begginers limited to 500cc's or so or perhaps set a limit on horsepower until the rider gains enough experience to handle it.
I worked at the local honda/yamaha/iron horse dealer doing setup and accessory installs for quite a few years, couldn't tell you how many completely inexperienced riders I've seen hurt, killed or simply turned off to the sport because they bought waaaayyyy to much bike to start with.
I've seen parents buy R1's, CBR 1000's, even an RC 51 repsol edition for 16 year old kids who have never ridden before!!!! Then if you try to explain that it's to much bike they get pissed about it ??? I took the cussing of a lifetime over trying to explain this to the idiots who bought the RC 51, the kid they bought it for was in a high speed crash less than 2 hours after leaving our shop, he's now a quadraplegic 19 year old living in a local nursing home.
Same thing happens with cruisers but to a lesser extent, I've seen 16 year olds leaving on VTX 1800's, Road Stars 1700's and a tenth anniversary Iron Horse, that ones a $46000 motorcycle!!! It lasted the kid 3 days he brought it back the first day complaining of a grinding sound when turning right (the primary cover dragging, lol)and was highly pissed that his shiny new bike was scuffed up. 2 days later he slid it out of the road through the trees and over a 30 foot embankment whike trying to play Nick Hayden through the twisties on a 280 tired chopper.
Even scarier it's not just kids, Saw a guy about 45 buy a Yamaha Royal Star Tour Deluxe, crashed it 40 feet from his starting point, grabbed a handful of throttle and went straight across the street into the ditch. He passed the written test for his permit but had never been on a bike before. Saw another guy in his forties wheelie a used hayabusa into traffic and get broadsided by a bread truck, he felt ready to ride because he rode dirt bikes when he was a teenager. Actually had one guy get on his new 750 ACE put his feet on the pegs at a standstill and fall over, he was actually mad because he thoughtthe bike would hold itself up, LMAO.
Anyway hopefully the idiot that wrote that article won't get anyone killed with his advice!!!
