Hello everyone. I've been a lurker on this site since November. That's when I started looking for a motorcycle. I wanted something cheap to learn on and found an 85 Honda Shadow VT700 in December, then took the MSF course in January. From that time to this week I have put 10,000 miles on the bike.
This bike now has almost 53,000 miles on it. When I save more money I will be looking for something new. Right now I have my mind on either a Sportster or an America.
I've never been on any other bike but mine and the 250cc MSF bikes. My riding consists of commuting to work 50 miles round trip and two-up riding on the weekend. I like riding in the canyons here in California.
Does anyone have experience with a few different bikes? If I am comfortable on my shadow riding two-up how would it be with an America? Would it be a good bike for long trips?
When I've read posts on this board I see some people are concerned with what Harley riders think, and when I go into a Sportster forum, they are concerned about people calling their bikes "Girly Bikes". Does anyone actually have experience with people making fun of their bikes? Usually it seems to be non-riders that make negative comments like "you can't park your bike next to a Harley".
So far while I've been riding my Shadow I've never heard any comments. Me and my girlfriend rode to the Laughlin river Run and no one made fun of us like people said they would. One time we stopped at a Denny's on a rainy night nearby and there were dozens of Harleys in the lot. I rode around the lot a couple of times and I had no choice but to park within a group of these bikes. As we walked away I saw a group of guys staring at us in front of the restaurant wearing black and white patches. Oh no I thought, did I just park with a group of Mongols's bikes? We realized they were having a private party at a bar inside Denny's. As we walked inside a full patch Mongol looks at us with our helmets and our wet clothes and asks how the roads are. Then he says what are you riding, a sports bike(we have full face helmets)? I say,(my girlfriend says I said it shyly) "no I have an older Shadow". He just says "thats cool".
A few weeks ago we went to a local bar that we frequent and as I'm parking the bike, I hear the roar of Harley's pulling into the lot. They all park next to my bike and I realize they are Vagos. They just nod at us and walk inside.
The point is, if I ride a Shadow and havn't been laughed at yet, I wonder how I can be laughed at for riding a Triumph or a Sportster.
Well, I hope this post hasn't been too long. I appreciate any comments or advice. I'm sure I will have more questions.
If you would like to see any pictures of us and our rides {including Laughlin}, go to
www.vidasalsera.com and click on the link to the left that says "Motorcycle Stuff"
