Girl buying motorcycle: Part 1

1. Have some idea what you want
I wanted the naked bike. It had everything i required without going over the top - practicality, a comfortable and familiar (upright) riding position, affordability (v. important), and i could pretend i was riding a small Ducati Monster.

2. Bring your best girlfriend
When i want something so badly for this long, i tend to end up all shaky kneed and stuttery when i’m about to get it. So Princess, in a snug tube dress, looking more like she was headed for a chic ladies’ luncheon rather than a bike shop, played chauffer and moral supporter when i finally made a date with the dealership last week. She waited patiently while i meandered around, getting up the nerve to walk up to one of the guys and ask them stuff i didn’t have the words for, and was on a long call to the finance brokers who would be organizing the loan.

She also managed to sass a former motorcross champion, before turning her back on him and exclaiming into her mobile “They don’t have any pink bikes here!”

That took care of the nervousness nicely - i was so busy trying to decide whether to gape or laugh, i forgot all about it. Gotta give it to your friends. They know what works.

3. Test, test, test ride!
They didn’t have the naked bike for me to test then, so my first ride after 9 months of not touching a bike, was the GT250R - the sports bike. I’d never ridden a sports bike before so i didn’t even know what i was in for. During my initial hesitation and momentary inability to find the gearshift while foot was on foot peg and vice versa, i could have sworn i caught the poor sales guy silently offering a prayer.

The GT250R is a lot bigger than the little Yamaha scrambler i learnt on, and heavier, as it sits on pretty much the same frame as the 650cc version.

But once i released the clutch and got going, phwoar, the adrenalin rush alone could have carried me all the way around the block.

It felt notably amazing to be back on a bike. This bike has a fair bit more go-go-go than the bike i learnt on, though they are the same engine size (i’m sure there’s a technical explanation for this involving a V-twin block, but i don’t know it). Leaning into turns also felt a bit more natural, no doubt owing to the more crouched riding position and overall lowness of the bike. I’ve read a number of reviews describing this bike as a fun ride, and it certainly was.

But it was a little overwhelming, plus i had my heart set on a naked bike. It helped that husband, who was taking the path of denial with my whole bike crusade, was actually semi-enthusiastic about the naked one, possibly because it doesn’t look as fast as a sports bike (at that point, he was taking what he could get).

“They should sort your loan out in a few days,” the sales guy said to me. “We’ll have one for you to ride then and you can decide which you want.”

So i waited….

(Part 2 here)