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Prospective Rider, Angelo State Student, Marble Falls Area

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Average(Wes)

Joined
Jan 23, 2024
Messages
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Location
San Angelo, TX (school) Marble Falls, TX (Summer)
Hello All!

I am a prospective rider, but a broke college student so I am trying to balance that. I spend the school year at Angelo State, while I usually head home to Marble Falls on the holidays. I am also going for my MSF course this weekend to get that out of the way.

Given my college budget, I am currently looking at an '00-'09 SV650. Since I have heard they are pretty much bulletproof and easy/cheap to repair.
(bike insurance for a 20yo. is not cheap 😮‍💨)

I don't know what else to mention here, but I am always willing to listen to advice and wise counsel. I am aware I don't know a lot and would like to learn at least some of it.
 
Reserve budget for riding gear. Minimum is a helmet. That should be non-negotiable.
MSF class will go over the rest.
There are specialized boots, gloves, jacket and pants for motorcycling but many folks substitute durable articles they may already have for these items and add moto-specific gear as their budget allows. It is a compromise in crash protection so personal risk assessment is applied here.

Good luck.
 
What size are you ? I have good gear I can let you have if you can get to Austin or meet at Hidden Falls.
PM me and we can discuss if you are interested.

Average(Wes) said:
Hello All!

I am a prospective rider, but a broke college student so I am trying to balance that. I spend the school year at Angelo State, while I usually head home to Marble Falls on the holidays. I am also going for my MSF course this weekend to get that out of the way.

Given my college budget, I am currently looking at an '00-'09 SV650. Since I have heard they are pretty much bulletproof and easy/cheap to repair.
(bike insurance for a 20yo. is not cheap 😮‍💨)

I don't know what else to mention here, but I am always willing to listen to advice and wise counsel. I am aware I don't know a lot and would like to learn at least some of it.
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The MSF class is a good start, but basically only qualifies you to ride around in a parking lot ;-) Riding out on the street at speed and with traffic is a whole other experience. If you have never ridden before and developed the hand/foot coordination required for shifting and controlling the bike, I would spend time practicing that until you can do it without really giving it much thought. You don't want to have to be devoting any attention or thought to all of that when you are trying to focus on dealing with reading the road conditions, scanning traffic, and generally trying to stay alive. You only have so much attention you can devote to everything. If you are still stressing over things like shifting gears and steering, it is just that much less attention you can devote to all those other things. I was fortunate to have a lightly traveled road in the country where I was able to just go back and forth over a few miles practicing shifting up and down through the gears and going around corners. I did this for a week or two until I could do it almost automatically. Then I headed out into traffic. Even with that practice, the first time out in traffic was kind of freaking because you are so exposed and people WILL look right at you and then pull in front of you, cut you off, etc,... You have to assume NO ONE sees you even if you make direct eye contact!

I would also recommend reading Keith Code's book, Twist of the Wrist II. He was a racer and the first book is really geared more toward being on the track, but the second book has a section on "Survival Reaction" and it is worth its weight in gold!


Here is another that is excellent. It deals with common issues when riding on the street and how to handle them.


Both of those books are perfect for the throne room ;-) They are easy reads with short sections easily digested in a few minutes.

The SV650 is a great bike if you can find one. They were incredibly popular with the CMRA Endurance racers back in the day because of their reliability. We had an 01 SV650S, with the small fairing around the headlight, and it was a fantastic bike. Not the fastest, but just really fun to ride! Our friend also had an 01 SV650S and she put over 70K trouble free miles on it before she low sided it and the insurance company gave her more money than the bike was worth!

Get good gear. It doesn't have to be the most expensive. But you want something more than blue jeans. Abrasive road surfaces will eat right through anything not designed to handle the heat and abrasion from sliding at even moderate speeds. Also, armor in the knees and elbows is big. IF you come off, you WILL hit knees and elbows and that impact can easily fracture joints. Joints are much more fragile that the big bones between them and harder to repair. A back protector is good if you can find something with it. I prefer leather or synthetic gloves that have some kind of secure wrist latch/strap. Believe me when I tell you gloves will peel right off of your hands if you are sliding with your hands on the ground! Cloth and/or very thin leather will disintegrate rapidly. The same is true of foot wear. Sneakers or other kinds of common shoes come off very easily and will not protect your feet. Trust me when I tell you ankle surgery and screws are NOT fun :doh: Again, you don't have to go broke to get decent gear, just don't buy garbage or go without. Cycle Gear and many dealerships will have a decent selection. You can expect to spend at least $1K if you get a decent helmet, gloves, jacket, pants, and boots. I know college guys like to cruise around and look cool because I frequent the Tx A&M bike nights with my son and daughter. I also see the frequent Facebook posts on their group about someone involved in an accident and it is rarely pretty, usually results in long hospital stays, and an end to their college careers for a long while. Good gear is CHEAP compared to even minor injuries.

Lastly, if you ever get the chance and can afford it, do a trackday! These are not races. They are closed course instruction and will do wonders for your riding confidence and ability. Most insurance companies will still cover your bike as long as you make sure they understand these are training courses and not racing. IF you do get this opportunity, reading Keith Code's Twist of the Wrist I and II beforehand will do wonders for you!

Riding a motorcycle is a serious bit of business and not to be taken lightly. But, done right, it will be one of the most rewarding and enjoyable things you do, especially when you start meeting other riders and sharing adventures!
 
Height and weight, pant size? I'm always finding things around here I need to part with.
 
Thank you for the detailed reply Tourmeister!
I do understand that the msf course is just the beginning. I am gonna see if I can borrow a buddy's beginner bike for some neighborhood driving, but I don't plan on just taking anything into traffic right off.

I learned to drive on a manual (I miss it) and have a little 2stroke bicycle with a manual clutch that I put 500 miles on, but that is the end of my experience in that direction. I know just enough to know I know nothing.

As for the gear I don't plan on skimping on that either. I started out my research into bikes by running through statistics like the Fatality Accident Report and other credible sources. So I am (hopefully adequately) aware and scared of injuries.
Currently my line up looks like:
Ece22.06 helmet (AGV K1S)
Abrasion resistant jacket (HWK)
Ec2 pads for jacket(still looking)
Gloves(These)
Pants (HWK)
kneepads from somewhere
Boots(US13)
Also planning on adding an airbag of some sort when I can swing it.

Thanks for the reading recommendations, I am trying my best not to be a squid.

I appreciate the detailed response, thanks.
 
SV650 will be a fun, but can get you into trouble if you push it. Watch the LEO's on 1431 - fun road, but can get expensive! You have some decent gravel roads around you in Mable Falls - the SV's brother has light off-road chops, if that interests you, and older ones are cheap and bullet-proof.
 
There are more deer per square foot between Marble Falls and San Angelo than anywhere in the world. Night dusk , dawn and night riding can be challenging especially during fall rut.
I have had two V-Stroms (same motor as SV) never any problems.
 
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Jeff S said:
SV650 will be a fun, but can get you into trouble if you push it. Watch the LEO's on 1431 - fun road, but can get expensive! You have some decent gravel roads around you in Mable Falls - the SV's brother has light off-road chops, if that interests you, and older ones are cheap and bullet-proof.
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I'll definitely have to look into that, thanks for putting me on it.
And I know the Leo's can get a little surprising, I drive marble falls to UT for my internship up that route. I drive a '99 Mazda protege without any tint whatsoever and have been pulled over 5 TIMES in the past two years for no reason (the license plate light is still working perfectly 🙄). Perfectly clean driving record, and not speeding or doing anything reckless.
 
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Windmill said:
There are more deer per square foot between Marble Falls and San Angelo than anywhere in the world. Night dusk , dawn and night riding can be challenging especially during fall rut.
I have had two Y-Stroms (same motor as SV) never any problems.
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That is the reason I don't plan on riding at night if I can help it. After growing up on these roads I don't want to risk it.

That seems to be a common thread. And I actually was considering one, but I can't seem to find any near the 2k-1.7k im looking at now. I saw a decent one listed at 3200, but every dollar counts to me, so I am leaning towards the sv
 
Welcome. I live in MF and do a lot backroads in the area. Touch base with me once you get ready to ride or have any questions I can answer. I might have some size 13 boots that might work for you and I’ll keep an eye out for a good deal on beginner bikes. I’m pretty familiar with most brands and I just got back to riding after taking a year break. Went for smaller CC bike which are a lot of fun on back roads. I got a 24 Kawasaki 300 Versys.
 
RockmanTex said:
Welcome. I live in MF and do a lot backroads in the area. Touch base with me once you get ready to ride or have any questions I can answer. I might have some size 13 boots that might work for you and I’ll keep an eye out for a good deal on beginner bikes. I’m pretty familiar with most brands and I just got back to riding after taking a year break. Went for smaller CC bike which are a lot of fun on back roads. I got a 24 Kawasaki 300 Versys.
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Will do! I am looking for experienced riders to ride with and learn from, thanks.
I have my glider pilots license and flying with very experienced people, who can show what to look for as well as what to do and avoid, were the key to learning to move in 3 dimensions without an engine safely. I hope to replicate that method as much as possible.

The Versys seems like a nice bike, it's one of the ones I am keeping an eye on. The touring/sport touring class of bikes looks very tantalizing to me. By far the most comfortable bikes I have sat on (including cruisers), given my long legs and shorter arms. I just wish they would match the sv650 in used price and upkeep costs.
 
Average(Wes) said:
That is the reason I don't plan on riding at night if I can help it. After growing up on these roads I don't want to risk it.

That seems to be a common thread. And I actually was considering one, but I can't seem to find any near the 2k-1.7k im looking at now. I saw a decent one listed at 3200, but every dollar counts to me, so I am leaning towards the sv
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My son went ti San Angelo State. Great school . Im sure your family is proud of you. Welcome to TWT
 
Welcome to the TWT crowd. We all had to start somewhere on some motorized two wheeler. I started a on a mini bike with a 5 Hp Briggs engine, so that should tell you how long that I have been riding.

Here is my advice: follow what Tourmeister and others have already posted here for you. Get a copy of "Proficient Motorcycling" by Hough. This book has excellent advice with reasons that back up what the author wrote. When you get on the seat of your bike, take a moment to mentally center yourself. A good comparison could be what a pilot does on their pre-flight check list. Realize that you are not operating a self-balancing car with a safety cage surrounding you. Much of being a safe and competent rider will involve being aware of your bike, the road surface, line of sight for approaching curves, and traffic. Finally, about the traffic: every vehicle that you see at every intersection could pull out just as you get there. They are probably not trying to kill you, they just don't see you coming.

Check back with us to let us know how it is going for you.
 
Welcome to TWT. This is a great group. Lots of good advice from folks that have plenty of motorcycling experience.
 
Man, normally I click into these things and read the prospective bike choice for a new rider and just cringe. That is not the case here. Those older SV's not only make fantastic bikes for folks to enter into the sport with, but just are all around great motorcycles.

Welcome to the site, and I hope that motorcycling ends up being everything you are hoping it will be. It certainly is a fun way to spend some time, that's for sure!
 
Old Rocket said:
Realize that you are not operating a self-balancing car with a safety cage surrounding you.
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A fried of mine said he would roll on the ground before doing something dumb on a dirt bike. I guess that was something like this.

Old Rocket said:
Check back with us to let us know how it is going for you.
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Definitely will do 🫡

one Wolf said:
Welcome to TWT. This is a great group. Lots of good advice from folks that have plenty of motorcycling experience.
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Seems like it, already picked up a fair bit and it's only been a few days.

DFW_Warrior said:
Man, normally I click into these things and read the prospective bike choice for a new rider and just cringe. That is not the case here. Those older SV's not only make fantastic bikes for folks to enter into the sport with, but just are all around great motorcycles.

Welcome to the site, and I hope that motorcycling ends up being everything you are hoping it will be. It certainly is a fun way to spend some time, that's for sure!
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Well I'm glad I break the norm, but it's mainly budget driven not gonna lie. 😁 Sv650's are cheap to purchase and maintain and I haven't seen any that can match it and maintain highway speeds yet. Glad it works though, seems like I may have hit the nail on the head by accident.
 
DFW_Warrior said, “Welcome to the site, and I hope that motorcycling ends up being everything you are hoping it will be. It certainly is a fun way to spend some time, that's for sure!”

Agree. And add ‘fun way to spend time And Money’! But you’ll manage to scrounge just enough for whatever it is you need.

Welcome to TWT!
 
Maybe I missed it when reading through all the great advice on gear and body protection, but I didn't see any mention of health insurance coverage. Serious consideration should also be given to how medical expenses will be dealt with should a trip to the hospital come into play. I certainly hope that situation never arises, but that should be planned for as well so as not to find yourself in a buttload of debt or having to rely solely on a GoFundMe page.

As has been mentioned, riding a motorcycle is risky business. That risk also includes possible serious injury and medical expenses. Gear is good but plenty of people still often find themselves in a hospital. A common statement - "Good thing you were wearing your gear. It could have been a lot worse."
 
Great bike choice if you can find one in good condition. Check Youtubes for video on what to look for.

I'm a little surprised that you look for a 650. Around campus, I see a lot of much smaller bikes and scooters. Smaller than most of us ride here.
 
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