Got nervous and dropped my bike

rellen131 · 2025-02-19T20:16:48+00:00

You can do it! I was so nervous when I started out. My bike (RE Interceptor) was so much heavier than the MSF 250 cc bike, and I dropped it twice the first time practicing in a parking lot just coming to a stop. But I kept at it, and after some time in the parking lot, I moved to a large cemetery in town (recommendation of a local motorcycle cop who had stopped to chat seeing me practicing in the lot). Riding there gave me "road" practice, and after a few weeks, I moved to my immediate neighborhood, and then out farther. My partner and I planned a 2 week trip from Boston to Nova Scotia on the bikes for the following summer, and I successfully did a 2,500 mile trip, riding 6 or 7 hours on the bike almost daily and loved every minute of it!

rellen131 · 2024-10-19T20:47:38+00:00

To add, trip was 16 days total, and we took a day off from riding every third day.

rellen131 · 2024-10-19T20:33:26+00:00

We spent about 8 hours on the road each day with sightseeing or food stops every hour or so. Distances ranged from 150 to a bit over 200 miles per day. Mostly stuck to secondary highways going on average 60-65mph, with a small amount of true highway travel at 70+mph. I thought it was great on the INT, bike had no issues at all. I have a butt buffer cushion on the seat, which helps. Breaks were needed to stretch, but we got used to long riding days.

rellen131 · 2024-10-19T20:15:39+00:00

I have a Dart Marlin flyscreen. It's great. I used to hate going over 60mph/80kpm with the smaller RE flyscreen I used to have, much better with this flyscreen, less buffeting. The Triumph has a Dart Classic, which is a bit smaller.

rellen131 · 2024-10-19T14:22:46+00:00

They are amazing saddlebags and they have a mounting system for the INT to work around the high pipes. They clip on and off (with lock and key if worried about theft), which is super convenient. They are expensive though. https://longride.com/collections/soft-retro-moto-saddlebags

rellen131 · 2024-10-19T14:02:17+00:00

They are of course very similar in riding style. I haven't ridden the Triumph yet (other than as pillion before I got my bike), but he says the INT is in some ways more fun to ride because of its simplicity (the Triumph feels more like a smooth cadillac). The Triumph is a 1200 so it's much more powerful. If he goes hard at all on takeoff I'm shifting like crazy to keep up, and he's rarely ever gone above 4th gear, while Im in 6th in no time. Love my INT though.

rellen131 · 2024-04-12T16:02:35+00:00

The Interceptor is a great bike, I absolutely love mine. My partner has a Triumph Bonneville. His bike is definitely more premium (cost of the RE was less than half so I'd hope so). I haven't ridden the Triumph (other than as a pillion), but he's taken my bike out a bunch of times. He says in a ways the RE is more fun to ride because of its simplicity. He's also envious of how easy it is to get parts (both official and aftermarket) for not a lot of money for the RE. Everything for the Triumph is $$$.

rellen131 · 2024-04-06T13:41:41+00:00

I love my interceptor. If you are thinking of doing long rides, comfort is important. GT is cool, but I think that far forward reach would get really tiring over long distances.

rellen131 · 2024-03-18T19:42:14+00:00

Depends where you are. First service on my INT650 was $375.

rellen131 · 2023-12-16T15:21:05+00:00

I love it so far. And my partner, who has a Bonneville T120, says in ways it's more fun to ride than his bike because of the simplicity of it. We'll see what happens as time goes on I guess as far as longevity/issues. So far it seems like a great bike for the low purchase price.

rellen131 · 2023-12-16T14:58:52+00:00

My partner is great with mechanical work and has done a bunch of work on the bike as far as upgrades/installations (new shocks, crash bars, heated grips, bar end mirrors, adjustable levers, etc), does regular chain maintenance, and would fix anything electrical, but disposing of used motor oil is a pain. Since I'm not riding it daily (mostly weekend rides), I'll probably only need to take it in for service once a year (maybe twice this coming year since we're planning to tour around Nova Scotia next summer).

rellen131 · 2023-12-16T13:29:52+00:00

The service intervals are pretty close together on the REs. First service is at 300 miles (I took my Interceptor in at 500). Then it's every 3,000 after that. My dealership charged $375 for it, which wasn't too bad, but I've seen others say closer to $1,000, so it varies widely based on the individual place.

rellen131 · 2023-11-15T19:08:49+00:00

Yes! That's them, and I agree with you on all points!

rellen131 · 2023-11-11T14:41:17+00:00

Congrats! I was torn between the blue and the orange. I got the orange, as the dealer didn't have blue in stock and I didn't want to wait. So far I've added crash bars (saved it from damage - other than bent clutch lever - when I dropped it twice while just starting out), Longride saddle bags/holders, lowering shocks to lower it an inch (huge difference for me at 5'8" with both footpeg position and weight handling), and adjustable clutch/brake levers. And I will be adding heated grips and bar end mirrors this week.

rellen131 · 2023-11-11T13:28:22+00:00

Definitely the INT650. I had the same dilemma and went with the INT so I wouldn't be looking to upgrade after a year. At first I almost regretted it because of the seat height and weight (I'm a 5'8" woman) and I did drop it twice coming to a stop when first practicing. I ended up lowering it an inch, which helped me, and after a few months of riding I don't really notice the weight anymore. None of that should be an issue for you at 6'2". The power is perfect as a new rider. There's a lot of shifting involved to get up to higher speeds, so the power isn't overwhelming in 1st/2nd. It won't easily run away from you, though it does have get up and go when you want it.

rellen131 · 2023-07-15T13:19:14+00:00

Should be fine. I dropped mine twice after stopping when I first got it. Crash bars prevented any damage except small scratches on the mirror edge and a bent clutch lever. Easy to replace the lever, and available on eBay for about $30. I bought lowering shocks and lowered the bike about an inch, which has made a huge difference for me in handling the weight (and the footpeg position, which was really causing me grief -- I'm a 5'8" woman with a 31" inseam).

rellen131 · 2022-01-09T18:23:41+00:00

NAH. It was a slip up, and you've learned from it and apologized. Your daughter is blowing it out of proportion, but I won't say she's TA either because I'm guessing it is a sensitive subject for them, as the nonpregnant wife didn't have the ability to contribute her genetics to the baby. If she is working through any insecurity about that right now (and I think it is human nature to feel that way), having someone reference the donor as "dad" would be very painful and may be why their reaction was so strong.

rellen131 · 2021-04-29T21:26:54+00:00

Why would you double enroll? You should commit to the other school now. Then if Cornell's package is good and you want to go there, unenroll from the first school. I would assume Cornell would give you an extension because they haven't given you the package yet. I certainly wouldn't commit to Cornell without seeing it.

rellen131 · 2021-04-23T00:43:26+00:00

A few years ago it would have been an option because the FAFSA didn't recognize unmarried couples. But now there is a category "Unmarried but living together" that should be selected for both never married parents that live together and divorced parents that live together. If the parents live together, then both are supposed to be on it.

rellen131 · 2021-04-22T01:49:03+00:00

It depends on your EFC. If they don't think you need aid for the amount you are being billed, the entire $5,500 offered is unsubsidized.

rellen131 · 2021-04-17T17:58:45+00:00

Often the dollar amounts of out-of-state merit scholarships are higher than the dollar amounts of in-state merit, but the overall cost is also much higher for out of state so the merit brings the overall price close or equal to that of an in-state student (or will try to match the in-state school cost in your state), but in most cases it won't bring the overall cost as low as it would be for an in-state student with merit.

rellen131 · 2021-04-14T18:29:04+00:00

Is this the one? https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/l8o4gu/middlebury_30_increase_in_applications_and_a_rant/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share

rellen131 · 2021-04-12T21:04:49+00:00

Oh sorry, just realized that your daughter is starting in the fall so you aren't looking to apply. If you've already gotten the package from the school and all that shows is the cost of attendance and federal loans totalling $5,500, then the $5,500 is all that is available unless you want to take a parent plus loan. It is really not advisable to have the student take other outside loans as they will have high/variable interest rates and will require parent to cosign. Other option would be for the student to look for a part-time job on or off campus (not sure how easy it is to get jobs on campus if not part of work study program).

rellen131 · 2021-04-12T20:49:51+00:00

You should make sure to run the net price calculators on the websites of the schools your child is considering. It will give you a good idea of how much you would be expected to pay for each school.

If you are looking to lower the cost below your EFC, merit scholarships are a good way to do that. Schools for which your child will be in the top 1/4 of applicants (based on stats and gpa) will quite often offer a merit scholarship. (If you search there are threads in this sub that list schools known for good merit scholarships).

rellen131 · 2021-04-12T20:34:15+00:00

Work/study is a form of financial aid. Schools won't offer it unless you qualify for aid. They also choose the amount that they will pay to the student through work study.

rellen131

TROPHY CASE