[blackholeKelley]

I have not riden a sports bike since 1993. It was a 91 katana 600. It was not my first bike. I started out riding at 12 yrs old on a honda 80 dirt bike. I had been riding for about 6 months and got my confidence up jumping, doing spin outs and donuts and practicing slamming on the back brake and power sliding to a stop. Little did I know how important learning those skills would help me. I was riding one day and I got on it speeding up the dirt road. I let off the throttle, but it got stuck wide open and off I went. It took a couple of seconds for my response, but I pulled the clutch in and hit the kill switch and slammed on the back brakes and held those babies until I came to a stop. I got lucky. Once I got into high school and got my license I saved up and bought a 1981 kawasaki 650 street bike for 500 dallors. It rode good and I kept it for two years before going into the navy. Once I got into the navy, I had not been riding for a year and my room mate had a suzuki dr 350 and a kawasaki 250 we took out the desert outside of sandiego. I wanted a new sports bike, but new that I needed to refresh my skills first. So, after riding my roommates dirt bikes I bout a 1982 Honda Mangna v 30 500cc for 1200.00 and got my skills back up to speed, before selling it and getting the 1991 suzuki katana 600. I rode it for a couple of years and then got married and had to get rid of it. Then after my divorce I decided to get back into riding again and found a 1982 honda night hawk 450 for 500.00 to refresh my skills again, which I still have to this day.
I now ride a 03 kawasaki meanstreak 1500 and I am here to tell ya. You can not put a price on gaining experience and honing your skills on the smaller bikes first. I have had quite a few near misses, ran over armadillo's, and hit a deer. Yes, you read right. I hit a fawn at 4pm on a major highway doing 45mph. I will not go into all the details with that, but I managed to keep my motorcycle up right on all of them with the help of my angles and the skills I learned by taking stepping stones to the bigger bike. If you pay attention to what the bike is telling you and you find a secluded spot to practice your skills you will always be a better rider. Bottom line know your bike's limitations and don't exceed them and know your own.