I remember when.....

[drgibson]

HondaMike just ignore the peasants around your ankles, they are harmless Cretins with no teeth. This is a thread the is always relvent.

As for the rest of you back to your cages! (punny arn't I)

[busa-boy33]

Originally Posted by jgreth

In your case Scott, they will go away .... unsatisfied.

sniff sniff.. so true.. my brain is like a donut.. just empty calories and a large hole in the middle.. and cops seem to like me A LOT!

(hangs his head low and goes back to hang out with the coffee pot.. who seems to understand me..)

[jgreth]

[kay]

Originally Posted by jgreth

In your case Scott, they will go away .... unsatisfied.

I just wanted to ride...but had no famiy members, friends, nor relatives who rode and my parents were fiercely against it. So I started from checking the yellow pages. I was so lost I didn't even know what to search for in the internet.

Finally found some riding schools and applied for entry without telling anyone.

[omegajim]

So, kay, have attitudes in Japan changed much since?

I imagine scooters are immensely popular, gas being the price it is and all.

Which reminds me, I keep hearing that in the states the fastest growing group is the 40 somethings. Also, the group most likely to be involved in an accident, the 40 somethings - the first time in 20 years to own a bike 40 somethings.

[kay]

Originally Posted by omegajim

So, kay, have attitudes in Japan changed much since?

I imagine scooters are immensely popular, gas being the price it is and all.

Which reminds me, I keep hearing that in the states the fastest growing group is the 40 somethings. Also, the group most likely to be involved in an accident, the 40 somethings - the first time in 20 years to own a bike 40 somethings.

Oh yes, a lot of changes. Younger starters are going for big scooters and this is helped by a recent change in law where you can only be tested for "automatic" motorcycles, meaning scooters. If you pass, you get a license that will allow you ONLY to ride scooters and not regular motorcycles. So it's easier to get licenses and cheaper too. (you can always get retested and step up later when you have more money to take further lessons)

And it's the same here about the 40+ riders. They already have licenses so they just hop on the recent super-powered bikes, believing they could ride. Well, a 20 yrs gap is a HUGE gap not only that rusted your skills but also for the development of bikes.

So we are also seeing a big increase in accidents by what we call the "return riders" who are 40+. They've got more money than the youngters so they end up buying the latest super powers.

Oh and we are seeing an increase in female riders too!! Still not many, but at least the number is increasing. But most of them are touring riders. A leather suit maker once told me that the ratio of female leather suits against men's is something like 0.5%. That's one in every 200 men!!!!

Haha, I'm definitely one of those 0.5% that are out of their mind.

[Gixxerman]

Quite frankly you make us go out of our minds too by talking 'bout women and leathersuits

[palanon]

No Kay, your not out of your mind. Honestly, it's a sexist stereo type. Motorcycle riding has had a " bad ass macho guy " thing going on since the beginning. Hell, in the beginning, motorcycles were nothing more than a bicycle with an engine.

But, like all cool stuff, it's men only.

Besides weight and sometimes height, basic operation of a motorcycle is pretty basic. After all, gyroscopic effect keeps the things upright while moving.

There is absolutely no damn reason women should not ride !!! I wish more women would see through the bull crap and partake in an awesome sport.

My wife doesn't ride but, if she had her way, she wouldn't drive either. She would like a pink scooter to run around at the track, that's it. I can respect that.

" Oh, that would be crazy, I can't ride, I'm a girl, " that pisses me off.

OK, end of my pissed off rant.

BTW - I'd much rather look at women in riding gear than men. So, get out there girls !!!

[Tab B.]

It is changing in this country, but very slowly. For the good many years I was involved with the MSF, the classes in our state averaged about 2/3rds women. The women seemed to have less ego in the way, as far as signing up for the classes.

[kay]

Originally Posted by Gixxerman

Quite frankly you make us go out of our minds too by talking 'bout women and leathersuits

Yeah, !!!!

Paul, thanks for the encouragement.
Do you know what pisses me off? Those female riders who say "oh I'm a girl. I can't pick up/move my bike! Can you guys do it for me?"

There are more female riders but a lot of them have this attitude. So they HAVE to ride in a group. In other words, they have to ride with guys who will do all the hard work for them. I hate this!! I KNOW you can pick up your bike because that was part of the test when you got your license! And if you can't take care of yourself, you shouldn't be riding in the first place, because there is no guarantee that there will always be a helping hand.

Of course, riders do help each other so if I drop my bike or crash, there will most likely be somebody who will run to help me. And I will truely be thankful and receive the help, with grace. But I WILL NOT EXPECT PEOPLE TO HELP ME as if it was a female privilege.

So much for my ranting. lol
[Kay stumbles off her over-sized soap box.]

[palanon]

Originally Posted by Tab B.

It is changing in this country, but very slowly. For the good many years I was involved with the MSF, the classes in our state averaged about 2/3rds women. The women seemed to have less ego in the way, as far as signing up for the classes.

2/3 women ???

{ palanon starts to rethink if he wants to be an instructor }

Um, yeah.... well, maybe....for the good of the sport. Um....

[Tab B.]

Hey, I'm not kidding. We male instructors used to joke about it. Most of us were regular married dudes, so we were always well behaved for a variety of reasons. Besides, the term "motorcyclist" is gender neutral.

[tricker]

Originally Posted by Tab B.

It is changing in this country, but very slowly. For the good many years I was involved with the MSF, the classes in our state averaged about 2/3rds women. The women seemed to have less ego in the way, as far as signing up for the classes.

I'm thinking i got screwed on that ratio in my class. There were maybe 3 women and like 12 guys....

[themeatmanlandry]

Originally Posted by tricker

I'm thinking i got screwed on that ratio in my class. There were maybe 3 women and like 12 guys....

We had one girl. A fat ghetto goblin with a mustache. Yaaaay.

[diamond_jim]

Originally Posted by tricker

I'm thinking i got screwed on that ratio in my class. There were maybe 3 women and like 12 guys....

I was one of 4. Me, two guys and one I thought was a guy. I was never quite sure. I hate that. Make yourself obvious that you are one sex or the other. No in-between stuff.

So it was either a 4/0 or a 3/1 ratio.

[kay]

Originally Posted by Tab B.

Hey, I'm not kidding. We male instructors used to joke about it. Most of us were regular married dudes, so we were always well behaved for a variety of reasons. Besides, the term "motorcyclist" is gender neutral.

Well YOU weren't, right? Tehehe.....

[palanon]

Hey, I think someones trying to trick me....Tab ??

[Gixxerman]

Originally Posted by kay

I KNOW you can pick up your bike because that was part of the test when you got your license!

Bah, tried to find that clip of a policeMAN trying to pick up his heavy bike. He managed it... upright and everything, but then it went over the other side and he went with it

[Tab B.]

Originally Posted by palanon

Hey, I think someones trying to trick me....Tab ??

No, I was a good boy when I was married to my first wife, for all the proper reasons too. As silly as it sounds, it was a matter of honor. And no, none of them were throwing themsleves at me either. I wouldn't have known what to do anyways. I'm not like,,,, ahhhh,,,, Diamond Jim. I'm more like a dog that chases cars. He wouldn't know what to do with it, if he caught one.

Lisa, on the other hand, well, that was just wonderful circumstance.

[tricker]

Originally Posted by themeatmanlandry

We had one girl. A fat ghetto goblin with a mustache. Yaaaay.

touche