hood@thehut.DEC (mwe clant trock hrere) (08/14/85)
Last week someone wanted to know if motorscooters were "safe" enough for his 16 year old daughter. My sister asked me the same thing not too long ago about my nephew who's almost 16. I'm afraid I pissed my nephew off with my answer... Motorcycles and motorscooters aren't any more dangerous than cars or ten-speed bikes * until they're driven in traffic. Until someone has a few years experience driving, he or she can't begin to predict what the other drivers might do at any given time. I've been riding mopeds and motorcycles for about eight years now and can't count the number of accidents I've avoided only because I (correctly) guessed that some car driver was going to do something stupid. The place for someone to learn how to drive (at least for the first couple of years) is in a car surrounded by many hundreds of pounds of protective steel resting securely on four tires. Attitudes of car drivers toward motorized two-wheelers (motorscooters and motorcycles) are different from their attitudes toward 10-speed bikes. Car drivers seem to be afraid of hitting someone on a ten-speed. They seem to assume that people on motorcycles and motorscooters can take care of themselves. Once she turns 18, I'm sure she'd love one of those sexy new scooters (I would). Born to be wiiiiiiiild! Tom Hood Firmware Hippie in residence Digital Equipment Corporation 295 Foster Street Littleton, Mass. (617) 486-6366
mikey@trsvax (09/01/85)
> I suggest that you buy your 16-year-old daughter an old > Honda CB450. First, they're cheap (I paid $100 for mine); > second, she'll be 18 by the time she gets it running. A 450 Lead Sled???? For a 16 year old girl???? Give her a break, look for an old CB350 or 360. Probably even better, look for a 175 or 200. The 450 weighed a ton and tore up chains with the torquey tractor engine. A 350 series, or even a Hawk 400, makes a lot more sense. I had a CL175 for 3 years, my first "I own it all by myself" bike. I think a smaller bike to start is a good idea. mikey at trsvax