Many of you were kind enough to share a variety of advice before I took the leap and purchased this bike. As I mentioned previously, we got a great price on it (needing some work) and agreed that, if I hated it, we would rehab it over winter and rehome it in spring. Nope, I am SOOO not hating it! Plusses, you ask? why I'll be happy to share! 1. I can start her, any time any where, or danged near it, including using my less-than-ideal right knee. In fact, today, I started it in a static balance!!! I can't pull out from there, but at least I got the start! 2. I can wheelie her with ease and without fatiguing rapidly, just about any time anywhere. It is becoming muscle memory and the heart-pounding fear that I won't manage to get her off the ground is 95% gone now. 3. She is improving my clutch control skills with every ride. It is rare that I get behind her power curve going up hill and get in trouble, and rarer every trip. She still needs some additional work by my fabulous mechanic/hubby/riding buddy, but she's just been so much fun these past 10 days or so. I hate that it is fall and it will be months until we compete again.....
It totally blows me away how much better AnnMarie is riding this 80 than she did on her gg280. To say night and day is not accurate but I expected short comings with the drop in power but it has not happened. On the loop she can rev that little engine up about anything. In the sections the lighter weight lower gearing and softer power is allowing her to turn tighter and more consistently lift the front end over things. This is a real surprise to me. I thought she might be more comfortable on the little 80 but I did not expect it to perform better in just about every way. Way to go AM
I know your not a beginner,but those of us who started out riding on some form of small displacement bike,be it dirt or street,can completely understand. It's a learning process that somehow got lost years ago that makes me realize the European graduated license program has some merit. Best of luck with your new bike and I hope it accelerates your learning curve!
Gham, I'm pretty danged close to a beginner, and I have to say, now that i've had this time with the 80, I can't suggest loudly enough that new riders start on the smallest displacement that can carry them! Admittedly, it's forcing me to build clutch skills i didn't have previously, but that's a key learning step in this stage anyway, right???!! Thanks for your kind words, Gham. I'm having a BLAST with my new little friend!
Had another exceptional several days with the GG80 this holiday weekend. spent hours working on laying out sections for the Tilton Trials (May 4-5, 2013!) -- including riding in a novice line that I think would've intimidated me with the 280 because of a quick runup steep section to a small log. Had tons of fun practice here at home all weekend, working on some very tight twisties through poles, and some other new tighter lines. My "wheelie square" now has 6 logs in it instead of just 4, among others. And had a fabulous time watching Liz continue to explore her Sherco 125! Was genuinely impressed by the progress she is making when she can still count all her motorcycle rides in her life on her fingers!
