My brother-in-law is recovering from a broken arm right now that he suffered from a minor motorcycle accident. He didn't even hit anything (besides the street).
Had a Yamaha Vstar 1100. Rode everyday rain or shine. Loved my bike. Vacationed in San Francisco on a rented Harley. Hands went numb from the vibrations after an hour in the seat. My wife was worried I'd hate my bike after riding the Harley but it was quite the opposite. Made me appreciate my bike even more. Harley's get a bad rap from Ahole owners but they are still good bikes and the styling is fine. No sweeter bike on the road than a new Street Glide in my opinion. But for my money I'd go with another Yamaha or Honda.
Oh and what ever you ride make sure you wear the proper gear. All the gear all the time (ATGATT) and dress for the crash not for the ride.
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I don't know anything about motorcycles but all the same I prefer a Harley. This is largely based on looks (since looking at them is all I'm likely to do). There's that image of Janis Joplin that just seals it for me. Guys, come on, you gotta at least try to look tougher than Janis ! And on that note I have a preference for leather saddle bags. The ninja style Japanese bikes are fine, if you're a ninja. Then there are all the lightweight bikes that advertise "I'm ecologically responsible and that's why I don't own a car" I certainly don't ignore riders of any type of motorcyle on the road. They all make me nervous. I generally refer to them as "organ donors."
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