[Darth Emma]

Well... I did it! I went to the dealer this morning and bought my CTX700ND. I'm so psyched. I filled out all the paperwork and it's a done deal.

Honda Marysville Motorsports was awesome to work with and they gave me a very good deal.

I ordered the rear rack and hand grips for it too. The will install those when the parts arrive.

I will pick the bike up later this afternoon when my husband drives me over there to get it.

Thanks to everyone for all the great info. I'll post some pictures when I get it later today.

 

[CEETEEX]

Congratulations, nice feeling getting a new bike.

 

[CaseSteam]

Congratulations!!!

 

[JinPtown]

Got mine too last weekend and loving every minute of it! My 5'2 frame is getting used to the long stretch to reach the pegs and I need a back rest but going from a 1985 Honda Shadow 500, I couldn't be happier and the white full fairing is beautiful! Happy riding and be safe!

 

[Billnoroville]

Darth Emma, Hope the pickup this afternoon went well and you had a great ride home.
If you don't post a picture soon someone might say it didn't happen. all in good fun.

Hope you never have buyers remorse and like the ctx for many years to come.

 

[Darth Emma]

Here it is. It's huge compared to my scooter. I'm not sure I didn't get too much bike for me.

 

[CEETEEX]

Very nice!

JinPtown, I would like to see some owner photos.

I started a picture thread but it has not seemed to gained much interest. I thought it would be nice to see how the different owners make the bike their own but maybe in time.

If you guys have the time please add to it, maybe you will provide a nudge to others.

http://www.ctx700forum.com/forum/honda-ctx700-pictures/2234-post-picture-your-ctx-mods.html

 

[CaseSteam]

I don't think you will find it to be too much bike for you. I love the balance and handling of my 700D. I rode a Majesty for a year (my first bike) and this is a much better handling bike!

 

[wjohnso1]

Darth Emma, Nice...looks just like mine. They have great curb appeal and pleasing ride. Hope you enjoy.

 

[Billnoroville]

Here it is. It's huge compared to my scooter. I'm not sure I didn't get too much bike for me.

I think that If you go easy on it till you get comfortable at scooter speeds and going down the roads you did on your scooter you will be more at home on it. then bumping it up to freeway speeds will be easier. It is much longer than most scooters and more weight than most smaller scooters but Honda did a great job at making it easy to balance and control the weight better than a lot of other bikes on the market.

I think you will not have that feeling that it is too much bike after say 500 miles. Just a guess

Happy riding.

 

[Darth Emma]

I think that If you go easy on it till you get comfortable at scooter speeds and going down the roads you did on your scooter you will be more at home on it. then bumping it up to freeway speeds will be easier. It is much longer than most scooters and more weight than most smaller scooters but Honda did a great job at making it easy to balance and control the weight better than a lot of other bikes on the market.

I think you will not have that feeling that it is too much bike after say 500 miles. Just a guess

Happy riding.

Thanks to everyone for the comments.

I am reluctant (embarrassed) to admit it, but I have a lot of trouble balancing the bike as I come to a stop. I'm stopping straight, but I actually laid it down (gently) because I just couldn't hold it one time. (On the first day! How embarrassing!) A good Samaritan stopped and helped me pick it up. I got back on and rode it home.

What happened was, the road at the intersection was sloped to the right for drainage and there was some gravel there. I came to a stop and I just couldn't hold it, so I did the best I could to lay it down gently. Like I said, I am terribly embarrassed.

No major damage was done. I can see a tiny scratch on the muffler, but all vehicles end up with a tiny scratch or two in their lfetimes. I just got mine over with early.

Oh well. I almost took it back to the dealer, but I rode it home instead and put it in the garage.

It is much heavier than I thought it was. You're right; it is no scooter. I guess I just need to go practice in some parking lots until I get a better feel for it.

The good side is that it feels great to ride. I love the feel of it and I enjoy the DCT. I just need to get the feel for breaking and low speed maneuvers like we practiced in the course I took. My husband is going to follow me to a local parking lot and hang out while I practice. If I lose it again, at least he'll be there to help me pick it up.

I keep reminding myself that when I was learning to drive a car, I had to just drive for a while to get the feel for the car. I need to do the same on my CTX.

Thanks for being so supportive of a relatively new rider.

 

[Billnoroville]

sounds like the only thing hurt was your pride. And that is a good thing.

When my dad gave me his 600 pound Harley I weighted maybe 110 pounds. I think I fell over 3 or 4 times in our driveway the first 100 miles. Finally got the hang of it. Motorcycles have no weight to speak of while riding, it's the low speed that gets everyone (or other cars but that's a different story).

a good thing to remember is always be balanced, planted on the seat, bars straight and watch for gravel at intersections. When you put that foot down (really down on the ground) the bike must be full stopped so your footing does not roll out from under you.

You want really good balance practice, try this. Many rallies have contests for the slowest bike race. There, you compete to be the last one across the finish line without putting a foot down. You feather the clutch, balance to almost a stop and anyone can win. Practice make perfect they say.


Be determined to "get it" and you will. Then when you are 75 and still riding you can remember your first tip over.

Now go find that empty parking lot.

 

[Darth Emma]

sounds like the only thing hurt was your pride. And that is a good thing.

When my dad gave me his 600 pound Harley I weighted maybe 110 pounds. I think I fell over 3 or 4 times in our driveway the first 100 miles. Finally got the hang of it. Motorcycles have no weight to speak of while riding, it's the low speed that gets everyone (or other cars but that's a different story).

a good thing to remember is always be balanced, planted on the seat, bars straight and watch for gravel at intersections. When you put that foot down (really down on the ground) the bike must be full stopped so your footing does not roll out from under you.

You want really good balance practice, try this. Many rallies have contests for the slowest bike race. There, you compete to be the last one across the finish line without putting a foot down. You feather the clutch, balance to almost a stop and anyone can win. Practice make perfect they say.


Be determined to "get it" and you will. Then when you are 75 and still riding you can remember your first tip over.

Now go find that empty parking lot.

Great advice. Thank you. And thank you for not making me feel like an idiot for buying a bike beyond my skill level. The thing is, the 250cc bikes in the riding school were not so heavy and I actually gained some confidence. That's what made me decide to buy an actual motorcycle. I thought I could handle this bike based on everone's comment and based on reading reviews of the CTX700.

I'm so glad to know this has happened to others with a new bike. It makes me feel like I can get the hang of it with some practice.

I know where there is a nice empty parking lot only a couple miles away. I'll be heading over there later this afternoon.

Thanks again.

 

[castellan]

my first real bike was a topheavy 550 lb mana. yeah, i dropped it a couple times... :-(

 

[Darth Emma]

Well, I did like you said and spent about an hour in a parking lot this evening doing small circles and stop and go exercises. I still don't quite stop as well as I'd like, but I didn't drop it! I didn't even come close. I just kept telling myself to keep my eyes up and stop nice and straight. I feel a lot better about it now.

I'm not quite ready to drive it in heavy traffic, but I feel like I will eventually get the hang of it with a lot more practice. I'll be spending many more evenings in that parking lot.

I looked over the bike from last night's debacle. I only have one very small blemish on the muffler. I told my husband it's a "battle scar" and I'll learn to respect it. But, when after-market exhausts come out, I'll have a good reason to buy one for it.

Thanks for all your encouragement!

 

[Jfkingd]

Don't sweat it Darth.

If you can ride that crazy scooter and drag race a Camaro, then you can ride a motorcycle. I bought a CTX700 for my wife as her first bike. Yes I have my fingers crossed, but then again I haven't let her very far out of my sight on it. LOL

The key is WANTING to ride a motorcycle, and you do. You will be fine, just be careful and take your time.

For everything there is a first time.

 

[JinPtown]

Darth Emma you're not alone! I'm 5'2 and my weight is proportionate (not gonna say my weight in a forum)! I took "lessons" from my husband in a parking lot on a junker 250 and got some confidence. I then took the safety course and back to the parking lot to keep practicing. Then bought a 500 Honda Shadow and it was a great bike. I first dumped it in a gas station full of customers when I accidentally stalled it. And I didn't "gently" lay it down, it fell on top of me and my helmet hit the pavement. I wasn't injured what-so-ever, but my pride stung for several months after. I couldn't go that gas station again for a long time! Then I fell over on a hill when it stalled trying to use the back break.

What I'm finding though, is that the CTX 700 is so much more smoother than probably the 250 you used for your course (and my old Shadow). When I'm coming to a stop at lights, I put my feet out in advance and get ready to plant them at the right time, which helps me stabilize myself and the bike before actually coming to a stop. Kind of like training wheels without hitting the ground. Gives me some comfort and I also know that I can put my feet back on the pegs at a moments notice, should the light change, etc.

So...keep practicing and don't worry about laying it down. Happens to us all. Someone told me that you're not a true motorcyclist unless you've dumped your bike at least once. Bruised pride makes you tougher and that much more aware of the need to get the mechanics down pat. You will find that the more you us the techniques you learned in your class, the easier riding will become. I use those techniques every time I ride still to this day and won't ever forget those lessons.

Good luck to you and dust off, chin up and practice practice practice! ;-) Jul's

 

[gregsfc]

It is much longer than most scooters and more weight than most smaller scooters but Honda did a great job at making it easy to balance and control the weight better than a lot of other bikes on the market.

I think you will not have that feeling that it is too much bike after say 500 miles. Just a guess

Happy riding.

+1 with Bill.

I've gone from a 350 scooter that was 100 lbs lighter and it had pretty low center of gravity relatively speaking, but this new CTX700 has an even lower center of gravity; is even more predictable out on the road and around curves; and has a lower seat. I am more confident on this bike than I ever was on the scooter, especially pushing it around by hand and it feels just as light as the 395 lb scooter. The only thing giving me uneasiness with this bike is shifting, because I've never owned a bike, and I have the straight shift but that will pass with time.

I think the biggest reason is that this bike just wants to stay upright. It takes very little to keep it straight up and it is so well balanced. It just seems to do exactly what I expect out on the road. With the scooter, I did a little herky jerky for a while around curves, but I've never felt this uneasiness on this bike. I just lean and it goes where I expect.

 

[castellan]

hm, i rode a bv350 for about 5K miles previous and i prefer the handling of the bv quite a bit -- i could throw it into corners much harder and later, and of course it had that urban flickability for impulse swerves/corners/turns. i find the ctx700 a little cumbersome in the fashion of all cruisers.

 

[castellan]

dumping your bike is part of learning to ride. since image is such a fundamental part of the hobby, few will admit to it. however, as a regular group rider, i've seen so many dumps from n00bs and pros alike that i take all claims of "never dropped a bike, no sir, heh heh" as nothing more than self-propaganda... ;-)

if you find yourself worrying about drops such that it inhibits your development, invest in frame sliders. (hopefully, someone will make some specific to the two models of ctx soon, but there are a few universal kits.) they will make you less worried about damaging your plastics/levers. however -- and i hate to say this at the risk of being discouraging -- if you're ACTUALLY dropping the bike a LOT, (like double-digit drops in the first 1K miles) you might wanna spend more time on a scooter or smaller/lighter bike.