Newbie chick from Maryland here!

[the.blue.bandit]

Hi there!

My name is Brittany, 25 years old as of this past Thursday, and a rider of 3 years. Started out on a 1975 Yamaha RD175 (didn't last long lol) and graduated to my 2006 GZ250 last spring. I absolutely adore it (I'm staring out my office window at it while writing this), and was stoked to find a forum full of fellow GZ-ers! My husband just bought a Yamana FZ1 last week, and has been living in their online forums ever since, so I figured I'd follow suit.

Embarrassingly enough, I've only put 1100 miles on her so far (I have a Mustang convertable that demands summer attention also), but have been riding it almost constantly this year... with the gas prices, who wouldn't? I did drop her on a slow-speed tight turn over the weekend... husband's hat flew off (he was riding in front of me), and I tried to turn around in a driveway to grab it for him... ended up gently setting the bike down in the middle of the road... I was still standing, but couldn't keep the bike upright :oops: Luckily I just picked her back up and carried on!

So yeah, I just figured I'd say hello, hopefully meet some of you other members, and dive back into reading all the really great posts about our badass bikes!

Cheers :)

[LilNinja77]

Howdy! I like your avatar :2tup:

Don't feel bad about the little drop, happens to everyone at some time.

You say your husbands' hat flew off? Was he riding without a helmet on?
Ride safe

[5th_bike]

Hey Brittany, welcome to the forum, I am also from Maryland and I'm the same age as you - oops, sorry, swap those two digits, I really need new bifocals ! :cry:

I got mine last October with 35 miles on it, didn't use it much last winter but it was great riding weather today so I took it to work in Gaithersburg again, 50 miles roundtrip, and I'm at more than 1900 miles now.

I just did some tinkering at the handlebars, got the mirrors straightened out, re-attached a handlebar weight (that was a pain, getting the rubber and the bolt out - *never* unscrew the handlebar weight more than say 1/8 inch) and put the clutch- and break handles a little higher. they were kind of low.

Anyways, ride safe ! :2tup:

[the.blue.bandit]

Hi Ninja, hi 5th! =D Nice to meet ya! And thanks about the avvie compliment... it was a smoking cheshire cat, had to have it lol. Love your siggy Ninja... OH so true.

Haha yes, indeed there was a time when setting the bike down would have probably frustrated me to tears, but I'm proud to say I just picked it up and moved on. And no, he was not wearing a helmet (which was a point of contention before our ride)... we both own full face helmets, but he complains about wearing it when we're just going around town. I always wear mine, I like my brain where it is.

Ooo, how's the riding down near Gaithersburg?? I stay up toward Hagerstown, sometimes up north to Chambersburg and Greencastle P.A.... some very nice back roads up this way! I plan to make my first trip to the Eastern Shore across the Bay Bridge this summer maybe, so that should be an adventure.

Keep it safe.

[El Diablo]

You might suggest he get an open faced helmet for the short jaunts. $50 helmet would be well worth it. You might also point out the Statistics - Most motorcycle accidents happen within 3 miles of your house at speeds of less than 30 miles per hour.

Keep on Keeping on

[the.blue.bandit]

Exactly what I say too, El Diablo... I guess maybe he thinks hes the Magic Man or something (booo... bad Talladega Nights reference). He actually has his dad's open-faced helmet from when he rode years ago, and even though I'm sure it's out of date, it's better than a baseball cap. He just got his FZ1 last Wednesday, used to have a Suzuki Blvd. M50 so it's a total change for him. Can't talk sense into the man though... :(

Lol, if enough people talk about the dangers of not wearing a helmet in this thread, I'll just make him read it. Maybe he'll take advice from other motorcycle riders other than myself!

[rusty rider]

Brittany, I recently began riding again after an 18 year hiatus and haven't laid down my bike. Prior to that I raced and rode street bikes for over 20 years. I bounced my pumpkin off of the road a couple of times(wearing a helmet). I still have a couple of scars to show what it looks like when skin meets asphalt. If reasoning won't get through to your husband, then simply tell him if he loves ya, he'll wear a brain bucket. :cool:

[jonathan180iq]

He doesn't have to read anything.
Look up photos of motorcycle accidents in which the rider was wearing either no helmet or a half helmet.
There is really no excuse if he values his life and yours.

[the.blue.bandit]

Thanks guys, you're definitely right... it just makes no sense to play with fate that way. I told him that if he didn't wear a helmet, I wouldn't either (I'd never do that of course, just hoping it would make him wear his), and he has ever since... hopefully it sticks.

Personally I don't even like the open-faced helmets that much, but I usually ride in pretty rural, bug infested areas... nothing like an insect to the eye doing 60 miles an hour.

[Easy Rider]

Personally I don't even like the open-faced helmets that much, but I usually ride in pretty rural, bug infested areas... nothing like an insect to the eye doing 60 miles an hour.

Or a bird in the chest.

Did somebody say WINDSHIELD ?? :??:

Oh yea, that was ME.....in another thread. :tup:

[the.blue.bandit]

Hahahahaha... I apologize if anyone here has actually taken a bird to the chest because I can't imagine it's very pleasant, but its a pretty humorous mental image.

I've definately got windshield on my 'things to add' list... I wasn't a fan when I first started riding because I rarely ventured out of town and over 40 miles an hour, but now that I'm taking frequent and much longer rides, I think it's pretty much a necessity! Anybody have any recommendations on style/brand/size etc? I'm going to check the other boards of course, but I figured why not ask on this one too :)

I think I'm turning into a junkie for this site... everyone I've talked to is super friendly and helpful... really glad I joined!!

[the.blue.bandit]

Lol Easy... I just checked my other thread and see your pro-windshield advocacy. I'll definitely move that to #1 priority now! =D

[Easy Rider]

Anybody have any recommendations on style/brand/size etc? I'm going to check the other boards of course, but I figured why not ask on this one too :)


A bird to the shield is bad enough; one to the chest would cause a laundry problem....... and one to the head.......don't want to think about that. I saw a chicken go through a car windshield once.

I recently replaced a small shield (about the same as the "stock" one, I think) with a Memphis Shades, Santa Cruz.
It's quite a bit larger, covers hands and has lowers. I love it when the weather is cool. I'm guessing it might be a little too good when it gets REAL hot.....but we haven't been there yet.

[LilNinja77]

I've taken a bird to the chest AND one to the helmet..........if you haven't guessed animals don't like me when I'm on the motorcycle. The one that hit my helmet was one of those little tiny finch-like birds, I know because it fell in to my lap and died :sad: but the one that hit my chest was a big blackbird.......it made a ruckus and flew off after leaving an ample supply of feathers behind. I've also hit a bunny while going through a blind left-hander, which was no fun what-so-ever :cuss: I'm just happy I haven't hit a deer so far, they're everywhere along the backroads I ride so much. Oooooh, I hit part of a chicken once too. It flew out of a yard and hit the truck in the oncoming lane. When it exploded, a chunk went flying and hit my bike.......I'm telling you, animals are out to get me :tdown:
Ride safe

[5th_bike]

Ooo, how's the riding down near Gaithersburg??
Well inside Gaithersburg it's with the cars from traffic light to traffic light, but when you get out of town the back roads are nice but still busy around rush hour...

[the.blue.bandit]

Ninja... I think you're right, animals seem to have a vendetta against you :( I hope the birds and random chicken parts didn't hurt you or your ride... that's always the first concern. Living in Hagerstown and riding down into West V. and up to PA, we always have an ample supply of roadkill to watch out for... they may not attack you, but depending on their size and... um... "condition". they can certainly make a bike slide. Myself, I haven't hit any animals on my bike, but I appear to be the Bug Whisperer. Darn things are the size of small aircraft most of the time.

I can imagine there would be considerable traffic down near Gaithersburg... though admittedly, I'm probably one of the small percentage of people that don't mind driving thru town. Now I'm not saying I'm planning on navigating DC any time soon, but I can take on Frederick at least! I was thinking of taking a ride west up past Deep Creek Lake up toward Swallow Falls... have you ever been up that way, or Western MD in general on you bike? I noticed in your first post you mentioned you got it for work commutes, wasn't sure how far you ventured =)

[5th_bike]

Ninja... I think you're right, animals seem to have a vendetta against you :( I hope the birds and random chicken parts didn't hurt you or your ride... that's always the first concern. Living in Hagerstown and riding down into West V. and up to PA, we always have an ample supply of roadkill to watch out for... they may not attack you, but depending on their size and... um... "condition". they can certainly make a bike slide. Myself, I haven't hit any animals on my bike, but I appear to be the Bug Whisperer. Darn things are the size of small aircraft most of the time.

I can imagine there would be considerable traffic down near Gaithersburg... though admittedly, I'm probably one of the small percentage of people that don't mind driving thru town. Now I'm not saying I'm planning on navigating DC any time soon, but I can take on Frederick at least! I was thinking of taking a ride west up past Deep Creek Lake up toward Swallow Falls... have you ever been up that way, or Western MD in general on you bike? I noticed in your first post you mentioned you got it for work commutes, wasn't sure how far you ventured =)
So far I only nearly missed a rabbit and a squirrel or two. One time I went by the woods and I had the feeling that there were deer waiting to jump in front of me, so I honked a couple times, to no one in particular. Good thing, the sound of a motorcycle seems to scare animals more than the sound of a car.

No, I have never been to Western MD on my bike, I got it last September, started using it in October and now it has 2100 (mainly commuter) miles. I haven't really 'ventured' anywhere beyond a few tens of miles - I'm already glad that I can use the bike for commuting and a little shopping as it is.
Hagerstown is already 1½ hours from my home (taking Rts. 144 and 40, not Rt. 70), so that will be quite a trip. I'll post here again or PM you if and when I'm coming that way.