That might work. Who knows ?? Just tell your wife it is a freedom ride after the sandbox service. You have earned it. Let me be first to thank you for your service to your country and the free world. Keep safe over there.

My wife was OK with it, and I involved her from the beginning. It went like this:

Step 1:
"Hon [living near Baltimore...], I'd like to get back on two wheels, but to get a license I can either get a bike and have someone drive it to the MVA, or take the MSF class - where they really teach you how to drive safe. What would you do?"...
So, guess what, within a few months I had my license via the MSF class. :tup:
(you seem to have you license already but in my class were several licensed riders who were doing it for the safety aspect).

Step 2:
"Hon, those sport bikes are beautiful but kind of scary, and too much/too fast for my commute, and the Moto Guzzis are beautiful but rather expensive.... Harley$ are ga$ guzzler$ and money drains... maybe I should get a small bike like the Honda Rebel or Suzuki GZ250, that would be safer, they don't even go like 90-100, and they're also very economical - how about 70 miles to the gallon ? Wow ! What do you think ?"
So, after a couple months I was riding on my GZ 250 ! :rawk:

that's pretty much the same conversation i had with my mom to make her less worried, ha.

i told her i didn't want a sportbike because they go too fast and i'd be tempted to drive like a maniac. then i told here the GZ was about as small as you can get and that i was going to take the safety class and always wear a helmet and she calmed right down.

Wise decision about the sport bike. Give yourself a couple seasons on the GZ, then maybe go bigger. Sport bikes are not nearly as forgiving as a GZ.

That really depends on what sportbike you buy and how reserved the rider is.

So true but I remember when I was young and had to try everything to it's limits. I don't want to paint all new riders with the same brush and call them irresponsible but I do see so much of it and wish we had a graduated licensing system here. I applaud a new rider who doesn't get a faster quicker bike that might get him/her in over their head in a bad way.

i have very little doubt that i would not live to see my next birthday if i was starting on a liter sportbike.

I agree with you but I like to give people the benefit of the doubt and assume that they'll be repsonsible with their decisions.

Also, there is a world of difference between a 600cc bike and litre bike. I mean, you can kill yourself on a 50cc moped. The most important thing is how you ride; not what you ride.