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Hey all,

Big news around here in spite of my Tiger being a bit laid up. Due to my technician friend taking over six months in repairing my Son's first car I've elected to let him ride my XR to school. He will be getting his endorsement through TEAM Oregon this weekend and will be fully legal by next Monday.IMG_0100.JPG

That's him leaving the other day on his first solo after Dad ground on him all afternoon.

But the biggest news by far is that my Wife has actually relented and wants to get her own Tiger! I've of course been after her ever since I got mine and after getting the run around the other day from one dealership where they wanted to upsell her a used LC4 for 8 grand or a Honda Shadow which actually got her to scowl I got a hold of Triumph themeselves. They were more than happy to give me a parts list to make my own XRx low if there was not one at the dealership. So now we have an appointment on Friday to go see the Triumph dealer and hopefully with any luck we can get her an XRx low in Caspian Blue!

Oh and before the safety gang show up, I will NOT be teaching my Wife to ride on a Tiger.

My Son it was a bit too late for anyways I'm afraid so of course I took him for his first street ride as he can already ride and is licensed.. But I enrolled him in BASIC rider training instead of intermediate so he would have an extra whole day of classes and range drills. Buggardly old man I am, but I want him to get as much as possible. Now to convince him not to wear "fashion" to ride to School in and wear some decent boots. He does wear the armored jacket I let him borrow though especially since it's dry and it rains here!

He's beginning to get why I insist on the safety stuff but I may ground him off of it while I can if he doesn't wise up on the boots as well.

Of course I choke up every time I look at that picture because that was truly an awesome day. I got to ride with my Son on an actual "dual-sport" ride with gravel and narrow twisty slick roads and after we got back he actually lied to me and said he enjoyed it and said we'd ride together sometimes.

As for my Wife? She wants me to at least show her the basics but she realizes that she will need to complete the same training as my Son to get her endorsement. She just doesn't want either of us to be there I'm sure. I'll probably rent a little training motorcycle and take her to the parking lot next door with some cones for practice but we'll leave the major training to the Pros.

Edited by Flappy613
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Street is definitely a different animal, even if the new rider has years of dirt riding under his or her belt. Point in case, my son has ridden ride a 250 dirt bike for many years and can pull some of the nastiest whips you've ever seen BUT as soon as I put him on my old WeeStrom he dropped that thing 4 times in one day (YES 4 TIMES) I WAS SHOCKED!!

There are so many things to consider on the street - i.e. texters, hot chicks to look at, friends to impress, on and on and on. Stay on them, DRESS FOR THE CRASH NOT FOR THE RIDE!! 

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Thanks guys.

Sitting here post-breakfast about to go to dealership and sign the papers. Mostly finished my Tiger last night, forks and front wheel on just need rear done now so we'll have room. Bike still isn't here from Seattle yet AFAIK but we'll see.

OMG- speaking of atgatt- went to a "certain" chain cycle store last night and was absolutely gobsmacked at the quality of the gear there. Sales associate kept trying to upsell either reflective or mesh gear to my Wife and it actually became kind of comical as she obviously wasn't buying any. Kind of hard for me to justify a top shelf jacket like a Yukon and leave her with some house brand junk, so I just let her browse and kept the right to veto if anything looked questionable. I needn't have worried she could recognize crud gear when she saw it so we'll hold off on that stuff until we actually need it since we already have the basics. She did get a set of Alpinestar shorty gloves in Blue to go with her bike but the gear they have just didn't jibe with her.

My Son on the other hand is barely awake and at BRT both today and tomorrow and then he has to work afterwards so I guess he'll know how the working people live. Bundled him up in my spare armored jacket and Frog Toggs so hopefully he'll be dry. He has an appointment with a DR200 to keep today.

Yep reckoning with the slab is a trip. I didn't convert until just a few years ago myself, and I still prefer the gravel and dirt to asphalt as I'll take elk, log trucks and deer anyday over drunks, crazies and the like driving ignorantly in their cars. And since I've had a chance or two to personally demonstrate the value of "dressing for the crash" we won't be skimping there.

Take care guys and hopefully we'll be a Tiger "family" by the end of the day.

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Well I wish I had a pic to top this last weekend off with but no such luck. Back at work now grinding out another 12 but keeps the Wolves at bay so.....

Wife DID purchase an XRx Low in Caspian but it has to get delivered and assembled first. Should be ready by Friday.

Son went to class all this weekend and got his endorsement today although he also got registration for his Camaro so I think the bike is a "bit" overshadowed right now.

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Your wife is excited that is GREAT!!!!!, don't push her too much.

 

Went through this with my wife, while she loves riding as a passenger

 

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and she enjoyed some dirt riding

 

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I bought her a GS500 and over 2 years she barely road it.  Mostly due to other cars on the road.  If she is reluctant don't start a fight trying to get her on the bike.  Let it happen or let it go after a time.  She still enjoys being a passenger but has not expressed any interest in riding again even after we sold her bike.

 

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She still enjoys a good street ride.

 

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so listen to her nonverbal ques and if it takes enjoy and consider yourself a lucky man with a very expensive family hobby!

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Ok,

So the Heavens parted (it stopped raining for a couple hours) today and they actually had the bike ready and we now have a mini-kitty.

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So now the adjustments and such begin. As I figured she'll need Rox risers just like every other human being I've ever heard of. I don't know who they size bikes for actually. My Honda XR has a 37" saddle height but came with lower bars than these Tigers and they're too short.

Otherwise the ergos are good; great leg to seat positioning and she's able to move about on the bike just would need arms longer than a Gorilla to reach the bars from the "neutral" position when either standing or riding without stooping.

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And just a note for those interested, watching one's Son crash in your rear view mirrors is very stimulating.

It was a low sider on a super tight right hander. Bike low sided and slid across the road whereas he just sort of hopped back up off the pavement. Problem was it was his Mom's brand new XRx and it rashed up her SW Motech crash bars something awful as well as taking out an upper rad shroud and a busted brake lever. All easily replaceable and in fact already on their way so no worries for that but what is important is that my Son learned in a very cheap fashion just why we wear that ugly heavy gear.

That's right for once in the history of the world a Son actually believed his Dad and lived to tell the tale. After we got ourselves safe the first words out of his mouth (after crapping that he broke Mom's bike) were thanks that I made him wear gear and all he got was a bit of an abrasion and a couple sore spots. His Mother was also greatful that he learned so cheaply although understandably a bit down that her new toy got broken. So ask me if I believe in miracles and I'm afraid I've got to say yes as we really got off cheaply due to his having all the gear on him and I'm so very greatful that my boy actually learned from his experience and will be that much more likely to "dress for the crash" as we say in the future when I'm not there.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Sorry to take so long in updating anything. Life goes on and business needs have been dominating my time. Finally got out for a ride last Saturday which was of course a 56 degree super soaker so I was the ONLY one doing any riding.

All the replacement parts from the crash have been ordered and are here, now I am just waiting on some protectant film for the paint and a couple of farkles. Just for future reference if anyone orders replacement upper rad/tank shrouds be sure to get the ones correct for your EXACT year and paint color and they will include the appropriate decals already applied. Save yourself some coin as Triumph show you having to purchase them separately and they aren't cheap as I found out on my XCx.

Other than that, no worries. My Son continues to work at his fast-food job and commute from here to there in the Camaro due to getting out after dark in the wet. Still rides the XR to School though so he can save some money on fuel. My Wife has taken the crash remarkably well since it involved both her brand-new bike and her Son and remains confident and optimistic since she can see that gear really can make the difference. Now I just need it to be Spring! But more on that in another thread.

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