In article <C5r7Ey.7Mq@srgenprp.sr.hp.com> blaisec@sr.hp.com (Blaise Cirelli) writes: > >So the question I have is "HOW DANGEROUS IS RIDING"?              Tough question -- more dangerous than driving a car, and far more dangerous if you don't apply a modicum of intelligence to the  activity.  Basically, stupidity will get you hurt/killed a lot faster on a motorcycle than in a car.  But with care, it is not unreasonably dangerous.  Also, buying good protective clothing is helpful, that way if something does go wrong, you are likely to be less severely injured.  First thing, if possible take a (MSF) driver training course, this will get you started on the right foot -- they teach control of the vehicle and safe riding practices.  Second, buy protective gear.  At minimum a good helmet and a pair of leather gloves are a must.  A good sturdy  piece of footgear is also very helpful, though leather hiking boots, a pair of old army boots, or something similar works fine for this purpose as long as you make sure the laces stay  tied.  After those, a leather jacket and leather pants or chaps are nice as well; but these are also expensive items.  For the pants, many people consider a good pair of jeans to be reasonable, preferably recent and of a fairly heavy weight.  Similarly for a jacket, a good jean jacket is a reasonable compromise, though more people tend to have leather jackets around than pants.  Another thing to do is drop in on garage sales looking for a second-hand leather jacket.  Look for a fairly thick leather in these items.  Third don't do anything stupid -- don't ride after  drinking, even one drink can noticeably affect you judgement and balance; don't ride in the snow, or when conditions are such that black ice is likely; be very careful riding in the rain -- slow way down, take corners gingerly,  brake early and gently;  try not to ride if you are sick, tired, taking any medication with drowsiness warnings, or otherwise not in average shape.  With care, you should be ok.  >The next question I have is what bike would you recommend for >a first time rider. I don't want to race; nor do I want to >ride cross country; nor do I want to ride on dirt trails. I'll >probably drive it on back roads with occasional rides on city >streets and freeways. The maximum I can spend is about $2500 so >I'll be looking at a used bike.  I would suggest mid to late 80's japanese mid-sized standard. Something in 400-650 cc range would probably be reasonable.  If you are shorter/lighter than average, you might want to go as low as a 300-400 cc bike.  Possible models:  The Suzuki GS### series (eg. GS500, GS650, etc.).  These are generally inline 4 bikes, generally dependable except for a tendency to  weakness in the charging system.  (Stator and/or Regulator/Rectifier  problems.)  My first bike was a (about '82) GS650, it server me well.  The Honda Nighthawk series (this may also be known as the CB### series I think).  eg. Honda CB450, CB650, etc.  This is another series of standard motorcycles.  Also fairly dependable.  Kawasaki and Yamaha probably have similar bikes, but I don't know them as well.  For mid to late '80s models of the above, you should be able to buy the bike for under $2000, leaving you money for protective  clothing and insurance and licensing costs.