New member with first bike!

Hi everyone. It was just last month that I went through a riders course and got a class M license. I had never even sat on a motorcycle before the first morning of class, and to say I was "behind the curve" in riding ability would be an understatement. Without even knowing how to drive a stick shift on Tuesday I passed the riders course on Friday. My thanks to the instructors for being patient!

I wanted a bike and I wanted one soon. I rode a few bikes and wasn't too impressed. Everything being sold was too big, too powerful, too heavy, too fast, too expensive, and simply too hard to learn on. I'm a lightweight without any experience so ALL bikes are intimidating. Almost went with a 250 Ninja but the owner was a little proud of what he was trying to sell.

Anyhow, I found this bike for sale by a retired man who was feeling too old to ride. He seemed like a real standup guy and the bike was well kept. He was the 2nd owner and had all the documentation from the first. After doing research on these bikes and finding that they're solid rides, and coming to love how classic the bikes look, I ponied up the cash and bought one.

So here it is, my 1983 Kawasaki 550-C LTD. Mileage is estimated to be around 7k (speedometer corrections) and lots of the standard stuff has been replaced, although it still needs fork seals and some fresh tires. I went over budget and paid a premium for an old bike, but I'll be damned if it didn't just leap right out to me. After a once over and a test ride I knew it was the bike for me. The 550 didn't feel too strong for a beginner and the bike isn't so big that my 140 pounds can't hold it upright. Plenty of grunt for a wimp like me too.

After a few days of working out logistics my friend volunteered to ride it home for me (about 35 miles) so I wouldn't kill myself on the highway, and here it sits.





She's really cold blooded but I suppose that's to be expected. We're both the same age too. You can view the larger pics here:

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Post edited by: Grebnaws Inc., at: 2006/08/12 01:00

Welcome and congratulations! You have yourself a nice bike...and you've come to the right place for advice and assistance:)

Welcome and congrats on passing the course. Bike looks to be in great shape. The more you ride her the more you'll love it.

Very clean looking 550! Welcome to the site. Read a lot and then read some more. Mostly I read because i don't have much to contribute..yet. I was looking at a 550c . Is that a 6 speed?

yeah Pumps, it's a 6 speed.

I also don't have a lot to offer but I've already done a lot of reading to help me avoid or diagnose problems in the future. My first question will be regarding any emissions "improvements" I can make to the bike.

The encouragement from everyone is appreciated too. I've only put down about 50 miles of riding through neighborhood and country roads but the biker waves start as soon as I leave the driveway.