For my first bike i went the sensible route and got a bike that would not cost me an arm and a leg either figuratively in the wallet nor literally in the hospital ... i got a 2000 Honda cmx250 Rebel - bought the bike used (had 2,675 miles on it) at INDY NORTH CYCLES (E.96th) near the end of last Oct (2001) for $2000.oo marked down on year end floor clearance sale from a sticker $2500.oo ... since it was from the dealer - I trusted it was all tuned and had no major issues but I also got the Honda 2 year buyer protection plan to cover anything major that may rear it's ugly head and this bumped the price up some more ...also had them add an engine guard roll bar and picked out a set of small saddlebags for which I also had to get the saddlebag mounting hardware kit for the bike and paid for the installation labor (happy with the equipment but NOT the dealer installation – more on this later below *) .... the bike already had been equipped by the previous owner with minimal front footrest highway cruiser pegs and a small windscreen (National brand DX) - I added the red flamehead sticker to the windscreen - it affects the screen edging in the sun by imparting it with a faint red tint … I also selected a helmet – a nice leather jacket - and goggs ... all this further added to the price ... all said and done after including license, plate, and title fees - ABATE/MSF class fee (scheduled for last week of June) - and other such odds and ends ... the bike (and all the extras) ended up setting me back slightly under $4,000.oo cash as pictured on my photo page above …
(added the 'landing gear' sticker[bmx bike fork] to the helmet for perverse luck)

It is my first motorcycle and the 250cc is on the small side but it's also that much safer and let me learn to shift, ride, and otherwise master the basics without having to fight or be intimidated by the bike ... it'll also keep me from doing some of the more stupid dangerous stunts a bigger bike might encourage ... and it's light enough that I can pick it up when I drop it (which I have just last week at a light when I braked and foolishly 'set up' for a turn and the rear wheel skidded on the wide white paint stripe that marks the intersection crossing .... because it was almost totally stopped and I had the foresight to insist on a roll guard there was no scratching at all ... and the bike was light enough to just promptly pick up and look sheepish at my dad who was riding with me on his new Harley Dyna-glide ... if THAT bike had been dropped it'ld take both of us to pick it up ... my dad has also ridden my bike and wants to borrow it for the state license endorsement test (we're taking it anyway for fun even tho it's waived after we take and pass the abate class in June) ... it's a fun bike and very forgiving of a new rider ... Honda reliability and still has cruiser style ... I have come to find that there is somewhat of a cult following for this bike amongst smaller riders as it is one of the lowest and lightest of the stock cruisers on the market got this bike because my dad had just retired and gotten himself a huge ass Harley Dyna-glide when he retired last summer and I wanted to be able to go out with him over the summer and because I had always planned to want to learn to ride at least (have years in the saddle on pedal power road bikes) ... after waffling looking at the smaller cruisers in the dealer last summer/fall ...this bike was in the shop and fit the basic bill perfectly and had the added benefit of being small enough not to help me kill myself while learning to shift and all that … I bought my little rebel without riding it and without even my permit yet ... had the dealer deliver it on Friday ... got on it and ‘parking lotted’ it sat (had dad drive it down the road while I followed in my truck) around the corner to the nearest big parking lot that was totally empty - where I learned to at least shift from stop-1-2nd up and down and to find neutral as well as to what kind of braking I had - it also told me the engine cuts off if the kickstand is pushed down in any gear other than neutral and that I’m damn glad it's a light bike as I would have laid down a Harley or 'regular' heavy weight bike in a slow U-turn but that I could one leg hop the Rebel and get it back up without having to let it go and get off … and did it again Sunday … then went and took the written for the permit first thing on Monday morning (this was back in October) ... we've been lucky to have had a mild winter here (Indianapolis) and I have ridden several times in Oct/Nov and even occasional warm days in Dec-Feb, march had several great days of riding weather …been out on my pedal power bicycling back roads on the rebel while I was learning - familiar quiet county back roads I already knew inch by intimate inch where I could shift gears - throttle - and just learn to ride without having to worry about roads and traffic patterns … since getting the bike I have managed to put over 1000 miles under my butt in saddle time on that bike ... we're signed up for the MSF course the last full week of June ... the state driving tests start the first of June ... we are going to take the driving test ANYWAY (and before the MSF) even tho its waived if we finish the MSF course - dad wants to borrow my rebel for his test LMAO ... I know I’m doing it pretty much ass backwards and the only reason I’m even managing is 12 plus years as a touring road rider on bicycles and the fact that I was sensible enough to get a Honda CMX250 rebel cruiser and know the back roads and their deserted traffic patterns around here with my eyes closed (well maybe squinting with one eye) from my bicycling ...


Have since had it up to 70-75 on the highway (US-31n) up to kokomo and back - and even took it around part of I-465 from US-31n around to I-70w and out to Plainfield - generally plan to avoid interstates and most highways during peak traffic times ...the 250 cruises 'comfortably' at around 60-65mph …been enjoying the rides - might soon be ready to move up to a bigger bike if I keep liking motors and i AM having a blast on the rebel - or might go back to pedaling all summer and use the rebel as a route scout kind of ride on pedal rest days ... have sorta looked at the 2002 yellow shadow @$6k … am still in the learning to ride stage ... so - we'll see how it all goes

I got an opportunity to ride a HD Sportster 1200 ..... I like the fit and feel of the rebel MUCH better - but am in love with the Sportster engine power and speed ...... go figure ?!? ... oh and the gear shifter tactile feedback was GREAT - clicked clear and crisp .. my rebel shifts more subtly and I have to 'feel' for the click in order to feel it - no doubt at all in the Sportster shifting - a nice click-click-click that can't be missed .....



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* SHOP WOES

I am also searching for a reliable shop for my bike maintenance since I am not at all happy with the initial experience with the service dept where I bought my bike ... when I purchased the bike I had them install an engine guard roll bar and a set of saddlebags (and the mounting hardware tire guards) ... within a month I had the bike back in the shop since they over tightened the acorn nut on one side of the U-bolt holding the top of the guard to the frame and it ripped the thread head off and the guard was chattering against the frame- it took over two weeks of my bike being in the shop during rare nice riding weather last November for them to get the simple u-bolt to fix the bike ... and the saddle bags were installed too wide/loose in such a way that the bottom right one was rubbing against and interfering with the rear brake rod so that the brake light did not go back off at times - this was taken in last week(early April during that nice spell) and they tried to get me to leave it for an appt in 2 weeks - I told them I rode it in and was going to ride it out and that it was a shop installation error and I was going to be riding it every warm day until the appt in 2 weeks and that all I wanted was an appt record that showed I DID bring it in and report it in case there was an insurance claim - they called the parts/service manager in to look at it and he immediately pulled the bags up higher to show proper position and told them to fix it before I left the shop - only took them 30 minutes to take off the rear seat and tighten up the saddlebag girth which was incorrectly adjusted when installed in the first place - the rebel has narrower fenders than shadows ... needless to say I am not at all anxious to see what they manage to mess up for a simple oil change - it'll prolly leak oil from something they forgot with the internal filter screen and the drain hole o-ring and gasket ... sigh ... so I’m looking around for a new shop to utilize for my bike ... I did purchase the 2 year buyer protection plan from Honda when I got the bike but would rather not have to put it to the test from their shop mess ups ... after that birdseed fiasco i discovered when i did the carb breather tube adaption project (see link below) i went back to the dealer and laid it all out for the service manager - found out there is a NEW service manager just that past week due to the way the service dept had been messed up - he offered to do an oil change for $25 while i waited and also said that things would be improving ... i'm taking that with a grain of salt and waiting - been too many screw ups in that shop for me to be comfortable with promises ...



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I have been visiting a couple of other local Honda shops (including Dreyer which is the oldest Honda dealer in the US) as well as noblesville honda and even Indy cycle (yamaha) on 31n in westfield - and have been looking around to get impressions ... I am in Carmel but dad takes his Harley Dyna-glide to the Plainfield HD shop and not 96th so I can head down that way as well… I do plan to possibly change the grips and am considering maybe adding a sissy bar or driver's backrest ... I would also love to find someone who can do budget customization work along the lines of what was done to this Rebel's rear fender and seat ...


... however this is my first bike I am not sure about committing a lot of $$ into it since I might be moving up to the Shadow 750 in a year or two if I outgrow the Rebel as a learning bike - but so far i am more than happy with the rebel

WATCH THIS SPACE
for winter update on the summer season experience / 1st full yr recap

COMING SOON

ok - just to let you know i'm getting to it soon ...
put around 8,000 miles on the Rebel so far...
mostly solo or with dad - but have also been on several rides with several small to medium sized groups ... including the southern cruisers, vulcan riders assn, roadstar riders, honda riders club, etc,,, even attended a motorcycle touring forum cookout ... been all over most every road in central indiana just about...
in the next couple weeks will be looking at a getting a honda magna for real interstate rides ...

... will post a more in-depth detailed account soon

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