A few years ago, I got back into riding after 25+ years. My first bike was a '74 Honda CB750 and I wish I still had that! There were no MSF courses back in the early '90s, so I just had to go out and learn on my own. I got back into riding on a '22 Scout. I think it was just the right size for me at the time to get back into riding. The dealership had a Super Chief which had all the doo-dads that I really liked, but I was worried about the weight and handling it. I kept the Scout for about 15 months or so and traded it in on a leftover '22 Chieftain Limited. I love the Chieftain and have no worries about going longer distances which was a limitation for me personally on the Scout. My wife also got into bikes. We bought a used Honda Rebel 500 which was perfect for her to learn. She traded that in for a Scout Bobber and loves it.
As a brand new rider I bought a new 2024 Nightster Special with the Rev Max 975T engine. I bought it after taking the MSF and it was the right decision. I put it in rain mode for the first 200 miles or so. I then was comfortable enough to put in in Road mode until it got broken in. Now I ride 75% sport mode. With the ride modes I was able to grow into the bike without having to buy a new motorcycle. I would recommend finding a motorcycle with actual modes that can significantly throttle back the power for learning and then working up to the most aggressive modes.
I have the stock exhaust with slip ons. I had the dealership install the passenger pegs during service, so not sure how they did it. Once they are on they clear the exhaust though.
There are actually two spots on each side to mount the pegs. On the drive side you have to reuse an area that is the mount for the bag support. And on the exhaust side there is another threaded hole between the dual exhaust. The hole you have to use with the stock exhaust sit slightly lower than those you would use with an aftermarket.
A few years ago, I got back into riding after 25+ years. My first bike was a '74 Honda CB750 and I wish I still had that! There were no MSF courses back in the early '90s, so I just had to go out and learn on my own. I got back into riding on a '22 Scout. I think it was just the right size for me at the time to get back into riding. The dealership had a Super Chief which had all the doo-dads that I really liked, but I was worried about the weight and handling it. I kept the Scout for about 15 months or so and traded it in on a leftover '22 Chieftain Limited. I love the Chieftain and have no worries about going longer distances which was a limitation for me personally on the Scout.
My wife also got into bikes. We bought a used Honda Rebel 500 which was perfect for her to learn. She traded that in for a Scout Bobber and loves it.
As a brand new rider I bought a new 2024 Nightster Special with the Rev Max 975T engine. I bought it after taking the MSF and it was the right decision. I put it in rain mode for the first 200 miles or so. I then was comfortable enough to put in in Road mode until it got broken in. Now I ride 75% sport mode. With the ride modes I was able to grow into the bike without having to buy a new motorcycle. I would recommend finding a motorcycle with actual modes that can significantly throttle back the power for learning and then working up to the most aggressive modes.
I noticed that the hole for the rear passenger peg is blocked by the stock exhaust on those STs. How did you get around that? Different exhaust?
I have the stock exhaust with slip ons. I had the dealership install the passenger pegs during service, so not sure how they did it. Once they are on they clear the exhaust though.
There are actually two spots on each side to mount the pegs. On the drive side you have to reuse an area that is the mount for the bag support. And on the exhaust side there is another threaded hole between the dual exhaust. The hole you have to use with the stock exhaust sit slightly lower than those you would use with an aftermarket.