My son is 17 - but he‘s 6‘2 and 265 - and I would love to get him a motorcycle but would prefer and automatic. Just one less thing for him think about while riding. Any suggestions?
forget the additives - service it
Not knowing what you want to spend let me make suggestions that may work in the future. he's a big boy so some of the toy suggestions will embarrass him. he'll dwarf the bikes. I know, I'm 6'3 and 280. He may not be ready for it yet but there are counterweighted clutch pressure plates for Harley's that make shifting vertually automatic. Semi auto anyway. You have to shift but as long as you roll off the throttle, clutch engagement is not critical. Check them out at your nearest V twin performance bike shop.
Honda used to make them, a standard looking bike called the Hondamatic. I think they were about 400 or 500 cc. I may have heard a rumor they might develop one again. Or there are the moped/scooter bunch, they typically don't have a clutch. Not sure what they use, maybe a CVT. Or else Ridley, but they are expensive. You do see Hondamatics around used, not too rare, and even if they are they aren't really expensive. Myself, I'd learn how to shift.
Hey, I would go ahead and teach him how to ride a manny tranny. It is not that hard. I would just get him a smaller cc ride like a honda 250 nighthawk that is easy to handle. If you still want automatic, a scooter will be cheaper and smaller than the few and a mean few motorcycles that are automatic. In a few years when he wants that larger motorcycle, you will not then have to worry about him learning manual transmission on a large heavy motorcycle. Just my opinion. I was a 25 years old when I learned the manny trans on a 250cc and I am female :) Switching gears is real easy once you get out of first, it's grabbing the front brake in a turn that will bite you. And that is something he will have to learn no matter what you get him. Just take him to a motorcycle safety class, that's how I learned how to ride. A couple of hours in class, I had the shifting thing down.
