1. Though driving a manual transmission car doesn’t correlate to shifting a motorcycle, the fact that you already have the mindset you SHOULD shift is a plus — that already-programmed in brain pattern of having to DO something about that screaming engine.
2. Totally agree. There’s some magical point where that wind just changes. I’ve been up to 56 on my speedo (which, according to the folks on SVrider is about 10% higher than actual), and the difference in the wind is HUGE.
3. I bought my SV650s from a private party having never ridden a motorcycle at all, about a month before I took the MSF class. I rode it in some parking lots, and even to work once before the class. That throttle response really shocked me. Then I took the class using a Honda Nighthawk 250. SO easy. Then getting back on my bike… I was thinking that I should have waited longer and gone with a Ninja 250… I’m okay with the 650 now, and surprised myself this week riding after almost a month of being off the bike, that I was just comfortable on the road.