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Bike looks good, if a little oxidized, nothing some polishing/wet sanding can't cure. My suggestion for a new rider, don't drink and ride, don't ride too fast, don't get caught up in the exhileration of speed,many first timers won't survive the first 6 months on the street without an incident, many who do,won't ride again, it is a crucial time for learning the dos and don'ts of motorcycling on the street. There are many things to learn, just take it gradually. Get a right side mirror, as you'll need it. I like to use my rt mirror for the rear view of the lane i'm traveling, and the left mirror for the left lane (on a 2 lane road). Looking at your pics, rotate your left mirror out further, so as not to get so much of your shoulder in the view. Man hole covers, the middle of lanes, especially at intersections, painted surfaces such as crosswalks are the most slippery, more so when wet. Personally i would swap out the handlebars for something more standard. Take the time to learn the maintenance of your machine, its important,straight forward and rewarding. I recommend using Stabil at every fill up, a fuel preservative which combats the effects of the lousy E10 gasoline sold in most US states, it will save you many headaches down the road(and carb rebuilds) Good luck with your bike, wear proper safety gear( hi viz jackets work), it is a high reward, low cost machine, which can be inherently dangerous if not respected. Disregard your knucklehead stepdad, does he expect you to start riding on a road king?

I actually just got a side mirror on ebay so I'm just waiting for that to arrive. What kind of handlebars would you suggest for a more "standard" one?

 

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May I ask, is there s basic "test" a rider has to pass to be allowed to ride on the road in the USA ?

Or can anyone just jump on any bike and ride ?

Here in Mass you just need to pass a written exam

 

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Welcome. A little surprised your father in law would knock a bike from his era (I'm guessing). Modern bikes and their humpback tanks don't do it for me either. There are plenty of Harley jokes if you want to give as good as you get.

He has a vendetta against Japanese bikes. Said I won't ever find parts (which is fair) and that if I wanted a small bike a Sportster would be 100x better. Jokes on him I love Honda's and Suzuki's more and I don't have to pay the Harley premium for the same quality bike.