Guess who got his motorcycle license?!

I did! Im so pumped! I recommend everyone take the MSF course. It is a lot of fun, and I learned a lot!

I can't wait to get my XJ running! Im just excited. ..Anyway, I just wanted to share that with you guys.

Also, I am going to take the engine off the frame of the bike. Any tips, hints, warnings?

Thannks!

 

Nice! I got mine through the MSF Course also, and would recommend it to anyone. I had no experience with a manual tranny, it really took the fear out of it for me.

 

Congr atulations guys!! WTTC of amazing freedom.

jeff

 

You guys got started on the right foot. The MSF course teaches you a lot of lessons that take much longer to learn on the road, and keeps you from picking up bad habits that have to be un-learned.

And since you are starting out, a word (or acronym) of advice, START OUT with ATGATT, not MoTGATT or SoTGSoTT. That means full face helmet, motorcycle specific boots, gloves, pants, AND jacket. Rain gear too if you plan on riding in the rain. You can spend under $500 for entry level gear that will save your skin. I know, I low sided at 50+ mph with Joe Rocket gear and an HJC helmet, slid for 150+ ft, only got a sprained wrist.

Much like starting off with the MSF course, if you start riding with all the gear, you'll never feel comfortable without it. And if you go down, you'll be more likely to ride another day.

 

I took the MSF course because my bike at the time couldn't pass the examine as it didn't like figure 8s. It was a good experience.
I'm sure every group has one of these knuckleheads, guy spent the whole time bragging about riding, show pictures of bikes he has worked on. Brings a plastic lid with a fake DOT sticker they wouldn't let him wear, then he dumped the bike on the emergency braking test.

 

I took my course in September. I agree that its a great start. I am thinking about taking an experienced rider course next summer as a refresher. Some of the skills you learn need to be practiced to be able to use them in the heat of the moment.

 

Yeah, im glad i took it. I will get motorcycle gear, as they instructor told some stories about himself, where literally the gear saved his life in a 140mph crash.

Umm, i just noticed, somehow i double posted the same topic....i just understood that there were two....i was posting in the other one....

Ill just close it.

So yea, back to MSF, they taught me how to stop in curves, which i never would have thought of, or even have tried to do on my own. I recommend everyone go, that hasnt yet.

 

Hopefully your instructor was going 140 mph on a track, and not on the street. And tracks can be a lot safer than the asphalt we ride on (no cars, obstacles, everyone goes in the same direction.

Just to be clear, ATTGAT stands for ALL of The Gear ALL of The Time. Surviving a crash at high speed will require a good deal of luck gear or no gear. However, the Hurt study, done 3 decades or so ago, found most motorcycle accidents are mutli-vehicle accidents, occur within 5 miles of the origin or destination, at speeds under 35 mph. At that speed, full gear will usually mean the difference between bumps and bruises and a wrecked bike, or death/suffering and a LONG recovery (notice there's no mention of the bike in the second scenario, because it won't really matter).

I just don't want you or anyone else to rationalize that if gear can save your butt at 140 mph, that is might not be so necessary for a ride to the store. It is!

 

Great points. I have made ATTGAT my rule since I recently got my license. We can't fool ourselves, our chosen hobby/transportation is dangerous and we need to do all we can to mitigate that danger. That includes using all the safety equipment available and riding like we are invisible. Be safe everyone!

 

The comparison I've always used to get new guys to understand how important wearing ALL the GEAR, everytime out iswhat was taught to me many, many years ago......"take a knee in a asphalt parking lot, out of the way of cars etc.........now reach out in front of you and as far as you can reach, place the BACK of your hand firmly in contact on the pavement.....ok, now press as hard as you can and SCRAPE IT BACK TOWARDS YOU IN A BIG ARC SO YOU CAN SCRAPE IT AS FAR AS YOU CAN WITHOUT HAVING TO MOVE YOUR FEET.....now wrap your bloody hand in a towel.....you've just emulated sliding a mere 3 feet on the road with only 15-20 pounds of pressure......think how bad it would be if all your weight was on top of it....not to worry though, it won't be your hand that slides with weight on it, it will be your thigh or shoulder or back or combination of some or all....and if you aren't wearing gear, after the first 3 feet whatever you're wearing will be shredded off so you'll get really good contact between the pavement and your skin"..."So, if you were afraid to do that little stunt, why would you EVER consider riding without gear?"

Yes, it sounded stupid to me too but it made quite an impression on me because no one would actually scrape their hand on purpose but people roadrash themselves every day.....THAT'S stupid!

jeff

 

I fully understand the importance of wearing gear all the time, i agree with that. I'll have gear before i ride for sure!

By the way, my instructor was hit by a car, that was going 140mph, he was thrown up 40 feet into the air, then slid for another 100 or so....he got rushed to the emergency, and was in hospital for a good month or more, not sure how long he stayed....just gotta be careful, and minimize your risks as much as you can.