first time riding

Got to take my bike for a little ride at 40 degrees F. Just to fill it up and check everything out. runs great, shift smooth. not to good at leaning yet but trying to work on my skills. hoping to get out more if the weather permits

 

Practice makes perfect.

 

Not a good idea to lean too much anyhow with this kind of temp, tires don't grip as usual when it is 40 F compared to 80 F. Patience will pay back!

 

Nobody's perfect. So why practice?

But seriously Biggyfaction enroll in a bike riding course.

 

+1 on the motorcycle riding class.
Lots of good 'basics' to be learned - that will save your butt.

Ask a bunch of questions here, there are a lot of good people here willing to help.

 

i was taught 3 years ago on a honda rebel by 4 different style riders. i did pretty well then. not my size of bike though. just got this bike running correctly. still have to do some syncing and get a new tire. i want to take a course soon so i can get a discount on insurance.

 

or you could just get on a dirtbike when your 3 years old like i did. and yes practice does make perfect lostboy. otherwise why ride at all if you aint gonna learn from it. mistakes are always made, its part of riding, in the first 3 months of getting a motorcycle endorsment most riders wreck at least once. shit happens. grow some balls

 

+1 on that bud, on my way home from CBT (compulsory basic training) I took a corner way too fast & had to straighten up or lay it down! Lucky for me there was a farm track for run-off, I rode the rest of the way home at 35mph... Still went straight back out for the full weekend though next day!

 

Yep gots to get up, brush yourself off (in the states get the heck out of there before someone calls you in cause you'll get a ticket even though you didnt hit anyone, grrrrrr) Then go home, access the damage and fix it! Live another day. What doesn't kill ya only makes ya stronger.

One of my good buddies that i raced with used to tell me there is an art to wrecking, and if you think about it there really is....there are certain ways to wrecking i believe that can sorta "make or break" your situation. (pun intended) I mainly just try to keep my head up when i wreck. dirt or concrete. Concussions suck, ruins the whole day

 

Its mandatory in Manitoba canada to take a riding course before you even get your lic.Dont matter if you were born riding or not.

 

yea here in the states you have to pass the DMV's test but a motorcycle course threw a third party decreases your insurance, (mine is $22 a month with an sr-22 attached) but they also don ttake into account that you have been riding your whole life. and you have to renew your licence every 4 years (in nebraska) if you dont you have to take the test again. renewing is simple enough, you can do it on the internet.

 

There's a certain skill/judgement to it that could be called an art yes, You got to recognise when to stop trying to hang on n save the situation, & bail out, and at crashing at speed always slide try not to roll, might burn your ass but better than breaking all your limbs into bits... Ideally though, don't crash lol

Used to be able to just jump on a 125, but about 15-20 years ago they brought in CBT so you have to do that now before you can ride anything, then to go from 125 to 500cc equivalent/33bhp you do one test, or if you're over 21 you can pay EVEN more & do DAS which allows you straight on a 'busa

 

yea we have 2 tests 1 is for 500cc and under and the other is anything over 500cc, the only difference is swinging a turn a little more than the 500, quite simple lol. and in the small counties its just go to the courthouse, talk to a sheriff and he follows you around in his car for about 5 blocks to make sure you dont speed, use your turn signals and stop correctly, cant really fail that lol.

 

Gotta love that, so much better than the hoop-jumping euro red-tape crap you know you'd fail the test if a squirrel ran across the road & the examiner saw a flash of brake light? you're s'posed to just hold a line & run straight over the top 8O what's that teaching about hazard awareness if you fail for covering the brake?

Still one advantage (if you can call it that) is that if someone chooses to ride without a licence, just don't pull over and zip down an alley & the cops can't ram you off the bike here in case they hurt you! :?

 

This. If it's been three years and you weren't already a vet rider, take one again. I know people who take brush ups every year and they're already amazing riders.

Cedar Rapids would be a nice place to ride in the summer.

 

PRACTICE MAKES PERMANENT. what good does it do to practice all day every day if its the wrong way.

 

agreed. although, you can learn from mistakes or get taught how to do them correctly in the first place, but the best way to learn on a bike is to just do it in my opinion. you can feel when everything is just right, the bike, your placement of your body. for instance, when doing a wheelie your sense of balance will tell you your leaning back to far, knowing your limits is always a big part of it also though.

but a bike class is handy if your a first time rider, around here there is only one place to go to do that and its the local community collage, i think they use Ninja 250's (which makes sense cause of the low HP and cheap price :lol: )

 

i havnt touched a bike since i was taught. was going to go out today with a friend but it snowed last night and all the roads are wet.

 

+1 to a rider class. Here in PA, the State offers a free class. They provide bikes (Suzuki GZ250s for my class) and don't really care if you ding them up a bit. Passing gets you your get your license sans the DMV hassle and $. The class is absolutely worth the time.

And +1 to practicing GOOD skills, not just any ol' skills. There is definitely a difference. Getting into good habits when you're first learning can make all the difference in the world.

 

i have to pay $200 to take a course here. cant find a free course.

 

Here in Manitoba anything under 50cc i.e moped all you need is your learners(beginers)drivers licence.For your Full lic. you have to wright a test then go for a saftey course then you have your class 6L.6=motorcycle L= learners for 9 monthes I think it is then you take a road test to get your full licence.With a learners you cant have passengers and ride during a certain time.

 

in this state you dont need anything for under 50cc lol, you can ride a honda 2-smoker anywhere without any worries lol!

 

More than half the skills I have today which keep me hospital free and alive I learned riding 'off-road' on small <400cc bikes...or more accurately I learned wrecking those small bikes off-road. The dirt is very forgiving. The other 'skill' that keeps me alive is staying ahead of the situation and the cagers next move.

 

Absolutely ^^

THE most important skill, that'll keep you alive (aside from a sense of balance obv!) is becoming almost psychic as to what cagers are going to do.

At first before you develop this 6th bikers sense all you can do is assume each & every one of them is out to personally show you their sump, exhaust & propshaft (times are, they are anyway ). Remember to "be the bunny", can't learn jack all from 6' under a flower bed...

 

May the YICS be with you, young padawan.

 

You won't "burn your ass" if you ride ATTGAT, with proper motorcycle riding pants. I know from experience, I went down at over 50 mph, slid at least 150 ft, and had NO rash. My cheaper Joe Rocket pants were shredded (especially the seat), but the jeans I had on underneath were unscathed.

You won't be trying to roll if your gear is designed to slide. Ride ATTGAT.

 

Check with local Community Colleges.

 

ATTGAT?... All The ? Gear All the Time? :? Dress for the slide Not the ride :wink:

Notice I said at speed. OK 50mph is speed and as you say in proper gear you won't get road rash, but at higher speeds (face it we DO do them!) sliding, the friction causes heat and that burns you as opposed to rashing you.

the temptation if you're still travelling at the point it starts to hurt, is to roll over & give your butt a break, it's too easy though for the roll to get out of control & give your arms & legs a break too

 

Sorry, too many "T"s

How the gear handles heat is an important factor you should consider in your purchase. Some gear can melt, others may not even transmit that heat through.

I agree that you shouldn't roll, I'm just adding that you won't even be tempted to roll if you wear the proper gear. I know I wasn't, and that was "cheap" Joe Rocket Textile Over Pants.

And 50 mph is what I "figure" I went down at. I was going 65 when I started braking on a slick off-ramp and almost immediately lost control. "Most" accidents happen at far lower speeds, and there is a point where no matter what gear you wear, you're screwed. But since this guys is new, I want to throw in my $0.02 about riding ATGATT

 

I'm ATGATT too. Protects my nice clothes when riding, protects my skin when sliding. Plus my gear is mostly hi-viz, so there's added Bunny points.

 

Right I get you

And that's true, at road speeds in proper gear you won't feel enough heat to hurt, just throwing my (2p sterling ) knowing that no matter who says what about gear/speed limits, people will be people & break limits or ride in normal jeans.
I used to see them all the time here going off to Cat & Fiddle (search A537 on youtube, was good before "the man" put a blanket 50 limit & cam's all up it!) on their crotch rockets and bare arms, sometimes SHORTS!!! :roll:

Guess I should have said about proper gear too, but took it as read (well it's common sense really).

 

In NY here your paying 200 no matter what, CC or through a state run course. I realize that 200 is a whole lot of money that will take a long time to get back with the measly insurance discount, but the peace of mind of the experiece is worth it. I learned to ride when I was 10 on the dirt, maybe younger, and I still sprung the 200 for the course. It was definately worth it for me.

And +1 on what ManBot is saying. Wear the gear, doesn't matter how careful you are, there are always suprises waiting for you. Hopefully they are all little suprises and not ones that will hurt you.

 

It may be a lot of money, but it's cheaper & less sad than a funeral huh 8)

Just watched this one & found myself inedvertantly nod at the bike coming the other way at about 1.30!!! Guess it's ingrained in the psyche now, see single light coming towards & neck reflex goes! lol

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hqDwi0lk-Y

 

+1 on the course. I live in Vancouver BC Canada.
The course is not mandatory and cost me $700!!

There is so much to learn about reading the road and lane positioning you just could not learn with out being told or slowly learning the "hard" way. I've had several older life time riders that took the course as a reshresher tell me they learnt a dozen new things they just simply never knew.

As a young man one of the older gentlemen in question sat me down and put it this way to me "If $700 saves your life or, even a bad injury, just once in your life time ... the course will more than pay for itself, can you put a price on your life?"

In BC the course is regulated by the government and doesn't just teach the basic's it teaches you how to be safe.

 

And cost goes into ATGATT too. Low end gear, head to toe, can cost around $500. When I crashed, I did about $200 in damage to my bike. I sprained my wrist, and the copay out the ER to check if it was broken was $150. I damaged $300 of my gear. I didn't miss any work.

Skin grafts would have costs thousands in medical bills and lost work. And it was a LOOOOONG slide.

Just like with the course, gear pays for itself the first time you need to use it. Consider it a cost of motorcycling, no different than gas, oil, maintenance, and insurance.

 

thanks for the tips guys. im going to take a course at the local CC. its the cheapest approved coarse at $200 that is full DOT approved. so when i pass i take my written test and get my license.

 

Passing that should also save on your insurance, so that $200 can be paid for quickly.

I'm a bit confused tho...most courses require you have your permit (from the written test) first, then some give you a driving test at the end. Pass that and all you have to do it pay the DMV and you have a full endorsement.

Rules and regs vary per state tho, so I may just not be familiar with yours. Didn't think it would be very different than MN tho.

 

i have my permit. i don't remember the regulation for getting a license with a completed course

 

I was a honda dirt bike kid my entire childhood through high school, but being a 90s slacker took care of my love of bikes, as i slummed thru colleges (plural due to slackerness) in crappy cars that required low maintenance, and nothing more than an oil-soaked parking space at a low cost apartment building.

A few years ago it was time to get back on two wheels and I took the course just to get legal quickly and use my road time for re-learning.

I grew up in a bike family - dad and uncles all on hawgs, electra-glide riders since the 1950s. My dad wears stout boots, but all of them would ride with just jeans and t-shirts.

I must be a wimp, because without my armored jacket I would get cold even on a summer day at speed.

And the boots and jeans really help keep the bugs from scarring my legs!

 

past my bike test in'75 i no [gettin old,]not the same motors then examiner stood different points along the route then walked out on ya,for emergeny stop. 35 mins that was you.tons of years to learn up still believe no bad roads, just the nutters on them makes them bad,few bumbs and bruises, but hey all part of the learning game.all the best man happy riding. 8)

 

I know I shouldn't but I have to laugh when I see the fools that ride around here in shorts, no shirt, no helmet, and sandals in the Summer!? Pain is in their forecast.

 

Yeah, wish'em good luck because they will need some if shit happens.