Most Important Things to Know For a Motorcycling n00b.

[swann]

Thanks Jon! I edited my post because I thought I was rambling on. Good suggestion on trying different bikes in the class - I'd probably have stuck to the Rebel. There are definitely dirt roads nearby, lots of empty lots in developments too. Thank you for your encouragement, don't worry about discouraging me! I took the basic rider course in 1994 before they included the licensing endorsement as part of the class, and have wanted a motorcycle for as long as I can remember. I showed my kids some youtube videos of people wiping out on dirt bikes and they are both wanting to go to dirt bike school with me. My husband is not at all interested! He's worried we will get hurt. I like to tell him I add excitement to his life. Poor guy! I'll see how the class goes and probably will do the dirt bike school with at least one of the kids. I'm thinking I'll prefer street riding because I don't like how dusty it gets on some of the four wheeler trails. Sometimes I look like I rolled around in the dirt! I bought a dust mask bandana and it helps but it gets toasty. If learning to ride a dirt bike will make me a safer driver, I'm all for it! Plus I think the kids would really like it!

[atomicalex]

Kids love dirt. Except my 13YO, but he's blonde, so.....

[Mike_drz]

don't worry I only use wd40 and acetone on everything else's

[Jon_PDX]

Swann,

Some of the most fun I ever had with my kids (boy and girl) were when we had dirt bikes. We would go up into the woods out here in the Pacific NW and explore the trails, get stuck in the mud, fall down, get back up and do it again

I'm in the camp that believes that learning to ride off road, even if it's just riding fire roads, does help one to be more confident on the street. When I first got a bike and rode on the street I felt like everyone was out to kill me. So I sold it, and bought some off-road bikes for the family. We did that for a couple years and then daily life put that on hold.

About 10 years ago and I decided I wanted to get a bike again. I've lost count of how many bikes I've had in the last 10 years (my wife probably knows ) but one thing I can tell you is that the things I learned about how a bike reacts to changes in the road surface off-road taught me to trust the bike and not panic or freak out. Because as soon as you do that then you're not controlling the bike, the bike is controlling you.

In all fairness I'm sure most or all of those lessons can be learned on-road too. But my personal feeling is that at the slower pace of off-road (not Motocross pace), with no traffic to worry about, and the fact that dirt is a lot softer than pavement, the learning curve is easier on the mind and body.

What ever type of riding you ultimately end up doing I suspect you will have a good time.

Jon...

[Jon_PDX]

To get back more on topic.....

I've really enjoyed reading this thread. There is a lot of good information shared here for those that want to sift through it. Since I can't think of something that has not already been said before here is a short list of the ones that I find useful.

- Ride your own pace.
- Look where you want to go.
- If it does not feel right, don't do it.
- You have nothing to prove to anyone.
- Find an empty parking lot and practice riding slow.
- Set small goals in the beginning for improving your skills so you don't get discouraged.

This last one is something I read in this thread that I never heard before.

- Your shadow points to the danger.

That's one that everyone, not just new riders (or drivers) needs to remember. We all know how hard it can be to see oncoming traffic when the sun is in our eyes. But it's easy to forget other people on the road may not see us when the sun is behind us.

Jon...

[Contevita]

Never be afraid to ask questions of more experienced riders, there is no stupid question when it comes to safe riding.

I work with a person that is new to riding and he's always asking questions about riding. I answer honestly and if I don't know something I'll state so.

[Mambo Dave]

Originally Posted by Jon_PDX

I'm in the camp that believes that learning to ride off road, even if it's just riding fire roads, does help one to be more confident on the street. ...

In all fairness I'm sure most or all of those lessons can be learned on-road too. But my personal feeling is that at the slower pace of off-road (not Motocross pace), with no traffic to worry about, and the fact that dirt is a lot softer than pavement, the learning curve is easier on the mind and body.

I agree 100%, but it's not just the usually slower pace of riding offroad, but that the rear tire and, hell, even the front tire, will lose traction / kick out once in a while, and it's being used to those skills that make for a much better road rider. (Sure, it can be at a lower pace, too, but it's the frequency that I favor more). Same goes for riding the edge of traction through a turn, locking up a brake, riding over minor obstacles, etc.

The guys and gals who approach motorcycling (or get turned off by it when they learn that it will happen) with the attitude that "Hey, but I don't want to fall, and I don't want to have my rear tire kick out!" really aren't even ready to start riding street IMHO. Many do, but they seem to make for poor riders. It's not that the rest of us want it to happen, it's that it will happen, and you best have the skills to handle the loss of traction with either tire or know how to roll out a common tip-over / low-side (all much more safe to learn in the dirt).

It's the toughest subject I've had to try to get over with all the black girls who used to see my cruiser and tell me they want to learn to ride up there in Riviera Beach. I'd tell them that while it was easy and fun, that the dirt was safer to learn on, to expect minor falls, and that we all tip one over eventually... and they'd be turned off from riding almost immediately.

Maybe I should just start lying about that part? After all, we all got through it.

[ER70S-2]

^^^^^ +1

Anytime someone asks me about getting a two wheeled anything (scooters too), I tell them bad idea. All the n00bs only see the romance/adventure of riding, none of the perils. My retirement buddy wants a Harley; I told him he'd be dead before he got out of the parking lot.

Riding is for thrill seekers (not talking about squids). If you think it's safe, you're delusional.

I've ridden for 25 years, the first 15 on the dirt only. No way I wanted to be planted by a soccer mom. I know the risks but the over 40 crowd just wanting something faster than golf, should look elsewhere.

[DAKEZ]

Originally Posted by ER70S-2

. My retirement buddy wants a Harley; I told him he'd be dead before he got out of the parking lot.

Why would you tell him that?

Originally Posted by ER70S-2

.Riding is for thrill seekers (not talking about squids). If you think it's safe, you're delusional.

[ER70S-2]

Originally Posted by DAKEZ

Why would you tell him that?

Because I know him, he's an accident looking for a place to happen; something you'd never know. I want someone to go to lunch with, not someone's funeral to go to. And I don't want his kids and grandkids blaming me for getting him interested in riding. You're a dealer/seller, you need new customers; I don't need friends (old guys) thinking riding is 'safe'.

Yesterday, Sunday, I put myself in a postion where threshold braking + muscle memory kept me from sticking myself into the back of an SUV. Did I make a mistake? Yes. Did the SUV decide to brake and hang a left as I was setting up for a pass? Yes. How many of us are mind readers?

[slide]

According to the people here who want to see cripples among newbies, the solution is to start people out on dirt. That way they're crippled before they're finally killed.

Seriously, though, why not let your buddy decide? He's an old guy, right? So he's not like 18 and full of himself & too much juice. Let him take the Harley New Riders' Course and he'll see for himself if he's got what it takes.

The key to safety is to ride within yourself - not to ride on dirt. In the case you cite, your buddy probably would not try that pass so the danger wouldn't even be there.

I'm also baffled by this 'set up to...'. I hear Harley riders talking about setting up to pass or make a turn or stop or whatever. What is setting up? I just do it.

[ER70S-2]

This guy has never done anything mixing balance and machinery. No bicycling anything that isn't flat, water skiing, snowmobile riding, wind surfing. All the things that teach balance and muscle control for a lifetime.

The setting up: SUV driving 40 in a 45 and a double yellow line. We have short passing zones in the mountains, you need to be ready for your opportunity. I was just closing the gap between us as he was spotting his turn because I was following at a safe distance before deciding to pass.

I agree with starting in the dirt, it was my first 15 years of riding; no pavement. My falls were slow and mostly painless, there was never the possibility of a 'thump, thump' following my mistakes.

[slide]

Originally Posted by ER70S-2

This guy has never done anything mixing balance and machinery. No bicycling anything that isn't flat, water skiing, snowmobile riding, wind surfing. All the things that teach balance and muscle control for a lifetime.

The setting up: SUV driving 40 in a 45 and a double yellow line. We have short passing zones in the mountains, you need to be ready for your opportunity. I was just closing the gap between us as he was spotting his turn because I was following at a safe distance before deciding to pass.

I agree with starting in the dirt, it was my first 15 years of riding; no pavement. My falls were slow and mostly painless, there was never the possibility of a 'thump, thump' following my mistakes.

:

Riding in dirt is a young man's game - not a guy ready for retirement with the brittle bones, etc.

Like I said, why not let the guy take that excellent New Riders' Course. I've spoken to several old folks who tried and based on their own assessment, decided against that Harley.

[orangebear]

Originally Posted by slide

Riding in dirt is a young man's game - not a guy ready for retirement with the brittle bones, etc.

Like I said, why not let the guy take that excellent New Riders' Course. I've spoken to several old folks who tried and based on their own assessment, decided against that Harley.

me i have been on the road for nearly 9years and have never ridden on any proper mx tracks ect and found it made no difference to my road riding as i found it easy to cornner a bike / ridding a bike came naturally to me.

[RevBill]

.. boy this thread went WAY off course .. yeah .. it now un-officially sucks ..

.. hey noobs .. after reading all this (if you made it this far) .. just clear your minds and stop thinking/worrying about how dead you'll be for not following everyone's path to righteousness and road safety ..

.. go take an MSF course .. then the advanced course (if you can score one in your area) .. they will teach you the basic (and advanced) survival skills ..

.. go read the books on "Proficient Motorcycling" .. last time I checked there are two out, "Proficient Motorcycling" and "More Proficient Motorcycling".. I think you can even get them for your Kindle now .. anyway, they are loaded with damn-good life-saving information ..

.. and practice ..

.. there are no guarantees in life or on the road ..

.. best of luck .. ride your ride ..


EDIT - just checked .. the author has another book out too .. though I have not read it (downloading it now, yeah, I gots me a Kindle) I'm betting I will learn something new, or be reminded of something I forgot ..