Most Important Things to Know For a Motorcycling n00b.

[JRWooden]

Originally Posted by NJ-Brett

My current ride is a TU250 with a massive 16 or so hp at the rear wheel.
Its a hoot riding balls to the wall all the time, without getting tickets
From 1300+cc bikes, 600+ pound bikes, to a 300 pound 250cc bike and I have not had more fun on a bike ever.
10,000 miles and I still feel like a kid with a new toy.
Its JUST enough to do everything I need, interstate, 2 up with the wife, whatever I ask it to do.
And just a run to the store can be a road race.

Who was it that said:

"It is lots more fun to ride a slow bike fast, than it is to ride a fast bike slow"
They are surely correct IMHO....

[goathead]

Everyone and their dog, sometimes the cat is out to kill you. If you ride with that in your head you might keep your head.
Don't tell your mom you're going to buy a motorcycle just buy it. Don't tell your wife you're going to buy a motocycle just buy it.

[duck]

Originally Posted by goathead

there dog

their

your going to

you're


/Klay

[atomicalex]

Slowly wading through this thread, newish rider (9K kms), etc...

The best piece of advice I've been given is to KEEP RIDING THE MOTORCYCLE! (you need to hear the voice in your head yelling at you)

It's like the Zeroth Law of Thermodynamics - your chances of getting out of a challenging (or outright bad) situation are a lot better if you simply keep riding the motorcycle. Once you make the concious decision to let it go, you are cooked. Done. Over. But if you actively choose to keep riding, you have the chance to use any and all of the skill you have to get yourself out of it. Time slows down and you can get it back together.

I know this because I've had the opportunity to make this decision a couple of times already... It works.

[slide]

Originally Posted by atomicalex

Slowly wading through this thread, newish rider (9K kms), etc...

The best piece of advice I've been given is to KEEP RIDING THE MOTORCYCLE! (you need to hear the voice in your head yelling at you)

It's like the Zeroth Law of Thermodynamics - your chances of getting out of a challenging (or outright bad) situation are a lot better if you simply keep riding the motorcycle. Once you make the concious decision to let it go, you are cooked. Done. Over. But if you actively choose to keep riding, you have the chance to use any and all of the skill you have to get yourself out of it. Time slows down and you can get it back together.

I know this because I've had the opportunity to make this decision a couple of times already... :It works.

This is superb advice but I'd modify it to the rule which, I think, gets so many noobs - you never run out of lean. That is, if you are too hot in a corner, you have MUCH more lean than you think you do. Do NOT put on the brakes.

A guy here bought, for his first bike, an R1. He went down on day 1. Two weeks of repairs later, he was on a ride when he felt he was hot in a corner, put on the brakes and then 3 weeks in ICU followed.

His public story was gravel on the road but his private story was he put on the brakes when things went walnut cracker on him.

[feldjäger]

n00b here, I've learned never to ride off road alone. Carry decent medical kit for those long rides away from civilization. Always let people know where you are riding, the SPOT is a great backup in an emergency.

A lot of great advice on here, and enjoy reading many of the threads here!

[slide]

Originally Posted by feldjäger

n00b here, I've learned never to ride off road alone. Carry decent medical kit for those long rides away from civilization. Always let people know where you are riding, the SPOT is a great backup in an emergency.

A lot of great advice on here, and enjoy reading many of the threads here!

Medical kit? What do you expect can occur which you can fix using a med kit you can carry on a bike?

[duck]

One thing I read some time ago that helped me a bit was an article on riding that explained that human brains tend to go wonky when the body leans more than something like 18 degrees (varies somewhat by individual due to physiological differences.) Like hard braking in turns, it's another natural reaction you need to be aware of and overcome in order to ride well.

[shaddix]

Part 1:
I am new and have run out of lean angle on my dr650 with crappy tires(shinko 705) twice now. so anyone reading this please don't think you can literally lean over til the pegs are scraping on everything, only cruisers and sport bikes with good warm tires.


Part 2:
Riding like you're invisible vs riding to increase visibility.
I would like to know folk's thoughts on which is more important.
For example on a 4 lane divided road, when overtaking a car in the right lanr you should ride where you're visible in the driver's side mirror. But if you're riding like you're invisible, you should ride further away like in the middle or left track.
Sometimes I will be coming up on a line of cars, and I am more comfortable in the left track but I force myself to stay close to the vehicles so they can see me. I am not convinced that is the smartest option.

[feldjäger]

Originally Posted by slide

Medical kit? What do you expect can occur which you can fix using a med kit you can carry on a bike?

other than minor cuts and scraps, I carry IV bag, splints, suture kit, and a few other advance items I wouldn't expect others to be able to get. However having a basic med kit on your bike shouldn't be something you shouldn't leave home without on an adventure ride out in the middle of nowhere. After all ask yourself this, if you or your buddy should take a spill and you are the only help within a hundred miles would you not feel a lot more comfortable riding knowing you have something? I'm sure most people leave home with a few things to help with repairs on their bike on a trip why not something to repair you?!?

[high dangler]

your job as motorcycle rider is to outsmart the cars.
Always be ready. They can come from any dirrection. Use your speed ,agility and street smarts.
If a car gets you then youve failed as motorcycle rider. Youve GOT to look at it this way.

[slide]

Originally Posted by feldjäger

other than minor cuts and scraps, I carry IV bag, splints, suture kit, and a few other advance items I wouldn't expect others to be able to get. However having a basic med kit on your bike shouldn't be something you shouldn't leave home without on an adventure ride out in the middle of nowhere. After all ask yourself this, if you or your buddy should take a spill and you are the only help within a hundred miles would you not feel a lot more comfortable riding knowing you have something? I'm sure most people leave home with a few things to help with repairs on their bike on a trip why not something to repair you?!?

Yikes! IV bag and suture kit. I can guess what else you have. Most of us can't get those things nor would we know how to use them.

My take is that the spill would either result in injuries which are trivial or those which I couldn't address if I had a whole hospital at my command.

[DAKEZ]

Originally Posted by feldjäger

However having a basic med kit on your bike shouldn't be something you shouldn't leave home without on an adventure ride out in the middle of nowhere.

[feldjäger]

Originally Posted by slide

Yikes! IV bag and suture kit. I can guess what else you have. Most of us can't get those things nor would we know how to use them.

My take is that the spill would either result in injuries which are trivial or those which I couldn't address if I had a whole hospital at my command.

Don't worry I have a bit of training thanks to Uncle Sam. My point I am trying to get across which I hope isn't lost is that if I took a nice spill and either scrapped myself up pretty good or broke something I wouldn't count on a couple of band aides to help, I would want just a little bit more, and I'm not saying to throw IV's in your bag like I have but I'm sure if you rode out on this side of the country and you took that spill I'm putting my money you would like to have someone like me around with that not so big med kit I carry

[JRWooden]

Originally Posted by feldjäger

... I'm putting my money you would like to have someone like me around with that not so big med kit I carry

Thank you feldjäger on the account of a guy like you one of my brother's best friends is alive today.

I won't go into the stomach-churning details, but everyone involved in the case agrees that without the almost immediate and top-rate field care he received he'd have been dead on the spot.