 |
05-24-2006, 05:30 PM
|
 |
Señor Member
|
|
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: OFallon, IL
Posts: 2,662
|
|
So you want to ride a motorcycle...
My open letter to every FNG. Hope this helps. Zillers, please correct me where I am wrong, or elaborate where I am too light on details. Thanks.
My advice to you, new guy:
Read about motorcycle safety before you get started. Your state probably has a written license test required for drivers seeking a motorcycle endorsement on their license, or seeking a motorcycle learner's permit. There is usually a study guide or pamphlet related to the test. Get a copy. Read it. You'll have to know this stuff before you're licensed anyway. The material in the pamphlet is the bare minimum of information about motorcycle operation and safety. Once you've memorized it, point out to yourself that you now know about 1% of what there is to know about how to ride well. Seek out additional reading material. David Hough's book "Proficient Motorcycling" may be available at your public library. You owe it to yourself to find out if it is. Go look for it. If you read it cover to cover, you will know an additional 10%, but it will be the most important 10%.
When you're starting out, it's far more important to decide what safety gear you're going to buy than what you will ride. At the bare minimum, you should buy a good, brand new, Snell certified helmet before you ever sit on a motorcycle. But don't just walk into a store and buy one - ask for the storekeeper to help you find one that fits. If the storekeeper is not willing, or doesn't give you a detailed explanation of what the fitment criteria are, walk out. Your helmet has to fit right, or it won't work. It should not move when you nod your head up and down, or swivel your head side to side vigorously. You should be able to make yourself good and dizzy without the helmet moving on your head. There's more to it than that - a good shopkeeper will explain the rest. Once you've found something that fits, make sure that it's comfortable before buying. Wear it around the store for at least 20 minutes. This will be just about enough time for you to determine if the helmet presses, or rubs in spots. The helmet you buy should be absolutely comfortable. If anything about it is irritating, you'll regret it later. Additional basic safety gear includes gloves and boots. These are important because you'll need them for your beginning motorcycle training, but for the moment, all you need is over-the-ankle boots with non-slip soles, preferably without laces, and the simplest of thin, leather-palmed gloves with fingers. Motorcycle specific gloves and boots are nice, but not strictly necessary.
When it's time to ride a bike for the first time, make your investment minimal. Motorcycling isn't for everyone. Ask any MSF instructor or range aide - at every BRC (beginning riders' class) there is at least one student who, despite an obvious desire to learn to ride motorcycles, just does not get it, nor are they likely to ever get it. They go home disappointed, and maybe a little mad or embarrassed. But at least they go home alive. This might be you. Resist the temptation to buy a motorcycle before you've completed a rider training course.
Take the Motorcycle Safety Foundation BRC, or an equivalent. These programs provide the motorcycle, direct coaching, and step you through safe motorcycle operation and techniques in a proven and effective way. Frequently, depending on the program and the state, passing such a class gets you your motorcycle endorsement for your drivers license, and may qualify you for lower insurance rates. This is the best investment of your time and money you can make as a beginning motorcyclist.
Once you've taken and passed the training, you can consider motorcycling on your own. Before you buy a motorcycle, it's time to invest in the rest of your gear. You have the helmet. Now is the time to find good fitting, comfortable and functional riding gear that matches the environment you'll be riding in. If it's not comfortable and functional, you won't wear it, and it will be a waste of money, sitting in your closet while you lie bleeding to death in a ditch. Full racing leathers with a speed hump and chrome graphics may make you feel like you look cool, but will you wear them every day on your daily commute? Will you put them on to go five blocks to your girlfriend's house? What will they smell like after two months? Would you wear them to a restaurant? Good gear should be easy and convenient to put on and take off. It should offer protection from light rain and low temperatures. It should be reasonably comfortable at twenty miles an hour on the hottest day of the year. Washable textile gear is a huge plus. Two piece gear that zips together is a big plus. You'll want warm weather gloves and cold weather gloves, motorcycle specific. You'll want protective and waterproof boots. You can get all of this stuff for around $800-$1000 if you look. Premium items may be more comfortable, more protective and more convenient, and will cost more accordingly. Buy this stuff now, so you're not tempted to spend the money on a motorcycle down payment or on silly accessories for the motorcycle you buy. Good gear will do a bunch of things: save your life in a crash, prevent you from getting in some crashes, enhance your comfort on the bike, extend your riding season and the conditions in which you can ride, protect your street clothes from damage or dirt, and make it possible for you to extend motorcycling into far more of your routine activities. After training, there is no better value for your motorcycling dollar than good gear.
Now it's time to find your motorcycle. Consider the used market if you are mechanically competent enough to identify safety issues, avoid buying a bike from a private seller if you're not. This is your first motorcycle. It's your platform for learning. Err on the side of caution here - go for a bike that's easy to ride, and resilient enough to not get badly damaged if it's knocked over or dropped. A small dual sport motorcycle is ideal, but may be far from your idea of stylish. Don't worry too much about stylish, because a crashed custom Harley or Gixxer looks a heck of a lot less stylish than a functioning dual sport. If a dual sport really isn't your cup of tea, look at small capacity standards like the Suzuki GS500E. These bikes will go anywhere a more expensive bike can go, and have more potential than you will have skill to use for a great many months to come, if not years. When you're tired of them, they sell quickly, or can be traded in for your next motorcycle purchase. That's another thing to remember: If motorcycling is for you, if the two wheel fever really grips you, you will own lots of motorcycles in the future. Don't get too hung up on which one you should buy, because your eye will wander in two years, and there will be another machine to take its place.
Next, commit yourself to a life-long routine of skills practice. If you love motorcycles, you'll love any time you spend riding them, including brushing up your skills once a month in your local empty parking lot, or taking a refresher training class every other year. All of that stuff you learned in the BRC can be practiced just about whenever you want on your own. 15-20 minutes a month will keep your skills sharp, and could save your life one day. If you really enjoy the act of motorcycling, you'll love advanced training classes, whether they are street oriented, or track oriented. Every minute you spend taking in real instruction will enhance your love and appreciation of motorcycling. But take it easy - make sure that you find out what kind of instruction is offered and collect references before you sign up for "classes" because there's a tremendous variety of "schools" out there. Some are very attentive to new riders learning new skills, some are aimed at providing self-guided practice opportunity for more experienced riders.
In summary - Read books. Get a good helmet. Get training. Get gear. Pick an easy first bike. Practice and learn for the rest of your life.
Good luck, and have fun.
Last edited by banda : 05-24-2006 at 06:22 PM.
Reason: bigger font for old fogeys
|
05-24-2006, 06:14 PM
|
 |
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Aurora, IL
Posts: 2,007
|
|
Banda, you did a really good job of covering all the basics.
I applaud you for your effort  |
05-24-2006, 06:19 PM
|
 |
Geez. Some people...
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 6,652
|
|
My first suggestion, Banda, would be to change the font size in your post. On my laptop, at least, it's brutal on my tired eyes trying to read it...
|
05-24-2006, 06:21 PM
|
 |
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Raleigh, NC
Posts: 1,715
|
|
Maybe Dave can make this one a sticky in the main forum. Call it "Noob FAQ"
__________________
WERA Provisional Novice #134, NESBA I #134
2006 GSX-R750 (track only)
2003 Ducati 999 Mono (yellow, restoring from track to pristine street)
|
05-24-2006, 06:22 PM
|
|
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Aurora, IL
Posts: 2,007
|
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by jbraslins
Maybe Dave can make this one a sticky in the main forum. Call it "Noob FAQ"
|
+1, I was thinking the same thing. |
05-24-2006, 06:23 PM
|
|
Señor Member
|
|
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: OFallon, IL
Posts: 2,662
|
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by AZ Scott
My first suggestion, Banda, would be to change the font size in your post. On my laptop, at least, it's brutal on my tired eyes trying to read it...
|
done. |
05-24-2006, 07:42 PM
|
 |
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: May 2004
Location: S.F.Bay Area
Posts: 1,958
|
|
GREAT post +1,0000! How many times have we all seen someone on a $10,000 bike with a $49.00 helmet (if any helmet at all!)
__________________
ROCKYMT
Vice President (in charge of VICE) of the Harvey Mushman social club
"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat."
|
05-24-2006, 08:19 PM
|
 |
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Lakeville, MN
Posts: 1,440
|
|
You forgot to mention that all new riders should buy a Turbo Hayabusa with a extended swing arm, and polished frame for their first bike, and learn how to stunt with it...
But everything else sounded good!
__________________
|
05-24-2006, 08:32 PM
|
|
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: BG, KY
Posts: 1,807
|
|
Well written as usual, Banda.
I would just emphasize the reading aspect of this learning curve. I did take the MSF course when I got my first bike, but it took me years to find books like "More Proficient Motorcycling", "Sport Riding Techniques", "Total Control", etc... I sure wish I had started down that path sooner.
__________________
SELLING CARBON CREDITS SINCE 2007. OR 2006. OR WHATEVER.
|
08-17-2006, 05:25 PM
|
|
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 1,676
|
|
just wanted to post this in a normal font;
Read about motorcycle safety before you get started. Your state probably has a written license test required for drivers seeking a motorcycle endorsement on their license, or seeking a motorcycle learner's permit. There is usually a study guide or pamphlet related to the test. Get a copy. Read it. You'll have to know this stuff before you're licensed anyway. The material in the pamphlet is the bare minimum of information about motorcycle operation and safety. Once you've memorized it, point out to yourself that you now know about 1% of what there is to know about how to ride well. Seek out additional reading material. David Hough's book "Proficient Motorcycling" may be available at your public library. You owe it to yourself to find out if it is. Go look for it. If you read it cover to cover, you will know an additional 10%, but it will be the most important 10%.
When you're starting out, it's far more important to decide what safety gear you're going to buy than what you will ride. At the bare minimum, you should buy a good, brand new, Snell certified helmet before you ever sit on a motorcycle. But don't just walk into a store and buy one - ask for the storekeeper to help you find one that fits. If the storekeeper is not willing, or doesn't give you a detailed explanation of what the fitment criteria are, walk out. Your helmet has to fit right, or it won't work. It should not move when you nod your head up and down, or swivel your head side to side vigorously. You should be able to make yourself good and dizzy without the helmet moving on your head. There's more to it than that - a good shopkeeper will explain the rest. Once you've found something that fits, make sure that it's comfortable before buying. Wear it around the store for at least 20 minutes. This will be just about enough time for you to determine if the helmet presses, or rubs in spots. The helmet you buy should be absolutely comfortable. If anything about it is irritating, you'll regret it later. Additional basic safety gear includes gloves and boots. These are important because you'll need them for your beginning motorcycle training, but for the moment, all you need is over-the-ankle boots with non-slip soles, preferably without laces, and the simplest of thin, leather-palmed gloves with fingers. Motorcycle specific gloves and boots are nice, but not strictly necessary.
When it's time to ride a bike for the first time, make your investment minimal. Motorcycling isn't for everyone. Ask any MSF instructor or range aide - at every BRC (beginning riders' class) there is at least one student who, despite an obvious desire to learn to ride motorcycles, just does not get it, nor are they likely to ever get it. They go home disappointed, and maybe a little mad or embarrassed. But at least they go home alive. This might be you. Resist the temptation to buy a motorcycle before you've completed a rider training course.
Take the Motorcycle Safety Foundation BRC, or an equivalent. These programs provide the motorcycle, direct coaching, and step you through safe motorcycle operation and techniques in a proven and effective way. Frequently, depending on the program and the state, passing such a class gets you your motorcycle endorsement for your drivers license, and may qualify you for lower insurance rates. This is the best investment of your time and money you can make as a beginning motorcyclist.
Once you've taken and passed the training, you can consider motorcycling on your own. Before you buy a motorcycle, it's time to invest in the rest of your gear. You have the helmet. Now is the time to find good fitting, comfortable and functional riding gear that matches the environment you'll be riding in. If it's not comfortable and functional, you won't wear it, and it will be a waste of money, sitting in your closet while you lie bleeding to death in a ditch. Full racing leathers with a speed hump and chrome graphics may make you feel like you look cool, but will you wear them every day on your daily commute? Will you put them on to go five blocks to your girlfriend's house? What will they smell like after two months? Would you wear them to a restaurant? Good gear should be easy and convenient to put on and take off. It should offer protection from light rain and low temperatures. It should be reasonably comfortable at twenty miles an hour on the hottest day of the year. Washable textile gear is a huge plus. Two piece gear that zips together is a big plus. You'll want warm weather gloves and cold weather gloves, motorcycle specific. You'll want protective and waterproof boots. You can get all of this stuff for around $800-$1000 if you look. Premium items may be more comfortable, more protective and more convenient, and will cost more accordingly. Buy this stuff now, so you're not tempted to spend the money on a motorcycle down payment or on silly accessories for the motorcycle you buy. Good gear will do a bunch of things: save your life in a crash, prevent you from getting in some crashes, enhance your comfort on the bike, extend your riding season and the conditions in which you can ride, protect your street clothes from damage or dirt, and make it possible for you to extend motorcycling into far more of your routine activities. After training, there is no better value for your motorcycling dollar than good gear.
Now it's time to find your motorcycle. Consider the used market if you are mechanically competent enough to identify safety issues, avoid buying a bike from a private seller if you're not. This is your first motorcycle. It's your platform for learning. Err on the side of caution here - go for a bike that's easy to ride, and resilient enough to not get badly damaged if it's knocked over or dropped. A small dual sport motorcycle is ideal, but may be far from your idea of stylish. Don't worry too much about stylish, because a crashed custom Harley or Gixxer looks a heck of a lot less stylish than a functioning dual sport. If a dual sport really isn't your cup of tea, look at small capacity standards like the Suzuki GS500E. These bikes will go anywhere a more expensive bike can go, and have more potential than you will have skill to use for a great many months to come, if not years. When you're tired of them, they sell quickly, or can be traded in for your next motorcycle purchase. That's another thing to remember: If motorcycling is for you, if the two wheel fever really grips you, you will own lots of motorcycles in the future. Don't get too hung up on which one you should buy, because your eye will wander in two years, and there will be another machine to take its place.
Next, commit yourself to a life-long routine of skills practice. If you love motorcycles, you'll love any time you spend riding them, including brushing up your skills once a month in your local empty parking lot, or taking a refresher training class every other year. All of that stuff you learned in the BRC can be practiced just about whenever you want on your own. 15-20 minutes a month will keep your skills sharp, and could save your life one day. If you really enjoy the act of motorcycling, you'll love advanced training classes, whether they are street oriented, or track oriented. Every minute you spend taking in real instruction will enhance your love and appreciation of motorcycling. But take it easy - make sure that you find out what kind of instruction is offered and collect references before you sign up for "classes" because there's a tremendous variety of "schools" out there. Some are very attentive to new riders learning new skills, some are aimed at providing self-guided practice opportunity for more experienced riders.
In summary - Read books. Get a good helmet. Get training. Get gear. Pick an easy first bike. Practice and learn for the rest of your life.
Good luck, and have fun.
__________________
 
|
10-06-2006, 06:34 PM
|
 |
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 3,184
|
|
|
10-29-2006, 05:47 PM
|
 |
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Earth
Posts: 1,894
|
|
This is a repost from myself so it is OK from the standpoint of the repost police...
Now for a contrarian’s viewpoint....
So, you want to start riding a motorcycle?
Don't do it - ever! Bikes are simply stupid toys... and they make you do stupid things, you clean them incessantly, walk into the garage just to look at them (often), buy upgrades and tell the wife/girlfriend that because titanium and carbon fiber weigh so little, you actually save money on shipping... and there is always something else to upgrade, replace, etc. You'll become a member of a silly motorcycle website (probably several) and spend hours reading pointless threads...
You'll eventually want to do track days and then the real sickness sets in. The addiction will impact your choice of car, where you live, vacations, perhaps your type and place of employment, you'll ruin any chance of having a meaningful relationship with a woman (which may actually save some money, but that's another rant....), your bank account will be drained, savings will vanish, old friends will most likely be abandoned and new friends will be addicts like yourself - with little to no future other than thinking about track days... Then, perhaps it will become terminal - you'll want to start racing... all hope will be lost... Save yourself from this fate - take up golf, shooting heroin or some other, more harmless hobby....
|
11-05-2006, 12:20 AM
|
 |
Ducatista Desmodromico
|
|
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: N25ºW100º
Posts: 57
|
|
Hank, I don´t think we have been introduced yet. How do you know so much about me? Jeez, it gives me the creeps.Got any lottery numbers perhaps? 
__________________
Why are we here? Because we´re here...Roll the bones.
|
12-22-2006, 04:42 PM
|
 |
BAMF
|
|
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Richmond VA
Posts: 118
|
|
Nothing Hank said is even remotely true. 
Good write up on beginning responsibly. I have some peps I will point this out too, that need it.
__________________
"Sir, could you please remove your putter from the whale's ass, this is a place of minature business."
"In my country we say to let a woman drive a car is like to let a monkey fly a plane, very dangerous yes."
|
03-01-2007, 02:30 PM
|
|
Member
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: atlanta ga
Posts: 57
|
|
learing to ride
One thing you must always know while riding a motorcycle regardless of size,
is that on a motorcycle you are only managing 2 things
Stability and Traction
How you manage these two skill sets will matter whether you go fast or crash.
Learn how to manage both of those skill sets and you will be fine.
And motorcycling is a very selfish sport and self cleansing!
It is alot lot flying an airplane, when you get it wrong you know right away!
Go to a track day that offers a NOVICE class and get the wheels turning.
Because if the wheels aren't turning you aint learning!
|
03-01-2007, 02:34 PM
|
|
Member
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: atlanta ga
Posts: 57
|
|
turn back it a trap!
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by hank
This is a repost from myself so it is OK from the standpoint of the repost police...
Now for a contrarian’s viewpoint....
So, you want to start riding a motorcycle?
Don't do it - ever! Bikes are simply stupid toys... and they make you do stupid things, you clean them incessantly, walk into the garage just to look at them (often), buy upgrades and tell the wife/girlfriend that because titanium and carbon fiber weigh so little, you actually save money on shipping... and there is always something else to upgrade, replace, etc. You'll become a member of a silly motorcycle website (probably several) and spend hours reading pointless threads...
You'll eventually want to do track days and then the real sickness sets in. The addiction will impact your choice of car, where you live, vacations, perhaps your type and place of employment, you'll ruin any chance of having a meaningful relationship with a woman (which may actually save some money, but that's another rant....), your bank account will be drained, savings will vanish, old friends will most likely be abandoned and new friends will be addicts like yourself - with little to no future other than thinking about track days... Then, perhaps it will become terminal - you'll want to start racing... all hope will be lost... Save yourself from this fate - take up golf, shooting heroin or some other, more harmless hobby....
|
this is soo true
however it is the most fun you can have with your clothes on! 
|
03-01-2007, 02:36 PM
|
|
Member
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: atlanta ga
Posts: 57
|
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by banda
My open letter to every FNG. Hope this helps. Zillers, please correct me where I am wrong, or elaborate where I am too light on details. Thanks.
My advice to you, new guy:
Read about motorcycle safety before you get started. Your state probably has a written license test required for drivers seeking a motorcycle endorsement on their license, or seeking a motorcycle learner's permit. There is usually a study guide or pamphlet related to the test. Get a copy. Read it. You'll have to know this stuff before you're licensed anyway. The material in the pamphlet is the bare minimum of information about motorcycle operation and safety. Once you've memorized it, point out to yourself that you now know about 1% of what there is to know about how to ride well. Seek out additional reading material. David Hough's book "Proficient Motorcycling" may be available at your public library. You owe it to yourself to find out if it is. Go look for it. If you read it cover to cover, you will know an additional 10%, but it will be the most important 10%.
When you're starting out, it's far more important to decide what safety gear you're going to buy than what you will ride. At the bare minimum, you should buy a good, brand new, Snell certified helmet before you ever sit on a motorcycle. But don't just walk into a store and buy one - ask for the storekeeper to help you find one that fits. If the storekeeper is not willing, or doesn't give you a detailed explanation of what the fitment criteria are, walk out. Your helmet has to fit right, or it won't work. It should not move when you nod your head up and down, or swivel your head side to side vigorously. You should be able to make yourself good and dizzy without the helmet moving on your head. There's more to it than that - a good shopkeeper will explain the rest. Once you've found something that fits, make sure that it's comfortable before buying. Wear it around the store for at least 20 minutes. This will be just about enough time for you to determine if the helmet presses, or rubs in spots. The helmet you buy should be absolutely comfortable. If anything about it is irritating, you'll regret it later. Additional basic safety gear includes gloves and boots. These are important because you'll need them for your beginning motorcycle training, but for the moment, all you need is over-the-ankle boots with non-slip soles, preferably without laces, and the simplest of thin, leather-palmed gloves with fingers. Motorcycle specific gloves and boots are nice, but not strictly necessary.
When it's time to ride a bike for the first time, make your investment minimal. Motorcycling isn't for everyone. Ask any MSF instructor or range aide - at every BRC (beginning riders' class) there is at least one student who, despite an obvious desire to learn to ride motorcycles, just does not get it, nor are they likely to ever get it. They go home disappointed, and maybe a little mad or embarrassed. But at least they go home alive. This might be you. Resist the temptation to buy a motorcycle before you've completed a rider training course.
Take the Motorcycle Safety Foundation BRC, or an equivalent. These programs provide the motorcycle, direct coaching, and step you through safe motorcycle operation and techniques in a proven and effective way. Frequently, depending on the program and the state, passing such a class gets you your motorcycle endorsement for your drivers license, and may qualify you for lower insurance rates. This is the best investment of your time and money you can make as a beginning motorcyclist.
Once you've taken and passed the training, you can consider motorcycling on your own. Before you buy a motorcycle, it's time to invest in the rest of your gear. You have the helmet. Now is the time to find good fitting, comfortable and functional riding gear that matches the environment you'll be riding in. If it's not comfortable and functional, you won't wear it, and it will be a waste of money, sitting in your closet while you lie bleeding to death in a ditch. Full racing leathers with a speed hump and chrome graphics may make you feel like you look cool, but will you wear them every day on your daily commute? Will you put them on to go five blocks to your girlfriend's house? What will they smell like after two months? Would you wear them to a restaurant? Good gear should be easy and convenient to put on and take off. It should offer protection from light rain and low temperatures. It should be reasonably comfortable at twenty miles an hour on the hottest day of the year. Washable textile gear is a huge plus. Two piece gear that zips together is a big plus. You'll want warm weather gloves and cold weather gloves, motorcycle specific. You'll want protective and waterproof boots. You can get all of this stuff for around $800-$1000 if you look. Premium items may be more comfortable, more protective and more convenient, and will cost more accordingly. Buy this stuff now, so you're not tempted to spend the money on a motorcycle down payment or on silly accessories for the motorcycle you buy. Good gear will do a bunch of things: save your life in a crash, prevent you from getting in some crashes, enhance your comfort on the bike, extend your riding season and the conditions in which you can ride, protect your street clothes from damage or dirt, and make it possible for you to extend motorcycling into far more of your routine activities. After training, there is no better value for your motorcycling dollar than good gear.
Now it's time to find your motorcycle. Consider the used market if you are mechanically competent enough to identify safety issues, avoid buying a bike from a private seller if you're not. This is your first motorcycle. It's your platform for learning. Err on the side of caution here - go for a bike that's easy to ride, and resilient enough to not get badly damaged if it's knocked over or dropped. A small dual sport motorcycle is ideal, but may be far from your idea of stylish. Don't worry too much about stylish, because a crashed custom Harley or Gixxer looks a heck of a lot less stylish than a functioning dual sport. If a dual sport really isn't your cup of tea, look at small capacity standards like the Suzuki GS500E. These bikes will go anywhere a more expensive bike can go, and have more potential than you will have skill to use for a great many months to come, if not years. When you're tired of them, they sell quickly, or can be traded in for your next motorcycle purchase. That's another thing to remember: If motorcycling is for you, if the two wheel fever really grips you, you will own lots of motorcycles in the future. Don't get too hung up on which one you should buy, because your eye will wander in two years, and there will be another machine to take its place.
Next, commit yourself to a life-long routine of skills practice. If you love motorcycles, you'll love any time you spend riding them, including brushing up your skills once a month in your local empty parking lot, or taking a refresher training class every other year. All of that stuff you learned in the BRC can be practiced just about whenever you want on your own. 15-20 minutes a month will keep your skills sharp, and could save your life one day. If you really enjoy the act of motorcycling, you'll love advanced training classes, whether they are street oriented, or track oriented. Every minute you spend taking in real instruction will enhance your love and appreciation of motorcycling. But take it easy - make sure that you find out what kind of instruction is offered and collect references before you sign up for "classes" because there's a tremendous variety of "schools" out there. Some are very attentive to new riders learning new skills, some are aimed at providing self-guided practice opportunity for more experienced riders.
In summary - Read books. Get a good helmet. Get training. Get gear. Pick an easy first bike. Practice and learn for the rest of your life.
Good luck, and have fun.
|
great post it was obvious that some thought was put into this
|
|
