Motorcycles

[S. Cane]

I'm definitely considering learning how to ride a bike and buying one.

I like the culture and I think a motorcycle would be a pretty nice partner for the years to come.

However, I am realistic enough to know that I am not a young man anymore, and learning how to ride in my early 40s will not be as easy or low-risk as it would have been, like 25 years ago.

So, you motorcycle owners/lovers in here: what do you think? Should I give it a try or should I keep my black leather vest just for playing gigs?

If you don't mind, tell me about your own experiences and show your bikes.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Zentar]

Go buy a 125cc, or less, and do some dirt riding for a year. Learn to ride on this bike. This is where you will learn your riding skills.
Sell it next summer and then get a road bike.

The best thing to have when learning to ride is a skilled, rational mentor who has a good driving record.

Main rule: never try to keep up with riders who leave you behind. Find somebody else to ride with. Do not be intimidated by peer pressure.

If you find yourself being afraid that your riding group thinks you are a wimp because you ride slower than them you should realize that you are in a dangerous situation. These people are not good friends. Find somebody else to ride with.

The bike will go where you look. If youre afraid you will run off the road and hit a tree then don't look at that tree. Look at where you want to go.

Learn what countersteering is.

 

[mdubya]

Go buy a 125cc, or less, and do some dirt riding for a year. Learn to ride on this bike. This is where you will learn your riding skills.
Sell it next summer and then get a road bike.

The best thing to have when learning to ride is a skilled, rational mentor who has a good driving record.

Main rule: never try to keep up with riders who leave you behind. Find somebody else to ride with. Do not be intimidated by peer pressure.

If you find yourself being afraid that your riding group thinks you are a wimp because you ride slower than them you should realize that you are in a dangerous situation. These people are not good friends. Find somebody else to ride with.

The bike will go where you look. If youre afraid you will run off the road and hit a tree then don't look at that tree. Look at where you want to go.

Learn what countersteering is.

Perfect advice.

If you really want to learn to ride, get a dirt bike. If you want to be poser, buy a leather vest. la

 

[hoss]

My favorite topic, Sergio and very, very good advice from Zentar.

I have been riding almost 30 years from my early 20s on. I clocked _A LOT_ of miles and was racing 600 Supersport bikes from 1994 to 2002, I also became a riding and racing instructor during those years.

Riding a motorcycle is a life changer, there are not many other things that rewarding.
I can't explain what it is, but most riders will agree and non-riders don't get it.
Riding a motorcycle on country roads has a "mind cleaning" effect. An Austrian motor journalist opens his columns with the words "When I ride and think of nothing..." That hits it perfectly. Also the feeling in corners is incredible, your body is always positioned in line with gravity, you are not thrown around like in a fast car around corners. Passengers never get sick on a motorcycle.

Riding, however, is very dangerous and I had my share of crashes and broken bones. During my racing years I naturally crashed frequently but was not hurt often, race tracks (and full body protection) offer a great amount of safety.
My biggest accident was downtown Vienna, on a Friday at noon. A drunk driver ran a red light.

What Zentar said: Don't try to be the cool kid from the start. Get a cheap, small bike that you will be able to sell without a big loss after the first season then step up to a bigger bike.
I don't know what kind of motorcycle you are after. If it's sportbikes get a middle class as your second bike if it's cruisers/choppers also get a middle class bike for next year.
DO NOT buy a big Harley, they are very heavy, and do not turn easily. I see so many slow speed Harley crashes at intersections and at low speeds. They sure can crush your foot when they fall over.
Guys, don't get me wrong I am not a Harley basher. I got the chance to test ride the new Fat Bob 114 and it was freakin' amazing. What an engine! Suspension and brakes where great for HD, too. But that is NOT a beginner's bike.

In addition to what Zentar said: Get a light bike in the 125-380cc class with a little dirt bike character. KTM 125 or 300 Duke. Great seating position and handling.
After the first months take a riding course.
For the second season get something like the Yamaha MT07 or maybe MT09.

I have a YouTube channel with a riding course playlist, but it is in German. Damn, I should do English subs but it is so much work


At the Brno GP track in 2001 on a Suzuki GSX-R 600 SSP

With the 2018 Harley Davidson Fat Bob 114

My current bike: 2016 KTM 690 Duke R

Here my favorite back road in my neck of the woods

 

[S. Cane]

I have a YouTube channel with a riding course playlist, but it is in German. Damn, I should do English subs but it is so much work

Kein Problem, ich kann auch Deutsch

 

[hoss]

Kein Problem, ich kann auch Deutsch

Großartig! Viel Spaß:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SrgWnac-P0&list=PLqBFwgAPIcpoMk79a1R16TPdJ1g1RT3hi

(this is my German riding course)

 

[fernieite]

Excellent advice so far on this thread!

I too have a bit of experience riding bikes. My first was a 1981 Honda CB650 Custom, bought brand new. I then owned a Honda CB900 super sport for quite a few years. My last was a 2000 Honda CBR929RR Fireblade (like the one pictured)

I'd like to add that there are some good road biking classes available in some cities that you might want to consider. I took one years ago at a race track and learned a lot. Btw, you're never too old to learn. It's a great way to travel!

Some of the best riding I had was during the 7 years I lived in Fernie B.C (Canadian Rockies) - Beautiful scenery! This was on the Fireblade. :yah

I'd ride around B.C. or Alberta, or head down to Glacier Park in Montana or ride out to Idaho, etc... Good times.

 

[lure555]

I’ve been riding for 20 years and am a member of one of the world’s oldest motorcycle clubs. For about 14 years a bike was my only mode of transportation and I’ve put about 150K miles on two wheels. It is definitely fun and you can make a lifetime of memories on a bike. But... you will crash. Could be minor and not even your fault, but it will happen. I started on a bike that was way too much bike for a newbie. Definitely get a small used bike that you won’t seeing on its side. FYI, it costs about $800 to replace a Harley gas tank. Don’t ask how I know. I’m still shook up about it. You mentioned a leather vest, so I’ll assume you are interested in the cruiser scene. There are some awesome people there, but beware of the less-than-awesome people. Don’t pretend to be something you’re not. If seen SOA fans get checked. Also, bikes are hard on your body even if you don’t crash. There’s a reason old Harley riders and rodeo riders walk exactly the same. Having said all the his bummer stuff.. have fun. It’s a great lifestyle.

 

[S. Cane]

Relax, the leather vest was a metaphor. I’ve never even sat on a motorcycle, let alone pretend I’m an outlaw or something like that

The cruiser lifestyle does have its charm, and I’ve been on the road aboard my car with a guitar on the back seat and gear in the trunk for many years now, got plenty of mileage as a touring guitar player, and I have several biker friends, so I wouldn’t behave like a teenager who thinks he’s Jax Teller :##

The only vest I wear is a tweed one, onstage

 

[CoyotesGator]

Mano Sergio.

I have seen too many bad things my life.

Buy a new guitar, the amp of your dreams, or a hotrod car to work on.

 

[hoss]

Sergio, what kind of bikes do you like?

 

[sws1]

I learned to ride in my mid 30s. In fact, I bought my first bike even before I could ride. (Some sort of Honda 600).
I learned to ride via a weekend course that is run in my state, which includes the drivers test at the very end of the weekend. So it was nice and easy to get done. Learned on a 125cc bike.

Learning number 1: It is NOT a bicycle. It's a serious piece of machinery that requires respect. (I think some people think it's just a bicycle that powers itself.)

Went home and started riding my personal bike. The 600.

Learning number 2: The 600 couldn't have felt more different than the 125. So much heavier and bulkier to maneuver. More respect needed.

I lived in an area that was fairly rural with lots of nice roads, fairly quiet. Perfect for long morning cruises. Eventually upgraded to a full-size Harley Davidson. In a way, the jump from 125 to 600 was harder than the jump from 600 to 1500+. Loved riding on local roads. Never really enjoyed highways or speeds above 65mph. (Too much traffic and no windscreen.) Had fun meeting alot of cool people. Learned my most memorable joke..."There are 2 types of motorcycle riders....those that have fallen, and those that will." LOL

Learning number 3: Decide what you want to use the bike for.

Dumped the bike when I was cut off at an intersection. I landed on my feet, and bike was scraped to hell. (Scraped chrome is not very attractive.) That was a wake-up call. Took awhile to feel comfy on the bike again. And perhaps I never really did. When I moved to a far more congested area of my state, there was absolutely no pleasure in riding the bike. Too much traffic. Too many a-holes. etc. etc. "It's just a matter of time" kept swirling in my head and those of my loved ones. Sold the bike and have never ridden again.

Learning number 4: Priorities change, as do levels of risk tolerance.

Maybe there is something here that you could relate to. Maybe not. Some people ride their whole life. Some don't. Good to get a balanced perspective.

Good luck.

 

[bern1]

Sergio, sounds like you are curious and it is good to be cautious. Lifelong rider and ex racer here, it’s all been good advice so far. The one thing I will say is that you can learn to ride and be relatively safe in most normal conditions. It’s when the unexpected happens that you need to have the proper reflexes to get out of the jam. To do this you need to have experience and know what the bike is going to do with different inputs (braking, steering, etc.). For my money the best way to get this experience is to buy a used Honda XR 100 and take it somewhere out in the dirt in a flat area where you can’t run into anything. Put it through it’s paces in the wet and the dry and you will gradually learn how to react and then you’ll be able to ride with reasonable confidence. You’ll need good riding gear for this as well.

It’s actually kind of like playing the guitar....but the mistakes can bruise more than your ego.

 

[Zentar]

Motorcycles are not dangerous unless you make them dangerous. It is racing that makes bikes dangerous.
Don't race. Ever.
I'm a tourer. Ive had a bike since 1973 with no accidents.

 

[mdubya]

Motorcycles are not dangerous unless you make them dangerous. It is racing that makes bikes dangerous.
Don't race. Ever.
I'm a tourer. Ive had a bike since 1973 with no accidents.

I think most of us who have raced on closed courses would disagree. The street is far more dangerous than a closed course racing environment; dirt, road course, off road, MX, what have ya.

FWIW-my brother rode for more than 35 years without a single crash. It only took one, when a truck turned in front of him while he was riding home from work.

I just read last week of a 27 year old female being killed on a small displacement street bike when a car turned in front of her. 6 lanes, 40 mph speed limit, light traffic.

 

[renderit]

Motorcycles are not dangerous unless you make them dangerous. It is racing that makes bikes dangerous.
Don't race. Ever.
I'm a tourer. Ive had a bike since 1973 with no accidents.

It's drivers of 4+ wheel conveyances which look but don't see them because it's not programmed to a reaction in their mind which makes them dangerous.

 

[J.D.]

Street is far far more dangerous than any closed course. Plenty of stats to support that.

Biggest threat is distracted drivers. You must ride with a much different mentality than driving.

 

[LyonAudio]

If you're going to ride on the road, learn to ride on the road, not the dirt. Take the Motorcycle Safety Foundation learner's course and then get yourself a road bike in the 250-400cc range that isn't a "cruiser" (Harley-ish) style bike. Ride that for a year before moving up to something bigger.

 

[Zentar]

If you're going to ride on the road, learn to ride on the road, not the dirt. Take the Motorcycle Safety Foundation learner's course and then get yourself a road bike in the 250-400cc range that isn't a "cruiser" (Harley-ish) style bike. Ride that for a year before moving up to something bigger.

Learn to ride on dirt 1st. When you can control, lean and stop a motorcycle instinctively then get on pavement. You need riding skills begore you can protect yourself from cars, deers, mud, sand, pot holes etc

BTW Ive been riding decades and I still read road safety articles every month in Cycle World mag amd Motorcyclist mag.

 

[LyonAudio]

Learn to ride on dirt 1st.

I disagree. I learned on the road almost 40 years ago and have never ridden a dirt bike.