I've been wanting to learn how to ride a motorcycle for a long time and I've decided that next year I'm going to make it happen.

Are there any new or experienced riders here? Any advice would be appreciated.

I've been riding for about 3.5 years now.
Take it slowly, get rider training (like the MSF classes) and some good riding gear. Never ride without gear man, if you don't believe me ask this lady (some graphic pictures):http://fzronline.com/wiki/doku.php?id=extreme_road_rash-cause_effect_and_lesson_learned

In the meantime you can already start to educate yourself on the subject. I like this video for example (old but good):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtG6MRIVtZg
Only thing that I would call garbage is that they tell you to only use the front brake. With normal motorcycles and normal tires you get best deceleration with both brakes.
But again, get training!!!
This might sound contra productive to some but when I decided to get a motorcycle license I went to youtube and watched every motorcycle crash compilation I could find to see what mistakes the other riders made and how to avoid doing them myself (the good thing about being human is that we are capable of learning from the mistakes of others...or at least should be able to...). That taught me a lot especially about our number one enemy: The left turning car. Target fixation is another big thing that causes plenty of completely unnecessary accidents. It's one thing to hear about that in the classroom but it's something else to actually watch it happen time and time again. Of course taking it slow and not doing stupid sh*t also helps you to survive this hobby.
If you have any more questions feel free to ask them. :)

I have been riding since 2003. I have a 2003 Harley Davidson 1200 Sportster Custom. As Elor stated, take a course, I went
to the local Harley dealer and took the Riders Edge course. I had to pay for the course but it was well worth it. Some states,
like PA, offer a riding course for free and most Community Colleges offer riding courses. I strongly suggest taking one.

Thanks, and sorry for the slow response.  :-[

I'm planning on taking the MSF course this spring but I'm not sure what kind of bike I should get once I complete the course. I've been reading up on it online and a lot of people suggest I get a cheap beater bike (under 500 cc) to start out on. I'm a larger fellow (6'3", 260 lbs) so I don't know how comfortable I'd be on a smaller bike but I also don't think I'd have any business trying to wrestle around with a 700lb cruiser right off the bat either.

What did you guys start out on?

And also Elor, what do you ride now?

I don't.

I don't.

Me neither.

And also Elor, what do you ride now?
I'm a slow rider who doesn't enjoy speed that much and just likes to cruise around the countryside within the speed limit. That would usually match a cruiser rider but I don't like cruisers (heavy, expensive to buy, high fuel consumption etc...yes, I'm as cheap as Scrooge McDuck ;D) so I settled for a 2011 Honda CBR 250 which I still enjoy and is dirt cheap to buy and maintain. It has fuel injection and optional ABS. I would definitely recommend ABS, it's a life safer.
However as great as this bike is it doesn't have much power and tops out around 85 - 90 mph with me on it (~187lbs) and goes 0-60mph in about 8 sec. If that is enough for you (as it is for me) you get an awesome economically unbeatable bike but most riders soon want something with more power. If you like a bit more oomph you might want to look at something a bit bigger.

I'm a slow rider who doesn't enjoy speed that much and just likes to cruise around the countryside within the speed limit. That would usually match a cruiser rider but I don't like cruisers (heavy, expensive to buy, high fuel consumption etc...yes, I'm as cheap as Scrooge McDuck ;D) so I settled for a 2011 Honda CBR 250 which I still enjoy and is dirt cheap to buy and maintain. It has fuel injection and optional ABS. I would definitely recommend ABS, it's a life safer.
However as great as this bike is it doesn't have much power and tops out around 85 - 90 mph with me on it (~187lbs) and goes 0-60mph in about 8 sec. If that is enough for you (as it is for me) you get an awesome economically unbeatable bike but most riders soon want something with more power. If you like a bit more oomph you might want to look at something a bit bigger.


I'm thinking I'd eventually want to move up to a cruiser. Here in the midwestern United States we have long, straight roads and wide open spaces (once you get out of the cities) that are tailor-made for long-distance riding. On the weekends (when the weather is nice) there are certain small towns with bars/restaurants that are biker destinations, and often times you'll see 20 or 30 Harleys parked out front. The bikers might look like a rough and tumble crowd but I've found that most of them are friendly.

I've been wanting to learn to ride for a long time, in part because I've always wondered what I'm missing out on. Some of my friends at work ride motorcycles (mostly Harleys), and they tell me that they find riding to be very exhilarating and even therapeutic. Plus I can see how it would be fun to get together with a few friends and ride 50-100 miles out, and stop into a small-town bar and grill and have a burger and maybe a beer or two.

On the other hand if I want something a little more light and nimble, I really like the Triumph Street Twin.

A beautiful February weekend, close to 70 degrees so naturally I was tooling around the streets South Jersey. I don't ride as much
as much as I would like but I do ride a least once a month, every month, even in winter.

Be careful wanting a smaller bike to start, you will be surprised how fast you will become accustomed to riding, and unless
you can afford to buy another bike you might want to start with something a little larger.

When I started a friend of mine gave the same advice. I wanted an 883 Sportster, something smaller and lighter to start.
He told me not to, at least get the 1200. He was right, after 2 weeks even the 1200 was a breeze to handle but unfortunately
I couldn't afford anything else at the time. I am still riding the 1200 but I really want a Wide Glide, I just don't ride enough to
justify it yet.

When I started a friend of mine gave the same advice. I wanted an 883 Sportster, something smaller and lighter to start.
He told me not to, at least get the 1200. He was right, after 2 weeks even the 1200 was a breeze to handle but unfortunately
I couldn't afford anything else at the time.

Please be careful with such statements. Here in Germany we have to take plenty of mandatory one on one training with an instructor before we get our license.
You don't get the same level of training in the US (at least not mandatory).
Most riders here who get killed die in their second season. That's when they think they know it all and start to overestimate themselves with fatal results. So saying that your bike was a breeze after 2 weeks just shows that you are very likely overestimating your skills at a very dangerous level. Have you had several close calls that required you to react quickly and correctly (emergency braking, quick evasion of an unexpected obstacle on the road etc)? If not you don't know whether you can handle your bike well. It's one thing to do that during training when you know what will happen but it's entirely different on the street when you're caught by surprise. I don't know you personally so I might be wrong but the statistics speak a very clear language about that.
Please don't take that as an insult or as me talking down on you but just as something to think about coming from some random safety preaching smartass on the internet. :)

I don't.

Me neither.


WHY NOT???

:D

WHY NOT???

:D
Personally I take the bus!

Personally I take the bus!

Also, I personally do not have any interest in motorized cycles. But I know some people who do. :)

I've been kind of putting it off, but I just signed up for an MSF course in July.

I've been kind of putting it off, but I just signed up for an MSF course in July.


Good luck and drive safely.  I never had an interest although it does look like fun (in nice weather). Enjoy

It looks like a lot of fun but I've been thinking of getting an electric bike instead ;D

I don't but I wish I did. However, balance issues prevent me.

It looks like a lot of fun but I've been thinking of getting an electric bike instead ;D


Rumor has it that Harley-Davidson is going to bring an electric motorcycle into production within the next two years.

Rumor has it that Harley-Davidson is going to bring an electric motorcycle into production within the next two years.
There are electric motorcycle available already.
https://dgit.com/best-electric-motorcycles-496/
No need to wait for an overpriced Harley.

Rumor has it that Harley-Davidson is going to bring an electric motorcycle into production within the next two years.
Next will be the disaster of self-driven motorcycles...

It looks like a lot of fun but I've been thinking of getting an electric bike instead ;D


Or, you could always get a Honda Grom.  ;D

https://pictures.topspeed.com/IMG/jpg/201804/honda-grom-11.jpg

I see quite a few people in their 20's buzzing around town on those things. They're cheap (around $3100 for a new one) and they look like a lot of fun and a small part of me would like get one but, being 6'3", I know I'd look utterly ridiculous riding around on one of those.

Or, as a grumpy old co-worker of mine once told me, I'd look like "a monkey f***ing a football."  ;D ;D ;D


There are electric motorcycle available already.
https://dgit.com/best-electric-motorcycles-496/
No need to wait for an overpriced Harley.


What would you consider to be a reasonable price for an electric motorcycle? Most of the bikes on that list cost over $30,000 USD.  Harley-Davidson says that their target price for the Livewire is going to be $21-25,000.

https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1115106_harley-davidson-to-offer-electric-motorcycle-within-18-months-says-ceo

Also, HD recently bought a part of Alta Motors, which shows that it's serious about building electric motorcycles:

https://www.cycleworld.com/harley-davidson-takes-equity-stake-in-alta-motors#page-2

Maybe it's just that Harley is getting all the media attention, but I really haven't heard a whole lot about the Big 4 Japanese motorcycle companies (Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha, and Suzuki) working on electric bikes.

But I myself have no interest in getting an electric motorcycle. I think it would be a lot of fun to master the skill of operating a motorcycle with a manual transmission, to the point where I could try out different types of bikes and see which type I like best. I'd like to get proficient enough to where I could test-ride some big cruisers and maybe get one someday.


Next will be the disaster of self-driven motorcycles...


https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/theselection/images/1/13/Oh-hell-no.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20140503050131

So today I completed my MSF (Motorcycle Safety Foundation) beginner course. Yesterday I took the written test and passed with flying colors, and today I took the riding test and I did well for the most part, although there was one part of the test I had trouble with (the swerve test). I felt comfortable on the bike and not once did I come close to dropping it, and it was actually more fun to ride than I had expected. But...

Later this afternoon I was driving down the freeway in my car to my girfriend's house when I saw two vehicles in my mirror behind me driving erratically in what appeared to be a road rage incident. One of the vehicles came up beside me and veered into my lane and I had to swerve onto the shoulder to avoid getting hit. I managed to get way from him without incident but then after he got about 1/4 mile ahead of me he had the gall to flip me off. I was shook up enough that I didn't have the presence of mind to get his license number and report him to the authorities.

Anyway I'm still a little pissed off and freaked out about this. Again, I thought it was a lot of fun riding that motorcycle in the class, but now I'm having a lot of second thoughts about actually getting one. For those of you who ride, what are your thoughts on this?

Anyway I'm still a little pissed off and freaked out about this. Again, I thought it was a lot of fun riding that motorcycle in the class, but now I'm having a lot of second thoughts about actually getting one. For those of you who ride, what are your thoughts on this?


First off, disclaimer -- I don't ride, I'm a cager.  But people who do ride taught me how to look and why to look and what to look out for.  Had a blast as a passenger for a couple of hours on the bitch seat and gained a lot of perspective, which has made me a (slightly) more competent cager. 

I can't speak to your incident.  Other than to say that I've dodged the odd pair of ragers and racers while in a cage.  And that it was scary enough with a ton or two of metal around me.  You did right by evading and not escalating.  And you did doubly right by taking the training courses.

First off congratulations on taking the smart route and do that MSF class (but always remember that you still need to learn a lot of things even after graduating).
Concerning your road rage incident I can only give you one advice on a bike. Stay away from those retards and don't escalate things. You can't win against a cage while being on two wheels. Some idiots try kicking cars or smashing mirrors but that will only lead to trouble. I've seen dash cam footage were bikers fell while trying to kick a car, rear ending other vehicles because they were so focused on their "enemy" or even braking their arms when trying to smash mirrors. Even without all those self inflicted injuries there is still a chance that guy will get even angrier and run you off the road or someone catches your license plate and so on and so forth. So in one sentence: Stay away from raging. If that means pulling over and let retards pass then do it (or if that doesn't work speed away, most bikes will outperform cars but be very careful with that as speeding is usually not the safest thing to do and if you happen to have a cop nearby it can also get expensive).

I don't know how common road rage is in the US, but over here it doesn't happen that often. I've yet to see it happen to me so I wouldn't worry that much about it (unless you want to become one of those riders who are pissing everybody off with reckless riding, obnoxiously loud pipes and being a general nuisance to the public. Then road rage scenarios will be a given ;)).

First off congratulations on taking the smart route and do that MSF class (but always remember that you still need to learn a lot of things even after graduating).
Concerning your road rage incident I can only give you one advice on a bike. Stay away from those retards and don't escalate things. You can't win against a cage while being on two wheels. Some idiots try kicking cars or smashing mirrors but that will only lead to trouble. I've seen dash cam footage were bikers fell while trying to kick a car, rear ending other vehicles because they were so focused on their "enemy" or even braking their arms when trying to smash mirrors. Even without all those self inflicted injuries there is still a chance that guy will get even angrier and run you off the road or someone catches your license plate and so on and so forth. So in one sentence: Stay away from raging. If that means pulling over and let retards pass then do it (or if that doesn't work speed away, most bikes will outperform cars but be very careful with that as speeding is usually not the safest thing to do and if you happen to have a cop nearby it can also get expensive).

I don't know how common road rage is in the US, but over here it doesn't happen that often. I've yet to see it happen to me so I wouldn't worry that much about it (unless you want to become one of those riders who are pissing everybody off with reckless riding, obnoxiously loud pipes and being a general nuisance to the public. Then road rage scenarios will be a given ;)).


Thank you for your advice.  :)

One thing that I have in my favor is that I've been driving a truck professionally for over 20 years and I've developed a good sense for sensing trouble before it happens and how to react to it. That, and I'm good about keeping a cool head and not letting my emotions get the best of me when I'm driving. To say I was angry yesterday is an understatement, I fumed about the incident for a few hours afterwards but when it happened my immediate instinct was to put as much distance as I could between myself and that idiot, and escalating the situation was the furthest thing from my mind.

I think I probably will go through with getting a bike, but if and when I do I'm going to practice riding the bike in empty parking lots at night before I ride it in traffic so I can get a feel for its handling dynamics and how it's going to respond in emergency situations.

I think I probably will go through with getting a bike, but if and when I do I'm going to practice riding the bike in empty parking lots at night before I ride it in traffic so I can get a feel for its handling dynamics and how it's going to respond in emergency situations.


Can you get riding lessons? Here in the UK you have to have some many hours of lessons under instruction before taking your motorbike test. I often see groups of three or four riders in high vis vests doing little circuits around the neighbourhood

I think I probably will go through with getting a bike, but if and when I do I'm going to practice riding the bike in empty parking lots at night before I ride it in traffic so I can get a feel for its handling dynamics and how it's going to respond in emergency situations.
Try to get a bike with ABS. You'll still need to practice/do emergency stops and ABS is a real confidence builder / life safer there.

Try to get a bike with ABS. You'll still need to practice/do emergency stops and ABS is a real confidence builder / life safer there.


That's something I'll take into consideration, although I also think that it might not be a bad idea to learn on a bike without it.

Can you get riding lessons? Here in the UK you have to have some many hours of lessons under instruction before taking your motorbike test. I often see groups of three or four riders in high vis vests doing little circuits around the neighbourhood


I did take a MSF beginners course, which qualifiies me to get a motorcycle endorsement on my drivers license. It basically just covered the fundamentals and I know I have a lot to learn yet. Again, I plan on doing a lot of practice riding in empty parking lots and at times (early weekend mornings) when there isn't a lot of traffic.

I never have, but would like to.  :)

I never have, but would like to.  :)


Maybe you should look into the MSF course, just to see if you like it. I know I enjoyed riding around the lot more than I thought I would.

That's something I'll take into consideration, although I also think that it might not be a bad idea to learn on a bike without it.
You can still learn everything on a bike with ABS. ABS will only kick in once one wheel turns slower than the other (aka when you've already screwed up or at least are on the verge of screwing up). Apart from that you won't notice any difference in behavior from a non ABS bike. You can actually (IMHO) learn better with ABS as you can safely get to the point of locking up your wheels and the pulsing lever/pedal will then tell you that you just over pushed the threshold. Try that on non ABS and you might never give it maximum braking power out of fear to lock up or you might end on the pavement when you accidentally lock up the front while trying to find out how much stopping power you can apply at what time during the braking.

I lived with a guy who had a motorcycle that he kept in a storage locker. We went to the locker one day as we were there, he said, "I'm gonna get you on this motorcycle." So, he put a helmet on me and I sat behind him. We rode around the storage facility-never even went out on the road and that was fine with me. I didn't even want to get on the bike in the first place.

So, I can honestly say that I rode on a motorcycle-even if it was only about 10 minutes.


Cat

Maybe you should look into the MSF course, just to see if you like it. I know I enjoyed riding around the lot more than I thought I would.


Oh I didn't know there's a course. I'm looking it up.

Never drove a motorcycle or rode one my whole life, but I knew some friends and acquaintances from HS who drove theirs to school everyday throughout junior and senior year. In Georgia you have to be age 17 at minimum to get a motorcycle license.