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who here has a motorcycle?
- Thread starter zmepro
- Start date
i have my motorcycle license, and both my parents rides bikes real often.
if you do think about getting a bike, do the motorcycle safety foundation course (www.msf.com, maybe?). it definitely helps, and it gets you comfortable with riding before you go out and possibly get yourself hurt.
i can't say i have much to say about bikes - it's really what you feel most comfortable on ... some like the bigger bikes, and some like the sporties.
final word - whatever you get, dont be stupind - wear a helmet ALWAYS, and wear the right gear (jeans at least, lightweight jacket, etc). don't be careless with your life.
drew.
if you do think about getting a bike, do the motorcycle safety foundation course (www.msf.com, maybe?). it definitely helps, and it gets you comfortable with riding before you go out and possibly get yourself hurt.
i can't say i have much to say about bikes - it's really what you feel most comfortable on ... some like the bigger bikes, and some like the sporties.
final word - whatever you get, dont be stupind - wear a helmet ALWAYS, and wear the right gear (jeans at least, lightweight jacket, etc). don't be careless with your life.
drew.
To some degree thats true.zmepro said:do you think they are as dangerous as people make them seem? i always thought that most of the accidents are rider stupidity but im not sure. any insight on this would be really nice
Many motorcycle accidents involve alcohol (although this doesn't mean it was the motorcycle driver drinking)
Most often accidents happen at intersections.
I am a new rider myself and I still think about the dangers. I am still getting used to my bike and get into some un-fun situations now and again that are my own doing, however I still have no desire to stop riding. Also the riders course definitly helped me develope some quick thinking skills that have saved my ass twice now.
If your the type of driver that is always looking around and anticipating other people's stupidity then you shouold be OK.
Most of the accidents the people I know have been in, have been self inflicted.
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SpeedMcheen
Member
- :
- MSP '03.5
Get one and be really REALLY smart about it. Just don't copycat road kill.
The MSF cousre should be required. I learned more in the course in 2 days than I learned in a year riding on my own. It has saved my ass more times than I can remember. The trick to being safe on a motorcycle is to ride within the limits of yourself, the bike, and the surroundings. You have to respect the fact that any driver, dog, debris, intersection, stupid idea can kill you. The course makes all that second nature.
GearSlammer
Member
- :
- 2003.5 Titanium MSP-TOTALED
i have to agree. i just got my license and was recently shopping around. comfort is key. if your not comfortable on a bike dont ride it, itll interfere with your riding. make sure you can get both feet flat on the ground. if you dont have much cash get a used ninja 250 or 500, $2000-4000. and i strongly recommend the msf rider course.
warrier04 said:i have my motorcycle license, and both my parents rides bikes real often.
if you do think about getting a bike, do the motorcycle safety foundation course (www.msf.com, maybe?). it definitely helps, and it gets you comfortable with riding before you go out and possibly get yourself hurt.
i can't say i have much to say about bikes - it's really what you feel most comfortable on ... some like the bigger bikes, and some like the sporties.
final word - whatever you get, dont be stupind - wear a helmet ALWAYS, and wear the right gear (jeans at least, lightweight jacket, etc). don't be careless with your life.
drew.
- :
- 2003.5 Titanium MSP
I've been thinking about motorcycles alot lately...too bad I have NO money to spend on anything...god-damned bills
like 1sty was saying ... you pretty much have to ride with the mentality that everyone on the road is drunk and out to kill you, and you gotta be aware of everything around you.zmepro said:do you think they are as dangerous as people make them seem? i always thought that most of the accidents are rider stupidity but im not sure. any insight on this would be really nice
the msf course makes this way of thinking obvious, and it gets you to think that way. definitely something that should be considered a requirement.
drew.
Hi, Yes I have a motorcycle...and I have been riding for 26 years. I can honestly say I have had only one accident on a bike in all those years...and it was actually very minor....I had to lay the bike down to avoid another car with NO TAIL LIGHTS...and it was after dark...so whos fault was that....I was lucky and got up dusted off the bike and me and was able to ride away after sharing some choice words with the woman driving the car with no lights......
Bikes are not any more dangerous than a car is. As mentioned, most bike accidents involve drinking and driving....the worst thing you can do if you are on a bike.
I have a bit of advice to all that decide to venture into motorcycling. First...as mentioned already, take the safety course, you won't regret it. TWO....remember one thing ALWAYS....when you are on your bike you have a single superpower....you are INVISIBLE, the problem being is you can't turn that power off. You are invisible to everyone....at all times. IF you will ride with that in mind....you will be in much better shape. When you see that car pull up to the side street....ALWAYS assume they will pull in front of you....they usually do. NEVER ride in a blind stop....they WILL pull over on you....NEVER assume that just because you looked the other driver in the eye that they actually SAW you.....cause they don't always......
you must become a very defensive driver.....if you do....you will have many years of pleasure out on the road, with the wind in your face.....
Its a sensation that you won't forget....and it becomes addictive. Its the closest thing to flying you can do.......once you ride for a while.....you will begin to understand why a dog sticks its head out of a moving car window.
(stash)
Bikes are not any more dangerous than a car is. As mentioned, most bike accidents involve drinking and driving....the worst thing you can do if you are on a bike.
I have a bit of advice to all that decide to venture into motorcycling. First...as mentioned already, take the safety course, you won't regret it. TWO....remember one thing ALWAYS....when you are on your bike you have a single superpower....you are INVISIBLE, the problem being is you can't turn that power off. You are invisible to everyone....at all times. IF you will ride with that in mind....you will be in much better shape. When you see that car pull up to the side street....ALWAYS assume they will pull in front of you....they usually do. NEVER ride in a blind stop....they WILL pull over on you....NEVER assume that just because you looked the other driver in the eye that they actually SAW you.....cause they don't always......
you must become a very defensive driver.....if you do....you will have many years of pleasure out on the road, with the wind in your face.....
Its a sensation that you won't forget....and it becomes addictive. Its the closest thing to flying you can do.......once you ride for a while.....you will begin to understand why a dog sticks its head out of a moving car window.
(stash)
yeah, take all the safety courses and spare no expense on the safety gear.
and for the love of all that is good, don't wear windpants when driving a motorcycle... I've seen a friend of mine's knees turn to road-pizza because of it. I'm glad he bought and wore the expensive helmet, gloves, and riding jacket. It broke his collarbone, but saved his life.
and for the love of all that is good, don't wear windpants when driving a motorcycle... I've seen a friend of mine's knees turn to road-pizza because of it. I'm glad he bought and wore the expensive helmet, gloves, and riding jacket. It broke his collarbone, but saved his life.
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have them take the safety course also.zmepro said:wow thanks for the good info, keep it comin!
another thing, my parents and gf arn't to keen on the idea, any ways to make them more comfortable?
not only will they understand that you won't be riding around with no clue what you're doin, they themselves will understand the situation more completely.
drew.
1. Safety course
2. No beer + motorcycle
I bought my first bike that I owned for $400 bucks. It was a 1981 GS750L with 15,000 miles on it. I put another 2K miles on it and then sold it to my friend. He has since bought a new bike and sold the old beast once again to his neighbor. It gets around. I just sold my harley 3 days ago and will buy a rocket next summer, probably a used 954RR.
2. No beer + motorcycle
I bought my first bike that I owned for $400 bucks. It was a 1981 GS750L with 15,000 miles on it. I put another 2K miles on it and then sold it to my friend. He has since bought a new bike and sold the old beast once again to his neighbor. It gets around. I just sold my harley 3 days ago and will buy a rocket next summer, probably a used 954RR.
zmepro said:wow thanks for the good info, keep it comin!
another thing, my parents and gf arn't to keen on the idea, any ways to make them more comfortable?
Not really. People that don't ride can be hard to convince. You can show them positive articles on it, and stress why you might get one- better gas mileage, up front parking spots at school, etc. whatever your case may be. I don't ride anymore (shorter season up here, and kids) but I do miss it. If you do get one offer to give them a slow ride around the neighborhood. I did that with my dad in Phoenix and he liked the feeling of it. It may ultimately depend on how they rate your maturity level. They won't be keen on the idea if they think you'll be like the a**holes they see on the road that form their bad impressions. Otherwise they'll get over it.
But like they said- ride paranoid to survive. Stay out of blind spots and be free with a loud horn.
I will first appologize for the length of this response.
I ride and have been since I was 16, for accidents I have had one, pretty bad (laid down at about 80 km/h, avoiding stupid punks street racing, they blew through an intersection I had the right of way on. Number 1 thing that saved my a$$ was the right gear, always buy a helmet for protection and not how it looks even if it costs a lot more (my friend made this mistake and lost part of his ear for it).
most accidents happen because of driver negligence (not the rider of the bike, for the most part), almost every accident invloving car and motorcycle, the driver of the car says the never saw the bike...that beeing said BRIGHT COLOURS SAVE LIVES...LOUD NOISE makes your presence known (race pipes are not JUST for performance). Stay alert and pay attention to EVERY detail. As SIR NUKE said you are invisible...to drivers in cars you don't exist, and always think every driver on the road DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO DRIVE.
Always wear the right gear, every time you get on the bike...Helmet, Jacket, Solid boots (cover your ankles), and gloves. Buy the good stuff from the begining, the worst accidents happen in the first few years.
As for buying a bike can't help with what to choose, but as it has been said before comfort is key, get a bike that fits you properly and start small, 600cc at the most for a starter, suggestions would be a NINJA 500 or BUELL Blast for sport, maybe a Honda Rebel for cruisers. In my city I have noticed way too many new riders with big bikes that they have no chance of controlling.
Buy a bike that fits the purpose of what you want it for...weekend fun ? get a cruiser or Small sport bike. Daily commuter find one that handles well and doesn't need to be at 9000 rpm to make decent power (you never get that chance in traffic).
Good luck and a bike is always worth having, no matter what tons of people say (they don't ride).
Keep the rubber side down and enjoy.
Cheers
I ride and have been since I was 16, for accidents I have had one, pretty bad (laid down at about 80 km/h, avoiding stupid punks street racing, they blew through an intersection I had the right of way on. Number 1 thing that saved my a$$ was the right gear, always buy a helmet for protection and not how it looks even if it costs a lot more (my friend made this mistake and lost part of his ear for it).
most accidents happen because of driver negligence (not the rider of the bike, for the most part), almost every accident invloving car and motorcycle, the driver of the car says the never saw the bike...that beeing said BRIGHT COLOURS SAVE LIVES...LOUD NOISE makes your presence known (race pipes are not JUST for performance). Stay alert and pay attention to EVERY detail. As SIR NUKE said you are invisible...to drivers in cars you don't exist, and always think every driver on the road DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO DRIVE.
Always wear the right gear, every time you get on the bike...Helmet, Jacket, Solid boots (cover your ankles), and gloves. Buy the good stuff from the begining, the worst accidents happen in the first few years.
As for buying a bike can't help with what to choose, but as it has been said before comfort is key, get a bike that fits you properly and start small, 600cc at the most for a starter, suggestions would be a NINJA 500 or BUELL Blast for sport, maybe a Honda Rebel for cruisers. In my city I have noticed way too many new riders with big bikes that they have no chance of controlling.
Buy a bike that fits the purpose of what you want it for...weekend fun ? get a cruiser or Small sport bike. Daily commuter find one that handles well and doesn't need to be at 9000 rpm to make decent power (you never get that chance in traffic).
Good luck and a bike is always worth having, no matter what tons of people say (they don't ride).
Keep the rubber side down and enjoy.
Cheers
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IMO probably one of the best starter bikes has to be the old Ninja EX 500. It has enough power to get you around but not enough to break the tire loose in the corners. You cant pull the front tire off the ground without trying your ass off and they are relatively cheap to buy and cheap to insure. They go for about a grand for the 87- 90 models and are a blast to ride.
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