Getting started riding a motorcycle

[gunsmith]

cheaper to fix if I lay it down

You WILL lay it down, I have tried to warn friends thinking about a first bike to get something cheap and old while learning.
Some of them insist on something big and fast and new, its always a mistake.
Even experienced riders drop bikes, it can happen real fast. All you need to do is stop.

But did you get the girl?

What do you think?

[bedlamite]

A powercruiser like the VMax you linked to is NOT a good place to start. An older standard is a good place to start, like a Suzuki GS, Kawasaki EX, or Honda CB with either a 500, 550, or 650 cc displacement. A cruiser with a 700-750cc V twin would work too if that's your style.

BTW, Raptorsandrockets is notorious for posting bogus photochops as news, so don't necessarily believe anything you see or read there.

[Marnoot]

I'm in the process of learning on my sister-in-law's Honda Rebel (250cc) since we're keeping it for her while she's out of state for the summer. It seems about right for me to learn on, and a bike of that size would be fine for my 20-minute surface-street commute. I'm 150 pounds, and it doesn't seem too underpowered; I'm not planning on doing much if any freeway riding.

[mgdavis]

There are some bikes that have the Standard seating position, even though they don't look like a traditional standard. The Ninja 500 would not be a bad place to start. If you can find a used Ninja 250, it would be an excellent bike to run for a season before upgrading. Lots of other suitable bikes, but those two spring to mind the quickest.

For the helmet thing: They mostly offer similar levels of protection, but the more expensive ones are probably going to be quieter and more comfortable. Arai makes a very nice lid, but there's nothing wrong with the HJC/Scorpion/et al. One thing that Arai is known for is offering a number of interior shapes, for differently shaped heads. I'll probably go with Arai next time around because of my funny shaped noggin.

[Balog]

A powercruiser like the VMax you linked to is NOT a good place to start. An older standard is a good place to start, like a Suzuki GS, Kawasaki EX, or Honda CB with either a 500, 550, or 650 cc displacement. A cruiser with a 700-750cc V twin would work too if that's your style.

BTW, Raptorsandrockets is notorious for posting bogus photochops as news, so don't necessarily believe anything you see or read there.

I was basing it on the beginner's guide from totalmotorcycle.com. They had a pic of that as an example, but I couldn't link to it from there. I just did a quick google image search of the name and posted the link. I really don't know any of the model names, or even really how to distinguish between the various kinds. Never been to that site before except to link to the pic.

[mgdavis]

Don't forget about the Dual-Sport bikes. Something like the DR-Z400S would be a great bike to learn on, as long as you've got the inseam for it. These are virtually all great bike, light with good gas mileage. Some of the 650s are a bit heavy, and the class doesn't have great wind or weather protection. They're forgiving when they get dropped, not a whole lot of plastic to break.

[atomd]

A Shoei RF800 helmet saved my face. The right side of my face and my jaw would have been seriously injured if it wasn't for a full face helmet. Get a full face one. I was also wearing Draggin Jeans and a Draggin shirt at the time..thank goodness. They didn't protect me from any impact injuries but the road rash would have been a lot worse if I didn't have them on. I'd get a decent jacket with some sort of  armor in it and some Draggin jeans. Get some good gloves too. Don't skimp out and get gloves designed for some other use. The motorcycle gloves are more comfortable (even if they don't seem so at first) and they will protect you unlike driving gloves or work gloves. Wear boots with good support, not sneakers. Sneakers fly off almost instantly when you crash (trust me on that one).

It might sound like a lot of protection but it's no joke. I saw an accident at under 5mph that resulted in a broken collar bone. The guy wasn't happy. I've been in a couple of bad accidents and gear was the only difference between walking away and serious injury. Also, you don't have to spend a lot but you will notice a big difference if you go too cheap. Real cheap helmets have crappy ventilation and crappy visors. They can be itchy and uncomfortable...and you don't wanna see what happens when a cheapo helmet gets introduced to a lot of sweat. Yuck.

Suzuki GS, Kawasaki EX, or Honda CB with either a 500, 550, or 650 cc displacement.

EXACTLY. I'd reccommend a GS (they are pretty cheap used) or a Suzuki SV650 at most. Can't go wrong with Honda CBs either. Some say that V-Twins (because of the low end torque) can be a slightly less forgiving for the beginner...but I don't think it's a big deal.

[Monkeyleg]

All this talk about bikes for new riders brought back a memory for me.

A few years ago I got stuck at a Harley dealership in Reno while a mechanic chased an intermittent short in the wiring.

In the few hours that I was there, I must have seen at least half a dozen guys pick up new motorcycles. And all of them had brought pickup trucks or trailers. I watched the salesmen show the guys where the turn signals, starter button, etc were.

I asked one of the salesman why none of the guys were riding their new bikes home. He told me that none of them knew how to ride yet.

A 700-pound $20,000 motorcycle is definitely not a starter bike.

[Dntsycnt]

I too am interested in the two-wheeled world, but the idea of an accident/collision scares me.  My father stopped riding after a bad crash.

Still, this thread is enjoyable reading.  There seem to be many motorcycle owners here, and not one of you is brain dead.

[bedlamite]

I too am interested in the two-wheeled world, but the idea of an accident/collision scares me.  My father stopped riding after a bad crash.

Still, this thread is enjoyable reading.  There seem to be many motorcycle owners here, and not one of you is brain dead.

Strings hasn't posted yet.

[LAK]

I wanted a 250 or so to start with; I was flat out intimidated by the thought of anything else. Then my girlfriend's father (after alot of work) talked me into taking a ride on a GL1000 a german friend of the family was selling. Five minutes and I was hooked. And bought the bike.

If you are dead set on a big bike, don't get anything too small - you'll outgrow it in a week.

[The Annoyed Man]

Old Fhart wisdom from his biker days: Bikes are rather unforgiving if you encounter stupidity, your's or someone else's. Excess horsepower,  excess testosterone or insufficiency of experience, your's or someone else's, can lead to stupidity adventures. Stupidity adventures are very short bursts of uncontrolled ground effect flight lessons. Flight lessons without wings do not succeed and generally lead to pain and a diminishment of personal financial assets.  Experiences may vary, but that is what I learned. Damn I miss it. 

[coppertales]

I have been riding for over 50 years and never dropped/laid one down.  What you need to do is pay a visit to the local bike shops and sit on anything that strikes the eye.  That way, you will know what is too big, too heavy, comfortable, etc.  I have been riding the same style bike, Kawasaki KZ 900, 100. 1100 series of bikes since they first came out in 1973.  I now have 3 1982 KZ1100s.  I just like them.  I do visit all the bike shows that come to town and the Victor and Kawasaki vtwin bikes fit me the best.  However, my bikes have been paid for for years.......enjoy your shopping for a new ride and pay close attention in the safety class you are taking........chris3

[charby]

A powercruiser like the VMax you linked to is NOT a good place to start. An older standard is a good place to start, like a Suzuki GS, Kawasaki EX, or Honda CB with either a 500, 550, or 650 cc displacement. A cruiser with a 700-750cc V twin would work too if that's your style.

BTW, Raptorsandrockets is notorious for posting bogus photochops as news, so don't necessarily believe anything you see or read there.

I was basing it on the beginner's guide from totalmotorcycle.com. They had a pic of that as an example, but I couldn't link to it from there. I just did a quick google image search of the name and posted the link. I really don't know any of the model names, or even really how to distinguish between the various kinds. Never been to that site before except to link to the pic.

I had very fast Mustang GT that sold to a guy a couple years ago. At first he wanted to do a partial trade for a V-Max, I looked at him and told him the car didn't kill me but that bike would. I still haven't lost my quest for speed but I purchase vehicles now that won't tempt me to go fast.

I'm in the market for a motorcycle myself and I've already ruled out super bikes because I will tempted and see if I can get it up over a 120mph in town. Right now I'm seriously looking at a Harley 1200 Sportster (with a touring bike a couple years later), but my first street bike was a 400 cc single cylinder Suzuki. The bike was small but you couldn't shift fast enough when you put the screws to it. I graduated to bigger heavier bikes after owning that bike for a year.

A good beginners bike would probably be a 1980's Honda or Suzuki 550 cc 4 cylinder. They have a good balance, aren't slow but they aren't super fast either, you can pick it up if you lay it over, cheap to buy and easy to work on. They will have 4 carburetors that you will need to sync but its pretty easy once you figure it out with a carburetor synchronizer, basically a bank of vacuum gauges.

[The Annoyed Man]

Do not buy a used helmet. The impact absorbing lining is designed for *one* impact, be it when you crash, or just when it slips off the handle bars. Also, the liner is only good for 3-5 years. By that point the lining has oxidized (I think it's oxidation) to the point where it will no longer be effective.

The top two brands are Arai and Shoei. Pricey.

The next tier is HJC and Scorpion. I ride with an HJC AC-12. There are a couple others at this price point, but I can't remember the brands at the moment.

At a third level you have Bell helmets. They'd probably protect you in a crash, but not as nice to live with day to day.

You definitely want a DOT rating, and I'd prefer a Snell cert as well. I was under the impression that these endorsements were indicated by the applicable sticker, so I'm going to disagree with Bedlamite on that point. I'm pretty sure that if it carries the sticker of an organization, it has been approved by that organization.


As far as styling and features, I like a full-face helmet. I feel that they offer superior crash protection, specifically to the face and lower jaw. They will also help to shield your face from wind, rain, bugs, and debris. Vents are a good thing to have, especially when your face shield fogs. I also appreciate quick release systems for the face shield, they make it much easier to swap between tinted, clear, etc.

A web resource that I like to recommend is one of the other forums I hang out on, totalmotorcycle.com. Lots of great people that are good about helping out new riders.

For a beginning rider, I highly agree with the full face assessment. People look scary without a lower jaw. You WILL fall at some point if you ride long enough. Guess what generally gets thrown toward the ground first? Your face.

[The Annoyed Man]

I too am interested in the two-wheeled world, but the idea of an accident/collision scares me.  My father stopped riding after a bad crash.

Still, this thread is enjoyable reading.  There seem to be many motorcycle owners here, and not one of you is brain dead.

Wow! That was generous

[The Annoyed Man]

It took me 20 years of riding to get to this:



It's still too much bike for me @ 5'6" and 155 lbs. But I manage. Thank God I lived through the years when I thought I was invincible.

[Balog]

Check one thing off the list. Helmet ordered. Thanks for the tip on New Enough. Got a Snell/DOT HJC AC-12 on closeout for ~$115 off list price.

[mgdavis]

That's a decent lid, especially for that price. I payed $225 for my AC-12 a couple years ago.

You might want to look at picking up a tinted visor to go with it. They only cost about $15, and it's much nicer than jamming sunglasses on.

[tokugawa]

40cal, my wife just got a meanstreak- she loves it! 
  For an entry bike, I would recommend a 250 dualsport, and get some off road time-
 there are two facets to staying alive on a bike- # 1 is skill, and time in the dirt will really help here.
 #2 is judgment and traffic sense, this is a lot harder than skill- dumb *expletive deleted*it acts will get you into places skill cannot get you out of.

[sadlsor]

Balog, welcome to the world of 2 wheels. Don't know what it is about firearms and motorbikes... could it be the combustion / ignition thing going on?

Anyway... so you got a lid. Good for you. Don't leave home (on the bike) without it.

After riding for 35 years, I decided to become a MSF RiderCoach. You should have fun in class, unless your coaches are still locked in the old school ways. MSF has completely revamped the curriculum, for the betterment of the students. But I digress...

You'll cover all the info about what gear is best, what to look for, watch out for, etc. in clothing. Lotsa choices these days, as you've seen. Buy the gear; don't scrimp. It doesn't have to be your fault, but when you (OK, IF you) hit the pavement, the results are the same. Jeans may seem comfy but don't hold up in a slide. Well, they do, but for only about 3 seconds.

I ride everywhere, all the time. And I always wear the gear. We call it ATGATT - All The Gear All The Time. You don't always get to choose when you crash. Dress for it. Yeah it's hot in the summer, you can get mesh jackets with pads, but it typically has not proven to hold up when you need it, as well as solid materials. I live in AL, and the summers bring out the best of the humidity (but it's a soaking heat!) Folks always ask me, "Aren't you hot in all that gear?" My answer: "Yeah. What's your point?" I'd rather sweat than bleed. Just show me the sink, when I get where I'm going, OK? You don't have to be that hard core; many of my riding buddies aren't.

Everyone will have opinions, and most are eager to share them with you. Congratulations on getting the education FIRST! You'll start your riding with a great big bag filled with luck, and another big bag, with just a little teensy bit of experience in it. The goal is to fill up the bag of experience before you empty your bag of luck. 

[cosine]

Welcome to APS, sadlsor. Looks like your first post has some good advice in it.

[Balog]

Thanks for the advice sadlsor. Been looking at different gear, reviews etc.

Is it true most leathers are made by only a couple offshore companies, then rebadged as different brands for US sale?

Been looking at Fox Creek jackets. The sale items are ~200, which seems to be on the low end of all motorcycle jackets. I've been googling a bit but I've yet to see anyone with something bad to say about their products or service. And it's actually made in the US, as opposed to assembled partly in the US and partly in Mexico from Chinese parts. 

Also, are chaps worth getting right off the bat?

[The Annoyed Man]

40cal, my wife just got a meanstreak- she loves it! 
  For an entry bike, I would recommend a 250 dualsport, and get some off road time-
 there are two facets to staying alive on a bike- # 1 is skill, and time in the dirt will really help here.
 #2 is judgment and traffic sense, this is a lot harder than skill- dumb *expletive deleted*it acts will get you into places skill cannot get you out of.

I love my Mean Streak too. It's great for my 70-mile commute to work. Not a good starter bike though - way too heavy.

[bedlamite]

A word of warning on chaps, they will not protect you in a crash. There is no leather on one area that commonly slides across the pavement: Your butt.

I have two pair of pants, TourMaster Decker overpants and Apex pants along with the matching Magnum jacket. After 4 years of daily use, my overpants need the zippers replaced, and the right pocket in my jacket needs some stitching repaired. I have no problem recommending them and I will be getting another Magnum jacket this summer, the perforated one if I can find it in 2XL. The downside is that they are imported, and I have to order a size bigger than I normally would, they run small.

I also have 2 pair of boots, Oxtar TCS EVO Ti and Tourmaster Solution, my gloves are Marsee and I should have bought a couple more of them before they were discontinued.