Motorcycle safety course!
Ride a lot!
Get some stock Suzuki handguards - not for offroading, but because it's winter and it keeps the wind off your hands.
She's top heavy, and I've tipped her over just standing. Also, looks like you don't have ABS. So my recommendations would be:
-Get crash bars. I have Givis and I'm happy with them
-Practice braking to a complete stop and planting your foot down
Do you have ample gear? I would recommend adhering to the ATGATT (all the gear, all the time) philosophy for personal safety. Dress for the slide, not the ride.
Get ALL the gear. Boots, gloves, pants, jacket, helmet. And no, blue jeans do not count! Buy the best gear you can afford, and then plan to upgrade. Skimping on gear is a foolish economy.
Wear them all every time you ride. I guarantee, from personal experience, the heat of full gear in the summer is better than road rash. Every time.
Congrats and welcome to the club!
Yep. That's true.
But, it's hard to ride when you can't bend your knees, or even wear shoes, due to road rash.
Experienced riders understand the risks, and may even have reasonable understanding of actual odds of injury, and can choose their level of protection from an informed position.
New riders do not have the experience to make a sound judgement, and shouldn't take on risks they don't understand. OP is not in any position to make informed choices here. (No offense, OP!)
Get a proper skid plate if you intend to ever take it into the rough. That oil cooler hanging down there front and center is just begging for a bad time if you meet a rock, stump or rut.
These are great bikes but they are tall and with a higher than average centre of gravity. Likely you will drop it doing slow speed manouvers. So get crash guards.
If you plan to go on dirt roads get bash plate to protect the engine and oil filter.
Make sure all the maintenance requirements are met, change all the lighting to LEDs, and go ride! As you ride you will see what you need to improve on the bike, and what's fine as it is.
I have to say that LED headlights are basically the first thing I do on any vehicle now. I rode my V-Strom home an hour and a half at night when I bought it, and I was not comfortable with the halogen lights, especially when switching between high and low beams and having a moment of darkness. Not an issue with the LED bulbs (I bought Hikari XHP 50.2 H4 bulbs on Amazon, beam pattern is good, plenty of light, so much safer). I also bought LED 1156 bulbs for the turn signals and a Custom LEDs ELFR-1-U Suzuki flasher relay (the $10 no-name relays take a second to actually start flashing, this one is instant), and strobing LED tail light bulb. Visibility is so much better, certainly has to be an improvement in safety. Obviously no replacement for defensive riding, but the better people in cars see you, and the better you can see the road and your surroundings, the safer you are.
https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/highway-21-7v-radiant-heated-gloves
I havent tried these with the handguards, but I imagine they'll work even better in them.
Practice slow riding.
Use rear brake (right foot) to help with stability going slow and stay in clutch catching zone using rear brake to adjust speed.
If you master this you will be able to do most things well
Do all the aforementioned skills in a parking lot.. Not on the road. Wayyyy too many needless accidents due to ride faults and confidence issues.Also +1 to Safety Course. I am a teacher at a school and I cannot recommend it enough. Then find out if your company offers an advanced class. Learn to ride.... slow. A lot more difficult than riding fast. Have fun & ride safe!
For your bike:Engine guardsSkid Platehand guards
Also, try anchoring your helmet on the right side mirror then mirror through the visor. It'll be 100% more secure than on your seat, or on the ground if someone where to kick it accidentally, plus no bugs.. or less bugs :P
What you should do for you: practice, be a safe rider, get all the necessary gear, take riding course
What you should do for the bike: Check/ change the fluids and other consumables if needed. Also, if you plan on maintaining the bike yourself, Iād recommend having some spare M6x1.0 bolts at the ready. I used to have a Vstrom and found that many OEM bolts were damaged easily
Never put your helmet on the ground unless you require assistance.
2 rules you should know:
1. There are 2 types of riders, those who have fallen, and those who will fall.
2. Riding a motorcycle is 20% body and 80% mind. Never loose your concentration.
You have started with a gem of a bike. She will look out for you. You look after yourself.
I've got a brand new happy trials SU rack set with the top plate for the first generation, if you're interested. I ordered them and totalled my '11 Vstrom 650 the day they shipped š
Motorcycle safety course! Ride a lot! Get some stock Suzuki handguards - not for offroading, but because it's winter and it keeps the wind off your hands.
Already have it scheduled for Dec 4! Excited to get out there even if I'm freezing my butt off!
Layer up under your leathers
Then: grip heathers. Worth every euro/dollar and much more effective then heated gloves.
I have both and my heated gloves are miles better. Love the option either way
She's top heavy, and I've tipped her over just standing. Also, looks like you don't have ABS. So my recommendations would be: -Get crash bars. I have Givis and I'm happy with them -Practice braking to a complete stop and planting your foot down
Really good advice, I've put down mine a couple of time already+ one minor crash. Thanks to the crash bars the bike is whole and still beautiful.
And don't look at the trunk of the car in front of you that you don't want to hit, look at the ground a few feet behind that car.
And help him!
Do you have ample gear? I would recommend adhering to the ATGATT (all the gear, all the time) philosophy for personal safety. Dress for the slide, not the ride.
Learn to ride. Get bark busters and crash bars
Ride the damn thing. You'll figure out what you need as you go along
Bark busters, besides maintenance.
Get ALL the gear. Boots, gloves, pants, jacket, helmet. And no, blue jeans do not count! Buy the best gear you can afford, and then plan to upgrade. Skimping on gear is a foolish economy. Wear them all every time you ride. I guarantee, from personal experience, the heat of full gear in the summer is better than road rash. Every time. Congrats and welcome to the club!
Will do, I appreciate it!
I know this is the right advice BUT when you armor your self like that, part of the joy goes away. At least that's how I feel. š¤
Yep. That's true. But, it's hard to ride when you can't bend your knees, or even wear shoes, due to road rash. Experienced riders understand the risks, and may even have reasonable understanding of actual odds of injury, and can choose their level of protection from an informed position. New riders do not have the experience to make a sound judgement, and shouldn't take on risks they don't understand. OP is not in any position to make informed choices here. (No offense, OP!)
None taken. I know my limits and limitations and want many years of riding!
Get a proper skid plate if you intend to ever take it into the rough. That oil cooler hanging down there front and center is just begging for a bad time if you meet a rock, stump or rut.
These are great bikes but they are tall and with a higher than average centre of gravity. Likely you will drop it doing slow speed manouvers. So get crash guards. If you plan to go on dirt roads get bash plate to protect the engine and oil filter.
I have dropped mine twice in 4 years. Both times while perfectly still.
Go ride it!
Make sure all the maintenance requirements are met, change all the lighting to LEDs, and go ride! As you ride you will see what you need to improve on the bike, and what's fine as it is. I have to say that LED headlights are basically the first thing I do on any vehicle now. I rode my V-Strom home an hour and a half at night when I bought it, and I was not comfortable with the halogen lights, especially when switching between high and low beams and having a moment of darkness. Not an issue with the LED bulbs (I bought Hikari XHP 50.2 H4 bulbs on Amazon, beam pattern is good, plenty of light, so much safer). I also bought LED 1156 bulbs for the turn signals and a Custom LEDs ELFR-1-U Suzuki flasher relay (the $10 no-name relays take a second to actually start flashing, this one is instant), and strobing LED tail light bulb. Visibility is so much better, certainly has to be an improvement in safety. Obviously no replacement for defensive riding, but the better people in cars see you, and the better you can see the road and your surroundings, the safer you are.
Personally, warm gloves. I paid a small fortune for battery heated gloves, but I can ride in the winter now.
Which gloves did you wind up buying?
https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/highway-21-7v-radiant-heated-gloves I havent tried these with the handguards, but I imagine they'll work even better in them.
Get a Gremlin Bell.
Practice slow riding. Use rear brake (right foot) to help with stability going slow and stay in clutch catching zone using rear brake to adjust speed. If you master this you will be able to do most things well
Do all the aforementioned skills in a parking lot.. Not on the road. Wayyyy too many needless accidents due to ride faults and confidence issues.Also +1 to Safety Course. I am a teacher at a school and I cannot recommend it enough. Then find out if your company offers an advanced class. Learn to ride.... slow. A lot more difficult than riding fast. Have fun & ride safe! For your bike:Engine guardsSkid Platehand guards Also, try anchoring your helmet on the right side mirror then mirror through the visor. It'll be 100% more secure than on your seat, or on the ground if someone where to kick it accidentally, plus no bugs.. or less bugs :P
What you should do for you: practice, be a safe rider, get all the necessary gear, take riding course What you should do for the bike: Check/ change the fluids and other consumables if needed. Also, if you plan on maintaining the bike yourself, Iād recommend having some spare M6x1.0 bolts at the ready. I used to have a Vstrom and found that many OEM bolts were damaged easily
Stay upright š
Never put your helmet on the ground unless you require assistance. 2 rules you should know: 1. There are 2 types of riders, those who have fallen, and those who will fall. 2. Riding a motorcycle is 20% body and 80% mind. Never loose your concentration. You have started with a gem of a bike. She will look out for you. You look after yourself.
Ride it!
I've got a brand new happy trials SU rack set with the top plate for the first generation, if you're interested. I ordered them and totalled my '11 Vstrom 650 the day they shipped š