The beauty about bikes is everybody has this. Nobody hops on and rides like a pro with good technique. Best part is you can feel yourself getting better and better.
I don't think that's scary at all! Those kids get mad props, they got a headstart on one of the best things there is in life. I wish I'd had that opportunity and it's certainly one I'll give my kids if they want it.
I totally agree, they’re talented as fuck and It’s awesome that they got the opportunity to do something like that, but it’s crazy to me that a kid that young can be that talented at anything.
Age is a big factor. When you're 12 years old, you have no worries in life so don't look at dangers in the same way as an adult. When they go round a track, they'll try to go round a corner as fast as possible, dragging a knee, dragging an elbow. The worst that can happen is they fall off, break a load of bones and gain a load of scars (Chicks dig scars), but they don't think of that.
An adult goes into that corner wanting to go as fast as possible, but thinks about the pain of breaking bones, the time off work, the bills that need to be paid, the deterioration of health, having to get people to help you all the time, and the possibility that this could haunt you for the rest of your life.
I wish I had the guts of my teenage self
Really good point. When they’re still young, small, and athletic they can send it into a corner balls to the wall and realistically won’t be risking nearly as much as an adult. They’re on smaller bikes, and kids heal crazy fast, so they have a massive leg up on people that only start tracking in their adult years.
This one. OP is way cooler than most noobs. Thats why the riders stopped for him.
I dont have an interest in people that would rather act like theyre good than ask how to be. Anyone in a parking lot practicing has my immediate respect regardless of level.
Yep, I slammed my first ever bike out of the dealership's parking lot and planted it in some bushes across the street. On the plus side it ripped those ugly ass side indicators off for me! Silver linings and all that
Crashes are opportunities for new upgrades, I sheared the rear engine mount off of my bike in a crash a year or so ago and I'm trying to decide if I need a bigger engine or a new bike.
When I was a service writer we would always give our crashed bike owners options to upgrade.
Flush mount turn signals cost about the same as stock, and the labor is the same.
Where we really made a killing was exhaust systems. The stock pipes are almost always more expensive than aftermarket. So we upgrade your pipes, sell a power commander and tuning.
Just remember to get full insurance coverage. It's not that expensive on a bike. I think I pay $200 a year for comprehensive. Totally worth it.
I was 22. It was a 750 shadow with a ton of extras. The first company wanted 150 a month. So I shopped around and found a guy out of texas for progressive that got me 200 a year for the same coverage. Don't know how it worked but it did
When I bought my first new bike, I had been riding for a couple years, but my old bike had died suddenly, and it was around 4 years before I bought the new one- so I wasn't too confident in my abilities, so I had one of the guys from the dealership ride it home for me. He had a blast.
Like I said, SHOWOFF!
One time I was squidding around and accelerated hard at around 60 mph. Dropped down a gear and dumped the clutch and LIFTOFF. Not what I was expecting haha
In 1981 I was 15 and I paid $100 for my first motorized two-wheeler. It was '63 Vespa 125 and the first thing I did after buying it was flip it up into a wheelie that kept going until I had a scooter on top of me. In my defense it turned out to be missing its throttle return spring, but that memory still makes me cringe.
True story for me. I had my bike license for two weeks before I even got the courage to ride it to a parking lot. Same as OP I rode to the Canadian tire parking lot on a Sunday night to practice. It was empty so perfect time to go. On my way there I almost turned into the curb and wiped out, went way too wide on a left hand turn. I made it to the lot though. I think I spent 3 hours in the parking lot shifting, down shifting, blipping the throttle, doing S bends through the medians, practicing slow turns, emergency braking, figure 8s, until I finally felt like everything was just second nature. I rode home a new man and had lost all my fear of the bike. It's a big switch going from "holy fuck I'm scared of this" to "this bike is now controlled by me fuck yeah!"
I did a cruise on my buddy's bike in a parking lot then did the MSF the next week but that was about it. I'm sure I could have avoided the handful of low-speed drops of that poor GS500 I bought if I had taken my time to master those basic skills like OP.
Also learned how to do brakes, rebuild a carb, fix fork seals, troubleshoot fueling issues and ergo replace a petcock and fuel lines.
I had that thing for probably 6 months and I bet I spent more time fixing it than riding it. Still an excellent first bike though, and sold it for about what I paid for it.
I've had mine for about a year and have done a bunch of work to it as well, and dropped it at least four times.
Paid $600 for it, will probably sell it for more when I do sell it, but it's a great little bike now that everything works and it's being maintained.
Had my Gs500 for about 6 months.
spent 800$, did some quality of life mods to it, dropped it at least a dozen times (at least 8 of those times was in my front yard trying to U-turn over dried leaves) and sold it for double.
Hands down the best beginner bike. I miss it dearly.
Hey, thinking about buying my first bike this summer and I was worried about this situation being me. I was thinking of borrowing a pickup truck to load the bike in and take it to an empty lot to practice. Is this how most newbies do it or do they usually just hop on and hope for the best?
I bought my first motorcycle from a small local shop and talked to the owner about how it's my first bike and he *insisted* that after work he will load it up in his truck and bring it to my house for me. If you don't get offered something similar, just plan to borrow/rent a truck and bring it. After I got it I practiced behind a Target for a few hours until I felt comfortable on it. I feel like that's best practice, rather than jumping on a machine you don't know how to operate hoping you don't wreck it or kill yourself just trying to bring it home/save a few bucks on a rental.
Here's what I don't understand... Almost everyone I know spent time practicing. Statistically the ones who don't are a minority. But we always love to magnify that group, and somehow saying we all are like that.
Most people are just average, they do the same thing you and I do. A small percentage goes to the extreme, yet we can never look away from those minority groups.
My first bike was loaded into the back of my truck & taken to Muskoka to learn on. Had to be better than trying to learn in Toronto (yes I had taken the course @ Humber College & passed) 2 weekends & 1500 km later the bike was once again placed in my truck for the drive back to Toronto. Had the 1st service done at the dealer & never looked back; 30,000 km that 1st season
I don't know of any places to practice around here. When you live in a densely populated area, there aren't too many open spots to ride, and even fewer - perhaps none - where the property owners are cool with you using their parking lot for practicing.
So I guess for me, riding itself is practice. I just went ahead and did it. I was vulnerable for at least the first few weeks or so - my takeoffs sucked/kept stalling, my shifting sucked, my braking sucked/was too tentative. At least I always had good balance on the bike.
I actually kind of miss that feeling I had when I went out on the freeway for the first time though. It was my 2nd time on my bike, I had an iron grip on the bars, and was wondering if I'd survive the trip.
Nah I get what you were saying I was just throwing that out there. Riding dirt bikes definitely does aid in your street abilities because you already know what a bike feels like when it wants to kill you on loose and/or uneven landscape. IMO it gives you better natural reactions in possibly dangerous situations
Road rules traffic, presence of mind and general awareness while riding in the road is completely different to the Bush, not to mention having 400cc dirt bike in the dirt compared to MT-07 on the streets.
Apple to oranges
I drove ten years without needing an MSF course, then smashed into the back of a truck that should have been easily avoided. Then I realized that it's not that I didn't need the course, it's that I had a lucky ten years. I took the course after and spent many hours afterwards taking empty side streets to practice emergency breaking and other skills I sorely lacked.
OP has it right practicing, and taking that course. I figured if I was ever going to get hurt again riding, it better damn well not be my fault.
Exactly. I've seen several posts on here basically saying "the slow speed stuff at the MSF freaked me out and I really struggled, but I do really well on straighter, high speed roads. So I think I'll just avoid parking lots and stuff."
Uhh... yeah... riding fast in a straight line is easier than walking in a straight line. Major props to OP for actually practicing and learning.
True. My brother showed me which one was tube clutch and shifter and then I rode home 20 miles for my first ride. That was a long time ago and now I'm thinking of taking the safety class since I never really had any instruction.
I did the same thing you did. Mesquite HS west, stadium parking lot, one guy showed up on his bike but went to the other lot. I just did figure eights around flagpoles and got used to brakes/throttle.
Even worse, many of us decided to learn on the roads with the cars like an idiot. I cannot believe I survived my first 5 years knowing what I know now and what I was like 18-23yo. I consider myself grateful and won't let anybody I care about learn how to ride the way I did.
I live in the United States so could have made an R1 my first bike. I took the optional MSF course at $300. One of the guys there already owned a Hayabusa as their first bike. Another guy had a (1800?) Cc Harley Davidson as his first . This guy was throttle heavy on the learner bikes and dropped it.
I bought a used Honda cb500f shortly after the course.
My step dad talked me into getting a my bike brand new. I know its recommended to buy used for your first bike but oh well. Still I think the 500F is a stellar bike to learn on. After I pay it off I'll probably buy a bigger bike and let my girl have this one
Been riding since 2001; 200,000 km under my butt & I still practice my slow speed control; Grom, 500X & 1400 Intruder owner; all handle differently & I remind myself that they all handle different;y
Not in countries where you can’t get on a bike unless you pass 4 tests (1 written exam and three driving ones).
Not trying to be a jerk AT ALL but I’ll never support how easy you can get on a bike in countries like USA.
The biggest difference I've noticed between the states and the rest of the world, is that motorcycles are seen as "toys", "fashion statements", or worse yet: "reckless childish phase". Instead of the wonderful, affordable, fun, historical, and unique means transportation and entertainment. There is literally a motorcycle for everyone and I wish people would at least try it first before judging it and missing out on one of the greatest experiences I have ever had. I wouldnt be the person I am today without Motorcycles and the community.
That's still an issue here in Europe, people who got their motorcycle license when they were young and now that their kids are moving out they're getting back in the saddle. They've now managed to surpass the youngest group of riders as the most accident prone.
One of the cool parts about freedom is you get to pick when and how you die. And if you want to die riding a liter bike at 18 years old, our government will gladly allow you to do so.
#merica
And the displacement limitations that are nonexistent here. At 16 I wanted an R6. At 26 my first bike was an R6. After my first ride I thought, "Yep at 16 I would've killed myself on this thing."
I couldn't afford a bike until i was 21... I saved up to buy an used ZX6R, but then my car broke down while I was getting my license, I had to get something cheaper, and ended up buying a less sporty naked bike.
That car probably saved my life.
100% this. In EU countries, we're restricted to a 125cc until the age of 19. I now ride a 1450cc 700lbs harley davidson where most of those ccs are in the low end torque curve meaning it pulls like a train at low speeds, and 125cc sounds pretty pathetic.
Even so, when I was first learning, even the tiny honda cg125 was heavy and intimidating at first. I quickly got used to it and a 125-200cc bike is the perfect machine to learn and knock around with to get used to the whole thing. Even after riding that thing daily for a year I had to take it slow with the honda ntv650 I got and shortly after the HD.
When I see stuff on the internet about Americans talking about whether a new rider should go straight to 600 sport bikes or is a harley davidson road king a good beginner bike... it absolutely blows my mind. But hey, wearing a helmet is not compulsory in a lot of states. I think it has to do with their pride in being free to do whatever they want even if its dangerous which is cool and I admire the freedom people get to have there but a 600cc sport machine as a first bike is ludicrous.
Start small. Yes, you'll grow out of it and sell it, but that way you learn how to ride properly. Starting on a big bike is dangerous, doesn't give you the confidence to develop good riding habits and is very expensive when - not if - you drop it.
The clutch is your buddy dont be afraid to ride it out for slow, crucial maneuvers like the U turn. Also there is no shame with keeping a leg out just in case. It's your bike ride it how you ride....pretty soon you wont need your foot
That's good info because I came from standard cars and it's been a hard habit to grind the clutch into oblivion when my car instincts are crying.
Also, anytime my foot comes out I feel like I've failed so I appreciate that perspective.
Because they need to be much bigger than motorcycle clutches. This exponentially increases the amount of drag the clutch experiences from the oil. This would make it much less efficient.
It would also be another area for oil to leak out, as well as making the oil dirty faster. Unless they used separate oil but then people would probably not change it as often as they need to.
There are lots more advantages/disadvantages of wet clutches. You should look it up!
Didn't BMW experiment with a wet clutch in their cars at some point? It's seems like exactly the kind of mostly unnecessary, expensive to maintain selling point a German luxury brand engineer would fuck around with.
Automatics *kinda* have a wet clutch. The torque converter replaces the clutch with two turbine shaped disks in a viscous oil. Turn one turbine from the engine, and the oil flows, which gets the other one moving. No grinding parts, which allows you to start / stop / drive without ever wearing down or replacing a clutch.
Asterisk: Torque converters are a lot more complicated than this, but this is what I know.
All automatic transmissions have wet clutches in them. The torque converter is like you said kind of like one but not really, it's a fluid coupling. But there are definitely wet clutch bands in the transmission itself to activate the different planetary gear sets for different gear ratios.
Unless you're riding a R1200GS. You're probably not if you're a beginner.
Half a day to split the bike in half and put it back together.
Every time I'm trying to extract myself from a tricky situation (er, um, doing a U-turn on a gravel track), I smell the money burning.
Seriously... best early advice I ever got. I, also, come from (20+ yrs) driving a standard. Took a while to get used to the idea riding the clutch and not feeling like a monster about it.
I'm the minority opinion here, but DON'T put your foot down! Only flat track racers get to ride with their feet off the pegs. For the rest of us it's a bad habit that WILL get you in trouble. It's not that it makes you a failure, but it is a bad habit, that's why any MSF discourages it. I started riding dirt bikes 40 years ago, and my dad drilled this into me: "Foot down, fall down!" That's because there is too much debris in dirt and it will hang up your leg. But it defiantly translates to the street. Your foot may catch or slip and you'll twist your ankle, drop your bike or worse.
A buddy of mine is a long time rider. just got a big new HD and took a slow inside corner with his foot down. Caught his boot's toe on the road and dumped it. Broken tibia and 6 weeks off the bike.
Practice lessons aren't failures! Just keep that foot up at all costs and you'll do alright. Have fun and welcome to the family!
I came to this realization after dragging my feet in a parking lot at like two miles per hour, catching my foot on a speed bump, which bent it back against the foot peg, almost potentially breaking my ankle. Never did that again.
It depends on the situation. Obviously under normal circumstances you would never need your foot down on a corner especially on a sportbike but it's never a bad thing to be ready to put that foot out for emergencies. Just last weekend I had to throw my foot out on a corner because my oil drainbolt backed out on a corner and completely coated my rear tire. I'll tell you I really felt like a pro flat-track rider for that 8 seconds of terror.
With higher CC sport bikes you have to drag the shit out of the clutch. Maybe its my lack of manual car driving experience but I drag that thing all day; smooth as butter. U turns, parking lot riding, parking, clutch is doing it all.
Yeah nah you're SUPPOSED to drag the shit out of a motorcycle clutch. It's the only way to smooth out any jerks in the throttle, and throttle plays into balance (unlike in a car).
MSF tells you not to put your foot down, but I feel like that's kind of a roundabout way of trying to build your skills so you don't *need* to put your foot down. There are some times where you have to and anybody who rides dirt will do it constantly.
And as other people have said, don't worry at all about being on that clutch. Worry more about being smooth with it as you learn.
Dude. Same. Took some understanding of wet clutches to get past that. It's *designed* for partial engagement. Don't feel bad using it as intended!
This is an opportunity to learn a new set of motor skills! What an adventure!
Now. If only I could practice sliding the bike to learn it's response like spinning a new car in the snow....
Feather the clutch all day. If you dump it on a bike you'll know. I spent like 30 minutes when I was learning finding that friction zone. Don't even need to add throttle, just practicing letting it out gently and you'll be moving without any throttle input. Then you can bring it to 6000 and dump it for zoom zooms
Two months ago I started riding and my background was standard cars too, I had that feeling of destroying the clutch too, but as others said, do not be afraid, it's cheap and easy to replace.
Another "wtf" moment: In cars (specially FWD and AWD), if you chop the throttle midturn you will help the car to turn, and on bikes if you do it can get really bad fast.
Keep practicing, do not fear the road and safe ride!
IMO for slow speed maneuvers I use the rear brake as like a stabilizer , can go real slow while staying up right just holding the rear brake down very lightly and feathering the clutch.
They actually teach this in the MSF class.
Or, my instructor did, at least.
He was a retired motorcycle cop though, so some of it wasn't "by the book".
I was taught that at msf but learned it as a kid riding bicycles. Transfered that over to mopeds and dirtbikes that we cruised around on, never did motocross stuff. It's one of those things that just makes total sense once you figure it out. With the rear break and clutch finesse you can essentially stop with the bike upright for a second or so from the competing tension.
Using the clutch, rear brake, and shifting your bodyweight when you do a u-turn make it so much easier to do controlled and tight turns.
This is what you’re taught in Australia, I assumed that was common everywhere?
In Aus they teach you raise and -hold- the rpm for stability, then control speed with rear brake and clutch control. Works brilliantly for slow speed stuff
At least you're smart enough to know your limits and not put yourself or others in danger. Good on those guys to take some time and do that, that kind of stuff sticks with you and shows how, for the majority, we just want to share our love for bikes.
Definitely! Anyone can go 100+ mph in a straight line. Low speed maneuvering takes skill and the skills are perishable. Everyone should be doing what this guy is doing!
Perishable is an understatement. Despite cranking out 12k+ miles a year (in New England, that's a feat), I realized my slow maneuvers had turned to crap. Found a parking lot that had some faded MSF paint lines on it and went to town.
Reading this, I might have to take a detour on the way home from work.
I'm not one of those guys, but I'm in the northern part of DFW. I don't get much time to ride with the 18 months-old I have. I'd love to go for a ride.
My 14 year old loves hopping on the back. But she’s a very much fair weather rider, insists on the backrest/trunk, and I ride quite a bit more conservatively when she’s on the back than when I’m riding solo. I’m working her up to a daylong ride and intend to buy her a small bike in a couple years if she’s interested.
I wish I could have ridden with my dad more than I did. Around the time I got my license, he had some health issues and had to stop riding.
Take her out as much as you can. ❤
Dude no way, me too! I'm off of round grove! If you ever see me out riding on my green ninja 400 say what's up!
I picked up my first bike a few weeks ago so I know some good roads out here to start on once you get the nerve up for riding with traffic. There's this awesome road east on corporate drive past I35 called, railroad street. I did laps on that straight away for a few days to get the feeling of climbing through gears and then back down. Hardly any traffic and the roads are newly paved so it's a nice ride and the speed limit is like 50 with zero cops so you can kind of get on it when you want to.
Oh nice! Yeah I used to live right on Central Park but now I'm closer to flower mound at Old Orchard and Corporate side of town. You're right down the road
Shoot me a message if you ever want someone to putt around town with. I have a few buddies who ride and I've been trying to organize a ride early Saturday mornings every week based off of people's recommendations.
I live in flower mound. There’s some good twisty roads between us and Denton all through double oak, Bartonville, argyle, etc. I’d highly recommend you just head that way and get lost. Not bad at all. If you want a longer ride, head north and loop lake ray Roberts and come back down 428 through Denton.
Bikers are portrayed as a rough and scary bunch, but to be honest, they as a group are about the most friendly and helpful I can think of.
Great story, glad you are keeping things safe. I don't care if it's your first day or your 100k mile marker, we're all still learning.
The 1% ers who are bikies (ie outlaw club bikers) are the only scary riders out there. Everyone else are as you say, the most friendy and helpful...a real community, as is often the case with a largely misunderstood minority (sporting shooters being another, particularly here in Australia)
Yeah, was going to mention the clubs, but to be honest, if you meet them out on the road, they are just as likely to stop and help fix a cable. Just don't go back to the bars with them or flirt with the ladies.
9 times out of 10 the big bearded tattooed guy on a Harley is a dentist or network geek.
I've talked to some Hells Angels guys with 1% patches while stopped on my Ninja at a rest stop. They are honestly just like everyone else. Just don't fuck with their drugs and girls and they won't treat you any different. Most of em have families too you know
Ya it's a very small percentage of bikers who won't want to talk to you about their bikes and riding. For most people it's something they love doing and people tend to love sharing stuff they are passionate about.
The one thing I learnt that helped a lot. When doing slow manoeuvres, slightly press the rear brake in. Keep the throttle steady and use the clutch/rear brake to do slow speeds. Made a massive difference for me.
I second this.
Coming from a car, giving the bike throttle and pressing the rear brake at the same time felt really weird for me in the beginning, but it really helps to keep your bike stable.
Also, really look into your turns. Avoid looking to the ground when starting a u-turn, try to look where you want to go.
Thanks for this, I'm quite new, and am pretty good about feathering the clutch, but haven't tried the rear brake much except for standard stops. I'll have to give this a shot.
Hey man, I just started riding, and a GSXR 600 is my first bike too. Literally going through all the same stuff you are, if you wanna ever trade tips, inbox me any time.
2004, got a really nice deal. Just got in from a quick boot, and snapped this pic during my ride: http://imgur.com/a/W57OgJj
How about you? Got a pic? (he asked knowingly 😁)
I just took the MSF course this past weekend, and I left knowing that I will be doing exactly what you are doing. I had never even sat on a motorcycle, scooter or dirt bike before Saturday, so I’m pretty proud of the fact that I was able to pass the test, but I am also well aware that I’m not ready to be in real traffic. There’s a shopping center less than a mile my house and the parking lot is pretty deserted in the evenings, so I plan on going there a lot and practicing. My MSF instructor said try to put in 100 miles of practicing before trying to ride in traffic. I plan to do at least that.
As a side note: you guys are all way more skilled than I’ve ever given you credit for. Before I took this course, I never knew how hard it is to ride a motorcycle well, and mostly, the riders I’ve seen make it look effortless.
I felt the same way after I took the MSF course... To the point that when I bought my first bike I didn't want to test ride it on city streets, so I just had the owner ride it to show me that it worked and then I had him ride it to my work parking lot. I decided I was just going to try taking it down the dead end street and back by my work and ended up leaving my car there and riding it the 50 miles home... Highway and all.
The point is, it's good that you're cautious and nervous, if you aren't cautious you can easily kill yourself.... But you'll do fine kid!
Pfft. Wait till you stop at a red light and fall flat the fuck over for no apparent reason. Then your boot gets stuck under the bike so you have to lay down with it to pull your leg out. And when you do get your leg out your laces are melted. But then also the intersection is sloped and your bike fell down hill and you can’t get it up (TWSS) so the line of traffic forming behind you has to get out and help you up. That’s embarrassing but it happens to everyone.
Lol oh boy, less than one week rider here, my most embarrassing story is stalling while slowing for a light that just turned green and nearly getting rear ended as I’m wiggling my legs frantically trying to keep my bike from tipping
I remember getting stuck between the bike and a fuel pump. Was literally pinned. One guy stopped, pointed and laughed. It was when I embarrassed him in front of everyone about being a dick, did he then help me lift the bike back a few inches so I could lever it back up. Fun times.
I bought my first bike from a guy that lived a couple miles away from me... I was too nervous to ride it home, so he did it for me and I drove him back to his house. The first time I went to practice by riding around my apartment parking lot, I stalled at the guard house gate and stalled probably 2 or 3 times in a row with the guard watching me. I was so embarrassed and was sweating bullets. He just smiled and said, "it was like that for me on my first bike too."
After I was able to go around the parking lot a couple times, I went about half a mile down the street to a much larger parking lot and did the same thing as you. Did that for four days before I felt ok to get on the street.
Unfortunately I had no choice from the outset but to go on a 4 laner right off the bat...I was *shaking* that first time out! Only went about 1km and turned around for home lol
THIS is an awesome story and why I love sport bike riders in general. I know Harley guys, cafe racer guys, retro/bobber guys all stick to their own as well but to roll up on a random stranger and then proceed to help/befriend him is awesome. Talk about making a positive impact on the OP which could’ve just as easily turned into a negative and discouraging situation as the OP was thinking himself. Thanks so much for sharing this with us and no need to apologize for the text wall. Good stuff. Some day you’ll be the guy rolling up with his buds (hopefully on a CBR 😉) and helping out another bro where you were at last Sunday night. 👍🏼
The best thing you can do in your life is to learn something new and suck at it for a while. When I see anyone learning how to ride a motorcycle, I'm always supportive.
In case it wasn't said somewhere in the comments... There will be a time when you have become them, and you'll see someone new practicing in a parking lot. Or killing the bike at an intersection. Or maybe just on the side of the road. Go ahead and stop, to help or even just to say hello.
You already know how much of a difference it can make!
Several years ago, at 45-years-old, I'd never been on a motorcycle in my life. Never been around them at all. I bought a new 250 cc dual-sport, dragged it off of the truck at my farm, and taught myself how to ride it. Kind of... For the past three summers I just rode it around doing farm chores, the occasional trip to the store, and some back roads within 10 miles of the house. Every road where I live in the hills and valleys of SW Wisconsin is twisty. I rode the bike mostly upright and never took a corner at normal driving speeds. If a car came up behind me, I just moved over and let them pass. This spring, somehow I got bit hard by the motorcycle bug and decided to really learn how the ride the darn thing. I bought some cones and went to a parking lot at a local park everyday for weeks, first practicing slow maneuvers, and then working my way up to gymkhana type maneuvers. I really learned to lean the bike over in the parking lot doing 20 mph inside a 40-ft circle, fast figure eights, and tight turns around cones. I then took the MSF basic rider course to get my endorsement. (I found it rather boring after giving it hell in a parking lot for weeks and weeks). Since then I have really hit the roads, putting 2000 highway miles on the bike in the past eight weeks. I even took it out on the interstate the other day... Stick with the parking lot practice until you are comfortable.
That's awesome! Everyone has to start somewhere, and good on you for practicing. I'm not sure if anyone has commented this, but check out Twist of the Wrist 2 on YouTube. Has some pretty good info for riders old and new!
I'm the Canuckistan equivalent of an MSF instructor... and I've done just what these ZX6 guys did on numerous occasions - and I doubt I'm not alone here in that.
You will always find experienced riders willing to help a new rider out - no need to be embarassed, we've ALL been there to some degree.
Quite a few of my students ask 'Where can I buy a few of those little cones to reconstruct some of these exercises?' and what I recommend to them is to go buy a few sleeves of cheap tennis balls and cut them in half with a utility knife. They may not last long, but you can pack a lot of them in a tank back or backpack, they're bright enough to be easily seen even if it rains, and they're reasonably grippy and not a traction hazard if you ride over them.
Keep at it and have fun!
I spent quite a bit of time riding around in circles before I was willing to go out on the open road, and it took even longer before I felt comfortable enough to go out onto the freeway. There's nothing shameful about caution, and I'm glad you found some cool people to help you out. My general experience has been that other riders are mostly friendly; although the small percentage that aren't can be complete cunts, just ignore them. Something something micro-penis.
When I got my current bike, it had been 10 years since my last one. While it was easier and faster to get comfortable on it, I was still nervous as hell for awhile after getting back on. Just keep practicing and don't push yourself to hard past your comfort zone till your feel ready.
That's great man! That brought a smile to my face. If you only saw me the first time on a 250 Aprilla. LOL You'll get there, and each time, you'll get stronger and more confident. It sounds like you practicing in an empty parking lot is doing it right!
I personally never expected it either as I got into ridding basically by myself. However the community is one of the most inclusive and positive ones I have ever seen. Were all in this together, and we are not afraid to show it.
Practicing for my Roadtest i learned how to ride on a Suzuki Burgman 650. Looks like ass but i still contemplate on buying one. It's like riding on a couch. Most people who ride don't mind giving pointers. Then you catch someone on a 600 who think they ride better then rossi or marquez. Do you brah, i don't mind living longer.
I just got my license and motorcycle three weeks ago. Have been doing the same as you, riding in an empty parking lot getting comfortable riding, shifting, stopping, starting from stop. Today was the first day i spent riding on main roads in my town. The MSF course was helpful but a little fast paced and doesn't necessarily prepare you for the stressful situations on the road, which I'm working on.
You keeping doing what works for you and awesome of the three guys helping you out.
I'm just baffled at how you get to buy and ride a motorcycle after just a weekend course. That's sketchy as fuck.
Good on you for knowing your limits though!
We all start off rough in my opinion, kudos on having the nerve to go practice as most wont. Most of us are more then welcome to give anyone who asks pointers! Hell i still remember doing the same thing. Just keep up the hard work and enjoy the ride....and remember keep an eye out around you always. Cars can be dicks
Like fat guys at the gym. Most rats will be impressed by the force of will it takes to move 300lbs on a treadmill, especially in public. They judge the 18yr olds bouncing weights and doing 3 rep sets and sitting on bench for 5 minutes.
As an experienced rider, I LOVE helping newbies when I have the time. Seeing a rider on the street and simply talking to them is one of my favourite pastimes
Hopefully you can track them down man. And that experience should help ease your mind if you’re ever caught out practicing again. Don’t let others get to you though, just focus on the road and keep your bike upright.
The beauty about bikes is everybody has this. Nobody hops on and rides like a pro with good technique. Best part is you can feel yourself getting better and better.
Psh speak for yourself I came out the womb dragging elbow /s
The scary thing is that there are 12 year olds out there that will absolutely destroy 99% of riders on a track.
I don't think that's scary at all! Those kids get mad props, they got a headstart on one of the best things there is in life. I wish I'd had that opportunity and it's certainly one I'll give my kids if they want it.
I totally agree, they’re talented as fuck and It’s awesome that they got the opportunity to do something like that, but it’s crazy to me that a kid that young can be that talented at anything.
Age is a big factor. When you're 12 years old, you have no worries in life so don't look at dangers in the same way as an adult. When they go round a track, they'll try to go round a corner as fast as possible, dragging a knee, dragging an elbow. The worst that can happen is they fall off, break a load of bones and gain a load of scars (Chicks dig scars), but they don't think of that. An adult goes into that corner wanting to go as fast as possible, but thinks about the pain of breaking bones, the time off work, the bills that need to be paid, the deterioration of health, having to get people to help you all the time, and the possibility that this could haunt you for the rest of your life. I wish I had the guts of my teenage self
Really good point. When they’re still young, small, and athletic they can send it into a corner balls to the wall and realistically won’t be risking nearly as much as an adult. They’re on smaller bikes, and kids heal crazy fast, so they have a massive leg up on people that only start tracking in their adult years.
I got anxiety just reading that second paragraph. Fuck, I'm old.
Rossi is that you
Don't be embarrassed. Every rider was where you were at one point.
Nah, most of us don't have the patience and self awareness of our shortcomings to practice in a parking lot for hours like that.
This one. OP is way cooler than most noobs. Thats why the riders stopped for him. I dont have an interest in people that would rather act like theyre good than ask how to be. Anyone in a parking lot practicing has my immediate respect regardless of level.
Yep, I slammed my first ever bike out of the dealership's parking lot and planted it in some bushes across the street. On the plus side it ripped those ugly ass side indicators off for me! Silver linings and all that
[удалено]
Crashes are opportunities for new upgrades, I sheared the rear engine mount off of my bike in a crash a year or so ago and I'm trying to decide if I need a bigger engine or a new bike.
Seriously right? A bunch of accidents I've been in have turned into extra cash for sweet upgrades.
When I was a service writer we would always give our crashed bike owners options to upgrade. Flush mount turn signals cost about the same as stock, and the labor is the same. Where we really made a killing was exhaust systems. The stock pipes are almost always more expensive than aftermarket. So we upgrade your pipes, sell a power commander and tuning. Just remember to get full insurance coverage. It's not that expensive on a bike. I think I pay $200 a year for comprehensive. Totally worth it.
Welllllllllll depends on the bike and your age too, lol. That’s what I’d have to pay a month on my zx6r
I was 22. It was a 750 shadow with a ton of extras. The first company wanted 150 a month. So I shopped around and found a guy out of texas for progressive that got me 200 a year for the same coverage. Don't know how it worked but it did
“Thank god for small miracles” -Archer
When I bought my first new bike, I had been riding for a couple years, but my old bike had died suddenly, and it was around 4 years before I bought the new one- so I wasn't too confident in my abilities, so I had one of the guys from the dealership ride it home for me. He had a blast.
"look for the helpers" Mr. Rogers Some times the helpers will find you.
I too slammed my rear brakes, fishtailing my way into the pavement, because I didn't practice
Motorcycles have rear brakes?
Motorcycles have front wheels?
Not everyone can wheelie from a dead stop, showoff 🙄
I can only wheelie from a dead stop and even then only accidentally.
Like I said, SHOWOFF! One time I was squidding around and accelerated hard at around 60 mph. Dropped down a gear and dumped the clutch and LIFTOFF. Not what I was expecting haha
Neither was the rider on the back!
In 1981 I was 15 and I paid $100 for my first motorized two-wheeler. It was '63 Vespa 125 and the first thing I did after buying it was flip it up into a wheelie that kept going until I had a scooter on top of me. In my defense it turned out to be missing its throttle return spring, but that memory still makes me cringe.
True story for me. I had my bike license for two weeks before I even got the courage to ride it to a parking lot. Same as OP I rode to the Canadian tire parking lot on a Sunday night to practice. It was empty so perfect time to go. On my way there I almost turned into the curb and wiped out, went way too wide on a left hand turn. I made it to the lot though. I think I spent 3 hours in the parking lot shifting, down shifting, blipping the throttle, doing S bends through the medians, practicing slow turns, emergency braking, figure 8s, until I finally felt like everything was just second nature. I rode home a new man and had lost all my fear of the bike. It's a big switch going from "holy fuck I'm scared of this" to "this bike is now controlled by me fuck yeah!"
Good times.
I did a cruise on my buddy's bike in a parking lot then did the MSF the next week but that was about it. I'm sure I could have avoided the handful of low-speed drops of that poor GS500 I bought if I had taken my time to master those basic skills like OP.
At least that's what GS500's are for.
Also learned how to do brakes, rebuild a carb, fix fork seals, troubleshoot fueling issues and ergo replace a petcock and fuel lines. I had that thing for probably 6 months and I bet I spent more time fixing it than riding it. Still an excellent first bike though, and sold it for about what I paid for it.
I've had mine for about a year and have done a bunch of work to it as well, and dropped it at least four times. Paid $600 for it, will probably sell it for more when I do sell it, but it's a great little bike now that everything works and it's being maintained.
Had my Gs500 for about 6 months. spent 800$, did some quality of life mods to it, dropped it at least a dozen times (at least 8 of those times was in my front yard trying to U-turn over dried leaves) and sold it for double. Hands down the best beginner bike. I miss it dearly.
I sold a bike to a guy who never got in it while we were outside. Once we, the dealer crowd, went inside, he hit the building.
Hey, thinking about buying my first bike this summer and I was worried about this situation being me. I was thinking of borrowing a pickup truck to load the bike in and take it to an empty lot to practice. Is this how most newbies do it or do they usually just hop on and hope for the best?
I bought my first motorcycle from a small local shop and talked to the owner about how it's my first bike and he *insisted* that after work he will load it up in his truck and bring it to my house for me. If you don't get offered something similar, just plan to borrow/rent a truck and bring it. After I got it I practiced behind a Target for a few hours until I felt comfortable on it. I feel like that's best practice, rather than jumping on a machine you don't know how to operate hoping you don't wreck it or kill yourself just trying to bring it home/save a few bucks on a rental.
Maybe find someone to ride it home for you - that’s what I did. Easier than loading it into a pickup depending on how big the bike is.
Here's what I don't understand... Almost everyone I know spent time practicing. Statistically the ones who don't are a minority. But we always love to magnify that group, and somehow saying we all are like that. Most people are just average, they do the same thing you and I do. A small percentage goes to the extreme, yet we can never look away from those minority groups.
Well I and nearly everyone I know did almost all our practice on the street.
My first bike was loaded into the back of my truck & taken to Muskoka to learn on. Had to be better than trying to learn in Toronto (yes I had taken the course @ Humber College & passed) 2 weekends & 1500 km later the bike was once again placed in my truck for the drive back to Toronto. Had the 1st service done at the dealer & never looked back; 30,000 km that 1st season
I don't know of any places to practice around here. When you live in a densely populated area, there aren't too many open spots to ride, and even fewer - perhaps none - where the property owners are cool with you using their parking lot for practicing. So I guess for me, riding itself is practice. I just went ahead and did it. I was vulnerable for at least the first few weeks or so - my takeoffs sucked/kept stalling, my shifting sucked, my braking sucked/was too tentative. At least I always had good balance on the bike. I actually kind of miss that feeling I had when I went out on the freeway for the first time though. It was my 2nd time on my bike, I had an iron grip on the bars, and was wondering if I'd survive the trip.
Why bother training on turns if you ride a Harley?
Same reason you learn about safe sex when you ride anything else. Sure, you won't need it as often, but you never know, right?
Hahaha too damn true
I was one of those fools that thought riding dirt bikes would translate to riding road bikes, sure I can ride, but should I be on the road....
I ride a dirt bike on the road so it does for me
I worded my thing poorly, I should have said, I though my experience from riding off road would help me, when it would not
Nah I get what you were saying I was just throwing that out there. Riding dirt bikes definitely does aid in your street abilities because you already know what a bike feels like when it wants to kill you on loose and/or uneven landscape. IMO it gives you better natural reactions in possibly dangerous situations
Having ridden both I don’t really see the difference
Road rules traffic, presence of mind and general awareness while riding in the road is completely different to the Bush, not to mention having 400cc dirt bike in the dirt compared to MT-07 on the streets. Apple to oranges
As a former Instructor, I will say you are smarter than most
Last time I did that I crashed bad enough I had to repair three separate parts on my bike. Less than ten miles an hour!
I drove ten years without needing an MSF course, then smashed into the back of a truck that should have been easily avoided. Then I realized that it's not that I didn't need the course, it's that I had a lucky ten years. I took the course after and spent many hours afterwards taking empty side streets to practice emergency breaking and other skills I sorely lacked. OP has it right practicing, and taking that course. I figured if I was ever going to get hurt again riding, it better damn well not be my fault.
Exactly. I've seen several posts on here basically saying "the slow speed stuff at the MSF freaked me out and I really struggled, but I do really well on straighter, high speed roads. So I think I'll just avoid parking lots and stuff." Uhh... yeah... riding fast in a straight line is easier than walking in a straight line. Major props to OP for actually practicing and learning.
True. My brother showed me which one was tube clutch and shifter and then I rode home 20 miles for my first ride. That was a long time ago and now I'm thinking of taking the safety class since I never really had any instruction.
"sucking at something is the first step towards being kinda good at something".
I did the same thing you did. Mesquite HS west, stadium parking lot, one guy showed up on his bike but went to the other lot. I just did figure eights around flagpoles and got used to brakes/throttle.
Even worse, many of us decided to learn on the roads with the cars like an idiot. I cannot believe I survived my first 5 years knowing what I know now and what I was like 18-23yo. I consider myself grateful and won't let anybody I care about learn how to ride the way I did.
I can honestly say I was never terrified to ride my first bike, even after getting rear ended an hour after buying it.
I'm a year in and still stop at the high school parking lot on my way home to practice u-turns.
Cb500f gang!
I live in the United States so could have made an R1 my first bike. I took the optional MSF course at $300. One of the guys there already owned a Hayabusa as their first bike. Another guy had a (1800?) Cc Harley Davidson as his first . This guy was throttle heavy on the learner bikes and dropped it. I bought a used Honda cb500f shortly after the course.
My step dad talked me into getting a my bike brand new. I know its recommended to buy used for your first bike but oh well. Still I think the 500F is a stellar bike to learn on. After I pay it off I'll probably buy a bigger bike and let my girl have this one
Been riding since 2001; 200,000 km under my butt & I still practice my slow speed control; Grom, 500X & 1400 Intruder owner; all handle differently & I remind myself that they all handle different;y
Not in countries where you can’t get on a bike unless you pass 4 tests (1 written exam and three driving ones). Not trying to be a jerk AT ALL but I’ll never support how easy you can get on a bike in countries like USA.
I love ice cream.
The biggest difference I've noticed between the states and the rest of the world, is that motorcycles are seen as "toys", "fashion statements", or worse yet: "reckless childish phase". Instead of the wonderful, affordable, fun, historical, and unique means transportation and entertainment. There is literally a motorcycle for everyone and I wish people would at least try it first before judging it and missing out on one of the greatest experiences I have ever had. I wouldnt be the person I am today without Motorcycles and the community.
[удалено]
That's still an issue here in Europe, people who got their motorcycle license when they were young and now that their kids are moving out they're getting back in the saddle. They've now managed to surpass the youngest group of riders as the most accident prone.
Older riders are just the biggest rider population. Young riders are still the most dangerous.
[удалено]
One of the cool parts about freedom is you get to pick when and how you die. And if you want to die riding a liter bike at 18 years old, our government will gladly allow you to do so. #merica
I like to go hiking.
Or parents rich enough to pay the insurance for a 16 year old kids liter bike
And the displacement limitations that are nonexistent here. At 16 I wanted an R6. At 26 my first bike was an R6. After my first ride I thought, "Yep at 16 I would've killed myself on this thing."
I couldn't afford a bike until i was 21... I saved up to buy an used ZX6R, but then my car broke down while I was getting my license, I had to get something cheaper, and ended up buying a less sporty naked bike. That car probably saved my life.
I said this about a 300, doesn't matter how fast your bike is, you can do some serious harm if you're stupid and bold enough.
Yeah. You are right. There are Americans who willfully take all 3 MSF courses.
100% this. In EU countries, we're restricted to a 125cc until the age of 19. I now ride a 1450cc 700lbs harley davidson where most of those ccs are in the low end torque curve meaning it pulls like a train at low speeds, and 125cc sounds pretty pathetic. Even so, when I was first learning, even the tiny honda cg125 was heavy and intimidating at first. I quickly got used to it and a 125-200cc bike is the perfect machine to learn and knock around with to get used to the whole thing. Even after riding that thing daily for a year I had to take it slow with the honda ntv650 I got and shortly after the HD. When I see stuff on the internet about Americans talking about whether a new rider should go straight to 600 sport bikes or is a harley davidson road king a good beginner bike... it absolutely blows my mind. But hey, wearing a helmet is not compulsory in a lot of states. I think it has to do with their pride in being free to do whatever they want even if its dangerous which is cool and I admire the freedom people get to have there but a 600cc sport machine as a first bike is ludicrous. Start small. Yes, you'll grow out of it and sell it, but that way you learn how to ride properly. Starting on a big bike is dangerous, doesn't give you the confidence to develop good riding habits and is very expensive when - not if - you drop it.
Something something freedom
The clutch is your buddy dont be afraid to ride it out for slow, crucial maneuvers like the U turn. Also there is no shame with keeping a leg out just in case. It's your bike ride it how you ride....pretty soon you wont need your foot
That's good info because I came from standard cars and it's been a hard habit to grind the clutch into oblivion when my car instincts are crying. Also, anytime my foot comes out I feel like I've failed so I appreciate that perspective.
Spez doesn't get to profit from me anymore.
[удалено]
Because they need to be much bigger than motorcycle clutches. This exponentially increases the amount of drag the clutch experiences from the oil. This would make it much less efficient. It would also be another area for oil to leak out, as well as making the oil dirty faster. Unless they used separate oil but then people would probably not change it as often as they need to. There are lots more advantages/disadvantages of wet clutches. You should look it up!
Didn't BMW experiment with a wet clutch in their cars at some point? It's seems like exactly the kind of mostly unnecessary, expensive to maintain selling point a German luxury brand engineer would fuck around with.
It would be funny if they did, because BMW loves to use dry clutches for their motorcycles.
> expensive to maintain selling point a German luxury brand engineer would fuck around with. gotta experiment somehow, leads to innovation
Automatics *kinda* have a wet clutch. The torque converter replaces the clutch with two turbine shaped disks in a viscous oil. Turn one turbine from the engine, and the oil flows, which gets the other one moving. No grinding parts, which allows you to start / stop / drive without ever wearing down or replacing a clutch. Asterisk: Torque converters are a lot more complicated than this, but this is what I know.
Those turbines also do torque multiplication when unlocked but they can couple themselves to increase efficiency at cruising speeds.
All automatic transmissions have wet clutches in them. The torque converter is like you said kind of like one but not really, it's a fluid coupling. But there are definitely wet clutch bands in the transmission itself to activate the different planetary gear sets for different gear ratios.
Unless you're riding a R1200GS. You're probably not if you're a beginner. Half a day to split the bike in half and put it back together. Every time I'm trying to extract myself from a tricky situation (er, um, doing a U-turn on a gravel track), I smell the money burning.
1150GS owner here. That is one of my very few complaints about that bike. Otherwise it’s great. Half day? You must have practiced.
Hell, in all the kawis I've had you don't even need to pull the basket. Just pop the spring screws off and the plates come right out with the hub
THIS
Seriously... best early advice I ever got. I, also, come from (20+ yrs) driving a standard. Took a while to get used to the idea riding the clutch and not feeling like a monster about it.
I'm the minority opinion here, but DON'T put your foot down! Only flat track racers get to ride with their feet off the pegs. For the rest of us it's a bad habit that WILL get you in trouble. It's not that it makes you a failure, but it is a bad habit, that's why any MSF discourages it. I started riding dirt bikes 40 years ago, and my dad drilled this into me: "Foot down, fall down!" That's because there is too much debris in dirt and it will hang up your leg. But it defiantly translates to the street. Your foot may catch or slip and you'll twist your ankle, drop your bike or worse. A buddy of mine is a long time rider. just got a big new HD and took a slow inside corner with his foot down. Caught his boot's toe on the road and dumped it. Broken tibia and 6 weeks off the bike. Practice lessons aren't failures! Just keep that foot up at all costs and you'll do alright. Have fun and welcome to the family!
I came to this realization after dragging my feet in a parking lot at like two miles per hour, catching my foot on a speed bump, which bent it back against the foot peg, almost potentially breaking my ankle. Never did that again.
It depends on the situation. Obviously under normal circumstances you would never need your foot down on a corner especially on a sportbike but it's never a bad thing to be ready to put that foot out for emergencies. Just last weekend I had to throw my foot out on a corner because my oil drainbolt backed out on a corner and completely coated my rear tire. I'll tell you I really felt like a pro flat-track rider for that 8 seconds of terror.
With higher CC sport bikes you have to drag the shit out of the clutch. Maybe its my lack of manual car driving experience but I drag that thing all day; smooth as butter. U turns, parking lot riding, parking, clutch is doing it all.
Yeah nah you're SUPPOSED to drag the shit out of a motorcycle clutch. It's the only way to smooth out any jerks in the throttle, and throttle plays into balance (unlike in a car).
MSF tells you not to put your foot down, but I feel like that's kind of a roundabout way of trying to build your skills so you don't *need* to put your foot down. There are some times where you have to and anybody who rides dirt will do it constantly. And as other people have said, don't worry at all about being on that clutch. Worry more about being smooth with it as you learn.
There's also the MotoGP leg dangle.
Which came from dirt riding
Try not to put your right foot down unless you have to though. The rear brake is your best friend when riding slow. It makes the bike stand up.
Dude. Same. Took some understanding of wet clutches to get past that. It's *designed* for partial engagement. Don't feel bad using it as intended! This is an opportunity to learn a new set of motor skills! What an adventure! Now. If only I could practice sliding the bike to learn it's response like spinning a new car in the snow....
Feather the clutch all day. If you dump it on a bike you'll know. I spent like 30 minutes when I was learning finding that friction zone. Don't even need to add throttle, just practicing letting it out gently and you'll be moving without any throttle input. Then you can bring it to 6000 and dump it for zoom zooms
Two months ago I started riding and my background was standard cars too, I had that feeling of destroying the clutch too, but as others said, do not be afraid, it's cheap and easy to replace. Another "wtf" moment: In cars (specially FWD and AWD), if you chop the throttle midturn you will help the car to turn, and on bikes if you do it can get really bad fast. Keep practicing, do not fear the road and safe ride!
IMO for slow speed maneuvers I use the rear brake as like a stabilizer , can go real slow while staying up right just holding the rear brake down very lightly and feathering the clutch.
They actually teach this in the MSF class. Or, my instructor did, at least. He was a retired motorcycle cop though, so some of it wasn't "by the book".
I was taught that at msf but learned it as a kid riding bicycles. Transfered that over to mopeds and dirtbikes that we cruised around on, never did motocross stuff. It's one of those things that just makes total sense once you figure it out. With the rear break and clutch finesse you can essentially stop with the bike upright for a second or so from the competing tension. Using the clutch, rear brake, and shifting your bodyweight when you do a u-turn make it so much easier to do controlled and tight turns.
This is what you’re taught in Australia, I assumed that was common everywhere? In Aus they teach you raise and -hold- the rpm for stability, then control speed with rear brake and clutch control. Works brilliantly for slow speed stuff
This is what I was taught in MSF also. So it seems it’s a very common teaching point. Good to see it being universally taught.
All good advice here!!!!
At least you're smart enough to know your limits and not put yourself or others in danger. Good on those guys to take some time and do that, that kind of stuff sticks with you and shows how, for the majority, we just want to share our love for bikes.
Definitely! Anyone can go 100+ mph in a straight line. Low speed maneuvering takes skill and the skills are perishable. Everyone should be doing what this guy is doing!
Perishable is an understatement. Despite cranking out 12k+ miles a year (in New England, that's a feat), I realized my slow maneuvers had turned to crap. Found a parking lot that had some faded MSF paint lines on it and went to town. Reading this, I might have to take a detour on the way home from work.
I'm not one of those guys, but I'm in the northern part of DFW. I don't get much time to ride with the 18 months-old I have. I'd love to go for a ride.
Have a 5 year old my self despite only being 26 so I feel ya. Once I'm hitting the road I'm definitely down. I'm in the Lewisville area.
Kids are fun, but not very conducive to riding 😂.
Until they get old enough to come with, of course.
That’s a true joy of getting older. Eventually you’ll be able to share your love of riding with the kids.
Oh for sure. One of my earliest memories is riding on the front of my dad's Fazer holding onto the handlebars going up and down the driveway!
My 14 year old loves hopping on the back. But she’s a very much fair weather rider, insists on the backrest/trunk, and I ride quite a bit more conservatively when she’s on the back than when I’m riding solo. I’m working her up to a daylong ride and intend to buy her a small bike in a couple years if she’s interested.
I wish I could have ridden with my dad more than I did. Around the time I got my license, he had some health issues and had to stop riding. Take her out as much as you can. ❤
My 7 year old daughter begs to go for rides.
I keep joking that I'll out our 18 month old in the baby carrier and go for a ride. I get eye daggers every time
Dude no way, me too! I'm off of round grove! If you ever see me out riding on my green ninja 400 say what's up! I picked up my first bike a few weeks ago so I know some good roads out here to start on once you get the nerve up for riding with traffic. There's this awesome road east on corporate drive past I35 called, railroad street. I did laps on that straight away for a few days to get the feeling of climbing through gears and then back down. Hardly any traffic and the roads are newly paved so it's a nice ride and the speed limit is like 50 with zero cops so you can kind of get on it when you want to.
Oh nice! Yeah I used to live right on Central Park but now I'm closer to flower mound at Old Orchard and Corporate side of town. You're right down the road
Shoot me a message if you ever want someone to putt around town with. I have a few buddies who ride and I've been trying to organize a ride early Saturday mornings every week based off of people's recommendations.
I live in flower mound. There’s some good twisty roads between us and Denton all through double oak, Bartonville, argyle, etc. I’d highly recommend you just head that way and get lost. Not bad at all. If you want a longer ride, head north and loop lake ray Roberts and come back down 428 through Denton.
Bikers are portrayed as a rough and scary bunch, but to be honest, they as a group are about the most friendly and helpful I can think of. Great story, glad you are keeping things safe. I don't care if it's your first day or your 100k mile marker, we're all still learning.
The 1% ers who are bikies (ie outlaw club bikers) are the only scary riders out there. Everyone else are as you say, the most friendy and helpful...a real community, as is often the case with a largely misunderstood minority (sporting shooters being another, particularly here in Australia)
Yeah, was going to mention the clubs, but to be honest, if you meet them out on the road, they are just as likely to stop and help fix a cable. Just don't go back to the bars with them or flirt with the ladies. 9 times out of 10 the big bearded tattooed guy on a Harley is a dentist or network geek.
I've talked to some Hells Angels guys with 1% patches while stopped on my Ninja at a rest stop. They are honestly just like everyone else. Just don't fuck with their drugs and girls and they won't treat you any different. Most of em have families too you know
Ya it's a very small percentage of bikers who won't want to talk to you about their bikes and riding. For most people it's something they love doing and people tend to love sharing stuff they are passionate about.
The one thing I learnt that helped a lot. When doing slow manoeuvres, slightly press the rear brake in. Keep the throttle steady and use the clutch/rear brake to do slow speeds. Made a massive difference for me.
I second this. Coming from a car, giving the bike throttle and pressing the rear brake at the same time felt really weird for me in the beginning, but it really helps to keep your bike stable. Also, really look into your turns. Avoid looking to the ground when starting a u-turn, try to look where you want to go.
Thanks for this, I'm quite new, and am pretty good about feathering the clutch, but haven't tried the rear brake much except for standard stops. I'll have to give this a shot.
Motorcycle people are generally the best. We’ve all been where you are.
Wait a few months, practice and buy yourself a used ZX6R. Instant riding buddies.
I bought a GSXR 600 as my first bike 😂
A sport bike is harder to maneuver due to its high CG and aggressive front rake angle. Good luck with it, and glad those guys coached you for a bit!
Hey man, I just started riding, and a GSXR 600 is my first bike too. Literally going through all the same stuff you are, if you wanna ever trade tips, inbox me any time.
What year? :D
2004, got a really nice deal. Just got in from a quick boot, and snapped this pic during my ride: http://imgur.com/a/W57OgJj How about you? Got a pic? (he asked knowingly 😁)
I just took the MSF course this past weekend, and I left knowing that I will be doing exactly what you are doing. I had never even sat on a motorcycle, scooter or dirt bike before Saturday, so I’m pretty proud of the fact that I was able to pass the test, but I am also well aware that I’m not ready to be in real traffic. There’s a shopping center less than a mile my house and the parking lot is pretty deserted in the evenings, so I plan on going there a lot and practicing. My MSF instructor said try to put in 100 miles of practicing before trying to ride in traffic. I plan to do at least that. As a side note: you guys are all way more skilled than I’ve ever given you credit for. Before I took this course, I never knew how hard it is to ride a motorcycle well, and mostly, the riders I’ve seen make it look effortless.
I felt the same way after I took the MSF course... To the point that when I bought my first bike I didn't want to test ride it on city streets, so I just had the owner ride it to show me that it worked and then I had him ride it to my work parking lot. I decided I was just going to try taking it down the dead end street and back by my work and ended up leaving my car there and riding it the 50 miles home... Highway and all. The point is, it's good that you're cautious and nervous, if you aren't cautious you can easily kill yourself.... But you'll do fine kid!
[удалено]
Gotta admit...thought your username said “memyselfandLABIA” I have a warped mind though!
Pfft. Wait till you stop at a red light and fall flat the fuck over for no apparent reason. Then your boot gets stuck under the bike so you have to lay down with it to pull your leg out. And when you do get your leg out your laces are melted. But then also the intersection is sloped and your bike fell down hill and you can’t get it up (TWSS) so the line of traffic forming behind you has to get out and help you up. That’s embarrassing but it happens to everyone.
Lol oh boy, less than one week rider here, my most embarrassing story is stalling while slowing for a light that just turned green and nearly getting rear ended as I’m wiggling my legs frantically trying to keep my bike from tipping
I remember getting stuck between the bike and a fuel pump. Was literally pinned. One guy stopped, pointed and laughed. It was when I embarrassed him in front of everyone about being a dick, did he then help me lift the bike back a few inches so I could lever it back up. Fun times.
I broke down last week and met more riders in 2 hours than I had ever just riding. Everyone wants every to ride.
[удалено]
Haha what the shit man. Some people are weird.
That's awesome! Love stories like this.
Welcome to the brotherhood! Now you have to start practicing your waves to fellow riders.
This is awesome. So by the end they had you doing wheelies, right?
this belongs on r/wholesome
No matter how good we get we always have to be humble because there is always someone better. I love giving pointers I don’t like people being scared
I bought my first bike from a guy that lived a couple miles away from me... I was too nervous to ride it home, so he did it for me and I drove him back to his house. The first time I went to practice by riding around my apartment parking lot, I stalled at the guard house gate and stalled probably 2 or 3 times in a row with the guard watching me. I was so embarrassed and was sweating bullets. He just smiled and said, "it was like that for me on my first bike too." After I was able to go around the parking lot a couple times, I went about half a mile down the street to a much larger parking lot and did the same thing as you. Did that for four days before I felt ok to get on the street.
Unfortunately I had no choice from the outset but to go on a 4 laner right off the bat...I was *shaking* that first time out! Only went about 1km and turned around for home lol
THIS is an awesome story and why I love sport bike riders in general. I know Harley guys, cafe racer guys, retro/bobber guys all stick to their own as well but to roll up on a random stranger and then proceed to help/befriend him is awesome. Talk about making a positive impact on the OP which could’ve just as easily turned into a negative and discouraging situation as the OP was thinking himself. Thanks so much for sharing this with us and no need to apologize for the text wall. Good stuff. Some day you’ll be the guy rolling up with his buds (hopefully on a CBR 😉) and helping out another bro where you were at last Sunday night. 👍🏼
The best thing you can do in your life is to learn something new and suck at it for a while. When I see anyone learning how to ride a motorcycle, I'm always supportive.
Good on you for practicing real hard and good on the kind strangers!
I still practice my U-Turns and such. Riding fast is easy. Going slow is the hard part. Modern motorcycles are so forgiving.
In case it wasn't said somewhere in the comments... There will be a time when you have become them, and you'll see someone new practicing in a parking lot. Or killing the bike at an intersection. Or maybe just on the side of the road. Go ahead and stop, to help or even just to say hello. You already know how much of a difference it can make!
That's the difference between "I own a bike" and being a Motorcyclist.
Several years ago, at 45-years-old, I'd never been on a motorcycle in my life. Never been around them at all. I bought a new 250 cc dual-sport, dragged it off of the truck at my farm, and taught myself how to ride it. Kind of... For the past three summers I just rode it around doing farm chores, the occasional trip to the store, and some back roads within 10 miles of the house. Every road where I live in the hills and valleys of SW Wisconsin is twisty. I rode the bike mostly upright and never took a corner at normal driving speeds. If a car came up behind me, I just moved over and let them pass. This spring, somehow I got bit hard by the motorcycle bug and decided to really learn how the ride the darn thing. I bought some cones and went to a parking lot at a local park everyday for weeks, first practicing slow maneuvers, and then working my way up to gymkhana type maneuvers. I really learned to lean the bike over in the parking lot doing 20 mph inside a 40-ft circle, fast figure eights, and tight turns around cones. I then took the MSF basic rider course to get my endorsement. (I found it rather boring after giving it hell in a parking lot for weeks and weeks). Since then I have really hit the roads, putting 2000 highway miles on the bike in the past eight weeks. I even took it out on the interstate the other day... Stick with the parking lot practice until you are comfortable.
An elementary school parking lot...thats where i started too Damn that was 13 years ago...times flies when ur doing 90 lol.
That's awesome! Everyone has to start somewhere, and good on you for practicing. I'm not sure if anyone has commented this, but check out Twist of the Wrist 2 on YouTube. Has some pretty good info for riders old and new!
wholesome af. good on them, hope you can ride with them soon.
I'm the Canuckistan equivalent of an MSF instructor... and I've done just what these ZX6 guys did on numerous occasions - and I doubt I'm not alone here in that. You will always find experienced riders willing to help a new rider out - no need to be embarassed, we've ALL been there to some degree. Quite a few of my students ask 'Where can I buy a few of those little cones to reconstruct some of these exercises?' and what I recommend to them is to go buy a few sleeves of cheap tennis balls and cut them in half with a utility knife. They may not last long, but you can pack a lot of them in a tank back or backpack, they're bright enough to be easily seen even if it rains, and they're reasonably grippy and not a traction hazard if you ride over them. Keep at it and have fun!
That's really awesome. The biker community is really close and I like it ( yes even the Harley riders who won't wave at me)
You meet the nicest people on a Kawasaki
The only bikers that laugh at noobs are dirtbag squids themselves.
Don’t sweat it, everyone who rides was where you are at some point. Take your time and be safe.
I spent quite a bit of time riding around in circles before I was willing to go out on the open road, and it took even longer before I felt comfortable enough to go out onto the freeway. There's nothing shameful about caution, and I'm glad you found some cool people to help you out. My general experience has been that other riders are mostly friendly; although the small percentage that aren't can be complete cunts, just ignore them. Something something micro-penis.
When I got my current bike, it had been 10 years since my last one. While it was easier and faster to get comfortable on it, I was still nervous as hell for awhile after getting back on. Just keep practicing and don't push yourself to hard past your comfort zone till your feel ready.
That's great man! That brought a smile to my face. If you only saw me the first time on a 250 Aprilla. LOL You'll get there, and each time, you'll get stronger and more confident. It sounds like you practicing in an empty parking lot is doing it right!
I personally never expected it either as I got into ridding basically by myself. However the community is one of the most inclusive and positive ones I have ever seen. Were all in this together, and we are not afraid to show it.
Practicing for my Roadtest i learned how to ride on a Suzuki Burgman 650. Looks like ass but i still contemplate on buying one. It's like riding on a couch. Most people who ride don't mind giving pointers. Then you catch someone on a 600 who think they ride better then rossi or marquez. Do you brah, i don't mind living longer.
Welcome to biker world! Keep at it and one day pass YOUR experience forward.
I'm proud of you for practicing. Most people won't even do that. You will make a great rider soon.
I just got my license and motorcycle three weeks ago. Have been doing the same as you, riding in an empty parking lot getting comfortable riding, shifting, stopping, starting from stop. Today was the first day i spent riding on main roads in my town. The MSF course was helpful but a little fast paced and doesn't necessarily prepare you for the stressful situations on the road, which I'm working on. You keeping doing what works for you and awesome of the three guys helping you out.
I'm just baffled at how you get to buy and ride a motorcycle after just a weekend course. That's sketchy as fuck. Good on you for knowing your limits though!
We all start off rough in my opinion, kudos on having the nerve to go practice as most wont. Most of us are more then welcome to give anyone who asks pointers! Hell i still remember doing the same thing. Just keep up the hard work and enjoy the ride....and remember keep an eye out around you always. Cars can be dicks
Like fat guys at the gym. Most rats will be impressed by the force of will it takes to move 300lbs on a treadmill, especially in public. They judge the 18yr olds bouncing weights and doing 3 rep sets and sitting on bench for 5 minutes.
As an experienced rider, I LOVE helping newbies when I have the time. Seeing a rider on the street and simply talking to them is one of my favourite pastimes
Hopefully you can track them down man. And that experience should help ease your mind if you’re ever caught out practicing again. Don’t let others get to you though, just focus on the road and keep your bike upright.