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Old 22 June 2021, 01:34 PM   #31
zaydans
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Thanks everyone for the great tips and advice. Already thinking about getting solid gear like helmet etc and intention of going cheap there. Bike wise I did think the 883 and BMW might be a night much for a first bike. Also conscious of taking it easy as a novice and as a married father in my forties I don’t have a death wish of any kind and want to live a long and healthy life so no intention to try and be a speed demon cos I’ve got nothing to prove to anyone. Really looking forward to this new hobby now!!
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Old 22 June 2021, 02:14 PM   #32
subtona
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Not sure what the “BRC” is
First, hoping it’s a rider safety course? That is my first recommendation. 3 day rider course. Skills I learned there Saved my life dozens of times.

Second, it takes 5 minutes to learn to ride but you’ll never stop learning how to ride safely.

Third, get the bike you want at the start. Most wish they have a couple of weeks after they start riding. Think about what kind of riding you’ll do. Touring or commuting or speed? Personally I rode for touring so luggage and a windshield for a start, built in music option can really be a joy.


4 rules to live by:
1)No drinking and riding.
2)You are always going to get cold and you are always going to get wet so always have the right gear.
3)never follow too closely to the car in front of you, this tip will save you more times then you can imagine!
4) learn what counter steering is before you get on your new bike... most riders have no idea. This lack of knowledge is responsible for many crashes for brand new bikers that occur in the first few minutes of riding, often in the parking lot of the dealer.

Rubber side down, don’t “lay it down” that is often is just a cop out for lack of skills.


Best of luck.

Ps I rode a variety (8) of dual sport bmws. R100GS to R1200GS and those in between.
Also had 3 bmw 650 Dakar /single cylinder with plenty of power for interstates, twisting and two up (this was my favorite all purpose bike.) no longer made but they do make some 2 cylinder options that are similar.

One more thing, after my rider course, I picked up my bike and rode from nyc to Florida the next day. 2 more trips to Florida and cross country the first year for over 20,000 miles. I averaged 10,000 miles a year for 20 years touring North America.

PPS do take every tip you can find, riders share what means the most to them from their experience. I talked about riding with everyone I knew and was able to take something away from them all. I can look back on each of those tips and recall the moment I applied it and it made all the difference. I didn’t start riding til I was 26.

Finally, the way I look at it is to consider that no matter what happens, it’s always your fault. You should have seen it coming because you are the one that is going to lose. There is seldom an excuse for an accident that can’t find some rider error
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Old 22 June 2021, 02:29 PM   #33
zaydans
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BRC = Basic Rider Course
Two and and half days run by Harley D plus a 3hr training video and some tests.
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Old 22 June 2021, 03:08 PM   #34
subtona
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BRC = Basic Rider Course
Two and and half days run by Harley D plus a 3hr training video and some tests.
Excellent
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Old 23 June 2021, 02:09 PM   #35
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Loud pipes save lives

They might not see you, but they should hear you. A blip of the throttle in traffic will save your butt one day.
Actually they don't and there are numerous studies that show it. What saves lives is learning how to ride.
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Old 3 July 2021, 06:14 AM   #36
Cryten
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Actually they don't and there are numerous studies that show it. What saves lives is learning how to ride.
Do you ride a bike?
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Old 3 July 2021, 12:48 PM   #37
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As a person who started riding in the 70’s , still street riding and track riding . Take your state sanctioned riders course and immediately after receiving your license take a street riding class at the track . Hope you enjoy motorcycling as much as I have the last almost 50 years .
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Old 3 July 2021, 02:25 PM   #38
subtona
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Actually they don't and there are numerous studies that show it. What saves lives is learning how to ride.


A modern luxury car with the windows up and the AC and music on won’t hear you until it’s too late.

I have driven things much louder than motorcycles and can tell you first hand other drivers often don’t hear them coming.
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Old 3 July 2021, 05:01 PM   #39
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Don’t go out and buy a brand new bike if you are just learning to ride, unless you have a lot of money to spare.

The first year or so you will drop your bike, probably several times. It’s amazing how expensive a simple tip over can be on a motorcycle.

Get a small to midsize fairly standard machine, preferably a couple of years old and fairly common. Ride it for a year and get your skill level up, and then go buy your dream bike.

Something you can pick up easily, with good tires and brakes and not too many horsepower.

Many new riders allow their enthusiasm and ego to guide them in to buying something that they can’t handle. I have known a few middle aged guys who rode in their teens and decided to pick it up again, and went out and bought a huge Harley with bags and windscreen. They usually drop it in a parking lot and can’t pick it up, or end up in an accident and the hospital.

Take your time, work your way up and be careful, especially at first.
Bikes are a huge rush, but they need to be respected.
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Old 4 July 2021, 01:55 PM   #40
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My advice:
Learn to ride in the dirt. Get a dual sport and get comfortable on that. Low power on the road but that's OK it's plenty off road. The skills you learn off road will be invaluable later on the road. Even just being comfortable in instability (off road) will help you not to panic on road.
Also, used Japanese dual sports aren't typically very expensive and won't require you to sell when you feel ready next year for a bigger, dedicated road bike.
Now you have two motorcycles.
Once you get feeling comfortable and confident, learn to ride in the rain. Seriously, PURPOSEFULLY go for short rides in the rain. It doesn't have to be far or fast or long, just get comfortable with wet tires and spray.
See, not so confident yet right?
That's why it takes way longer on a small bike and a lot of folks get big fancy bikes they only ride on weekends if the weather is perfect.
Boring.
Hey, have fun. Don't listen to the paranoids who claim that everyone is out to kill them. Ask them to show you their superhero merit badge. Most people are clueless, not malicious. Yes, you have to do their thinking for them, before them.
Are they turning? Do they see me? Is the road slippery? How will I react to any of those factors? That will come with experience. Dirt riding is good experience.
Wow, full circle.
Enjoy.
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Old 5 July 2021, 03:44 AM   #41
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Quote:
Originally Posted by subtona View Post


A modern luxury car with the windows up and the AC and music on won’t hear you until it’s too late.

I have driven things much louder than motorcycles and can tell you first hand other drivers often don’t hear them coming.
Ok I’ll bite… what’s much louder than a motorcycle that’s driven around luxury cars on the road?
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Old 5 July 2021, 06:36 AM   #42
BrazenC5
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I made sure I had one when I got married 35 years ago...so I'm "grandfathered in" as we say. I had my first motorcycle at 15 years old before I had a car and have had at least one all but a few years since.

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That was my logic too! First kid and the grandfather clause was voided!!

For the OP, track days is a great experience. My experience, everything slowed down on the street and backroads after a few track days.

A few things that stuck with me:
-Understand target fixation
-Practice "go where you look"
-AGATT
-proper body positioning makes a big difference. On a sportbike, don't use your arms to prop yourself on the bars (should be light on the bars, soft grip as holding an egg). Your lean forward should be managed by your core. Knees grip the tank.

A few people mention dirt experience, but a major difference between dirt and street is braking technique. If you're going to mainly be a street rider, your front brake is your primary brake.

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Old 5 July 2021, 08:34 AM   #43
MDMH
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Originally Posted by BrazenC5 View Post
That was my logic too! First kid and the grandfather clause was voided!!

For the OP, track days is a great experience. My experience, everything slowed down on the street and backroads after a few track days.

A few things that stuck with me:
-Understand target fixation
-Practice "go where you look"
-AGATT
-proper body positioning makes a big difference. On a sportbike, don't use your arms to prop yourself on the bars (should be light on the bars, soft grip as holding an egg). Your lean forward should be managed by your core. Knees grip the tank.

A few people mention dirt experience, but a major difference between dirt and street is braking technique. If you're going to mainly be a street rider, your front brake is your primary brake.

Sent from my SM-G781U1 using Tapatalk
This! +1
Dirt riders figure out fast some skills aren’t transferable on the first foot plant turn.
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