I'm getting my motorcycle license! Advice, help, tips?

In My Humble Opinion
1

So after years of wishing I could ride a motorcycle on my own, and not just hang on for dear life as a passenger, I am finally getting my motorcycle license. I have a full face helmet, a sportbike style riding jacket, gloves, and sturdy boots. So I’m all set with regard to equipment.

I have registered to take the “gearing up” course taught by the local Safety Council, and at the end of the course, (if I pass) I will get my M2 conditional license. The motorcycle is provided by the instruction centre.

After I get my license, what kind of motorcycle should I buy anyways? I was thinking something small and lightweight, (I’m 5 feet tall, 110 lbs,) nothing too powerful or “sportbikey”.

So anyone have any tips, advice, encouragement, help, etc?

2

Congrats! I took the same course (from a local Toronto college).

Don’t worry about deciding right away. When we finish our course we got baggies with a CycleCanada magazine and several other booklets with good tips on bikes.

After reading forums devoted to motorbiking you might want to stay away from any of the “sportbikes” that younger people seem in a rush to get on. A R1 is, according to these forum members, a death wish on wheels.

I’m personally looking at either a honda CBR600 or a 500 cc bike (a ninja or similar). Insurance for these smaller bikes seems a lot better.

3

I’m a new rider with barely 1000 miles under my belt so take my advice with a grain of salt.

The 500-650cc standard/half-faired sportsbike class looks pretty strong these days. As a new rider I’ve been looking at bikes that size. I don’t think I need, or can handle, any more than what these can dish out.

Yamaha is coming out with the 600cc FZ-6 for 2004, Suzuki has the SV650, 650 Vstrom, and GS500F. The old GS500E is supposed to be a good beginner’s bike. The Yamaha Virago (250cc) or other small cruiser might be good for your height.

The Kawasaki Ninja 500 is a good beginner’s bike.

Honda has the Nighthawk line.

Used Nighthawks (250 and 750), Ninjas (250 and 500), and GS500Es abound, so you shouldn’t have too hard a time locating one.

I would argue against getting a bike that’s too light (for instance the kind I have, a Yamaha XT225) because you’ll be buffeted by wind once you get going faster than 55mph or so, and that’s not a good feeling. I guess it depends on where you’re going to do most of you’re riding, though. I ride twisty mountain backroads that are in various states of repair, most of which have no lines and are barely wide enough for two cars to pass, so my small, light dual-sport is excellent for that. It’s not at all good on the highway, so next spring I might have to add a more highway-worthy bike to my stable if budget allows. Darn. :smiley:

Hopefully you’ll be able to ride where there isn’t a lot of traffic. I love riding my motorcycle and without the pressure of traffic it’s even more enjoyable.

BTW my stupid newbie mistake has been not shifting all the way down to first when I stop. I may think I’m in first but I’m really not, or I just forget and I take off and the bike stalls and I have to fumble around like an idiot re-starting the bike, getting down to first, taking off very cautiously, you get the picture.

4

Congrats on choosing the One True Path.

Well, at 5’ tall, your choice of bikes will be rather limited. An SV650 is a nice enough first bike if the seat height suits, but I think you might be best off toddling along to a dealer and sitting on a bunch of bikes to see if you can reach the ground. BMW F comes in a shortarse version, IIRC. Customs / cruisers also tend to be a lot lower in the saddle, although personally I would choose a ride-on lawnmower than most customs. The lawn mower would out handle and out-accelerate your average custom. Maybe you could get a lawnmower?

Larger bikes are not immune to being affected by the wind (environmental, not the rider’s) - try hacking through sidewinds on a Pan Euro or some of the big Beemers.

5

Considering your size, I suggest the following test. Have the dealer lean a cycle over almost to the floor. Next, you lift it back up. If you can’t do it on your own, the bike is too heavy for you.

6

You forgot the most important characteristic of your first motorcycle: It should be one that you don’t mind dropping.

7

Just as a bit of “rider awareness” information too… here’s my personal experience…

Always assume that a fellow road user - especially trucks and vehicles - are going to do something totally unexpected and life threatening to you - at any time, without warning.

Always be prepared to have an escape route. A quick dive into the safety lane for example. Always be thinking, “If have to drive off the road right here, right now, to save my life… where am I gonna go?”

Always be totally “surface conscious”. Think ahead at all times regarding what you’re going to be riding over. Pedestrian crossings for example create “weak spots” in terms of grip. Same with man hole covers. And going around a corner on a country road can be frought with peril. An overhanging tree invariably means a wet spot on the road which again, can cause a sudden unexpected weak spot in terms of grip.

Never assume that everything is safe. Always assume the worst. It’s this philosophy which allows motorcyclist to make it to a ripe old age in my opinion.

8

Here in SC, if you are over 18, helmets are optional. I’ve listened to the debates and I don’t ride a motorcycle so I don’t know why to not wear a helmet. At the SC Brain Injury Alliance they tell a joke:
What do you call a motorcyclist without a helmet in the emergency room?
An organ donor!!

9

And another one turns to the dark side…

1st bike: Buy Japanese, buy used and don’t bite off more than you can chew. Branch out into something more specialized once you get a better feeling for what you’re looking for in a bike.

mack lists some really good beginner bikes - I’ve had a soft spot for the Suzuki SV650 since I rented one a few years back, and I owned a Suzuki Bandit 600 for a few years - another decent beginner-to-intermediate bike. Good news about Yamaha getting the FZ6 - what Europeans would call the Fazer 600 - to America. It fills a long-needed gap (or something like that) in Yamaha’s model line-up.

Asknott

I respectfully disagree. Bikes shouldn’t be lying around on their sides in the first place. If you’re in a situation where you need to pick up a bike, Bad Stuff has happened and you’re entitled to yell for help. Sure, it’s nice to be able to pick up what you’ve dropped, but except for off-road bikes I wouldn’t consider it a requirement. YMMV.

10

Here’s mine! :smiley:

Johnny L.A. nearly gets creamed.

If you’re in California, this will limit your choices: “With a Class M2, you can only operate any motorized bicycle or moped or any bicycle with an attached motor”. In California, you need an M1 to ride a motorcycle.

11

Well, here’s a lady with a technique on how to pick up a big bike!

Good luck, Stephi! I used to have a motorcycle, and still hope to get another one before I get too old to ride!

(Although after seeing that Discovery Channel trauma show about the 53 year old guy who was in a horrendous accident (lost both hands and part of one leg – he crashed into a gas station sign doing 75 mph) I had a few doubts. Yes, I know motorcycles are dangerous…

12

Archergal, that’s the best how-to for dropped bikes I’ve ever seen. I sure could have used it a couple of times, and will make a point of teaching it to the superwife next spring as she learns to ride.

13

Interesting link, but that technique will probably only work with a BMW, whose cylinders keep it from going all the way to the ground. But whatever…

My advice: Have fun, ride safe. No time to type more.

14

Hey Stephi, good luck with all this stuff. I’m still trying to work up the courage and/or get into a motorcycle safety course before I get too caught up in the drooling/buying experience. A bunch of us had another thread going last month on much the same subject with loads of helpful advice and recommendations as well as some cool stories. Check it out here
Have fun stormin’ the castle!

15

Hi Stephi, congrats, I have my M2, I got it in August for the same reason, I wanted to be the driver and not a passenger any longer.

I belong to the short biker list, do a google search for SBL, they have provided me a lot of great advice/support/tips/info for short/small guys and gals.

I’m 5 feet tall and petite and there are bikes you can ride. I learned on a kawasaki 250 cruiser. :slight_smile: Goodluck.

16

As a shortish biker, I’d say bikes are like boots - you must try them on first. Mine’s a Kwaka ER500 - nice midrange, good for beginners or in my case, those returning after many years off. But it might not suit you - i narrowed my choice to this and a Suzuki, but when I tried the Suzi it was too tall for me so that settled it.

Go for comfort in seat position first.
Seat height matters a lot:

  • check that when you sit on it upright, BOTH feet touch the ground, flat.
  • when you are more experienced, you can reduce this to one foot flat and the other on its toes.

Handlebar position matters somewhat.

  • If you are doing long touring rides, having a lot of your weight thrown forward onto your arms will hurt them and your back after a while.
  • If you are doing short trips or racing this is not relevant.

Weight does not matter much:

  • If it’s fallen over all the way, you can always yell for help.
  • You do need to be able to push it around.
  • You need to get it on the centre stand for maintenance, by yourself, unless you live with a helpful friend. This is a matter of balance and leverage; you can still do this to a bike you would not be able to pick up.

Safety Tips:

  • Helmets and protective gear are very important. Even in revoltingly hot weather.
  • Be aware of other vehicles’ blind spots, and try really hard never to be in one. Drop back if you must. Yes, it’s much more fun to go forward and blast 'em away, but if you really can’t, then it’s better to be behind than in some moron’s blind spot. Never let being macho kill you :slight_smile:
  • Other people said stuff re road surface awareness and caution which is true. The middle of a lane is usually the most dangerous in the wet - it only looks drier because the oil repels the water.

Have fun!

17

Well, I believe that pretty much anyone can pick up pretty much any bike, given the right technique; it’s not about strength.

Regarding sticking the bike on the centrestand: This bears pretty much no relationship to the size / weight of the bike. For example, the big Beemers I’ve tended to ride are easier to chuck onto the stand that lots of smaller bikes. But again, as cajela says … technique’s the key here, too.

Ride in the car tracks - drier.

18

Sure, for a suitable value of “pretty much”. I’m 270+ pounds, a lot of it muscle, and picking up my BMW R1100 was a test of both technique and power - whereas putting it on the centrestand was a question of timing and a flick of the wrist, more or less. Sure, figure you’re never going to drop it, but you don’t want to find out differently at eleven o’clock of a dark, rainy night when you’re on a deserted road in the arse end of nowhere with a bike that’s probably rideable if only you could manage to put it rubber side down again.

Depending on what you want it for, even a 400cc machine may be enough, as well as cheaper to run and generally easier to handle. A female friend of mine rode one and sang its praises constantly.

19

Ha! Picking up my R1100RS was trivially easy, and I’m not far off half your weight! Now I may chuck the odd lump of iron around, but somehow I doubt I’m as strong as you … technique’s the key!

Indeed. It would make sense to practice picking the lump up, but I doubt anyone would actually do that! Mind you, panic and emarassment can temporarily increase strength quite a lot…

**

TBH, I don’t really agree with this either, but YMMV and all that. I’m much happier with an amount of power that can keep you easily ahead of pretty much any 4-wheeled vehicle, always.

Having said that, I do agree somewhat, in that the best 100% city-centre commuter bike could well be something small, light and manoeuvreable. Also true that you’ve got to be comfortable with your bike - no use feeling intimidated.

20

I’ve posted this a few times, but safety is a good thing to have, so I’ll repeat. Here are my recommendations, from my time on a bike:

Don’t split lanes even when the cars have room to change lanes. Even if the driver did check normally, he won’t have seen you. It will be YOUR fault you get hit.

Don’t swoop around people, just missing their bumper. Again, they may have just checked for a lane change, and you weren’t there when they looked.

Don’t ride in the blind spot of the C pillar of the car. You’re invisible.

Stick to the left lane and stay there as long as possible. You only have to check from one direction.

If you can, slide to the opposite side of the lane from the car you’re passing. If it dives for your lane, at least it has to come all the way across to hit you. You have some reaction time.

Wear the helmet (the law in CA, and the most obvious ticketable offense ever. I’ve never seen someone not obey this, as it’s so easy to spot. ) You’ll regret having traded your face for that free, windy feeling. I always had a full face helmet, partly because it’s so loud at higer speeds without it.

Stay in the carpool lane whenever possible.

Wear something reflective. I had stickers on my helmet, but I probably should have done something like wear a reflective vest, too. Get your turn signals to be running lights.