And for god’s sakes, be honest with yourself about what you plan to do with the bike. I note the OP already bought the bike, but every bit of advice folks are giving in here is stuff that’s covered in the MSF course.
My issue was that I didn’t seriously consider what kind of riding I was going to do. I figured, hey, I could use it for commuting AND take cross-country road trips, so I wanted a big tough motorcycle that could take on highways easily. I fell in love with and wound up buying a 900cc cruiser. It’s a great bike, but as it turns out, I have zero interest in cross-country road trips when it comes down to it. I didn’t enjoy the one 100-mile trip I took. So all that’s left is commuting, and the bike is sufficiently huge that, while I can control it, it’s exhausting to deal with riding through city streets on a daily basis. Not to mention, I work earlier hours than most people, and riding a motorcycle during winter mornings before the sun has a chance to warm things is painful, and riding in the afternoon during summer months is simply exhausting.
Had I kept my expectations low and gotten a 150cc scooter (or even a 450cc Burgman), I suspect I’d be a hell of a lot happier.
Don’t use Armor All on your motorcycle’s seat or tires.
If you can, get some seat time on a small, lightweight dirt bike. You’ll learn more about bike control in an afternoon of off-roading than in a year on a street bike.
Not really. The advanced skill sets you need for on-road and off-road riding overlap by 20%, tops. Only for the basic stuff is your statement even close to accurate.
Practice panic stops, swerves, righting the bike in a curve, braking in a curve (an advanced skill), and other turning and braking maneuvers at varying speeds weekly, if not daily.
The problem isn’t specifically when going at a slow speed on pavement, but on gravel or when turning at a really slow speed like into a parking space. Application of the front brake may cause the front wheel to inadvertently lock up and slide off to the side. When this happens, the bike has a tendency to fall really quickly before the rider can even react to it. The heavier the bike, the more this comes into play (mine is a 900 pound touring machine).
If I’m annoying someone by having a high beam on, then they can see me. This is a good thing. If they’re annoyed to the extent that they’re knocking you off the road because you have your high beams on then they have other issues aside from being inattentive. I don’t use the highbeam at night but I do during the day.
I only use the back brake on gravel or other loose places. Otherwise, the back brake likes to lock up and you can highside when it happens.
You can buy one to commute and save gas, but you won’t unless you get rid of your car. I rode mine to school one semester (about 35 miles) and hated it. I saved some gas money, but I don’t think I ever rode it to school again. If I could hop and and go, it would be great, but carrying a helmet, jacket, gloves, and a backpack got old.
I do use it for long trips though, because 4 tanks of gas is less than 40 dollars, as opposed to 4 tanks of gas in my truck costing $160. I just deal with a backpack then. (Sport bike, no saddle bags)
I’ve ridden a motorcycle for years and learned two very important things today. I am going to start using my high beams during the day. Also, I had not heard the line about “look where you want to go”, but it makes absolutely good sense.
The wisdom I would like to share is to look at the wind. By that, I mean, look ahead down the road and look for swirling dust, leaves, and other things carried by the wind. On one stretch of road I ride every day, they started doing road repairs by laying down a layer of gravel. Had I not seen the swirling dust, I would have hit that slight turn in the road at 45 mph with a fresh load of gravel.
On the highway: follow the wheel track of the car in front of you. If an object is in the road, the guy ahead will most likely try and get around it/straddle it.
This seems sooooo obvious but I am amazed that I here of people doing it: do not clean a moving chain with a rag (duh!). People have lost fingers doing this. Seriously, there have been people that have done this.
Wearing full gear is actually more comfortable on hot days than to go with bare skin. Get a good armored mesh jacket and pants. You’ll actually stay cooler than with bare skin (and less fatigued from sunlight).
Ha, I mainly use mine for commuting and rarely have the pleasure of a long road trip.
The solution: a HUMONGOUS TOP CASE (or in my case, an XL sized Biker’s Friend bag locked on my luggage rack and another soft case on my passenger pillion). The jacket and overpants go in the luggage, the helmet gets locked onto the bike on the helmet lock, gloves go in the helmet. In cooler weather I simply keep the jacket on, zipped open. Donning and doffing the gear takes all of about 2 minutes.
Here’s a pic of a Givi E470 top case I used to have, and my Kawasaki VN750 outfitted with its luggage. In the bag on the pillion I keep my rain gear (if it rains I put the helmet in the luggage, take it inside with me or use a waterproof helmet bag and attach it to the helmet lock).
Ohh, that’s a good one. And if it’s raining or wet out it’s especially good advice, riding “between the wheel lines” leaves you more open to hitting a slick streak from coolant or oil dripped down from cars or trucks (which won’t be on the wheel tracks).
I second most of the advice here and will only add the recommendation that you buy and install an air horn to replace or augment the undoubtedly meager stock horn. On my last bike, I added a separate button for the air horn, and kept the stock horn and switch for less dire situations.
It’s a given you won’t be seen out on the road, but you can do something to be heard!
That’s another good one. I’ve done that for all my bikes and they definitely have helped. The Stebel Nautilus is a common choice, though I prefer the Stebel Magnum TM80 - the lower tone sounds more like the horn on a large car or truck. I’ve bought them horns from hornsplusauto.com several times with no problems.
Use your safety gear, and choose appropriately. Give yourself options.
While it flies in the face of conventional knowledge, more is not always better. Safety equipment is only as good as it is not interfering with your ability to function in a safe and alert manner. try and buy different types of gear that allow you to customize for the day or the ride. If you are comfortable with a full face helmet, go for it. It is the best protection you can get. If you are like me and are easily overheated and prone to sweating heavily, you might want to try a different combination of gear. I have a half helmet, and just purchased a fiberglass and kevlar airsoft face mask to help protect my face from sand, gravel, and other debris on casual rides down here in south Florida. Most of my riding is within a very small area of about 10 square miles. I don’t always like to wear my helmet because of the heat, and it doesn’t protect my face in any event. Now I can protect my face, AND my head, both or neither etc. The same goes for other gear, but good boots and gloves are essential and non negotiable. The point is that if your gear is causing you to be distracted then it’s doing more harm than good IMO. You should always try to get the maximum benefit from your gear on each ride.
