- When you learned to ride a motorcycle, how long did it take you to be comfortable riding in traffic?
A couple of weeks.
- How long before you were comfortable on a freeway?
A couple of weeks (too) – the freeway seemed (and is) easier to navigate than street traffic.
- What style of motorcycle do you ride? (Cruiser, dirt bike, etc.)
Smallish sport-tourer (BMW K75S)
- If you had to choose to use ONLY a motorcyle or a car/truck, which would you choose and why?
I actually tried to use only my motorcycle when my car was totalled in an accident. I lasted for about a month before I gave up and bought an old Corolla to tide me over until I could afford to buy a car. The main problem: I could only carry one backpack’s worth of stuff at a time and (even in LA) several days of riding in the rain really got me down.
- What advice would you give to someone in my position, just getting interested in the idea of riding?
[ul]
[li]As stated by others, take a MSF class. [/li][li]Assume that half the drivers can’t see you, and the other half can see you, but they want to kill you. [/li][li]I only split lanes on the freeway in stop-n-go traffic and at traffic lights when everyone else is already stopped. [/li][li]Full-face helmet – it makes riding easier because you can keep your eyes open all the time; also that business about saving your life. (Get a helmet liner to prevent helmet hair).[/li][li]If any skin is exposed to the elements (which I advise against), wear sunblock, because you can ride all day thinking that you’re keeping cool while your arms are actually roasting. There are several mesh jackets with soft body armor on the market which can give you some protection without making you too hot. [/li][li]Don’t be an idiot; I’ve seen many riders take blind curves too fast and drift into the opposing lane. Also, you’re faster than that Porsche; you don’t necessarily need to prove it.[/li][/ul]
