to all soon-to-be new riders

[J T]

First off, I want to know...Do you want a motorcycle just because they look cool? I mean every question has comthing to do with bikes with plastics...is that all motorcycles are to you? 2nd. Read this. It really is good advise. http://www.esportbike.com/cgi-bin/ww...collapsed&sb=5

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[HondasRfast]

1. I'd like to look good, but speed is the main attraction. I just don't like the way they look without plastics. Why do you lower your every day driver that never sees the track?

2. Great advice. Helped changed my outlook a little...

[Raz1983]

Fast is good, but Fast without experience is not good
So, get a motorcycle that is SMALL. if you want plastic there are small motorcycles that look cool and with plastic. (e.g., NSR250, RS50, CBR250RR FZR400 etc)
have fun

[J T]

Lowering a car and buying a 600cc+ Sportbike are two completely diiferent things. Theres NO learning curve to driving a lowereed car, Theres a HUGE learning curve hen riding a motorcycle. Why do you think EVERYone says they're so dangerous!!!

Just about all the SPortbike made today have as much and more HP than my lil civic does, An they are all getting down to around 400lbs. I really don't think some of you understand the amount of control and concentration it take to ride a motorcycle, ESPECIALLY and SPORTBIKE!!!

[figment]

good stuff

In a car, you're likely to walk away from a mistake with some damage to the car, but usually unscathed bodily.

ON an motorcycle, the bike gets it and likely so do you!

It takes very little skill to drive a car fast in different conditions compared to a motorcycle. The motorcyclist challenges are almost limitless presented by other traffic and road surfaces. This is part of the reason it is more of a sport than driving a car. The skill levels are many factors apart.

1) Buy and USE protective gear. Even to drive around the block at LEAST wear a helmet. A budget of $1000-2000 is reasonable for a good helmet, jacket, gloves, boots and pants.

2) Take the MSF course.

3) Ride @ 50% or less on the street. You need to other 50% for un-knowns.

-Fig, who has lost many friends in the past 25 years of riding on the street.

PS: I have requested that this thread be stuck at the top for a while


[Modified by figment, 9:04 AM 4/1/2002]

[figment]

^^^

[figment]

ttt

[GSRwBOOST]

anyone can drive a car fast through turns, straights... but no everyone can do that same thing with a bike.

common sense, hand eye coordination and thinking/reacting are very important.

I have taken my bike, sliding through turns (both wheels), 155mph down the freeway, 90 going into a turn and 110 with the rear wheel spinning coming out of a turn....

not saying that I'm good, because I'm far from it... perhaps stupid would be a better word for it...

speed is part of the rush, no protection other than your riding gear and your brains is the other part. Nothing beats riding down a country canyon with nothing around you.. nothing compares period!

anyone that tells you that they can ride is lying to themselves.. noone can truly ride to the max potential of a bike, except a professional rider who does it every day.. and even they exceed those limits...

my advice for first time riders.. (since this was brought to my attention for some strange reason)..

1. FULL leathers (one piece or two piece), leather gloves and boots and a good helmet (not some heavy ass cheap 150$ wanna be either)....

2. a bike less than a 600 for your first time... trust me, by the time you have mastered it 100%, there wont be motorcycles... most likely be speederbikes.. LOL

3. common sense and a motorcycle saftely class !!!!!!

4. lots of riding without WITHOUT anyone around, no friends, no other riders...

dont know how many peeps i have seen get the "macho" thing going on only to crash cause they were showing off...... YES falling down and getting hit by a car hurts.. trust me... been there done that..

5. no passengers and when you are ready for them... make sure they have proper safetly equipment too!!!! dont skimp out on the helmet either...

6. common sense

7. common sense

8. common sense

and lastly....

9. common sense.. (if you think it's dangereous or you might loose it... chances are it is.. and chances are you will)

did i mention the young girls that love guys on bikes????

have fun be safe...

rubber side down!

P.S. "Don't be a squid"

[Kris]

you also have to think that everyone on the road is trying to kill you, so you predict that that person waiting to make a right is gonna pull out in front of you or this guy you are approaching is gonna cut you off, it makes it easier when it happens and it will happen, remember braking and swerving on a bike is way different in a car


[Modified by WishIHadANiceCarToo, 8:25 PM 4/1/2002]


[Modified by WishIHadANiceCarToo, 8:27 PM 4/1/2002]

[HondasRfast]

I was referring to the ccomment about looks when I was talking about lowering your car, not about the learning curve.

[figment]

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[Nuts]

Great advices!! thanks!

[figment]

ttt

[figment]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[figment]

T^P

[FourDoorGSR]

Wow... I haven't been on H-T for like a few days and all I see are the what is a good first bike question repeated over and over. So I'm not even gonna bother replying to them cuz the veteran riders here pretty much covered what needed to be said.

I'm a beginner rider as well, took the MSF course and just bought my first bike. 95 FZR600. I know its a 600 but hopefully with my better judgement and respect for the bike, I'm not gonna go out and try to max it out. I KNOW that if I ever try to do something like that, (something that is out of my limits) I might as well have commited suicide. Plus the FZR has one of the lower hp ratings out there for its class. So hopefully that will keep me out of trouble.

I know other riders out there that went straight to a brand new R6, GSXR, etc their first time out. And when I asked them, how they thought about their bike as a begginner bike, they all said they had wished they had practiced more on an older, less powerfull bike... The primary reason being that they had dropped thier bike more than once since they had recently gotten it.

I took the advice from my friend who rides afm and has been riding most of his life. He basically pointed out to me that the older bikes such as the CBR F2s and the likes are great starter bikes mainly because they are predictable and more forgiving to the mistakes that a rookie rider will make. The newer bikes, yes do look cooler, BUT are more aggresive and totally less forgiving to the mistakes that a rookie will make. I for one would trade looking cool on a bike any day because I'd rather be around tommorow riding in one peice with no broken bones or road rash!

[GokuSSJ4]

thanks bro !

[J T]

I was referring to the ccomment about looks when I was talking about lowering your car, not about the learning curve.

My car is lowered less than and inch with ground control coilovers and tokico illumina shocks, I lowered it cus I hate how soft the stock ride is. And yes my car does see the track a couple times a year.

[evil vapor]

bottom line or cliff notes of the whole lesson of the day...don't do stupid stunts

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;o - --- - --- - ()

[Raz1983]

even before that, dont ride motorcycles that arent set for you.
example: a beginner riding a r6
its like a person riding a puny 50cc bike jumping on to a nsr500 (200hp? 200yada yada horsepower)
you just end up on the ground

[J T]

There are easier ways to killing yourself on a motorcycle that doing 'stupid stunts'. EXAMPLE...going into a turn to fast, common beginner mistake. Grab a handful of brakes and end up in the hospital. You can't just romp on the brakes like a car, motorcycles are very diferent than cars, I hope you guys know that simple little fact.

Also, just wait until you come to that red light or stop sign with your brand new and shiny R6 or GSXR750 and you put your foot down but don't completely have your balance, You will be going over (just hope no hot chicks are next to you at the time) an so will your soon to be ugly scratched 'new' motorcycle. I think just about every motorcyclist has had this happen to them once or more. You learn to look back and laugh though.

I was just telling you that to get you to at least get a cheap used bike first, something you won't mind getting a little beat up, cus most likely it will.

[J T]

Kinda funny little story to read also if your a soon to be new rider,
http://www.esportbike.com/cgi-bin/ww...collapsed&sb=5

[Boughetto]

Great tips, too bad insurance is crazy

[riceboy]

im in 100% agreeal with everything said nice thread, nice article. The thing about starting out with less than a 600 though, this can actually be bad for some people I think. If you start a person out with a dirt bike and then they see travis pastrana on the x-games and then that jackass goes out and starts trying to so shit like that in traffic, can you say DEAD?


EDIT- the bottom line is a jackass is a jackass is a jackass is a jackass, thats all there is to it. I say if a beginner wants a blackbird or a busa, let em' do it, it will only take a week or so before there is one less retard on the road.


[Modified by riceboy, 7:00 PM 4/9/2002]

[Thought Police]

http://www.sportbikes.net/forums/sho...threadid=15138
Finally got around to posting this.