#140772 - 07/22/08 02:17 PM
Motorcycle & a new rider
|
Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 03/11/05
Posts: 2574
|
OK, never owned one, but am interested. What should a newbie need to know about riding/ buying/ maintaining a motorcycle?
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#140785 - 07/22/08 03:22 PM
Re: Motorcycle & a new rider
[Re: Blast]
|
Old Hand
Registered: 08/10/06
Posts: 882
Loc: Colorado
|
+1 to Blast's first 3.
A motorcycle is not a step up from a bicycle to a car.
A motorcycle is like an F-16 and you don't know how to fly.
It'll hurt you or kill you really quickly. Or help the car drivers hurt or kill you.
Treat it like you would learning to fly the F-16 and you'll do fine. They really ARE trying to kill you out there! Your job is to prevent that and ride anyway.
(said by a 29 year rider who took the MSF Advanced course 4 times because it was fun and who hasn't yet been down on the street)
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#140790 - 07/22/08 03:29 PM
Re: Motorcycle & a new rider
[Re: Blast]
|
Hacksaw
Unregistered
|
1. Take the Motorcycle Safety Training Class.
2. Take the Motorcycle Safety Training Class.
3. Take the Motorcycle Safety Training Class.
The class is a lot of fun and the knowledge you gain from it will answer most of your questions. If possible, take the class before buying the bike. It may change your opinion of what motorcycle you'll want.
Man, I miss my bike.
-Blast +100 And not just because I'm a licensed instructor. Everybody who rides should take a class even if they've been riding for 40 years.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#140800 - 07/22/08 04:02 PM
Re: Motorcycle & a new rider
[Re: ]
|
I am not a P.P.o.W.
Old Hand
Registered: 05/16/05
Posts: 1058
Loc: Finger Lakes of NY State
|
[quote=Blast]
And not just because I'm a licensed instructor. Everybody who rides should take a class even if they've been riding for 40 years. +100 on that one.
_________________________
Our most important survival tool is our brain, and for many, that tool is way underused! SBRaider
Head Cat Herder
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#140842 - 07/22/08 08:33 PM
Re: Motorcycle & a new rider
[Re: TeacherRO]
|
Pooh-Bah
Registered: 01/21/03
Posts: 2203
Loc: Bucks County PA
|
Well...I'll add you to the list of people who must be on the road for the first time on a motorcycle. We have this hill near me, and right near the top of the hill, the road turns, ever-so-slightly left. See the map. There's a slight curve there between Skyline Drive and Chestnut Ridge Road. People heading north, down the hill have to turn left. In the last 3 months, we've had 12 motorcycle accidents on that curve. That's a LOT for that spot, and for all 12, it was a new rider who came into the turn just a little quick, got a tiny bit of gravel under the back wheel, and went off the bike. We land the helicopter right there at the scene. No fatalities, but some really banged up folks. My point isn't to scare you off, it's just to let you know that I've seen a disproportionate number of motorcycle wrecks this year, and in 100% of the incidents, it's anew rider. Take the classes, start slow, and wear a helmet. The head injuries I've seen for the folks without helmets have been just horrible, the folks with helmets seem to do a lot better, in general.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#140846 - 07/22/08 09:04 PM
Re: Motorcycle & a new rider
[Re: MartinFocazio]
|
Old Hand
Registered: 03/19/05
Posts: 1185
Loc: Channeled Scablands
|
Well...I'll add you to the list of people who must be on the road for the first time on a motorcycle. We have this hill near me, and right near the top of the hill, the road turns, ever-so-slightly left. See the map. There's a slight curve there between Skyline Drive and Chestnut Ridge Road. People heading north, down the hill have to turn left. In the last 3 months, we've had 12 motorcycle accidents on that curve. That's a LOT for that spot, and for all 12, it was a new rider who came into the turn just a little quick, got a tiny bit of gravel under the back wheel, and went off the bike. We land the helicopter right there at the scene. No fatalities, but some really banged up folks. My point isn't to scare you off, it's just to let you know that I've seen a disproportionate number of motorcycle wrecks this year, and in 100% of the incidents, it's anew rider. Take the classes, start slow, and wear a helmet. The head injuries I've seen for the folks without helmets have been just horrible, the folks with helmets seem to do a lot better, in general. Visit the ER, the cyclists able to talk will be the ones that wore a helmet.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#140849 - 07/22/08 09:11 PM
Re: Motorcycle & a new rider
[Re: TeacherRO]
|
Geezer
Registered: 09/30/01
Posts: 5695
Loc: Former AFB in CA, recouping fr...
|
After spending over thirty years helping pick up the pieces, I have come to the conclusion that there are two types of motor riders; those that have been down, and those that are gonna go down.
Did I mention that I don't like scooters much???
_________________________
OBG
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#140855 - 07/22/08 09:30 PM
Re: Motorcycle & a new rider
[Re: OldBaldGuy]
|
Hacksaw
Unregistered
|
The last time I was at the ME's office here, they were up to about 20 helmets....most of them motorcycle helmets...some of them not recognizable as such. They only started keeping them recently. Since the Hells Angels sued after they 'disposed' of a helmet that they wanted back for sentimental reasons.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#140885 - 07/22/08 11:50 PM
Re: Motorcycle & a new rider
[Re: ]
|
Geezer
Registered: 09/30/01
Posts: 5695
Loc: Former AFB in CA, recouping fr...
|
And probably a lot of them were the really "cool" beanie types, that give less protection than I would want if I were falling off of a scooter...
_________________________
OBG
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1
|
2
|
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
|
10
|
11
|
12
|
13
|
14
|
15
|
16
|
|
17
|
18
|
19
|
20
|
21
|
22
|
23
|
|
24
|
25
|
26
|
27
|
28
|
29
|
30
|
|
|
Previous Topic
Index
