First Rides

[JJKJR]

Within a very short time I'll be purchasing my first bike. I felt I did well during the MSF course but now I'll be on my own without an instructor to give advice. Can any of the more experienced riders of this forum remember their first rides and possibly give me any advice on how to get started? The dealer has a large parking lot and said he will allow me to ride there at the time of the purchase, reviewing the bike from top to bottom. I then plan on having the bike delivered to my home. From there I thought I would ride in the neighborhood which is fairly rural practicing some of the drills I performed during the class. I wonder what the neighbors are going to think when I set up cones? (only kidding!) Then I thought that I would venture out further from home and into more traffic as my skills and confidence on this bike improves. Are there any other secrets to developing my skills that I'm missing? Thanks for any advice.

[Uncle Bob]

Just practice, practice and more practice.

[RookWV]

I went to the local high school parking lot and practiced a lot. When there were cars there I found an empty doctor's office parking lot and rode there.

You get some odd looks sometimes and maybe even a curious policeman but I never had any problems.

After I felt comfy with the lot I ventured out onto the rural roads that were relatively slow and traffic free.

Then came my first jaunt into town.....cager pulls out in front of me within 5minutes!!

I don't mind the traffic riding so much now but as anyone would, I prefer moving over sitting!

Good luck and be careful!

[JJKJR]

I envision myself doing the same thing in parking lots, rural roads etc. I saw a fellow biker this afternoon and she said she practiced in safe areas first and as her confidence grew she took on more challenging rides. Thanks for taking the time to answer back.

[Clint]

My best advice: Any schmuck can ride a bike fast. Learn to ride it very slowly and you'll be miles ahead of the game.

Then, get a good book and read it. Proficient Motorcycling will teach you the whys for the hows that you got in the rider course.

Relax and have fun. You've reduced your fatality rate immensely by taking the steps you have.

[RookWV]

Oh yeah, and WEAR YOUR GEAR WEAR YOUR GEAR WEAR YOUR GEAR

[JJKJR]

I read the book before I took the class which was turned out to be the right thing to do. Out of the 8 who took the class there were only 3 of us who had never been on a bike before. The others were either long time riders or passengers of riders who were very familiar with bikes. I also plan on wearing all my gear as well. It is amazing how I've been more observant of other bikers on the road. I can spot some who seem to follow the materials that were taught in the MSF course and others who just simply don't. Thanks for all your input.

[SoldierSteve]

I only recently started riding and my best piece of advice is only do what you are comfortable to do. Start in a parking lot and move to slow residential. As you get comfortable with the actually working of the bike (throttle, clutch, break) move into higher traffic areas or more mainstream streets. Just take it slow. No one is expecting you to do a sturgis run next week, so just hop on, take it slow, and enjoy the ride.

Welcome to the site,

[tlwisner]

Originally Posted by RowdyRed94

Then, get a good book and read it. Proficient Motorcycling will teach you the whys for the hows that you got in the rider course.

What a good book that is. Get it, read it, and practice what it tells you to practice. Many people pull out in front of me, so far I have assumed they would and made allowances in speed and course to avoid any up close encounters. Of course, I'm an old guy on a slow bike, so you won't see me blowing through traffic on one wheel. You will see me enjoying the ride!

[Uncle Bob]

Yes great book.

[mikemilburn]

If you're looking for a good book, one that's aimed at road driving as opposed to racing try Total Control: High-Performance Street Riding Techniques by Lee Parks. Just finished it this weekend, learnt a lot and it's very well written....Mike

[paul a cosbrook]

Two important practises for the rest of your riding career
LOOK Well ahead - look to where you want to go! In an emergancy look for the gap. Look at the road just in front of you and thats where you will crash On corners look (turn your head) to see as far around the corners as possible and use your peripheral vision to see the near by objects.

USE COUNTERSTEER Make a conscious effort to steer the bike with pressure away from you on the side of your corner. practise this at
over 30kph in a straight line genty zig zag you will see what I mean.
Under braking in a corner you may find your machine stands up ( turns
to the outside of the corner ) put in some opposite lock to lean the bike
back into the corner This is countersteer and it works on anything from
a scooter to a big cruiser ENJOY YOUR MOTORCYCLING

[Clint]

Originally Posted by paul a cosbrook

put in some opposite lock to lean the bike
back into the corner

Woah, there, buddy. No need to get crazy!

[Uncle Bob]

If you're braking in a corner you need more than more countersteer, you need to learn to ride.

[Dwayne Hicks]

Once I had my bike, my first ride was around my block a few times - just four left hand turns. When I had that down pat, and didn't freak out anymore when putting the bike into third, at the sudden burst of acceleration, I started doing it the other way round, turning right, and practising going up hill (incline starts) Two days later, I rode the full 12 miles to work and back. I was pretty surprised at the traffic on the road - the drivers of cars seemed to know I was a new rider, and gave me a wide berth. I took it slow, only going up to 50 mph at one point. Fair enough - I was upsetting the drivers behind me, but i had left plenty of time for myself to get to work. I sort of carefully took the bull by the horns and off I went. It got easier as the days and miles went past. On my first ride though, I did do a bit of a stupid thing. I was going 50, light changed to yellow. I thought I could make it, and accelerated a bit. THe light changed to red, and I had to brake hard. The back tire locked up, and I struggled to stop in time and ended up a few yards over the line. Now that I know the bike, what it can and can't do, and how late I can leave it before braking, its almost like second nature.

And so it will be with you! Keep it safe, keep it slow for the first couple of weeks, and eventually you will get the hang of it.

Happy riding!
Cheers
Dwayne

[JJKJR]

It is amazing seeing my post again from 1 month ago and thinking how I felt at that time. I ended up getting a Volusia 800 and did what all of you gave me advice on. I slowly have increased my riding confidence from the neighborhood and parking lots to the main roads. A friend of mine and I yesterday put 110 miles on our bikes riding all over our community. So if there are any new riders out there feeling unsure like I was 1 month ago just hang in there. I know I still have a lot to learn but each time I go out I feel better and more confident in my riding abilities. You will too. Thanks to all of you who provided assistance.