First time motorcycle

[Chase25]

I’ve never owned a motorcycle. I’ve owned dirt bikes mini bikes and all sorts of other stuff. Riding on the roads makes me nervous with phones. How do you ride the safest?

 

[Lpherr]

I’ve never owned a motorcycle. I’ve owned dirt bikes mini bikes and all sorts of other stuff. Riding on the roads makes me nervous with phones. How do you ride the safest?

Stay off your phone.

 

[patience0830]

I just gave up riding when my oldest was born

 

[Leo]

I was a MSF trainer when we were able to use Governors State University grounds. Abate in Indiana has adapted most of the material from MSF. It is good stuff. I would suggest to take a course, even if you have 100 dirt bikes and have road raced internationally. Even as Trainer's we would have a different trainer take us through the middle and the advanced tests to make sure we did not pick up any bad habits.

The biggest thing about staying alive is believing with all your heart that the clueless fools do not see you and do not want to. Also believe that the ones who do see you really want to kill you. We taught students to always drive with a way of escape in mind. I worked tried to have two or three possible ways of escape.

The biggest thing that has changed since the 70's and 80's is the collisions from the rear. Back then, rear end collisions were a very small, single digit statistic. With cell phone, texting and touch screen on the dash board, rear enders have doubled. I was blasted at a light in Mena Arkansas in broad daylight by a woman who crosses that light every day for work. My buddy was rear ended on US 31 with a full dressed Hog having seven taillights on his bike!

All that said, plan all you can and when it becomes 2nd nature. you will be able to carve out a lot of fun.

 

[JTKelly]

I’ve never owned a motorcycle. I’ve owned dirt bikes mini bikes and all sorts of other stuff. Riding on the roads makes me nervous with phones. How do you ride the safest?

Pretty simple, learn the laws.

Follow them.

 

[loudgroove]

Stay vigilant at all times. Take the class as mentioned above. I usually just ride out in the country just to enjoy the ride. I remember one time after getting to the top of a hump in the road there was a huge turtle crossing the road. I was able to miss the little guy, but would have been bad if I didn't. Just know there are more dangers than people on a cell phones.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

I also quit riding, haven't owned a bike since 2012-ish when I sold both of mine. I had a Goldwing and a Victory Vegas at the time. If I still lived in a rural area, I'd be more likely to still have one, but I don't miss it with Indianapolis traffic.

1) Bigger bikes get seen somewhat more, but assume you are invisible. Assume people will turn left in front of you, will not stop when you do, etc. It's tiresome, but you need to have a plan of how in evade when anybody you see decides to try and kill you.

2) Helmets. It's not going to save you from everything, but it can save you from a lot more than you'd think...and leave you with the ability to think

3) Flashing headlights and the rapid fire brake lights make you more visible. The "loud pipes save lives" is largely ******** at today's speeds and with as well insulated against sound as vehicles are, people don't react to sound that well and the pipes aren't that loud from the front vs once you've already passed someone. Flashing lights attract the eye naturally like rapid movement does, but still assume you're invisible.

4) Speed makes it both more likely you'll crash and harder on you when you do. I never bought a zoomsplat bike because I knew me too well.

 

[PGRChaplain]

I'm going to Echo what Leo said, take a course! Ride with the mindset that every vehicle you encounter will try to Run Over you! I've been Riding on the street since 1965.

 

[LtScott14]

Get a good shoulder holster to carry a firearm to shoot back, when you about get ran over. People in cars are idiots to MC riders. People in trucks only want to kill you.
Sorry, 20+ years a rider, not anymore. Cellphones are as deadly as your hi cap Glock when in a motor vehicle. Good luck.
Yes go to Abate training. Get good insurance policy.
Honestly, use to love riding till cellphones got invented.

 

[Creedmoor]

Old Harley guy here.
I sent my sons to this class. It's about 5 hrs of computer work before the field classes and a sat/sun of half days. Pass and you earn your paperwork for your DL endorsement.
It's setup for those just like you, virtually zero experience. You will need a few things like a helmet, boots, glasses, gloves and a long sleeve shirt or a jacket. It's 200.00 bucks. Well worth the investment.

Riders First Motorcycle Safety Training

Learn to ride, polish your skills, or get your motorcycle endorsement here. Indiana's leading motorcycle safety training provider utilizing a trusted curriculum from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation in collaboration with Ride Safe Indiana. Putting a priority where it should be, on you! Earn your m

www.riders-first.com

 

[racegunz]

Buy a convertible……

 

[Creedmoor]

Buy a convertible……

And a velour warm up with velcro new balances up in matching colors.
@printcraft

 

[loudgroove]

Old Harley guy here.
I sent my sons to this class. It's about 5 hrs of computer work before the field classes and a sat/sun of half days. Pass and you earn your paperwork for your DL endorsement.
It's setup for those just like you, virtually zero experience. You will need a few things like a helmet, boots, glasses, gloves and a long sleeve shirt or a jacket. It's 200.00 bucks. Well worth the investment.

Riders First Motorcycle Safety Training

Learn to ride, polish your skills, or get your motorcycle endorsement here. Indiana's leading motorcycle safety training provider utilizing a trusted curriculum from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation in collaboration with Ride Safe Indiana. Putting a priority where it should be, on you! Earn your m

www.riders-first.com

When I took my class thru Harley Davidson, this was the same format. I finished the online stuff at one sitting, took a few breaks but went all the way thru it. lol

 

[JCSR]

You could always hang with these guys.......

 

[Creedmoor]

When I took my class thru Harley Davidson, this was the same format. I finished the online stuff at one sitting, took a few breaks but went all the way thru it. lol

I was really surprised with how much information was given, learned and then tested with that online class. I want to say it was over 5 hrs for them to finish.

 

[Creedmoor]

You could always hang with these guys.......

View attachment 359182

Looks like the Villages of Florida Chapter, of The Corvette Club of America.

 

[Ark]

It's more dangerous than driving a car. That's just a fact. I've never gotten a scratch from a car wreck, but I've been in close to a dozen that would kill me on two wheels instead of four.

That said, there are some statistical gimmies. You can wipe out most of the risk by just wearing a helmet, wearing gear, not being impaired, and keeping your speed down and your bike under control. Watch enough motorcycle crash videos and you notice the common denominator is usually someone riding like an idiot just before it happens.

But yeah, a lot like a bicycle, assume you're invisible to everyone and everyone is stupid and/or homicidal. I would not ride a motorcycle in Indy.

 

[BJHay]

1. Wear a full face helmet
2. Take formal motorcycle training
3. little or no alcohol before riding
4. For me: be especially vigilant for people turning left in front of you and overcooking corners (especially on a fast heavy cruiser).

 

[HoughMade]

Amazon.com

Excellent book- author no relation.

 

[kawtech87]

When I was in MMI (Motorcycle Mechanics Institute) in Orlando FL, one of my instructors rode an older model Suzuki GSXR1000 that had obviously been crashed a couple times and been expediently repaired by him. One mirror was missing but the stem was still on the bike. One night before class was over I noticed him rummaging through the "spare bolts bin" and stacking 4 rear axle nuts onto that mirror stem. When I asked him what the nuts were for he said "***hole drivers on the freeway". He also kept a length of 530 chain wrapped around his handle bars that he said he would use as a car whip. He said he used them every day. He lived in Ocala and commuted to Orlando and back and the bike was the only mode of transportation he owned. I have no reason not to believe him, and the next day the nuts were not on his mirror and after class he was once again rummaging through the parts bin. Pretty cool guy honestly.