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The 2 fitty is a great choice for a beginner. Will run forever, too.
The only thing that cant be overstated is to ride like you re in video game and cars get points to run you over, then conduct your affairs according. Most accidents happen at intersections. Cars, as many times as not, will left turn in front of a bike cuz they cant judge the speed. Also, Newer cars have serious blind-spot issues. NEVER assume a car will see you. Even you have made eye contact, NEVER assume the car will yield to you. Sad, but true. There is a "dominion by tonnage" mindset amongst some anti-cycle car drivers, too. Cars, scary stuff when you are on a bike
Have fun You'll get it by riding smart and taking your time
In the sense that, of the two, it's the one you REALLY don't want to lock, OK. But street riding does/should use more front than rear (which is the complete opposite of dirt riding)
Quote:
Originally Posted by NewHavensFinest
Do use the brakes when your leaning over.
I wouldn't reccomend this, at least not when beginning. Get all your deceleration done with the bike upright, then turn. When you're comfortable with all this, then start reading up on concepts like trail braking, etc.
Quote:
Originally Posted by NewHavensFinest
Watch out for oil spots and sand on the road. It only takes a drop of oil on the street to slide out.
Yes. Add street paint and bots dots to that list as well.
Quote:
Originally Posted by NewHavensFinest
Use both brakes, not just one. You need to figure out the proper balance when braking. 50/50 would be a good balance.
More important than the balance is to understand what each brake does to the balance and riding dynamic of the bike, but learning to NOT rely solely on your front brake (a bad habit of yours truly) is a good thing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by NewHavensFinest
Always keep enough space so you never need to "slam" the brakes.
Absolutely, though having some parking lot practice so you know how much you can "slam" on them before lock-up is a real good thing. Brakes will do a lot more than folks give them credit for. I'd also recommend getting into the habit of keeping at least one finger on the front brake at all times (as opposed to having your entire fist on the throttle). The time it takes to extend the finger to the lever is that much more time you're not braking. This technique is known as 'covering the brake' and is taught in a number of riding/racing schools.
The debate over whether to start on a small or big bike has and will rage on forever. It's not worth re-hashing. Best advice on this (as has been mentioned) is to buy a bike that fits you. And I don't mean your personality, I mean it should physically fit you. It should be a comfortable position where all controls are easily within reach and you can comfortably reach the ground. I do agree with learning on something other than a cruiser so you can learn how to use your body to affect the ride. Because of the riding position of a cruiser, you don't really get that opportunity. Besides, new riders tend to think that bikes fall into one of 3 categories: cruisers, sportbikes, and dirt. Once you find out there's a whole middle-ground of great bikes in between, you may find a bike more suited to how you really want to use it. I'm not saying you should ditch the Rebel immediately. I'm sure it's a perfectly fine bike, but maybe try some other styles once you get a bit more comfortable riding. Besides, the market for 'beginner' bikes like that is really good. If you keep it upright and well-maintained, you'll be surprised how much you can get for it even after you've put some miles on it.
Yes, buy good gear. Leather all over is best, though admittedly in more casual riding situations (e.g. commuting), I wear jeans with knee/shin guards under instead, but everything else stays. Good gear costs more, but that doesn't mean you HAVE to spend a ton. There are plenty of websites that sell clearance gear for very good deals. A realistic budget is $100-$400 for a helmet (SNELL or ECE approved is best), $150-$500 on a jacket (same for pants), $40-$150 on gloves, and $80-$300 for riding boots.
As for the debate among the old saying that 'there are 2 kinds of riders; those that HAVE crashed and those that WILL crash', it's more about having the right mindset about the discipline needed to ride. At minimum, it should be interpreted as a good reason to always wear appropriate gear (All the Gear All the Time, aka ATGATT).
Mike
Last edited by whiteboyslo; 01-07-2014 at 07:32 AM..
I'm not sure what the street crews is Baaaaastan do, but around here they spread a lot of sand during the winter months. A lot of novice riders, all excited for the first ride of the spring, get into trouble on that stuff. First corner they lean into, they're laying on the street and their cycle is up on somebody's lawn.
Location: On the "Left Coast", somewhere in "the Land of Fruits & Nuts"
8,852 posts, read 10,450,688 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mcguirk
You are certainly absolutely not guaranteed to go down if you lock the rear, lol. I would much rather lock the rear, and indeed I sometimes accidentally do that on my Ducati. The important thing us to KEEP IT LOCKED UNTIL YOU REACH A FULL STOP. If you don't, THEN you risk the rear "snapping back" into alignment with the front, and a probable high side.
This all comes back to my prior post, where I advocate REALLY learning how to handle a motorcycle in a safe, sandbox environment. Any competent rider can achieve maximum braking with a good squeeze, and any competent rider can make it out of a rear eagerly lock up, because they've practiced it before, know exactly what it feels like, and font panic.
Actually one piece of advice I haven't seen mentioned here, is to steer clear of the self-styled "experts", who often feel "entitled" to do crazy sh*t, especially while they're trying to show off to other bikes nearby! And in my experience, owners of certain 'sport bikes' are often some of the worst offenders!
Actually one piece of advice I haven't seen mentioned here, is to steer clear of the self-styled "experts", who often feel "entitled" to do crazy sh*t, especially while they're trying to show off to other bikes nearby! And in my experience, owners of certain 'sport bikes' are often some of the worst offenders!
Absolutely. My number one mantra is, "don't be a squid."
That said, not all people who ride big bikes are squids. I love seeing older guys in one-piece Dainese suits taking their GSXR1000RRs to the twisties on the weekends. There's nothing like tagging behind an experienced rider who knows how to SAFELY handle a big bike on public roads.
I haven't owned a bike in many years, but I do drive a small hot rod where I am dwarfed on the road by SUVs and trailer trucks. I always assume the people around me are going to do something dumb, so I drive very defensively. I have had people swerve into my lane while trying to take a picture of my car, and everyone wants to race. You just have to constantly be on your toes and leave lots of room around you.
As for the comment about sportbike riders, those things are the armpit of the motorcycle world.....I hate them. Their riders have no respect for others, think the roads are for zooming in and out of traffic at high speed, and they have that annoying angry bee sound to them. Yes, those are generalizations, but 8 out of 10 of them drive that way.
Wear a helmet.
Every vehicle around you can kill you because a lot of the people driving them will never see you. So it's up to you to know whats going on around you.
Go to a large school parking lot and learn your bike, how it brakes, handles and shifts gears.
It's not a bicycle, do not ride it like one. The faster you go the less you steer, any sharp or sudden jerks on the handle bars while at speed can be disastrous. Directional changes are done by leaning into the turn. It's that balance of leaning and slight steering that can be a little scary and hard to learn for new riders.
Less crowded roads in rural areas are better to learn on than crowded city streets IMO. This does not mean you can let your guard down. Instead of pedestrians jumping in front of you it might be a deer.
Glad you are taking a safety course, pay attention and don't be afraid to ask questions.
If you are riding along and you notice someone driving in a reckless manner or tailgating you or if something just doesn't FEEL right pull over. Trust your gut.
Finally, DON'T DO ANYTHING STUPID and you will have years of safe enjoyable riding ahead of you.
Last edited by xjken; 01-09-2014 at 12:28 PM..
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You'll get it by riding smart and taking your time 
