First ride to bring my new (big) bike home ... advice?

[stompy]

You will be fine. A lot of the oldish farts like to pretend that they know better than you. And they may or may not. They want you to think that riding a "big" bike is a "big" deal. You would be in trouble on a sport bike but you will be fine here. Just err on the side of caution and don't listen to the naysayers. If you have the balls and are not an idiot, that bike will ride YOU all the way home.

[Velocity]

You will be fine. A lot of the oldish farts like to pretend that they know better than you. And they may or may not. They want you to think that riding a "big" bike is a "big" deal. You would be in trouble on a sport bike but you will be fine here. Just err on the side of caution and don't listen to the naysayers. If you have the balls and are not an idiot, that bike will ride YOU all the way home.

Yeah!

There's nothing in going from riding someone else's 125cc and 250cc bikes that weigh 300 pounds in a parking lot at 20 mph, to driving your own 1450cc bike weighing 672 pounds at two or three times that speed on public highways with traffic.

http://www.bikez.com/motorcycles/harley ... e_2003.php

No big deal there.

[koji52]

Don't bother velocity...stompy is just pissed because people were critical of his decision to get a big bike. In a forum where safety is generally more important than "man, i don't want to look even fatter on a smaller bike, so I'll just get a huge bike," he's trying to build a crowd around him.

Rogero, just use common sense and realize that people on this forum are probably more safety minded than most other forums. We would rather you ride safe and add to our discussions than be scared S***less on your first ride and never return.

[Tennif Shoe]

Haul it home, not so much for saftey (that's a big part of it though) but ridding a bike takes muscle building in areas of the body. what are you going to do when you get 25 miles away from home and are just too exhausted to continue on? will you get so exhausted that you will not be on top of your game when that car jumps out in front of you 5 miles from the house? Haul the bike home or if you dont want to do that stay with your friend for a week and get use to the bike there then when you are silghtly more comfterable with the bike ride it home. Ohh and understand this 80% of all new bikers drop their bikes in the first year, i know i did, most of the time no damage done just keep on riding. The other 20% lie!
Be prepared to see your nice bike on the ground, picking it up, saying "damn a scratch" , getting back on and ridding off.

[motokid]

... Ohh and understand this 80% of all new bikers drop their bikes in the first year, i know i did, most of the time no damage done just keep on riding. The other 20% lie!
...

If that makes you feel better, then it's fine with me.


On more serious note, I'm not saying I'll never drop my bike, but I won't do it as a novice rider. And, I'm guessing, the consequences might be more serious. That's why, it's all the gear all the time for me. So, to the original poster, if you decide to ride it, which can be done but I wouldn't suggest it, at least gear up well.


K

[Velocity]

... Ohh and understand this 80% of all new bikers drop their bikes in the first year, i know i did, most of the time no damage done just keep on riding. The other 20% lie!
...

If that makes you feel better, then it's fine with me.


On more serious note, I'm not saying I'll never drop my bike, but I won't do it as a novice rider. And, I'm guessing, the consequences might be more serious. That's why, it's all the gear all the time for me. So, to the original poster, if you decide to ride it, which can be done but I wouldn't suggest it, at least gear up well.


K

A more experienced rider than me told me recently that there are two groups of riders - those who have dropped their bikes, and those who have yet to.

And all the gear, all the time is a great approach. It's not like you can predict on which ride you're going to really need it.

[Lion_Lady]

I've been reading a while, and this week found a smoking deal on an '03 Softail Deuce. I was going to start with a Sportster, but this one came in cheaper than the bikes I was scoping ... so last night I committed.

The bike is 100 miles away, so I signed up for the safety course where the bike is. I figure I'll take the course over the weekend, staying with some friends, and then on the Monday drive it home...

You've gotten good advice all around. I'm going to add to it. First. As a new rider, you truly have no idea how much you have no idea about. The closest thing I might compare it to would be . . . being pregnant.

Yes, I know you can't do that. But there are books out there that supposedly describe everything that there is to know about what a pregnant body is likely to do and feel, etc. "Everything you need to know." And I will tell you from experience, that there is simply no way to adequately describe and convey TRULY what its like to EXPERIENCE pregnancy. The same with piloting a motorcycle.

As you take that riders course on a 300 pound motorcycle with probably only 20 horsepower. Keep in mind that you're intending to translate your experience in a parking lot, to riding 100 miles on an 800 pound machine.

Every time you tweak the throttle unintentionally, or almost drop the bike in class, consider how the same mistake will turn out on your new prize.

Don't forget that you might not even PASS the course. It happens. I strongly suggest that you just rent a truck and plan to carry your new bike home.

P

[Flipper]

One thing that hasn't been mentioned is the sustained mental concentration that's required.

New riders don't realize how mentally taxing it is just to keep track of everything that's going on around you.

Add to that a new rider with no muscle memory that has to talk themselves through basics like shifting and braking, that has no muscle memory yet.

Truck it home baby.

[Lion_Lady]

One thing that hasn't been mentioned is the sustained mental concentration that's required.

New riders don't realize how mentally taxing it is just to keep track of everything that's going on around you.

Add to that a new rider with no muscle memory that has to talk themselves through basics like shifting and braking, that has no muscle memory yet...

Thanks for adding this, flipper. I thought of it as I was brushing my teeth to go to bed.

P

[Grey Thumper]

I notice the OP pretty much stopped at his/her 3rd post. One hopes Rogero is alive and well and enjoying an undamaged Deuce.