My recommendation is to find some roads that are not very well traveled and practice riding on them in the daylight. Take it easy, maybe get with a group where you can practice riding. Don't take it out and follow someone much more experienced than yourself, some people will lead you strait to the morgue just to show they are better.
Kev
Veterans feel free to chime in
[quote=" Throttle control is one of the most important skills you have to learn - /quote]
Agreed, that and braking hard (eg emergency type) took some skill to master... recently came in handy when I was apparently invisible (with my headlight on) to a lady turning left in front of me. Without the rookie practice sessions, I may not have kept the thing upright.
Agreed, that and braking hard (eg emergency type) took some skill to master... recently came in handy when I was apparently invisible (with my headlight on) to a lady turning left in front of me. Without the rookie practice sessions, I may not have kept the thing upright.
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Lion_Lady
- Legendary 1500
- Posts: 1885
- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 6:44 am
- Real Name: Pam
- Sex: Female
- Years Riding: 24
- My Motorcycle: 2013 BMW R1200R 90th Anniversary
- Location: Lynchburg, VA
Yup. Take the MSF course. Get yourself geared up... figure on spending about $1000 on the complete "kit" - gloves, boots, pants, jacket, helmet.
Textile is less expensive and can be washed when it gets funky. A good brand will protect at least as well as leather... one crash only, however.
Make sure its got good armor and that it fits comfortably enough you'll wear it every time you head out. It will make the difference between picking up your bike and riding home and getting a ride in the wagon with the flashing lights on top. It doesn't take much speed at all to make for really really ugly road rash or brain damage.
If you are going nuts putting around the neighborhood, Sunday mornings (early) are generally the most peaceful time to ride around. But you need to really master some of the slow speed stuff before you do it.
David Hough's "Proficient Motorcyling" is worth its weight in gold.
Pam
Textile is less expensive and can be washed when it gets funky. A good brand will protect at least as well as leather... one crash only, however.
Make sure its got good armor and that it fits comfortably enough you'll wear it every time you head out. It will make the difference between picking up your bike and riding home and getting a ride in the wagon with the flashing lights on top. It doesn't take much speed at all to make for really really ugly road rash or brain damage.
If you are going nuts putting around the neighborhood, Sunday mornings (early) are generally the most peaceful time to ride around. But you need to really master some of the slow speed stuff before you do it.
David Hough's "Proficient Motorcyling" is worth its weight in gold.
Pam
Courage in women is often mistaken for insanity - Alice Paul
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jmillheiser
- Legendary 2500
- Posts: 2515
- Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2005 5:27 pm
- Sex: Male
- Location: Cheyenne, WY
Joe Rocket protects just as well as the other brands. A friend of mine was in an accident about 6 weeks ago where he slid around 50 feet, he was wearing a joe rocket textile jacket and the jacket was unscathed, the rest of him was another story. He hit face first hard enough to crack the jawpiece on his helmet, and shatter the visor, then slid 50 feet before coming to a stop.
In what could easily have been a fatal accident all he came out of it with was a cracked jaw, broken arm, concussion, and lots of road rash on his legs (he had jeans on).
And that accident was caused by an SUV that didn't see him and turned left
In what could easily have been a fatal accident all he came out of it with was a cracked jaw, broken arm, concussion, and lots of road rash on his legs (he had jeans on).
And that accident was caused by an SUV that didn't see him and turned left