Total Motorcycle Community Forums

Bok! Thanks for the GREAT visuals. It's great to get so much feedback from everyone!

CNF2002 wrote:GhostRider, do not ride any more motorcycles until you take the MSF course. You are going to break something.

Yeah, like the superficial rules set forth by the folks on this forum!

not riding until taking the course is not bad advice really. Since you have no real training, you might start making some bad habits that will be tough to correct when you get to the course.

I've seen it many times where someone wants to "get the feel for riding" ends up in an accident (usually minor) that would be preventable by knowing proper braking or how to find the friction point etc.

if you do ride before the course, be really careful.

ZooTech wrote:

CNF2002 wrote:GhostRider, do not ride any more motorcycles until you take the MSF course. You are going to break something.

Yeah, like the superficial rules set forth by the folks on this forum!

No...some people get on a bike and most of what they do is intuitive. They can just ride. They need practice and to develop their skills, but the basics concepts are already there. GhostRider doesn't know why the bike won't 'steer' in the direction he wants...its just not intuitive to him. There's nothing wrong with this, but I think its a good sign that he needs more proper instruction before he jumps on sportbikes and attempts to teach himself.

No...some people get on a bike and most of what they do is intuitive. They can just ride. They need practice and to develop their skills, but the basics concepts are already there. GhostRider doesn't know why the bike won't 'steer' in the direction he wants...its just not intuitive to him. There's nothing wrong with this, but I think its a good sign that he needs more proper instruction before he jumps on sportbikes and attempts to teach himself.

It's not that I CAN'T steer the bike in the direction I want, I was simply wondering WHY it does what it does. I learned how to steer using counter-steering before I knew what the word was, and now I was asking why it does that. People learn all kinds of things and then later learn WHY they do. I don't think my question had much at all to do with experience (though I am new relatively new to motorcycling). Though thanks again for the many and varied responses.



side note- CNF2002: Without ever having met me, knowing my riding history or seen me ride, I thought this:

GhostRider, do not ride any more motorcycles until you take the MSF course. You are going to break something.

was a bit rude. Also talking about what I can and can't do intuitively I think was a bit presumptuous. I don't want to start any kind of arguement (nor will I be a part of one), but I found your comments to be a slight bit insulting and presumptous. Though I do value you comments.

GhostRider, no insults intended. Based on your first post I think its pretty safe to assume this is your first time riding a bike. Allow me to rephrase...it is important that you learn the basics of the motorcycle, and without a bike or a responsible teacher that leaves you the MSF course. Stay off bikes until then, because without any knowledge of how they ride or what to do to keep yourself shiny-side up, you will be responsible for any damage you cause to test bikes or a buddy's bike, and even a drop from standing still can cost a few hundred in damages alone.

An uncle of mine (experienced rider since he was a child) has been teaching me the basics of motorcycling. First I got used to the clutch and shifting on a small dirt bike, and now he is teaching me on not-oft-travelled country roads on his CBR 600 F4. He taught me to countersteer, but he didn't use the word, he just told me how to do it, which is what led me to ask if what I was doing was counter-steering and if that was what it was/is. I am quite inexperienced and it is indeed my first several times riding though. And I'm sure you didn't intend to insult. Anyways, thanks again everyone for all the great answers!

Those who have had experienced relatives or friends teach them are significantly more likely to get in accidents than those who are self taught, who are then more likely than those who are professionally taught.

Just a thought.

Hmm....that's a really interesting fact. I'm learning a little from my uncle, and then the MSF (which by nature I'll listen to above pretty much any other advice unless widely and fully disagreed upon by cyclists), so I guess that puts me in......I hope to ride responsibly and never crash?

so I guess that puts me in......I hope to ride responsibly and never crash?

Welcome to the club. There's too many names around here, so your new name is 6,308,382.

We had chips at one time, but they were pretty much gone by the time 30 got here.