Total Motorcycle Community Forums

Welcome to TMW!

I had an '84 NightHawk 700SC. Be good to her, and she'll be good back!

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone!

In Indiana, you have to get a learner's permit (by passing a written test) and keep it for 30 days before getting your MC endorsement. After the 30 days, you have to take a driving skills test at the BMV, or, if you complete a msf riding course you can get a waiver for the BMV driving test. As I said in my other post, I completed the MSF course last weekend, so I went today to get my permit. Ah, nothing like 2 hours at the BMV to really make your day.
The test was pretty tricky, and it was obvious to me that whoever wrote it was trying to be very clever getting you to screw up. There are 25 questions, and you can only miss 4. I only missed 1! Yeah! So now I'm completely legal - license (well, permit), registration and plates.

I don't think I'm ready to ride in traffic yet, and I'm wondering how I will ever GET ready if I don't do it. It's a catch 22. I live way out in the country, like, one car an hour passes by my house. So I've been tooling around out here with no worries except the bugs and an occassional dog. I was driving my van today and had to stop suddenly, and my first thought was, "my god, what would I have done if I'd been on the bike?" There's a lot to think about and consider!

How do you know when you're ready?

JenM wrote:How do you know when you're ready?

Let me put it this way...the day you throw your leg over your bike and don't have a bit of fear in you, it's time to stop riding. That fear and anxiety is normal, and it contributes to the thrill of riding. If you are paralyzed with fear, maybe riding isn't for you. But don't give up on it if you're just nervous at the moment...that'll pass with time once most of your riding skills become second nature to you. Just keep up with the daily jaunts through the country, and it'll come eventually.

JenM wrote: I don't think I'm ready to ride in traffic yet, and I'm wondering how I will ever GET ready if I don't do it. It's a catch 22. I live way out in the country, like, one car an hour passes by my house. So I've been tooling around out here with no worries except the bugs and an occassional dog. I was driving my van today and had to stop suddenly, and my first thought was, "my god, what would I have done if I'd been on the bike?" There's a lot to think about and consider!

How do you know when you're ready?

Jen, you're already doing the right thing by practicing in a low-traffic area. A suggestion to build your skill and confidence is to practice emergency braking, swerving, slow maneivering etc. Try to imagine hazards that may occur on the road and with traffic, then practice what you would do in that situation.

If you can get a friend to help you, have them put an obstacle (like a road cone if one is available) on the side of the road somewhere around a corner. Not in the road but someplace where you might not see it until you're very close, then practice stopping before you reach it. As soon as you notice it, make a quick, controlled stop. (Make sure noone is behind you though.)