Another new guy here.

[priotan]

Hello.
I'm one of the god-knows-how-many new guys you're going to run into on the streets this summer on a new bike!

I've never ridden before and have no clue where to start so I'm taking the MSF safety course 5/9th through the 5/14th. After that I'll start shopping for bikes. I do have a few questions and as I said, I'm brand new to bikes so feel free to roll your eyes at my questions...

1) The biggest fear I have is shifting. I've never driven a manual car and realized, motorcycle driving is all about the shifting. Is it easy to learn? I'm concerned about trying to focus on shifting while using the throttle, brakes and turning etc etc... I'm worried my lack of knowledge of shifting might doom me in the course before I even really get started!

2) At 5'8" and about 200lbs is there a bike geared towards my height and weight or am I good to go on pretty much anything? I'm not really interested in sport/street bikes. I think a cruiser would be more up my alley. Something to do the 40 mile round trip to work and back and maybe some comfort cruising on the weekends. I've sat on Harleys Dynas and some Kawasaki mean streaks and was easily able to rock back and forth without worrying about the weight. I know these are very heavy bikes, I just wanted to get a feel for just how big they really are but I'm considering some of the bikes from Triumph and Ridley automatics.

3) Is there a specific manufacturer of bikes, helmets, equipment I should avoid at all costs for whatever reason?

4) If someone could type a basic guide to shifting, I'd appreciate the hell out of it...

Any other do's and dont's or general advice to a newbie would be great. And I'm one who'll actually listen. I have no intention of dying or paralyzing myself so rest assured I'll read and take to heart what you write.

Thanks in advance to anyone who takes the time to answer....

[camthepyro]

I understand your concern over shifting, I had the same concern when I first rode.

But, shifting is actually really easy.

Basically, you want to start on a flat surface (if possible). And put the bike in neutral, and start it. Then slowly let out the clutch (left hand lever) to see where to friction point is (then point where the transmission starts catching, and you can feel the bike start to move). After you get comfortable with that pull in the clutch and switch into first (click the shifter down), let out the clutch, while giving a little bit of gas. You will probably stall once or twice doing this, that's normal. But once you get a feel for it, you'll start moving forward slowly. Ride around in first for a few minutes to get used to it. Then when you're comfortable doing that, get to around 15 mph (generally, kinda depends on your bike, that's just where I shift) and pull in the clutch, now give the shifter on full click up to shift into second, then let out the clutch again, while giving it a little bit of gas (on most bike you probably won't even have to give it gas). There, now you're in second. Then just do the same thing you did from 1st-2nd for the rest of the gears. Downshifting is pretty straightforward, and is important for engine braking. What you want to do, if you're in like 2nd gear and want to shift into 1st is: let the throttle out completely (meaning, don't give it any gas) and pull in the clutch when the bike slows down to the bottom of that gear (2nd in this case), so pull in the clutch all the way, and click down on the shifter once to switch into 1st, and let the clutch back out slowly. This will use the engine's compression to slow down the bike. You want to let the clutch out slowly so you don't slow down to quickly and throw yourself over the handlebars. So let out the clutch slowly, and don't give it much throttle, this will slow the bike down to the bottom of 1st gear. To stop, just let the bike get as slow as possible in 1st (to the bottom of the gear) so you're going about 10mph, then when you're almost to where you want to to stop, pull in the clutch, and use the brakes to stop. Make sure you either switch into neutral (half a click up from 1st) or keep the clutch pulled in until you're ready to move again.

That might seem really complicated, but it's not too bad. They'll teach you everything in the MSF course.

[priotan]

camthepyro:
Thanks for that, it's easy enough to understand.
Just one question....how do you decide when and why you must change gears? at certain speeds?

[Z (fka Sweet Tooth)]

Welcome to the forum!

I also had no idea about shifting when I took the MSF and it wasen't that difficult to learn. Just let them know that ahead of time so they can show you. Don't let go of the clutch until your in gear and ready to go, hold in the clutch while shifting and hold the clutch in when you come to a stop so you don't stall out. The shifting is easy, you'll feel it when you have to shift up, then remember when you slow down or stop you have to shift down accordingly. Don't stress it it'll be fine.

[Unnamed]

The best thing you can do now is try to find everything you can online. Here are a few useful links I've found

http://www.motorcyclegearreview.com/
http://msf-usa.org/downloads/Motorcycle ... Manual.pdf
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/motorcycle5.htm

There are plenty more but those will get you started. If you find yourself taking a fancy to any bike or gear just google reviews of it and you should stay in pretty good shape.

[blues2cruise]

You will learn all about shifting in your class. You will ride around in first gear for a while. First to neutral to first to neutral. When that is conquered they will teach you to shift to 2nd. You will then ride around and shift from 2 to 1 to 2 to 1 to 2 to 1 .

and so on and so forth. They will teach you one step at a time. that is why they are there.

Just be honest and let them know that you are an absolute beginner and you will be ok.

[camthepyro]

priotan
PostPosted: Thu Apr 27, 2006 3:09 pm Post subject:
camthepyro:
Thanks for that, it's easy enough to understand.
Just one question....how do you decide when and why you must change gears? at certain speeds?

Yes, I go by speed (because my tachometer is broken), but after a little while you probably won't even have to look at the speedo, you'll be able to tell when you need to shift, just by listening to the engine. When I am normally stopping (as in not a panic stop, just slowing down at a stop sign or something) I use engine braking completely until I'm under 10mph, that will help your brakes last alot longer.

But you should get used to when the appropriate time to shift is when you start riding, by listening to how much the engine is straining, and what speed you're at, and by looking at your tacho. When you're downshifting, just let out the throttle, and down shift when the bike stops deccelerating, then downshift again when the bike is done deccelerating in that gear.

I shift into 2nd around 15mph, 3rd around 25, 4th around 35-40, and 5th around 50. But it depends on your bike.

[dieziege]

It seemed pretty natural on the MSF bikes. Might not be so natural w/ a 14K RPM redline...

I barely ever looked at the speedo during the MSF class. On the first day, any time I looked at the speedo they would signal me to get my chin up, and anyway they were signaling everyone to go faster go faster go faster and I couldn't go any faster without rear ending the person ahead of me so it didn't really matter. I still had no trouble up and downshifting at more or less the right times.

Don't worry about it.

[ofblong]

I am under the impression it is just like shifting an ATV then.

[camthepyro]

Why couldn't you look at the speedo?