Total Motorcycle Community Forums

LOl ok, I know I'm going to get flamed but I'd like to tell you guys my experience even though I know it wasn't the brighest and safest thing to do.

So about my experience with a bike... What have I done before prior to this ride on a bike? Ummm I rode up and down a block up to 3rd gear for 15 minutes then put the bike back. And the hardest part is just getting enough courage to put your feet on the pegs but once the bike goes, I was fine. Second time I rode up and down a block up to 3rd gear for 20 minutes and then that was it =\. I didn't do the MSF safety course(at least not yet) so I have basically almost no experience with a bike but I'm very comfortable with driving stick in a car.

So what happened was that we dropped off a kawasaki ninja 250r at the dealer to get it fixed and inspected. (We used a van to drop it off) Today we got the registration, inspection and plates and all that good paperwork done. So off to the dealer! So basically I'm suited in a blue shoei dot/snell approved helmet which is my brothers and a jacket. Jeans and timberlands were the only things covering my lower torso...

So now I'm dressed in all blue with a green bike but heck, what a great day to mismatch eh? So I take it around the block for a quick adjustment and noticed that the clutch would respond very far out which I wasn't very comfortable with. Normally I thought it'd be at least 3/4 of a pull to get the clutch in but it was like 5/6 the way so maybe it's just how it's suposed to be? I guess if not I could look online to figure out how to tighten the clutch

Ok so after just one ride around the block I go drive onto traffic! =\ Yeah I know very stupid of me but how else would I have gotten it home? ^_^. So first off, I need to make a right onto a rather busy one way , 3 lane street. I wait for a really good gap to pull in and I find it! I go and pull out leaning and such, oh just to let you know that was the first time I ever leaned a biek lolll, but quite honestly, leanining isn't bad as long as you haev faith in your bike and yourself. I then pull up to a stop light and relax myself. I realize that going straight is a cinch but it's the turning I just gotta be extra careful on. We make a left turn and I hit a straight away.

As I hit the straightaway I thikn to myself, hey let me test out my shifting and see how well I do? Now even though I have driven a stickshift car for a while, doing it with a bike is still slightly different. I wasn't quite as comforatble as I t hought I'd be but once I figured out that I was releasing the clutch to quickly, everything was smooth as cake. Just remember, for all you potential new drivers, that when you release the clutch you have to do it SLOWLY!, or you'll be jerking back and forth like a fat man on a bus. So yeah, the shifting works just like a car, except you gotta get used to doing it with your left hand now.

Towards the end of the straightaway I had to make a right. I pull out and I lean the bike but I end up on the left lane all the way to the left so I gotta work on my turns ... and then another straight away! yay!!! but this time I get a little more confident . This time I take the bike up to 50 / 60 miles and once there it was just a completely new experience. I felt very relaxed but after about 3 mins of the euphoria, I realized that I better get mah shiet together and focus on the road. After that I make a right into my neighborhood and hit about 3 stop signs before coming to my house. I assume the bike's like a car so I downshift all the way to first gear stop and go at everystop sign but it was still a bit jumpy. Mebbe I can stay in second gear and do a rolling stop mebbe?

Well I got home and that was my 20 minute drive in moderate traffic without any experience and I LIVED!!!! Yeah I know not the smartest thing to do as I could've put myself or others in danger but hell it was a good experience. I will still be considering the MSF course but I wouldn't go to it for practice but to acquire the knowledge about how to do things properly. If I'm gonna ride, I'm gonna make sure it do it the right way then teach myself the wrong way. Please if you can offer any tips, I'd more than appreciate em =D

pics now!

also... you do already have a license, right?

take it easy for a while and get more familiar w/ your machine.

and yeah, take the MSF. it will help if you have no other good means of getting good pro instructions.

i still remember my 1st time riding out the streets... it's only last january though.

i too rode w/o any experience.

Yep, that sure was dumb and irresponsible. Park the bike until you can take the MSF or get someone who knows what they're doing to help you learn and practice in a prking lot or something. Killing yourself is a pretty rotten thing to do to your friends and loved ones. Killing/harming someone else is worse.

ADVICE: Park the bike until you take some training or at least stay off the streets and practice lots in a parking lot with someone who knows what they're doing and can give you pointers.

I did the same thing when I got my first bike though so I'm not trying to flame you or be superior. I just wish I'd had the good sense to have taken some training first. You have the advantage of the Internet with lots of experienced riders to give you solid advice that could save your life(or someone else's) - take it!

It sounds like you have the shifting down... If you want to teach yourself I'd pick up a book and practice slow speed maneuvers... you might feel over confident on the streets because going straight and making wide turns is quite easy... wait until someone pulls out in front of you and you do not know the proper way to swerve... or you take a turn too fast because you never practiced negotiating turns or learning to keep a steady speed or roll on the throttle through a turn. I was “self taught” and had been riding for over 6 months, even on the interstate before I took the MSF… I was bored as hell the first day of riding in class because I already knew how to shift and use the controls… but once you get to swerving and emergency braking etc. you will find out how much you really did not learn on your own.

difficult to respond to this without flaming.

you know this wasnt the brightest thing to do, so, glad you are okay.
those wide turns could have been fatal, you need to learn to control your speed and the cornering.
take the MSF no matter what.

You don't need to learn how to ride in a straight line and turn...you need to learn how go get out of potentialy dangerous situations and avoid a fatal crash. It's not the speed, it's the sudden stop!

I'd say park the bike until you get the MSF class, but since I know that's not going to happen, pick up a copy of "Proficient Motorcycling" in the mean time and stick to practicing in an empty parking lot.

And get your own gear so you don't have to borrow. Your own stuff will fit much better.

my first time on the street was even stupider. my dad got in a car and told me to follow him, through streets ive never been on, and heavy traffic. it was all god fun, and that chiuaua is gonna get it soon....

i didnt know those lil dog type things could run that fast...

heck, the first rides i did on mine were before the msf class, I even bought a whole new machine before then. Take it easy, practice slow speed turns and anticipating what speed you need to enter turns, in any case if you are not sure, slow down. I am not gonng flame you, and if you had a legal bike and a permit and were fully legal then you are good to go. the MSF teaches many things that are very nice, and you can save some wear and tear learning them on their bikes instead of yours, and they are great coaches. but if you are carefull and practice slow stuff first and remember that in almost any case a fistfull of clutch will help (not all, but it will eliminate power to the rear wheel) and to be as smooth and reasonable as you can, you will be fine. read what people tell you about in here about the MSF courses, practice what they say, read about what moves they say to practice, and how to do it. thats how I learned, and I have done great so far. if you are not getting it or you crash, well, then park it till you hit the class. you have an easy bike to learn on so take it easy and slow for a little while, no 50-60mph rides for a bit, get used to 20mph around you neighborhood first. you usually DO go down to first for stopsigns, heck if you have enough rpms to run in first through a bunch of them I dont see the need to upshift unless trying to keep the motor quiet for people in houses.

Why do people always equate riding a motorcycle with driving a stick shift car?


TAKE THE MSF COURSE


Yes, you NEED to practice and MSF is the perfect place to learn what to need to practice and how to do it right. You should continually practice the techniques you're taught to keep your awareness and skills up to par.

Cruising straight is the easy part. It's all the turning and low speed moving and whatnots that are tricky.

Anyhow, try not to be that unintelligent again.