Total Motorcycle Community Forums

Hello all,
Im a 20 year old male from mississippi who is currently in college. I'm looking to get into riding, but do not know where to begin. I grew up riding dirt bikes and feel I am ready to make the jump to street bikes. I am currently looking at a Honda cb500x. Is this too much bike? I'm also 5'11" so do y'all think this bike will fit me? I also am needing to buy riding equipment so what brands are reccommended to look at? Also where can I go to get some training? I know the Harley dealership in Southaven does a class, but I know little about it. The majority of my riding will be around my hometown and commuting to class. Thanks for any help!

Welcome to TMW.

The first thing is see what riding classes are in your area...as well as the HD classes. Pick the one that suits your schedule and level of experience. Classes often include gear like helmets and gloves...to use for lessons.

Brands are less important than fit and function. Buy the best you can fit into your budget.

You can probably find motorcycle riding school websites....they will have the info you need.

I'm not sure what is or is not in your area, but a few things to look into:
-Training: the MSF (Motorcycle Safety Foundation) or similar classes are a good place to start, just understand that they are a START, you will still need to practice the skills you learn. Your dirt riding experience will definitely help you along.

-Gear: First and foremost, get a helmet that fits your head properly. I have (literally) had a helmet save my life. The first time I dropped $600 on a helmet I wanted to freak out. When I went in to replace that same helmet after a nasty (track) crash, I had ZERO problem spending the money. Fit first, then creature comforts (ventilation, etc), then farkles like paint jobs. They can't replace or fix heads/brains very well yet.
--After that, good gloves. Fingers and hands almost always take a hit, and they are small with tiny parts that are easily injured. Even expensive gloves can only do so much, but the more the better IMO.
--Jacket/pants/boots - first, find what fits you (Cycle Gear, if you have one, tends to carry an okay selection of brands so you can get an idea how a certain brand is cut) then think about the type of riding you will be doing (weather - hot/cold/dry/wet/varying; twisties/freeways/just around town; type of bike; possible riding goals). Starting out, get something with the hard armor in it, get a back protector, and used gear is fine. Once you've been riding for a bit and have a better idea where you may want to go with your riding there's a good chance you'll have a better idea of what a good investment will be.

-Bike: Your bike sounds like an excellent and wise choice for your height/experience. Good choice there! Oh, and height tends to be more about inseam than anything - I'm only 5'6" but can flat foot or nearly flat foot any sport bike out there (can't QUITE flat foot my liter bike with 200/60 rear tire on there), whereas I've seen folks taller than me on their tip toes on shorter bikes