New Rider Tips

[Gixxerdale]

These general tips are pretty much common knowledge among street riders but worth mentioning and can be helpful for beginners. This hardly touches the surface of what a new rider needs to learn, but I thought it may be of some help to get started. Take an MSF course as well.

GEAR
Arguably the most important aspect of riding a bike is how well protected you are while doing it. There's a saying that there are three kinds of riders, those that haven't gone down, those that have and those that are going down again. Covering your skin with the proper gear will allow you a comfortable ride and the opportunity to miss a visit to the hospital.

1. If you don't have leathers, get some. What costs more, a set of leathers or a custom skin graph? You can do the math on that one.

2. A proper set of gloves and boots will do more than protect your hands and feet. A good set of gloves runs around a hundred bucks and some foot protection will set you back around $250. Being able to write or pick your nose along with not having to deal with some titanium being implanted into your body after a bad crash is invaluable.

3. Brain bucket helmets, you know, the half dome ones, may look cool but do a great job of snapping your neck in a crash. Invest in a full face DOT approved helmet. That's just simple logic.

4. If you didn't get the point, protect yourself! No matter how alert you are or how long you've been riding, you never know when that soccer mom in the Suburban is going to get ya. Suit up!


WEATHER

1. Don't ride in the rain, if you can avoid it. Get some time and miles in first.

2. If you do get caught in the rain and/or fog, and condensation is building up on your visor, move your head from side to side while moving and hold it there for a second or two to let the wind take off the droplets. This is better than wiping with your gloves and smearing everything all over the place.

3. Riding in high winds can be a challenge and isn't suggested but if they creep up on you, lean into the gusts. Your bike will literally feel like the forks are made of spaghetti but leaning into the wind will help you ride straight.

4. Cold weather riding can be dangerous only if you're not bundled up correctly. There are a ton of companies that make products that help keep your body heat where it should be so check 'em out. Just make sure your body movements aren't constricted by what you're wearing. A considerable loss of body heat can cause a lapse in concentration along with depleted vision and muscle constriction….not good for riding.

5. Riding in hot weather has all it's own crappy quirks as well. Simply sitting at a stoplight for a cycle or two can cause your bike to overheat and there you are, stuck in traffic. Shutting your bike down won't let it cool off quickly either, the best thing to do is to keep moving. Bikes, even being liquid cooled, need air to cool the liquid that cools the engine and the fans don't do a good enough job. Therefore, you need to be moving in order to not overheat.

6. Wear a clear visor if riding at night. I know this sounds like common sense but again, worth mentioning.


BIKE PERFORMANCE
General rule of thumb, take care of your bike and it will take care of you.

1. Refer to your bike's manual to see when standard maintenance checks should be performed and find yourself a good, trustworthy and certified mechanic to do the work.

2. Tire wear should be monitored. This is easy, just don't ride on bald tires.

3. Keep the oil fresh. Most riders change their oil every 2-3k miles. Some even change it every 1k miles. Always use top of the line synthetic oil and change your filter every time you change the oil. Again, refer to your manual as to what weight oil you should use or consult your mechanic.

4. Keep your tire pressure in check. Most tire manufacturers suggest around 32-36 pounds of pressure for both front and back tires. The proper amount of pressure in your tires maximizes the contact patch of the tire to the road. Too little or too much can cause excessive wear, loss of control, blowouts and bent rims among other dandy little side-effects.

5. Slip-on pipes don't increase your horsepower. They sound cool though. Full exhaust increases horsepower but generally requires a power commander on fuel injected bikes or re-jetting on carbureted engines.

6. Keep a clean air filter. This is simple do and air filters are generally inexpensive. K&N air filters are great and have always been my personal choice.

7. Inspect your chain often and keep it clean and lubed. Motul makes a great, easy to use chain cleaner that works quickly and effectively. Motul also makes a killer chain lube that's easy to put on and doesn't fling all over the place like some of the others out there.

8. Check your fork seals often for any signs of a slow leak or unusual wear and tear. Fork oil on your front rotors will cause your brakes to slip then lock up instantly after the oil has worn off, causing all sorts of mayhem.


CITY RIDING
These tips can help save your skin in most cases.

1. When approaching an intersection, place yourself in the most visible part of the road so that those waiting to turn left can see you, and slow down in order to give yourself more time to react if someone does turn out in front of you.

2. Always remember that most drivers look at motorcyclists as nothing more than a nuisance.

3. Give other drivers the benefit of the doubt that they are utterly brain-dead.

4. Watch your 6 coming to a quick stop. You should try to keep a watch out for people who follow too closely and make the appropriate maneuvers to correct that situation at all times anyway.

5. Paint lines are slippery…so are railroad tracks.

6. Cross railroad tracks at as close of a 90 degree angle that you can. Your tires are small enough to get caught in the ruts between the rails and then it's off the hospital.

7. If turning, left or right, at a stop light and there are other lanes designated for turning in that direction, try to get in the closest lane to the sidewalk as possible. It's more commonplace for idiots to drift outward in a turn than it is for them to cut back into the inside.

8. Use your horn and open up your pipe if you have to. It's better to be heard if nothing at all.

9. If you're turning left and can't see over or around the cars directly across the intersection…don't go. Wait until you can see. What's another 15 seconds going to hurt?

10. If you whitelined to the front of the pack at a light, be ready to get out in front of everyone when the light goes green. As mentioned above, people simply don't care if you're 5 inches away from their car, they're going to go when the light turns green.

11. Don't race on the streets…that's a free ticket to jail. C'mon, who are they joking thinking that they can beat a bike anyway? Just be glad you're not a teenager anymore and not in your mid-life crisis. Hmmm.....might not apply to everyone.

12. If you're not comfortable with first gear going through a turn after a stop light, shift into second. The throttle response is more forgiving and it's easier to complete the turn. If you don't want to shift, pull in the clutch and drift through the turn.

13. Never shift into neutral and coast down a hill. You never know when you may need the power to maneuver around, or out of the way of, something.

Ride Smart and Ride Longer!


Borrowed from VC Riders and edited for content.

[Motorcycle Forum]

[stevie c]

Good one mate!

[inspiron]

Good points, Dale. Here's a few additional ones from my ride yesterday:

Don't assume that the road that's been straight for the past miles is still straight over the next hill. There could be a sharp curve or a stop sign right behind the next hill.

Look where you want to go - the bike will follow. If you get too close to the edge, don't look at it - keep your head up and look where you want to go. Looking down (target fixation) will only ensure that you go there - and crash.

If there are signs that there has been recent road construction, don't assume that they are finished. That brand new asphalt could end abruptly, leaving you with a half-graded, uneven road surface.

Brand new, dark asphalt hides diesel and oil spills. Just because the road looks nice and smooth, doesn't mean that you'll have traction.

[Gixxerdale]

Sounds like an entertaining ride! Glad you didn't fail those tests!

[Trapper]

Sticky?

[jaydog19833]

+1 Sticky

[SuzukiGirl1]

stuck!

[Superbird]

When in doubt gas it

[ematheus]

Here is an other one:
Find yourself a nice big and empty parking lot and exercise maneuvers. Tight turns, braking, swerving are things you need to be able to do in daily traffic. Exercising on a parking lot helps.

[shuttledawg]

Here is an other one:
Find yourself a nice big and empty parking lot and exercise maneuvers. Tight turns, braking, swerving are things you need to be able to do in daily traffic. Exercising on a parking lot helps.

I just did that this past Saturday, sure is a lot less intimidating than being in regular traffic.

[Miyamoto]

1. Keep your head straight and facing the horizon. Stay alert and aware of what's going on around you to the best of your ability. That means you can't eyeball that hottie in the short-short-shorts, even if she is checking you out.

2. The quicker you turn the bike, the less you'll have to lean it. Learn to pick a point/spot that you will initiate a turn, even if you don't turn at that exact point all the time. Its a good mental exercise and it keeps you focused on doing what you're supposed to be doing quicker and more efficiently.

3. Master your brakes. Practice using them as much as you can. Preferably not in the street in traffic. Improve your braking reflexes and learn how the brakes respond so you don't panic and over-use them in a high stress situation. Master the front brakes especially. They've got about 80% of the bikes stopping power.

4. Know your OWN limitations and be true to yourself. If you find yourself exceeding past limits comfortably, its because your riding has improved. Keep it up. Your riding has NOT improved if you make some rash, dangerous, totally unecessary and utterly stupid move that 'looks cool' and the good Lord somehow spares your life. Practice and ride safe.

5. Wash your hands when you're done in the bathroom. C'mon you nasty, non-hand washers know who you are

[LayinLo]

Here is an other one:
Find yourself a nice big and empty parking lot and exercise maneuvers.

Wheelies and stoppies are things you need to be able to do in daily traffic.

Exercising on a parking lot helps.

Don't mind if I do........

[ematheus]

Hi LayinLow:

That's even smarter!!!! Hehehe
BTW - might not be the right Thread - but - any tips on how to best start learning a CONTROLLED wheelie?

[Superbird]

Dont do them..... wheelies are fun and all but way to risky for me.... I dont have the luxary of car. The only way i get around is my bike.... If ur rich go ahead

I seen people go down doing both 1st and 2nd gear wheeiles they are both way to risky.

[ematheus]

I know it is. I'm not rich, but I've got other transportation. My Busa does them just hitting 2nd gear and flooring it - what I'm talking about is controlled in 1st, not going 100 mph...