Shiney New Motorcycle

[rwieder 0]

She's pretty! Congrats. Now watch out for the mofo's who don't have perifiel vision. Which is 68% of all drivers in 4 wheelers, and especially jacked up 4 wheelers, 4 X 4's.

Be Careful.

-Richard-
"You're Holding The Rope And I'm Taking The Fall"

[AggieDave 6]

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The Initial thought was cost of the bike and fuel to and from the DZ. Yeah 60-70 miles is a long way when you have never been on a bike before, but I (and my wife) thinks that I will be pretty conservative.

No, not quite.

50-60 miles is a long way when you have a stock saddle.

Throw it in the trash and get a Corbin. You butt will thank you. Before I bought a Corbin I could only ride about 45 minutes at a time before it was so uncomfortable that I would have to pull over for about 30 minutes.

After buying a Corbin I've been known to put 800 miles on in a day.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[Squeak 17]

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The Initial thought was cost of the bike and fuel to and from the DZ. Yeah 60-70 miles is a long way when you have never been on a bike before, but I (and my wife) thinks that I will be pretty conservative.

No, not quite.

50-60 miles is a long way when you have a stock saddle.

Throw it in the trash and get a Corbin. You butt will thank you. Before I bought a Corbin I could only ride about 45 minutes at a time before it was so uncomfortable that I would have to pull over for about 30 minutes.

After buying a Corbin I've been known to put 800 miles on in a day.

for fuck sake, dont spend big bucks on a Corbin seat , buy a piece of sheepskin and throw it over the seat cost next to nothing and you can ride for days on them

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[shropshire 0]

Standard seat and standard 'merican arse.... where's the problem?

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[Squeak 17]

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Standard seat and standard 'merican arse.... where's the problem?

Dave probably had a much higher wing load when he swapped out his seat too

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[danornan 64]

Nice looking bike, NOW, if you love your family, invest in the motorcycle riding class. There is a lot out there, that you are not even aware of, that can kill you. In addition to the class, get the proper safety gear. Everything has been mentioned, except, I think, gloves.

You probably took a class to learn to skydive and drive a car, do the same for your bike! It is not all instinctive. Take it slow till you've put several 1,000 miles on the bike and always pay attention to everything around you. When you think you need to hit the horn to alert someone to your presence, think about what you could have done to have avoided the situation. Take full responsibility for EVERYTHING that happens around you and you will survive longer.

Dano

[ZeG 0]

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When I got it I told the dealer to order some turn signals for me, I'd be in for them at some point.

There were a few 20mph 90 degree corners (going down a hill) along my route to the DZ with nothing but cornfields around (extra dirt, mud or maybe gravel) on the road.
I slowed down a lot in the car and thought about meeting the guard rail on my ass, bile first.

Maybe I read too much into things but I think it is good to think about what could and "will" someday happen. I should always keep in mind my little kid, if nothing else I'd want to be around for her.

I just don't know about getting the pants online. With as much as I travel I need to start checking in the places I go to. The guy that sold me the bike was telling me about a few of the wrecks that he was in, not that it was helping him sell it to me, I already knew what I wanted when I went there but really, did I need to know that?

The possible wrecking was one of the reasons that I got a "smaller" bike. I'd be a retard to start on a 1200 or so. 600cc is more than plenty for now. So I only have 4 gears, I guess I wont be doing 150 mph in 3rd gear.

No offense meant, but I think you need to work on your attitude towards motorcycling, or you will wreck for sure.
First, CCs do NOT matter at all, it is YOU who makes the bike fast or slow. It is as easy to crash with a 300cc as with a 1200cc.
Second, "WHEN not IF I crash...". Totally wrong, I know enough people with over 100.000 miles on a bike that NEVER crashed, layed it down or even scratched a turn signal. Not because they are geniuses (far from it ), but they drive VERY careful and always look around.
Or do you approach skydiving the same way? (WHEN not IF I bounce....) Always fight till the end!

Oh and last but not least: Do the MSF BRC, it will do a lot for you, believe me!

[pwln 0]

None Taken. I think that way because it seems to keep me more safe. If I think I will never wreck, I may not prepare or train for the possibility of it happening. About CC's, I may be wrong but it seems that more CC's make for a heavier bike, sure I could have gotten a 1200cc cruiser or a big ass Honda Goldwing, but I'd be a dumb ass if I did, I couldn't hold up the weight.

I hope that nothing ever happens to me when I am out on my bike but I need to think about what could happen. Even when driving my personal car or work van (1000+ miles a week) I think about if the guy behind me does not stop in time or if my brakes fail, is that a-hole going to pull out in front of me? (I started driving on $100 cars, I was lucky to have brakes) Always looking for outs. Too much thinking, maybe.

One night I was driving down the highway at 85-90 mph working my way to pass someone going almost the same speed, they were a little ahead of me, then without warning a DEER ran across the road (from right to left) barley missing the other car. All of us (both cars and the deer) would have been dead if the deer hit that car then the car and / or deer hit me. It was really close. Not that this story has anything to do with what we are talking about but now I think about things a little more.

Skydiving I approach like, when not if I have to cutaway. I know I can cutaway, I have twice.

What if... is the way I look at a lot of things. When I stop having a healthy fear of the things I do, I quit doing them. I stopped rock climbing because I found myself without a partner (moved away) and free climbing short but less than easy climbs by myself (5.11's and such). Back when I was "on rope" I alway told myself "if you fall, you die", then, there I was, upside down, 100ft from the ground, no rope, having to climb back down thinking WTF, dumb ass.

[downwardspiral 0]

I've been riding a 2003 yzf600r full time since Nov 2002 and since have put 35,000 miles on it. While I've never laid it down but I've had a shit load of close calls. Please, please, please respect this and take it seriously. 10 times more serious than you do skydiving.

The first thing you need to do is stop "going on rides." You need to find yourself a large parking lot where you can practice certain skills before you ever get out there with traffic. Especially considering you have a new born because traffic will fucking kill you.

Practice:
-panic stops
-slow speed, close quarters manuevering
-swerving
-shifting up and down while braking, signaling,checking your mirror and blind spots all at the same time.

A year and a half ago my older brother bought a bike. He practiced with me in a large parking lot 4 weekends in a row (totalling 8 hours) then took the MSF basic riders course before he ever "took it for a ride" and he's a driver safety trainer for Cintas with no wife or children. Get the point?

www.FourWheelerHB.com

[AggieDave 6]

Yeah, yeah, my wheel loading is probably higher. I did try different saddle covers/pads to help out the crappy stock saddle. Nothing helped. Step one was the saddle. Step two was to setup the handle bars to fit ME better. 13" rise Z-bars I made in my garage for under $10 means that my arms are comfy while I ride too.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[Beerlight 0]

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Second, "WHEN not IF I crash...". Totally wrong, I know enough people with over 100.000 miles on a bike that NEVER crashed, layed it down or even scratched a turn signal. Not because they are geniuses (far from it ), but they drive VERY careful and always look around.

Dude, ain't nothing wrong with my comment. Do you ride? Supposing you do, if you don't think about it everytime you ride somethings wrong......... Maybe your 100,000 miler group are sunny day, light traffic riders?

Kinda like flying taildraggers, it's not IF you'll ever groundloop, but WHEN.......... same shit.

[pwln 0]

I completely get what you are saying.

It's 60 LONG miles to the DZ, even if on back roads in the middle of a corn field.

I know that I need to practice at LEAST what you said. What I really need to do is take a week of vacation from work and just do the MSF BRC ( at most Harley dealers, OR since I live less than 100 miles from a Honda training center I could do it there.) The State offers BRC's for $25 but they are full until at least November. I don't have the time to do stand-by.

My bike came with a book by the MSF and the States manual has a lot of things in it as well. I really need to stay away from other people until I can "for sure" do the things that are listed in at least those manuals. It will build so much confidence (and for me a more healthy "fear"). I don't know if I can do the speed up then brake with 90 degree turn and stop. I don;t think I want to try it for the first time when I "have" to do it.

Like the downsizing checklist, I CAN do everything on it, yet I'll keep my Synergy 170 and Classic 304.

I really want to thank everyone that has commented on this thread. I know that I DON'T know shit about riding a motorcycle and everyone has told me that as well.

When I get home (or a few extra minutes) I'll call Honda or Harley, or whomever has a course that I can take SOON. then I WILL take time off of work to do it. Sure I can also find a parking lot and practice as well BUT the bike is provided on the course, I wont have to even think about scratching up mine...

When I have (2 times, once from the dealer, 10 miles, and once on a US route 35 mile round trip) been in traffic I was somewhat "scared" and I thought, very careful. My wife followed me from the dealer (on a 45mph curvy road, a few stop lights and lights with hills that were green), the US route was pretty straight and 55 mph most of the way with semis and dump trucks. I was way more conservative out there (and scared of the other people).

I really want to ride to and from the DZ BUT I do not think I am ready yet.

That's how I'm going to stand, ASAP I will take a course, even if its a few hundred dollars, I paid way more to learn to jump and I've always thought jumping was way less dangerous.

[kschilk 0]

Congrats, nice pony! I can relate....just got a new pit-bike, last Wednesday. Sorry, haven't got a photo of mine yet but this is what she is.

Have fun, ride safe and remember...it's all in the wrist!

"T'was ever thus."

[pwln 0]

Looks like a nice ride.

I'm going to be getting tags when I get home from Rhode Island. It appears that AIR is not taken yet. That is also my kids initials.

[kschilk 0]

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Looks like a nice ride.

I'm going to be getting tags when I get home from Rhode Island. It appears that AIR is not taken yet. That is also my kids initials.

Thanks! lay 'er down, 'coz of some idiot in a car....I pretty much just said "fuggit" and went strictly dirt. Most of my riding has been MX and most other off-road competition. Nowadays, I just playride my MXer and I got this, kind of like a "pit-bike"...just to play and trailride with the grandkids. It's licensed but mostly, just to get from trail to trail. Since it's about 50 miles to the nearest dz, I'll probably be ridin' it there too.

"T'was ever thus."

[downwardspiral 0]

Nice! Thanks for heeding all the advice here. I feel a lot better now. Those things I listed are exactly what you said....AT LEAST. There is so much to riding, it would take me a year to explain everything to you. Of course I live in Southern California so its probably a bit more complicated than RI but at least I don't have to deal with deer.

but yeah...congrats on the new ride and be careful out there.

www.FourWheelerHB.com

[pwln 0]

Gosh no, I DON'T live in RI, I just had to come here for work. I don't think I could ever live here. No one knows how to pour a good drink up here. I live in OH with all of the deer, corn and soybeans.

[Royd 0]

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Nice! Thanks for heeding all the advice here. I feel a lot better now. Those things I listed are exactly what you said....AT LEAST. There is so much to riding, it would take me a year to explain everything to you.

I've only been riding about 7 months. Almost 9K miles.
The difference between a cage and a bike is that on a bike, you have to be on your game 100% of the time.
Sure, you can relax, but riding a bike is physically challenging.
You have to pay attention to road conditions and situations. Up ahead, what's that big black spot in the ditch. It's a bunch of turkey vultures having lunch with some unfortunate roadkill. Slow down, they may spook, and they're not quite as smart as crows or turkeys.
You come upon a semi. That rear left tire looks low. Fall back or get around, or you may be eating a road gator.
You can't steer with one finger, drink coffee, change the CD, talk on the phone, or smack the kids in the back seat.

[johan420 0]

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Shiney is a word, right?
Soo.. I've never really been on a motorcycle, It's 60.4 miles 1 way to the dropzone (69 on back roads (temp license prohibits interstate and night time travel)...

I got a 2007 Honda Shadow VLX deluxe (1 mile on it). I figure with the 15 month old kid, my wife will need the car a little more this year, and with work putting a GPS in my company van, I can't "sneak" it down there so much anymore.

Crazy, maybe. I've scoped out the different routes that I can take (2 lane and 4 lane limited access, state or US route). With fuel prices how they are this can't really hurt my pocket too much. I am a little scared, but I hope that never really goes away. So far I have 45 miles on it, 4 lane and 2 lane roads with a lot of curves.

Maybe I wont kill myself on it this year, or better yet maybe someone else wont kill me on it this year.

ohh..a moped

[JeffNo 0]

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I ride a sportbike. I wave at everybody else but it's always funny how the "Harley" riders don't wave back!! Some "Harley" rider was in front of me the other day, and he was spitting! back full well knowing I was there...... I "cracked" my throttle and went by him almost supersonic.....yep.

When I rode my Ninja, I never got a wave back from a Harley rider. Now that I ride a Honda 919, I get wave backs from Harley riders all the time. I think those duds are fooled by the 919’s upright riding position and round headlight. They probably think it’s a Buell or something else you can get at a Harley dealership. But. when they go by and see I’m on jap crap, their waves fade into a leg scratches. Stuck up is what they are. There’s a generalization for ya’!

[normiss 622]

Can too.

Just set the cruise control and select the CD I wanna listen to.
Sometimes I even sit on the back seat.

[downwardspiral 0]

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Nice! Thanks for heeding all the advice here. I feel a lot better now. Those things I listed are exactly what you said....AT LEAST. There is so much to riding, it would take me a year to explain everything to you.

I've only been riding about 7 months. Almost 9K miles.
The difference between a cage and a bike is that on a bike, you have to be on your game 100% of the time.
Sure, you can relax, but riding a bike is physically challenging.
You have to pay attention to road conditions and situations. Up ahead, what's that big black spot in the ditch. It's a bunch of turkey vultures having lunch with some unfortunate roadkill. Slow down, they may spook, and they're not quite as smart as crows or turkeys.
You come upon a semi. That rear left tire looks low. Fall back or get around, or you may be eating a road gator.
You can't steer with one finger, drink coffee, change the CD, talk on the phone, or smack the kids in the back seat.

I've been buzzed by birds many times and it scares the shit out of me because I've seen what an eagle can do to a car traveling 80 mph. Believe me its not pretty. Imagine what a small bird can do what it strikes your helmet. Ouch

Road debris is also very scary. One time I was on the freeway in heavy fast moving traffic (75 mph) when I spotted something up ahead in the lane to my right a split second before a car struck it. It literally exploded into a thousand pieces. I quickly checked my left mirror, the blindspot, and changed lanes while trying to use the car in front of me as a shield. I reflexively turned my head as I slammed into the airborne debris and exposed my neck. It stung like a bitch. I realized it was a large chunk of drywall when I found the culprit, a large rock truck full of the stuff, 200 yards in front of me.

I have lots of stories like this....

www.FourWheelerHB.com

[Squeak 17]

[reply
I've been buzzed by birds many times and it scares the shit out of me because I've seen what an eagle can do to a car traveling 80 mph. Believe me its not pretty. Imagine what a small bird can do what it strikes your helmet. Ouch

Road debris is also very scary. One time I was on the freeway in heavy fast moving traffic (75 mph) when I spotted something up ahead in the lane to my right a split second before a car struck it. It literally exploded into a thousand pieces. I quickly checked my left mirror, the blindspot, and changed lanes while trying to use the car in front of me as a shield. I reflexively turned my head as I slammed into the airborne debris and exposed my neck. It stung like a bitch. I realized it was a large chunk of drywall when I found the culprit, a large rock truck full of the stuff, 200 yards in front of me.

I have lots of stories like this....

You shold see how badly a Kagaroo can fuck up your day on a motorbike

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[normiss 622]

So long as you don't have to worry about deer.
They jump over you!

[FlyingJ 0]

Sweet. I just picked up the same bike (though 14 years older) as my first bike. Loving it so far, and for sure cheaper than my Jeep with a V8/5.2 in it. Still runs strong and was well kept in the past.

Nice down here in South Texas, able to drive 5 minutes to the edge of town and have nothing but open road for a couple hours. Love bugs are just coming out though. Quite a drag.

Killing threads since 2004.