Most Important Things to Know For a Motorcycling n00b.

When following a vehicle on a two way street or one with intersections, the distance a motorcycle should leave to the vehicle ahead should be much more than if you're driving a car. If you ride at a normal car distance, a car coming in the opposite direction wanting to turn across the traffic, or waiting at a side intersection to enter or cross the traffic, can really only see the larger vehicle in front of you. If it is a truck you are following you will definitely be totally hidden. They will think there is nothing there and turn across straight into you.

Traffic lights are particularly problematic where cars want to hot-foot it turning across a break in the traffic. You should leave a large enough gap so that you are clearly visible to vehicles ahead without the car or truck you are following hiding you in anyway what so ever. Behind a large vehicle this can be quite a gap you need to maintain, anything up to 3 or 4 normal car distances back.

When you are a new rider limit the duration of your rides for a few months. Initially, after 30 minutes your concentration will start to slip. Later, after an hour or two your concentration will start to slip.

Actually, I have been riding for years and I still don't like road rides that last more than 3 -4 hours. I often make 1 stupid mistake after I ride for 3 hours. Even if I take a short break every hour, the ability to ALWAYS compensate for others' stupid moves seems to deteriorate after a few hours.

One time I missed a red light and almost ran it. Another time I passed stopped vehicles on the right to go ahead and turn right…. I should have waited till the light turned green.

Price out everything before you start buying. Visit your local shops and look through their clearance racks. Some shops offer a discount for having taken MSF course. Try things on before buying.

Your riding style and conditions should influence your purchasing decisions. Leather provides the best protection, but isn't as comfortable as textile or mesh in the heat. Also think about the visibility of the gear. Textile often comes in Hi-Viz and leather does not, but you can always throw on a $10 reflective safety vest.

Do some searches on the web for "gear crash reviews" and "leather vs textile".

Go to the Flea Market.


1911fan

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So last Sunday I went for a group ride through the mountains and covered about 220 miles. By the end my fuel light had been on awhile and I was in a hurry to get home so I pushed my range limit and got home without a problem. At the time I had a msr fuel bottle on me in case I ran out. Well I had not ridden all week and decided to ride to work just to pick something up. I left my panniers and fuel bottle I the garage because my first stop was going to be a gas station a half mile away. I briefly thought of dumping my fuel bottle in the tank but really how much gas to you need to go 1/2 mile? Well apparently more than I had because I ran out at the bottom of a small hill 1/4 mile from my fuel bottle
My wife was kind enough to bring me my fuel bottle without calling me stupid ( but I could see it in her eyes) so when gas is all around don't push your range

What were the odds?! :huh

1) The first year of riding is when 90% of bike crashes happen.
With a safety course the point is to get you into the 10% that
never crash .

2) If you have a 10.00 dollar head buy a 10.00 dollar helmet.

I would have quietly walked back for the gas and told no one.

Momentum can be your best friend or your worst enemy

Never ride so late you sleep through the sunrise

and

It's easier than you'd think to outride your headlights

Never get complacent on the bike...Never. If its been said before...than it bears repeating.
I've only ever had one "off" on the bike....I'll let you guess why.
My2Cents

So After reviewing all these posts, Riding a motorcycle is
like riding a horse. In that if you are riding at a race tract you
don't want to be the only rider on a Clydesdale !!

The proper bike to fit your needs can make a ride fun. Also
maintaining the bike can be looked at as the same as feed and
grooming your horse.

The wind in your face and the feel of "you are in control" is what no
one tells you about. Have fun and enjoy.

ah, the old Bell helmet ad from the 60's

I'll forgive you since you're a noob but please stop parroting this inanity.

You're welcome.

Source?

Sure, sense you ask the source was a AMA safety instructor
back in 1979 in Cal.

1979!?! LOL! I think the demographics have changed slightly since then...
An adjustment on those statistics..'might' be in order.

Yep, been riding sense 1974...:huh A lot of mistake's and few
"Road Rash" limping around the shop at work.

Life has shown me he was right, 90% of riders crash in the first
year. 10% don't crash until about 95 years of age. But lets adjust
that ..... say 10% goes up to 23 % crashers go down to 77%, sound
about right to you??

Yeah...that sounds a bit more accurate. But im just going by my own observations and experiences.

That said...the only crash I've had.....was in the first year...of street riding that is. Made a bad call...tried to get by a car on the right to make a corner....he wasnt signalling, but at the last minute he turned in on me. I could have avoided the crash had I simply waited another second or two. But that day I was feeling very confident and admittedly a bit cocky.
So perhaps it is true. I dont have a safety course, but I did learn how to ride on the mean streets of Rome. Bit of a crucible at first glance, but Italians are used to bikes and scooters zipping in and out and all around so its rare to see a motorcycle in an accident. Scooters on the other hand are a different matter there. But thats because the vast majority of scooter riders there dont pay any attention to traffic rules. They run reds as a matter of course and this is where a lot of them get into trouble. The skills I feel I developed from riding there is a good spacial awareness, the ability to maneuver in tight spaces not to mention keeping my head on a swivel.

As crazy as it looks there is a method to the madness but once you understand how traffic flows there riding is actually quite safe compared to here.

Put another way.....if you watch Long Way Round the only place they get into an accident was in Canada. Some idiot backs into Charlie and a young guy rear ends Ewan on the Trans Canada hwy.
Wen it comes to riding I ashamed to call myself Canadian sometimes....