[ColeB]

Hi everyone, i’m brand new to the site, just foudn it maybe 30 minutes ago but already see that this is a great place for new riders such as myself to get information and advice from fellow riders across the country.

As I said, I am a beginning rider and will be taking my permit course this coming weekend, but will be taking another course (Basic Riders Course) to 1. get my license and 2. get training / education from instructors.
Although i’m taking my permit course this weekend, i’ve already bought all the necessary gear, and yes, I have purchased a bike I am the proud owner of a 2005 Suzuki GS500F. I’ve done a lot of researching over the bike and from what i’ve been able to find they’ve all said it’s a great starter bike so that’s the one i chased down.

Here’s an interesting thing though. I’ve never ridden a motorcycle in my life before, except for mayne 5 minutes on a dirt bike. I know that it’s good to have some experience under your belt before attempting to tackle the asphalt, but i was wondering if it’s truly necessary.

Any advice from you guys would be great, and i’m happy to be a part of this community!!

~Cole

[megaspaz]

Hiya. Congrats on getting a bike and gear. Ben started on a gs500 and there’s a couple of other members that have that bike. From what everyone says, it is indeed a good bike. As far as motorcycling experience goes, I had 0 when I started the MSF earlier this year. It’s not necessary, but it probably does help to have some. G’luck at the course and ride on. (-:

—
If there’s anything more important than my ego
around, I want it caught and shot now…

[ColeB]

Thanks! I’m looking forward to this weekend’s course and being able to ride. I have a friend who does and my dad does as well.
Was your MSF course the one to receive the permit or is it one where you receive the license after passing the course?

[megaspaz]

Didn’t need a motorcycle permit. Just a valid california driver’s license. After passing the course, you get an orange slip that entitles you to skip the rider portion of the DMV test. Take the written moto test (and the written driver’s test if you haven’t retaken it in 12 months) and then you get licensed for a car and a motorcycle. Not sure if maine works the same way though…

—
If there’s anything more important than my ego
around, I want it caught and shot now…

[Budd]

I don’t think you need any riding experience going in, that said not everyone from my class made it. 4 people quit and a 5th person was kicked off the course due to wrecking into someone and generally not absorbing any of the information that was being given to him. The other 19 of us did fine though.

The beginner course is great but they only really scratch the surface. When they gave us our certificates of completion they told us that it qualified us to ride around an empty parking lot at low speeds, as this was all that we did in class. It does build up your confidence and the exercises are there to prepare you for real world riding even if the situations are imaginary and at 15 mph.

“I am the best I am at what I do, and what I do ain’t nice.”-Wolverine

[Jim]

I bought my first bike last month (Ninja 250) and like you I had no experience on a motorcycle except a couple dirt bike rides 30 years ago. I’m lucky in that I have a big empty parking lot by my condo so I rode around there and around the small neighborhoods in my area for a week or so before I ventured out in traffic. Know you limits, learn how your bike handles take a riders class and wear your gear. You are going to love it!

[Anonymous]

I agree with their statement, that it only prepares us to ride around an empty parking lot at low speeds. I’ve read a lot of guides and what-not for beginners and it has given me a lot of insight into how to ride and what to do in certain situations. The place that offers the BRC also offers a ERC (Experienced riders course) in which you bring your own bike and gear, and they teach you how to master your own motorcycle. It covers everything from leaning, accident prevention etc. etc. and this is something my dad and I planned doing a few months down the road, or possibly next summer.

[bam37]

Hey, congrats on all of the purchases and good luck riding!

I do suggest that you get some experience like mentioned above before venturing out on the road. When first starting to ride a bike there are certain things that don’t come natural at all. And if you got into a sticky situation in traffic you might not know how to handle it on a bike and could easily crash.

I do suggest you buy a book “the complete idiot’s guide to motorcycle’s” I have riden dirt bikes and motorcycles since i was 12 and i read this book recently, because of my first bike purchase(ninja 250) and found it VERY helpful. You can pick it up at a barnes and noble or something of that sort. OR just off the internet!

Have fun!

[Rupmisc]

Well, I guess you learned pretty fast, as your advice has been pretty reasonable. Good that I made a decision before I read your post megaspaz, otherwise I might have had to think for another week before coming to the same conclusion.

[megaspaz]

Yeh, I completed the course in early April this year and started riding with the cagers about a week later. There’s benefits to being an older rider (36 yrs. old) and having no experience. While I do like to drive/ride fast, I don’t swerve in and out of lanes and make sure to keep plenty of open space on all sides of me. I defintately have my head on a swivel when driving and riding. Taking the MSF with 0 experience is beneficial in that you haven’t developed any bad riding habits. The safety topics, techniques, and riding common sense takes a hold better and seems more reasonable thus helping in keeping the topics and suggestions stuck in your head. If you came in with some riding experience, you might’ve developed some bad technique habits as well as dangerous misconceptions/attitudes. While I might need to have an adrenline rush here and there, I certainly don’t have a death wish. It’s cool to ride safe. It’s uncool to be splattered on the road. At least that’s my story, and I’m sticking to it…

—
If there’s anything more important than my ego
around, I want it caught and shot now…

[Rupmisc]

Like that part about benefits of being older. I am 54. I never took a driving course that wasn’t beneficial, and I suspect the same is true for the MSF. Also good point about bad habits, but I’ll probably discover some anyway-trusting the lean is tough. I am looking forward to some quality time with the alleged bike that is allegedly on the way, especially if I can find a nice quiet parking lot.

[Author]

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