- This topic has 6 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 15 years, 4 months ago by Zantosh.
My first two weeks on a motorcycle
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November 10, 2008 at 9:51 pm #2341ZantoshParticipant
From what I’ve been reading on this forum, I feel like I’ve really screwed up on my bike purchase. But I’m stuck with it and now i’m going to have to become a good rider. So let me tell you my “screw up”.
I got my license, I practiced on some cheap motorcycles in a parking lot and then went shopping. After looking at some Yamahas and Hondas, I concluded that I needed something close to the ground and almost all the sports bikes I tried to sit on were atleast an inch too high. Not feeling comfortable, I looked some more and found that Buell made the Lightning models. However their low model was only in the 1200 cc engine so after much deliberation, I test rode it and got it.
Now I don’t feel like I made a mistake – but based the 1200 cc engine, I feel like perhaps I’m not understanding something about how all of you other riders perceive the machine.
I’ve been riding around for about 200 miles now – and I’ve found that I can take my turns well, I control my clutch properly, and I don’t let roll the throttle as described in some posts – no wheelies by mistake or on purpose, all my starts have been very smooth and slow. I’ve had 2 incidents on the bike, all of them beginner mistakes. The first was that I panicked in a turn and pressed the rear brake, and the bike laid down. I felt pretty shitty about it. But no damage to the bike, just a rubber side thingy got a few scratches – $17 to replace but I didn’t even opt for that coz it wasn’t really damaged.
The second wasn’t an incident but could’ve been one. I was riding with some friends and one friend fell back some – they’re both experienced riders. The other friend and I were at about 50 mph and the light turned yellow. The friend who was riding up with me hit his brakes and stopped so as to wait for the friend who had fallen behind. I had no danger of hitting him but because he was stopping, I, too, tried to stop but I couldn’t. My tires locked up and I feared I’d fall – so I let go of my braked and went through the yellow light.
I feel that while I have a lot of riding to do ahead of me, I do the following to be a better rider:
1. I don’t go on interstates because I feel that with 1200 ccs, the temptation to speed is too high and I’m not ready for it
2. I ride on weekends for now, conveniently because M-Fri I’m out of town and can’t. The bonus is that living in Downtown, weekends makes all the roads pretty empty so there is far less intimidation from other traffic, and significantly more room to practice.
3. I haven’t pushed the bike past 50 mph, mostly coz I’m not mentally ready to do so
4. I need to get good gear so that in my worst case, I’ll live
5. I leave lots of room between me and whoever is ahead of me – whenever I can … this is especially because I haven’t mastered swerving yet
6. I’ve been practicing riding at low speeds and doing turns – it’s a heavy bike but I feel safe riding under 10 mph on it and taking turns with proper clutch control
7. If I don’t feel like riding, I try to curb my enthusiasm and not ride – so far so good – I don’t want to go and ride and get hurt as a result of not being mentally prepared
8. I NEVER DRINK ANYTHING BUT WATER or diet coke when I ride even though I have friends who’d drink a margarita or a beer and then after an hour, rideMany of you readers may think I’m a wuss for being so careful. However I’d rather hurt my pride than myself – and become a really good rider. I guess after 1000 miles, I could say I’ve moved up a level … you think?
November 10, 2008 at 10:55 pm #14747briderdtParticipant“Many of you readers may think I’m a wuss for being so careful.”
Nope. Sounds judicious to me.
“and I don’t let roll the throttle as described in some posts – no wheelies by mistake or on purpose”
I think that has a lot to do with the bike you have — it’s throttle manners are much more tame than any supersport. I have an SV650, and it definitely has an “on/off” throttle that seems pretty touchy. I haven’t had ot over 25 yet. But I also haven’t taken the MSF course yet either…
Yes, you have a pretty big displacement bike, but it’s more the rider than the bike.
November 10, 2008 at 11:00 pm #14748bob250ParticipantIt sounds like you are respecting the power of your bike alot. A 1200 Lightning though, I mean, for real a 1200? Why not a lowered 250? As long as you don’t think your bike is a mistake, you shouldn’t care about what other folks think. Do you think if you had a smaller bike your two incidents maybe would not have happened? Whatever, as long as your as safe as you can be, enjoy your ride.
November 10, 2008 at 11:11 pm #14749ZantoshParticipantThanks for your responses – I think respect is necessary to stay alive on the road – and with 1200 ccs, I respect that power a lot. I don’t think having a smaller bike would’ve made a difference in my two incidents because both were “learning processes” – in that I was still learning what the bike can do and, more importantly what I can do with it.
My priority is to have reasonable fun with it – and for me, that’s going for rides, not necessarily going too fast – I think I finished that phase of my growing up. Oh yea, that and also because it’s easier to find parking for a bike than for a car
Seriously though, I didn’t buy the bike for the same reasons that a lot of people would buy it – I bought a sports bike coz I like sports bikes but my riding habits would be more in line with someone who rides a cruiser. It’s like, I wouldn’t want to buy a cruiser coz I don’t like the styling of it, but I wouldn’t use a sports bike to race or generally get a speed thrill.
And I work within my comfort zone so that I can keep my mind clear on emergency circumstances – e.g. I stopped at a light in a bad neighborhood and found a pool of oil in the middle of the road so I was able to situate the bike so that my foot wasn’t on the oil … saved me there.
November 11, 2008 at 1:30 pm #14756ranetteParticipantHey man, you’ve got some set of walnuts to step right in here and steal my thunder. https://www.bestbeginnermotorcycles.com/forum/forum-topic/1372/ready-be-flamed Just kidding of course, but you can read my thread for a variety of opinions on my choice, which was pretty similar to yours. To me it sounds as if we have similar mindsets, respecting the bike, proceeding at a pace that feels comfortable. Personally, I’m very happy with my choice and happy with my progress as a rider over the last couple of months. While urging you to keep that respect, to ride very carefully and within your abilities, I’d also urge you to ignore anyone who tells you, whether on this board or anywhere else that starting on a large displacement bike is tantamount to a death sentence. In my very limited experience I do feel that with the right approach it can be done, and done well. Good luck with the Buell, it is a beautiful bke, and “Ride it like you borrowed it.”
Randy
November 11, 2008 at 2:58 pm #14759AndrewParticipantI didn’t buy a Sport bike to race. If you haven’t taken the MSF then you should. It will help with your skills and your confidence. I started on a smaller bike and I don’t have to temper my enthusiasm to ride at all. I don’t ride in the wet but I’ll ride in the cold as I like it.
November 11, 2008 at 3:09 pm #14761ZantoshParticipantActually I started out with the MSF class and did pretty well in it – meaning that I quickly grasped whatever the dude was telling me, while many of the others were still hesitant etc. I have a couple of questions – I’ll put it in a separate post.
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