- This topic has 5 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 14 years, 8 months ago by Rob.
that one noob
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July 17, 2009 at 10:11 am #3160RobParticipant
you all know that one guy that buys a huge bike and you all think “man, he’s going kill himself” well, I was that guy. my first bike was an R1 pushing 135 ponies, and to answer the first question that I know will pop into your mind, no I have never dropped it or any other bike on the street. Not that I think it will never happen, there is a reason I wear a lot of leather, but for the most part I prefer to keep my bike wheels down.
I see a lot of mindsets on here that a 600CC sport bike is way too much to start out on, and I have to throw my 2 cents in. while I wouldn’t normally recommend starting out on high powered bikes, I’m definitely not opposed to it if said person is of the right mindset.
Anyway, I just thought I’d introduce myself so you all know what my background was. I’ll be around offering view’s from someone who has a lot of experience in the supersport area of bikes. Any questions feel free to ask.
July 17, 2009 at 1:02 pm #20704zeppelinfromledParticipantHello Rob, and welcome to the forum.
The problem that I see with recommending 600 cc and larger 4 cylinder bikes for beginners isn’t that no one can handle them. As you’ve demonstrated, some people can handle starting with a huge bike. The problem is that everyone thinks that they can handle them. It’s like that survey that found that 80% of people say that they’re in the top 20% of drivers.
July 17, 2009 at 2:26 pm #20709RobParticipantlike I said, I don’t usually recommend it, I do see where you’re coming from. it’s a little bit of a different course to start on a big bike, especially a sport bike, first thing I did was take a course and learn the basics of riding on their smaller bikes, then applied it to my big bike, and I can’t count the hours I spent online reading and studying how to properly handle a big bike, took about 3-4 months before I really got comfortable on the bike and could get well into the power band without being hesitant. at about a year and a half I starting going to the local track, and it wasn’t until then that I really got a hold of how to handle one of these things.
What I’m trying to say is that it DOES take a longer time to learn how to ride one, and I can definitely confirm that aspect of it, and you have to A) realise the throttle is not an on and off switch be willing to take the time like I did and read hundreds of pages of proper riding and C) have the mental ability to stop yourself before you try and ride outside of where you skill level is.
that survey you mention reminds me of pictures I’ve seen of brand new sportbikes (often less than 10 miles on them) that have been completely written off. All of them new riders, didn’t know how to handle that big bike fly down the first straight road and crash them at the first turn.
July 17, 2009 at 3:18 pm #20710eonParticipantHi Rob,
Sounds like you have been patient and taken the time to learn how to ride. I’m sure you are aware though that a large percentage of the people attracted to that kind of bike will not be as careful. They want the image of the fastest bike and that image usually goes hand in hand with sneakers, t-shirt and Shoei lid.
We are all aware you can start out on such a bike and survive, but even with the right attitude it is not the best strategy. You seem to say as much yourself in that it took you longer to learn to ride it.
Glad to have you on board here as it always helps to have the perspective of someone who took a different path.
July 21, 2009 at 3:18 pm #20827ranetteParticipantHey Rob welcome. Take it from my experience that if you hang out here long enough and prove yourself to be a responsible person and rider the stigma of starting on a larger bike will fade and you will be looked at as simply someone trying to ride as safely as is possibly. Of course an R1 is at least a jump and a half up from my GT1000, even further from the beginner bike neighborhood, but with the right approach it certainly can be done. Also just because we may have started on larger bikes doesn’t necessarily mean that we endorse it as the way to go, just that doing it, if certain prerequisites are met, might not be the death sentence that some might presume.
As for whether learning on a larger bike retards your progress, again it is different for everyone. However, I made it a point to ask all of the coaches I had in both my BRC and ERC. I asked them to be brutally honest about just that question and to a man they all said that my skill level was certainly above average for someone with my amount of experience. No, not a motorcycle god, simply a rider who was learning at a good clip and applying that knowledge in a mature, conservative manner. Again, not endorsing mine nor the OP’s approach, just saying that the standard response of “you’ll kill yourself” or “you’ll learn slower” might not be true in all instances.
July 22, 2009 at 3:38 am #20855RobParticipantI’m not overly concerned as to how people look at me, I just don’t like to hide my background. I am for the most part a safe rider, but I do admit, sometimes I do like to stretch the old R1’s legs.
For me starting on a larger bike did slow me down a bit in the beginning, but to me it was worth it, I’m a VERY quick learner, and I’m glad I had a bike that had enough headroom to let me develop skills without hampering me in any way. I also like to push limits, and I think starting on a 250ish sized bike would have me very bored very quickly.
IMO it wasn’t a death sentence at all, but a challenge to me, and I’d say I’ve done fairly well. I’ve been riding for about 5 years now and have only dropped one bike, but that was at a race track, where everything is pushed to the absolute limits, so it’s understandable.
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