Forum Replies Created
The 5 Best Harleys for Beginner Riders [2023 Edition]
-
I’m hoping for a Ducati monster 696 sometime in my future… I know someone who might be looking to part ways with one… I just need to see if I can reach the ground on it with my little legs
Getting started going uphill can be a little unnerving at first (rolling back)
This is generally what I do when I need to stop on a hill1. Stop normally using both brakes.
2. Balance the bike keeping your right foot on the rear brake, left foot on the pavement
3. Let go of front brake
4. When you want to get started again, slowly let out the clutch partway into the friction zone, give it a little throttle as you slowly let up on the rear brake and continue letting out the clutch.You can try and practice on flat ground to get the co-ordination down…then try it on a hill
good luck!
Can you contact the instructor for the section of class you want to take and ask what they require?
When I took the BRC (in SF), we were required to wear a long sleeve shirt, jeans, glasses/sunglasses/or goggles (only if the helmet did not have a visor), over the ankle footwear (I wore my hiking boots), and gloves (preferably leather). They had helmets there for people who needed them. I wound up borrowing a helmet, jacket, and gloves from a friend for class.
Most motorcycle dealerships sell gear…go and try on stuff and sit on a few bikes
I found the salespeople really helpful for getting the right fit on the helmet. I would have probably got the wrong size without their help. I wound up finding the jacket I liked cheaper online then at the store. In total I spent about $750 on gear (i splurged on my helmet)… $600 sounds like a very reasonable budget for gear.Best of luck on your class!
My first and only bike is a 2006 white Honda Rebel 250 (Piglet). I just got her running again after some carb issues
The class was a bit stressful for me. I had only been passenger a few times before, and I don’t normally drive a manual transmission car. More than half of my class rode their own bikes to class, had been riding for some time, but just needed to get their licenses. The result was that my class moved pretty fast (relative to the other class on the range that day.) We got out an hour early both days. We finished testing before the other group even started. I was just getting stressed out that I wasn’t picking things up as fast as everyone else in my class seemed to be… and wanted a little more time to practice each drill. Overall I really liked the class and had a lot of fun…it was just over to quickly.
I picked up my bike from some girl who bought it and then decided riding wasn’t for her…she put on less than 100 miles in the year she had the bike (she only rode to move it for street cleaning)… I got a great price on it
Don’t worry so much about learning how to shift. The MSF BRC is supposed to be for people who have never been on a motorcycle before. I don’t drive a manual transmission car and I had no motorcycle experience (except being a passenger), but I was able to pick up the controls on the bike in class enough to pass on the first go. The school I took my class with recommended that we wait till after we took the class to get a bike. It is easier to learn things the right way first then to have to unlearn bad habits. The class was tons of fun…just relax and have a good time
Good Luck!
