[JackTrade]

It’s totally true…every time you hear about motorcycles in the news, it’s either (75%) a guy on a supersport doing something stupid at high velocity, or (20%) an older guy who does something merely dumb at a much slower speed, but with less protective gear and less robust constitution or (5%) something about gangs and drugs that usually references “Sons of Anarchy”. No wonder non-riders have such a bad view of bikes.

One of the corny but usefuly things about the BRC is the ladder of risk concept…gives you the right framework to think about riding, and about the dangers involved.

[JackTrade]

It’s by no means an easy skill to ride a motorcycle (like you, I was amazed at how difficult it seemed), and sometimes it takes longer to learn than just 2 days. There’s nothing wrong with that…I know a few quite good, current riders who had to take the course multiple times before passing. What really matters is becoming a safe, good rider…not passing the course first time out.

A lot of what makes the BRC tough is not knowing what’s coming next. It’s a lot to try to master the physical skills of riding a motorcycle while at the same time keeping the exercise goals in mind (“which sets of cones was I supposed to go through? Are those them? Red or green?! AHHHHH!”)

I bet if you take it again, you’ll be more relaxed due to your familiarity with the course, and will be able to really focus on the skill acquisition.

[JackTrade]

Starting with a Suzuki TU 250, just until you’re sure you’re ready for a bigger bike?

They’ve got basically the same 1970s styling that the Scrambler has, but in a slightly smaller package with a smaller engine. Given your height, you’d probably fit perfectly on it, and it’s quite light weight and reasonably powered for a commuter bike.

Get one to start, then maybe in a year or so move up to a Scrambler?

There’s a Scrambler in my apartment building…black with green highlights, and I totally agree…there’s just something about them (though personally, it’s the Thruxton that makes me really drool).

[JackTrade]

So did you try to make the turn from a stop ala the movies: plant the inside foot on the ground and use the throttle to break the rear wheel loose in the gravel, swinging the rear end around?

If so, awesome. Now THAT’S the way to drop a bike. Much better than me in a parking lot, deciding mid-tight, slow turn to apply my front brake.

[JackTrade]

I took it last year, and found it mostly the same as the BRC, except without all the yelling (as everyone in the class had enough experience to NOT ride into the side of the storage shed b/c they couldn’t control their bike) and with a few addtional exercises (I had forgotten about the peanut!). Everyone in my class (all 6 of us) were amazed at how easy the once-dreaded BRC box had become.

It’s a fun afternoon, and a good tune up I thought.

And Eon, I think you’re mistaken…you mean you’re guaranteed they’ll tell you that you’re not even noticing you’re swinging your knee out during the swerve exercise…

[JackTrade]

Always be aware of the incentives of the parties involved…for a dealer, profit margin on the smaller displacement bikes that beginners usually buy is pretty small, so you can imagine why he thinks it’s too small for you. The same goes for his views of new vs. used. Guess which ones have higher profit margins?

It’s pretty common to buy a used bike for your first. And as long as you educate yourself and prepare, it’s not a problem. Do you have any friends who ride? They can be of immense help in the buying process, and will often know what to look for. Also, read this:

http://www.clarity.net/~adam/buying-bike.html

It is a wonderful guide to what you need to know when buying used. Even has a checklist you can print out and bring with you when actually looking over a motorcycle (so in the heat of the moment, you don’t miss anything). I used this guide, and brought the checklist with me when looking over the bike I eventually bought.

Unless the dealer has the used bike you want, you’re probably better off looking through craigslist or ebay’s classifieds for a private seller. You’ll get a better deal, and as long as you’re careful and do your homework, you’ll get a good bike.

And others with more experience will weigh in, but the Ninja 250 should work just fine for you.

[JackTrade]

Have you taken the MSF course yet? If not, definitely look into it.

What style of bike are you interested in? Sport, cruiser, etc? That may help us narrow down your choices for a good first bike.

[JackTrade]

You’re doing everything right, so keep at it.

As for recommendations:

1) for bikes, craigslist and ebay local are your best friends…GS500s are pretty easy to find, just keep at it and you’ll likely find one with very few miles.

2) for gear, in short: make sure your helmet is (at least) DOT rated, look for jacket and pants with CE armor, and get some good leather gloves/boots.

[JackTrade]

Your class didn’t have “the box”? That’s just two back to back U-turns.

Good video. I find it also helps to counterweight on the outside peg…really sharpens things up. Just shift your bodyweight to the outside foot peg as you turn.

[JackTrade]

…too bad we won’t get it here in the States (I’m betting).

The lack of middleweights here in the U.S. is pretty frustrating. But I guess our motorcycle buying habits (on average that is…I love middleweights) follow the usual American M.O.: bigger, faster, more powerful!

[JackTrade]

Figured as much (I have the 15 myself, and it was really tight at first).

It will however over time loose (a little) on the sides, so maybe use your old glasses for now, and then after a month or two, try your current ones.

[JackTrade]

MSF courses defnitely serve as a nice tune-up for your observational skills. For me specifically, it made me realize that when driving my car, I’d been relying mostly on my rear view mirror for the view behind me. Now, thanks to the course and my riding, I’m much more conscious about also using the side mirrors as well.

[JackTrade]

In cars, 30 psi is often the standard. But that’s basically an ancient spec from before the days of modern radials, and modern tires may actually do better with slightly more pressure.

Drag racers lower their pressures in the rear (or front depending on the drive) for more pavement contact, and autocrossers up it all around to better handle turn g-forces. On my car, for normal use, I usually run about 32 in each, and find I get better gas mileage as well as more of firmer ride, which I like.

But when it comes to bikes, I’ve always wondered, so am interested in the outcome here. Don’t some motorcycles still run bias-ply tires? I’m pretty sure mine does.

[JackTrade]

Happened to me.

I bought a Sparx helmet online (nobody sold it locally) that I loved the look of…after receiving it and trying it on, I was quite annoyed to find that my glasses utterly would not fit…and mine are wire-framed.

So now I have a spare helmet should I start taking passengers.

What helmet do you have? I’m guess a HJC of some sort.

[JackTrade]

I’ll take a shot at some of the ones with which I have experience:

2) the “everyone falls at some point” is motorcycle conventional wisdom that has a basis in statistics…but it doesn’t mean that it’s going to happen to you. You should keep in mind always that statistically, riding a motorcycle means your chances of being in an accident go up (in addition to the lack of standard safety equipment, as you’ll learn, there are many more ways to screw up riding a bike than driving a car). BUT…if you learn to ride properly (as you’re doing) and always keep the right mindset, there’s no reason why you can’t have a long safe riding life. I personally think that focusing on the negative “I’m going to crash” is asking for trouble if you ride.

3) took me maybe a month or so. Yeah, they feel huge and heavy (esp. if you buy a lower-cost one), but after awhile, you’ll barely feel it.

5) It is true that knowing how drive a manual transmission does help in the sense that it’s one less thing to worry about in the MSF course, but you’ll pick it up. It’s harder to stall a bike (indeed, one of the first things you’ll learn how to use the “friction zone” of the clutch to move the bike at low speeds) than it is a car, esp. the small bikes you’ll be riding.

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