[SantaCruzRider]

No offense, but your plan sounds like you’ve bought a bike that is way too much for your experience, so you’re going to get a learner bike that is too small to really teach you all you should know before moving up and then will have a big experience gap to clear when you move from dirt bike to liter+ bike.

The typical advice on this site is that dirt bikes teach alot about balance and use of controls and may be the factor that makes a 650 manageable as the first road bike. But they won’t set you up for the 1125 (IMHO).

I think a better plan would be to find an older 500cc standard or sport bike. After a year of riding, the jump from that to the bigger bike will be more reasonable and less dangerous.

[SantaCruzRider]

Top on my list would be a bike that is relatively narrow as it opens up lots of possibilities for filtering through stopped traffic. My current bike is a sport tourer and not particularly narrow, but I’ve removed the rear bags and the widest part is now the spring adjustable mirrors. These give me about 4″ of safety on either side (the mirrors will fold back without damaging a car, unlike having the handlebars or highway bars being the widest).

Next on my list would be a windshield. Cutting down the helmet buffeting will make the ride much less tiring and also cut down on sand blasting you’re likely to get on windy days. A fairing also helps, but the downside is that it can also hold in some of the engine heat — which you don’t need.

[SantaCruzRider]

Sounds like it wouldn’t be a good bike for you. Sorry.

Seriously, you have to give folks a little more to go on. Otherwise, you’re probably better off reading some of the great info on the site. This question has been asked many times before, so unless you have some very specific circumstances, the best answer has probably already been given.

Tip: do a web search with “best beginner motorcycles” and the name of the bike you like in the search and you’ll get hits on this site.

[SantaCruzRider]

I also returned to riding after a decade hiatus, but I rode a mid-size bike every day for years prior to that and I felt very comfortable getting back in the saddle.

Others returning from a long break may have had much less time riding (seasonal, weekends only, 1 year experience, etc…) For those folks, it might be more fair to say that they are starting fresh.

Both bikes are nice. One might be too powerful for many beginners and the other may be too small for some folks egos (or is that ergos??).

[SantaCruzRider]

I’ve been in this type of situation fairly often, in part because I live in a beach town, near a bunch of schools with lots of kids. It’s not uncommon for them to be riding the wrong direction in the street or on the sidewalk (which is legal for children, but a bit scary when they suddenly appear in front of you).

I always err on the side of stopping — kids are just too unpredictable and they often have no concept of your right-of-way. But my view may not be typical, as I’ve stopped in the middle of a road to bring traffic to a halt to keep a dog from getting hit. It’s not because I can’t easily get around, I just feel vested in doing what I can to keep someone’s pet or kid from getting hit.

BTW: When I was a 14, I got hit by a car while riding my bike on the wrong side of the road. Guy wasn’t looking for me and figured he had the right of way. I got hurled into 3 lanes of traffic, but managed to get out of the way. It was the second time I’d been hit by a car — first was a drunk driver who blew a stop sign — do I’m partial to kids on bikes.

[SantaCruzRider]

Not sure exactly where you are in the City, but you might want to try heading to the industrial area south of AT&T (Giants) on weekend mornings. Streets are flat, visibility is good and it’s usually deserted on weekends (especially if the Giants are on the road).

Sounds like you just need lots of practice. Don’t waste your time riding through a neighborhood, rather take the opportunity to stop at every intersection (where safe) and then start off again. Repeat 100 times — go get a coffee, congratulate yourself, get back on and do it again.

I would advise not riding to work. My Bay Area commute is something I look forward to, but it is not the time to learn basic bike skills. There is way too much going on, you have a schedule to keep, etc. Instead, make time for concerted practicing and work to master one thing at a time.

And don’t be panicked by having trouble with hills. They aren’t the easiest thing to master, but you’ll be fine once you have the clutching and braking down.

As for my first road ride — went to the Harley dealer, bought a new bike, he showed me where the controls were and I rode home (surface streets, highway, hills, etc…). Pretty low drama.

[SantaCruzRider]

Back to the original chaps question, which was mostly about how they look.
IMHO:

Chaps on women: +1
Chaps on Munch: (no opinion)
Chaps on the naked ass-rash dude: -1, I really didn’t need to see that this morning!

[SantaCruzRider]

My current bike is too heavy to experience this, but I’ve felt the front lift plenty of times on my buddies dual sport on steep hills.

Slide forward, lean forward, a little bit of weight on the hands won’t hurt. On the dually, I’ll sometimes stand up and lean over the handlebars to get my weight WAY forward (you’ll need to moderate that for the Ninja, but concept is the same).

Now that you know the turn, you can carry a little extra speed going into it. Then steady throttle, feather the clutch to keep it smooth.

The front can feel a bit vague as the tire isn’t getting the traction you’re used to, nor as much as the rear. But don’t panic and keep your input smooth and you should be fine.

[SantaCruzRider]

Good plan to start smaller.
We’ve all made our own choices for our first bikes, but in the spirit of the Best Beginner Bike site, you have to know that a liter+ sport bike is the opposite of good choices. You may be educated, smart and more mature than your colleagues, but it doesn’t translate into making the Buell either safe or a good learning platform.

[SantaCruzRider]

Maybe someone should make backless helmets and jackets for cruisers too!

[SantaCruzRider]

Tell them you’re in no rush to get the bike back, so long as Kawi is OK with holding off getting your monthly payment until the bike is back in your garage.

How about a loaner?

I’d be sure you were top of mind with these guys. Let them know you set aside LOTS of time to ride these next few weeks and every moment you’re not riding you’ll be writing about the casual service you’re getting from the dealership.

Sorry to hear about the treatment you’re getting. It’s not cool and not professional at all. Seriously, this is one of the reasons why I never feel put off buying used – at least I know the warranty sucks

Good luck!

[SantaCruzRider]

Personally, I’m a big fan of the look of women in chaps. But, I have to agree that all their redeeming qualities disappear once you start the bike and they leave way too much exposed to the road.

Good advice on the textile stuff.

[SantaCruzRider]

I keep it in a ziplock bag with insurance card, all tucked into a locked glove box in the fairing.

[SantaCruzRider]

Keep in mind that the original point of the original post stated that the rider realized that shifting his/her weight could induce a lean and turn. I think enough folks has chimed in to state that weight placement can induce lean and turn.

But certainly that is not the correct thing to focus on. In a practical sense, there is 1 way to turn a bike at speed and mastering that method will make you a competent rider (the rest is gravy). And that method is countersteering.

Plenty has been written about the physics of how it works, so a web search might be fun for those so inclined. But otherwise, just get used to how it feels, how the bike responds and enjoy it.

[SantaCruzRider]

You’re right about the use of the standard position when approaching intersections — it improves both your ability to see and to be seen by other vehicles. As for the windage, I suspect that it has about as much effect as the slight lift on the throttle that comes from raising up.

With the braking into turns issue, I believe that the best approach (especially for beginners) is to try to always use both brakes. This gets you into a habit that is essential and needs to become automatic for dealing with emergencies. If you are used to only using one brake in 90% of situations, you’ll do the same thing in a panic stop and you increase both your stopping distance and your chance of locking up. I’m not arguing against using only the rear brake when you are crawling through a parking lot, but for most street riding, I think it’s important to start the habit of both brakes all the time.

Another small point, if you find that you are doing lots of late breaking into turns, it’s probably a sign that you’re coming in too hot and you’re in too high a gear.

As for steering with pegs — of course you can. If the bike is light enough, you can steer all day by leaning the bike — whether that means you’re shifting weight to the inside peg or just leaning and feeling greater weight on that peg. The lean is what turns the bike. Counter steering gets you there faster, but it essentially accomplishes the same thing by steering the front wheel to the outside of the intended turn and forcing the bike to lean. But others are right about the fact that you should focus on countersteering — especially as speed increases.

Lastly, don’t get beat up about the 92 octane. Consider it a small donation to ensure the survival of the oil companies that are feeling pinched by having to pay out mega bonuses to their execs. Exxon thanks you.

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