What bike should I learn on?

The answers I see to this question really piss me off sometimes. It's like these people are answering a 3 y/o as opposed to a grown adult and usually a man at that. "Get a small underpowered bike", is the worst one I hear IMO.

I think you should get on the bike ya want and ride. Sure a little experience on another bike is a big help, but I've been on sportsters and Ultra Classics, quite frankly niether was hard to balance or ride. Telling someone to get a smaller under powered bike is like saying they think the person is too stupid to control a throttle. If that were that case, no M/C is safe for them!

What's your take?

Ya I see what your saying but, man I`d rather drop a little cheap $500 bike (not on purpose) than dump or drop a $8000-$15,000 HD. Just because your a grown man don`t mean you know how to control something you`ve never done before! I don`t have kids but if I did I`m not goin to buy them a brand new car to learn in even after being to driver`s ed. Did you drop or dump your first bike at least once? I know I did, never "wrecked" but dropped her over. Just my thoughts?

OK, I'll go with ride a beater to get it out of your system, but not cause it's "under powered". Horsepower ratings for those "smaller" bikes still tend to be relatively high compared to size.

I've been riding something on two wheels for 30 plus years. Yet still there is that mercyless patch of oil or sand that bites ya in the ass when parking or something while sober and the bike falls. Ya can't be paranoid.

So if this is an abolute first bike I agree, but otherwise, buy the bike ya want with confidence. If you approach any bike with reluctance, it will throw you on the gorund.

Don't forget the rider safety course. It teaches skills you'll remember forever. My wife is a much more confident rider because of it. BEsides, you get to drop someone elses bike..Just my 2cents

Don't forget the rider safety course. It teaches skills you'll remember forever. My wife is a much more confident rider because of it. BEsides, you get to drop someone elses bike..Just my 2cents

That's some really good advice. We discussed this in Live Chat and I made that exact suggestion for the same reason to Iron-eater for his friend today.

here my baby..

Get onre that fits to your needs

I think some very good reasons to not buy whatever you want can be found right here on the board, smeg. What about the idiot who bought the brand new HD and crashed into a cage in the parking lot of the dealership. Or the woman who had her boyfriend/husband teaching her. He looked away and next thing he knows she is ripping down the street, froze to the controls, crashing into a parked car.

I've heard other stories like a woman making a left turn from a stop and running over the far curb and crashing a brand new HD. When asked what happened, she said I don't know it just got away from me. Or a woman who tried to keep up with other riders who were way above her in skill level and riding straight off a curve she was going to fast for because she couldn't get her speed down. Smaller equals less weight equals easier to slow/stop.

What about the guy who hasn't been on a bike for 20 years? He used to ride a 500 and now, in his fantasy second childhood, he thinks his skills haven't rusted, he's as strong as he used to be, his vision is still sharp, and his reactions haven't slowed a bit. Do you really want that extra hundred pounds or two to be sitting under his ass when he t-bones you at an intersection because he was wrong about all the things I mentioned above and couldn't stop in time or didn't even see you?

I take a MSF beginner course every 5 or 6 years to just brush up or sometimes there is something new to learn. The last one I was in 3 people dropped out after 3 hours on the riding course because they couldn't handle a 250. Do you really want those three on the road next to you straddling 88 cubic inches of power and weight? I talked to a guy who was at the ROT this year when 4 people got killed and a bunch injured in great weather. I asked him what the hell happened. He said the biggest problem was a huge amount of inexperienced wannabe bikers on big ass motorcycles they had no idea how to handle. He said that with the stupidity he witnessed in person, he was surprised more people weren't killed.

Think about it smeg. How much low end torque does an 80 or 88 cubic inch V-twin have compared to a 500cc in line four? The inexperienced are in trouble as soon as they let the clutch out from either overconfidence in their skills, lack of confidence in their skills, or just plain lack of skills. What about the handling characteristics of a raked and stretched chopper vs what you ride out of the showroom. Plus the bigger the engine the more weight you typically have to deal with. Try making even a casual corner when your front wheel is out in front of you about 5 feet. It takes some know how.

These are the biggest reasons I have for not agreeing with you on this one. As far as I'm concerned, a person's right to buy whatever they damn well please, whether they can handle it or not, ends when they increase their chances of 1. crashing into me, 2. raising my insurance rates because of their stupidity, and 3. making me fight to overcome the image of all riders that this type of fool causes to be formed in the minds of non-riders which leads to our rights as riders being restricted or taken away.

There is a story I was told that comes to mind that fits what I'm talking about. A guy shows up for a MSF course and is convinced he can pass without any teaching or guidance. So the instuctors take him right out to the course and run him through the final riding test. The guy fails miserably. He looks at the instructors and says "I can't understand what happened, I've been riding for 20 years." The instructor looks at him and says "no, you've experienced one year of riding 20 times."

So yea, I talk to them like they're 3 years old and tell them to buy a 650cc or 500cc bike or smaller to learn or knock the rust off on. I think you have to because they've got salesmen and TV ads and their own fantasies telling them to buy that big bike because it will change them from a geek to a woman pleaser or make them feel 21 years old again just for buying it. I also tell them to take a MSF course and practice riding a motorcycle.

Most likely the majority of the people who buy a bike that is to much for them will be lucky and learn before they hurt or kill themselves or someone else. It's the minority that don't that cost us so much in so many ways. As for me, I would rather be good than lucky when it comes to riding a motorcycle.

wyldekard what a great comment! I am starting over again after 16 years of being without a motorcycle. I know the basic concepts, but feel I have absolutely no room to be allowed out on the roads with one larger than 650. I looked at a V Star this weekend and rode it in the parking lot. Very forgiving, but helped me to see what I either had forgotten or needed to learn.

There are many horror stories about people buying bikes out of their ability range and then giving up or worse. Start slow. The fun and enjoyment will last longer

Thanks Sarge. Welcome to the board. My compliments to you on your abundance of common sense and good judgement. Try to take the MSF beginning rider course as soon as you can. You'll be impressed with it. It will refresh your rusty skills and teach you some new ways to look at riding. They reworked the courses last year so it's pretty fresh. Plus, if you happen to dump the bike it's theirs, not yours. :)

There is also a good video/dvd called Ride Like a Pro. It's done by a Florida motorcycle policeman and his wife. He uses something like 10 different bikes to demonstrate his technique. It's fairly fricking amazing what he can do with a full dresser riding two up. The URL is www.ridelikeapro.com and it is worth the $30 some bucks it costs for the DVD. Watch it, do the exercises, and you'll get your old skills back in half the time.

Good luck and let me know what you decide to get for your new ride and how it goes for you.

Well, it's obvious I was wrong when I said get on it and ride. This guy should not have listened to me...

Man in hospital after bizarre motorcycle crash

EDMONTON - A 25-year-old Edmonton man is in critical condition after his first ride on his new motorcycle.

Last night the man was taking the bike for a spin when he smashed head-first into a store window, leaving him bloodied and dazed.
Witnesses say the man climbed back onto the bike, veered across five lanes of traffic and smashed into a fence.

Police spokesman Dean Parthenis says they still don't know what caused the accident. "Officers at this point have looked at the possibility of drugs or alcohol there's no indication that either were factors at this point."

Police are not saying if charges will be laid. The injured man was not wearing a helmet at the time.

I just bought my first bike last year. I had a tight budget which also included the insurance, so I bought a Honda Shadow VLX Deluxe. I have about 3300 miles on it now and I love it. Most of the miles are long range highway miles and its really a comfortable bike. Have gotten tons of compliments about it. I sat on a bigger bike and felt intimidated by it since I had taken a motorcycle safety course 7 years prior and hadn't been on a bike since. I actually practiced riding it for a half hour in the cemetery across the street before driving it home. Of course, I tried to take back roads but got lost, so I had to take the highway home. Needless to say, I survived... :-)

The dealer rep I dealt with didn't try to talk me into anything else. He said I might after the first season want a bigger bike. I've gotten that itch, but then I'm able to pretty much keep up with the bigger bikes and since I'm not young and immortal anymore, the bike gets me where I want to go.

So, as others have said, take a course and buy a bike you feel comfortable with. Later on you can always buy the expensive machine, but don't forget, especially where I live, the insurance is more expensive as well.

Ride safe all

Nice forum

Gentlemen,
I have read all of your sound advice and respect your opinions. Many are far more experienced than I will ever be, but there are several key factors that one should consider.

First, get the bike your budget allows. Don't buy something that you will be unhappy with because of someone else's opinion.

Second, take the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's course in your area. I have been riding on and off for the last 35 years. After a 10 year break, I decided to satisfy my desire for the wind and the road. I bought my Sportster at the end of the season and went to take the written test and got my permit. Unfortuately, the State testing facility was closing and I couldn't take my driving test until the next spring. I learned that if one took the Abate riding course, that it would be accepted as the driving test and I could get my license. I reluctently agreed and showed up for the 20 hour course over a weekend. To tell you the truth, I didn't expect much. Much to my amazement, it was the best time I ever spent. Of the 20 hours, 16+ were under helmet on a closed course. The dealer provided 250 cc Suzukis. After the 3rd day of navigating the course and doing all the maneuvers, I was glad that I was there. If it taught me anything, it was a healthy respect for the motorcycle, and some physics that have helped me just recently.

Third, and most important, all the training and experience in the world can't compensate for good old "common sense". If you ride within your capabilities and adjust for the factors, you'll stand a better chance of being here to challenge this opinion. Excessive speed and insufficient separation from others, i.e., following too damn close claims many of our brothers every year. Use you head for more than a place to hold your helmet and you stand a much better chance of leading a long life.

Comments?

Got this via email from sherryel01.


I am going to be a first-time buyer. Since I was a little girl, I have had a fascination for Motorcyles. I am at a point in my life where I can do this for myself. I would like to purchase a Harley, but do not have any idea what type would be suitable for me. I am a 41-year old woman. I weigh around 140...give or take and I am 5'4" and a beginner-level rider. I want to make this a sensible purhase, as I am not rolling in money! This is a very expensive toy that I am buyng for myself, so I need some suggestions from those of you who know these machines. Any feed-back would be appreciated! Thanks!


If you have to have a Harley, I'd say the Sportster Hugger is the smallest and most inexpensive Harley.

There are lots of alternatives though that you can buy new from other manufacturers though that may be cheaper and lighter while still having a Harley look.

Hey, I appreciate the feed back...I am signed up for the M/C safety course in October. What do you think about the HD 883 Sportster to start out?

I Got my first minibike when i was 10. Boy did I bust my ass good.Then I got a bigger
bike in high school a 175 dirt bike ad it tore my ass up too. Got a bigger one and got
the same results {a sore ass}. Well I made it through the learning prosess. I got my first Harley A 350sprint. it tore my ass up again. Well by now i start to get smart.and
get my first street bike made it for a long time got stupid an it whiped my ass. Well it,s in my blood now an Im doing better I have had 3 diffrent harleys. Just bought my
4th for my wife but age an experince are the best teacher trust me I learnd the
hard way I ride as much as possable when ever possable

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RIDE SAFE IT DOSENT HURT
trust me :joint: