General

[quick.spyder]

Ah, I understood that. I just didn't know if there was another reason.
And to the people who took the test for your license, was the writing test hard? Or like the basics and common sense stuff?

[Deus Machina]

It's about the same as the normal driving test. If you don't learn it, it's probably common sense.

Reiterating here: Try to get to proper turn speed before the turn. Turning and braking or accelerating can be bad.

Don't buy anything you can't get back on its wheels. I have an '89 Katana 750. 450-pound dry weight, and it's not exactly bottom-heavy. I weigh 130. Not fun until it's moving again.

You can never spend too much on safety gear. Gloves must be leather and/or kevlar, and show ideally have knuckle caps in metal or carbon fiber. Jackets must be leather and/or armored; Mine is extra-thick denim with hard shoulder and arm pads, and tri-foam padding along the back. Got it at a good price, too.

Do your research on helmets. They must be DOT rated, Snell rating is a great extra, and some companies are better than others. Expensive usually means better, but it doesn't have to be. The $70 Bell helmets at Wally World can save your head, and are comfortable for the price, but you'll be better off in a $500 Shoei.

You shouldn't be able to look at the bike without reaching for your helmet.

Sit on a bike and test it if you can before buying it. There's no point to owning one that won't get to road speed (500CC is a good number for a first bike; 350 may work, and I wouldn't go over a really tame 750, despite my precedence) or one that will drive away without waiting for you to catch up (stay away from Ducatti's and hayabusa's--down here, 'busas make a good portion of inexperienced road pizza) or one too tall for you to touch the ground. If you can set both feet level on the ground at a stop sign, great.

All that mentioned, may I suggest Suzuki's SV650, or one of the Bandits. Or Katana's, but they're more expensive than Bandits. The riding position is comfortably right between cruiser and sportbike, they're tame enough to handle for new guys if you're careful, but ballsy enough to keep up once you're good. But shop around--nothing's wrong with grabbing a $400 Yamaha Seca II (which is good, too!) over a $3k SV650.

[Hammersmith]

Lots of good advice in this thread so far, one thing that you want to avoid wearing are things like windbreakers when you fall off the bike stuff like that will melt to your skin.

And once you get all this gear don't forget to use it, anyone that rides is probably guilty of hopping on their bike on a hot day and not wearing their gloves but imagine playing baseball, stealing second, and diving in headfirst.....now imagine doing that on your driveway....now imagine sliding head first at 60mph on your driveway. First thing to hit the ground is your hands and if you like having fingerprints that little bit of leather is going to go a long way....hell you can shred your hands in a 10mph wreck

[Christian Nelson]

That statistic about the loud pipes cold easily be interpetted to the fact that most people with loud pipes are usually the type to drink and ride (the worst thing you can do- if you can't even walk straight, why would even think to get on a bike?) kinda like the ones who don't wear helmets are much more likely to drink and ride.

My reading of the statistics in Wisconsin (less traffic than east coast, so this may not apply everywhere) Was that if you drank and rode with a helmet on it was more dangerous than if you did not drink and did not wear a helmet. Most of the accidents that were deadly in Wisconsin were single vehicle crashes, next was deer, and then cars.

The single highest stat that they all shared was blood alcohol level. It seemed that helmet or not, you died with deer, and other cars, or even hitting a tree when you are drunk.

So, in my oppinion not drinking and riding would be the single most safe thing you could do.

Not wearing a helmet in Wisconsin at least did not seem to make as much of a difference as drinking did. That could be because almost no one wears one around here too.

Not sure how that figures in, they did have enough helmet wearers to be a factor in the statistics, but it didn't seem to make as much a difference as drinking did. We have a big drinking problem here in Wisconsin. Same issue rises up on snowmobiles where EVERYbody wears helmets. It's too cold not to. But, we still have tons of people dying on the trails because the trails go from bar to bar to bar to bar, by the time people get where they are going, they can barely stay on thier sled. Needless to say, this wouldn't be as much of an issue if people didn't get drunk then ride.

I know a woman who works in a burn unit, and she swears if the combination of beer+gasoline+men didn't occur, they would have no business at all hardly.

Loud pipes are one thing, firing cannons out of your tailpipes is quite another. I like my bike to be loud enough to thump a bit, but when I have to wear earplugs to ride, it is too much.

I have noticed a big difference being next to cars from my Seca (super quiet 4 cylinder) and my Marauder (V-twin with Hard Krome pipes with minimal baffling= kinda loud, but not drag pipe loud) on the freeway. I have never had someone pull right into me from being right next to me on the Marauder, but I all the time did on the Seca. I learned to never get in the blind spot of a car on that thing. It was black too, so very hard to see I guess. Plus, it seems if you hover right next to the driver side, you get ignored after a while if you aren't making a bit of noise.

This is all anecdotal on one hand, and regional for my statistics, but helmets are good, A good pair of boots that covers your ankles, if for no other reason than to keep you from burning yourself on the exhaust, or if you do end up under your bike, it is your ankles that contact first, followed by your knees. jackets should have some extra padding in the elbow, and shoulders (you don't need to look like a football player, but my jacket has an extra bit of leather on each spot inside, you can't even tell it is there) you should always wear gloves, it is the first thing you stick out to land on if you fall. Plus, I find a good pair of leather gloves reduces fatigue on long rides.

Riding on the dirt first is huge, I have saved my own hide so many times by reacting naturally to sliding on gravel or sand on the road. Stuff I learned to do on a dirtbike, to the point it comes naturally on a bigger bike too.

Biggest point that has been made. Don't start out with too much bike. I see these guys who have never ridden a bike before and they buy a full dress Harley and can barely get it off it's kickstand. You think he'll be able to pick it up when (notice I didn't say if) he dumps it?

600cc's is on the big side for a beginners bike, I'd start with that or smaller.

Oh, and have fun, and be prepared for an addiction.

[incynr8]

not that I suggest this as relevant to the subject at hand, but done properly, a 90lb woman can stand a 800lb electraglide onto it's stand from either side. I have seen it done. I own a 600lb bike and can upright it from either side. I had to show a RUB how to upright a softail (after I lifted it off his entrapped legs) from the right side to the stand even. And anyone how knows me, I am hardly a hulking giant.

I'm one of those idiots that bought a 1200cc top heavy cranky bike, you are better off with the reccomendations above, and especially the advice on helmets and armor. never be that douche in flip flops and nylon running shorts, with a helmet strap not even done.

the written tests are easy, the riding tests can be slightly difficult, especially if they use the enclosed/walled box for U turn and then multiple figure 8's. State trooper administered tests tend to be harder than the MSF course route. I can barely do the figure 8s on my bobbed 1200, to do it on the 250-450 they provide is cake.

As for books, consider reading Proficient Motrocycling and the second book of the series, and well as read the book, 'ride to live' (although his view of night riding is a bit extreme, although kinda true), and the Police motorcycle course on DVD Welcome To Ride Like a Pro .

The exercises seem kinda unrelated to riding, but they are not, especially when you get his traffic survival video. Alot of the videos is the 6-8mph handle bar steering sections for tight moves, and that's the tough stuff, however the traffic survival videos are very real world relevant.

Intersections are evil. Sometimes making multiple rights to get around that known bad one is time well spent.
Your brights are best left on during the day.
Modulating-(that then go solid) brake lights help, modulated headlights too, where legal.
bright colors help.
loud pipes might help a little, but usually only when you are passing on the left, or coming down a residential hazard way of driveways.

Learn traction and how the machine works to preserve it.
Practice fast stops every year at least. Learn max braking with BOTH brakes WITHOUT a rear lockup. Learn to ride the rear lockup and modulate the front lockup. Until it's instinctive, and without lockups of either.

However, we all still take a chance everytime.

[quick.spyder]

Wow, that was a lot of info. Thanks guys.
I'm think I'm gonna look into the $100s helmets.
I'm pretty sure that I won't get anything that I'll have trouble keeping up.
The SV650s look nice but I'm trying to stay away from anything that is really sport-ish.
There's a 2006 Suzuki GZ250 with a dent and some scratches going for $1800 in the bargain trader. 3000 miles on it. Is that a good deal?

[Deus Machina]

If it's in good shape, perhaps. Good tires, unrusted chain, etcetera.

Keep in mind--250's are going to seem really tame after a couple weeks. They tend to max out at about highway speed limits, so quick maneuvers and passing are tough. Aside from that, I've got nothing bad on GZ's.

And check eBay for helmets, after making a trip to the shops to try them on. I got a brand-new Vega flip-face for about a third retail price, because they changed how the new ones look.

[quick.spyder]

That makes sense. I should probably try to find a little bit bigger bike then. I use the highway a lot around here so the upper speeds are kinda important.

[Shane-O]

A saying a wise old biker told me.............

"There are two kinds of riders, one who has been down, and ones who will go down"

In other words, all riders will take a spill now and then, your way of riding is what decides the severity of it. I hope I did all of my wrecking on dirtbikes in the dirt. Only been down on the street once, slow speed, sand washed out the front wheel making a roight onto another street, no major damage or injury.

I would look at a 350-450 sized bike, dual purpose or small cruiser. A Kawaski 450 LTD is a cheap little bike that would be a good start, or even an older honda CB. But I would recommend a dual purpose bike, much more fun all around, IMO.

[Silverback]

RULE #1: LEARN TO STOP! It may sound stupid, but it's not as easy to stop a motorcycle, RIGHT NOW! as one might think. Most riders are afraid of their front brake... well, that's where 80% of your braking power comes from. Your weight and the weight of the motorcycle shifts to the front wheel in a stop, so locking up the front tire is difficult on most st reet bikes,but it can be done. PRACTICE EMERGENCY STOPS, in an empty parking lot, so you will now how your bike responds in a panic stop.

RULE#2: IF YOU HAVE A $100.00 HEAD... GET A $100.00 HELMET. The more expensive helmets: SHOEI, AGV, ARAI, all have one thing in common, maximum protection with minimal weight. Your $100.00 Wal-Mart Bell helmet will be heavy, and uncomfortable, so you will be less inclinded to wear it. The better the helmet fits, the more protection too. Try on the helmet, it should hit comfortably, without being tight, or so loose it doesn't move with your head. The cheek padding should slightly press in on your cheeks but not hinder speech. Finally reach to the back of the helmet and try to pull it off, by pulling up on the lower edge of the helmet, it should stay in place. (Or you'll tear off the back of your head in a "Low-Side" when your helmet hits the ground.)
FYI- Motorcycle Helmets are a "One-Drop-Done" item. If it's sitting on your Bike seat, and is knocked to the ground, it's done. The shell will spread the force over the whole of the shell, and it will be cracked all over,(sometimes only detectable by x-ray) so protect your helmet from bangs and drops.

RULE#3:YOU ARE GOING DOWN!!! Understand that EVERYTIME, you get on your bike, you could meet the pavement, with a very rude introduction. Drivers don't see us! (HELL, I've almost cut off bikes in my car, and I've been riding/racing for over 25 years!) Be thinking in the back of your mind, about what you would do if... as your riding.

As I have told people for years, if you can enjoy riding, while at the same time realizing the dangers of riding, you belong on a bike. If you think, IT WON"T HAPPEN TO ME... Your going to be a statistic (dead or crippled).

THUS ENDTH THE LESSON.