Just Bought my First Motorcycle!

[Pacificcoast101]

I haven't had a bike for a few years, but put over 100,000 miles on my last two without ever dropping them. Three rules I always lived by;
If you look at something long enough, you will hit it, leave yourself an escape space, and watch the sideview mirrors and front tires of cars in the next lane. They will change lanes without looking.

 

[Socrateur]

Personal safety has been well covered here, but family safety should be mentioned, too. Make certain your estate affairs are in order, and I don’t mean to be morbid, but be aware that any life insurance you have might not pay out in the event of death by motorcycle. Your family should be prepared and have a plan in place should the unthinkable happen, the risk of which is suddenly increased with this new venture. It looks like you already have thought about and discussed openly the potential for stress and emotional effects on the family.

 

[Sea Wolf]

I'm not a bike rider myself, but can offer this insight into one reason why riding can be so dangerous, and why motorcycles are "invisible" to automobile drivers.

I've never caused a collision with or forced a biker to lay down his ride, but I know one basic issue is that automobile drivers are mentally set up to look for other cars and trucks, and that smaller vehicles just aren't seen as well or at all.

That may sound illogical, but I've had it happen to me- I just didn't "see" the bike coming down the road, and almost pulled out directly in front of them.

Having the lights on the bike on helps, of course, but still...............!

Just another example of where you don't have to make a mistake yourself, but another persons's mistake can be your last!

Joe. :teeth :thup

 

[MilesandMiles]

We sure can tell what generation is represented here on c-brats.

Maybe we can find you a human sized hamster ball to roll around in while we're at it.

Safety 3rd!!

Seriously though, become a member over at: www.advrider.com

 

[Da Nag]

That may sound illogical, but I've had it happen to me- I just didn't "see" the bike coming down the road, and almost pulled out directly in front of them.

Having the lights on the bike on helps, of course, but still...............!

So true...and other than the Motoport gear, the best safety investment I've made is a set of high intensity LED driving lights.



Under $150 installed, and in addition to adding visibility, they really light up the road at night..although I try to stick to daytime riding whenever possible. Technically - they aren't legal for "on road" use. Having used them now for a couple months - I simply don't care. While I've not heard of others getting ticketed for using them, if a ticket is the price I pay for the benefit they provide - so be it.

Since installing them, I've not had an obvious instance of not being seen - typically, a daily occurrence. I still ride as if invisible - but with these on, I routinely see vehicles do a double take...starting to pull out in front of me, then hitting the brakes.

As mentioned already, visibility is absolutely key to safety when riding. Lights and reflective gear certainly help, but far more important are sight lines. Proper positioning left to right in lanes is key; but even more important - riders that follow too closely to other traffic, are living on borrowed time. Not so much from the inability to stop when the car ahead of you hit the brakes, although that's a real risk as well. Rather, bikes simply disappear from view for oncoming traffic when following another vehicle too closely. A car waiting to make a left turn across traffic, will dart out in front of you the minute the car you are following has passed them.

Still, the dangers are certainly real...and I'd be foolish to suggest the risk isn't higher while riding than driving. Still, statistics are funny things. Particularly for bikers, the number of folks who ride wisely seem to be in the distinct minority. Training and experience goes a loooong way, towards ensuring the "other guy" is the one being reported on the nightly news, instead of you. I've a good bud who has been riding far longer than me, who highly recommends the Stayin' Safe programs - he's given me many valuable pointers from the courses he's taken there, which go way beyond your typical MSF courses. Wish they were out west...but perhaps I'll make it back there some day.

 

[Sea Wolf]

I wonder what the statistics are for those riders who commute to work in metropolitan areas on freeways at rush hour in stop and go traffic while riding down in-between lanes on top of the lane dividers? (Yikes!) :smileo


Joe. :teeth :thup

 

[Amphion]

Congrats on the new ride!
I sold my bike last fall. I had a Honda VFR800. Great bike, more bike than I needed but I loved riding that thing. I miss it but am planning of getting C-Dory this summer. Will probably get another bike too!

ATGATT (All The Gear All The Time) was something I learned from a VFR group I joined. They stressed this all the time. Even when its stinking hot wear the gear because you don't need to be going fast to get hurt.

Also I swear by a full face helmet. I caught a bug on the right side of my face shield one day. It felt like someone drove a golf ball off my head and its innards covered the whole side of the shield (it was a BIG bug). I can't imagine what would of happened if I only had a little "brain bucket" on.

Also, I swear by gloves that have knuckle protectors in them. I took a small pebble in the hand on my first bike...not a pleasant feeling.

I already knew how to ride and took the bike safety course anyway. I really enjoyed it and I'm sure you will too. It taught me a lot and when I rode I could pick out the riders who had no training.

Anyway, enjoy the ride. It is addictive. I liked the fact I could just throw on the gear and zip out for an hour or so ride....okay I'm jealous....damn now I want a bike....rats!javascript:emoticon(':wink')

 

[starcrafttom]

Sorry it took so look to get back to this. full face helmets cause Brian damage. I could give you the long story but the short story is that the shape of a full face helmet and how it wraps around the back of your head combine with how the chin guard transmits force causes fractures around the brain. Combines with the lack of room for swelling, a protective function, can cause more brain damage then a half shell that can allow room for swelling.

But don't take my word for it.
"From the hospitalized group interesting associations emerged of naso-ethmoidal fracturing with spectacle wearing and maxillary fracturing with denture wearing. Hospitalized motorcyclists who had worn open-face helmets, or full-face helmets with flexible face-bars, had sustained facial fracturing but minimal brain injury. In contrast, motorcyclists killed from anterior craniofacial impact whilst wearing full-face helmets with rigid face-bars had sustained fatal skull base fracturing in the absence of significant facial trauma"

also here is only one of many links on the subject. link

I don't wear full face rigid helmet's. this is why the hinged full face helmets where developed and used by most police forces.

 

[hardee]

I wonder what the statistics are for those riders who commute to work in metropolitan areas on freeways at rush hour in stop and go traffic while riding down in-between lanes on top of the lane dividers? (Yikes!) :smileo


Joe. :teeth :thup

Joe, I can't quote the statistics, but I lived in Portland OR, and rode to work for almost 7 years. No accidents, and no close calls. I attribute that to have spent many years working in the ER, and on the ambulance, thus realizing how fragile life really is. Also, to a motor cycle Safety class. It was full gear, everyday, every ride, all the way across town, rain or shine, dark or day. And even then I always had to STAY AWAKE :lol:

By the way, I bought the bike (440 Kaw LTD) for commuting, about a week after nearly getting run over by a city bus, on a freeway over pass. I was riding a bicycle then.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

 

[seabeagle]

Don't do stuff like this.




Or this.

 

[Da Nag]

But don't take my word for it.

OK.

From the hospitalized group interesting associations emerged of naso-ethmoidal fracturing with spectacle wearing and maxillary fracturing with denture wearing. Hospitalized motorcyclists who had worn open-face helmets, or full-face helmets with flexible face-bars, had sustained facial fracturing but minimal brain injury. In contrast, motorcyclists killed from anterior craniofacial impact whilst wearing full-face helmets with rigid face-bars had sustained fatal skull base fracturing in the absence of significant facial trauma"

The above quote is from a "study" by Rodney Cooter, and it has been thoroughly discredited.

Problems with the study/author:

1. It uses a statistically insignificant sample size. Cooter's conclusions are based on autopsies of 11 motorcycle fatalities.

2. Cooter's conclusion, was not that riders should wear open face helmets. Rather, he suggests the real solution is to design full face helmets, with impact absorption qualities in the chin bar. And guess what...he just happens to hold a patent on such a design, that would have benefitted him handsomely if regulatory agencies required such a thing.

3. The study and the helmets involved in Cooter's observations, are now over 20 years old. Helmet safety technology of today, bears little resemblance to what was used back then...the advancements in design and materials technology alone, make Cooter's "study" meaningless.

4. Even back them, nobody at the conference where Cooter's findings were presented agreed with them. His findings were met with ridicule by others with vastly more experience in helmet design and injury studies - in particular, Hugh Hurt, author of the famous Hurt Report which looked at over 900 motorcycle accidents. In rebuffing Cooter's report, Hurt stated he had never seen a fatal motorcycle accident - before or after Cooter's study - where a rider wearing a full face helmet would have survived if wearing an open face.

So, feel free to believe a 20+ year old study, that has been thoroughly debunked. I'll pass...

I don't wear full face rigid helmet's. this is why the hinged full face helmets where developed and used by most police forces.

No...this was done for communications purposes. Cops can't easily talk on radios or converse with the public, with a full face helmet on. Such convenience factors are the primary reason for consumer demand as well - not safety.

That being said, I'm not knocking convertible helmets - there's far less disagreement on their efficacy compared to full face as there is with open face designs. Schuberth in particular, has gone to great lengths to make the hinged design safe and convenient. I actually tried on a few, but couldn't find any that fit my head well.

My disagreements above, are strictly related to open face helmets - which is what the study you referenced was referring to.

 

[Aurelia]

Hinged design on my head for both ease of use and face protection. I have also seen the conflicting data and have crashed and benefited from the face coverage to the delight of my wife.

Open face beats nothing but is not the smart choice from my 20+ years of reading the riding. I started young.

 

[starcrafttom]

to each his own but I wont wear one. wish I could not have to wear one at all. as I said this is one of seveal studies and after talking to a neosurgean I was stationed with and rode with I beleive that it. Also remember that no helment made is designed to withstand a impact of more then 20mph unless DOT reg's have changed since I rode last, which they might have.

 

[seabeagle]

Questions.

1 What color is the bike?

2 Have you ever rode before?

3 As a passenger?

Lots to say on the subjects here. First up, hats off to a new adventure in life. I've been riding since about age 11 and don't regret ever learning to ride. I've loosely known a few people who were taken out on bikes and many more that have a lot of bumps and scrapes, myself included. I've met people who have fallen and gave up riding but more who said they learned how not to do that again. Odds are that if you've never rode before, you'll be kicking yourself for not starting sooner. When I met my wife, I took her for a short ride in January in Michigan. She was hooked as a passenger and now I don't dare take the bike out without her.

As far as helmets go, my wife and I prefer full face. I've had 3/4 face with shields most of my years and rode in Ohio with no helmet as well. I currently use a motocross helmet with amber goggles. I personally feel safer with it. I believe a comfortable rider is a more confident rider and is a little less tense on the road. We choose clothes that are primarily best fit for the weather. We have boots and balistic jackets for longer rides and freeway trips. But, I wear flip flops, shorts, and a t-shirt much of the time around town. Wear what you and your wife feel safe in because sadly bikes will always loose regardless of helmet or lack there of. Defensive driving is a must. Assume every vehicle on the road can't see you.

One of my first mods to my bike was a set of lowering links. I'm about 5'10" 140 lbs and had fallen over from a dead stop because the bike stood too tall and is a little top heavy. After the lowering (approx 2 "), the handling characteristics improved greatly. Then came the K&N stage 2 jet kt with a Supertrapp exhaust, crash bars, bags, improved lighting and horn, passenger backrest, and much more.

Unfortunately, since I got the Sea Beagle II, I only ride about 150 miles a year. Maybe I need a bike rack on my boat. Anyway, there's so much more to say than I can type. PM me if you want my number and I'll tell you more.

 

[RCurry]

Ain't gonna say anything bad about the folks who don't wear helmets 'cause it's their body. Me - I've seen my fair share of busted heads - so I wear a helmet with headset and intercomm so I can talk with The Captain and/or other bikes in any group I might be running with.

Gloves, you got to wear them all year round. What's the first thing you put down when you "go over"? - your hands. Shorts and T-shirts look "cool" in the summer but rocks and debris thrown by the vehicle in front of you doesn't ever feel good. And, if you don't want to wear helmet just remember that goggles or shatter-proof sunglasses will protect those valuable eyes from rocks, skitters and bird deposits.

And you got to keep your eyes AND EARS open to what's going on in front of you, behind you, beside you and just all around you.

I drive a Honda Shadow 750 Aero with a MotorTrike conversion. Put over 14K miles on it last year with The Captain behind me for about half of the miles. And, I always keep in mind the saying painted on the front of the little trailer I tow behind on overnighters. It simply reads "Never ride faster than your Angel can fly."

Keep 'er safe and between the ditches.

Cal-The Deckhand

 

[Valkyrie]

seabeagle,

My bike is lime green. I haven't really ridden before, although I puttered around about forty years ago on my cousin's Honda 350 Scrambler for a few hours. I've been a passenger a few times, but that was years ago, so I'm really a newbee.

The KLR 650 seems like a good fit for me physically. I'm 6'3", 200 pounds with both inseam and sleeve length of 36". (no monkey comments needed!) When I sit on a 250 it's uncomfortable and I make it look like a mini bike.

Thanks for the tips on clothing, etc. I've picked up a lot since posting this yesterday and poured through the books I bought Sunday and just read the Ohio Motorcycle Operator Manual that I picked up today in prep for getting my temp license. Also, a very good friend of mine has been riding for nearly 40 years and really knows his stuff. He mostly rides on-road now, but was an off-road world champ for two years and rode for Husky. Gary has been a great help in the last few weeks.

I'll send a PM and look forward to talking with you. BTW: Valkyrie is docked in East Harbor in the western basin, which is about 13 miles from the Put-in-Bay harbor entrance. Maybe we can get acquainted sometime. Oh yeah, I've been in your album and seen your bike sub-album. Very nice.

Thanks for your comments.

Regards,

Nick
"Valkyrie"

 

[starcrafttom]

I think that all the advice on taking classes is well given. I could not afford nor find any riding class beyond the basic safety class when I started riding. I rode as my only means of transport for three years and learned alot real fast. I wish that I could have had more formal training on a track. I will say the best riders I ever rode with started on the dirt not the road. I started on the rode and still have not spent much time on the dirt. When I get back to a bike, its been 8 years, I plan to take several classes including a race class. I have no plan to race but believe that I can learn a lot from that type of riding that will make me a better rider on the street.

I fully agree you must ride like they are all out to get you. because they are. I have had cars switch lanes while I was riding right at the drivers door. I stopped driving next to cars. I will place my self behind or in front of a car but not next to one. The closest call I ever had was a left hand turner in front of me. He was on a bike. that's right the guy on the bike did not see the guy on a bike. They are ALL out to get you.

As for cloths. leather will not save your life but it will save your skin. jeans will grab the road and not slide but cause you to roll and suffer more damage. Its hot and sweaty but it you have ever had to change the gauze on road rash or a burn victim you won't mind much. I have had to do both, thank god it was not me.

 

[DaveS]

Back in the 70's, I rode my Super Glide Harley Chopper all over California and while cruising the beach cities on hot sunny days near what was then my home town of Redondo Beach, I always wore boots, leather pants and a tank top but no helmet. However, on cooler days and nights the leather coat and gloves came on. While riding on the open road it was always full leathers and a helmet. During rides in the hot desert around Indio, Palm Springs etc, folks would say "don't those leathers get hot", to which I'd say, "Yep, but it will get a lot hotter sliding on my a _ _. on the hot asphalt without them". Yes, I was one of those guys that used to "split" between the cars on the California freeways, but never crashed doing it. Like someone else mentioned "watch the front tires of cars" to see what they are doing. The safest way to "split" between the cars was to try to follow Officers Frank Poncherello and Jon Baker when they were riding their CHP Motorcycles, because cars would really give them a lot of room when they were "splitting" between the lanes.
Just one note on riding attire.....I cringe when I see folks riding with minimal body protection clothing, especially flip flops and shorts....but that is from what I've seen in my years as a paramedic/firefighter. As Tom noted above, in somewhat similar words, road rash and tiny bits of asphalt and gravel ground into the bare parts of the body are painful enough just to look at.
Like most all of the other comments made on this thread....Ride As If No One Sees You....because most everyone else doesn't see you!

 

[Will-C]

They used to say ten dollar head ten dollar helmet. Some have said full face helmets contributed to broken necks. But those folks probably would have died anyway. As for the human sized hamster ball comments and the common digs about the baby boomers sometimes made on this site, it's kind of funny when I see you looking for advice.
D.D.

 

[Capt Harpoon]

Harvey said:
3. Never, ever, ever, turn left. Never get into that left turn lane, It is a kill zone. Make 3 rights instead. You will live much longer.

This is great advice, my scariest moment ever was starting to lean into a left turn (with blinker on) on a quiet residential street in Old Towne Alexandria (VA) when a car passed me from behind on the left within inches.

About the same time (~35 years ago) I did a summer internship with the Motorcycle Safety Foundation. Will never forget the day the boss let me use his Kawasaki Z1 (900) to make the lunch run!