New rider: Basic what "NOT" to do? (s)
#81
01-26-2014, 02:25 PM
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A bump, with an upcoming new season many new riders like me can use all the tips we can get.
Here is one nobody has said that a common sense guy like me feels needs to be here:
DO NOT take on a passenger as a new rider. You are responsible for their life, future, health, everything about their lives may change with one mistake from you. Be very sure your skill and shoulders can carry that weight. That sexy girl dying to give you a ride if you give her one is tempting, and that girlfriend who doesn't want to wait at home is nagging, but use your head.
Here is one nobody has said that a common sense guy like me feels needs to be here:
DO NOT take on a passenger as a new rider. You are responsible for their life, future, health, everything about their lives may change with one mistake from you. Be very sure your skill and shoulders can carry that weight. That sexy girl dying to give you a ride if you give her one is tempting, and that girlfriend who doesn't want to wait at home is nagging, but use your head.
#83
07-30-2019, 10:16 PM
Don't try to work on more than one riding technique at a time. Pick something specific to work on, work on that ONE thing and then move on to something else.
Don't wait too long to get some good quality rider training from a reputable riding school. Bad habits develop quickly and can be very hard to undue so get there sooner rather than later
Don't get too caught up listening to all the things you should or shouldn't do without really understanding the WHY and the HOW of the techniques in question. It's easy to say don't ride "crossed up" or don't lean the bike over too far but it's hard to do fix you understand WHY riding crossed up or leaning the bike over too far can be dangerous, and HOW you can solve the problem
Don't wait too long to get some good quality rider training from a reputable riding school. Bad habits develop quickly and can be very hard to undue so get there sooner rather than later
Don't get too caught up listening to all the things you should or shouldn't do without really understanding the WHY and the HOW of the techniques in question. It's easy to say don't ride "crossed up" or don't lean the bike over too far but it's hard to do fix you understand WHY riding crossed up or leaning the bike over too far can be dangerous, and HOW you can solve the problem
great information.
Especially from who is telling you this. She knows her stuff.
#84
08-04-2019, 12:51 PM
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. And something else, don't get caught up trying to deck out your bike will all new suspension, brakes, pipe, fancy bits and race tires before putting that money towards improving yourself as a rider. I see WAAAAAAAY to many riders with super blingy and very expensive bikes and zero ability to ride it. Don't be that guy. Ride your bike stock until you can ride the snot out of it....well...and then invest in better quality parts once you actually know how to use and appreciate them.
#85
08-05-2019, 09:51 PM
agreed! My first bike was a KTM RC390. An '18 so it had the latest stuff and pretty damn sorted out right out of the box. I got picked on all the damn time. However, I was almost always able to keep up in tight twisties and pulling out of slower corners. and because it was sub 400cc, I could ride all year and not just give ICBC my money for nothing. I did a rear suspension upgrade (Yamaha R6 fully adjustable shock, cheap and easy to do), dropped about 25lbs, and did levers and grips, and tank grip tape. Then I put 3800km between Dec and March, and no trips over 50km. mostly around town. Just learning to toss it around.
I knew that learning to ride on a lighter bike with less power would make me a better rider as power can easily cover up poor riding skills. This is a universal thing. A car with mediocre suspension will still sell if its got a hooligan of an engine, whereas to bring big smiles all the time with a low powered car, it needs to handle and brake and be "right" all the time.
And yea, even on my new bike I will probably never touch the suspension as its friggin wicked out of the box. So nice. Brakes are very good too, and even the stock tires are just fine. At my level, I am the low performance part.
Now, that said, I did delete the cat, but not because I need more power, but because it was sitting beside my right heel, acting like a small nuclear reactor. So hot that I had to take my foot off the peg time to time.
I knew that learning to ride on a lighter bike with less power would make me a better rider as power can easily cover up poor riding skills. This is a universal thing. A car with mediocre suspension will still sell if its got a hooligan of an engine, whereas to bring big smiles all the time with a low powered car, it needs to handle and brake and be "right" all the time.
And yea, even on my new bike I will probably never touch the suspension as its friggin wicked out of the box. So nice. Brakes are very good too, and even the stock tires are just fine. At my level, I am the low performance part.
Now, that said, I did delete the cat, but not because I need more power, but because it was sitting beside my right heel, acting like a small nuclear reactor. So hot that I had to take my foot off the peg time to time.
#86
11-04-2019, 11:35 AM
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agreed! My first bike was a KTM RC390. An '18 so it had the latest stuff and pretty damn sorted out right out of the box. I got picked on all the damn time. However, I was almost always able to keep up in tight twisties and pulling out of slower corners. and because it was sub 400cc, I could ride all year and not just give ICBC my money for nothing. I did a rear suspension upgrade (Yamaha R6 fully adjustable shock, cheap and easy to do), dropped about 25lbs, and did levers and grips, and tank grip tape. Then I put 3800km between Dec and March, and no trips over 50km. mostly around town. Just learning to toss it around.
I knew that learning to ride on a lighter bike with less power would make me a better rider as power can easily cover up poor riding skills. This is a universal thing. A car with mediocre suspension will still sell if its got a hooligan of an engine, whereas to bring big smiles all the time with a low powered car, it needs to handle and brake and be "right" all the time.
And yea, even on my new bike I will probably never touch the suspension as its friggin wicked out of the box. So nice. Brakes are very good too, and even the stock tires are just fine. At my level, I am the low performance part.
Now, that said, I did delete the cat, but not because I need more power, but because it was sitting beside my right heel, acting like a small nuclear reactor. So hot that I had to take my foot off the peg time to time.
I knew that learning to ride on a lighter bike with less power would make me a better rider as power can easily cover up poor riding skills. This is a universal thing. A car with mediocre suspension will still sell if its got a hooligan of an engine, whereas to bring big smiles all the time with a low powered car, it needs to handle and brake and be "right" all the time.
And yea, even on my new bike I will probably never touch the suspension as its friggin wicked out of the box. So nice. Brakes are very good too, and even the stock tires are just fine. At my level, I am the low performance part.
Now, that said, I did delete the cat, but not because I need more power, but because it was sitting beside my right heel, acting like a small nuclear reactor. So hot that I had to take my foot off the peg time to time.
woohooo!
#87
11-11-2019, 12:14 PM
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If you lock up the rear. If*
Not "this is something that happens normally."
This thread is aimed towards riders with little experience, or none at all. I'm not assuming they know how to brake properly.
Staying on the brake until the bike is stopped if you *accidentally* lock the rear is in my state's motorcycle handbook and is taught in our MSF courses. No, you're not supposed to do it, but it can happen if you don't have enough seat time and you slam on both brakes during an emergency braking situation. I know firsthand, so I figured I'd share that nugget of information.
This is how it works. If the rear tire loses traction and slides, it can slide out of alignment with the front tire even if you're going straight. Since the rear follows the front, when the rear tire regains traction suddenly it will snap back into alignment with the front tire, and you can be thrown from the bike. aka 'high side' Which is why if you *do* for whatever reason lock up the rear with the brake, it is advisable to stay on the brake and keep it locked up until you come to a complete stop.
If you don't believe me, feel free to google it.
Not "this is something that happens normally."
This thread is aimed towards riders with little experience, or none at all. I'm not assuming they know how to brake properly.
Staying on the brake until the bike is stopped if you *accidentally* lock the rear is in my state's motorcycle handbook and is taught in our MSF courses. No, you're not supposed to do it, but it can happen if you don't have enough seat time and you slam on both brakes during an emergency braking situation. I know firsthand, so I figured I'd share that nugget of information.
This is how it works. If the rear tire loses traction and slides, it can slide out of alignment with the front tire even if you're going straight. Since the rear follows the front, when the rear tire regains traction suddenly it will snap back into alignment with the front tire, and you can be thrown from the bike. aka 'high side' Which is why if you *do* for whatever reason lock up the rear with the brake, it is advisable to stay on the brake and keep it locked up until you come to a complete stop.
If you don't believe me, feel free to google it.
We have a super unique braking rig that we have at the California Superbike School that we use to train riders how to emergency brake and what it feels like to lock up the front tire.
How might you be able to continue to come to an emergency stop but without maintaining a locked front or rear tire?
#88
03-18-2020, 01:10 PM
#89
05-18-2023, 08:25 AM
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