Welcome, my feelings on the other types of threads are well known. Thanks for posting something intelligent and good for the over-all community.

 

Great Post Friends ! .. I am a new rider and this is exactly what I've been looking for. The more repliesthe merrier!! .. I bought my '07 600rr on 8/13/07 and have been riding it nonstop to break it in and get use to it. I bought this bike with the intention to ride it around a small town and respect the power they have.Inorder for me to do this right i will need to know as much about safety as possible.

 

Crash, you are very welcome here. I've got some more information that you may find useful.

Riding with others: I rode with some friends today. Lets just say they were riding much differently than I was comfortable with. They were riding like jackasses. Very fast and very aggressive. Basically, I made them wait at every stop sign or intersection for me to catch up. Guess what! I wasn't the loser. Both of them scared themselves bad at different points of the ride. First, my buddy was on an 07 RR when he didn't downshift enough and locked the rear tire while entering a corner under braking. He was lucky because there was a run off that he made the decision to use instead of laying it down. My other buddy decided that the Polish road repair (aka tar and gravel a road) here in Michigan was OK to run on at high speeds even when it started raining. Needless to say, the loose gravel caught him and he scared himself by nearly loosing it. I had no such scares because I took my time and rode within MY limits. I had a great time on the twisties and didn't go home kicking myself for messing up. I knew some of the road we used and road them moderately but took my time and was very careful on those I didn't know. Guess what?! My bike is still beautiful and ready to ride another day.

 

I'm a new rider (got my baby in may) but I have a few things I've come across that have saved me a few times, some I've read/been told and some I just came across myself.

1. I always slow down at intersections, even if I have a green light and constantly scan both ways. Especially watch out for people waiting to turn left. They pull out in front of me all the time.

2. Never ride next to another vehicle. EVER.

3. I always keep my fingers on the front brake especially in town.

4. Dont follow too close to the vehicle in front. I leave at least a 5sec gap, more at higher speeds so I have plenty of time to aviod holes\roadkill\garden tools etc.

5. Watch out for road markings when the road is wet. They are slippery as f#$k

6. Ride as much as possible, the more practice you get the better. I ride everywhere

I'm sure theres a bunch more but like I said, I'm new too and still learning.

 

Thanks for the help sixhundredrr ... I actually went for a ride today with a person much more skilled than I. He is riding ahead of me through turns and straight lines so I can watch him and his techinue(sp)... If he feels like pulling away he does and I will just take the turns at which speed I feel comfortable with on the new tires and catch up to him in time. When we stop for lunch and breaks he helps critique my riding style. I will be watching this post closely to learn more!

 

Just have him wait up for you at intersections. Riding well takes time and you must keep your comfort level a top priority. It's good to communicate before riding where you are going. I've found that making sure your head is turned in the direction you are heading makes curves much easier. Even though I have the technique down, I don't push myself or the bike beyond what I feel comfortable with. I feel comfortable with the bike making it home w/o any damage. Thus, I take my time and enjoy/appreciate roads at my own pace. Crash, have you taken your MSF yet? Mine was great! I learned so much about technique from very experienced people who were there to help. I highly recommend it.

 

Kind of general knowledge but since i didnt see it i will say it. New tires are slippery and can take 30-50 miles to scrub in good depending on your riding style. If ya get a new bike the new tires on it will be slick for a while, go easy. Tires also take time to warm up a bit, dont scream out of your driveway on a cold morning, or you could be in for a surprise.Just to say it again, wife beats and flipflops are not good riding gear. I know its hot out, but if you think your warm in your jacket, wait till you feel how warm your skin gets sliding down the pavement.

 

This thread was a good Idea. I am 49 and have been riding forever. I am sitting here rehabing a broken leg from a low side in W.V. 7wks. ago. I was in full gear and except for the leg I did not get a scratch. The bike was totaled. The break was a tib/fib just over the left ankle. I was wearing quality riding boots that I am sure kept it from being compound. The ambulance guys left the boot on until the hosp. The fit of the boot kept the leg stable and kept the swelling down. The leg is doing great, I have a 954 sitting here getting up graded suspension and in about another 4wks. I will be back on the road. With out the proper gear I would have been a WHOLE lot worse off. DON'T go cheap on the boots and wear gloves. I have been on and off bikes over the years both on the street and racing dirt. Skin comes off way to easy it's just smart to take the advise of others instead of letting your own hindsite be so very clear.

 

+1 Had a buddy leave for work in the morning (a 'showboater' kind of friend, if you know what I mean), cold tires with high miles. Made it a block before he went for a left handed turn WAY too hot for his tires, lost it, totaled his bike, slid across dirt/sidewalk/more dirt, hit some bushes then a wall. He got up and pushed his bike home, but he was seriously sore. He wore his gear, so that saved him some hurt.

My 2 cents would be, watch where you are in respect to other cars! It's super easy for us to hide in a cagers blind spot, I'm always watching for it and accel/decelerating to compensate. Don't EVER expect a cager to see you... because they won't. You might think they looked RIGHT at you, but subconciously, your motorcycle doesn't register as a "threat" in their minds, so they may totally dismiss your presence and not mean too. We've got agility on our side, always be ready to use it!

 

Sixhundredrr, I have the MSF schedule for this upcoming weekend and I'm looking forward to it ! Quick nubee question for anyone out there ... how do I attach mysecond helmet to the backseat where it sits flat on the seat and not off the side of the bike when i'm riding ? Thanks