Putting the foot down made me laugh. My buddy bought the Honda enduro and did the same thing, it kicked his foot back hard. It only took once to figure that out.

 

No I had the MSF course and rode my dads cruiser off and on and talked to a ton of guys before this thing fell in my lap. Street bikes are a ton differant than the ol dirtbikes, but so they are fun as ****. I've got myself into a good experianced group here and they are giving me some good directions towards safer/better riding. Also I'm, on an Air Force base, so I would say that my learning is being done in a more controlled environment as far as traffic and speeds that I have to deal with.

I also read about all the other guys that got big bikes and tried my best to learn fromtheir mistakes and the direction this forum gave to each rider. All in all it's been a great ride so far. I obviously wont be doing any hard street riding until I get to the track to get the feel for it in the turns. I've also managed to get my hands on a copy of Twist of the Wrist volumes 1 & 2. Somone said that was a good book to read and so far is pretty informative.

wildcard

 

there are 2 types of riders....those who have gone down, and those who will go down. when you gear up you're preparing for the crash. thats what i've been told. so gear=good. lol

 

Well said, always dress for the crash, never for the ride. On a related notethink of your helmet like a condomonce you use it for its intended purpose, throw it away and get another.

 

I got a good laugh when my dad bought his first Harley last year after riding dirt bikes like 20 years ago, and he put his foot down on a turn. I got to see it all cause I was riding in my car behind him from the dealership. He learned real quick not to do that again...ESPECIALLY on a Harley with a 1250.

 

Yeah yeah...putting your foot down is real funny to the streetbike guys and a way of life for the dirt rider. And yes...it only takes once. lol. My MSF instructor told me that he knew I rde dirt by the the way I use my feet and my finger on the clutch. Got some bad habbits to get rid of I guess! Thanks for the concern all. Hope to be writing about this bike again in two more months!

wildcard

 

So, I'm not going to be the guy that took a big bike for a ride and made it out alive right? I'm 28 in the military with a wife and kid...so I don't know if that makes me any differant than the other, "stereotypical" guy. I wanted it for the transportation, and fell in love with the ride! And the 954 is a beast...as soon as I ride another bike I il tell you about it. My dad's intruder 1800 has a lot of catching up to do!

Any how trying to be smart and enjoy the bike is a pain in the ***. You guys have been there...what now? Track? Hell I can't even wheelie, and the front is light with the mods!

wildcard

 

What now?? Keep riding, learning, and being safe. You are gonna have a much slower learning curve on that bike Wild. That in no way at all is a cut at you either, its just a lot of bike to learn to handle, and there isnt anything you can do about it. My advice is keep doing as stated above, then in a couple more months or so, determine what you want to do on the bike. Drag race, track, stunt, canyon carving, etc. From there you can then get some cones, or find a parking lot etc and start practicing more refined skills to help you meet your goals. But before you can do any of that you have to become a lot more familiar with your bike and what it can do. The only way to get that is seat time my friend, so just keep riding away

 

I still havent got my 600 to its full potential....but with each year you test your skills even more...I originally got my bike and was going to stunt, but have leaned away from that, I can do a wheelie and thats about it...and even though they are fun I rarely even do them, actually havent done one this year...I remember when I first got my bike it had way more power than any bike I have rode (intruder 800, and a cb750 which was my buddies, and then a few dirtbikes nothing bigger then a 125) I love the 954's but I think I will stay with the 600's for a few more years...

 

When we jump on somebody talking about a liter bike or above for their first bike, it's usually because the rider who wants it is a moron to begin with. You won't get the "lucky" line from us because you seem like a responsible rider with a good head on your shoulders.