C
CypressTrout
Guest
Haven't ridden anything since I rode 3-wheelers in high school, but I pulled the trigger on a new motorcycle today. I'm about to go pick it up & try not to kill myself on the ride home....
V
vanzetti
Guest
Here's the best advice I ever got while riding:
Pretend you are invisible and that everything is your fault.
It made me think ahead on how I was going to avoid that truck WHEN he pulled into my lane, not IF....
It saved my neck more than once...
Have fun.
ps- what bike did you get?
Pretend you are invisible and that everything is your fault.
It made me think ahead on how I was going to avoid that truck WHEN he pulled into my lane, not IF....
It saved my neck more than once...
Have fun.
ps- what bike did you get?
buckaroo
Here kitty, kitty, kitty
Good advice Vanzetti. All the years that I drove a bike, I never had an accident, but it wasn't because I didn't try. More than anything, I was lucky, but I did for the most part, drive defensively...for the most part I said.
More than anything, I was lucky, but I did for the most part, drive defensively...for the most part I said.
Whizzer
Gig'em
Haven't ridden anything since I rode 3-wheelers in high school, but I pulled the trigger on a new motorcycle today. I'm about to go pick it up & try not to kill myself on the ride home....
Congratulations. What make and model bike did you get???
Will sort out later why I would give a shorthorn any suggestions on motorcycles but here goes anyway.
Vanzetti said it one hundred percent. It is hard to add to that excellent advice but permit the old man to elaborate. Always wear long pants, good shoes (no flip-flops or sandals) never ever ride without a helmet and jacket of some sort.
Stop rolling your eyes. I know, it gets hot in Texas but trust me, I've owned a motorcycle from the time I was seventeen until I was nearly sixty, spilled twice and was thankful I had both. Still got a severe case of road rash but know it would have been a helluva lot worse without a jacket and the helmet.
Many motorcycles accidents happen to new riders with new bikes. Once the police arrive and check the body, they look on the odometer and find there are less than 700 miles. It seems to be the magic number. Seems at this point, new motorcycle riders think they know how to handle a bike.
The last but also one of the most important, never, ever, drink and ride. Not even one beer. It just ain't worth it. Alcohol, as we all know, reduces the willpower and makes us feel invincible. Among other things.
Take a motorcycle safety and riding course. You can gather more necessary information in one day taking a course than you can in six years of on road experience.
http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/msb/
There are locations at Victoria.
Motorcycles can be a lot of fun. My wife and I traveled all up and down the east coast on our bikes. Rode in all kinds of weather and had a wonderful time. If I were not afraid of injury at this age, it would be my favorite mode of transportation.
Not trying to preach but impress upon you how dangerous a motorcycle can be to the novice. Don't you just hate people like me ???
GOOD LUCK and HAPPY BIKING !!!!!
V
vanzetti
Guest
Respect those who know... all good advice.I'll never forget my motorcycle road test, me and two others, a 19-ish kid with a crotch rocket Ninja or the like (he was clearly a brand new rider) and a 60+ fellow on a Goldwing...
The first test was a cone slalom which the young guy volunteered to go first and only made the first cone! He came back grumbling that it was "impossible" to make those turns... I"m glad I had my helmet on when the old-guy on the Goldwing went next and easily "out-turned" the sport bike. (there and back!)
Thankfully only two of us got our M-class rating that day!
Cypress, if you want to practice what I'm referring to, find an empty parking lot and just imagine a cone on the end of each of the painted lines for each parking space.
I rode one back in the late 70s --- it was my only transport to work and back. Kids thought it was cool that I was the owner of the bike in the teachers' parking lot.
I loved riding it. Didn't matter what the weather was -- I loved being on the bike.
Sold it because I found myself treating it as if I were in a car. I wasn't paying attention to what I was doing. Couldn't remember stopping for red lights or stop signs --- although I knew I did.
When you don't have that little bit of fear in you, you will get hurt.
I loved riding it. Didn't matter what the weather was -- I loved being on the bike.
Sold it because I found myself treating it as if I were in a car. I wasn't paying attention to what I was doing. Couldn't remember stopping for red lights or stop signs --- although I knew I did.
When you don't have that little bit of fear in you, you will get hurt.
Whizzer
Gig'em
Oh how true !!!!
buckaroo
Here kitty, kitty, kitty
Vanzetti, I forgot about the cone deal. I remember preparing to take the test for my motocycle rating. This was one of the things that had to be done. Took me a full day to learn how to accomplish this feat.
On a side note, a couple of weeks ago at the local track, they featured a local group of pro specialized bikers. Included were father and son and a couple of other cyclists. They all had the crotch rockets and did all sorts of tricks. One thing that I'm certain is that many of the young kids there thought these tricks were easy, but from experience, I know that all of the tricks took lots of practice and many falls. But what they did was pure magic in my eyes. They put on a great show.
On a side note, a couple of weeks ago at the local track, they featured a local group of pro specialized bikers. Included were father and son and a couple of other cyclists. They all had the crotch rockets and did all sorts of tricks. One thing that I'm certain is that many of the young kids there thought these tricks were easy, but from experience, I know that all of the tricks took lots of practice and many falls. But what they did was pure magic in my eyes. They put on a great show.
C
CypressTrout
Guest
Thanks for all of the advice...first off, I did make it home--it was only a 5 mile ride. I drive 150 miles roundtrip everyday to work & nearly half of my measley State of Texas check gets sucked up by diesel fuel(if I can't get WVO). I'm already enrolled in the safety course here in town later this month & likely won't make the long trek to work until after that time. Again, thanks for the advice--I don't ever want to lay it down--I'm not a hotdogger anymore, except on the skateboard. Oh yeah.. I bought a Kawasaki Versys 650...don't have my camera to take a pic, here's a link....
http://http://www.motorcycledaily.com/11october07_kawasaki2008versys.htm
http://http://www.motorcycledaily.com/11october07_kawasaki2008versys.htm
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vanzetti
Guest
That's a great bike, reminds me of one of my fav's the Honda 750 Nighthawk. Love the 'standard bikes'.
Enjoy that good gas mileage, be careful, and most importantly, have fun!
Enjoy that good gas mileage, be careful, and most importantly, have fun!
Nothing like a nice leisurely ride through a scenic canyon on the weekends to clear your mind from the hassle of the weekly work grind.
I have a favorite loop that I like to take every now and then; it involves a cruise thru a canyon that runs through Los Padres National Forest. There are huge pine trees lining the canyon. I stop at a few places along the way, one of which is Camp Scheideck, an old hunting spot with cabins from the early 1900's. It's located in Lockwood Valley. The whole loop from my house and back is about 225 miles. I feel very refreshed when I finally get back to my house.
Enjoy your bike, ride alert and ride safe. Pretend like everyone out there is out to get you.
I have a favorite loop that I like to take every now and then; it involves a cruise thru a canyon that runs through Los Padres National Forest. There are huge pine trees lining the canyon. I stop at a few places along the way, one of which is Camp Scheideck, an old hunting spot with cabins from the early 1900's. It's located in Lockwood Valley. The whole loop from my house and back is about 225 miles. I feel very refreshed when I finally get back to my house.
Enjoy your bike, ride alert and ride safe. Pretend like everyone out there is out to get you.
W
WNY24Fan
Guest
Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhshhhhhh!! Don't tell my husband!! I thought him getting a sportier car than he had been driving would have satisfied some of his "need for something fun," but I still catch him looking at bikes online. LOL He had a little Honda when we got married, but he and his friends lost a lot of interest when some drunk woman wiped out one of their friends and left him for dead one night. He survived minus a leg. He did have it on the road for a bit before the kids came, but after seeing one twisted up like a pretzel and having a kid coming, I made my case to keep it off the road for a long time. I think he'd like one of those small Harleys... I think I'll talk to him about that sailboat he's always wanted.
Personally, I don't know how anyone can stand riding one of those crotch rocket bikes for any length of time. My daughter came across a young guy totally wiped out on one of those and had to call 911 and stay w/him until help showed up. He was on an overpass and was leaning over and starting to thrash around as he was coming to. I was proud of my kid... she was only 20 at the time and while it shook her up, she did the right thing. One of his friends finally came back looking for him on his own bike once he realized he wasn't following and it turned out he had just gotten the bike the day before.
I've always loved riding on one, but I'd prefer to be out in the country than sharing space w/the crazy drivers in traffic.
Have fun, but stay safe. Sounds like you're on the right track.
He did have it on the road for a bit before the kids came, but after seeing one twisted up like a pretzel and having a kid coming, I made my case to keep it off the road for a long time. I think he'd like one of those small Harleys... I think I'll talk to him about that sailboat he's always wanted. Personally, I don't know how anyone can stand riding one of those crotch rocket bikes for any length of time. My daughter came across a young guy totally wiped out on one of those and had to call 911 and stay w/him until help showed up. He was on an overpass and was leaning over and starting to thrash around as he was coming to. I was proud of my kid... she was only 20 at the time and while it shook her up, she did the right thing. One of his friends finally came back looking for him on his own bike once he realized he wasn't following and it turned out he had just gotten the bike the day before.
I've always loved riding on one, but I'd prefer to be out in the country than sharing space w/the crazy drivers in traffic.
Have fun, but stay safe. Sounds like you're on the right track.
can always whip out the welder and made a trike I seen 1 at a bike show with a 350 chevy.
I seen 1 at a bike show with a 350 chevy.