Motorcyclists, step on in. Noob bike logic check question.

[Filthy McChevy]

Originally Posted by arickvan

sooo i shouldnt were my flip flops while riding? but what if im going to the beach??


I rode my 600 Transalp around town in Flipflops occasionally. It was small and light and low so pretty easy.





:sidebar: anybody have any experience with riding pants that look like regular jeans?

i got some icon ones that have all the kelvar and what not, but there a bit baggy

looking for a regular wranger or levi 501 type fit

Some Motocross/dirt riding pants are less baggy.

[A_G]

Originally Posted by Rttoys

Yep. I race a ninja 300. I’m not near as fast as the other guys on the track on a race weekend, but I have a ton of fun with it. Now, on a regular track day, it’s a ton of fun to pass a liter bike in a turn with a 300 @A_G did his best to be on the other end of the Track, a few years ago, so he wouldn’t get passed by me, like I did at cota.

I use my ducati when I go to cota though. It’s kimd of a waste for the 300 there, with all the long straights and such. Although, I did take it out a few times at cota a few years ago. It was entertaining.

You passed me at cota on the ducati never one the 300

You Tube

You Tube

[Rttoys]

Originally Posted by A_G

You passed me at cota on the ducati never one the 300

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-FmvYiZGYM

Sorry I left that part out.

Still love the color commentary on that video. we have to hit barber next year.

[gt1guy]

I'll be the oddball that says if you want to learn how to ride...........start on a dirtbike. You'll learn the two most important things, how to ride with little traction and how to crash. All without oncoming traffic.

Other advice would be to buy quality riding gear. You're dressing for the crash after all, and you don't get to pick when that happens.

The only thing that will make you more proficient/faster is skill, knowing what it feels like to go faster, a bigger, heavier, more powerful bike will slow you down, given the same skill set. When you start thinking you need a bigger bike to go faster, think of this. A national caliber pro can take a stock 500cc bike and absolutely smoke 99.9% of the population riding a 1000cc bike. That includes expert class weekend racers.

[DozerDan]

Originally Posted by gt1guy

I'll be the oddball that says if you want to learn how to ride...........start on a dirtbike. You'll learn the two most important things, how to ride with little traction and how to crash. All without oncoming traffic.

Literally came to post that - after reading him being worried about dropping it in his dip of a driveway.

Got rent some dirt bikes and play. You learn how to correct things, how it feels to have the ass end go out etc.

But if you really want a cheap beginner bike I have a SuperHawk 996 I will let go cheap...

[FlexyTJ]

Thanks for all the great replies, lots of great advice in here, still soaking it all in.

I pulled the plug on the new SV as most had advised. Something like that will make a good second bike once I log some miles. Not so scared of the bike as I was annoyed with 2.5k of dealer fluff fees on a 6.5k msrp item (with a 4.2k negotiated selling price no less) Maybe that is common with power sports items bought new?

Ironically, I found a guy a few miles away selling a 17' KTM Duke 390 with 4800mi. Nice and clean, never been dropped, I plan on keeping it that way. Shook on that and going to exchange title and funds Monday. Hopefully the 'lil Asian made KTM treats me OK while I own it.

Guess it is time to start shopping for some gear and insurance quotes

[Rttoys]

cool.

Progressive has been good to me on bikes. No questions asked, they gave me top dollar for my totaled hypermotard and reimbursed me on all my gear when I was in a wreck.

Go to https://www.revzilla.com for gear. Hit up their clearance and specials. I’m a helmet buyer. I have probably 6 helmets I wear, depending on what bike I’m riding and conditions. Buying them on clearance is the key. . Gloves, boots, jackets, pants. Easy stuff

[Rttoys]

Oh. And I forgot. Tell your auto insurance provider you took the MSF course, it should be good for a discount as a “safety course”, like defensive driving. If your state and Insurance does all that.

[xjtony]

Cool, that KTM 390 should be fun. Not stupid fast but definitely get ya up and rolling. I’m gonna keep browsing Craigslist for a R3 or 400 ninja used. So far no luck.

[BassnTruck]

If I ever get another bike it will be an FJR. Waiting to see what Yamaha does with the totally new bike that is rumored to be coming out soon.

[Black Sheep]

I have zero desire to ever race or track. Been riding for 20 years. Have my license for over 12 or so years. Use to sell bikes years ago.

My advice? Waste time riding bikes at every dealership in town. Make sure they're vastly different in design. Just because someone likes a bike, doesnt mean you will. A Sv650 is fine for a midget, but I wouldnt ride one out of the driveway. Some bikes may look cool, and be uncomfortable. Some may look like shit, and fit you like a glove.

Never such thing as too much HP. It's to get you out of trouble. Not in it.

[Joe_W]

Originally Posted by A_G

You passed me at cota on the ducati never one the 300

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-FmvYiZGYM

what was fucking sketchy on the back straight?

[FlexyTJ]

Originally Posted by Rttoys

cool.

Progressive has been good to me on bikes. No questions asked, they gave me top dollar for my totaled hypermotard and reimbursed me on all my gear when I was in a wreck.

Go to https://www.revzilla.com for gear. Hit up their clearance and specials. I’m a helmet buyer. I have probably 6 helmets I wear, depending on what bike I’m riding and conditions. Buying them on clearance is the key. . Gloves, boots, jackets, pants. Easy stuff

Thanks, I'll check it out. Definitely going for all the gear, buying assuming I'm going to carry this gear forward as I progress and not cutting corners.

Originally Posted by Rttoys

Oh. And I forgot. Tell your auto insurance provider you took the MSF course, it should be good for a discount as a “safety course”, like defensive driving. If your state and Insurance does all that.

Yep, good call. I remember them mentioning that in the course. Someone piped up and mentioned the discount for their provider amounted to $20 or something, but hey, ill take what I can get.

Originally Posted by xjtony

Cool, that KTM 390 should be fun. Not stupid fast but definitely get ya up and rolling. I’m gonna keep browsing Craigslist for a R3 or 400 ninja used. So far no luck.

It has some good reviews as being a fun corner carver- not that I'll be able to test its carving abilities for a while. I realize it's not going to win any drag races It seemed very light and flickable the couple minutes I was on it.

[DozerDan]

Originally Posted by Black Sheep

I have zero desire to ever race or track. Been riding for 20 years. Have my license for over 12 or so years. Use to sell bikes years ago.

My advice? Waste time riding bikes at every dealership in town. Make sure they're vastly different in design. Just because someone likes a bike, doesnt mean you will. A Sv650 is fine for a midget, but I wouldnt ride one out of the driveway. Some bikes may look cool, and be uncomfortable. Some may look like shit, and fit you like a glove.

Never such thing as too much HP. It's to get you out of trouble. Not in it.

First 'sport' bike I rode was my buddies SV650, It was ok, but not for me. It was naked with lowered bars, and a bunch of other stuff. For me it felt odd to ride, I could not get in a comfortable riding position. He loved it.

He rode my SH 996 and said the same thing, did not fit how he liked to ride.

All about how you want to be comfortable on a bike.

Kinda like getting in your buddies car and moving the seat, but you cant move the seat...

[Rttoys]

Originally Posted by Joe_W

what was fucking sketchy on the back straight?

I think that was our first time out at full speed. Doing 140 and coming down hard to make T-12, can catch you off guard the first few times. it’s even more fun in the rain.

Originally Posted by FlexyTJ

Thanks, I'll check it out. Definitely going for all the gear, buying assuming I'm going to carry this gear forward as I progress and not cutting corners.


.

There is tons of gear that’s affordable. Don’t get hung up on ‘the best’.

Most important:
-DOT/Snell/ECE approved helmet comes in all price ranges, find what fits your melon and go from there.

2nd
- get a good set of gloves with padding in the palm. What’s the first thing you when you fall? Even if you are walking down the street and trip over something? Yep, you put your hands out.

Jacket- padding helps
boots- you know all about those
pants- regular jeans will work, but riding jeans are better. Of course, other riding specific pant are good too.

[YJ4RoX]

I highly suggest finding a good local shop and try some gear on. It all fits VERY different. Revzilla is awesome and has great prices and service.

Laugh if ya want but I’m an ATGATT nerd. Dodging tweakers, deer and blue hairs everywhere so I gear up all the time.

Like stated above don’t get too wrapped up in brands or the best, your gear choices will evolve as your riding habits change. Think about the seating position on the Duke before you buy a jacket, they come in different lengths for different seating positions. I’ve tried a lot of brands over the years and eventually ended up with mostly Klim pieces for dirt, dual sport and road riding. All my street stuff is goretex cause it rains ALL the damn time here.

You will def want breathability in AZ. Mesh or lots of vents.

There is a ton of threads on helmets. IMO ignore price and get what fits best. And like RTtoys said dot/snell/ece. I feel the ECE standards are the the most stringent. Higher price gets better fit and finish, lighter weight etc. I’m an Arai guy but it’s because they fit my alien head the best.

Good luck with the KTM and have some fun with it. I’m super tempted to ditch my Vstrom and pick up he new 790adv.

[not2hye]

Originally Posted by Rttoys

cool.

Progressive has been good to me on bikes. No questions asked, they gave me top dollar for my totaled hypermotard and reimbursed me on all my gear when I was in a wreck.

Go to https://www.revzilla.com for gear. Hit up their clearance and specials. I’m a helmet buyer. I have probably 6 helmets I wear, depending on what bike I’m riding and conditions. Buying them on clearance is the key. . Gloves, boots, jackets, pants. Easy stuff

Hagerty was the cheapest option for me and they give you towing and some other goodies with liability only insurance. Not that I recommend liability on a bike. But it’s better than nothing.

Originally Posted by Rttoys

Oh. And I forgot. Tell your auto insurance provider you took the MSF course, it should be good for a discount as a “safety course”, like defensive driving. If your state and Insurance does all that.

Not one insurance company even asked if I had a m1 license.

Originally Posted by Rttoys

There is tons of gear that’s affordable. Don’t get hung up on ‘the best’.

Most important:
-DOT/Snell/ECE approved helmet comes in all price ranges, find what fits your melon and go from there.

2nd
- get a good set of gloves with padding in the palm. What’s the first thing you when you fall? Even if you are walking down the street and trip over something? Yep, you put your hands out.

Don’t cheap out on the helmet or gloves.

Originally Posted by YJ4RoX

I highly suggest finding a good local shop and try some gear on. It all fits VERY different. Revzilla is awesome and has great prices and service.

Laugh if ya want but I’m an ATGATT nerd. Dodging tweakers, deer and blue hairs everywhere so I gear up all the time.

Like stated above don’t get too wrapped up in brands or the best, your gear choices will evolve as your riding habits change. Think about the seating position on the Duke before you buy a jacket, they come in different lengths for different seating positions. I’ve tried a lot of brands over the years and eventually ended up with mostly Klim pieces for dirt, dual sport and road riding. All my street stuff is goretex cause it rains ALL the damn time here.

You will def want breathability in AZ. Mesh or lots of vents.

There is a ton of threads on helmets. IMO ignore price and get what fits best. And like RTtoys said dot/snell/ece. I feel the ECE standards are the the most stringent. Higher price gets better fit and finish, lighter weight etc. I’m an Arai guy but it’s because they fit my alien head the best.

This.

I spent more on my helmet than I did for the bike. I can buy another bike. But can’t get another head.
Do not cheap out on a helmet.

Edit: don’t buy anything from cyclegear if they have to order it. I waited for weeks for a helmet and some gloves and turns out they didn’t order my stuff on several different instances. Their customer service is some bottom of the barrel stuff.

[Yota Up]

Originally Posted by FlexyTJ

Nice, you guys are ramping the confidence up. Or you just want me to die, can't tell which

Nah, if we wanted you to die we'd tell you to get a fuel injected liter bike.
650 and KTM are both great.

Don't skimp on gear. Full face helmet is a must, don't be a dumbass with one of those that only covers your dome. Gloves, boots, multi-layer jacket for cold or hot mode.

Welcome to the world of motorcycles. Always assume you're invisible to drivers because there's so many idiots out there. Ride like you assume they're out to kill you. Keep it in gear at stoplights and watch your six, ready to get out of there.

[oldjeep]

Dennis Kirk is a decent place for gear too.

[A_G]

Originally Posted by Joe_W

what was fucking sketchy on the back straight?

30fps dont pick it up but when i hit the brakes my front tire locked or skidded a little bit and the bars shimmied on me..scared me

[Otto Man]

Originally Posted by Joe_W

what was fucking sketchy on the back straight?

Nothing, but at the 3:20 mark, it got a little sketchy for me, especially since I took an ambulance ride on that exact track, at the same spot, one year prior To date, the closest I've gotten to a rider without physically bumping into them. You can ping pong a little off each other if the bikes are even with each other, in that situation, my front end would have been gone with the quickness

https://youtu.be/rtJISzSztEI

[Juztyn00]

Should be a good bike, but if you're bigger framed like me , you may not like to ride sport bikes long distances, it's hard on the wrists leaning forward. As a new rider, just assume everyone is trying to kill you at all times. Be aware that cars pulling out may not see you or misjudge how fast you are going. Stay out of blind spots so you don't get run off the road when they change lanes. It's very easy to be an aggressive driver on a bike since it will out accelerate and brake the majority of the vehicles on the road, resist the urge to drive it like an asshole, you'll live longer.

[78bronco460]

Light bikes like this can be tricky with wind. Watch out for the wind blast off the front of tractor trailers at freeway speeds, it can surprise you.

[sceep]

Originally Posted by Juztyn00

It's very easy to be an aggressive driver on a bike since it will out accelerate and brake the majority of the vehicles on the road, resist the urge to drive it like an asshole, you'll live longer.

I'll disagree to a point.

Theres riding aggressively, avoiding blind spots, getting the f away from cagers, not staying stagnant in a lane, weaving to stay in peoples mirrors, travelling at a higher rate of speed than others. <---that aggressive keeps you from dying.

Then theres aggressive doing 120 in a 50 just being a douche and scaring people when they never had a chance to see you in their mirror and you just shot by like a rocket while wearing flip flops, shorts and no helmet. <----squid

[arickvan]

Originally Posted by Filthy McChevy

Some Motocross/dirt riding pants are less baggy.

i was kind of going for the "im a regular person" look

not the i just rode 300 miles, bring my helmet into the restaurant and tell everyone how badass i am... look