The MSF course you took is known as the BRC (Beginner's Riders Course). Whomever you took it with likely also offers the ERC (Experienced Riders Course) this class starts on riding day 2 of the BRC and advances from there, and you participate in the course on your own bike. Great way to become familiar with and bond with your new scoot.

 

You will be fine. My first street bike was my fatbob and I'm quite a bit smaller than you at 5-9 185. Like everyone else says practice practice practice.

 

Hi Tim, welcome to the site (AND to motorcycling!)

Since you've already got your motorcycle, you might as well continue your training on it.

Locate an empty parking lot close to home. Get some tennis ***** and cut them in half.

Set them up as your cones, in a braking zone. Approach the braking zone in 1st gear (about 18mph,) using BOTH brakes, practice your quick stops. Left foot down. Still in 1st gear with clutch pulled in, engine idling.

Braking is a life saving skill, it's one you want to nail, every time.

Next, do the same braking, only this time be in 2nd gear (about 20mph.) Using BOTH brakes and shifting down simultaneously. Left foot down when stopped. In 1st gear with clutch pulled in, engine idling.

Do both of those exercises 8 times each, every day for 2 weeks. Don't do it 100 times in a day and think you've "got it." You'll learn quicker if you do this in short increments.

Do you recall any feedback you received from your rider coaches? This will help us suggest exercises for you in the future. Lots of good advice above this post.

Main thing is to practice, practice, practice the skills you learned during your MSF class.
Whether a rider has been riding for 20 minutes, or 50 years, we never cease to learn new things.

The more you know, the better motorcycling becomes.

There are some decent books on motorcycling, but the best way to learn is actual "seat time." Since you are in Miss., you can ride all year so a Winter time hiatus isn't necessary. I'll refrain from book suggestions.

Get out there and enjoy your ride!

 

Tim, don't let your friends live "your life" for you. Make your own decisions and you will have a much better and happier life.

 

You'll be fine with the power. Being new just be careful of the weight. New riders seem to lose balance at low speed from simple mistakes.

 

Nah, you did not make a mistake. Not even close!

Enjoy!

 

I learned to ride on a Harley, you'll be fine.

You've taken the MSF, that's the big thing. It's worth it's weight in gold.


I started in a parking lot, did figure 8s. Learned how to move when going slow (below 18mph). I started with only using the clutch to move, no gas. This helped me to see where the friction zone was and how it reacted. I easily spent a day doing 8s with no gas in that lot.

Then I started to add a *pinch* of gas. Learning how that reacted. Giving it a little more and adding a little more brake to my figure 8s.

Eventually I felt comfortable doing all I could in that parking lot. So I took it down some residential roads. This I think its the "big" step, because now you're dealing with other people. Not a lot on residential roads, but it doesn't take much to get you flustered when you're still learning the basics. You're adding keeping an eye on them as well as what you're doing since it's not muscle memory yet.

After about a day of that I just felt ready to ride it, and took it out onto busy streets and that was the exact moment I really fell in love with riding.

What makes a Harley not as ideal to start on is the weight and the immediate torque. The 5mph riding and braking is going to be where you'll see the weight. Slamming on the brakes at 5mph if you're at a slight curve throws the weight of the bike and makes it hard to hold onto. This is where being a bigger person comes in handy because you can manhandle it and keep it from tipping. But you want to avoid having to do that, lol.

The torque makes it interesting because it will immediately pull. Non V-twin bikes don't pull so hard from a dead stop. This is why its critical you learn that friction zone with the clutch and mixing it with gas.


Couple other things to remember:

It will be more sluggish before it warms up, keep that in mind when you go to pull into traffic.

1 out 100 cars have an assassin in them looking to murder you. They usually drive a Prius. Some say ride like you're invisible, I find riding like they're going to do it on purpose works better for me. I'm less surprised when I'm expecting them to do it. Always look for the 'way out' and keep your brakes on at a light or stop till the car behind you has stopped, and stay off to the side so you're not sandwhiched if he doesn't stop. That's more of an issue when it's darker out though. Just don't trust them to see you and stop.

Other riders will wave. Taking your hand off the clutch when you're first starting to ride tends to feel uncomfortable. A noticeable nod is acceptable if you want to say Hi back without taking your hand off the clutch.

Rain changes how your tires will grip and brings out oil onto the road, don't use the gas till you've straightened out in the curve, it will keep your rear tire from breaking loose... but in all honesty I wouldn't recommend riding in the rain till you're completely comfortable with the bike and you're skill with it.

Don't ride with people that don't understand where you're at with riding. Start following someone who's riding hard before you're ready and it's a recipe for a crash as you tend to hit the gas hard to follow them but aren't ready to take a corner like that yet. Shouldn't notice that too much with Harley's though (it's a big'n with sportsbikes).

And lastly the clutch is what makes you go safely. How you handle that is critical, just letting go of it for example would launch you like a rocket. Learn that friction zone! Clutch first, gas second.

Have fun

 

I'm 6'3", 200 lbs. I rode an Electraglide way before I should have (borrowed a friends). I was able to muscle through my mistakes.

Then I bought a Vulcan 750. It was about as quick as a Harley but only 475 lbs. This is what was easier to learn on a light bike:

Gravel is a lot more slippery than it looks. Don't enter turns early. Entering late gives you time to assess oncoming traffic and gravel, potholes etc.

Road paint is amazingly slippery, when wet. Like a well oiled Teflon pan. Approach it square and slowly before turning on it. Don't rush to keep up with friends or traffic. Ride your own ride, which is good advice in general.

Railroad tracks, metal anything is also slippery when wet. Also stay out of the middle of the lane, where oil and transmission fluids end up. In well maintained rural roads might not matter, but in old, poor neighborhoods it can be really slippery.

This is a good book. https://play.google.com/store/books/...FRCvTwodK-oIXg

 

Just taking the MSF coarse has already made you more qualified than all the old men here that went out and bought a dresser as their first bike.

 

A smaller bike would be easier for the learning curve. But don't look back. Since you ask the question, I believe you are already on the right track.

You'll get used to your bike soon. Here are a few things I would recommend:

1. Don't ride in a group for a while, since group riding has a lot of distractions. Ride alone will help you to focus.

2. Practice your MSF drills. But it's on a road that you will learn the dangers coming from so many careless motorists.

3. After MSF drills, go on the road, but don't choose the crowded ones.

4. Always be humble on a motorcycle. Even if you have the right of way, don't assume that the other motorists will yield to you. Be prepared as if they won't yield.

5. Most accidents happen when cars turn left in front of you, or when they enter the road from a parking lot.

6. [many will kill me for this one] Make yourself visible, that means hi-visibility gears.

7. Make sure your bike is safe to ride (brakes, lights, oil, tire pressure ...)