Hiya Logan , a bit of UK advice and experiences for you ,
I have only been riding for 6 months although i am qualified to drive LGV ( 38 Tonne Vehicles ) Semi,s i think you guys call them, i have alsoheld a car licence for 20 years i also like you rode dirt bikes in my youth.
Anyway i did the equivalent MSF course here in the UK followed by a direct access course , any formal training for a motorbike is a good investment just think of it like buying a helmet and leathers its money well spent.
I have just short of 5000 miles on my CBR600 Sport ( Rice Burner) as since i have passed i have commuted 40 miles to and from work.
There is no substitute for experience and its all about miles , any weather at any time , it will server you well.
However always be prepared for the unexpected !! example : 4:00am in the morning , foggy , drizzle and very cold , got myself dressed armoured pants , jacket , full face helmet , gauntlet armoured gloves and flouresant yellow safety vest and set of on my journey to work , approx 5 miles rural and 33miles freeway followed by another 2 miles rural roads. Got myself to the security barrier at my place of work i glanced back over my right shoulder to acknowledge the guard who would raise the barrier only to knock my bike off balance and send it crashing to the tarmac !! damage resulted in having to replace the bar end , mirror , indicator scratch to exhaust and have the fairing repainted.
The moral to my story is every day is a school day , you learn something new every day when your a biker , never get complacent and expect the unexpected.
Ride safe and stay shiny side up

-=BJ=-

 

“Logan9967”

“lol thanks guys, i doubt ill be punching birds or hitting dogs “

Don’t “doubt” it so easy : - )


“slowdown, would it change which turns are easier because im left handed, would lefts be easier in a sense and right turns really the problem area? “

Generally left hand turns are easy for both left and right handers that is one reason your front tire wears a bit harder on the left side, people have thought over the years that wear was cause by the right side middle of the road we use, that was dispelled after a study in the UK (the drive opposite side as we do,) and their left side of tires wear out like ours, and don’t forget 9 out of 10 your harley is hanging pipes off the right, believe me I have re-chrome my set twice already (they are old but nice pipes) and the third time is this year ! so to answer your question, no it would help you if your left handed IMO.

“and also do you mean like basically put all my weight on the left handle bar, and foot peg while shifting my body to the left. “

Wow, did I screw it up that bad : - ) maybe it was too much info in to few lines (no that can’t be it : )
Don’t even think about putting all your weight on the left grip (in a left turn) if you did that you most likely would do a 90 deg curve : - ) re-read it I never said put all your body weight on the grip, and shifting your body weight in that left turn will help, but not necessary in all but the “get my A$$ out of this turn” that goes for the foot peg pressure, but don’t count them out totally, just use slight pressure on the grip, try it on a bicycle (not a lot !) since the weight difference or on a dirt bike again lightly at first, re-read it again.

“i already do sort of stuff like that on bicycle and dirtbike. but its probably nothing compared to a 600lb harley going 40 on a turn “

I know you do, that is one way dirters throw their bikes around, don’t cut yourself short about comparing a dirt bike to a 600lb HD, the best rider I ever had the pleasure to ride with had almost 7 years in the dirt before coming to the macadam, he was the best rider I ever saw or rode with, I saw him do something on the NJ Garden State Parkway, that I thought was almost impossible ! ok, I’ll try to make it brief : ) and do yourself a favor stay on that dirt bike a little longer, I have deep respect for dirt riders.

[color=#0000cc]It was in ’85 or ’86 summer Friday night heading north to the catskills mountains in NY to do some camping (others in our group left earlier in the day), I decided to wait for rich and ride up with him, we wouldn’t even being on this F**K –up road ,we usually took rt 209, but we needed to make up time, big time, so it’s on this 3 lane (one-way) expressway, ROC (rock) was in the lead at that time (we took turns) anyway this AH in the back of me (car) has his bright lights on, now this is a very heavy travel road near NYC, but near (I found out later was) Patterson, NJ, it’s well lit and lots of traffic getting out of NY for the weekend, anyway, I am in the center lane making time but not in the left, sticking out, I signal the AH in back (waving my right arm, screw down throttle) and point in my mirror, turn down

 

logan...get on it and ride...all your questions will suddenly become experience