Whu? Street 500?

 

First, welcome aboard! You will have a ton of fun, and it keeps getting better!

First, take a rider's training course! Now!

Actually, turning a bicycle and a motorcycle is done exactly the same way. However, since two wheeled vehicles do NOT want to lean, and the bicycle weighs almost nothing compared to a motorcycle, you're simply not aware of what you're doing on a bicycle.

On a motorcycle, though, if you're not aware of what you're supposed to be doing, it simply won't happen, and the bike won't turn. I assume you probably know this, but just in case you don't...

Do you know what countersteering is? When you want to turn, and you're going more than 10-15 mph, the bike won't lean and go around a curve unless you physically turn the handlebars in the opposite direction you want to go. Want to turn left? Turn the bars right. Want to turn right? Turn the bars left. And you have to do this on purpose, using both arms.

Take a riders training course. Really. You'll pick things up so much faster, you'll know what to practice, and you'll be safer. Really. Here's what can happen when you haven't been trained on how to properly use your brakes:

http://www.maxim.com/gear/motorcycle...istake-2015-11

Take a riders training course! It will be a blast!

 

I agree with what a lot of others said about taking a new rider course. I rode for 2 years before taking one and learned a lot of valuable skills I would never have learned without taking the course.

As far as your comfort zone, stay in it while you gain miles and experience but eventually you are gonna need to push it past your current comfort zone to find a new comfort zone.

I started out on dirtbikes so some basic riding skills were there but when I first rode my 48 4 years ago, it was my first street bike and I was definitely nervous about traffic and the power of the bike. After about a week I was comfortable at 50-60 mph. It took me a few months to try out I-25 and I-40 here in NM. That was a butt hole pucker uper for me.

Everyone is different and learns at their own pace. Take it easy and build on your skills and you will be flying down the road in no time. Good luck and be careful with that clutch that you don't pop it and careen uncontrolled into traffic at an intersection. WEAR A HELMET.

 

I just started riding last year and I'm 52. I took the basic safety course but still, I am finding my learning curve to be greater than I thought it would be. I was having a lot of trouble going beyond 45 mph and even that could seem crazy fast. Someone in this forum suggested I try ear plugs. I've got to tell you, they made all the difference in the world. Even so, I waited to try a highway until an early Saturday morning when traffic was much lighter and did one exit at a time for awhile as someone earlier stated.

After a Winter off, I find I've regressed a little. I'll be taking a refresher course of the Basic Rider's Course. This class you use your own bike.

Also, consider buying David Hough's, Proficient Motorcycling. People on here recommended and after reading it, i can see why. There's a lot of good advice and instruction and yet an easy read. The Ride Like a Pro DVD series has been a help to me too.

Here's to hoping both of us are where we want to be, safe and secure, in no time.

 

I'm going to make a recommendation, one that I'm convinced will do more for your confidence, calmness, and relaxation, than anything you or anybody else has ever suggested. And even better, it won't cost much more than a cheap helmet.

You, and another experienced rider that you trust, buy a pair of SENA or other bluetooth headsets. Put them in your helmets, pair them up, and go riding.

If you have somebody you trust talking to you while you ride, telling you you're doing fine, and giving you an occasional suggestion, you'll relax, thoroughly enjoy the ride, and learn while you're having fun.

Really. $200 each if you buy a pair. Half that if you get an off brand. The best money you've ever spent.

 

I really like the earplugs and blue tooth ideas. I've been thinking about using earbuds and listening to music, but I like to hear the engine rev to decide when to shift - not too mention other things like honking horns, screaming kids etc...


I did buy that book and am reading it now. I do know about countersteering although its easier to understand than it is to implement - esp. around hills where i'm going 40. But as I said before, you countersteer on a bicycle too so I know how it feels.


Many folks have recommended a course. I am resistant to it for lots of reasons, not the least of which is that practice is what I really need - practice within my limits. I'm doing lots of slow speed stuff in the neighborhood and on two lane roads where i'm less pressed to speed up. I'm taking road curves slowly, too slowly, but am sure that will improve. Each time I go out I feel a little better about the bike and my skills, so i'm going to do it my way - as Sinatra said -- and hope for the best. Hwys. are still a long way off and i'm in no hurry at all.


Finally, I think if you were a solid bicycle rider, you can ride a motorcycle and feel comfortable fairly quickly. It just feels so similar, except for the speed.

 

No worries! The earphones from a bluetooth headset don't block outside noises at all. Even with earbuds that go into your ears, or even with earplugs, they don't make riding silent at all. They just cut off the peak sounds.

The absolute best thing you can do to get a feel for countersteering, particularly in that 40-45 mph range, is to go through a section of gentle curves that you've ridden before, and steer with one hand. You'll immediately feel the force that you're actually using, and you'll immediately realize that you are indeed turning the bars in the opposite direction.

I'm going to push back on this one, firmly. You've got it backwards. You don't practice first and then take a class. You can't do that, because you don't know what to practice. You're only practicing the way you're doing it now, not necessarily the way you're supposed to do it. That's the entire point of the class: they teach you what to practice. THEN you go out and practice. You do NOT become a proficient rider from taking a class. You only become a proficient rider from practicing what you were taught in the class.

Take the class. You'll have fun, you'll learn a lot, and then your practice will become valuable, instead of just making bad habits permanent.

Have fun!

 

i agree that taking a class is good. i did it and carry every bit of it with me every time i hit the start but, it is not, except where mandated, a must.

tons of folks don't take the classes and ride long and safe. i realize that statement carries another edge that goes without saying.

if op is refusing to because OP prefers classes at the school of hard knocks like dumping the bike on a neighbor's lawn, that's cool. if OP gets thirsty, OP knows where the water can be found

https://www.msf-usa.org/downloads/BRCHandbook.pdf

 

I will consider your thoughts on a school. I do know that I can learn to avoid a lot of bad habits/mistakes by reading and I love to read. For instance, I know to use both brakes and that the front brake has 3x the power of the rear brake. I know about keeping a cushion around me and to use the mirrors often; I know to assume that every car out there is the enemy and most likely doesn't see me; and I know that I'm taking a greater risk by choosing this method. So at least i'm not doing it blind or stupid, just stubborn.


Finally, I've learned over time that if I manage the training process at my own pace without any outside pressure at all...it has always worked for me.


One question: do these courses teach you high speed techniques to improve safety, because this is something I would consider. Thanks again for everyone's great input. They say advice is cheap, but you guys have been very generous with it.

 

Consider the MSF course because it is "guided practice." Practice in and of itself does not make perfect, it makes permanent. I've taken the HD Rider's Edge and two of the MSF courses. After each I spent time practicing control and maneuvering in parking lots and country roads. Confidence in controlling the bike makes it easier for me to be more vigilant in traffic and at the speed limit on highways. Whatever you decide, ride safe.