The best advvice ever

 

DaffyDubs,
Welcome to the forum and congrats on the new ride! Please dont fall into the trap that lot of Harley riders do. Buy your gear based on protection, not asthetics. If you ever get into an accident it does not matter how small or how cool your helmet looks. Get a good Dot Helmet or better yet, a Snell helmet. I strongly encourage you to get a full face helmet. They do not obstruct vision nor hearing and anyone that tells you as much is misleading you.

As for stage one, screw the dealership, it is overpriced. Get some XieDs for 100 bucks and spank that new bike!.

 

RAL I guess you missed the point that Ive had the same 1/2 lid since 1986. Ive been down, and never have hit my head. After 40 years of riding and racing, you learn.

My skid lid is form fit, and low profile to my head. It is much safer than its original mushroom configuration.

I did not realize that this was a new rider. He should get a 3/4 at least. He should not use a modified one like I have, or a novelty one.

He still has to figure out that soccer mom is out to break his bones.

I will never endorse a full face, they are not what a new rider needs. The sound and sight restrictions are not good for them to keep an eye and ear open on who is trying to run them down.

The false sense of security is not what a new rider needs. They need to learn darn quick they are a target, and ride accordingly. No passenger, no music or phone, no distractions. He has to build the riding edge most of us take for granted.

 

OK, on a good full face helmet there are no sight restrictions, my field of view is completely unobstructed in my helmet.

For sound, I cant possibly see how a full face reduces your ability to hear. I have more problems hearing anything in my half helmet, the wind noise drowns out EVERYTHING, i do not have this issue in a full face helmet. Unless my ears are shaped radically different than everyone elses...........

 

I def agree with XxnightsterxX on the dealership, will definitely make out a bill of sale before they look you in the eye.

As far as clothing, helmets, etc I bought some stuff to get by at leatherup.com and I still use the carbon fiber half helmet in the summer. A lot of their stuff is low cost, but holds up well, and there are reviews to maker sure you dont buy crap.

I spent a bit on my upgrades, but I also got a deal so I will not state what I actually paid. If a number flies out its probably just to make people think I paid too much. I hate the boutiques, but will pay an honest dollar for results.
Anyway
not!
Check my garage for pics. Good luck, ride safe, and welcome!

 

i have a snell approved full face for rainy days,i hate it but need it.
and my dot skid lid for everyday,(it has a mushroom look to it.)

im going to buy a carbon fiber skid lid soon as i can afford it.smaller&lighter.

my sporty is bone stock,but thats the only way it'll always be different from everyone elses.
if i knew how to fabricate parts i would modyfie the heck out of it
but all the bolt-ons dont do it for me.(imo)



have fun,ride hard,ride long.

 

1/2 helmets are loud with wind noise, I like a tight 3/4 better, and I wear glasses, so don't have a shield, but sometimes when the bugs are bad, I wish I did!
I hate ear plugs.
You do NOT have to look like a pirate, or wear the official Harley uniform, resist the peer pressure.

I strongly suggest leaving the motor alone for a year, upgrade the suspension if you want to spend money.
Good suspension (and a seat) will make you want to ride more and often.

I would guess its over half new riders crash in the first year, so I would not dump a lot of money into the bike.
You WILL go down, all newer riders do, save for repairs and medical bills.

As for the choice of bike, looks are important, but so is being able to use the bike.

I like taking the wife on short trips to get a drink, or something to eat, or shopping, I also like picking up stuff at the store, and used to even do some work runs on the bike, imagine that, getting time and a half to ride!
So you want to be able to strap stuff on the bike, even if its only a jacket for when it gets cold at night.
Being able to carry stuff allows the bike to be used a lot more then if its only set up to carry you during your spare time.
There were years when I did not own a car, only a bike....

Enjoy the new bike!

 

I agree.
I have been riding for over 30 years and used every kind of helmet, and all have their place except the little non dot things, might as well wear a baseball cap.

Modern full face helmets are the choice of serious riders, the ones that ride around the world, South America, the old Soviet Union, and other rough places.

Everyone who races wears one, street or dirt.

I wear my cheap full coverage in the extreme cold, 3/4 most of the time, and a dot 1/2 that is too big for me sometimes for short trips or slow dirt road riding in the extreme heat.

I was out riding last year, and a new biker on a new sportster came around a turn the other way, did not make the turn, slid out into the woods and hit a tree.
F'd his face up bad, he was making noises, but not moving much, lots of blood, I called 911 and they took him away.

With a full coverage helmet, he might have been able to ride away, not sure if he had other injuries, but he would not have screwed up his face so bad.

I think its a good 3/4 of new riders on Harleys have a good crash in the first year or so, much not making turns as the bikes can't lean, many crashes into people who pull out, etc.

Even riders with a lot of time on a bike go down and get hit, a new rider on a new Harley should not start out wearing a t shirt, shorts, and some bogus helmet. That is going to add up to a LOT of pain.
As someone who just had a bad crash dirt riding, I will tell everyone its no fun being all busted up, and it can be a LOT worse on the street.

If I can ride without pain in the spring, I am going to get some better gear for street riding.

 

There's a lot of truth to the saying, "the seriousness with which you shop for a helmet is directly related to the value of that which you want to protect".

 

1. So after 40 years of "riding and racing" you've learned how to fall so you won't hit your head? Must be a cat. Sorry, you can never know what part of your body will hit in a crash.

2. You've obviously never worn a quality, modern FF helmet. They actually improve hearing by eliminating wind noise and the need for ear plugs. And they have no restriction in the line of sight, other than maybe down at your tank.

3. Again this "false sense of security" BS. I would say that your first paragraph statement ("Ive been down, and never have hit my head. After 40 years of riding and racing, you learn.") is a greater example of a "false sense of security" than wearing a FF helmet. You seem to feel that since you haven't hit your head yet, it will never happen. Personally that would be like a guy playing Russian Roulette, that hasn't lost a round, believing that he never will lose. For me, I believe that every time I go out on my bike, something could happen, and I want to make sure that I have the greatest chance of coming home, with my head and face intact.