Well Said Wild on a ROADSTER....

Them Roadsters,,,,what else can I say,,,,

They Rawk

 

I disagree...it really depends on the teacher. While I had 5 years of riding experience I still took the class, it was taught by a retired motorcycle cop and he and his wife knew and taught the class well.

JM2C

 

You can learn some from an MSF course, but not enough to ride safely on the street. You need to practice in secluded areas until you are competent and comfortable with all basic maneuvers. Then you can go out on the street, realizing that you still know nothing, and watching out for everyone/everything.

 

I could be wrong and this could be a terrible thing to do but I noticed my driving insturcter do this several times. Seems like he was doing it to avoid the hard shift into 1st.

Push down slightly on the shifter to the point where it is just about to shift then ease out on the clutch. This will create a loose spot where the shifter goes down easier into 1st. As soon as it goes down quickly pull the clutch back in.

I've only been riding for a year, great to read all the riding tips!

 

Don't be afraind to wind that bike up some.
Yes, perfectly fine.



The engine does not slam, the transmission is what you are feeling. it is normal, especially when going from neutral to first after the clutch is let out in N. Put it in N and then step into first without letting off the clutch usually does not do that. Still though, perfectly normal.


Just like a car, throttle and brake, mostly though, the transmission will hold you back, so keeping a little throttle and you will maintain speed just fine.


Yes. It is breaking in the transmission, which is the main reason the first oil change intervals should be much sooner than usual.



Ideally you want to brake before the turn if you have to, not through it. Keeping into the throttle helps maintain balance, but once you get more experience you will be able to control the bike more in turns. Just learn with the bike and don't try to take on too much at once.

 

You should feel some of the race cars I have driven shift gears... talk about feeling the thud! It is perfectly fine though, nothing to worry about. I would be more concerned with a slow shift than a fast shift. Get it shifted into the grove and be done with it.

 

There is another thread on taking curves too fast. Some people don't like searches, and resurrecting a thread, but why reinvent the wheel. Read Osco's posts. They rock.

 

This thread should be a sticky in new members.

 

I always wondered if my sporty could make it on the interstate. lol

 

After a year back in the saddle as a returning rider I registered for a MSF Advanced Rider Class (ARC) and was impressed to see the Nick Ienatsch book referenced here as the course textbook, "Sport Riding Techniques: How to Develop Real World Skills for Speed, Safety, and Confidence on the Street and Track."

It seems like MSF has updated its curriculum to employ more of the street survival skills taught by gurus Lee Parks, Keith Code, and Nick Ienatsch. I'll post a review of my experience with the ARC class after the 5/5/13 class.

The Ienatsch book is the most applicable for my cruiser style of riding on a softail, as it always extends its lessons from metric racer skills to street skills--skills I can actually practice and use right away.

The content in this book is priceless, and if used, will make your ride more enjoyable and safer--and could save your life.

I think every cycle dealer, especially Harley dealers, should provide the book with the purchase.

Best advice so far in the book--accept full responsibility for your own safety through training and practice without excuses. Most riders don't know what they don't know...the more I learn the more I realize how ignorant I have been through the years as a self-taught rider. I'm on a constant quest to discover things I didn't know about our sport.