Bought a 06 nightrain never rode a bike b4, I sat on it for a few hours pushed it around with my feet in my shop, started it up and took off felt natural to me in 10 min. I have been riding by feel ever since and I have seen enough wrecks to ride safe but I am interested in a book like this.

 

I love to tell this story.

In the 70s my neighbor Tim had a 100cc dirt bike and I had a car. So we had a deal, I taught him how to drive a stick shift, and he taught me how to ride a bike. After that I went for years "knowing" how to ride a motorcycle. Sure "I knew it all",.....after all I owned two bikes, and read Cycle World every month. I had been on cross country rides up to Niagra Falls, NY and Nags Head, NC. I logged 10s of thousands of miles and considered myself a seasoned rider.

Then in 1991 work presented me with the opportunity to attend the LAPD police motorcycle school. On day one I realized that luck and guardian angels had been keeping me alive all those years. I found out that I knew very little about motorcycling. While I may have been riding for 20 years, all I really had was one year of back woods experience repeated for 20 years. When I finally finished the LAPD school I could honestly say I KNEW how to ride a motorcycle.

It was such a life changing experience that I wanted to share what I learned with the rest of the civillian motorcycling world. In 2006 I became an MSF Rider coach, and while the MSF is a good course, it was not what I learned and wanted to teach, which was enforcement style riding. So in 2007 I opened my own enforcement type riding school for civillians.

In retrospect I guess you could say I was introduced to motorcycling through my friend Tim, but I really learned how to ride a motorcycle at the hands of the LAPD.

Mark

 

My Ole man started training me at age 7, by 9, I started 125cc under 12 TT racing.

 

In 1974 Dad brang home a brand spanking new red Kawasaki 90 for my 11th birthday, went over the clutch, shifting, throttle and brakes, gave me the helmet speach showed me how to start it and said there ya go boy, ride it, and i learned. took me two tries to get going, first one started in a wheely that left me behind and the ol man laughing his *** off, second try and i was on my way.
14 i was riding 125cc class in Motocross, Yamaha YZ, Graduated to 250cc at 16 riding an old Maco..what a cool old bike, held my own on that baby considering its age.
first bike on pavement was at 18 yrs old, old 72 Honda CB350, this is where i had a head on collision with another bike, he came around a sharp corner going to fast and pushed out into my lane and i could not get out of his way in time, 2 weeks in the hospital, then 4 months in casts, nearly lost my left leg at the knee and if i had not been in a helmet id have been dead instantly, im told. At 21 i purchased a home built chopper, Rigid frame, Shovel with Jockey shift(under the leg) and suicide clutch, did not appreciate the bike then like i would now, to me it was just a bike like any other, Harley meant little to me, chicks dug though, sold it 2 years later and dropped out of riding for a bit, Then i got a Honda shadow, just wanted a cheap ride i could afford and it fit the bill. had a couple of those and now im back to a Harley.

 

First time, buddy gave me a 1/2 hour lesson, said I was good to go. Almost killed myself-twice. Second time, three days of formal class. No accidents for twenty five years since!

 

My Father started me out at 4 in 1968. he raced Triumphs for Johnson Motors in the 50's and 60's my first bike was a 1967 Honda 50 and my first road bike was a 1973 CB 350 four in 1979 (wish I still had it) the rest as they say is history. that was 42 years ago. man how time fly's when your enjoying this truely great hobby we have.

 

I was 12 yo and my first bike was a gift from my dad- a Honda CB125 street bike. He showed me how to work the hand levers and brake and off I went into a nearby pasture. I later stepped up to a Honda CB750 custom when I was 18- I loved that bike! I sold it a few years later and stepped into a Kaw KZ1000. I went had that afew years till it was stolen. I went 12 years off 2 wheels until I bought my first Harley- which by the way has been my dream bike since I was little!

I guess I was self taught mostly. I have gotten quite a bit out of the Proficient Motorcycling book that was introduced to me by some forum members. This forum is a wealth of knowledge and entertainment!

 

8 years old on a Yamaha Chappy in the dirt where a shopping mall is now. My formal instruction was, "there's the brake, there's the gas, there's the clutch, don't wreck". Rode dirt and street bikes for 31 years and logged tens of thousands of miles. I decided to start taking it seriously around 3-1/2 years ago, so I finally took an MSF class and got my license.

 

Cold Turkey! Bought my first Harley when 14 yrs old and quite nervously climbed on once rolling it was like riding a bicycle,damn powerful one at that.

 

self taught...around age 10


make a few "mini-bikes" out of the old rotary lawnmowers with the monster 3/4hp rope start