21 Tips
21TIPS
How Not To Be a Newbie
1. Wits against the World. You never see a cat catch a squirrel because those little gray guys are super-vigilant. So must you be. Look and think! Hardware is important on bikes—brakes, throttle, steering-but you aren’t in a reinforced steel box. That means your personal software is your first and only line of defense. Pay attention! That way you’ll see the first movement of that car away from the curb, that truck changing lanes, that unseeing idiot about to turn left straight into you. After your first six months on a motorcycle, you’ll notice most of all how much better a car driver the experience has made you.
2. Not so fast! Don’t even think about purchasing a motorcycle until you complete a training course. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation (www.msf-usa.com) offers beginning, experienced, scooter and dirtbike schools nationwide. In most states, completion of the 15-hour Basic RiderCourse satisfies the riding portion of the licensing test and entitles the graduate to insurance discounts. The MSF even provides the motorcycle and a helmet.
3. Keep your tats intact. When it’s epidermis vs. asphalt, skin-inked or otherwise-ain’t gonna win. Get some armored riding gear.
4. Use your mirrors religiously, but don’t take them as
gospel. Grab a quick glance over your shoulder while changing lanes.
5. Be a “standup” guy. Nothing says rookie more than leaning into a left-hand corner with your sidestand in the down position, about to dig into the asphalt-a crash waiting to happen, and entirely preventable. Check once, twice and, if necessary, three times that the stand is properly stowed before you ride away.
6. Get into oil and rubber. Check engine-oil level and tire pressures at least once a week. Both the engine and tires will last longer, your bike will run and handle better, and you’ll shell out less money in the long term for repairs and replacement rubber.
7. Come clean. Wash your bike regularly and with an eye for detail. The unexamined motorcycle isn’t worth riding.
8. Don’t flip out. Wear proper motorcycle boots-not flip-flops, not tennis shoes, not hikers. Shoelaces can quickly and unexpectedly become tangled around the shift lever or brake pedal, possibly resulting in a panicked slow-speed tip-over-embarrassing at best, a broken collarbone if you’re really unlucky.
9. Help fund Nick’s retirement. Our own Nick lenatsch has sold 75,000 copies of his Sport Riding Techniques (available at shop.cycleworld.com). We’ve all read it and learned something; it should be on your required-reading list.
10. Be a control freak. A motorcycle is operated by hands, fingers and feet. If your bike has adjustable controls, take time to tailor those critical contact points to your dimensions/preferences.
11. Bowling or backroads, stay in your own lane. Tempting as it may be to cross the double-yellow while making time
in the twisties, do not do it.. .unless you want to take up Human Hood Ornamentation as a hobby.
12. Don’t be Malcolm in the Middle. Ride in either the left or right wheel track, not in the middle of your lane. The middle is where the most engine oil, gear oil, anti-freeze and other traction-reducing crud accumulates.
13. Neutral is for Switzerland, not for traffic stops. Don’t
shift into neutral at a stoplight or stop sign until a car safely stops behind you. Remaining in gear-and scanning your mirrors-means you can accelerate out of the way if a car approaching from the rear fails to stop in time.
14. Don’t be a stiff. Stiff-armed, that is. Don’t sit toward the rear portion of the seat with your arms straight and elbows locked. That causes unfavorable weight distribution and makes the bike overreact to most inputs. Instead, move forward, bend your elbows and relax.
15. Give yourself a brake. When slowing or stopping, apply mboth brakes, not just the rear. If you use only the rear, your stopping distances can be three times longer than if you use both.
16. Are you Marlon or Ewan? No, you aren’t. At first, don’t get caught up in motorcycle subcultures. You may be dreaming of riding a restored Triumph Thunderbird or a continentcrushing BMW R1200GS, but figure out what kind of riding you really enjoy before you get too invested. The glut of low-mileage, big-displacement cruisers and sportbikes on the used market speaks volumes about this.
17. Learn the lingo. Don’t cruise up to your new bro’s at the
biker hangout and say, “So, how long have you been driving cycles?” Listen well before speaking.
18. Finger on the trigger. It’s always a good idea to cover the front brake with a finger or two in heavy traffic. But when you need to use it, squeeze it; don’t jerk at it.
19. You are The Invisible Man. If you're going to make assumptions about what cars will do in traffic, assume that you’re invisible to them (nine times out of 10 you are). That way it won’t be a surprise when they do something stupid (which they will).
20. Balancing act or belching act. You may think that you’re fine to ride your motorcycle after a couple of beers, but remember that you’re not sitting squarely on four wheels inside a protective cage. Best to skip the brews and take a nice cruise.
21. No substitute for seat time. Ride often to keep your confidence and skill levels up. The more you ride-in all kinds of weather and road conditions-the better feel you’ll have for controlling your machine.
For more Riding Tips, or to add your own, go to www.cycleworld.com
