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To get more practice or skip it.

2K views 33 replies 26 participants last post by  italianrick 
#1 ·
Ok guys here is the story.

5 months ago i bought a Night rod as my first bike. I literally had never even sat on a bike before. I practiced for a few hours then i hit the road. I did pretty good and quickly felt confident. To the point were i was wondering "do i REALLY need leather/gear. (aside from a helmet i wore some nights) A few weeks later i started hanging out with a group of sportbikers. I didnt want to be left behind so i pushed my self way beyond my skill, i could tell after a couple close calls that i was way way beyond my skill level.

Well exactly 1 month after my purchase, i was following the boys up a mountain at 1am. I was going about 70. On a wide turn (nothing" dangerous") i got carried away with not slowing down/not wanting to be left behind, and drifted into the center lane. With the low beam and dark road i remember struggling to look ahead and thinking "that cant be a center divide"... Well it was... Less then a stones trow away a center island started and i was doing 70mph... I slammed the brakes and prepared to fly. I hit it and flew a few feet, flipped mid air, landed kind of on the side of my butt and arm as i skid. Lucky for me i landed/skid mostly on dirt and only about 10ft on pavemet. It took me a minute before i could stand up from shock and pain to my ribs. In the end I only suffered road rash and a cracked/bruised rib (idk i did not go to the doctor but it hurt like hell for a couple of months)

Thanks to my new friends i got home safely, my bike was paid off by the insurance and 5 months later i am ready for round 2...

I was just searching Craigslist and found a old, ugly 600 sportbike for $500 bucks.

To my question (FINALLY)... Do you guys think that purchasing a beater bike for practice is a good idea until i buy another vrod in a few months? Its not like i am" learning" from scratch to drive, use the clutch, turn and other basics. I have about 2k miles experience on me, wich is not much i know. But my problem was not the driving, it was the attitude. Something that thanks to my accident i have learned to keep in check. GEAR UP, and DONT PUSH IT. I tell everyone that this accident was the best thing to ever happen to me. It tought me RESPECT THE BIKE AND ROAD first hand. Now, I know experience is always good but will i really benefit from this purchase? This is a small, light, sport bike. The v rod is the exact opposite, big, heavy, long, cruiser. And like i said, i already know the basics...

To me it sounds as if i was purchasing a mini van to practice driving a Semi...

So what do you guys think?

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#2 ·
A lot of members here will tell you to buy what you will be riding. I will just tell you to ride your own ride, meaning not to take chances to keep up with someone else. The more seat time that you get, the more skills you will develop. The VROD was the first bike of many forum members. (Not for me...)
 
#3 ·
And like i said, i already know the basics...


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I like this part of your post; it shows that you really learned: NOTHING.

You bought a first bike that was high performance for a first bike, did not respect it, rode in the middle of the night (see below*), thought a "couple of hours"' of practice and you were good to go, questioned the usefulness of safety gear (gear that only protects YOU), failed to heed the warnings of a "few close calls", let your "rod" do the talking, damn near killed yourself, raised MY insurance rates through the cost of your stupidity and think that you are ready for "round two"?

* And after how many beers?

NO!

Before you get on the road, in any vehicle, do every one a favor.... Buy a rocket powered motorcycle, duplicate the famous Snake River Canyon Jump by Knievel and remove yourself from the gene pool (Google Darwin Awards).

You are stupid, not capable of redemption and please don't ride again, lest you plow into an SUV's rear door and kill an innocent 5 year old, because of your inability to realize that you are an idiot.

Sorry, but that's my reaction to what you posted. You are a mental case. Your ego was and will "write checks that you can't cash". Your post indicates that you have learned NOTHING!
 
#5 ·
here in Texas it's mandatory to take the riders course, that's a place to start, stay away from sport bikes and start with a cruiser and don't run with people you have to try to keep up with, most of all take it easy, learn, it's not an over nite thing and don't be stupid in your riding
 
#6 ·
Riding the sport bike your going to get isn`t going to help you unless you just go out and ride easily not pushing it,you are lucky to not have serious injuries,a riders course will help unless your just a wacko who will take out some poor unsuspecting soul,take it easy,enjoy the ride alive!:soapbox:
 
#8 ·
I started a couple of years ago by looking for a used Honda Shadow 750. They're everywhere, weak on power, and great on gas mileage. Damn near bulletproof Honda motor. Got it for cheap, fixed it up a little... Learned to ride on that for a whole season. Learned not only what I wanted in my next bike, but what I 1) needed, and also what i didn't need.

I handled the power very well when I moved to the Vrod. I did have an accident early on but it wasn't entirely my fault (sign showing the speed of the next curve was bent around the post and I didn't see it).
I highly recommend the motorcycle course even as a refresher, and a weaker bike. I'd prefer people start on weaker cruisers because they're usually easy to handle, and super cheap on insurance when compared to any sport bike.
But you've gotta respect the bike and stay within your riding ability. When I cruise with sport bike buddies, I hang back and take it at my own pace. I tell them if they get too far ahead and don't wanna wait on me, just to keep going. But I usually don't ride with people that push the limits that hard.
 
#11 ·
Many of these posts are far too critical of you. You realized you were overriding your skill level and that shows you know where you're at. What you failed to observe was the consequences of doing so and that shows immaturity. You could have been killed, or worse, killed someone.

My suggestions are:

- Read and understand this post:
http://www.1130cc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=42548

- Take a certified motorcycle training course. You need to know how
and when to brake, how to properly turn, etc. (do not take these
things for granted - there is a right way and a wrong way).

- Whatever bike you decide to buy, make sure it 100% mechanically
operational with good (not old or worn) tires.

- Slow down. Just because you can go fast does not mean you can
ride well. Speed increases the possibility of accidients by reducing
reaction time.

- Before you ride - prepare yourself mentally. If you are not feeling
well, are preoccupied with other things, are late and in a hurry -
take the car. You need 100% of your focus to ride safely.

- Keep wearing proper riding gear. Many times it's not up to you
when or where someone else will cause an accident. My bet
is that many of the members here that critisized you do not wear
proper riding gear.

I could go on and on, but it's really up to you to realize there's more to riding correctly and safely than anyone could know without being taught. Learn and Live.
 
#26 ·
Many of these posts are far too critical of you. You realized you were overriding your skill level and that shows you know where you're at. What you failed to observe was the consequences of doing so and that shows immaturity. You could have been killed, or worse, killed someone.

My suggestions are:

- Read and understand this post:
http://www.1130cc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=42548
an excellent read for ALL riders. I made a Word document from it to
refer to often.

- Take a certified motorcycle training course. You need to know how
and when to brake, how to properly turn, etc. (do not take these
things for granted - there is a right way and a wrong way).
see below

- Whatever bike you decide to buy, make sure it 100% mechanically
operational with good (not old or worn) tires.

- Slow down. Just because you can go fast does not mean you can
ride well. Speed increases the possibility of accidients by reducing
reaction time.
You said "i pushed my self way beyond my skill, i could tell after
a couple close calls that i was way way beyond my skill level."

Know you limits and ride within them!

- Before you ride - prepare yourself mentally. If you are not feeling
well, are preoccupied with other things, are late and in a hurry -
take the car. You need 100% of your focus to ride safely.

- Keep wearing proper riding gear. Many times it's not up to you
when or where someone else will cause an accident. My bet
is that many of the members here that critisized you do not wear
proper riding gear.

I could go on and on, but it's really up to you to realize there's more to riding correctly and safely than anyone could know without being taught. Learn and Live.
:them::them::them::them::them::them:

One thing I'd like to add is to always LOOK where you want the bike to go. If the bike is capable, it will follow that path. Keep your eyes parallel to the ground and look down the line you want to travel. You should NEVER drift into the center line. Force yourself to keep your eyes on the clear, safe path.

To answer your specific question... I believe it's extremely detrimental to have the mindset that you need to by a "beater" bike next. That says "I expect to crash again while I'm learning to improve." Riding a motorcycle isn't like skiing or snowboarding. You don't get better because you push yourself to the point of falling down. My uncle logged over 250,000 miles on multiple motorcycles with ZERO accidents throughout his riding career. It's not the bike, it's the attitude in your head.

The investment in a MSF course is negligible compared to the cost of repairing or buying a new motorcycle, or injuring/killing yourself and/or someone else. Please visit the link below and schedule a course. Besides learning how to ride safely, you will learn to ride BETTER, and thus actually ENJOY your riding even more.

Motorcycle Safety Foundation

Ride safe and keep the shiny side up!
 
#13 ·
The experienced rider has probably taken a few spills here and there. The inexperienced may have a few spills coming theire way. The over-confident, aggressive, uneducated, inexperienced rider is a danger to self and potentially others!
The heavier the bike, the harder it will be to control. You can learn on a lighter, more nimble bike but you will not be able to apply everything you've learned to your bigger bike across the board. Don't mess with any sportbikes untill you've got the skills to handle YOUR machine.
Safety courses and the post/link provided by PGilliam help you UNDERSTAND how to increase your chances of arriving safely.
Of course follow other good advice from some of our 1130 members: "Watch out for the cagers! They are trying to kill you." and, "Ride like you're invisible".
Carp's post may seem harsh, but I also don't want to ride with someone that did what said you did in that post. BTW, my VRSCF is my first but I've been riding since the 70s. I had a few spills back then and that was enough!
 
#14 ·
First off, Slow Down!!! experience trumps cockiness every time. Personally, i would look for a less powerful bike to learn on, and learn is what you still need to do. That's why training courses have 250's to learn on. Personally, i don't think anyone has any business on anything over a 600 when first learning to ride. And even a 600 sportbike is too much bike for a newbie. Your goal should be Not Crashing, so buying a beater in my opinion is not a great idea. Also, hang with folks that ride better than you, not faster. On a group ride if you fall behind, don't worry about it. If your new friends give you shit, leave. Practice as much as you can, DON'T SKIP IT!! Again, this is IHMO so take it as you will.
 
#15 ·
I don't think the early replies, including mine, were harsh honestly. Someone who tells you he practised for a couple of hours, had just started riding, and was last seen at 70 mph at 1 am in the morning, wanging up a mountain road, and crashing into the central reservation which he couldn't even see!
Come on

People do make mistakes and learn from them its true, and can be given a break, however they sometimes learn quicker and maybe don't kill themselves or someone else, when they are told that their behaviour is idiotic
 
#17 ·
Jesus Christ look at all the Great and Might Ones passing judgement here, what crap, (My Favorite of course "Raised MY insurance rates through the cost of your stupidity" and Here I thought Sheryl Crowe was from Missouri not New Mexico)
If you want to "Hang Out" with Sport bike riders then buy a Sports bike, although this place is Full OF "Pros" that could give any F1 or MotoGP rider a lesson or 2 (even though they ride less then 5000 miles a year) and they will tell you this bike can "Keep Up with any Ducati, Busa Blah Blah Blah." You will always be pushing the bike into situations its not meant for. If you are an idiot then you will never learn how to ride properly anyways and if thats true you should buy a different HD like a Softail etc.. because they are slow and heavy and you will not have to "Learn" to ride instead putt around and shine it and stand in parking lots talking about riding. I never rode a bike before my VROD, took it slow learned how it works, many around here gave me the "Its too big and technical for a 1st bike" crap, 106k miles later I still have it no problems. You know if you have learned anything, buying a bike you don't like or is way under powered for what you are looking for isnt the answer as you will push them too.

Also if you can afford to keep repairing a bike like a VRSC then more power to you if you do continue in this fashion.
 
#19 ·
PHP:
Jesus Christ look at all the Great and Might Ones passing judgement here, what crap, (My Favorite of course "Raised MY insurance rates through the cost of your stupidity" and Here I thought Sheryl Crowe was from Missouri not New Mexico)
If you want to "Hang Out" with Sport bike riders then buy a Sports bike, although this place is Full OF "Pros" that could give any F1 or MotoGP rider a lesson or 2 (even though they ride less then 5000 miles a year) and they will tell you this bike can "Keep Up with any Ducati, Busa Blah Blah Blah." You will always be pushing the bike into situations its not meant for. If you are an idiot then you will never learn how to ride properly anyways and if thats true you should buy a different HD like a Softail etc.. because they are slow and heavy and you will not have to "Learn" to ride instead putt around and shine it and stand in parking lots talking about riding. I never rode a bike before my VROD, took it slow learned how it works, many around here gave me the "Its too big and technical for a 1st bike" crap, 106k miles later I still have it no problems. You know if you have learned anything, buying a bike you don't like or is way under powered for what you are looking for isnt the answer as you will push them too.

Also if you can afford to keep repairing a bike like a VRSC then more power to you if you do continue in this fashion.
you have your bike after 106k miles. exactly... you didn't do what he did
 
#18 ·
A bike you can beat on?

OMFG you are a danger to everyone on the road.

I was stupid enough to start with a 1977 KZ1000 as my first bike.

But like Dirty Harry Callaghan said 'A Man has got to know his Limitations.'

You don't know yours, and that is a bad thing for you and everyone around you.

Slammed on your brakes? Good Luck trying to steer out of it like that.

Take a riders training course. Then take a riders race course training.

Then realize the stupidity of trying to keep up with someone who may have both street and race training and years of experience besides.

Consider yourself lucky.

Do two Years from now Self a favour and snap out of that crap:soapbox:
 
#21 ·
my favorite has to be "You are a danger to us all out on the road, get a car instead" Because none of us have ever had close calls with those and would "Prefer" someone lacking in judgement behind the wheel instead. great stuff.
 
#22 ·
At 18 y/o,my first m'cycle was a brand new on-off road 1978 Honda XL125. Practice was in a grass field with elbow & knee pads. Yeah,I fell down several times and got back on. Stay alive dude.
 
#23 ·
I just hope he's figured out that hitting the brakes in that situation was probably not the best idea. (of course "not realizing" he was going over the center line isn't too cool either) He got off really lucky, and it wasn't clear to me whether he wore his leathers/protective gear or didn't wear them. If he wasn't wearing any gear, I did not hear that he learned to wear it either.

My opinion here, as dark as it may seem, is that he'll be worm food soon without a complete change in his attitude. David - it was one thing for you to get a V-Rod as a first bike and learn to ride - you were obviously responsible about it. I don't get that sense from the OP, and I don't get any sense that things will change on his choice of a second bike.
 
#24 ·
y'all prolly scared the beejesus outta him an' now he won't even ride a tricycle..:D
 
#25 ·
This is my first bike ever (@ 34 yrs old). I've put 12k miles on it in 4 years time. I took the MSF course. I ride at my own pace & that's that. If you are reckless in a car, (lead foot etc) you'll probably be reckless on a bike. Since he asked, I think the OP should take a riding course or don't ride ever again. He sounds like someone who is reckless no matter what they are operating.
 
#28 ·
I'll be gentle.
Buy a Kawsaki 650 twin or an 883 Sportster, take a riding class, do some track days and buy FULL gear.
This does not mean, a leather vest, wallet chain and do-rag.
This means a quality (Shoei or Arai) FULL-FACE helmet, full-fingered gloves, actual motorcyle boots, a jacket with built-in body armor and kevlar lined jeans (though a full-leather suit is better).
Then, enjoy!
Nothing wrong with your questions.
(Now to bruise your ego: The real way is buy a 250 cc honda rebel, move up to a 500cc twin and then to a 1300 cc twin. A 600 cc sport bike is a wicked machine, not necessarily for beginners. It will smoke ANY Harley stock-to-stock).
 
#29 ·
Take a course. wear the gear. practice. obey the law. gain experience, respect the bike and the road. good luck. Joe
 
#30 ·
(My Favorite of course "Raised MY insurance rates through the cost of your stupidity" and Here I thought Sheryl Crowe was from Missouri not New Mexico)

Lux, name one insurance company that issues insurance policies in New Mexico ONLY! So if it is not a state specific company, then it goes into the national equation; truly, it goes into the national data base anyway. So whayt's you point, that you don't have.
 
#31 ·
Get the bike you want to keep. Im on my 3rd bike and I had to get used to each one. Learn on the bike you want to keep. Just take it easy to start out then once you have developed your skills then have fun. Honestly your friends are dicks for riding that fast and not making sure you are keeping up without pushing beyond your experience. Take the safety course. It will show you what to do in situations that you don't normally encounter. As for riding gear, expect to crash. What ever you don't want torn, protect it. Also gear up for what type of riding you will be doing. I don't put on full leathers when I ride to work.

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