One of the faster crotch rockets that people drool over, I think they are Easter eggs wooth wheels on steroids.

Buy this book
http://www.amazon.com/Proficient-Motorcycling-Ultimate-Guide-Riding/dp/1889540536
by just reading it you will be light years ahead of 85% of the riders out there
It was recommended to me before I started.
of course I bought a bike before I could get into MSF as there is months and months waiting list here and summer would be over by then ( stupid I know)


Its not as replacement for the class but I can say without a doubt if I had not read this book I most likely would have crashed horribly or maybe even died in the first month
99% of what old salt "bikers" will tell you is wrong , many/most self taugh riders are totally ignorant of the physics of how a bike actally works
 

Did he have a full face helmet on? I wrecked at 55mph and my FFH is why I am here today. Otherwise at best I'd have had severe brain damage. In most instances it makes a difference. At higher speed impacts, prob not but that wasn't case for me.

I'll continue to repeat what many others have said.  Take the MSF course.  For me the order of operations was pick out a bike, buy a helmet, take the MSF course, get license buy bike.  Understand that no one on the road can see you and those that do want to kill you and you'll be fine.  This is my first bike:

Bullshit!!!! There is one close to you I am sure.

+1.

Go on youtube and watch crash videos.  Then realize that a VERY high percentage were completely avoidable if the motorcycle rider had been riding 'correctly'.  Very few accidents are unavoidable.

This is the truth! Nobody pays any attention to what is around them, or how fast they may or may not be going. Get full gear, pants, jacket, gloves, helmet(full face) so that the skin you have stays on your body intact if you go down. Sounds stupid to ride a Harley with full gear and full face helmet but you will thank yourself when you go down.

Can you drive a clutch operated car/truck? If so you shouldn't have much problem getting used to it. Buy a cheap starter bike, something 250cc for 500-1500$ and learn to ride it first. You can also decide if you really like riding so that if you dont like it you arent out of a bunch of money. I never took the MSF course and I picked it up pretty quick but I also do track events in my car so I already knew a lot about attacking corners and car control.

ask the HD dealer many do their own MSF equivalent classes



 

check your pride at the door and dont get something that is either too heavy or powerful for you to handle, you will drop your first bike so get a used one. be safe and know that cars dont give two shits about you and are trying to kill you so always make sure your away of your surrounds and try to make yourself stand out so thway cars see you

I still have my MC endorsement but I quit street bikes several years ago.  Mostly because people are nowhere near as attentive as drivers as they used to be (cell phones texting etc just basically don't care) and you almost always lose on a bike mixed with a bad cager. And I lost a few friends in accidents that were not their faults.   I used to compete in Trials too but the younger guys got better and so now I only ride dirt bikes for fun...on dirt.

And I drive large vehicles on the street when I drive now.  But it is a lot of fun to ride and I encourage it, but just be careful AND especially defensive.  Head on a swivel so to speak.

Get a turbo 'Busa.

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Ghost rider is that you?

Take the MSF class and then look for an 800 Suzuki Intruder on craigslist.  You can find a decent one for under $2,500.

See my sig, then buy a used 500/600/650 off craigslist.

The new Indian Scout looks like a nice route as well.

I'll have to check out a beginners course as it seems its popular...

http://i1371.photobucket.com/albums/ag301/BryantTheBear/20140702_160642_zpsodgqidbi.jpg

My daily driver (70+ miles a day), but still able to pull off the road on the way home and climb some hills.

Do you just find every motorcycle thread and post that picture with no words?  Do you have it hotkeyed or something?

take the  MSF course and get your license   http://www.ridercourse.com/Motorcycle-License/Texas_Motorcycle_License.aspx  

read lots of motorcycle magazine's and go to motorcycle shops to help zero in on what you like

Motorcycles are nothing like cars: They have way more character and feel very different to ride from one to the next so you need to learn about  the characteristics of the different engine types first  and then from there you can start to zero in on what bike to get  ( i.e. boxer, single, inline 3, inline 4,  V twin, V four etc...) all feel and sound very different to ride

i.e. There are V -Twin guys, inline- 4 guys, etc...  

for example a V-twin? ok.... but what type? sport bikes such as a ducati's have V-twin engines but they are set at a different angle and have far different characteristics than a cruiser V-twin

do you want a sport bike , a cruiser, a sport tourer ??  something more vintage?   etc..

Then get keith code's twist of the wrist

read as much as you can

Get a dirtbike and go out into the desert and ride it (or whatever the TX equivalent is). You'll learn valuable lessons. You'll become a better rider. Wear a helmet, riding boots, gloves, chest protector and have fun!

I used to ride quite a bit. 1977-2013.
I stopped riding though.
Here is my take on it.

(1.) Bikes are far more powerful and a hell of a lot faster than they were 20-40 years ago
so the level of skill needed to safely handle one has gone up.
High end Sport Bikes in particular the Hayabusa (I used to ride a Hayabusa)
is very unforgiving. Powerbands on in-line 4 cylinder bikes are geometric as opposed to linear
with respect to engine RPMs. Making it easy for the bike to accelerate hard enough to overcome
a rider's control.

(2.) Riding and Road Conditions are completely different than they were 20 years ago (at least here in CA).
Roads generally have more pot holes and hazards than they did in the past. Car Drivers are far more aggressive
AND most importantly DISTRACTED (from texting, taking selfies while driving, watching their GPS screens even
watching TV or something on their iPads.
This has resulted in me experiencing far more close calls than I did in the past. In a span of 5 years I've had
more close calls than I did in the previous 20 years. 3 of these were miraculous in nature, 1 especially so.

I am not trying to scare you away from riding, but I do want to lay it out there of what it's like today.
This is what you will be facing when riding.

No matter how good you are (and I am a extremely good rider) it is a matter of time before you crash.
There are times when there is literally nothing you can do, no way you can avoid it. This is what happened to me
in 2009. I saw it coming, and my choice was to crash into the side of a BMW or let the Beamer push me over the double
yellow line into oncoming traffic.
I couldn't break any harder without skidding which would make me lose control and traction.
There was nothing I could do, but stand up on my foot pegs and say "Oh Shit".
I crashed and flew into an intersection doing 50 MPH. Landed on the right side of my head and slid.
(I High Sided) Not sure how high I flew, but I did fly most of the way through the middle of the intersection.

There was nothing I could do. The bitch of a driver caused the accident and was found guilty.

What saved me was (1.) I bought the best Full Face Helmet I could find, (2.) I had Body Armor,
(3.) I had really good armored leathers (Gloves, Jacket, Racing Boots) in addition to a back protector
strapped underneath my jacket.

But I digress...if you really really want to get into riding.

You will need to determine whether or not you want a Sport Bike or a Cruiser
(there are almost no more Standard Bikes anymore). These two bikes handle very very differently.
The sport bike is superior in terms of control, acceleration, cornering, and stopping.
They both ride very differently and have completely different limitations.
There is another class: The Touring Bike and the Sport Tourer.

Depending upon which you get, once you start riding, the culture of the types of riders
is as different as night and day.

Route choices are different, and of different lengths depending upon the type of bike
you get, your stamina (yes you get very tired from the wind, even just the mental concentration
wears you out).

IF YOU GET TIRED - STOP!!!
DO NOT EVER LOSE YOUR CONCENTRATION AND SITUATIONAL AWARENESS!!!

It is best if you take a riding course for beginners on safely handling a bike.
If you choose to go the sport bike route you will want to take an additional course at a Superbike School
(NOTE: TRACK RIDING IS NOT THE SAME AS RIDING ON THE ROAD. TRACKS ARE A CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT, ROADS ARE NOT
DO NOT RACE ON THE ROAD. KEEP IT FOR THE TRACK)
A good school to learn how to corner and ride fast is http://www.superbikeschool.com/

Get a bike that isn't too powerful to learn on
BUY THE BEST HELMET, LEATHERS AND ARMOR out there
DON'T GO CHEAP. YOUR LIFE WILL DEPEND ON YOUR GEAR
WHEN (NOT IF) YOU CRASH. IF TRYING TO DECIDE BETWEEN
A $500 DOLLAR HELMET AND A $900 DOLLAR HELMET ASK YOURSELF
IF YOUR LIFE IS WORTH THE EXTRA $400

Learn how to ride safely.
When you are ready, get a bigger, more powerful bike.

Good Sport Bike Mfrs: Suzuki, BMW, Kawasaki, Honda

Good Cruisers: Go Japanese (Suzuki, Kawasaki) or get a Victory
(Harley's are expensive pieces of CRAP that always breakdown
and parts and maintenance is really expensive. Harleys vibrate like hell and their
backend's shimmy and handle like CRAP) The only thing Harley has going
for it: is Marketing - that is it.
IF you want something more expensive than a Harley but only marginally better
but all of the mystique: you can get an Indian.
But both Harley's and Indians have completely outdated engine and suspension designs.

IF you like something a little more exotic but can still only
afford a factory bike - Triumph Thunderbird and the Triumph Rocket
are really good cruisers

Beyond that for Cruising Bikes: there are Custom Bike Builders.

IF you want a really good long range touring bike that you can ride
all day without getting tired (we're talking 400 mile trips here)
a Honda Goldwing is the way to go. They aren't built as nice
as a BMW, but they are more comfortable in my opinion, and
for such a wide bike, they are surprisingly nimble and handle
really well.
Ever split lanes on a Honda Gold Wing? I have.
(Lane Splitting is Legal in CA, and illegal in most other states, however
it is actually safer in most situations)

Keep your distance from cars
When coming up to a red light, move over to the side
of the lane, so if some yo yo driving a truck behind you isn't paying attention
to what is in front of him, there will be a chance that he will miss you.

Always plan out an escape route while riding.
This is constantly changing with the traffic.

So many things...

Best of Luck

Everything this guy just said, very well.
Some of the most exciting moments of my life have been on a motorcycle. When approached correctly it is easily one if the greater adventures you can enjoy in life.

I have posted it exactly one time before this. It's a motorcycle thread, I like seeing pics of other riders bikes, so other people probably do also. And I really don't have anything to add as far as advice that hasn't already been  covered numerous times. Relax.

Don't just think what kind of bike you want.  Think about where you want your feet.  You can lean back with your feet out in front, you can sit straight up with your feet underneath you, or you can lean forward with your feet behind you.  That makes a difference to a surprising number of people.

If for no other reason, it's a fairly cheap way to spend a couple of days on a bike.  Get some mild riding experience to see if you like it.

hey ,give him a break he's proud of it

and since he's probably 20 and just financed the thing for 84 months he better really like it  ( I used to sell bikes LOL)



 

Just don't turn into one of those guys. And no I won't relax!

I bought a XR600R and loved that but wife couldn't ride on the back very well,  so I got a KLR650 and freaking LOVE that thing.  Wife and I can ride on it, I rode it from Vegas to SLC and it was OK, not super comfortable,  but it made it and I was fine.


I love my bike, but I don't ride on the road a ton.

Good. Best thing you can do.

Once you've got your bike and some experience, take the advanced MSF course. This is pretty much the same thing as the beginner course, but now you ride the course on your bike. The MSF bikes are typically 125cc on/off road bikes. They're small and light and don't handle like anything you want to ride. Plus, they'll remind you of all the stuff you forgot from the first class.

Couldn't live without a bike.  Got 4 at the moment, my favorite is a 2002 Moto Guzzi California EV.  I've been riding since I was 14, that's 37 years now!  Get something like a 650 and see if you like it.

I'd be willing to bet that many of those Youtube videos were from sport riders trying to show off their skills, not your typical rider.  Riding is EXTREMELY dangerous since you have very little to protect from injury/death.  Once you start riding and begin enjoying yourself, you tend to let your guard down and that becomes deadly.  I'd be willing to bet that each of us personally know a person or have been involved in a crash while waiting at an intersection so imagine how a biker would do.

I'd compare riding to going to the local gun range on ladies night and trying to change your target while the range is hot.


(Former biker with over 100K miles commuting in extremely heavy rush hour traffic)

anything full face that meets the major standards will give you virtually the same protection





There has actually been some articles lately that some of the less stringent ( and cheaper) DOT and EU approved helmets are actually better for street riding than the Snell stuff





as Snell standards are for racing helmets and as such their foam is appreciably harder/denser as they are designed to be as small/light as possible and to deal with higher speeds and greater impacts wereas the DOT stuff the foam is softer/larger and the helmet themselves  are larger so the forces  on the head in normal sub 100mph crashes is actually lower than with a Snell approved helmet





That said I prefer a smaller lighter helmet myself and have a Shoei





but to say a $1000 Shoei or and Arai provides better protection than a $300 Nolan is bullshit , they may be lighter but thats about it





 

You must purchase a Hayabusa.
1999 model was the fast one.
Do not listen to any bullshit, your skillset will grow to accomodate the machine.

No one is saying MC's aren't dangerous.

I know.  Nearly got killed on one.  But guess what?  Even though it wasn't my fault, I could and SHOULD have avoided it.

I commute 70+ miles a day.  On my motorcycle.

I've filled my tank on my pickup one time since May after buying a little Kawasaki KL250G.
It's been great commuting and going offroad and back roads.
It's the first time I've been on a bike in 25 years and it's small size and limited HP doesn't bother me a bit.
I have a stretch of highway in my commute where the speed limit is 70mph and in a strong headwind I have to go chin to the handlebars, but most days 75 mph is easy upright.
I hit 84mph the other day with a tailwind going down hill.  I felt like Chuck Yeager!
I'll pick up something a little bigger next year for the highway, but I like the fuel economy of the little thumper and i'll keep it to play on.  I get around 55mpg on my commute, but on the backroads I get more like 70 mpg.
It's a hoot!

I've been riding since I was 8 years old.  I've dumped every bike I've ever rode.  I've dropped my VTX at least twice in the ten years I've owned it.  

IM me for the story about the asshole that ran me off the road, through a ditch, then through a barbed wire fence and left me for dead.

Prepare to dump everything you ride.

Do you have any dents or scratches on your daily driver car or truck?   My 01 Taco has plenty of personality.

I just traded a 150HP Street bike in for this









 

It's a must! Great info and it's a fun couple days or riding.

Plus your insurance will give you a discount

If you've never ridden, the MSF is a must.  Just do it.

My Dirt bike has a Plate, KTM 530 XC-w, Electric start to boot.

Dirt skills are developed fast and usually no cages to kill you.

Street only guys when a front tire slips, or the rear end kicks out they go down, Dirt bike guys deal with that all the time, so in some ways it could save an accident(although street bikes are loads heavier).

Hard acceleration, and wind in the face does give a sense of freedom, gets me every time when I nail the throttle!!

Have fun, and remember... Head on a swivel, don't let a cage wreck your day.

I really like the dual sport and adventure bikes.  KTM is my brand of choice.   Here are mine

I think this thread has cured me.  I'm 45 with 4 kids with a good job and good health.  Getting hit by a car driven some teenager, or even rolling off a bike going 20 mph, is not something I really need.  I'd feel differently if the risk to me did not involve how every other driver behaves on the road.

When you were a kid on BMX bicycles, were you the kid who always fell and skinned up his knee or did you ride like the wind?

If you are somewhat coordinated and athletic, you will love a motorcycle.

As someone who has been riding for over 30 years It used to be more enjoyable.....I have had more close calls with inattentive drivers in the last two to three years than the previous 27....I have had my bike down on more than one occasion and if you log enough miles you will too.......That part I don't mind and can handle....getting ran over while sitting at a stoplight by 19 year old texting suzy driving her dads 6000lb SUV is another matter......

There is truth in this.  I cut out a lot of my trips and in-the-city riding after the kids.  Driving in traffic sucks because a lot of your options for aggressive riding or escape routes are taken away.  Bikes are great when they don't have to play by car rules on the cars penned-in turf.

But there is also truth in driving defensively.  Humans have that primal 'hunt or be hunted' deep inside, and it is fun to wake up those senses, and they come alive on a motorcycle.  Hard to explain.
 
"You pay your money and take your chances."

I have a big life insurance policy, and if I am taken out, at least my family will know it was doing something I enjoyed, after 10k's of miles.  No one gets out alive anyway.

P.S.  the Keith Code books, "A twist of the wrist" as mentioned earlier are excellent, it made me a better cage driver as well.

This x1000. If you cant throw a dirt bike around at will and get the wheels off the ground more than a foot and not crash, you have zero business on a street bike. I've been riding for 45 years and I wont ride on the street anymore.
Just as an added incentive to get a dirtbike, I watched a biker die on sunday afternoon. The site of someone pounding out CPR on a lifeless body while his friends look on and weep on the side of the road will stick with you.

This kills the newbie and is bad advice.  You want to start with something smaller and more manageable like a 500

For the love of god don't get a harley.

I'm at my wits end with those things. I can't stand it,  I can hear those things over a mile away and yet the engine has no real power.
No different then the fart cans on hondas, same diff.

I wish the harley fad would just die already.
If I leave my window open at night in the summer that's all I ever hear. And for what, like 100 hp?
What a joke.