learn me, getting motorcycle license
 

First off please dont say google. I know and i am. I just thought there are automotive enthusiasts here and would like to put in their knowledge.

Basically my work schedule has been shit this year and ill have 2 - 3 weeks consecutive vacation soon. I want to make the focus of it getting my motorcycle license and buying a bike. This will be in about a moth from now.

Where should i look for getting some lessons? How is the license exam? Do i buy one before i go to exam? Insurance? Gear?

All input and advice appreciated.

They're probably booked solid for a few months, but a local MSF course is what you really want to start off with. Down here they have them at some community colleges, and they last Friday night, all Saturday, and Sunday morning. You get some classroom time, then lots of parking lot time. You use their bikes and do tons of parking lot riding, people that had never touched a bike before left the course riding pretty well. The super bonus of it all is that you get a certificate for your motorcycle license endorsement. After passing the written bike permit test at the DMV and getting your permit, you give them the certificate and you get your license instantly. Without that, you have to schedule a riding test at the DMV, which they sometimes only do on certain days, and you're on your own to have a bike you can ride. Their parking lot riding test is pretty difficult too (I'd argue somewhat unreasonable), but you can do some Google-fu on that.

Edit: To add, the motorcycle permit's only restriction is that you can't have a passenger, and since it's only a written test, you can study for a couple hours, pass that, and you're free to get a bike and ride all you want, it's good for 18 months if I remember correctly, and i think you can take it again when it expires, effectively having an infinite permit.

Pretty much spot on.

I too took the MSF course even though I had experience (required by law at the time due to my age). There were people who had never ridden a motorcycle and seldom a bicycle and they could actually ride by the end of the course.

After you pass that, you go to DMV and in California at least, you would need only to take the written exam to be issued a M1 license. The MSF course eliminates the need to do the DMV skills test. When I did my course, I believe the cost was about $200.

For the exam, they can provide a helmet and gloves if necessary.

In MN, with a permit: you can't ride at night, can't have a passenger, and MUST wear a helmet. Not sure what your states are like. But overall, easy :party0030:

Good luck :happyanim::clap:

I have ridden bikes all my life. The biggest mistakes new riders make is overconfidence and too much bike. Absolutely take the MSF course. Get in the habit of wearing safety gear all the time, even if it's just a ride around the block.


One of the best things you can do is purchase a used Honda 250 Rebel or Nitehawk from craigslist. You will quickly outgrow it but it will be something you can handle and will make passing your exam much easier. You will also be able to sell it for little or no loss. Resist the urge to get a 600 or larger sportbike. Anything with lots of plastic fairings will break the bank when you need to repair them after your first drop. And you will drop the bike. It's not a matter of if, but when.


People will not see you on a bike, they will turn left in front of you, they will pull out in front of you, they will rearend you at stoplights. Ride like you are invisible and that everyone is out to kill you.


Again, get signed up and take the MSF class. When you complete it sign up and take it again the next year.

Looks like @slowstang and @RustySocket pretty well have it covered, take an MSF course, buy a <600cc bike for your first season and remember you have a cloak of invisibility, no one can see you so your arse is in your own hands.


In many states, if you pass the MSF course you don't have to take a riding test at the DMV, another benefit of taking the course. If you can't find one directly, you might try your local Harley dealer. In Georgia just about all of them offer MSF sanctioned courses, and you don't have to buy a Harley.


I've been riding for over 40 years, and I go back and take the MSF course (or one of their advanced courses) about once every five years. It keeps you from developing bad habits. I always do it if I go a couple of years between bikes.

Thanks for the tips. This is what I found. $350

https://www.ridemss.com/msf-motorcyc...c-ridercourse/

A lot of options for October dates.

I will be buying a small bike and mainly for commute although I'm sure the bug will bite me and I'll go for something bigger.

For gear really I want a one piece suit but not sure that is feasible starting out. What you recommend for helmet?

I'm partial to Shoei myself, but my biggest advice on helmets is to go to a store and try out the fit on many different helmets until you find the correct fit. The correct fit should not be too loose. If the helmet isn't nice and snug (while still comfy!), it could possibly roll off your head in the event of contact with the pavement. Shoei helmets fit my head shape very well, so it's the brand I stick with.

Make sure the helmet carries Snell M2010 or M2015 certification.

I took MSF Basic rider course two years ago. I was new to riding. Now I absolutely love it. Since I've been a city commuter with minimal highway trips, my CBR250R has lasted me a long time. I'm just now shopping around for a bigger bike, something in the Sport-Touring category.

Good move. If your round-trip is less than 100 miles you might want to look at some of the electrics. I've been eyeing them (they ride just like "real" bikes) but the range isn't long enough for my commute. The only problem some will say is that they are quiet, but despite popular belief it isn't loud pipes that will keep you safe.

I'm not a fan of one piece suits, but that will come down to a personal preference.

As far a helmet, like @malave7567 says, the most important thing is fit. Go to a big bike shop that has someone that can help you. Also, for a new rider, you don't need any distractions so DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES buy a Bluetooth helmet that syncs with your phone. It is cool and all, but it will very likely be a problem.

Also, don't cheap out, buy a name brand, and expect to spend stupid money on it, and don't buy used you can't always tell if they are damaged. When I first started riding Bell Helmets had an ad that always stuck with me "If you have a $10 head, wear a $10 helmet".

Electrics? New to me lol. My round trip is 60 miles Max.

What type of gear you use and why?

I agree on this too. I spent my first nervous months riding with nothing extra in my helmet. Once I got more comfortable, I got a Sena SMH-10 for my helmet. Great unit. I still don't like to try to speak on the phone (You can speak to answer, which I do. Then normally tell the person that I will call them back later), but having access to my music helps me keep my sanity in Houston traffic.

What I always ride in is:
1) Helmet
2) Motorcycle jacket with CE armor in the necessary places (tons of options on what you want here)
3) Jeans w/overpants (I really need to buy riding jeans with armor built in)
4) Riding boots (the ones I'm currently using are more of a dual-purpose, where they can be comfortably worn as a high-stop sneaker or casual shoe as well. Again, tons of options out there.)
5) Riding gloves, cold weather or mesh with armored knuckles for warm weather.

I personally shop at revzilla.com most of the time, but you can also go into a local CycleGear even to try the fit on some of the name brand stuff. I sometimes buy their Bilt in-house brand for stuff like helmet socks or thermal liners.

I don't ride myself, but wanted to stress how important it is to get all of the riding gear. I have a friend who is a new rider and dumped his bike over the weekend. He had everything but riding pants on, just regular jeans. While the rest of him wasn't hurt, his legs were torn up pretty badly. One gash was only a few inches from a birthmark as well, which would have resulted in a trip to the hospital; for a crash that couldn't have been over 10 mph. Buy it, and wear it. Always.

There are several plug-in bikes on the market, if you like the style. Zero Motorcycles and Brammo are the two I've looked at. Victory (Polaris) has just rolled one out as well.

Well I have the overpants with protection, but it feels awkward having essentially two pairs of pants on. So I am currently shopping an all-in-one solution, like jeans with Kevlar built in. Just haven't bought any yet.

Sent from my SM-N920P using Tapatalk

Understood. My comment was directed more toward the OP, sorry about that. If my friend was wearing anything heavier than jeans, it would have been just the bike and his pride which were damaged, so I wanted to mention it. Especially for a new rider where my understanding is that it isn't if you'll dump the bike, but when and how badly.

I'll repeat what is already said.

Take the MSF course.

Again, take the MSF course.

It is absolutely the best thing you can do before you buy a bike, take any exams, or even decide if you should be on a bike.

I'm not necessarily of the mandatory MSF camp, but it was a lot of fun, if that sways your decision.

Sounds like you have the right idea for the kind of bike you want. Depending on how comfortable you feel/how much power you think you need maybe look into the 300 class of motorcycles. I hear only good things about all of them (cbr300, R3, ninja 300 and the KTM rc390). decent power and supposedly a blast to ride while still getting killer MPG!

Everyone seems to touch on it well, but get yourself a quality helmet. Price does really mean a lot here, in general stay away from HJC and the cheaper brands. 150 bucks is appealing for a helmet but it's not worth it when you think about what goes inside. Plus they feel cheap when you wear them.

I always wear a jacket, decent boots, good gloves, jeans and a good helmet (always had an Arai, now I have a Schuberth for racing). I really should wear better leg protection though, I would recommend something better. A buddy bought some of those kevlar reinforced jeans and he really likes them. Depending on what kind of speeds you'll be hitting on your commute that might be a solid option as they'll protect you well and not be uncomfortable/ too bulky.
I haven't ridden on the street in awhile but when I get back into it I'll be getting myself some decent pants

Also don't skimp on gloves! generally the first thing to hit the ground, make sure they are good! last thing you want are big holes in your palms

Helmets will have different padding and overall shapes, as do riders heads.
What works well for one person will be completely unworkable for someone else.
You'll have to actually try on a lot of them to find one that works.
Pay particular attention to pressure points. You may find some awful annoyance after a couple hours.
The cheek pads may seem too tight when new. They will loosen up eventually.

Single piece leather suits are best for racing, but can be pain trying to peel off after a commute.
A colleague at work commuted with an Aerostitch single piece textile suit. They have a good reputation, but at $600 to $800 they can be a big chunk to swallow.

Look into two piece textile gear to get started. You can get better gear later if you decide to get more deeply involved.
The pants and jackets will come with zippers to connect them together, though you may have to get a compatible zip strip sewn in.
Each piece will have both zipper halves you can use the loose half on the incompatible other piece.

A 3/4 length jacket is better for colder weather than the shorter length sporty jackets.
Most will come along with zip in rain and insulation layers.

Textile gear should be thought of as single incident protection. If you dump and it gets damaged, replace it rather than re-use.

Kevlar-lined jeans only protect you from road rash; not from impact. Only padding/armour can do that. Knee pucks might seem like overkill for daily riding, but if you happen to impact your knee; they're going to protect your knee caps way more than unpadded (but abrasion-resistant) clothing.

I have a full one-piece leathers suit that i used for ride out and back canyon rides. For more casual rides/cruising etc, i'll wear leather pants and a textile or leather jacket. I've been down twice on the street in jeans and each time my knees and hips got pretty sore and banged up. the other times i went down in full leathers in the canyons and while i did get injured (broken bones), they really prevented the injuries from being a lot worse.

I went through the Basic Riders Course and then the Motorcycle Sportbike Riders Course as a follow on about a month later (it was required of me since I'm military). I would definitely recommend taking the basic course to really get comfortable with the bike and if you do buy from a dealership some of them have a deal with a local college that offers the course so it's included with your purchase. That was in Hawaii so I'm not sure how it is elsewhere. As far as whoever said take the course then sign up to do it again, I wouldn't take the beginners class over only because as one of my instructors put it "I can only teach you how to use the clutch once." The advanced classes however, are the ones you want to go to every couple of years or whenever you upgrade to a bigger bike, different class of bike or whatever. Might seem like overkill, but it keeps your certifications up to date, and I learned a lot more about the bike and myself as a rider and had fun doing it. Also, you can go to track days sponsored by MFC and that'll count as a follow on to the advanced class and extend your certs. I think it helps with insurance? I can't remember, but it might be worth looking into.
As far as PPE goes, nothing drives me or my wife crazier (we both ride) than seeing someone wearing all the gear except gloves or a helmet. There's nothing separating your precious noggin from painting the pavement a delightful red/pink, so it's good to hear you're definitely looking at full body protection. You can look good while you ride and still be fully protected. It might be too hot one day or you might just be riding down the road, but please always always always wear all your gear. And once you go down, jeans shred in seconds, so then it's just your skin sliding on the pavement.
When it comes to bikes, make sure you find one your comfortable on. I'm going to assume you're over 65", but for my wife and myself we have to think "okay, if I'm on a slight slope would I be able to back the bike up? I'm kinda tip toeing here, this might be too tall". Make sure you test the clutch out, pull on it, make sure you don't have to be the hulk to squeeze it because that would make riding one hell of a left forearm workout.
I'm still a relatively new street bike rider, I rode dirt bikes when I was younger, so a lot of my advice here is from more seasoned riders who have passed it along to me. At any rate, once you do get everything, happy riding!

FTFY

I took the BRC and later the MSBC (actually 2x due to the forced recerts which are no longer required of civilians aboard) and it was a lot of fun. Particularly the MSBC. But boy the MSBC would've been more fun if the majority of people in the class beside me hadn't all taken the BRC the weekend prior and bought liter bikes during the week in between. They were all terrified of dropping their bikes. I had been riding for several years at that point (the MSBC didn't exist when I took the BRC in 2004).

I am also an ATGATT advocate (but not an adherent...yeah, I know), as well as a start on a small bike advocate. I started on a 2005 Kawasaki Ninja 500R (EX500), moved up to a 2007 Kawasaki ZX-6R and then up to a 2011 (leftover in 2012) Honda CBR1000RR (Fireblade) which is my current bike.

I don't ride nearly as much as I used to as my girlfriend wants nothing to do with it (she says she'd ride with me if I got a bagger but honestly she can't deal with heat in the summer so realistically I doubt that's true).

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...ps3091f7a2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...3934Custom.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...2/DSC01318.jpg

You guys ride in the rain?

What am I looking at for maintenance.

I have all the tools i need for my BRZ but I can't really fit anymore tools in garage due to some reason I will call "personal circumstances" lol

why no luv for the cruiser bikes?

I live in western Washington. I ride a lot in the rain.

On my goldwing I carry a basic tool kit. Never needed it. It has maintenance intervals like a car.

I wear layers so I can adjust as the day changes.

I can suggest getting leather gear. Fabric gear literally grabs the road when you crash. Leather skips and slides.

I crashed (hit sand in a turn-highsided in a very bad way) and my fabric padded riding jacket bunched right up to my neck on both arms when I hit the street doing my Superman impression. I was wearing jeans, so my knees and legs got messed up. Leather pants would have MAYBE left me bruised.

I was wearing leather gloves with short gauntlets, they flew off while I was rolling, get LONG gauntlet gloves.

I was wearing leather shoes, they flew off as well while I was rolling on the ground. Wear leather boots.

If I'd been wearing the correct riding gear, i would have walked away, instead, I broke many bones, feet, hands, elbow, lots of road rash.

Screwdrivers / allen wrenches / socket wrenches for fairings/changing oil. Also helpful for eventual mods like slip-on/exhaust/Power Commander.

Rearstand and eventually front stand if you're doing a non-cruiser (i.e. sport/standard). You need a rearstand from day one to enable proper cleaning/tensioning of the chain (unless you get a belt drive bike in which case, don't need). They also help with working on the suspension and cleaning the wheels.

The one time I wrecked I was wearing Fieldsheer textile jacket, Fieldsheer textile overpants, British Motorcycle Gear full gauntlet winter leather gloves, Alpinestars boots and a Shoei helmet. This was under 10 mph turning left into my parking lot at work and I hit a patch of black ice. 06 JAN 2009, 17F. I went down on my left side and the bike took off on the frame slider, did a 180 and hit the curb which destroyed the front fairing, windscreen, mirrors, left clip on, tank and tail.

Padding on the palms of one of the gloves was torn off but there was a layer underneath Left knee of overpants the upper seam blew out completely like a balloon popping. Again, padding and layer underneath protected me. Jacket was very slightly abraded but was perfectly usable. Helmet didn't touch the ground thank the motorcycle gods as it was only two days old. Boots were fine as my hip is what took the impact.

I clicked the accident counter from 0 to 1 that day for my base. Because in this case it was truly an accident (there was nothing I could've done short of having IR vision).

Now I say all this because textile (i.e. fabric) gear can absolutely keep you safe - but where it differs from leather is in its ability to keep you safe more than once. Leather garments are more durable and are usually repairable. The hole you see in my pants below the left pocket is where my house keys were in my outer pocket. That was the only bruise I had.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...86979_P_23.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...03048Small.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...03057Small.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...03055Small.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...03056Small.jpg

I had bought a cbr250 so my wife could ride and I ended up keeping it as a commuter bike for a couple years. Fun bike, great starter bike. Once you get tired of it, sell it for what you paid. I picked up a used Yamaha FZ07 a few months back. Fantastic bike, enough power to keep you interested and its churning out 54.5mpg with a 220# man on it.

Figured I would ask some questions here after reading through this thread instead of starting a new one:

Background Info

-26 years old, no tickets, pretty responsible person - basically not a 17 year old who isn't mature enough yet to know not to do very unsafe things with a new bike

-I am taking a basic rider safety course at a community college hopefully this May that allows me to get my license without a DMV exam

-I plan to buy all the right gear (helmet jacket pants gloves boots)

-I am absolutely obsessed with Ducati Monsters. I think they are beautiful and it is by far my dream bike. I am not interested in getting the fastest bike or the best. I am sure there are tons of pros and many cons to this bike but I am unable to set my eyes on anything else. I love the style of a naked bike and this is eventually what I want to buy.

Questions
Lot of my research online points to buying used smaller bike like a Ninja 250 as a new rider. If I eventually plan to buy the Monster is it worth the cost of getting this type of bike first and then selling, or is it pretty easy to not take a loss on the resale?

Having never owned a bike before, if I do go with the option of buying a used Ninja, should I just go to a dealer to make sure I am not getting something damaged? In your experience what should one look out for when buying a used bike?

Final question - I have lower back problems from a accident several years ago. Is the riding position of the Ninja 250 much more uncomfortable than that of the Monster? Are you leaning forward quite a bit more?

Thanks for any insight!

250 is not good for highway. Get a 500cc and up imho. Ninjas? Just get a Vulcan. Id buy it. Cruiser bike is your friend until you feel comfortable. Imho

My first bike was a Kawi 636. Not the best decision. No huge regrets, but if I had to do it over again I would buy a used 250 in a sport riding position--not a supersport position. Something like 95% of people drop their bike in their first year. Whether that is a tip over or a crash, the statistics aren't good. I was hit lane sharing, and lost control another time on a bad road with gravel. Nothing more than a few stitches and a broken clavicle between the two, but lessoned learned. Part of it was the bike, and the inexperience. A 250 is much lighter and has a less aggressive riding position, besides less power. My buddy rides two up on his wife's Kawi 300 all the time even though he has a Kawi zx1400r. Power isn't everything. If you are interest in the Monster then you understand that. And don't worry, you will likely sell for the same price even if you add a few thousand miles on a used 250.

Just buy a low milage used 250. No worries. You can get a late model low milage for $2-3k or less if you go older. Just make sure it wasn't dropped. Check for replaced parts, road rash, odd noises, signs of fluids or odd wear. All the usual stuff.

You can get a Rebel or other bikes that have a more upright position. Go try them out. I can say that my Monster feels a hell of a lot better than my 636 did, even with the clip ons.

Just a note: I wouldn't buy a Ducati for a first bike, so get the 250. The 250 will have a smoother, more linear and more predictable power band. The monster will sound and feel better in every way, but you need tools to handle the midrange torque and quarks that it has. Also, if you live in a place like Sacramento like I used to, that is open and windy with long stretches of straight highways, you may want a bike with fairings. If you are like me who now lives in the wine country with miles of curvy roads everywhere that are amazing then eventually you must get the Ducati!

http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k...psaue8uipc.jpg

Kawasaki 250 and newer 300 are very upright. They come with regular bars across the top.
They hold their values well on the used market as long as they are well maintained.
Red line on the new ones is 14k, old ones 15k. Fun when wound up.

A neighbor had a 95 900 Monster he got down in Oregon for $2500. He had to have it.
Kind of rustles the jimmies thing and had a lot of fun with it.
It was a carburated bike though and was always having to d1ck around with it.
Turns out the needles had ovalized the emulsion tubes and would never be the same without new carbs.
He finally sold it and got a Multistrada with fuel injection.

Another bike to look at would be a Suzuki SV650. They're going for about the same as a 250/300.
It's a 90 degree L twin that comes as a naked with bars or faired with clipons.
99-02 have carbs, but 03 on are injected. Would recommend injected.
Then you can get your Monster when it's just not enough.

I've got an 03 naked that is going to be another long term bike.
Last one was an 83 Honda Nighthawk 650 that I had for 23 years. Carbs finally.
I like my SV a lot. Good low end torque, perfect for stop n go city traffic. It goes to 11!
It's almost as good as a monster, but a lot cheaper initially and for parts later. Engine braking and blip downshifts. Live it.

You will get best value for a used bike as a private sale, but you have to know what to look for and how much to fix it if it's not right.
A dealer may let you bring it back for 30 days, but don't count on it getting better spontaneously.

Tires over 5 years old definitely need replacing. There are codes on the sidewalls. $300+ for a new set of adequate tires.

A good resource for checking out used SVs was written up, but a lot of it applies to all used bike shopping.

mad8vskillz' SV650 "Good Dealz" Buying Guide

I suggest you take the MSF course, get really good safety gear- full face helmet, top quality gloves, boots, etc., then buy a beater bike. An older Honda, for example. Or almost any Japanese bike. An older 883 Sportster is also a good starter bike. Although any street bike has enough power to get you in very serious trouble very quickly, the bigger bikes have power you have never dreamed of, and which you very likely can't control yet.

You WILL at least drop your bike, and the odds are pretty good that you'll realize riding a bike isn't for you. Perhaps it will be on the freeway when you're cruising next to an 18 wheeler going 70, and you imagine what your corpse will look like if you get trapped under it. So the loss on a beater will be minimal if you change your mind, or upgrade.

If you've never ridden, you don't know what kind of bike you want yet. So take it slow, get your feet wet with an older beater, and then see where you go next. And get really good safety gear.

One strong suggestion- buy Keith Code's Twist of the Wrist, and its iterations. Lots of great info, and although I imagine there might be others out there as good, it's pretty much the gold standard.

Cheers

The best advice on this thread. Please pay attention to it. Tattoo it on your forearm if you have to.

Again, you are invisible, and they are trying to kill you, with 4,000 pounds of steel traveling at high speeds. The soccer mom might be sorry, but she'll be telling your next-of-kin.

Most folks I know start at the Harely shop. Go there and ask about motor cycle classes. They will have them posted also. Most classes, you use their bikes, but you'd best have your own bike for the test. I don't ride but I know a lot of folks that do

You can p.m. me if you like... (I know this post is a little old).
I've owned multiple bikes, gone racing and have instructed from beginner to track school level for over 10 years.

I can't give you much info about your licence requirements, but when it comes to riding technique, gear etc, I am sure I can help you out.

MSF is excellent!

The above advice in a nutshell is good - and Keith Code's book is great, but I'd just add - only once you know the basics and have at least a little experience (so you can relate better to the advice in the book)!

Thanks for all the input! Looks like unanimous suggestion is not to start with the Ducati and that I should not lose money on reselling a starter bike. Appreciate the input on bikes and their seating position as well!