learn me, getting motorcycle license

[malave7567]

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.

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[ScoobsMcGee]

Originally Posted by malave7567

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.

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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.

[tennisfreak]

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.

[slowstang]

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

[srizzors25]

Originally Posted by ZionsWrath

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

What type of gear you use and why?

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

[bcj]

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.

[shiumai]

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.

[TwoChicksOneSTI]

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!

[phobos512]

Originally Posted by TwoChicksOneSTI

I went through the Basic Riders Course and then the Military 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).

[ZionsWrath]

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

[Packofcrows]

why no luv for the cruiser bikes?

[RustySocket]

Originally Posted by ZionsWrath

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

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.

[mike the snake]

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.

[phobos512]

Originally Posted by ZionsWrath

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

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.