So I've decided to buy a 2008 250R...

[BradtheAg]

But I'm not sure what the best way to do it is. I'm probably 2-3 months from actually purchasing it because I want to pay cash for it.

My main question is, when should I take the MSF course? I've never ridden a motorcycle before. I'm worried that I'll show up to the course and make an ass out of myself.

Should I buy all my gear before taking the MSF course? Or wait until I complete it? Or wait until I actually buy the bike? I have about $1200 budgeted for helmet, perforated leather jacket, gloves, and boots. Still not sure if I'm going to go ahead and get pants too. What gear will I need to take the MSF course? Any opinions on perforated leather in Texas? I realize its going to be a little hot but I'd rather be uncomfortable than missing skin and I'm not sure I trust textile.

I have a ton of questions but I'll stop there for now. ANY opinions/advice will be greatly appreciated as I'm 100% a noob right now.

[BradtheAg]

Forgot to thank kkim for sending me an invite to the site. I've been lurking over on kawiforums for about a month now but didn't feel comfortable posting due to some of the idiots who pollute the 250 board over there. So far this site looks great

[Broom]

some quick answers for you:

pay in cash.

take the msf course then buy gear. don't worry about looking like an ass. the progression is slow... baby steps. take it before you get the bike. be careful about taking it too soon cause you'll get all excited and buy a bike with credit (sounds like you don't want to and thats good).

perfed leather - gotta recomend Komodo. they're local and support the local race scene. they have a where house near motoliberty (also a good spot to shop) near 635 and 35. you can pick up what you want there. check out http://komodogear.com/

i'd recomend pants. pants that will go over your street clothes are good. aerostich suit is best.

never ride without your gear. if its too hot for gear, then its too hot to ride.

[BlueTyke]

First off Welcome Brad!!

I highly recommend taking the MSF course. All you need for the course is gloves, ankle covering boots, long sleeved shirt, and Jeans. I think they provide helmets but I wanted to use my own... I could be wrong, that information should also be avalaible on the MSF website.

One of the reasons I took the MSF before getting the bike was to make sure I wanted to and felt comfortable riding a motorcycle. That way I only have wasted $200 vs thousands. This also will help with Insurnace some people offer discounts for the insured. So it is good all around to learn from them.

The only bad question is the one you didn't ask.

[kkim]

Welcome, Brad. Take the MSF course as soon as possible. Once you do, decide then if riding a motorcycle is right for you. If so, go for it and the rest of your questions will seem to answer themselves.

Post up a short intro in the new member's section.

[ninjabrewer]

Agree with everything already said, 'cept one. Do you know anybody around you that rides? When I started last year, I ask a lot of the guys I work with about helmets, bikes and the like. Granted it is up to you to decide what works for you and what is comfortable, esp. helmets, if is not comfortable, it will make riding a lot less enjoyable. Try on a many as possible, ask questions at the place you are looking. Wear it around the store for a bit. Several of my co-workers said they liked a certain brand or model but could not find one to fit their noggin. (IMHO, a helmet is not something to get by mail order) As for the MSF course, check with the local location in regards to their equipment. Sunny was correct, but the place I went, the helmets were not exactly something I wanted my head in (I had no idea how clean the previous wearer(s) were) for the time we were on the course, so I had already got mine. Don't worry about making an a** on the course, if you can ride a bicycle, you will do fine. Several on here are also beginners, myself included, and a bunch that have been riding for years. If have questions, this is the perfect place to ask.




nb

[OldGuy]

Originally Posted by ninjabrewer

nb

I think you are going to hear the same song from every member of the choir on this question. In some states passing the MSF gets you an automatic endorsement on your license and you don't have to take a DMV written/driving test.

The only people who make a**s of themselves are the hot shoes that come in thinking they know it all and are there to impress. As others said, stay calm and listen to your instructors. I'm willing to bet that those of us that have take an MSF often hear our instructors voices in our head in certain situations or when we've done something stupid.

Keep us posted.

[Sailariel]

Tink that I otally agree with Broom, Don, and the rest. Do not be worried about makingan ass of yourself--will not happen in the MSF course. Motorcycling is NOT rocket science. You will learn things right. Can you ride a bicycle? If the answer is yes, you can ride a motorcycle. If the answer is no, they will teach you. I have been riding since 1958 and plan to take the advanced course this spring. I also plan to take a sportbike course this summer. I don`t plan to race, but feel that I would enjoy the bike more if I had those skills. I graduated from the Jim Russell Driving school in 1960, and have found that my driving enjoyment was greatly enhanced. I suspect that the Sportbike school will yield the same results.

[kkim]

Brad,

Small point, but your thread title says "2008"?? Do you mean 2009? AFAIK, you can't buy a new 2008 from a dealer. Are you thinking of buying used?

[voodoomaster]

Texas dude! I sometimes miss a bottle of Lone Star on pizza Friday's. Know where Carrollton is.......? Miss Texas.

Anyway, this IS a good club, you have joined a good one. Buy a BLUE bike!

BLUE RULES

[SF-Dug]

You are paying for the course. Ask as many questions as you can think of but take it slow. Its okay to buy your gear early. In fact its best to have the gear before you get your bike IMHO. If you can read some books on the subject do so because it helps. I would recommend David L. Hough's Proficient Motorcycling as it is a great book to read. Most importantly have fun ! Motorcycling is IMHO 90% mental.

[Countrygirl]

Hi! Welcome to the board!

Everyone who takes the course is usually brand new to riding. I took the course and loved it! I learned a lot! The only thing I wore was my hiking boots that covered my ankle, and a leather jacket that I already owned. It wasn't a motorcycle leather, just a leather. Other people that took the course were there in textile jackets. I borrowed a helmet and gloves from the school I was taking the course from. They let students borrow their gear for free. Check with your school to find out if they provide you with anything and what you need to bring. Also search online for reviews of schools. I asked the motorcycle stores, friends and looked at reviews, then made my decision from there.

I wanted to see if I liked riding and if i could figure it out. It was a lot of fun and the instructors are very patient, helpful and very nice.

I did a lot of searching online as to what gear was good. I asked people who rode what they liked, I went into the motorcycle stores and asked lots of questions, tried on a variety of gear to see what sizes fit me, then went online and bought it all cuz it was cheaper that way.

Never ever feel like you're gonna look like an ass or feel silly for asking questions. I'm sure I drove the guys at the motorcycle store crazy cuz I'd spend 5 hours at a time in the store asking about different brands, gear, what's good, what's not. I wouldn't just ask one guy, I'd come in the next week on a different day so I could talk to someone else and ask them the same questions just to get a different opinion. I'm sure I was a pebble in their shoe, but I didn't care because knowledge is power. The more you ask, the more you know.

I would suggest making sure you can find a bike first before you invest in your gear. I couldn't find one last year so I had to wait until this year to get one. Once I had a deposit down and I knew for sure, for sure I had one locked away for me, then I ordered all my gear. I had spent all last year and the majority of this year reading reviews online, searching through forums and going into the stores to figure out my sizing on different products.

When I found a site that had pictures or sold what I wanted to wear, I would copy and paste the url into an email to myself so I wouldn't forget where to go to find what I wanted when I was ready to make a purchase.

Once I knew what I wanted, then I began the search of finding the best price.... it wasn't until I came to this forum and read about www.newenough.com that I found the place that had great pricing. I also ordered some of my gear from Belgium because even with the exchange it was cheaper for me to buy it over there than it was to buy it in Canada or the States.

Good luck and enjoy the journey of finding your bike and your gear!

[kkim]

damn, I love a fast study!

[jpnfrk]

Don't feel bad about being a noob... I'm one too. I got the bike, all the gear, and insurance prior to the MSF course (which I'll take this week).

I think it's smarter to do the class before anything else, only reason I got the bike before the class is because I got it through a great irresistible deal on craiglist ($2k for a 2007 that has extended warranty until 2011) and once paid for I figured there's no turning back. Otherwise, I might've waited.

[OldGuy]

Originally Posted by Countrygirl

Hi! Welcome to the board!

Everyone who takes the course is usually brand new to riding. I took the course and loved it! I learned a lot! The only thing I wore was my hiking boots that covered my ankle, and a leather jacket that I already owned. It wasn't a motorcycle leather, just a leather. Other people that took the course were there in textile jackets. I borrowed a helmet and gloves from the school I was taking the course from. They let students borrow their gear for free. Check with your school to find out if they provide you with anything and what you need to bring. Also search online for reviews of schools. I asked the motorcycle stores, friends and looked at reviews, then made my decision from there.

I wanted to see if I liked riding and if i could figure it out. It was a lot of fun and the instructors are very patient, helpful and very nice.

I did a lot of searching online as to what gear was good. I asked people who rode what they liked, I went into the motorcycle stores and asked lots of questions, tried on a variety of gear to see what sizes fit me, then went online and bought it all cuz it was cheaper that way.

Never ever feel like you're gonna look like an ass or feel silly for asking questions. I'm sure I drove the guys at the motorcycle store crazy cuz I'd spend 5 hours at a time in the store asking about different brands, gear, what's good, what's not. I wouldn't just ask one guy, I'd come in the next week on a different day so I could talk to someone else and ask them the same questions just to get a different opinion. I'm sure I was a pebble in their shoe, but I didn't care because knowledge is power. The more you ask, the more you know.

I would suggest making sure you can find a bike first before you invest in your gear. I couldn't find one last year so I had to wait until this year to get one. Once I had a deposit down and I knew for sure, for sure I had one locked away for me, then I ordered all my gear. I had spent all last year and the majority of this year reading reviews online, searching through forums and going into the stores to figure out my sizing on different products.

When I found a site that had pictures or sold what I wanted to wear, I would copy and paste the url into an email to myself so I wouldn't forget where to go to find what I wanted when I was ready to make a purchase.

Once I knew what I wanted, then I began the search of finding the best price.... it wasn't until I came to this forum and read about www.newenough.com that I found the place that had great pricing. I also ordered some of my gear from Belgium because even with the exchange it was cheaper for me to buy it over there than it was to buy it in Canada or the States.

Good luck and enjoy the journey of finding your bike and your gear!

What Joanne said - that is one of the clearest talk throughs for how to get started I've read in a long time. Nice work.

[BradtheAg]

thanks to everyone who has chimed in so far. i think i'll sign up for a MSF course ~2 months or so from now. i'll get my helmet and probably some riding boots beforehand and wait on the other gear. if i take the course and find that i don't care for it i'll just sell the helmet and have a few grand lying around. but i don't really anticipate that happening.

i'd like to take the course next weekend but whoever mentioned waiting on it because i'd get excited and just go buy a bike right then was spot on. i can definitely see myself doing that. based on what everyone has said i should get a lot out of the class, i consider myself smarter than the average bear and i will be there to learn rather than to screw around or show off.

i am ordering proficient motorcycling from amazon today.

GREAT info so far, keep it coming!

[Sound Wave]

Originally Posted by Sailariel

Can you ride a bicycle? If the answer is yes, you can ride a motorcycle. If the answer is no, they will teach you.

i think this is the only thing you need to know how to do beforehand. at least in our class. if you couldn't ride a bicycle, they gave a refund and withdrew you from the course.

brad, good luck with the class. do you know how to drive a stick shift car? if you do, it will make the concept of shifting a lot easier. not necessary though.

you will do fine. one thing that helped me was watching a bunch of youtube how-to ride videos. i especially enjoyed mordeth 13. really funny guy. he has a whole bunch of videos. www.monkeysee.com has some instructional videos as well.

here is a good one to start with from mordeth 13.

Link to original page on YouTube.


btw, you gotta watch this video about the biker wave.... if you haven't already seen it. LOL. he cracks me up.

Link to original page on YouTube.

[BradtheAg]

i'm pretty sure i can still ride a bicycle, i used to tear sh1t up on my dyno back in the day but that was 10 years ago now.

all my cars have been sticks so no worries there.

thanks for the tip on the videos, i'll definitely check them out.

[jpnfrk]

Thanks for the videos Gary, they are really cool!!