Quote:
Originally Posted by adouglas
1) Have a "learning" mindset from the very beginning. LISTEN. Accept that you really DON'T know this stuff yet. Suck it up and get training... and when you're in the presence of the instructor, engage, ask questions and pay attention.
2) Take it easy while you learn. Be hyper-aware of your environment and be conservative on the road.
3) Be very self-aware throughout your riding career. Think about and understand SRs and why they happen.
4) Understand the risks. Think and speak rationally about them, especially with the inevitable loved one who is dead-set against you riding. "You'll get killed for sure" and "I'll be fine, I know what I'm doing" are unrealistic ends of the spectrum, yet they're the foundation of most such discussions. You're not going to die the moment you leave the driveway. You MIGHT get hurt.
5) Use your brain. Think critically. You'll hear all kinds of crap from all kinds of people, much of it misleading and a fair bit of it flat wrong. The purpose of your brain is to think. SO THINK, DAMMIT! "Gee, I don't know what happened" and "the bike got away from me" are code for "I wasn't thinking at all and I don't understand how this works."
6) Don't bow to peer pressure. Ride YOUR ride. Choose the bike that YOU are comfortable with. Stay within YOUR limits.
7) Understand the difference between form and substance. For some, it's about self-image and what others think of you... a "lifestyle." For others, it's about skill and riding. Recognize this and think about where you fit along the spectrum. Nothing wrong with farkling your bike to the gills and cruising down to bike night if that's what floats your boat, or letting your beard grow for a few days and playing Sons of Anarchy... but that stuff won't make you a knee-dragging canyon carver, or even a safe and competent rider.
8) I'm saving equipment for last because too often, people go straight there and bypass the most important piece of hardware... the nut behind the wheel. Too many beginners do not buy proper gear, even those who have an ATGATT mindset from the outset. They think with their wallet instead of their head. Do the math. Find out how much getting hurt actually costs. Think in vivid detail about what happens if you hit the pavement at 40 mph and dress for that. This is just as necessary an investment as the bike is.
9) And the predictable... don't bite off more than you can chew when it comes to the bike. I was up in Loudon last Monday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Beginner group got red-flagged because some poor overconfident Rossi wannabe pranged his pretty new Panigale. Went into Turn 1 and decided he couldn't get the bike turned, so he just gave up and laid it down. The guy lacked basic judgment skills. He's okay, but has just learned a hard, several-thousand-dollar lesson. Assuming he did learn from the experience.
|
Good stuff!! I especially like #7 and #8
May I quote you in the article I'm writing if I can fit it in?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Motofool
What kind of riding?
A proficient motorcyclist in all branches is an extremely rare occurrence.
|
Mainly street riding. A new rider just starting out with buying a bike to ride on the street. This was a question asked in a letter to the editor of the Canadian magazine I write for, Motorcycle Mojo Magazine. I'm writing a feature article on the top 10 most important things for new riders to consider when first starting out and the reader was looking for opinions from seasoned riders looking back at when they first started. What do they wish they knew back in the beginning months of riding, what do they wish they had spent their $$ on, what should they wait to purchase until they are more seasoned....that kind of thing. It's mostly done but I always like to check in with the masses to get opinions from everyone else that was once a beginner. There are some great comments in here!
I especially LOVE how almost everyone has stated the importance of PROFESSIONAL RIDER TRAINING!! This is something that I skipped in the initial stages of my riding
and I could have benefitted from learning how to ride properly before i had developed such bad habits that were hard to break!
What about technological advances since you first started riding? What kinds of tech do you find important to utilize now?
Misti