Question To Motorcycle Riders?

[Jeff Miller]

Training is a necessity as it will give you the skills and awareness to both enjoy and survive your mc.

I do believe that there are only two kinds of "bikers". Those that have gone down and those that will go down. Just like driving a car, accidents happen no matter how good you are. Training will help you minimize accidents but there are always going to be factors out of your control. However, just like you don't give up taking a bath because you might slip, you shouldn't avoid mcs because you might have an accident. Instead, prepare yourself (training), practice, wear appropriate safety gear, and enjoy the heck out of it.

Perhaps it is a terminology thing or my hatred of how movies portray mcs avoiding accidents but I always cringe when I hear people talking about "laying it down". Quit simply, intentionally "laying it down" is rarely a good idea. If you intentionally put your bike on its side you lose control of the bike, you stand a chance of it flipping with you on or off it, and ultimately it is going to take a lot longer for it to stop than if you kept it on the rubber. Take a good mc class and they will show you how to keep the bike under your control, execute good braking and panic stops, and use your skills to maneuver around and avoid accidents instead of sliding into them.

 

[nthawk68]

let me ask a question abut laying it down as you guys say. what mistakes would i be making to lay it down so easy. Im talking if there isnt another car involved. Do the wrecks happen mostly when i turn or will i lay it down just driving in a straight line going 45 mph with my inexperience.
i could always ride wearing this: http://www.reliks.com/merchant.ihtml?pid=4598

Evboy,
Your first step is to take the motorcycle safety course, you will learn the correct answers to most of your questions and especially defensive driving techniques. You asked about accidents, the majority of them are due to riders not paying attention and drivers not seeing you. I cant count the number of times cars have pulled out in front of me or started pulling into my lane..... A good pike is dependent on what fits you. I personally 5'11, 190Lbs, do not enjoy crotch rockets, You have to sit to far forward and the foot pegs are to far back. my legs get uncomfortable after about 20minutes. The lowest CC I would get is 250 and that is still to low for me. As a previous poster said, sometimes the best option to get out of a jam is to hit the gas and get out of the way.
Take the class and try different bikes to figure out what you like.... Be forewarned that Once you try it you will be hooked

 

[bowers baldwin]

My vote is for the all new Electric Harley Davidson!
View attachment 2940

If you can live with a 33 mile range (55 in econo mode).
It's still not ready for prime time..

 

[electroken]

Perhaps it is a terminology thing or my hatred of how movies portray mcs avoiding accidents but I always cringe when I hear people talking about "laying it down". Quit simply, intentionally "laying it down" is rarely a good idea. If you intentionally put your bike on its side you lose control of the bike, you stand a chance of it flipping with you on or off it, and ultimately it is going to take a lot longer for it to stop than if you kept it on the rubber. Take a good mc class and they will show you how to keep the bike under your control, execute good braking and panic stops, and use your skills to maneuver around and avoid accidents instead of sliding into them.

I agree with all of this. The idea of causing an accident to avoid one just doesn't make sense.

 

[Jeff Porter]

let me ask a question abut laying it down as you guys say. what mistakes would i be making to lay it down so easy. Im talking if there isnt another car involved. Do the wrecks happen mostly when i turn or will i lay it down just driving in a straight line going 45 mph with my inexperience.
i could always ride wearing this: http://www.reliks.com/merchant.ihtml?pid=4598

Wrecks with motorcycles happen mostly at intersections. But 100% of the time, you need to be scanning the situations constantly. Be thinking, "I see that car, looks like he may want to change lanes in a few seconds into my lane, so I will slow down a bit now".

 

[Jim H]

As a former motorcycle safety course instructor taking the course is your best insurance and I absolutely agree with everyone who has recommended the course. I also recommend it to non-motorcycle riders as well. Helps them understand motorcycle safety issues and makes them more aware if them.

 

[Tomg3rd]

Get one and enjpy!

 

[Mike W]

Hidy evboy,
Always glad to chat scooter riding so let me chime in with some advice... Before you buy anything, go take the Motorcycle Safety Foundation course for new riders. They will teach you the correct way to ride, and how to develop your riding skills so you can enjoy riding your bike, and be confident and safe while riding... http://www.msf-usa.org/ I learned a lot of incorrect techniques from friends when I was a teenager, and while I considered myself to be a "good" rider I got my eyes opened in 1989 when I took the course... Motorcycles are a real world physics demonstration, and it's very important to learn and understand how they work to avoid little surprises like a "High Side" for instance... They'll teach you all about it in the course and it's fun to boot...
BTW... I'm 5'10" and 200# (sigh) and I've ridden everything from mini bikes to my current bike a 2011 HD FLT Roadglide. While proper fitment is important as Rking pointed out (your legs have to be long enough for your feet to be flat on the ground when you're stationary) size and weight are only a real factor below 5 mph cuz above that the bike is pretty much gyro stabilized (more of that physics stuff). Get the training and practice what they teach you and you'll be fine...
h_r

View attachment 2941 Headin' fer Sturgis on a 07 RG

Oh Yeah... I almost forgot... Always keep the shiny side up!

I have to give a hearty, "AMEN!" to the Ryder! My experience on motorized two wheelers was a PCX125 scooter (which my wife appropriated) and my SH150 Honda scooter. They aren't that large a bike but they both took me up to 60mph! More than enough to get me killed just as quickly as if I were on a Harley. The safety course will cost you about $250 and a couple of days, a lot better investment than learning from experience. The guy you mentioned didn't get a chance to learn, but you did from him. Take the class, any risks you can eliminate so you can have the best chance to enjoy the Grom is the action you should take. One last thing, get the safety gear (minimum? Helmet, gloves, armoured jacket), wear the safety gear. As for the Grom, of course get it! I'm sure it's not going to hit the pocket too badly and it will almost certainly get you to at least 60 if you need to. Oh, I'm 6'1" and at the time I had the scoots about 210 lbs. Buy it, Honda is bullet proof and will resell fairly quickly if you should want.

Keep the breeze between your knees!

 

[HHH]

I agree with all of this. The idea of causing an accident to avoid one just doesn't make sense.

To amplify what has been said, I just completed a Bystander Assistance Program put on by Accident Scene Management. It teaches you how to provide possibly life saving assistance to m/c riders, but it's also valuable in car wrecks. A point that was brought out was that, based on the injuries sustained, laying down a bike is a bad idea. So that will be one less thing to concern yourself with.

 

[RKing]

As a former motorcycle safety course instructor taking the course is your best insurance and I absolutely agree with everyone who has recommended the course. I also recommend it to non-motorcycle riders as well. Helps them understand motorcycle safety issues and makes them more aware if them.

Very true, Take the course , then decide if you want to ride. Getting a bike to span the wait for Elio is not economically viable. The MSF course should be a part of drivers ed if you want my opinion. If folks would drive the cages like we ride a bike there would be way less "accidents". It will make everyone a better driver, regardless of the number of wheels involved.
My concern on size was actually arround wheelbase and wheather you cause the front to be "lite" due to finding a comfortable leg/torso position. I used to play on a honda 50 , too small for me. Not the power, the length... thing would wheelie at each shift
Please take the MSF course, there is so much bad info out thee on how to ride a bike. It will also help you be a safer driver in your Elio!