The Ride So Far

It's been a year this week since I took my MSF Basic Riding Course and got my motorcycle license, so now you're probably wondering what kind of advice a noob like me can pass along to those other noobs still on the BRC waiting list. Well, since I'm still learning I don't know what advice I can give, but I'll do my best.

"Dear Noob,

With the price of gas being so high I was thinking about saving some money by two-wheeling it. What do you think? Do I really need to take the MSF course? Would a 900 - 1000 cc sportbike be a good bike for a beginner?

motogpwannabe
Decatur, IL"

Well wannabe, you're doing the right thing by asking a stranger on the internet for advice. To answer your question, no you don't need to take the MSF course to learn to ride. Why I remember in the old days all you did was ask an uncle or a friend to take you out to the local parking lot and give you the instruction you needed. Just remember to wear a helmet. As for your second question, I think a liter class sportbike would be an excellent bike to learn on. Just look at this video and see how easy it is.





"Dear Noob,

I saw that video you posted, but I don't want to go racing. I'm an older guy and I just want to get a nice looking bike so that I can cruise and feel virile again. I cashed out my stock options and was wondering - do I need the MSF course? I saw this really cool looking Harley the other day and I think it would make the perfect beginners bike. What do you think?

checkmeout
Covina, CA"

Well checkmeout, I wouldn't bother with the training if I were you. After all, riding a Harley is just like riding a bicycle, only it's 700 pounds heavier and has an extra 100 or so horsepower. If all you're going to do is cruise, then I say go for it. Just look at this guy - fully dressed and ready to go (the bike I mean, not the rider).




And finally this last letter:

"Dear Noob,

I've read that with the all the new riders on the streets today, the number of motorcycle accidents is rising fast. Is motorcycling safe? I'd like to start riding myself but I don't know where to start. Some people say that it's better to start riding on a smaller bike that will be easier to handle and will keep me out of trouble, but other people tell me to get a big bike that I won't grow out of once I learn to ride. What's your advice?

normalguy
Denver, CO"

I can't tell you what to buy, normalguy. I started out on a small bike, but there are plenty of people out there who learned on bigger bikes and never had a problem. It's true that a small bike with less weight and less power can keep you out of trouble in certain circumstances, but that doesn't necessarily make it a "safe" bike. I've only been riding a year so I can't really say what makes a bike "safe", but I think that for the the most part safety has more to do with the person sitting in the saddle than it does with the bike. Any bike can be ridden safely, and any bike can be ridden stupidly.

Whatever you're going to ride, my advice would be to get some professional instruction before you go out and start shopping. Not your uncle or your brother, but someone who's job it is to teach noobs like you and me how to safely ride a motorcycle. After you take the course you'll have a better idea of what sort of bike you can handle, or you may even decide not to ride a bike at all.

I'm going to post this last video just for you normalguy. The other two videos were on the humerous side, but this one is dead serious. Other than some scrapes and bruises and a broken leg, the guys on the first two videos ended up relatively okay. Unfortunately, one of the guys in this video ended up dead. (WARNING! This video is not for the squeamish - you've been warned).

The situation is so typical of a Sunday ride. Twisty two lane highway, heavy traffic, and lots of bikers out riding. The guy shooting the video has a camera mounted to his bike, and he's all set to record his nice little cruise up in the mountains on his fine machine. He's going along pretty uneventfully at a nice, easy pace until suddenly he's passed by another rider twisting and weaving through traffic on his hot little ride. Now it's no more Mr. Nice Guy for our camera biker. His racer blood is boiling, and the next thing you know he's into the throttle and hellbent to show the little twerp that he's got a pretty hot little ride himself.

Problem is, camera biker doesn't have the skills he thinks he does. It's pretty obvious just by watching the video that he's in deep doodoo and trying to ride way beyond his limits, but he's got a fast bike and he's not going to let anyone show him up. You can predict the outcome. When it was all over, our camera biker wound up in the hospital, and another guy wound up dead. So, was that the bike's fault?



Even though I have a year's worth of riding and about 7,000 miles under my belt now, I know I''m still a newbie. I just try to become a better rider every time I ride, and if I never remember anything else from the MSF course I'll always remember their two most important lessons:

One: Search, Evaluate, and Execute - always keep an eye out for trouble and have a plan for getting out of trouble if trouble comes. Assume your invisible and stay alert.

Two: Ride within your limits - if you watched the last video you'll understand why. That video says is all.

Get some instruction and remember those two rules, and you should be okay normalguy. And don't forget to enjoy yourself. No one would argue the point that cars are safer than bikes, but then again they aren't nearly as much fun. Just remember that safety starts with that gray stuff between your ears, and don't forget that for every idiot you come across there are perhaps a hundred or more sane folk who've been riding for years and loving every moment of it. Call it the the luck of the draw, but you know maybe sometimes we make our own luck. Either way, the BRC and some common sense has kept me safe so far (knock on wood).