Both those roads and the Rattler are awesome. Always better riding down there thru the week or at least not on holiday weekends.
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Motorcycle Riders?
- Thread starter PinoyJedi
- Start date
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Howdy guys. I figured that this might be a good place to ask my questions. I'm interested in getting my motorcycle license and taking the prerequisite class. I have zero experience riding. Do you guys have any recommendations for classes? I'm on the north side of Indianapolis, but I don't mind driving a bit to go to a great class. -BOV
A lot of HD dealerships offer a class. Take the class, if you pass you go to the license branch and they give you your motorcycle endorsement without taking the test. Some people like the ABATE classes, but they typically use smaller lighter bikes than people ride on the streets so I prefer the HD classes because they use bikes more similar to what people actually ride. I think some Honda classes exist in some areas.
I'm not from the INDY area so I have no specific info on where you can get a class
Here you go:
MSF - Motorcycle Safety Foundation
Find a Course Near You: All training providers manage their own schedules and enrollments. To reschedule a class contact your class provider. Earn a Motorcycle License What’s your motorcycle skill level? New Motorcycle Rider Experienced Motorcycle Rider 3-Wheel Rider LICENSE QUALIFICATION...
www.msf-usa.org
Or as I prefer to call it, Harvey Diddleson.
Do you have bike yet? Please consider a cheaper bike as your trainer before you get what you might really want.
LOTS of used Honda's out there for a decent price. Good machines too.
I don't know how to put this nicely, so I'll just be blunt. I don't encourage new riders.
If you are the predominant breadwinner for your family and or have kids, honestly riding is not worth the risk.
I love to ride, but there is no such thing as leisure motorcycle riding these days. You have to be on your game 100% of the time. EVERY vehicle around you needs to be treated as a threat.
What used to be trending distracted driving is now the rule. Defensive riding is something you won't be able to live or walk on two feet for long without.
Riding suits me because I like to go fast while dodging and escaping trouble. Eyes always open and tuned to where I'm gonna go if...
If you are the predominant breadwinner for your family and or have kids, honestly riding is not worth the risk.
I love to ride, but there is no such thing as leisure motorcycle riding these days. You have to be on your game 100% of the time. EVERY vehicle around you needs to be treated as a threat.
What used to be trending distracted driving is now the rule. Defensive riding is something you won't be able to live or walk on two feet for long without.
Riding suits me because I like to go fast while dodging and escaping trouble. Eyes always open and tuned to where I'm gonna go if...
Personally I'd love to see more bikers on the road, it may actually increase awareness of motorcycles.
Most of my riding is to regain my sanity.
My wife also rides. We take multi-week long leisure trips so I guess I have to disagree with you.
At least partly.
Yes there are a lot of distracted drivers on the road holding their cell phones.
But I've only had a few 'encounters' over the past several years with those folks and only 2 were even close to accidents. Probably would have been similar if I had been in a car.
I'm happy to plod along, I'm not going fast to dodge and escape trouble, perhaps I am more proactive and looking for trouble and then staying away from it.
Riding can be sheer pleasure and I pick the times and routes and enjoy my rides. YMMV
I took the HD class at South Side Harley Davidson in Indy. I have been riding now for three years. I encourage people to give it a try but to always be learning and trying to stay aware.
I'd like to agree with you my friend, but I cannot.
New laws to combat distracted driving haven't even made a dent in the numbers.
How many folks in cars that you passed have their phone in their hand? How many do you see doing the same, while rolling through intersections? Backing out of parking spots? While lurking in the left lane?
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Thousand times this.
However, I'd chip in with ATGATT (All The Gear All The Time).
What's more, I observe 99.9% of riders not wearing any gear whatsoever here.
I'm a former CA rider myself, and most riders in SoCal wear at least some gear (not just the mandated helmet), so seeing effectively naked people on motorcycles all around makes my skin crawl.
On one of my very first rides on a freeway, I hit a swarm of bees at 80 mph. That was scary -- but that's it because I was wearing a full-face helmet, a riding jacket, and gloves up top, so none of the bees could sting me.
I had a 40 mph head-on with an SUV making an improper left turn, the driver was 100% at fault.
My leathers saved my skin, my gloves saved my wrists and fingers, my boots saved my ankles, and my full-face helmet saved all of my teeth.
The impact was so violent that it pushed my helmet in so hard that it cracked my lower jaw in two places -- and yet due to ATGATT only dentists can tell something happened.
Not to mention good gear is just a joy to wear and it looks sharp.
So, @BOVindy , get informed and get as disillusioned as possible -- and if you decide to proceed, think several steps ahead, get good gear, and never stop training.
Honestly I'm not afraid to ride, this morning I rode to the doctor's office with a chain saw strapped to my cargo rack. After my visit with the doc I was off to the tractor/equipment dealer with the saw to drop it off for repair. I use my bike to commute to the fencing club where I coach (actually I just beat surly teenagers with a metal stick) saber. I use it to get groceries (and it is shocking how much you can fit into cargo boxes). Leisure riding too. And long distance travel as I've ridden the Trans-Canadian Highway. Circled all 5 of the Great Lakes. And am hoping to island hop around Nova Scotia if their border opens up for tourists.
ATGATT is expensive ... factor it into the cost of ownership.
But it is worth every penny, your story is one of many to prove it. You pay for both COMFORT and for SAFETY.
You pay for insulation, ventilation and impact safety. And if you are comfortable on hot days and cold days then you will also be more alert on those days.
And the reason ATGATT is expensive is because most people dedicated to it have multiple jackets. Mesh for hot/humid. Leather or Textile for cooler rides. Even a jacket that converts to partial mesh. And maybe an over-shell for rain. Those rubber pads at the shoulders, elbows and along your spine are function.
Same with pants, multiple pairs: leather or fabric that holds up to 50mph slide on the asphalt, with armor at the knees and hips. Mesh for hot summer use too. Butt grippers are an added luxury that are found on touring pants and actually make a difference in comfort but add nothing to safety.
Moto gloves have "palm sliders" and knuckle protection. Insulated for cooler weather, mesh for summer. Some have squeegees on the thumb/forefinger to clean your helmet shield in the rain. Better models also have sliders along the little finger.
Boots are designed to protect from bikes dropping on your ankle, from toe-to-heal crushes too. Protect from twists, skids, impacts. Motorcycle boots, at least protective boots, are nothing like your daddy's combat boots or your work boots.
Pretty easy to spend $350 for a single moto jacket, $200 for a pair of moto pants, $50-150 for moto gloves and protective boots probably start around $200 and can hit $500 pretty easily.
Motorcycle clothing in the US is pretty much a joke, most is actually fashion clothing with armor added. The garment may shred upon impact. In Europe and Canada its actually taken seriously. An interesting discussion about safety certification for garments versus just using approved bits and pieces.
CE Certified vs. Approved - webBikeWorld
motorcycle clothing safety standards, motorcycle clothing ce standards, ce standards motorcycle clothing
www.webbikeworld.com
semperfi211
Master
Allowing test rides on your motorcycle you are selling. I have never bought a bike without taking it for a spin. I wouldn't expect anyone to buy my bike without a test ride. My fear is someone dropping it. How would you handle this? Have agreement on price and have money in my hand before test ride with the agreement of if they drop it they bought it and if they ride it and don't like how it feels so the deal is off the money goes back to their hand? I haven't advertised the bike yet. Right now I am trying to sell by word of mouth with friends.
we also have bikes for sale, and husband says no test rides. i'm not sure how to handle it either. his bike/his rules. but mine, i'm not sure. i wouldn't want to buy without a test ride. they can hear it run, husband said he'd take them for a ride, but not let them be the driver.
First I would make sure they had a MC endorsement, then your described method would work out fine. Only one of my bikes was bought from an individual and it was only a year old with low miles. He also had a couple other bikes which were in immaculate condition in his garage which was so clean you could have eaten off the floor. I was pretty confidant that the BMW was the same way.
I understand the concern as I feel the same way when selling.
I understand the concern as I feel the same way when selling.
semperfi211
Master
Made my first upgrade. Replaced the old fashioned lights with LEDs.
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