New rider adventures, observations, and close calls.

[OILFIELDTRASH]

I'm calling bs too. Anyone nudges my bike with a car and it's on.


I usually don't run errands on the bike. If I'm getting geared up I'm usually going for a 100+ mile ride. Too much trouble to get geared up and pick up a movie 2 miles from the house then take it all off 10mins later. I'll just use the car for that.

Yeah what you're describing is why we all love motorcycling. The extra long trips just to get a coffee or a lunch 80 miles from the house. The feeling of one with the roads and the bike. Taking in all the sights, sounds, weather that you just can't get in a car. Enjoy man. Cant wait to find some windy roads in the near future. Actually looking forward to another track day in the near future. Most fun you can have on a motorcycle.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I'm calling bs too. Anyone nudges my bike with a car and it's on.


I usually don't run errands on the bike. If I'm getting geared up I'm usually going for a 100+ mile ride. Too much trouble to get geared up and pick up a movie 2 miles from the house then take it all off 10mins later. I'll just use the car for that.

Yeah what you're describing is why we all love motorcycling. The extra long trips just to get a coffee or a lunch 80 miles from the house. The feeling of one with the roads and the bike. Taking in all the sights, sounds, weather that you just can't get in a car. Enjoy man. Cant wait to find some windy roads in the near future. Actually looking forward to another track day in the near future. Most fun you can have on a motorcycle.

One of my favorite rides is to get together with a couple friends and ride up to the town of Julian for a slice of apple pie at the Julian Pie Company. We ride out past the Wild Animal Park, through Ramona, and then up to Julian. It is a great ride and the pie is fantastic. We just ride up there, have a slice of pie, and ride back which is about 100 miles round trip. There is a little coffee shack in Ramona where we usually stop for a drink or to meet up with other friends from down south.

 

[halik]

Agreed. If I thought someone did something like that to me intentionally I'd have gotten off my bike and called the cops...if he was lucky.

Thirded. Especially if the bump is enough to make me fold the bike... that would be hazardous to your well-being.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Thirded. Especially if the bump is enough to make me fold the bike... that would be hazardous to your well-being.

One of the greatest things about motorcycle gloves is the carbon fiber knuckles.

 

[TraumaRN]

Yea so I was a dick I'll admit it. Sorry for offending all the bikers in the thread. However I still stand by the fact the kid is gonna get himself and/or someone hurt/killed/maimed because of his actions. Driving like you stole it and not wearing protective gear is a recipe for disaster.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

Yea so I was a dick I'll admit it. Sorry for offending all the bikers in the thread. However I still stand by the fact the kid is gonna get himself and/or someone hurt/killed/maimed because of his actions. Driving like you stole it and not wearing protective gear is a recipe for disaster.

That's fine, I completely agree that the kid will probably end up hurt/killed/maimed. Hopefully it's a direct result of his own actions and if it happens he only takes himself out and not others.


That being said, I really hope you realize that what you did is far worse than just being a 'dick' assuming you're not just trolling. It's far dumber and riskier than him passing you across railroad tracks or whatnot. I'm not joking, out of the people I know that ride a good 75% would've pulled you out of your car - at least. I know of at least once incident where something similar to this happened and it didn't turn out well for anyone involved.

 

[madeuce]

8. How are you supposed to park the bike in a parking spot? Most riders park as far into it as their bikes can go, but I park just enough inside so my tail can easily be seen from a distance by other cars searching for a spot.

I think it's the best bet to park right up next to the building. Even next to the bike rack. (but not in...) I try not to park in a parking space unless I absolutely have to.

EDIT: LOL at all the interwebs toughguy talk. all the "i wouldda" "he shoulda" stuff really made my day.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Seems like you're doing well. Keep it up and ride safe.

Yeah, not a good idea to have ridden that road in such conditions. I was already in the middle of it all when the fog and the rain hit, so I was trapped and didn't have any choice but to just ride it out. Going out there in the middle of the night though was not smart, but call it beginner's mistake. I would be fine going out on those roads in my car - the headlights work better, a car's more stable, etc. I figured that a bike's headlights would be the same, but it wasn't. The lack of visibility into the turns was what really worried me.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Yeah, not a good idea to have ridden that road in such conditions. I was already in the middle of it all when the fog and the rain hit, so I was trapped and didn't have any choice but to just ride it out. Going out there in the middle of the night though was not smart, but call it beginner's mistake. I would be fine going out on those roads in my car - the headlights work better, a car's more stable, etc. I figured that a bike's headlights would be the same, but it wasn't. The lack of visibility into the turns was what really worried me.

When there is no traffic coming the other way I use the high beams. It is so easy to outride your headlight on a motorcycle at night.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

When there is no traffic coming the other way I use the high beams. It is so easy to outride your headlight on a motorcycle at night.

Hell, I ride with my brights on all the time. Riding with low beams at night in the twists is suicide. Even with the brights on I feel like I'm overriding them at 25 mph if it's a twist.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

Hell, I ride with my brights on all the time. Riding with low beams at night in the twists is suicide. Even with the brights on I feel like I'm overriding them at 25 mph if it's a twist.

Make sure they're adjusted properly - they rarely are on a new bike. I prefer my headlights higher than normal so when you lean over there's still light on the road.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Hell, I ride with my brights on all the time. Riding with low beams at night in the twists is suicide. Even with the brights on I feel like I'm overriding them at 25 mph if it's a twist.

I don't really ride much at night. When commuting in the winter is about the only time and lane splitting on the freeway after dark can be pretty fucking hairy. I ALWAYS leave the high beams on when lane splitting, even in broad daylight.

 

[Arkaign]

For all of the many miles I put on my Magnas and Speed Triple, I think I had more fun on little 250 dirt bikes. Fuzzy, go try it out some time, it's a blast. I was no Pastrana, but it's a real treat even if you're just a weekender.

 

[Fenixgoon]

Gauntlet gloves are supposed to overlap your jacket sleeves by quite a bit. This is so the sleeves don't ride up and leave your wrists exposed in a get off. The sleeves of my jackets come up almost to the base of my hand.

Be careful with getting too comfortable while riding because this can lead to a lower level of alertness which can lead to an accident. You always need to be 100% focused on what you are doing at all times.

Texting while riding is for idiots with a death wish. I carry a cell phone just in case of emergency. Nothing is that important that I need to text someone while riding. If I need to make a call I'll pull over to a quiet area, shut the bike off and remove my helmet to make a call. That said, I've never seen anyone text while riding. I have seen a guy smoke a cigar while riding though.

1) i can't even feel the vibration of my phone through my gear.

2) cigar + helmet - it's just like the marines from starcraft!

 

[JulesMaximus]

[/B]

1) i can't even feel the vibration of my phone through my gear.

2) cigar + helmet - it's just like the marines from starcraft!

Yeah, the guy on the bike smoking a cigar was riding a full dress Harley so he had the typical half helmet on. I came up behind him on my bike and could smell the cigar and kept seeing a puff of smoke every once in a while. He had a full windshield on his bike so that's probably why he was able to keep the cigar going and puff on it on the freeway.

 

[Zenmervolt]

1. I started to feel really comfortable with the bike around 500 miles. I guess the bike and I both broke in at about the same time, as well as my leather gear. When I first got the bike it felt heavy and cumbersome. Now I feel more in tune with it, and it is a very nimble machine. Heck, it even feels lighter stopped at stop lights now.

Careful with this one. The experience/accidents graph is actually a bit like a bell curve in that newbies are often very cautious at first, but within the first few months get more comfortable and bit overconfident. They they let their guard down and bad things happen.

2. I find excuses to ride. Need to go to the movies? How about the one five towns over? Need some coffee? I think I need to ride all the way to the coast to get that.

I have driven to a Home Depot 40 miles away (instead of the one 7 miles away) just to get a tube of LocTite. It happens.

5. Is it just me or do the sport bike riders adhere to ATGATT the best? They've always got leathers, full face helmets, racing boots, and racing gloves. Harley riders wear vests, jeans, and half helmets. Scooter riders wear just a helmet. Cruisers wear in-between sport and Harley riders.

Eh, most of the Harley riders I know wear solid boots, they just don't look like the racing boots used by sportbikers. The heavy workboot style boots worn by Harley/Cruiser riders offer at least as much protection as the racing boots of some sportbike riders.

On the whole though, I see about the same percentage of gearless people regardless of type.

8. How are you supposed to park the bike in a parking spot? Most riders park as far into it as their bikes can go, but I park just enough inside so my tail can easily be seen from a distance by other cars searching for a spot.

Kudos for not being "that guy" and parking on the sidewalk. I tend to do as you've been doing and leave my bike towards the back of the spot so that it's more visible. I don't want someone zipping into the spot and hitting the bike, which I've seen happen to others.

9. I don't understand sleeve length for leather jackets. You guys say they come up to halfway up you palm. But when they're zipped up, they are at the bottom of you palm at your wrist, right? So the sleeves feel bunched up? And when you have gauntlet gloves, the leather from the jacket at the wrist and the leather of the gauntlet gloves makes a double layer of leather that makes wrist turning difficult...

The sleeves shouldn't be "bunched up" when you're in a riding position. Walking, standing, yes, a little bunched up, but seated and leaning forward with your arms outstretched should be taking up the slack.

The whole point of gauntlet gloves is to have that double layer of leather to make sure you don't end up with exposed wrists even if you stretch your arms a lot. It also helps protect the wrist and prevent excessive bending if you fall.

ZV

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Careful with this one. The experience/accidents graph is actually a bit like a bell curve in that newbies are often very cautious at first, but within the first few months get more comfortable and bit overconfident. They they let their guard down and bad things happen.



I have driven to a Home Depot 40 miles away (instead of the one 7 miles away) just to get a tube of LocTite. It happens.



Eh, most of the Harley riders I know wear solid boots, they just don't look like the racing boots used by sportbikers. The heavy workboot style boots worn by Harley/Cruiser riders offer at least as much protection as the racing boots of some sportbike riders.

On the whole though, I see about the same percentage of gearless people regardless of type.



Kudos for not being "that guy" and parking on the sidewalk. I tend to do as you've been doing and leave my bike towards the back of the spot so that it's more visible. I don't want someone zipping into the spot and hitting the bike, which I've seen happen to others.



The sleeves shouldn't be "bunched up" when you're in a riding position. Walking, standing, yes, a little bunched up, but seated and leaning forward with your arms outstretched should be taking up the slack.

The whole point of gauntlet gloves is to have that double layer of leather to make sure you don't end up with exposed wrists even if you stretch your arms a lot. It also helps protect the wrist and prevent excessive bending if you fall.

ZV

I park shallow in the spots to be curteous. Can't tell you how many times I've approached what I thought was an empty space only to be let down by the fact that there's a bike in there.

Haha, I was actually mulling over the bellcurve thing after I got through some twisties. I knew that I was getting better and more in tune with things, so I figured that this is when I would start getting into spectacular accidents because there's no way I won't stop methodically pushing myself now. Now I must find out where the limits are. When I get a new car I take it through its paces in deserted roads and parking lots to test out its handling and traction limits, but cars are safer to trial and error with. With a bike, if I go too fast or lean too much or brake too hard in the process of figuring out the limits, I slide out and damage the bike, damage myself, or worse if I high side or endo. I need to look into track day, and a good pair of leather pants (I've heard textile pants desintegrate after the first fall).

 

[BoberFett]

2 minutes later and this was partially me being a dick for his little stunt, he was stopped to turn left...and was texting on his cell phone..I needed to turn left as well, the left turn light turned green and he was oblivious...I silently was behind him in my hybrid and rolled forward just enough to bumper tap his back wheel then I blasted my horn. Totally woke him up from his oblivious texting world and with phone still in hand ripped into this left turn and again probably hit 60mph this time in a 40mph.

I'm not an ass that's going to use his phone at a stoplight but if you tap my bike because you don't like the way I'm riding, I'm going to follow you home and fuck you up. Same goes for a lot of the people I know who are bigger and scarier than I am.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I park shallow in the spots to be curteous. Can't tell you how many times I've approached what I thought was an empty space only to be let down by the fact that there's a bike in there.

Haha, I was actually mulling over the bellcurve thing after I got through some twisties. I knew that I was getting better and more in tune with things, so I figured that this is when I would start getting into spectacular accidents because there's no way I won't stop methodically pushing myself now. Now I must find out where the limits are. When I get a new car I take it through its paces in deserted roads and parking lots to test out its handling and traction limits, but cars are safer to trial and error with. With a bike, if I go too fast or lean too much or brake too hard in the process of figuring out the limits, I slide out and damage the bike, damage myself, or worse if I high side or endo. I need to look into track day, and a good pair of leather pants (I've heard textile pants desintegrate after the first fall).

I usually do it simply because people in cars always seem to be in a fucking hurry and speed through parking lots and whip into parking spots. If they do this and don't see your bike you could be looking at some serious damage to your bike and the jackass who hit it will probably just leave the scene so you'll come back to a down bike with some rash at a minimum.

The only downside to this is you get some soccer mom in her land yacht with the turning radius of an aircraft carrier knocking your bike over because she misjudged how close she was to your bike.

 

[PricklyPete]

I usually do it simply because people in cars always seem to be in a fucking hurry and speed through parking lots and whip into parking spots. If they do this and don't see your bike you could be looking at some serious damage to your bike and the jackass who hit it will probably just leave the scene so you'll come back to a down bike with some rash at a minimum.

The only downside to this is you get some soccer mom in her land yacht with the turning radius of an aircraft carrier knocking your bike over because she misjudged how close she was to your bike.

Nothing pisses me off more than people who speed through parking lots. So fvcking dumb.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Nothing pisses me off more than people who speed through parking lots. So fvcking dumb.

Honestly, I think parking lots are more dangerous to cyclists and motorcyclists than the roads are.

 

[PricklyPete]

Honestly, I think parking lots are more dangerous to cyclists and motorcyclists than the roads are.

I completely believe it. Are people just stupid that they think speeding through a line of cars just waiting to pull out on you is a good idea. Not to mention the people driving are usually speeding while looking for a spot...and not paying attention to the pedestrians walking through the cars, motorcyclists as you mention, or the idiot who is taking the short cut through the parking lot...and likely speeding as well. It's a recipe for disaster.

 

[PlasmaBomb]

Got 800 miles on the odo now and some interesting thoughts and stories:

1. I started to feel really comfortable with the bike around 500 miles. I guess the bike and I both broke in at about the same time, as well as my leather gear. When I first got the bike it felt heavy and cumbersome. Now I feel more in tune with it, and it is a very nimble machine. Heck, it even feels lighter stopped at stop lights now.

Don't get overconfident/cocky... although you sound like you are doing OK. You still haven't covered that many miles.

 

[PlasmaBomb]

Like this of course ^_^

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klteYv1Uv9A

I :wub: that video...

Indian accent at the end, "He is doing it all wrong" :thumbsup:

 

[djnsmith7]

If someone bumped me while I was on my bike, there would be a serious consequence to pay for that. You don't mess with a guy & his bike. That's like trying to fuck his wife.