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Buying a motorcycle soon. What am I forgetting?
DanMach
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
I have completed the MSF course.
Helmet(EXO-700)
Gloves(Some Joe Rockets)
Jacket(Same as above)
I have some very heavy duty boots(Steel toes. Not the "perfect" riding boots, but should suffice when keeping my toes from being horribly crushed.)
Dragging Jeans.
I am looking at a few EX-500's right now.. seem like a decent balance of newbie friendliness and highway ease. I work with a guy who rode a 500 for a year before moving on, and he said he would recommend it.
Am I forgetting anything?? Safety gear, MSF, "newbie" bike, being totally scared of dieing, and a mom who doesn't know what I am doing because she might drive over and kill me..
..thats all it takes, right?
Helmet(EXO-700)
Gloves(Some Joe Rockets)
Jacket(Same as above)
I have some very heavy duty boots(Steel toes. Not the "perfect" riding boots, but should suffice when keeping my toes from being horribly crushed.)
Dragging Jeans.
I am looking at a few EX-500's right now.. seem like a decent balance of newbie friendliness and highway ease. I work with a guy who rode a 500 for a year before moving on, and he said he would recommend it.
Am I forgetting anything?? Safety gear, MSF, "newbie" bike, being totally scared of dieing, and a mom who doesn't know what I am doing because she might drive over and kill me..
..thats all it takes, right?
DanMach on
0
Posts
I have shopped around, progressive gave me the cheapest rate on it.
No, it won't. The Scorpion EXO-700s have anti-fog visors that work really well. It's the one thing I miss about my EXO-700 even though I now have a much more expensive helmet.
Get riding boots when you can. Regular boots really do not suffice for motorcycle riding. The protection in full sized riding boots can really save your foot and especially ankle in a crash. You also won't have to deal with the laces on normal boots which can be quite a problem.
The Ninja 500 was my first bike as well and it was great.
In your insurance hunt, did you call State Farm? Progressive was among the highest when I got my quotes, and State Farm beat them all. It wasn't even close. This is what I hear from most riders no matter where they are located. Not sure where you are but in California, most dealers will just want to know who you are going to insure it with before you take it off the lot. From there, you can take it to get insured.
Edit: My riding boots sentence makes sense now, woo!
Sounds like you've got everything else ready, though the weak point is definitely the boots. Move up when you can, but they'll certainly suffice for now. I'd say your biggest concern, besides how well they'll hold up to abrasion, is that if they have laces, you have to be quite careful with them.
Oh, and although I can't make any insurance suggestions, not living in America and all, I will say that the Ninja has a pretty great rate for insurance. It's not known to insurance companies as one of those retarded sport bikes that everyone buys, and it's below the CC limit where most companies start charging their higher rates.
edit: Oh, nice to see you took the MSF course. Just know that if it's been a few months since you've taken it until you actually ride a bike, you will be rusty and forget a lot of the tips and tricks, so take it easy.
No seriously it is not that bad but make sure always to remember four things.
A - any motorcycle is way faster than you are prepared for but not so with the brakes.
B - be paranoid because the other traffic on the road will overlook you or misjudge your speed so be careful with traffic coming from the side and also about people changing lanes.
C - The road surface is a lot more important on two wheels. Dust or gravel from roadworks, a man hole cover, autumn leaves... all that matters little to cars but can be a big deal on a motorcycle.
D - In quick left hand bends do not drive close to the white line in the middle of the road. It's where you body is that matters. Also likewise but more obvious in right hand bends do not lean your body past the edge of the road.
Otherwise using a quote by Mark Twain about bicycles this says it all "You will not regret it. If you live." :-)
Are you going to be parking the bike outside? Consider a bike cover, or if youre in a bad area you can install an alarm for pretty cheap.
Get a owners/mechanical manual for your bike (ebay is awesome for this), and change the oil as soon as you purchase it. Get to know your bike, make sure there are no loose bolts, check your tire tread/pressure. Ride with your body, be confident, and dont forget to master the biker's wave.
Most of the things apply in there for an EX-500 as well.
Let 'em eat fucking pineapples!
I don't see any hand-protection.
he said gloves, but yeah that is a really lazy and potentially dangerous habit
A lot of people will tell you that cagers never see bikers. This is untrue a lot of the time. Most people will see you, but you are small compared to a car. With quick glances while driving, things that appear small = far away. People will always think you are further away from them then you really are.
Find a group of responsible riders, and ride with them often.
Do not put a mohawk on your helmet.
Buy a used bike, one that has been dropped. You should be able to find one for 3k or less. Practice quick braking from higher speeds than you did in MSF(like 50 mph).
Currently painting: Slowly [flickr]
Good advice but no one mentioned 'MORE PRACTICE' yet. So pick up 'proficient motorcycling' or 'total control'. Both good, and don't let the sportbike stuff in the 2nd scare you - picking a line or using proper countersteer is the same on any bike.
And remember that you are still a newbie so ride safe.
Thin = less protection. MotoGP guys have big-ass boots and shift fine - you may need to adjust the shifter.
Lane splitting is legal in CA and some other places.
Also, don't ride motorcycles side by side in one lane. People that do this are just waiting for a disaster to happen.
Aren't chaps, by definition, assless?