Completely new to motorcycling... advice?

Hello, not only new to this forum but new to motorcycling in general! I have my mod 2 test in a couple of weeks and thought it would be worthwhile to get some advice from people who know best, all you bikers out there!

Pretty much any advice for a newbie to motorcycling, such as on the roads regarding safety and just generally which you have found could be helpful from riding experice, bike day to day maintenance - is it advisable to always keep garaged or how will the bike cope with being out in the elements overnight (in a rainy scotland!) etc, is there any aftermarket gear which will make the riding experience better you would advise - hear about heated grips, sat navs, do you get bluetooth phone headsets, are these legal, can you listen to music when riding etc?

Kyle

Welcome from the other end of the Isles.

Can't help you with maintenance much. Riding? There are others with vastly more experience than myself, who will shortly no doubt chip in with all the advice you could hope for, so all I will say is; keep looking around you all the time and assume every other vehicle you see has failed to spot you until you know for sure that they have. And, while it's all fairly new to you, don't even think about satnavs and bluetooth headsets and music etc. Get your riding sorted before you worry about distractions like that.

Don't crash.

HTH

Originally Posted by kyle-jdm

safety
day to day maintenance
garaged
aftermarket gear
heated grips
sat nav
bluetooth phone headsets, are these legal
music when riding
etc?

You're not getting any response because you're asking too many questions!

Pick one or two things that you need information on today (for instance, you'll probably buy your helmet long before your sat nav or your heated grips), and do a search on it you'll probably find loads of threads full of advice. If you're still not getting anywhere start a new thread for each, being specific about what you want to know, then you should get lots of help.

[Bibio]

before immersing your senses in music and satnavs i would get used to how things are without it. it takes a lot of attention to ride a motorcycle.

Kit:
buy the right kit now and it will pay dividends later.
good riding gear is worth its weight in gold. get hit by a sudden downpour and it can make you cold wet and miserable within minuets. i personally use leathers with overproofs.

gloves, go and try some on and get ones that fit, there is nothing worse than tight gloves as it gives you numb fingers/tips. preferably get 2 pairs one for dry riding and a pair for rain and keep the rain ones under your seat.

boots, again go try some on and get ones that fit. as you stay in scotland get ones that are preferably waterproof.

helmet, yet again get one that FITS no matter what the price whether its a £50 or a £500 helmet its the fit not the badge.

earplugs, get used to them now and save your ears.

Bike:
if you don't maintain it it WILL break, simples. you either learn to do it yourself or get a garage to do it.

preferably keep it in a garage, if not then invest in a good cover.

Riding:
biggest advice i give to all new riders is ''look where you want to go, not where you are going''. keep your eyes open and be alert looking way ahead of you for potential hazards developing gives you more time to react. but most of all RIDE WITHIN YOUR CAPABILITIES, sounds simple but you would be surprised at how many noobs go way to fast and wonder why they never seen the car coming out of the junction or that the bend they are on is a double apex and suddenly end up in a ditch.

most of all once you pass your test get yourself out on one of the ecosse rides and introduce yourself, we don't bite.

Welcome - congrats on passing mod 1 and good luck with mod 2.
for kit - buy the best you can afford. No joking. You will browse around and find many amazing deals but dont get fooled. Buy good stuff and make sure you try it on before hand!!
I just bought the scala g4 powerset. its a bluetooth intercom, radio, connects to mp3 and satnav. Its awesome but flippin expensive. dont rush to by this you can get others to suite your need.
best advice about riding is practise and ask questions when you dont get something just right.
if any of this has confused go and read Bibio's post again. Its all sense!!!!! I past my test just over a year ago and I wish I had asked this question when I first started!!!!!!

As far as riding is concerned, get into the habit of looking out for varying road surfaces. Loose chippings, gravelly patches outside of drives, horse manure, fuel spillages on the ground (particularly in wet weather), manhole covers, changes in tarmac etc. You don't necessarily have to swerve around each of these things, it's more a case of correcting your position in the road thanks to your forward planning but at least be aware that they can be slippy if you brake or accelerate suddenly while on them. As badsaboy says, experience is everything. Get out in all types of weather and as often as you can and learn how your bike feels. Everytime you go out you will learn something else which is just why I love this biking malarky, the learning curve is huge but the satisfaction from improving a new skill is well worth it.

With gear, if you're on a tight budget then ebay can be your friend. When I started our 4 years ago needing kit I was short of cash and wasn't riding myself then so didn't end up spending any more than £100 in total on the full getup. I am finding the Buffalo jacket I bought for £20 is still waterproof, as are the Frank Thomas boots (despite the stitching going) and my Belstaff leathers are only now starting to show real wear (crashing in them sped up that process). Gloves are of big importance so if you're going to spend money then those and good waterproofing are essential.

Take a IAM course (or similar) and keep learning. It may take several months to complete for someone just starting motorcycling but it is cheap, great fun and you have a chance to learn riding safely and progressively the easy way. Unfortunately, passing the DSA exam is not enough to keep you safe on the streets.

As much as motorcycles are great fun, they boil down to experience. Become aware of the fact that there is no substitute for it (experience) while keeping risk taking to a minimum and you will be on the right track.

Hi there,



Firstly welcome, ive been going a few years now and thereare lots of people on here that have a wealth of experience more than me. Howeverheres my titbits.



Firstly get youself in the right mindset for getting on abike. Be happy and quietly confident about what your doing. This will help youfeel happier both when you start and finish your journey. Dont bother gettingon it after a bust up or even worse after a pint..



Get some decent kit. Get textiles first (leathers are betterbut being cold and wet is no fun while learning youve got more to be thinkingabout) but make sure whatever you get itfits. I put up with massive textile jacket and too tight trousers and it washorrible (although amusing for others). Fit if more important than make inevery aspect of bike gear imo. Get to the NEC in November and get some good kitat ebay prices (and you can try it all on first)



Your bike will be happier in a garage but mine lives outsideall year round and if you wash it it will last for many more years. Riding withsalt on the roads in winter takes its toll on the bike. Dont worry about it nowbut do get into a routine so you don’t forget in winter. Learn to maintain yourbike (simple chain adjustment, lubing and tyres, (and cleaning it)) having aflat ina car is nothing like a flat on abike and falling off hurts. This way you will get to know and love your bikeand spot if anything is amis.



Aftermarket thinks like heated grips and the like are nice.Its up to you to decide if you want them. Try it without for a few monthsfirst.



Ride for yourself. Theres people that use bikes as a tooland some that race them. Some people like me just enjoy pootling along at 60and taking in nice views. There is a lot of bravado and bull talked by somepeople that ride bikes about doing 160mph, getting your knee down and generallyriding beyond their abilities. Stick to your guns and enjoy yourself.



Most important of all. Havefun. If your not give it a breakand come back to it. But just starting out some time in the saddle is good. I wouldrecommend some sort of advanced tuition as well but give yourself a year to getto grips with the bike and yourself first.

[andrewsmith]

How doo from the North!!!

Responses in Red

Originally Posted by kyle-jdm

safety Buy gear that fits and is suitable for the weather. Invest in a good set of textiles before leathers in Scotland. Joffama/ Halvarsons are some of the best year for cold/ wet weather riding, my textiles have done 2 years and only let water in when its been freak weather.
Gloves look at a set of winters and summers that are waterproof. I've got 2 sets that both serve a purpose

Also make sure it fits properly go somewhere and try as many different sizes and style as possible

day to day maintenance A set of 1/2" drive sockets and handle is £25, alan keys £6, breaker bar £20, 1/2" drive torque wrench £25 set of spanners £30. That would be more than enough to do basic routine maintenance (the breaker bar is just a nice extra)
ACF50 will save most the rot. Quick hose will never go amis.
Scotoiler will save constantly oiling the chain
Fender extender is a near must

garaged Mine live outside under a £20 argos cover and is fine

aftermarket gear most will have a exhaust on. Get used to the bike then search the .org for your answers

heated grips I never had a use for them, most have them now

sat nav Never really had the need for it TBH and have used Ovi Maps if I have needed it

bluetooth phone headsets, are these legal yep but expensive as you have to buy a Bluetooth compatible lid (starting around £250) then the kit (which is around £75

music when riding most do it and as long as it doesn't totally drown out the road noise you'll be ok
etc?

hth