I'm really going to do it this time

[Savij]

Hey guys,

I've been thinking about getting a motorcycle for years now. I did the safety course and got the motorcycle endorsement on my license a few years ago, but life got in the way and I dropped the idea for a while.

This year, things are lining up and I feel like I need to go ahead and get my first one. I'm thinking a used but recent Ninja 250 since I like sport bikes. I'm ok mechanically, but I don't know too much about motorcycles so I will probably need to find a shop that will do a pre-sale inspection for me and I'll also be looking to buy a helmet and a jacket.

I know there are a number of riders here so I'd love to hear everyone's advice on everything related to motorcycles. What gear is good? What should I look out for? Really anything that would be helpful for a newb.

Thanks,

 

[jlee]

Before you buy a helmet, try to wear it in the store for a while (15-30min or more). Scorpion helmets feel fine for the first half hour or so, then my head starts to hurt. Shoei feels awesome for hours.

 

[Fenixgoon]

1) get properly fit for a helmet
2) leather > textile > mesh (protection-wise). jeans do not protect you from road rash
3) wear boots and gloves. worst injury i ever saw was to the hands.

ninja250 is a great starter bike. nice choice!


edit: as far as gear, buy the best you can afford. having bought cheap stuff and nice stuff (alpinestars, revvit, etc), the nice stuff is priced that way for a reason. i think there are good entry and mid levels, and honestly i was really sad to see teknic go out of business - they occupied a nice middle ground. in my experience, no one really made a "bad" product except my AGV Telluride pants. I was severely displeased. Joe Rocket, Teknic, Shift, Speed/Strength, and even some Icon stuff (leather overpants) are all decent. But my Alpinestars and Revvit products are defintely noticeably higher in quality - and priced accordingly.

 

[jdoggg12]

Before you buy a helmet, try to wear it in the store for a while (15-30min or more). Scorpion helmets feel fine for the first half hour or so, then my head starts to hurt. Shoei feels awesome for hours.

Yes and no... a helmet needs 2-5 hours of wear to break in. Some helmets break-in more than others, even among different models from the same brand.

Scorpion was founded by former Arai engineers so it's not surprising that it doesn't fit you if you enjoy the fit of a Shoei. I think the market sustains both brands because they fit so differently (generally speaking).

The best think you can do with helmets is try on several from different brands and models. Find which ones fit the way you like then narrow that down to the styles you like.

Helmets aside, here are the basics:

Don't skimp on gear - buy the best you can reasonably afford. Helmet, jacket, gloves at minimum... then boots/pants. I worked for corporate Cycle Gear for a couple years and the crap they're hocking is one of the reasons I left for another motorcycle industry company.

Ride safe but remember, espcially early on... the bike is a lot more capable than you are. Trust it to do its job... it can lean further, turn harder, and stop faster than you'll likely feel comfortable trying

...that said, don't be in a rush to push the limits. You NEED to get scared a few times, put in situations that pucker your ass up before you really start pushing yourself. You need to know how you'll actually react to emergency situations in every day riding before you start pushing your limits too hard. This will tell you whether you're really ready to face the dangers AND will provide you with a baseline of how you institutionally react to unexpected hazards.

Find other riders. Nothing will improve your skills nearly as fast as riding with people that know what they're doing. AVOID riders that pressure you to keep up with them or go at a faster pace that you're comfortable with. It's absolutely amazing the impact of your riding peers has on your skills and well being. Just because a rider is fast doesn't mean they're good... some of the fastest riders I've known were the slowest on the street. Conversely, some of the fastest street riders I ever met put my life in danger just by riding within 50 yards of him.

Do a track day after you've got 3000 miles under your belt. I started doing track days after several of my riding buddies pressured me to go with them to become a better rider. I told them no for months b/c I was a "good" rider already. 1 track day later, I felt stupid for taking so long to go... I started corner working for DP Race school to get free track days. I learned something new... every... single... track day.

Do the MSF course before you buy your bike. They let you use one of theirs for the school and they're 250s. You might find that a 250 isn't enough for you, even to start. I started on an SV650 and it was perfect. I moved on to a couple of R6s and spent time on several 750s and 1ks. That said, I now ride a WR250X and am happier with it than any of my other bikes i've had... I recommend it over the ninja 250/300 because it's just as fast and 2x as capable.

 

[Vdubchaos]

Wear full body suit....always....

And it's not the bike that's dangerous...it's the other drivers.

Be safe