First Bike, Riding Tips

[ambaig11@yahoo.com]

Ok, this is my first bike '04 Busa. I have been practicing on it in a private parking lot. I am still getting comfortable with the bike (its been like 3 weeks). I live in St. Marten (Caribbean's) and there is no MSF course here; also the traffic is horrible. Does anyone have any tips for learning to ride? I badly want to take this bike out, but am afraid that I am not ready yet. ANY COMMENTS ARE APPRECIATED! BTW LOVE THE BIKE!!!!

 

[pure_ego]

och..

learn how to stop as fast as possible... never assume that anybody see's you.. imagine you are invisible at all time..

be prepared to swerve, accelrate, stop, or die (you can pick which one when it happens during the .2 you have to decide which is the best course of action) at any given moment.. especially in traffic..

wear as much gear as you can pack onto your being.. i mean suit of armor if you can get one.. carbon fiber underwear with a cup, 2 helmets.. one extra small.. one xxxxxl to fit over the one if possible..   Man just get all the safety stuff you can and use it everytime you ride.. I"m not just saying that cuz your new.. everybody should do that.   At the very least full leathers, high quality helmet (i didn't say high cost I said high quality.. DOT/Snell rated at least) good riding boots, and gloves.. again.. don't buy the cheapie "no real protection" model.. splurge a bit.. it's your bones/skin afterall.

don't ride like a maniac... especially in cities.. you got some unpopulated roads/places.. go there to play..  nothing will put your ass on the pavement faster than actin' the fool on busy streets.


other than that... you shouldn't ride.. it's dangerous to your health.. and you will crash at some point.. everybody does.   I know guys that have never had a real wreck in 30 years that had to be med-flighted and they still can't remember what caused the wreck.


ride safe, use your head, going fast is great.. as long as you do it as safely as possible.



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[train460]

what he said, and

always, always, always have an out.
always know what is around u at ALL times. ALWAYS assume that that car ahead will pull in front of u. when u see ANYTHING that might happen, flick your high/low beams a couple times, make sure he sees you.
Never drive alongside a cars blind spot. stay either behind or pass him, never alongside. i ride if behind a car with my headlight in his drivers side mirror. same with multiple lanes, if i am in a lane to the left of a car and going to go by him i ride closer to the car in my lane so my headlight is in his left mirror, yeah i am closer to his car but to me it is better to be seen than to have to swerve cuz he didn't see me in the first place.
i think that about 90% of all close calls where done by avoiding him instead of stopping. being that u are new u will just have to pay double attention to your surroundings.
i think after u have been rideing a few years your body takes over on what to do without your mind telling it. if u have to tell yourself to , release throttle, pull clutch, shift gear, etc. if u have to think of these things then u are not thinking of your surroundings.
again ALWAYS assume that a car will pull out in front of you. watch his front wheels, it's easier to tell if he starts moving by the wheel starting to turn, again flash your beams a few times.
what would be good practice in a parking lot with a bud is to drive towards him and have him quickly point one way or the other, and u having to swerve that way, safely.
Oh yeah when going into turns or stopping always keep an eye to the road surface, for gravel or wet spots.
paint stripes at intersections are slick bad when stopping cus always AC condensate is present, if your front wheel is going to stop on a paint spot at a light let off the front brake. wet paint is like ice.
sorry for the long response.
could give u a whole book worth of stuff.
later
Michael

 

[train460]

another is don't let some fool in a cage talk u into something stupid. yeah she may be hot and wants to show u her massive chest for a wheelie. don't do it.
The way to handle that is to call me when that happens
later and be safe

 

[nitrousjunkie]

The bike is nicely balanced,as long as youre moving, be careful when parking and turning the bike.It gets REAL heavy quick!

 

[BigK]

PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE and more PRACTICE. Riding often is a great way to learn and become confident in your riding. Reading books on riding is good too.

Alway watch your 6 (meaning rear), especially when you're at a stop sign or light. When you are at a stop, keep the bike in 1st gear just in case you have to get out of the way in a hurry.  Always be aware of your surrounding, and remember that LEARNING is a ongoing process, it never stops.

Take it slow and ENJOY!!!



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[Mr Brown]

Park your Busa, go buy an old beat up 600cc or smaller bike, ride that around for a couple of months, fall off it a few times and when you stop being terrified of riding that, go get back on your Busa and scare yourself all over again.

 

[qarnaj]

I've often heard the phrase "ride like you're invisible" but I highly recommend taking it farther than that. I think a more accurate description should be "ride like you have a target painted on you". Just remember that everybody out there will do the dumbest possible thing at the worst possible moment and expect it.

Ditto to what everybody said about gear. Good gear can save your life, bad gear won't. Since you're going to be paying money for it anyway, get the good stuff.

Finally, ride at your own pace. Stick to the slower roads until you have the hang of things and don't let anybody (yourself included) talk you into riding faster than your limits.

 

[PImpN]

and dont listen to the kids on the corner that tell you to wheelie...

 

[_ZeF]

Whatever tricks or advice anybody will give you, i think the Busa is a really bad choice as a first bike...

Even if you manage not to kill yourself or get killed, you'll never be able to ride it as adequately as if you would have learned the "basics" on a liter more manoeuvrable bike, therefore you'll never get as much out of the Busa (so i see no point).

Much smarter to start on an older 600 or 750, even get some track time if possible of course.

My 2 cents

 

[paineless4u]

start off slow and get to know your new beast. I think emergency stops is a good thing to practice.

Good Luck, ride safe and have fun.

 

[DAB]

och..

learn how to stop as fast as possible... never assume that anybody see's you.. imagine you are invisible at all time..

be prepared to swerve, accelrate, stop, or die (you can pick which one when it happens during the .2 you have to decide which is the best course of action) at any given moment.. especially in traffic..

wear as much gear as you can pack onto your being.. i mean suit of armor if you can get one.. carbon fiber underwear with a cup, 2 helmets.. one extra small.. one xxxxxl to fit over the one if possible..   Man just get all the safety stuff you can and use it everytime you ride.. I"m not just saying that cuz your new.. everybody should do that.   At the very least full leathers, high quality helmet (i didn't say high cost I said high quality.. DOT/Snell rated at least) good riding boots, and gloves.. again.. don't buy the cheapie "no real protection" model.. splurge a bit.. it's your bones/skin afterall.

don't ride like a maniac... especially in cities.. you got some unpopulated roads/places.. go there to play..  nothing will put your ass on the pavement faster than actin' the fool on busy streets.


other than that... you shouldn't ride.. it's dangerous to your health.. and you will crash at some point.. everybody does.   I know guys that have never had a real wreck in 30 years that had to be med-flighted and they still can't remember what caused the wreck.


ride safe, use your head, going fast is great.. as long as you do it as safely as possible.

+100%

 

[BigDawg_03Busa]

Expect the worse in every situation and learn to ride while guarding front brake, clutch and rear brake. Learn quick stops including both brakes and clutch otherwise you choke off in traffic! Keep practicing until your confidence improves!

 

[ambaig11@yahoo.com]

Ok, need some more input... A couple of Harley riders here told me to start riding the bike without my gear... ONLY AS I AM PRACTICING IN THE PARKING LOT. They said that I need to free of any obstructions while learning, then as I get more comfortable start adding more gear and riding harder. Any comments? As for buying a smaller bike and learning on that, it is not an option... I am a poor med. student --> the busa was a gift.
THANKS TO ALL WHO POSTED TIPS ON RIDING!!!!



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[gtrpimp76]

like many here have said: practice, practice, practice!! Nothing beats seat time especially in traffic. But only if you're comfortable doing it. Always assume you're invisible to others and try to make yourself seen at all times. Be safe, cautious and experience/seat time will guide you and bring you home in one piece.

BTW-Busa as a first bike is pretty gnarly, see the hundreds of threads on this topic. If you're still too uncomfortable to take the Busa out even after practicing, you should'nt be on one to begin with. Just take your time...

 

[gtrpimp76]

Please read ALL OF RIDERCOACHES MOTORCYCLE SAFETY TOPIC THREADS AND PRACTICE THEM AS FREQUENTLY AS POSSIBLE. They will save your life b/c you will encounter close calls. Everybody does.

 

[pure_ego]

Ok, need some more input... A couple of Harley riders here told me to start riding the bike without my gear...

ok.. first lesson..

a great majority of HD riders are complete tools... if they knew anything about bikes.. they wouldn't have bought the harley to begin with.. (i said most.. not all)

learning to ride without safety gear is like saying..

"learn how to fight a fire in your pajamas.. then if you live thru that we'll get you some gear and let ya ride on the big red truck."

just run "advise" you get thru your head and turn your "logic meter" on.. if it doesn't go -dingdingdingding- ok.. that sounds right... ignore it and ask somebody else.

most crashes happen within 5 miles of your home... it's a proven fact.. wear your gear everytime you get on the bike... one of these day's you'll go..

"ouch.. damn that hurt, but ole EGO was right,, glad I had my stuff on or I wouldn't be trying to pick up my busted bike.. i'd be laying over there moaning in agony waiting on the squid wagon."

 

[_ZeF]

Whoever gave you a Hayabusa as a gift wants you dead

Seriously, you're lucky to get such a gift and has everyone said, the only way to survival is taking it easy and step by step. Respect the machine and go to you own rythm, dont try to follow more experienced riders if you're not confortable (that often end up in a ditch).

 

[coptech]

REMEMBER that EVERYONE around you WANTS you

D E A D you'll be fine

 

[huntn4heatrs]

Once you practice enough to leave the parking lot remember most accidents occur when a car pulls out across your lane because they don't see you.....try to anticipate the car cutting you off and try to stay off the rear brake in an emergency stop Good Luck!!!!!!