New to Riding, Got My Dream Bike!

Hello Everyone!

My name is Bee and I'm new to this forum as well as riding and I thought I'd pop in and post something... I Own a 1986 VFR 750F and I'm still learning how to tame the beast! Nothing brings me more joy than having a successful ride on my VFR. I can hardly wait to kick some ass on her once and for all... Anyone have some newbie riding experiences they'd like to share? I'd love to hear about it! I'm still nervous when I make turns but its feeling great every time! I posted a picture to show her off! I'm happy to be a part of the forum and will be reading into everyone's stories I love hearing about VFRs XD

Thanks for reading!

 

Welcome Bee. Be mindful and respectful of your new found machine. Do as many riding courses as you can and read all the riding techniques articles and books you can. Wear the right gear. Ride with mature (not necessarily age) riders.

 

:welcome: to the madness Bee :wave:
Take MSF class and respect the bike use your head the big one......
Think of the consequence before action. ATGATT
Are you a female ride?

 

Congrats on the new purchase and Welcome to the WORLD. The world of biking for one, and the world of the VFR most importantly. LOL.

As as many have already suggested, signing up for a motorcycle safety class or taking an advanced riding class is a great idea. If you're out riding with others, ride your own ride and resist the temptation to ride past the level of your abilities. Sometimes when riding with others, especially those with more experience (not necessarily more skill) it can be tempting to follow along behind and try to chase them. This can be a recipe for disaster. Have fun, ride safe and keep her shiny side up.

 

Congrats and what they said... bet those jeans look great but the (one of many important) thing is the correct riding gear.....sneakers wont really protect much. JMTC...
Enjoy...he's a purty.little thing.
Not sure if your in Cali but heard CHP has a good course.

 

Congrats and please be safe

 

Hi Bee! Welcome! That's an awesome bike you have. Congrats!

I second all those suggestions of taking riding courses and taking things slowly until you have more miles under your belt. When I first started riding I was an information fiend, reading and watching just about everything I could get my hands on to try to improve and stay safe. I think it's great that you found this site and are open to learning and growing as a motorcyclist. A couple classic books that have great information are David Hough's (pronounced "Huff") "Proficient Motorcycling" and "More Proficient Motorcycling." They cover all the basics with safety in mind for the street rider. Keith Code has a book and DVD called "Twist of the Wrist II" which, although the acting on the DVD is pretty cheesy, the information is great.

Two of my favorite books on cornering are "Total Control: High Performance Street Riding Techniques" by Lee Parks (who also offers riding clinics that I've heard are fantastic) and "Sport Riding Techniques" by Nick Ienatsch (no clue how to pronounce his last name! haha). I'd have to say the book by Ienatsch, who has a famous article also worth reading called "The Pace," is my favorite. For me, it was like the proverbial light bulb went off and cornering made a whole lot more sense. I don't know if it was his book alone or information from all different sources that happened to come together while digesting, and more importantly, putting into practice, the techniques in his book. You can most likely find all these books and the DVD used online. Read up and, of course, put in the saddle time.

Don't be in too much of a rush. Every time you ride, you'll be learning something new. Take small steps and over time, they add up to a solid foundation of good riding technique. I also like to think that I'm completely invisible to everyone! And, that they're actually trying to kill me. Even when you're not on your bike, make it a habit to predict what other drivers are going to do and how you would react if on your bike. Objects in the road that aren't a big deal when in your car should make you think, "What would I do if I was riding and that popped up out of nowhere?" You'll learn to ride in a state of hyper-attentiveness without the paranoia. You can still have fun but always on alert, always scanning, always predicting, always ready to act or react.

Exciting times for you! Welcome to the forum and welcome to the world of motorcycling!

 

Funny MG..on the fourth paragraph saying your invisible and try to predict what the bonehead will do is exactly what I was taught by my best friend then and now..heard all his mistakes .accidents and all of it was imbedded in my brain. Good advice ..oh and watch there mirrors....most people start getting over before they look .

 

Love your bike.

I just got back into the sport and it's taken awhile to get into the swing of things. It gets easier and more fun with every ride.

Do some hard thinking about taking blind corners "enthusiastically". I hit a dear in my truck a few years ago. It was a shock to the system. I'll never look at them the same way again. (the corners that is)

That said, have a blast!

 

Get yourself boots, even lower cut, don't wear shoes with laces, they will get caught on the foot brake lever or the gear shift making it impossible to stop! (Been there, done that!)

Enjoy your beautiful ride!

 

Welcome to motorcycles in general and to VFRs in particular. I will jump in where everyone else has already tread and reiterate 1) Good gear makes for great and safer riding. I didn't find this out for the longest time but good boots, gloves and jackets, chosen for the weather and riding season, can be a joy. 2) Try a track day or two. There is nothing that will improve your riding like instruction in an environment without the dangers and distractions of the street. 4) Relax. 3) Oh. . .and this sounds so stupidly simple and it bears repeating "look where you want to go." The bike will follow your eyes. If you get into a corner too hot and you look at the weeds that's where you will end up. Your Viffer will go around corners you think it can't. You have to let it.

 

I do not push the speed in corners I cannot see around. In my neck of the woods you don't know if a farmer has pulled out of the field and dropped big mud clods, or if the bottom part of a rotting round bail of hay is laying in the road or maybe even a hog. No, I have to see the road to feel good about the corner.

 

Welcome to motorcycles and more importantly VFRs. Lots of great advice so far in this thread. don't get overwhelmed though. Key is having fun and staying alive.

the book MG recommended, Proficient Motorcycling and an MSF course are a great place to start. One of the "rules" I still stick to in group rides is that the least experienced rider always leads. That way he or she sets the pace and there's no pressure to ride past their skill level. Anyone who wants to go faster should ride in a different group or break off with the other speed demons.

Oh and look through the turn and not in front of your wheel on corners.

Great looking machine. I'm kinda envious.

 

Great, we get one woman to join the forum and you hooligans scare her away! Please tell me you didn't flood her with PM's.

 

I didn't say a word... I just send some pictures.

Just kidding

 

Beautiful bike. I second what's already been said.
Riders safety courses.

 

That is a rare bike and a great choice. Take care and good luck.

 

Very nice ride, and hello. I'm afraid my newbie riding stories are from the stone age & I've slept too much since then to be able to recall any ... :biggrin: ...

ACE

 

Very nice machine Bee. I cant agree more with the responses above.

 

Ok who scared her?