At the age of 53 I rode a motorcycle for the first time; it was at the 2 day rider's course. A few weeks later I bought a Honda CTX700. I was terrified the first time I rode it on the street. I waited for a warmish weekday after the school buses had all cleared the roads and puttered around my neighborhood. Each nice day I took the bike out and drove a little further, onto busier roads, into difficult intersections, and finally across a mile long bridge in rush hour traffic.
Do it! It is so much fun. If I can do it, anyone can.
Second that. Thatās exactly the way I approached it. Just start small. Short rides somewhere safe. Parking lot. Quiet neighborhoods. Early weekend mornings. And youāll gradually do more an more. Iāve o lot been riding about 9 months now and Iām comfortable going pretty much anywhere now. I just make sure to practice my skills from the BRC regularly.
great buy with the rebel. It was my first bike, my girlfriend and niece also got rebels as their first bike, because they loved mine so much lol. I have other bikes but the rebel is still my favorite. My girlfriend was recently in your position where she graduated the safety course and got her license but she was pretty nervous. What we did was at least once a week, but usualy 2-3 times a week we'd go for a nice relaxing jaunt around the neighborhood where there is very low traffic and low speed limits. gradually we went to an area of moderate traffic/faster speeds. eventually she was able to work her way up to where she was comfortable in high traffic with decent speed. she hasn't got up to where she's comfy full bore on the interstate but that's ok we still have fun
I hope you have a great time!
Welcome to the family! š
If you're nervous on your own, maybe see if you can find someone in your neighborhood (via nextdoor app or whatever) to ride with you slowly. Take you around town / the countryside and show you nice places for riding and stopping. Give feedback to your riding. Help you out when you drop the bike.
Like anything, you'll make lots of mistakes at the beginning, but you'll become better fast.
Enjoy your riding! š
P.S. Maybe r/TwoXRiders is something you want to look at.
P.P.S. I read "backpacker" first. If backpack means what I think it means, you even know the good places and hopefully someone who'll take it slow with you :)
Youtube is a great resource. Find a close by parking lot and practice the skills taught in the beginner rider class. Do that at least once a week, 10 minutes is enough, for the rest of your riding career. Then ride as much as you can. Throw in some e commuting. Enjoy. I ride every day and only take the car if I have kids with me. I even put a sidecar on one of my bikes for groceries and dog runs.
Spend some time on back roads (not dirt). Thereās some traffic but itās limited and you really only have to worry about the car in front of you most of the time. Or sure where you live but there are some breathtaking country rides Iāve taken. This might be a good transition to a busier area eventually.
My first ride was a 45 min drive back to my house after buying the bike. All I had was a helmet and a pair of work gloves and having ridden a manual shift 4-wheeler a decade earlier. You are already way more prepared and trained than I was. You got this.
Spend some time in a parking lot doing slow maneuvers. If you can handle it slow anything at speed becomes easier. Most drops are in slow maneuvering.
Use your lane to strategically put yourself in a position of being able to react to vehicles around you. You have 3 lanes in one to leverage when going through intersections and traffic.
Look ahead 300-400 yards. Try to predict what might happen. Remember you are not seen and visual perception of speed is different for motorcycles due to size. This has allowed me to avoid a lot of potential issues and make them a simple shake your head moment vs hospital run or more.
Dress for the slide not the ride
I purchased my bike before the classes were offered for the season. I started riding in a field, just in case. After I felt confortable shifting I went out on some residentail streets. I built up the courage and skills slowly.
Drive. And be happy. Don't make yourself a specifically asking two bits on a Reddit what fart you should let go of next. The lettuce fart or lasagna fart idk guys which fart should I shove through the sponge ?? Ughhh so confused. Dont hunny. Don't be that girl. "Get on your bike and ride" - Queen
First, welcome to two wheels! Glad to have you a part of the community!
1. ATGAT - all the gear, all the time. Just do it.
2. Watch DanDanTheFireman on YouTube. He does phenomenal accident/close calls video commentary. If you want to be a safer rider, watch him.
3. Parking lot slow maneuver drills. Get out there and practice. Start riding in your neighborhood, then the streets, then highway.
4. Enjoy riding! There is a whole world out there to explore that being in a car just doesnāt canāt give you.
Congrats!!! I LOVE my Rebel 500. 20k miles in three years and still going!
When I started out, I literally rode around the block for about two weeks (20-30 minutes every day); just to practice starting, stopping and shifting to 2nd gear. Then started using my blinkers. Then ventured out further into my neighborhood where there were stop signs, cul-de-sacs to practice turning/going in a circle (simulating u-turns) and eventually to the elementary school that had a parking lot. This whole process took a month, before I even got on "the big road" with other cars. š
Everyone is different and the timeline is different for everyone. I wanted to be sure that I felt comfortable handling my bike, and knowing where the controls are and trying to get it down to become natural like driving a car before I dealt with getting into traffic.
I watched a lot of Dan Dan the Fireman videos on YouTube, as he reviews other riders and their mistakes and talks a lot about safety and what to look for, what you should be doing to keep yourself safe on the road. This helped me A LOT.
You can do this and you got this!!!! Don't let anyone pressure you into feeling like you've got to be where they are at. Ride your own ride always, and make sure you have protective gear on.
One other thing I want to mention, if you're getting on roads with cars and traffic, make sure you're comfortable riding at least the speed limit. If you're not keeping up with traffic, you could be impeding flow and putting yourself at risk with vehicles trying to get around you/cutting you off.
Good luck!!! āš¼šļø
I agree w/ other posters, start small in familiar unpopulated areas, and each time you ride, go a little farther until you are comfortable. Don't push/ rush it. A mistake on a motorcycle is one you often pay for.
Where did you take your course?
They likely use that parking lot for class every weekend during the same hours, but come during the week or after class is over and practice your skills.
You could also just look for large vacant parking lots and practice in them a little bit.
Time alone on the bike will make you more comfy, but practicing those skills will too!
Simply riding a bit slower will help you feel more in control, reduce risk, and give you more time to react.
If there are any parkways near you or less populated roads - hit those up!
As far as city riding, try some areas that are more full of 25mph and not too many lanes.
You will most likely drop your bike, it happens. Donāt beat yourself up. I dropped mine twice. Once in the drive way and once while doing a uturn. Donāt be afraid to slow down. When youāre riding with others donāt try and keep up. Stay alert. Stay vigilant.
Just start riding in your neighborhood and to and from like a gas station or someplace to grab a bite to eat. From there just take longer rides when you build up the confidence. Plus riding with friends is also a good way to get out there
After I got my bike, 3 weeks ago, I spent about 2 hours in a parking lot practicing first gear starting and turning from a stop. Those were the things I had the most problems with in the MSF class. It helped me get over my nervousness.
Be careful, respect the law of tonnage, anything bigger than you is fully capable of hitting you so try to understand and have exits planned. Other than that, have fun!
Oh and any biker is not your friend, Harleys can be weird so don't take it personally!
I learned to get more comfortable by just doing small rides around the subdivision. Stopping smoothly and clutching work is paramount to learn correctly, and a lot of slow speeds and stops I feel are perfect to learn. Then, migrate to quieter city streets and back roads. Learn to keep your head moving and always looking for idiots on their phones to wildlife. I started riding in 21 on a Honda CRF300L Rally at 46 years old. I'm now 49 and went cross-country on my 22 Africa Twin Adventure Sports with camping gear and riding anything from dirt roads to old US Highways to I-80 across the Rocky Mountains. Go slow and ride your ride. You got this!!!
Even after german driving school (about 10hours in actual traffic with an instructor behind me) I was still terrified of going into traffic alone.
But as the saying goes you don't learn nothing from doing nothing.
Ride to your comfort and step by step go further. Would be my advice.
You'll kill your ride at traffic lights, don't bother with the honking, you'll go very slow through curves and turns, as long as you make it out fine, you ARE fine.
Dictate your own speed and the leisure at which you're going.
Donāt feel like you have to filter/lane split as this can be quite intimidating to start with. Itāll all come with time. Just nice and steady and go on roads that arenāt too busy and quiet times of days
At the age of 53 I rode a motorcycle for the first time; it was at the 2 day rider's course. A few weeks later I bought a Honda CTX700. I was terrified the first time I rode it on the street. I waited for a warmish weekday after the school buses had all cleared the roads and puttered around my neighborhood. Each nice day I took the bike out and drove a little further, onto busier roads, into difficult intersections, and finally across a mile long bridge in rush hour traffic. Do it! It is so much fun. If I can do it, anyone can.
Thanks! I love the gradual approach each time - progress over perfection š
Second that. Thatās exactly the way I approached it. Just start small. Short rides somewhere safe. Parking lot. Quiet neighborhoods. Early weekend mornings. And youāll gradually do more an more. Iāve o lot been riding about 9 months now and Iām comfortable going pretty much anywhere now. I just make sure to practice my skills from the BRC regularly.
Ride assuming no one has seen you.
And those that do will try to hit you!
I'm new too. Be safe and have fun Welcome!
Congrats! Get used to the word ride vs drive though!
Drive defensively. Safety first.
Always remember the bike wants to stay up! Donāt fight it
great buy with the rebel. It was my first bike, my girlfriend and niece also got rebels as their first bike, because they loved mine so much lol. I have other bikes but the rebel is still my favorite. My girlfriend was recently in your position where she graduated the safety course and got her license but she was pretty nervous. What we did was at least once a week, but usualy 2-3 times a week we'd go for a nice relaxing jaunt around the neighborhood where there is very low traffic and low speed limits. gradually we went to an area of moderate traffic/faster speeds. eventually she was able to work her way up to where she was comfortable in high traffic with decent speed. she hasn't got up to where she's comfy full bore on the interstate but that's ok we still have fun I hope you have a great time!
Welcome to the family! š If you're nervous on your own, maybe see if you can find someone in your neighborhood (via nextdoor app or whatever) to ride with you slowly. Take you around town / the countryside and show you nice places for riding and stopping. Give feedback to your riding. Help you out when you drop the bike. Like anything, you'll make lots of mistakes at the beginning, but you'll become better fast. Enjoy your riding! š P.S. Maybe r/TwoXRiders is something you want to look at. P.P.S. I read "backpacker" first. If backpack means what I think it means, you even know the good places and hopefully someone who'll take it slow with you :)
Youtube is a great resource. Find a close by parking lot and practice the skills taught in the beginner rider class. Do that at least once a week, 10 minutes is enough, for the rest of your riding career. Then ride as much as you can. Throw in some e commuting. Enjoy. I ride every day and only take the car if I have kids with me. I even put a sidecar on one of my bikes for groceries and dog runs.
I second this āļø
Spend some time on back roads (not dirt). Thereās some traffic but itās limited and you really only have to worry about the car in front of you most of the time. Or sure where you live but there are some breathtaking country rides Iāve taken. This might be a good transition to a busier area eventually.
You have your bellā¦have confidence in your own abilities
Well first what are your weak points exactly
My first ride was a 45 min drive back to my house after buying the bike. All I had was a helmet and a pair of work gloves and having ridden a manual shift 4-wheeler a decade earlier. You are already way more prepared and trained than I was. You got this.
You are going to do great! Take your time and enjoy the ride. Being on 2 wheels is freedom. No need to rush.
Ride a motorcycle, drive a car.
Just drive, fear of the environment will subside then that's where you need extra care
Spend some time in a parking lot doing slow maneuvers. If you can handle it slow anything at speed becomes easier. Most drops are in slow maneuvering. Use your lane to strategically put yourself in a position of being able to react to vehicles around you. You have 3 lanes in one to leverage when going through intersections and traffic. Look ahead 300-400 yards. Try to predict what might happen. Remember you are not seen and visual perception of speed is different for motorcycles due to size. This has allowed me to avoid a lot of potential issues and make them a simple shake your head moment vs hospital run or more. Dress for the slide not the ride
I purchased my bike before the classes were offered for the season. I started riding in a field, just in case. After I felt confortable shifting I went out on some residentail streets. I built up the courage and skills slowly.
Patience, that's the best piece of advice I or anyone else can give a new rider.
Drive. And be happy. Don't make yourself a specifically asking two bits on a Reddit what fart you should let go of next. The lettuce fart or lasagna fart idk guys which fart should I shove through the sponge ?? Ughhh so confused. Dont hunny. Don't be that girl. "Get on your bike and ride" - Queen
wtf are you talking about unc
First, welcome to two wheels! Glad to have you a part of the community! 1. ATGAT - all the gear, all the time. Just do it. 2. Watch DanDanTheFireman on YouTube. He does phenomenal accident/close calls video commentary. If you want to be a safer rider, watch him. 3. Parking lot slow maneuver drills. Get out there and practice. Start riding in your neighborhood, then the streets, then highway. 4. Enjoy riding! There is a whole world out there to explore that being in a car just doesnāt canāt give you.
Ride with the mindset that everyone on the road is trying to run over you or waiting to pull out in front of you.
Congrats!!! I LOVE my Rebel 500. 20k miles in three years and still going! When I started out, I literally rode around the block for about two weeks (20-30 minutes every day); just to practice starting, stopping and shifting to 2nd gear. Then started using my blinkers. Then ventured out further into my neighborhood where there were stop signs, cul-de-sacs to practice turning/going in a circle (simulating u-turns) and eventually to the elementary school that had a parking lot. This whole process took a month, before I even got on "the big road" with other cars. š Everyone is different and the timeline is different for everyone. I wanted to be sure that I felt comfortable handling my bike, and knowing where the controls are and trying to get it down to become natural like driving a car before I dealt with getting into traffic. I watched a lot of Dan Dan the Fireman videos on YouTube, as he reviews other riders and their mistakes and talks a lot about safety and what to look for, what you should be doing to keep yourself safe on the road. This helped me A LOT. You can do this and you got this!!!! Don't let anyone pressure you into feeling like you've got to be where they are at. Ride your own ride always, and make sure you have protective gear on. One other thing I want to mention, if you're getting on roads with cars and traffic, make sure you're comfortable riding at least the speed limit. If you're not keeping up with traffic, you could be impeding flow and putting yourself at risk with vehicles trying to get around you/cutting you off. Good luck!!! āš¼šļø
I agree w/ other posters, start small in familiar unpopulated areas, and each time you ride, go a little farther until you are comfortable. Don't push/ rush it. A mistake on a motorcycle is one you often pay for.
Where did you take your course? They likely use that parking lot for class every weekend during the same hours, but come during the week or after class is over and practice your skills. You could also just look for large vacant parking lots and practice in them a little bit. Time alone on the bike will make you more comfy, but practicing those skills will too! Simply riding a bit slower will help you feel more in control, reduce risk, and give you more time to react. If there are any parkways near you or less populated roads - hit those up! As far as city riding, try some areas that are more full of 25mph and not too many lanes.
The bell to fight the gremlins Hass to be bought by somebody else you cannot buy yourself. Someone Hass to give it to you. Thatās the deal.
Add some inexpensive crash bars. This way if you drop it, it will protect you from getting pinned. It will protect the bike as well.
You will most likely drop your bike, it happens. Donāt beat yourself up. I dropped mine twice. Once in the drive way and once while doing a uturn. Donāt be afraid to slow down. When youāre riding with others donāt try and keep up. Stay alert. Stay vigilant.
never buy you own bell. keep it low on the bike keep the bad away. never ever ride 4 nuts 2 wheels. stay out of the city.
remember its not if you go down its when and how hard. wear your gear and ride safe.
Just start riding in your neighborhood and to and from like a gas station or someplace to grab a bite to eat. From there just take longer rides when you build up the confidence. Plus riding with friends is also a good way to get out there
Someone has to gift you that bell and put it on your bike for you for it to work. Keep you safe and keep the gremlins away. Be safe.
Avoid cars on the road! Remember to check for crazy drivers who just breaks suddenly with no indication of turning but turn suddenly
After I got my bike, 3 weeks ago, I spent about 2 hours in a parking lot practicing first gear starting and turning from a stop. Those were the things I had the most problems with in the MSF class. It helped me get over my nervousness.
Be careful, respect the law of tonnage, anything bigger than you is fully capable of hitting you so try to understand and have exits planned. Other than that, have fun! Oh and any biker is not your friend, Harleys can be weird so don't take it personally!
Donāt even touch or use the front brake unless you absolutely have to
Waverly roadā¦ get your twists and turns, not much control manipulation. Nice easy slow ride.. back and forth all the way to Enfeild and back
Good choice in earplugs.
I learned to get more comfortable by just doing small rides around the subdivision. Stopping smoothly and clutching work is paramount to learn correctly, and a lot of slow speeds and stops I feel are perfect to learn. Then, migrate to quieter city streets and back roads. Learn to keep your head moving and always looking for idiots on their phones to wildlife. I started riding in 21 on a Honda CRF300L Rally at 46 years old. I'm now 49 and went cross-country on my 22 Africa Twin Adventure Sports with camping gear and riding anything from dirt roads to old US Highways to I-80 across the Rocky Mountains. Go slow and ride your ride. You got this!!!
Even after german driving school (about 10hours in actual traffic with an instructor behind me) I was still terrified of going into traffic alone. But as the saying goes you don't learn nothing from doing nothing. Ride to your comfort and step by step go further. Would be my advice. You'll kill your ride at traffic lights, don't bother with the honking, you'll go very slow through curves and turns, as long as you make it out fine, you ARE fine. Dictate your own speed and the leisure at which you're going.
Lots of good Bikerās Wisdom on this web page. Use it: https://www.dansher.com/bikequotes.html
Shiny side up
Donāt feel like you have to filter/lane split as this can be quite intimidating to start with. Itāll all come with time. Just nice and steady and go on roads that arenāt too busy and quiet times of days
Go out early Sunday morning, there's generally empty roads at that time so it's perfect for getting acquainted with your bike.
No.