Tips for getting first motorcycle?

ATGATT - All The Gear All The Time. Road rash sucks. I still have a destroyed set of leathers hanging in the garage to remind me of this from a high side at VIR North. Last lap of the race. Had just passed a guy for 3rd and was on the podium. Until I wasn't

 

Well a lot of the guys I know who ride prefer to ride in groups of 2 or more, especially at night so other drivers see two headlights and see a "car".

I've also heard using engine noise, (downshifting) so people can hear you even if they don't see you. Is that true? Or is that just what my buddy tells himself so he can be obnoxious? Lol

Are underglow laws more lenient with motorcycles? Seems like it would help with visibility

 

Definitely agree, do you have a recommended brand for helmets and gear?

 

Anything that makes you more visible is a good thing. However, the real issue is that cage driver's brains are programmed to judge a vehicles distance and closing speed based on the frontal area of another cage. When faced with the much smaller size of a bike and rider they often misjudge you distance and speed, if they even see you at all. They basically "think" you are much farther away then you really are. And switch lanes, pull out, or turn in front of you as a result. The only real defense is to ride like every car around you is trying to kill you.

 

Almost as bad as the sound of screeching tires and the crunching of metal haha

 

I had a ktm rc8r for one season and it never felt like it ran right. I think their dirt bikes are more well sorted out than street

My track has about 18k miles on it, lived outside for a while, has been wrecked and hot wired, and has only given me trouble once

 

I think a lot of that is personal preference/body type. I have been wearing shoei helmets for 20 years. I purchased some Revit pants and jacket 3 years ago and have been extremely pleased with them.

 

I got my first street bike at 16 (now 22). We (myself+dad) looked for something with multiple cylinders, liquid cooling, and dual front disk brakes. I'm in Colorado so thumpers can be a big lethargic in the mountains.

I opted for a Kawasaki Versys 650 which is basically a Ninja 650 but comfy.

By a Snell approved helmet and take a MSF class.

 

Shoei life!

 

I have a versys too. I love that thing.

 

My only tip is please wear a helmet. Just lost another buddy riding......

 

I miss mine, I had an 09! Put some miles on it while I had it. I took it to Alaska what a blast! I sold it and now have a Yamaha Super Tenere. You know bigger and heavier...

 

My old shoei is my usual track day helmet, went to look at buying the new version of the same helmet and they completely changed the shape. Bummed

 

I would get a new dual sport, that way you're not buying someone else's potentially cobbled mess and you'll have dealer support and warranty.
I'm a Honda guy, so my recommendation would be a XR 650L. Plenty of bike for both on and off road. Rig it up with as much auxiliary lighting as you like and above all ride safely. Motorcycles seem to be invisible to those who don't ride.
Take an ABATE course and any other riding course available to you.
I see you're from Michigan and I know there are thousands of miles of off road trails there. Enjoy the ride and wear a helmet!

 

2 or more riders doesn’t make a difference in my opinion, people don’t pay attention and they hit cars. I’ve been in a group with over 200 for bike night and we were riding on the highway and once section almost got taken out by a truck and you’ll have idiots starting shit. Had other drivers pull out guns and point them at us.

Loud pipe save lives is a popular quote, while it might help some it still won’t make them all hear or see you. Underglow won’t really do much either. Not sure about the laws where you live

 

Helmet choice will come down to the shape of your head and how much you want to spend. Whatever you do, go get properly fitted for a helmet by someone who knows what they are doing. Myself personally, my head fits best inside an Arai. They cost a metric ass ton of cash but isn't your brain worth it? I had a street bike accident 4 years ago. I got knocked off my bike and literally run over by an F150. Both axles. I was a speed bump. As I was getting run over my head was bouncing back and forth between the frame rails of the truck and the ground. Chin bar and back of the helmet took the brunt of the impact. Bunch of broken bones but no head trauma. Not even a concussion. I was wearing my Arai and am positive I would not have had a similar outcome with a cheap lid. So don't skimp on it. And always wear it. I will get off my soapbox now LOL.

 

No fuck that, this is a big item to purchase but the most important. Finance it in if you have to. I hated selling bikes to newbies and they would skimp on the helmet and get some heavy knock off crap. Guy there at the shop got t boned with an Arai and ran over. Ambulance had to literally put his intestines back in. Head was swollen but he lived.

Other buddy didn’t like helmets and was drunk and clipped a van going 120, no helmet. I got the call and they said he was alive. His head was cut open and the size of a watermelon. He lived but has some issues. Lucky does not describe him being alive.

Get the best helmet, not decent, the best.

 

If others haven’t said (I didn’t read down), go and try a bunch of helmets on at a motorcycle retail store

 

This was my pick in may of 2015, still have it, still beat the fuck out of it constantly.

2015 DRZ400s

 

For me, I wear gear everytime I get on the bike, but the gear has to be something I'll wear everytime too. That's a compromise. Full face helmet and boots or tall leather shoes are a must for me. Leather jacket even when it's hot. I wear riding jeans with Kevlar and pads, but they are marginal for true protection. Never shorts or short sleeves. I don't wear armor, but I'm mostly a commuter and not pushing the limits of the bike or my skills. Again, a compromise.

You don't have to pay a lot for good stuff, although a lot of the good stuff is expensive. I'd never pay over $200 for a pair of jeans for ordinary use, but for the bike I have two pair of Dainese jeans that cost a fortune. I like the fit of Shoei helmets, but use one of the lower priced ones. You don't have to spend a lot to get a ECE helmet. My next helmet will have the ECE rating.

Here's a very basic article on gear that might help:
https://gizmodo.com/everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know-about-motorcycle-sa-1596858706

As far as bikes, just don't go too big to begin with. Lighter bikes are more forgiving and easier to learn on. I recently got back into riding after many years off. I bought new for two reasons. I can afford it and I don't want someone else's problem. I wasn't in that position for my first bike, and a used bike worked fine. I'm riding an Indian scout, which is their beginner bike. For what I use it for, I doubt I will ever outgrow it.

Whatever skills I had, I lost. I hope this time around I'm making up for it being smarter about how I ride. When I was 20, safety was the last thing on my mind. As everyone else said, the MSF course is a must.