Bonneville America Forums Forums Rider Safety Forums Riding Technique 1st post: As new as new can be... Teach me.

UPDATE: Moved thread to the Lounge

This thead in the lounge
First question - am I posting in the right place?

Let me begin by saying that I might be in love with Bonnevilles... I know, I know... I hardly know them, but they're so beautiful, I think they may just be the ones - if only they noticed me like I notice them.

Seriously, though. I'm 30 and sorry to say I've never ridden. However, I'm ready to get into bikes. I've done a good bit of research, and am planning to take my beginner's course next month. I've been looking around and have several friends that have been riding for around 20 years. However, these days, they're mostly into dual-sports. I'm looking for a commuter and something I can get into longer rides with.

Currently, I'm living in Eastern Washington, where traffic and congestion is low. I have some relatively quiet city streets and highways to practice on, and the time to invest a little every day. I'm from Portland, and travel there frequently (about 700 miles, round trip), so I'm hoping after a while that I'll be able to ride to and from, rather than drive.

I'd appreciate any and all advice, especially with regard to first bike selection, gear, safety tips, and general etiquette; as well as anything I wouldn't know to ask.

Also, after being an infantry medic for more than ten years, as well as a calm and beaten-down graduate student, I'm not interested in showing off, speeding, or otherwise donating organs (I’ve already had enough close calls to know I want all of my parts). In other words, I'm as concerned with safety as I am with enjoying the ride.

I am looking to really dive into this, and invest as much time and learning as possible. Though, I'm not loaded, as anthropology grads don't make much after paying to teach...

So, where do I start? Help me pick a bike. Is a Bonneville to start too early? I've been reading on several sites and have been learning good bits here and there, but I'm really just starting out. Sorry to sound as new as I am. Thanks in advance for any help.

ETA: I have read 'operation-save-a-newbie'

First welcome to the site you might be better off in the lounge with a lot of this. And lest the America is a great bike easy to ride and well hang with bikes a lot larger.Plus the are cool to tweek you can keep them stock or make them more your own

Chris, thanks for the feedback - I have been thinking along the lines of the Bonneville Black, but I like the America better every time I run over the specs and pics... I'll repost this in the lounge, as you say. Thanks, again!

Jack

Mods, feel free to delete either thread if I'm screwing up the game. Thanks.

The lounge is ok, bit here is a great spot for a lot of your questions.

This is a fairly small section, so take a few to read thru it to get most of your answers.

Sounds like from your experience you are a smart guy and headed in the right direction!

Step 1: take the beginners course! I think there are too many riders in this world who feel they are above it, but as you will read, there are plenty of vets who learned a lot from it too. So go take it, then come back with a whoooole new set of questions

the beginner course is great, thats how i got my liscense, good to learn some of the things which would be bad habits if you never took the class. make sure your having fun and not scared, makes the expierence much better

Frank

Hey WitchDoctor, welcome to the site.
I say this to all Newbies, although most don't listen. A small dirt bike is the best teacher. Even if you only spend one month on it, do it. It's an environment where you can safely make mistakes and correct them. That way, on your first street ride, you'll have more control. If you can ride on mud and sand, you can ride on anything. Good luck!

Thanks for the feedback and welcomes - I love this site!

I'm definitely looking forward to taking my beginner's class, followed by experience and more advanced classes. I'm planning on waiting for my license before I buy my first bike - unless a smokin' deal come along...

Unfortunately, all of my friends that ride are in Portland, so I'm not really able to borrow any bikes for any long period, but I will get to try out my bud's '84 Interceptor after I take my class, but I'm more interested in the Triumph route. However, I'm not opposed to starting out on a smaller bike, or dirt bike, for that matter. Though, I drive a jeep and don't have a trailer to tote a bike that's not street legal around, so that may limit my ability to go the dirt bike route.

School me if my mind is in the wrong place. And check out the same thread in the lounge if you get a chance, where I've posted a couple of other thoughts. I kind of screwed this up with two identical threads...

In any case, thank you very much for your input and please enlighten me with any thoughts you may have. Feel free to adopt me as a pet project!

If you were thinking about any other bike, I'd say get a cheap used 350 - 400 CC import first so you can get some experience on something that doesn't matter if you break it. The Triumph twins are the only motorcycles of their size that I feel are well enough behaved that they could be considered for a first bike.

For what it's worth, the Honda Rebel is a good starter bike. Bulletproof and inexpensive but they hold their value very well. Ride it a couple of months and get back what you paid for it.

I say dive into the deep-end and buy the Bonnie Black or T100. Both are only 1.5" longer in length and wheel base than the Honda Rebel. The Triumphs sit a little higher by 4". The biggest difference is weight by about 140lbs and of course power. Keep the throttle back until your comfortable and you'll be all right. The beginners MSF course is a must. Most provide bikes like the Rebel and successfully finishing the course in most states takes the place of the operational exam. You'll do fine.

Regards,

Tom

Welcome to the site and the wonderous world of Triumph. You will love any of the Bonneville's (It is common knowledge that the Caspian Blue America's are the best)

3...2...1... *waiting for the barrage of comments*

Anyhoo.. great bike, this is a great site and everyone here can help you in some way or another.

Again, welcome to the site

Buy a Triumph. As a Witchdoctor you should know any other brand is just "bad JU JU"

Witch Doctor-

I've been riding for a year now and started when I was 30, so here is what I learned-

1) Take the MSF course. The ability to learn in a controlled environment is key. The instructors will do a good job teaching you and you will quickly develope the confidence to ride.

2) Find a friend who rides. It is so much nicer to ride with someone- You can stop, have someone to talk to, and someone to watch out for you. They will be teaching you how to ride in traffic, how to ride in groups etc.

3) Ride- Time in the saddle will help more than anything. You are building skills, experiance and most importantly, confidence that you will need to ride. I started (after the MSF course) by riding around my neighborhood for hours. After that I branched out. The bike will be most difficult to control at low speeds so practice, practice, practice.

4) Get your own bike. If you have to rely on your friends to let you borrown their's, you will be at their mercy for time and practice. Also, you need to "bond" with your own machine. It takes some time to learn how the bike responds and what it's limits are. If you are jumping around from bike to bike, you are not going to learn the bike.

5) Don't skimp on gear. A helmet that fits right and warm clothing (I am a cold wuss) are the difference between a great ride and a lousy one. Take the time to find things that work and that fit.

6) First bike- I determined what I wanted (for me a cruiser that was between 750 and 900cc's) and sit on *every* bike that fits the bill. There is a lot of variation between the manufactures, so you need to find the one that fits you. Most all controls on any bike are adjustible within certain limits, but you need to get in the ballpark. Personally, I had my heart set on a t100. After sitting on everything in my range, I found the Speedmaster to be the best fit for me. As a plus it is beutiful, handles like a dream, and was a *very* forgiving bike to learn with. If I had gone with a smaller displacement bike, I would have been selling it three months later and getting the Speedmaster.

Well, I will get off my soapbox now. Welcome to riding. Stay safe out there.

-TM

Hi witchdoctor, I was in your position last May, except I'm 50 -might be old for a first bike but I,m working thro my list of regrets. Bought a 06 black speedmaster -maybe a smaller bike would've been wiser,but proper training was the key to getting going ,just dont be too keen to run before walking-these bikes can bite . I've been over the handle bars once but at slow speed, boy did I revise a lot of my attitudes that day.This is my first post-I hail from Liverpool-England. Good luck.

Hi Witch Doctor:
Welcome aboard. I bought my SpeedMaster in Sept of 04 at 62 years young. It was my first bike. I did take the MSF course. I could not have picked a better first bike. I took it easy at first, but now have 15,000 miles under my belt and still love the bike.
Dave