New rider and new member with a new bike needs some advise

[Vagrant]

never ride with a group.
do 600 miles in the most remote place you can find.
then do the 600 mile service yourself. search here for the proper info and oil capacities.
next reread the bible from the MSF class and practice everything again and again. it makes a lot more sense after a bit of experience.

[giusto]

Fish bones ?

 Diusty

Diusty?

[oldbike54]

Diusty?

 I was channeling you  Posted from my phone , it doesn't automatically sign my name . That's my story and I'm sticking to it 

 Dusty

[giusto]

Wow....again this board floors me...lots of outstanding advise....Toaster.. .so well written....the Sunday morning school parking lot practice with cones is essential. Don't ride in a group until you are extremely comfortable....and then still don't...find a good experienced friend and follow from afar.Stay away from every thing.... Buy a good helmet.


Take nothing for granted...every day, hour, minute, and second...each is a gift and a second or two can mean the difference between safety and tragedy.  Pay attention to the car in front of you...but more so the three cars in front of it.

Congrats on your first bike...and great choice. Be safe

[toaster404]

Just a few more thoughts.

Brain fade.  Doing something complex too long dulls the edge.  See it up here on our local attraction. People fade out after 200 curves and do something silly, or run off the edge.  Watch out for it.

Stay in shape.  I used to do things with airplanes / airports.  Change use, see where the planes were most likely to fall, see whether zoning needed changing.  Below about 20 hours / month, the accident rate goes up.  Keep at it, stay proficient, when you aren't, take it very easy and work your way back into the groove. 

Manage your energy state very smoothly.  That's the ticket, nothing abrupt, everything smooth smooth smooth.  Look up "The Pace" - which a bit above what you'll be looking to do, but manage everything.  Pick the turn in, pick the apex and exit as much as you can, listen, roll off to the entry speed, catch the bike with the throttle, head turns looking for anything amiss, considering the road and the line, shoulder towards mirror a cm or two, weight shift in butt, throttle rolls on as the bike tips in, catch it with the rising power and lift it to and through the apex, setting up for the next.  Smooth as glass.  Keep a reserve so you can brake.  Use your eyes to move around obstacles.  Throttle is everything, brakes for control, a touch of the rear for stability.  Plenty of time, plenty of room, well within the envelope.

Don't let the bike get ahead of you.  That's another aircraft issue.  Usually it's a doctor or something.  Or JFK Jr.  Jumps up a level to a Bonanza or something.  It isn't really any more difficult.  Except his 150 he was flying 2 miles ahead of, and he doesn't realize he's always flying at or a little behind the plane.  Then one day he's low and slow, trees are close, full throttle and back on the stick.  The accident reports use the term "power curve" - pilot is behind it and does two things where only one will work.  So understand how power, speed, rpm, lean angle etc all work for your bike.  Oh, for the plane, have to just throttle up and go around.  Can't point the nose up, too!  The thing will mush right into the trees.  Same thing with a motorcycle - only have so much power at each rpm, have to balance everything out.

If you don't practice knowing where you are in your performance envelope, or where you are in the corner, you can find yourself in trouble.  This is very bad with groups.  Let's take a popular curve.  The Whip at mile 10 of the Dragon, US 129 in Tennessee, southbound.  The five Harleys were tight, about 1/2 second or less apart, each following biker looking through as well as at the ones ahead.  They looked pretty good.  You can find this turn.  https://tailofthedragon.cld.bz/Tail-of-the-Dragon-Brochure/3  and
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Deal's+Gap+Motorcycle+Resort/@35.5131228,-83.9862072,432m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x885ebe304269d55 1:0x6fe234824fb11a30!8m2!3d35.4667507!4d-83.9194677  It's a perfect example.  Two straights and a sharp turn, hairpin.  The first rider comes in southbound, right up on the yellow, hotter than I would, turns his head hard, tips in and swings through the apex about 2/3 of the way around, maybe 3/4.  The next guy follows him.  But he's watching the leader and is just a little lost.  Looks fine, but his turn in is just a little more early (he's not really seeing the turn) and the apex backs up a few feet.  There aren't very many feet to back up.  This happens again, until the last guy hits the apex at about 1/2 of the turn, figures out his line is going to be in the middle of the left lane, and there's nowhere to go.  He was lucky, popped vertical and braked hard, but he still would have hit any oncoming traffic.

So don't ride in groups, don't ride someone else's ride, understand your performance envelope. 

Watch out for squids.  They will annoy you and distract you.  When a bunch of squids are around, let them go.  Pull over, let them get out of sight.  They're bad news all around.  Let me find you a local one:  http://killboy.photoreflect.com/store/Orderpage.aspx?pi=04RK02IR060396&po=710&pc=1127  No gear, and naked Jr to shred.  These guys will over ride their abilities, get in your lane, go fast in the straights, then brake hard and coast through the curves. 

If you can find a friend to loaf along with, that's perfect.  On longer trips, an experienced rider can get you there by pacing the ride where you're comfy.

Don't sweat the small stuff, pack some rain gear and get out there.

Here I am up on the Dragon last year http://killboy.photoreflect.com/store/Orderpage.aspx?pi=04RK02IR020431&po=604&pc=3593

[charlie b]

Besides practice at riding my biggest rule in traffic is not to be in a blind spot and not have a car/truck on both sides of me at the same time.  If you are in one of those spots get out of it as soon as possible.  Not as hard as you might think, even in heavy traffic.  Basically, always try to have a way out.

[Seamaster]

Wow, people over here are very kind and caring. Thanks for the advise; yes, no group riding until i get better. I will tour the olympic peninsula this fall with just one friend, who is very experienced, but again, I will not ride others' ride and always on alert!

[Seamaster]

BTW the bike I am getting will look exactly this one with HB Junior 30Ls,  minus the rear rack.

Well, I have a chance to chose 30/30, or 40/30, or 30/40 HB bags. What do you think? O know the 40L are large can hold a helmet, but look really big.

[rodekyll]

You can't tell how big they are when they're behind you, but you can sure as hell tell what you had to leave behind.  If I plan to tour I get the biggest bags I can fit.  Every time, always.

[Nic in Western NYS]

Good to have you onboard!  Lots of good advice so far.  Many wise heads here who have logged millions of miles and lived to talk about it.

Understand that every ride is life or death.  Remember that.  It's no lie.  If your mind is wandering to some work or family problem, pull over and refocus on the work at hand, which is arriving safely.

Skip the alcohol and skip the group rides.  Learn, learn, learn and enjoy building proficiency.

Best,

Nic

[toaster404]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEC-AanEl5Q

Nearly misses the first bend, then zooms up to Whipsaw I described above.  Starts on the inside instead of the outside, sort of the ultimate early apex, and bops right up to the yellow line, has to readjust.  Anyway, this isn't the way it's done.  None of it.  Not how it works.  Work watching!!

[oldbike54]

 Sorry for the bad manners 

 Welcome for sure  Yes we are a friendly bunch , well , except for one old grouch 

 Dusty

[Seamaster]

That guy in the YouTube video is a mad man, he is not really good at his craft. He just took a wild guess and turn for it! I think he was losing focus by the end and too rough on the technique, well if he got any......

oldbike54, I turn 40 this year

[oldbike54]

That guy in the YouTube video is a mad man, he is not really good at his craft. He just took a wild guess and turn for it!

oldbike54, I turn 40 this year

 Good grief , another youngster  No , the old grouch shall remain nameless 

 Dusty

[Tom H]

BTW the bike I am getting will look exactly this one with HB Junior 30Ls,  minus the rear rack.

Well, I have a chance to chose 30/30, or 40/30, or 30/40 HB bags. What do you think? O know the 40L are large can hold a helmet, but look really big.

I have 40's on a EV Touring and thinking about 30's instead. The 40's are wide!! The 40's would probably be wider than your handlebars. Not a bad thing. But, one thing to think about is that if your bars can make it through a gap, the bags might not. But. if your thinking of turning this into a touring bike with a shield and all, the 40's would be a good way to go. If it's more general purpose to sport, go 30's.

Glad to hear you already took the course. Riding is fun!! But you gotta watch out for the other guy with the phone, coffee and a sandwich all at the same time in his hands.

Have fun and be careful!!
Tom

[Seamaster]

I have 40's on a EV Touring and thinking about 30's instead. The 40's are wide!! The 40's would probably be wider than your handlebars. Not a bad thing. But, one thing to think about is that if your bars can make it through a gap, the bags might not. But. if your thinking of turning this into a touring bike with a shield and all, the 40's would be a good way to go. If it's more general purpose to sport, go 30's.

Glad to hear you already took the course. Riding is fun!! But you gotta watch out for the other guy with the phone, coffee and a sandwich all at the same time in his hands.

Have fun and be careful!!
Tom

My friend has a Ducati GT1000 with HB 30/30. I was based on his experience.

[zedXmick]

Welcome to the two wheeled club! Beware of the oncoming cagers turning left.Beware of your backside at every stop light,leave your motorcycle in gear,and leave  enough room in front of you for an escape route. Watch your surroundings,notice the farmers working in the fields,they use the same roads as you do. Going up nice hills means ANYTHING can be in the road ahead as you crest....slow down. Road riding is NOT a race. Remember that motorcycles are the bottom of the motorized food chain....you will lose even if you are in the right. We have all been cut off in traffic....thats the way it is...dont lose your head....survive =win= ride another day.

[willowstreetguzziguy]

Ride like you're invisible. Don't expect them to see you!

[Zoom Zoom]

Don't trust anyone's turn signal, not even your own (don't forget to turn yours off)

So true that! I accidentally left mine on one time and nearly got run over because of it. When I realized it was my own fault, I was quite upset at myself.

Ride like you're invisible. Don't expect them to see you!

What he said. Also, assume they DO NOT see you! Pay attention to cars at intersections. Look for wheel movement.

John Henry

[janusz]

I use to ride mountain bike, well, that does not really count.

Congratulation on your new bike!

Riding mountain bike helps a lot, specifically if you spent some time on the decent single track. You will be able to apply the same skills when braking, balancing, going over the obstacles on a road. As a new rider myself (picked my first motorcycle 2016 Audace 4 weeks ago) my only advice is to concentrate on throttle and clutch control, specially at slow speed when making sharp turns. Be careful when/where you put your feet down, a slip of your foot may lead to putting a bike down. Other then that I think you are ready to fly!

Drive save and have a fun!

[chuck peterson]

Yeah, please, don't die out there....

Simplify things...left turn? Position yourself in the right car tire line...right turn, left tire lane SO THAT you can see as far as possible around the curve...most of your attention should be on the 3-5 seconds in the future

Try the speed limit, always a safe sure suggestion

Slight accel in corners lifts the bike off the suspension, closing throttle quickly in a corner lowers the bike onto suspension which reduces cornering clearance

Smooth throttle, no abrupt on/off, especially leaned over

Braking is pretty much a straight line activity before you turn into corners

Good luck, have a blast

Anything moving or static is trying to kill you

[Guzzistajohn]

First of all WELCOME to the forum. You have joined an eclectic group to put it mildly! Lots of good advice from some experienced riders, like watch for wheel movement also look for heads turning toward you, if they're on the phone, chances are, they're not seeing you. I also like "ride like you're invisible" very true. I ride like I really never have the right of way while thinking they're all out to kill me, makes it fun doesn't it? Since the invention of cell phones and texting, it seems like that's more true than ever.

Another biggie is staying out of blind spots, the trucking industry calls it the "no zone" better to blow someones doors than ride in a blind spot.

Good idea to hook up with an experienced buddy. Have fun out there and enjoy your Guzzi. Watch out they're addictive!

[charlie b]

And don't be surprised if your riding habits carry over to the cages. 

I was driving along and my wife asked me why I was slowing down cause the light at the intersection was green.  I laughed and pointed out the guy on the other left turn lane starting to inch forward and the guy on the side street about to make a right in front of me.  Didn't occur to me I was in a 3/4T diesel truck instead of on the bike  :D

[bad Chad]

Good God fellas!  I know your trying hard to help this guy out, but if I were him, I might be double thinking this whole riding thing after reading all this!

Don't get me wrong, there is a ton of great advice here, but how about throttling back a little on the scary stuff.   If it's been said already three or more times, no need to say it again.  We want him to be as safe as possible, but we still want him in the community right?  If he gets anymore redundant  advice via a computer keypad he might just take of kiting instead.

Welcome, ride safe, and have fun, we want to be hearing about your journey for years to come!

[Chuck in Indiana]

I didn't see any bad advice from the above posters. After all, we're all alive with collectively millions of miles.. just saying. The first 6 months are a pretty steep learning curve for a beginner. My favorite is pretend you are invisible. You truly are.
Now, for that problem you are likely to have as a newby. Don't cover your front brake at walking speeds. If you apply the front brakes in a gentle turn at those speeds, you are likely to fall down and scratch your new bike. If something unexpected happens, you'll clench your hand, lock up the front wheel, and down you go. When making that final few mph stop or in gravel, use the rear brake only.
I read an article one time that said the best street riders look 14 seconds down the road. I thought, "I don't know about that.. that is a *long* way." Went for a ride, and timed where I would normally be looking. Yeah.. 14 seconds. Of course, you can't do that on winding roads, there you have to look as far as you can see.
At any rate, riding is an absolute blast. All senses being on full alert is actually part of it..

[Chuck in Indiana]

Good God fellas!  I know your trying hard to help this guy out, but if I were him, I might be double thinking this whole riding thing after reading all this!

Don't get me wrong, there is a ton of great advice here, but how about throttling back a little on the scary stuff.   If it's been said already three or more times, no need to say it again.  We want him to be as safe as possible, but we still want him in the community right?  If he gets anymore redundant  advice via a computer keypad he might just take of kiting instead.

Welcome, ride safe, and have fun, we want to be hearing about your journey for years to come!

Bad Chad is absolutely right, of course.. but this is a whole crash  course on what to do and not to do. I've said before that experience is a tough teacher.. it gives you the test first, and *then* the lesson.  The above postings give you years of experience to fall back on for when the test comes.. Welcome to WG!

[normzone]

When you see dust ahead of you assume somebody just screwed up and get real conscious.

I saw a dust plume ahead once and slowed, when I got there I saw a limo had left the two lanes going the other way further up on the hillside, come down the hill, crossed over my two lanes and gone further down the hill.

Today I was being tailgated getting off a long fast exit and I was trying gently slow us both down when a big dust plume came out of the brush ahead. I got high profile on the slow down signals and came around the corner to a car facing the wrong direction - he'd gone wide and off into the shoulder, over corrected and did an involuntary U-turn to wind up in the shoulder facing backwards.

[Chuck in Indiana]

and get real conscious.

*Always* be real conscious.    See that water running out of the car wash out onto the road? It's slick as snot. Stay out of the middle of the lane. That's where the cars drop oil, especially uphill, and after a gentle rain. Don't cross the center of the lane on an on ramp for the same reason. Painted lines on the road.. you get the picture. 
Look. It's fun.. but it's dangerous. If you don't believe it is dangerous you have no business on a bike. <shrug>

[travelingbyguzzi]

Yes, a lot of scarey stuff to throw at Seamaster, but Seattle is a very scary place to ride. Lots of out of towners who don't know where they are going will turn abruptly in front of of you. My piece of advice: Do NOT tailgate on the freeway. Anticipate traffic slowdown so that you do not have to panicstop.
Keep an eye on your mirror(s) when you come up on slow or stopped traffic. I like to weave a bit in my lane to catch the attention of the driver behind me.
And do come down to Enumclaw the first Saturday of the month and have breakfast with us.
I live just South of you in Tukwila.

Bill Lovelady    IS 
Eskimo Spy

[Chuck in Indiana]

^^^^
Advice from a high mileage local guy. Pay attention.