Still learning

[m_thoroughbred]

I've been riding for over a month. And I must say that even though I have a lot more I could learn it's been fun. As some of you know this is my first bike ever and I have to say that I'm addicted to it I may even say in love lol. Just taking it a day at a time riding every time I get. I'm taking the safety courses may 31st. The Green one is my brother's 2010 Kawasaki zxr600 got on the interstate for the first time yesterday and that was a different experience.

[*~c_dubya~*]

hope your brother has taught you all about your riding position in conjunction to other vehicles on the road- especially interstates.
no part of your bike should be beside another vehicle- speed up or slow down; otherwise, they will unintentionally (or intentionally, who knows) try to kill you.

glad you're enjoying yourself!

[m_thoroughbred]

hope your brother has taught you all about your riding position in conjunction to other vehicles on the road- especially interstates.
no part of your bike should be beside another vehicle- speed up or slow down; otherwise, they will unintentionally (or intentionally, who knows) try to kill you.

glad you're enjoying yourself!

I ride in the middle of the lane always. I treat riding a bike like driving a car when it comes to the lane.  When I ride with my brother I don't ride next to him if we are sharing the same lane but staggered. He has been helping me along with other friends which has been great deal.

[*~c_dubya~*]

watch out for riding the middle of the lane in the rain - that's where all the oil is.

what i mean with your bike in correlation with other vehicles is being in their blind spot kind of deal... they won't see you... even if they see you, they won't SEE you.

[Wrench87]

what cdub means, should look like this...
-----------------------
CAR           CAR
-----------------------
        BIKE
-----------------------



NOT...

----------------------
CAR          CAR
----------------------
BIKE
----------------------



HEH...that actually makes more sense visually than I thought it would

[*~c_dubya~*]

you sir, deserve a cookie for that!

[m_thoroughbred]

I see now. Thx for the tip

[cosmo]

middle of lane is also where potholes are, not just oil. this coming from a guy who rides in a country where there are more potholes than asphalt on the street. i found that best place to have the bike is directly behind the driver of the car in front. the driver will always have you in his rear view mirror, and when he turns around a pothole, you just need to follow his line. also, should he brake suddenly, you're closer to the side than if you were on the middle, so it's easier to go around him if you can't stop in time (just watch out for incoming traffic when you do this (also, if you can spare the look, check your mirror)). of course, if you can, get a lane all by yourself. this is only for when you need to follow a car.

[Wrench87]

you sir, deserve a cookie for that!

[m_thoroughbred]

Thanks again guys. This is one of the reasons I signed up for a safety course. And to this forum.

[Rjunky]

dont forget your mandatory jar of wasps to throw into truck windows that try and squeeze you out of your lane....

[m_thoroughbred]

Lol. By any chance does anyone know a website that sell OEM parts like stock fairing kits unpainted?

[excat]

you'll learn, bikes have 3 lanes to ride in per lane. center, left of center, right of center. center should be avoided as much as possible.

as said center catches most oil, right of center is where most debris will be, and left of center should be your most traveled lane position. traveling left of center (closest to on coming traffic) gives you the most visibility (to see and be seen), and the most oh shit room to do something, and makes you the most visible. don't watch what the car in front of you is doing. you ride (just as you should drive) by what traffic far ahead of you is doing. if you drive to someone 5 cars ahead of you, you'll catch people slamming on their brakes, and other stuff before the car right in front of you does, and you can ride accordingly. and since your looking past the car in front of you, you'll be able to see their tail lights to know what they are doing as well.

i know very seasoned riders who still lack the common riding sense. always, always travel FASTER than traffic. don't worry about cops, as long as your riding respectable, they won't jack with you. you want to maintain a speed that when you come to a car, you get around the car. you don't want a slow pass, that makes you less visible in a car's mirrors. get up and get around the car. you don't want cars passing you either. they will cut your ass off, forget your there, and then it gets scary.

[blindkiller]

you'll learn, bikes have 3 lanes to ride in per lane. center, left of center, right of center. center should be avoided as much as possible.

as said center catches most oil, right of center is where most debris will be, and left of center should be your most traveled lane position. traveling left of center (closest to on coming traffic) gives you the most visibility (to see and be seen), and the most oh shit room to do something, and makes you the most visible. don't watch what the car in front of you is doing. you ride (just as you should drive) by what traffic far ahead of you is doing. if you drive to someone 5 cars ahead of you, you'll catch people slamming on their brakes, and other stuff before the car right in front of you does, and you can ride accordingly. and since your looking past the car in front of you, you'll be able to see their tail lights to know what they are doing as well.

i know very seasoned riders who still lack the common riding sense. always, always travel FASTER than traffic. don't worry about cops, as long as your riding respectable, they won't jack with you. you want to maintain a speed that when you come to a car, you get around the car. you don't want a slow pass, that makes you less visible in a car's mirrors. get up and get around the car. you don't want cars passing you either. they will cut your ass off, forget your there, and then it gets scary.

This applies pretty much every where but Florida. I tried to explain that to an officer the pulled me over when I was going 6 over through moderate traffic on the highway. He said I was speeding, I was caught, he doesn't care, and to please take the ticket and move on.

Funny thing was, it was a motorcycle cop too. He commented that he's never seen a person brake soo fast and get over. I simply told him, I knew that I was pointed at so I pulled over.

Pricks.

[Wrench87]

Speaking of going slightly over. What's the "grace" that's generally given in the states? Police usually ignore 10 km over up here unless they're bored. Nothings worse than a bored cop...