Oh dear, this motorcycle thing is pretty effing cool....

[berettafan]

Picked up a full face HJC helmet at the local honda dealer this weekend and went for a brief 'outside the neighborhood' ride. Only have my learners permit at the moment so i'm keeping this to a minimum until two weeks pass at which time i can take the riding portion of the exam and get my endorsement.

It was a blast. I've been all over our small, small town on my Honda Cub but this was entirely different. It felt good to be wearing a full face helmet (WAY better vision than i expected and very comfortable) and actually use the entire lane vs. hiding off to the side and letting cars pass by. Shifting with the clutch is very satisfying though it does take some measure of concentration on a 55yr old transmission.

Looking for a suitable summer jacket now

[legion]

I've got a Joe Rocket convertible jacket. It's a mesh jacket with a waterproof liner. It has armor inserts and a padded back. I've worn it down to 35º (with a scarf and a few long-sleeve shirts on) and up to 95º so far. I ALWAYS wear my helmet, jacket, boots, and gloves. I'm thinking of some riding pants for the highway.

[berettafan]

the pants are the thing that seems most difficult. i plan to ride to work a lot this summer (a whopping 1.4 mile trip each way) and suspect i'll just be taking the risk with non-protective khaki's.

i will try to find a suitable boot that i can work in. or perhaps a slip on style that i can easily change when i get to work.

[jhynesrockmtn]

Look for an MSF course, it's worth the time and at least in WA you get your test done at the same time. Some will tell you it's too basic, they are full of it, especially for a beginner.

Legion, I also have a Joe Rocket jacket and picked up some Joe Rocket overpants and wear them all the time now as well. It's nice because they will zip easily to the jacket. I always ride with all the gear.

My bike is at the mechanic getting tuned and the weekend was beautiful

Be safe out there.

[jhynesrockmtn]

i will try to find a suitable boot that i can work in. or perhaps a slip on style that i can easily change when i get to work.

I ride in Red Wing work boots that have steel on top and bottom and come up over the ankle. They are quite comfortable but I have a desk job and do keep some other shoes at the office. Get the pants, they are easy on/off and your skin/knees/hips will thank you if something happens.

[968rz]

Only have my learners permit at the moment so i'm keeping this to a minimum until two weeks pass at which time i can take the riding portion of the exam and get my endorsement.

Get out there and ride, during your test they watch and see how comfortable and how well you control the bike. The more you drive the better you'll do, also with the learners permit you can drive anywhere you just have to wear your helmet.

[legion]

I failed my test in the MSF course. During the 140º turning test, my left foot slipped off the peg and caught the shifter, instantly downshifting me from 2nd to 1st. As the revs shot up, the bike went bolt upright, making doing the turn impossible.

I went and took the test at the DMV on my friends 250 CC Honda Rebel. The bike was way too small for me, but the absolutely biggest bike I'd recomend for the test. The slalom and stopping portions of the test would have been impossible on a bigger/heavier bike.

[VincentVega]

Get some gear, even for 1.4 miles. It only gets uncomfortable when you are sitting still at a light for a while. Get some luggage too, makes storing gear much easier. Also, once you have some storage you'll ride a lot more, you have flexibility to pick up some groceries without having to take the car.

[berettafan]

Unfortunately the learners permit requires i ride with someone that has at least 3yrs experience. I'm not anxious to ask anyone i know with a bike if i can follow them around for a while. It just seems counter-intuitive to have to pay attention to another guy close by as a beginner vs. just riding alone.

[jyl]

I passed my MSF test (actually, the Oregon equivalent organization) despite blowing the slow-speed slalom. I didn't have the hang of beginning each turn while still in the previous one. Have gotten better but still not as smooth at very low speeds as I would like. Given I ride an old Vespa, I really have no excuse for not being smoother.

Have been concentrating most on anticipating traffic and defensive riding. The hardest thing for me to remember is keeping track of what's behind me. Every now and then a car passes me and I realize that I didn't know it was there - bad.

[TechnoViking]

Yea, I've come to the same conclusion. Motorcycles are way cool.

Why would so many people ride them around knowing they are statistically less safe than being in a car? Because they are FUN, that's why

[HardDrive]

Sold my Ducati on Saturday.

To keep the wife happy its one toy at a time, and I got that P-car urge again (never left actually.....).

EDIT: One thing that made it a bit less difficult? I sold the bike for $200 more than I bought it for.

[Rick Lee]

I can't imagine selling my bike. I made it a point to get my first BMW before I got married. I'm already trying to figure a way to sneak another GS into the garage without the wife noticing. Kinda hard since her Mini and my S share a two-car garage, while my 993 has its own tandem garage.

FWIW, I sold my first BMW for $1000 more than I paid for it six mos. earlier. That made the GS purchase an easier sell to my future wife.

[nostatic]

yeah, nothing bad ever happens 1.4 miles between home and work...

as was said above, keep work shoes at work and ride in proper boots. As for wearing khakis...shall I dig up some pics of what concrete + knee look like?

[Jeff Higgins]

I read somewhere that over 90% of all accidents occur within a couple mile from home.

That's why I'm moving...

[nostatic]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

I read somewhere that over 90% of all accidents occur within a couple mile from home.

That's why I'm moving...

I heard you're movin' on up - to the east side!

[Tim Hancock]

I understand the advantages of going down with gear on as I have been on the pavement wearing only shorts at 55mph in college (I was a walking piece of road rash after that one), but for a 1 mile ride, no way would I spend 5-10 minutes to suit up... ride two minutes...then spend another several minutes changing back into work clothes. I would wear a helmet and gloves period. Safety cops flame away, but I have been riding almost all of my 40+ years and when I occasionally choose to ride the 40 miles to work, I choose to wear a leather coat, helmet and gloves over whatever I happen to be wearing to work that day (usually jeans and tennis shoes).

[Rick Lee]

I also cannot bring myself to suit up for the less than one mile ride to the grocery store or 1.2 mile ride to the gym. If I go one foot past the two intersections near my house, I wear full gear. Within them, I wear whatever I have on.

[exc911ence]

I bought a pair of Joe Rocket blue jeans on the weekend... they feature a layer of kevlar under the denim with a lovely paisley cotton lining. Also have removable knee armour built in. Way better than the Levis I've been riding in forever...

Also bought a second bike... I love motorcycles.

[berettafan]

okay i'm ordering a mesh jacket today.

firstgear has tall sizes (i need tall) so looking at either the mesh-tex or the rush. anybody have thoughts on either?

newenough.com (suggested in the past by ns IIRC) has great prices on this stuff.