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Copyright © 2000 by M. Hilton Taylor. All Rights Reserved by T.A.M.S. It ain’t rocket science . . . is it. |
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So you want to ride! You are walking around singing Live to Ride with visions of the wind in your face. Before you get too lost in your dream you need to be sure you have your plan laid out for a safe journey. If you have never ridden before be sure you take a rider education course. There are many good ones available. It is important to know and learn some basic skills that will prove valuable and make your journey more exciting and safe. There is more to it than sitting on the bike, making it roll without falling down, and riding it down the street. A lot more! You will need to know how to brake properly and control the motorcycle with balance at low speeds as well as at road speeds. There are some distinct differences in cars and bikes. The biggest difference is they steer differently and it is kind of scary when you think about it, but in reality it is not . . . as long as you understand the principles. In a car you turn right to go right. On a bike you steer right to go left and left to go right. No, you read it right! On two wheel vehicles this is referred to as counter-steering. It is not as complicated as you might think and does not come into play at low speeds. At slow speed it steers like a car. Confused? Let me explain it a little more simply. When you are riding you push down on the right handle bar to go right and the left handle bar to go left and it makes things feel ok. Just so you will feel a little better it will become second nature and you more than likely never think about it again, unless you’re trying to impress some of your friends. Once you have taken the course and know the basics you need to find the right bike for you. There are many choices and the key is to find the one you like that fits your skills and size. It is very possible for that tiny little girl to ride that big ole bike . . . if it is properly fitted to her. That means you have to reach the controls, get your feet flat on the ground, and be able to push it around. Remember, pleasure is not defined by the ability to ride the biggest most powerful bike, but rather the ease with which you can ride and control your motorcycle. Too many people let their ego get a hold on them and it leads them in the wrong direction. Pick a motorcycle that fits your size and skill level, because there is no shame in riding around safely on a “small bike”. Develop your skills and before you know it you will be tooling around on one of those loud, cool bikes and become the envy of all of your friends. This is way more fun than showing up with a case of road rash and a crutch trying to explain it wasn’t your fault. Here are some of the basics to assist you in choosing the best ride. Sit on the bike
Adjusting the height from the seat to the ground Now let’s look at some of the things you cannot change or require a re-fabrication of the bike, but they are important. These are items that also determine some of the bike’s ability to be adjusted or how it handles. Things you cannot change or cannot change easily The first is the rake of the front end, which is the angle of the fork from a straight up line. The rake of the bike affects the handling. The more extreme the rake is (>35 degrees), the more difficult the bike steers at low speed. The more straight up the rake is (<30 degrees), the better the all round handling and the quicker the steering. Most the cruisers today have a rake of 30 – 36 degrees. Tour bikes are closer to 26 degrees of rake. A new rider will find it harder in most cases to ride a bike with a lot of rake, but you would look cool. Can it be changed? Yeah, but why would you want to? The next important item is the size of the wheels. Some bikes have fat rear tires and skinny front tires. Some of the tires are the same size front and rear. The arrangement of the tires can affect the ride quality and some handling characteristics. Skinny front tires and road grooves will make you feel the shakes! Some bikes may have a different diameter wheel on the front than the rear. final drive is usually a chain, belt, or drive shaft. Each has its own characteristics. Chains usually require more maintenance than a belt or driveshaft. Mostly it is an individual preference. The shock arrangement is another item. Exposed shocks usually are the easiest to adjust but not always the best. Shocks can be located under the bike, a single shock inside the frame area, or exposed. Most are adjustable by turning the housing or by using air. The shock arrangement will also affect whether the bike can be lowered or if it can be lowered. When you purchase a new bike be sure it is set up for you. Sit on it and be sure the handlebars feel comfortable and you can reach all of the controls easily and comfortably. Sit upright in a normal seating position with your back straight. You should never have to lean forward to adjust the radio or to reach that CB button and be sure you can reach the soft drink holder. Most importantly, be sure you feel perfectly relaxed while riding, not quite like that lazy boy at home, but close. Be sure the dealer explains all of the simple stuff they think you should understand but “have no clue what they are talking about stuff”. Make them go over all of the controls so you understand how to operate them, before you need to use one. I have found it hard to refer to the manual while riding down the roadway. Now that you have done the homework and found that perfect ride it is time to get out in the wind. Right . . .? Not so fast new rider! Take your bike home and find a large deserted parking area and ride your bike around and get comfortable with the motorcycle. Test the clutch friction zone so you know where it catches. Be sure you can make the turns, stop comfortably, accelerate, start on a hill, find the turn signals without looking, and control the new bike. Remember that this is not the bike you took the course on. It will more than likely be bigger and feel quite different than the bike you rode in the motorcycle course. You do not want to try to become familiar with the new motorcycle while trying to dodge all of the other vehicles that seem to act as if you are not there. Once you are comfortable then get on some open road and ride. You need miles. It usually takes about 5,000 miles before you begin to really feel like you are one with the bike. Polishing those skills will keep you one with the bike and help prevent you from becoming divorced from each other. Divorce in general is not good, but becoming divorced from your motorcycle at speed is especially not good. |