Back in the Stone Age, I learned to ride on a 1975 Honda CB750. I had been shopping for a 350-400 cc motorcycle initially but a friend pointed out that everyone we knew who started on a smaller bike bought a bigger one the following season. I wasn't keen on buying a bike two years in a row and he pointed out that the back wheel only gets as much power as you dial in with the throttle. This won't work for people whose desire for speed outpaces their ability to ride rationally. p.s. I last rode over 30 years ago (had to pay for a mortgage) and recently got a VStar 650 in an attempt to regain my wasted youth & your videos have been indispensable in my return to motorcycling. Thank you! 👍👍👍👍👍👍
Cb750s are not crazy fast.. but the old ones are darn heavy and the brakes not super great.. a smaller bike can still be a better option for learning the ropes. But like you say - a big factor is attitude. However... A lot is learned is from making mistakes, and smaller bikes are on the whole more forgiving when it comes to mistakes, generally speaking.
The smaller lighter bikes are easier to "save" in stupid learning mistakes and tend to get damaged less when you don't save. It's tha gamble you take if you go bigger sooner.. I am sure for some it works out just fine.. but if everyone did it it would result in a lot of people suffering more than they needed to. So as advice goes.. generically speaking . Yeah start of small.. it's the sensible approach. But sure you can ignore that and have a go . You might be fine.. just it's not something that should be advised!
The problem is now days the new 1000cc sport bikes are so insanely fast that people (especially inexperienced people) get some confidence and decide to push it just a little. 🤏🏻 Then maybe just a little more if that went well. And you get yourself into a bad situation before you know it. I would always joke and say that my cbr will outrun a headlight. Obviously that's impossible but you can easily find yourself going way faster than you're prepared for.
Skidding the rear wheel of a motorbike is a lot easier to remain upright though. Once your front wheel loses traction, it’s blind luck if you manage to keep upright. More often than not, it’s a short descent to an unforgiving road. In a car, you can’t fall over or get the rear wheels up. The point remains though, front brakes are crucial to rapid stopping and need to be used properly.
I recently went to an advanced riding course with my wife to help her with her braking & cornering skills & confidence (I've been riding for 40+ years & taught her to ride about 2 years ago). The instructor went on this big rant about how we should turn off ABS because it stops us learning how to brake properly & also said that he (& his assistant) "can out brake ABS every time". I called bullshit & said that I had obviously learned to ride on non-ABS bikes & have never had it kick in on any of my ABS equipped bikes, but I still think it's a fantastic thing that has probably saved many, many learner riders from crashing due to inexperience &/or panic braking situations - but he was having none of it. It's very concerning when so called "experts" are giving new riders such patently wrong information. Keep it up - love your work!
Wet roads,dirty roads…you can out brake an abs fitted bike????I call bs,been riding 45 yrs also.Or are you one of those who don’t ride in the wet???.I learnt on a non abs bike,did 2 advanced riders courses.On the track,I do turn off the abs
If by outbraking an abs bike you mean you can stop quicker with proper braking than snatching the brake and relying on abs to brake for you, you are correct. That is not the purpose of ABS though. It is to cover for you when you've messed up, not to brake better than you can when using good technique. It is a good safety net as it can turn a crash into a slightly longer stop with feedback. Feedback that you can use to get better at braking without hurting yourself. While anti abs people are recovering from crashes you will still be training and getting better.
People who have never ridden motorcycles have no idea how quickly they can accelerate. I was amazed the first few months I started riding for the first time. Therefore, the first lesson is really critical for your safety. Start with 125cc. The best bike is the one gets you home..
In Singapore, getting your motorcycle license means learning at one of 3 official riding schools, where we learn on dinky 125cc bikes (Yamaha YBR125, Honda CB125R)! It's quite good to learn on these smaller bikes since learners always end up dropping them, plus its safer to learn the basics of bike control (Figure 8s, Slalom courses, Emergency Braking, Narrow Plank) on a smaller cc bike, where its less likely that a learner grabbing a whole handful of throttle is going to send them flying off the circuit :> Not to mention that we have 3 "classes" of motorcycle license too, based on experience level (400cc for the full motorcycle license after 2yrs of riding experience and passing yet another practical test). But to be fair, here in SG, we only ride up to a max of 90kph officially, and up to around 120kph is the norm on highways. City riding in a tiny, densely packed country is so different compared to even our neighbours in Malaysia, where their distances are so much further than us!
@@rogersawyers4329 that depends on rider's weight (and size, due aerodynamic drag). 45 kg (100 lbs) girl and 90 kg (200 lbs) man will feel the same 125cc differently. I have 300cc naked bike, and acceleration against wind suffers a lot, though laying on a tank (sport style) helps a bit.
I would reserve the 125cc bike for a more experienced rider who uses it for it's intended purpose: Local commutes at short distances and slower speeds. A 400cc bike will have sufficient power to get the rider out of trouble, and enough weight to keep the front wheel planted on a road's surface. Riding that Honda Grom at 60 mph is not for the faint of heart. And other traffic on an open 2-lane is going to follow too close more often than not, which will compromise safety for the rider. Also: A 125CC bike is NOT going to have ABS, while the 400cc bike will have that option available.
I had people tell me my CBR250R wouldn't be able to make it to safe highway speeds, when it's top speed was 144 kph (real, not speedo). I also had people tell me I'd get bored of it, but happily rode it until it was written off by a cager while parked in a parking lot. People seem to be basing their expectations of performance on bikes from the 80s, and are projecting what they want motorcycles for onto new riders. Not everybody wants the same thing, and anybody telling you what to buy without first asking what you want to do with it is doing you a disservice.
This is one thing that really gets to me. Average speed of our highways is only around 80kph (being generous here) with speed limit of 100kph but noooo you need at least a 400cc bike for that..
Folks don't understand how fast small engine bikes really are, because theywrote them off and bought 1000cc monster... most will hit 100. Only question is how fast. And you can find dozens of videos of someone one 400 or 500 outriding folks on 650 or 1000+. Hell I've seen more than one video of a guy on a Vespa 300 do it.
In fairness, it is also fun throwing big bikes around on small tight courses that does not get to the bike’s 2nd gear. (See MotoGymkhana, Japanese police and police rodeo videos)
The vast majority of us will never even push a 500cc anywhere near its limits... speed or handling. And those 450/500cc bikes are a lot cheaper to buy and cheaper to maintain over the years.
ABS also helps if your tyre comes off the ground due to some small bump or broken road while you're braking and as a result your wheel locks up. Saved me a few times
Despatch rider for years and was amazed when a car ran a red light causing me to jam on the brakes in the rain normally resulting in a nice slide up the road. This was the first time I had used the brakes in anger on the CB500 and grab, bang, stop....... took my breath away at how effective the ABS turned out.
This channel is pure gold. I'm not a spring chicken anymore and from experience I know all that is said is sooooo true! Sold my bike last (touring bike) year and this year I really want to downgrade to something lighter, smaller, easier to handle - I once had a DRZ 400 SM, with that bike I had the most fun compared to any other I owned (loved each and every one but the 400 was special). So back to the roots - in full gear. :)
If you reeeeally want to enjoy a BIG bike, you need to learn how to reeeeeally enjoy a SMALLER bike… Learn how to ride in a slower machine, THEN shred a fast bike. TRUST ME. Every step of the way will be fun.
Dude, no bootlicking but you're quite an authority; quality & straight to the point advices every time. About #1 point; you might also dissuade newbies to ride overpowered bike with a simple fact: you don't enjoy what you don't control. And if the underlying reason about wanting a powerful bike is to show off, well, nobody serious enough cares who owns parked bikes in front of a café, control on the other hand (no matter the bike) is the real show.
I agree 100% with what you said. I am a new rider, just took my A license few months back and bought a new MT09 SP. I have more than 20years experience with B cat. so trafic is nothing new to me. However, I haven’t ride the bike yet since I got it in November last year, cold season came and I was a bit concerned about the power of the bike, wet road, cold weather and new tires so I decided to leave it at the dealership until spring. I don’t know if the bike will be the one I have expected to be, given the power but when I took the practical courses I found the z650 perfect for me and my day to day needs but a bit more power will be fine also (not that I necessarily use it every day but I think it might come in handy on longer trips and not having to go to a bigger bike after a year). I am not into speed and reckless driving so I would probably enjoy that a lot. I also consider buying a smaller 300cc like the duke just for training purpose and short city trips. But overall I think, at the end of the day, learning curve is much bigger on a big bike than a small one and also the driver will be responsible for his actions on the bike. I barely wait for spring to come and get the bike on a trip.
@@ados7f Wise :) Testing a lot of bikes with different riding position and engine type is also a very good thing, cuz sometimes stuff just don't click and you're wasting your time. Cannot recommend KTM's enough if you end up being a 1/2 cylinder guy, those bike are just natural.
I think it's awesome when someone shifts good (without a QS) and can low speed maneuver like a cop. The dudes that wanna be hella loud with their bikes, speed everywhere, and weave through traffic for the insta are annoying and dumb.
After about a year on a 125cc, I have my heart and mind set on a 300cc. That's as far as my CC ambitions go for several reasons. 1. My skills are not yet ready for a large capacity bike. 2. I'm a very light rider. 3. Small CC bikes are cheaper to buy, cheaper to maintain, cheaper to run, cheaper to insure...and 4. They are potentially more fun and flickable - my 125 certainly has been. ABS saves lives, and keeps limbs attached. No doubt about it. Gazillion CC bikes with infinite BHP that can reach supersonic speeds in a blink of an eye surely belong on the track. Afterall, the speed limit of most roads is 70mph (at least here in the UK).
This is wy i started with driving license A1. In the EU it is limited to Bikes up to 125ccm. And yes, i have full protection gear. If an accident happens and im injured and NOT wearing full gear, the Insurance will not take the full costs of medical attendance - or no costs at all.
Well worth stressing the myth about use of the rear brake. It can be really dangerous and is probably still a factor in many accidents. As soon as you start decelerating, effective weight transfer to the front of the machine means you have less usable grip at the rear meaning it takes very little in the way of too much extra brake pressure to lock up and slide, a panic reaction stomp on the rear is pretty much guaranteed to have you sideways down and out. Great vid and solid advice.
You can do skid marks with the rear to the moon and back. Then lean while stomping on the rear matters. If you have zero lean, nothing will happen, you can sit on the rear until stop. If you lean and the rear skids, you will have a bad time, "only" then it is unsafe to use the rear. For every other menouver I brake with both brakes. Walking speed menouver with the back of course
@@alexanderjanke1538 Totally correct, If you are totally upright with zero lean then you will just eventually stop still upright. Though thinking about situations where one might apply emergency braking then in a lot of cases if the thing you are wanting to avoid is directly in front of you it's going to be so tempting to provide steering input to avoid it or even pull back on the bars in an unbalanced fashion, it wouldn't take much to upset the plot from zero lean. That's assuming you were at no lean to start with and weren't the recipient of a nasty surprise on a bend. Totally agree that more rear brake use is pretty much essential at lower/very low speeds, helps stability, gentler and less pitching plus feels easier to keep the whole plot balanced.
this actually happened to my friend 3 days ago. Was going too fast into a corner saw an oncoming car and stomped his rear brake. He ended up high siding into the oncoming car and is now in hospital with a fractured spine and a punctured lung. Neither of those injuries would have been nearly as bad if he was wearing a back protector.
I rode bikes for many years and had a Honda CB550 for 30 odd years. I then bought a CBR600 and it's a whole different ball game. I'm glad I didn't have 110hp as a learner.
About brakes, I remember when I was a kid and used my pedal bike, I would always use the rear brake, because I liked how you could drift and I was scared of flipping over with the front (to be fair, it did happen to me once). As I got older, I learned to rely more on the front brake, usually using a combination of both brakes to slow down. I think it was around the time i fell when commuting to school in the wet and when I grabbed the rear brake, I lowsided on tens of meters. I didn't get injured but had there been a car in the opposite lane, it would've been another story.
Yes, peoples experience with bicycles can be misleading. The center of gravity of man and machine is much higher on a 30 lb. bicycle than a 400 lb. motorcycle. Bicycle center of gravity is well above axle height. So, it is easier to flip over the handlebars on a bicycle than a motorcycle, although possible on both. After riding motorcycles for years, I rode bicycles for a while. I'm sure I used way more front brake than many casual riders. I was very aware of going into a stoppie. Deal with what you have, not some "simple rule". Ever watch a bicycle chase a touring bike down a steep mountain road? Guess who is leaning more? Different vehicles are different.
I feel part of the first myth might also come from how the road speeds are in the US, with people saying anything below 450cc will struggle in highway traffic. Which... isn't always the case (at least from what I've heard from others and witnessed in my video research for learning how to ride) given that displacement is only part of the equation. The bikes torque and your weight are also major factors in that. 250 cc seems like plenty to me (tho maybe I'll consider 450cc if I can handle it down the line) if the bike can get up to 60-65 mph without a severe struggle on the smaller state highways, its good for my area and good for me. Have no interest in going any faster than 85 or trying out the interstate for AT LEAST 4-5 years and I'm so tiny I likely could coax a minibike to hit 60 hahah. Minibikes seem more fun to me anyway, wish there was some that came a bit bigger with a bit more power in the US.... finding cheaper bikes with ABS is also another pain, especially within my local used market. They are like unicorns around here.
Remember when Kawasaki ran an ad for their 454 twin (iirc) stating it was faster than the Corvette? Small bikes are plenty for most riders and they tend to handle better than larger ones.
Honestly, I started on a GS650 and have owned a BMW R80RT and Triumph Bonneville. My current is a Eliminator 450 and it's my favorite so far of any bike ive owned or ridden. Fast enough (will hit just past 100mph), plenty of torque (32 ft-lb) and horsepower (52 hp) for a 400 pound bike and my 250 pounds. And fuck, it's agile as hell in town and on twisty backroads.
Been riding for 2 months, all practice. I have a 2016 Ninja 300. I f****** love her. Ive dropped her 3 times already and got some minor scuffs but to me it adds character. Dropping the bike already has completely shed my fear of dropping it again. I used to rely on the rear break now im quite confident with using the front. I havent even taken it to or past 4th gear yet. Ive only shifted up to 3rd and feeling that wind at 60 something mph is already heavy enough and it does feel like youre flying. I can say im ready to feel what 80mph is like. However im in no exact rush. Im literally enjoying practicing lmfao. Which in any other scenario, i probably wouldnt be having as much fun. But it really takes knowledge to operate a motorcycle and i think thats what i like the most. Learning. And everyday its something new to learn. On my 3rd and final drop, i actually broke my shifter. So luckily i dropped her in 1st gear and thats what ive been practicing with for the last few weeks. It redlines at 37mph and thats enough for me to literally practice. By the time it gets warm, and ive taken the course.. i can see it now how much fun its going to be and by then I'll have built up enough knowledge on stopping and going, turning, and rev matching. ATGATT. I dont have a suit but i do feel cool as shit with shoulder pads.
@@bhok1971 when you think about how scared people are of and to ride a motorcycle, you being able to drop one and pick it up, means you're A LOT stronger than most people. It takes GUTS to ride a motorcycle. Ya kno..?
Good luck and as my old boss used to say....... keep it between the hedges! It takes guts to ride a motorbike after your 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th SMASH............
When I bought my last bike, I decided that I absolutely needed ABS, and the S1000 was one of the few that had it. 10 years later, I still have my bike 🤣
leaning in a curve is not made to increase the angle, but to counteract the G force that tries to straighten the bike. It does help ALOT in a moving bike that deals some speed in a corner.
I agree with you 100%. Started 8 years ago eith a Honda CB500, great bike. Changed to Hornet 600 and got a 800 cc Fazer last year. I am driving not faster than before, the need for downshifting is gone 🤷♂️
My experience, filtering in fast lane between three or more cars is shifting your hips slightly left or right, rather than shifting weight, turning head or shoulder.
LOL. Some of the most fun I've ever had in 40 years of ridding motorcycles were in 125cc and 350cc bikes. I keep my 800cc and dream about a Ducati Diavel or BMW GS1300R but big bikes are certainly safer once you acquire experience. Fun ridding is not linked to motor size nor irresponsible behavior. 🙂
@@kenbrown2808 To me the very low weight (almost bicycle like) of low CC motorcycles together with the more than enough power for fun makes for great times ridding.
Great advice. I started 43 years ago on a 750 Yamaha and had several minor incidents plus one catastrophic accident within 3 months of ridding it. Hindsight is 20/20. Maybe I should have started on a 350.
A 125cc will be easier on the wallet both regarding repairs, maintenance and acquisition. If you've stopped getting those butterflies every time you get on your crotch rocket and have gone from seasoned 125cc rider to noob 600cc rider, you will hopefully remember what goof-ups led to you and your 125cc kissing the tarmac in order to avoid repeating these goof ups on your shiny 600cc. This will go a long way into keeping your 600cc and yourself in mint condition without needing a graft or unscheduled maintenance.
The worst advices tend to start with the words "Always" or "Never", especially if they're given out by the summer-only dry tarmac-only riders. Though there is one thing I find dangerous which was given out on a certain, otherwise excellent, Canadian channel- ride with your front break pre-loaded. The theory is sound, it would shorten the reaction time, and if you have perfect biochemistry than maybe you can do that, but most other people will sooner or later twitch a bit, especially if you had a coffee or an energy drink right before riding.
I think they were referring to taking up most of the slack in the brake lever / peddle. Not actually holding it to where the master cylinder piston has started to move. I tried this technique and found that it effected my ability to have good throttle "feel", and found myself dragging the rear brake. I do ride with the front brake covered most of the time, and always when I am in traffic or town. I do most of my riding in the country where there is little traffic. I do cover the brakes when approaching blind corners. And I practice trail braking.
Riding position is so very important but as said its dependant on circumstances. With body position the correct advice is to take time to learn what works for you, and experiment progressively when its safe to do so. Reality is, that for all circumstances you have to consciously think about whats going on.. and be adaptive.. For me road riding back in hilly, twisty, and sometimes unexpectedly slippery parts of the more rural UK, with high hedgerows and often a poor visability far down the road. If you are making serious progress your position on the bike varies greatly on an almost constant basis. There is no consistent "i do this" answer to the majority of the road... Sometimes i am standing high on pegs to see over crests as fast as possible so i know if i need to slow more before any surprises, sometimes i am taking my weight off the saddle to help soak up bad road surface and settle the bike better, sometimes i am more head up in corners because in that corner i want to see better down the road .. sometimes i am hanging off more because of the camber or gradient or less convincing road surface.. Being more tucked in, being more open.. all of it depends on the conditions at that moment as to what fits best.
I'm glad I landed on your channel. I've been watching a lot of videos from different sources (which disagree with each other, a lot...) in preparation for starting the riding journey. Your content makes the most sense to me, overall. I'll find out soon, one way or another!
I'm a beginning rider, and can say that 350cc is a solid start. Sure, you won't take off faster than even most other cars. My HNTR350 does about 70 MPH. But it handles so well that it's an immediate confidence booster. My brother rides a Bonneville 120T and even he thinks my bike is more fun. Slower, lighter bikes are great to learn good riding habits since you need to use more than the throttle to get out of situations. It's a great city bike and also looks and sounds very nice. Seeing this video confirms my trust in the bike and in me as a rider.
My big question is - where do you find a big empty car park that’s not in use or patrolled by security goons? Impossible here in Western Australia. Great video and I’ve heard all these myths over my 50 years of riding. The small bike derision is often delivered by 1000 km/year fair-weather cruiser types, blissfully unaware of the actual performance of many small capacity machines. The only advice I would impart is to be aware of your own and your bike’s abilities and don’t exceed them in an uncontrolled environment. And ATTGAT. 👍🏻
I started with an 800cc (80hp, 85nm). I did mainly motorways and those are way nicer on the motorway and more efficient. after my first one I got 1200 and 1250. So easy to ride and no issue when dropping it. ABS for the win. Works great. Even cuts the throttle when you keep on the throttle when braking. And the computer will decide how much brake force to distribute to the front and rear. For the corners: use a bit of rear brake. With the front brake you steer a bit wider. That being said: I never really tested my corner ABS. The stock exhaust is best. Helps us from being hated and keeps us allowed to drive in certain regions. I hardly lean on my bike. 70kg compared to 270kg… And I think I do keep away from the limits. I drive on public roads.
Im currently on a 292cc motorcycle. My first bike and Im getting better and better everyday. Testing tight turns, corners, u turns, low speed travel and throttle control. As well, as leaning and counter leaning. Im to the point that if I keep on riding for the next 11 months, Ill consider jumping to a 600cc.
The best decision I ever made as a 6'3 290lb rider was to start on a 2014 CRF250L. I know people who choose 500s and 650s and crashed within months of riding. Guys for the love of God, start on a sub 300cc dual sport is my best advice. I can still reach 70 mph. Lol it's enough for freeways
My first bike was a suzuki ls650, a small and light, single cylinder motorcycle that still had plenty of power. My second bike was a kawasaki concours zg1000 that was a big and heavy beast. Now a days, I ride a Harley sportster iron 883. The best kind of bike for beginner's is something lightweight, cheap, and used.
Thanks for your infinite wisdom emanating from your videos. One thing I can add for new riders is that they should not be afraid of speed and speed lines on the roads. I am talking about situations in which there are lots of cars on the slower lanes, some not driving very well, a lots of moving back and forth by them etc. You can swifty squeeze yourself into the fast lane and get away from the mess, the potential danger zone that is. If you are in a car, due to the larger size of a car, you cannot always find an opening to run for it, but you can do it with your nimble bike. So, riding and following a bunch of slow-moving cars could be unsafe, while speeding up and getting away from them is safer.
I put a slip on pipe with a db killer to increase my bikes noise slightly. I live in Japan where I can filter and just a little extra noise may let cars know I'm there if they are moving slowly without startling them. I also like the sound more but it doesn't make too much noise for my neighbors. Happy with that setup.
I agree with everything except one caveat. If you find the bike you want in your area for a screaming deal and it doesn't have abs. It's not a big deal. Just get in a parking lot and learn the limitations often. You'll be fine. Great video!
i got my license in 2023. bought a vstrom 650 (from 2008) with abs. the bike is fast enough for me. big enough for me (193cm tall) it is a good learner bike. around 67 hp. of course i would not say no to a bigger and faster bike, but i am happy with the one i got for now
Great video. Only one id ask about is abs. Some act poorly at low speeds, on adv bikes (when forgetting to disable) they can cause a crash in dirt/mud. Friend of nearly drove pff a cliff that way. Abs just let the bike keep going. I started on a dr650 so never had to worry abt abs but seems easy to forget.
about ABS i would choose a bike that u can activate it and disactivate it . bc scientifically if you break with the same force you're breaking before the wheel locks , the bike will stop sooner than if it it gets locked and the ABS do it's thing of pumping breaking fluid in and out , so yeah even if u have abs breaking as if u dont have it and leaning how to not engage it will be helpful
'everyone who started on a smaller bike bought a bigger one the following season'... I bought myself a newSuzuki GSX-S 125cc last year. The reason I am looking to buy a bigger bike is that I found very dangerouse to drive with 50-60 miles on a single or dual carriageway and some idiots get stack on my bumper thinking I am driving a superbike... So, I am buying bigger bike for a safety reason and because it will help me to save some money on commuting. But I was never going to buy a bigger bike first. I learned a lot by riding this little 125cc bike. I love it.
I learned on a CBR 125. When the wind hit it, it was all over the road. After I got my license, I got a ZX-6. Way heavier bike. The wind affects it a lot less. I feel more confident on the ninja when highway driving.
Man ! I really like your advises and see them a lot. Down to Earth and experience talk better than a show-off rider that will not ride if it's raining or too cold. Keep up the work. (Well I confess my first bike was a second hand 600 cc but I had friends that allowed me to practice on their bike before I got my own) Best wishes from Portugal. Jorge Neto
I will also be like a newbie on a motorcycle. And as my first motorcycle I want to have a Kawasaki Vulcan S 650 (cruiser) It is not a very weak motorcycle, it is not a light motorcycle and it is not an extremely fast motorcycle either. At least from my point of view, it's a pretty good start since I don't intend to ride the motorcycle fast. I want to enjoy the ride and learn as much as possible.
Loud pipes give bikes better presence in traffic and reduce instances of cars trying to merge into you. Idk why everyone touching on this point is so determined to make fun of it. "But your pipe points backwards, hurr durr".
Awesome video ;-) Just something to say "Always lean into the turn" - lean IN and OUT - both have cons/pros, and it's quiet important to know differences ;-) (or better - know that there is not only "lean-IN" way) 😀 - heavily depends on speed and type of road Another hint: Standing in footpegs - just small stand in footpegs provides crazy amount "feel of control" over bike ;-) ... not talking about riding on dirt-road ;-)
good points. I would add that new riders arent all Rossi wannabes looking for thrills. I noted that my wife [experienced car driver] found the engine / clutch control on a larger bike so much easier than a small bike while learning. Also think that cornering ABS should be mandatory. Even experienced riders are likely to panic brake when a deer runs out mid corner. Normal ABS wont be worth anything in that scenario. Talking of small bikes.they can be too small. 50cc bikes should be banned IMO. Anything that cant keep up with normal traffic is too dangerous as our roads get more congested and should never be a 16year olds intro to biking.
I’ve been riding since the earth cooled, never had abs but always use front brake more. However, my dirt bike days thought me how to slide around without crashing. I recommend everyone have some fun in a class on dirt. When you come up on a road covered in gravel you will freak out less.
I remember a holiday on the Greek island of Skiathos, coming up to a corner and seeing a young couple pick up a scooter which must have slid away under them a few seconds before. My wife and I could see some red patches on their arms and legs where some skin had been left on the road, and we winced, thinking 'This may just be little scrapes, but they will take months to heal.' We were on a hired little 250 trail bike and had brought our own helmets and Draggin' Jeans gear. Nearly two weeks later we were queuing at the airport and saw them bandaged up and limping slightly… Their holiday must have been so painful! I wince even now looking at scooters being ridden by scantily clad youth.
I agree with almost all of that! But I will say my personal experience with loud pipes says they help more than you are admitting. I ride the highway loop around the city I live in often. When my bike had stock pipes I had a lot of problems with drivers coming on the highway and merging in to my lane where I would need to brake, change lanes, or accelerate to avoid contact with the other vehicle. Same with passing slower traffic. There were a lot of times where I would be passing a slower vehicle and they would decide to change lanes and nearly hit me. I would need to do as above to avoid contact. This happened almost every single time I would ride the highway loop at least 1 time. I decided I wanted to change the exhaust on my bike. I wanted it to sound better, and I wanted it to be louder so others would hear a bike was near them. This worked much better than I expected it to. now I almost never have a drive try and merge in to me. Yes it still happens. But it dropped off by more than 80%. This is one of the only situations where the louder exhaust works in your favor for safety. But getting bumped at 70mph can easily result and going down. Particularly if the just clip the front tire of your bike. And honestly this helped more than I expected. Its not replacement for being a good rider. On that I 100% agree. But anything that reduces my need to make emergency maneuvers I will take! And the louder pipes did that for me. This was not much of a problem in normal highway riding. I really only found they helped on the highway loop around my city where you will encounter some of the worst drivers on earth! LOL And I found that in basically every other situation the pipes made no noticeable difference. I do like how they sound, and mine are not crazy loud either. And they look better as well. I'm on a big V-twin bagger. A 900+lb bike. So I cant maneuver as fast as say a sport bike. But I can move rather fast when needed. I cant say if this works the same for a sport bike as their small displacement 4 cylinder engines have a much higher pitched exhaust note that might not carry as well, or permeate the cabin of a vehicle as well as the much deeper tone of my big V-twin, but I can say this worked for me. And when I replaced that bike, the new one was again stock and again I noticed a marked increase in the number of people that would merge into me on the highway loop until I again installed an aftermarket exhaust system that was louder. I have never had a bike with ABS, but I will say my next bike will 100% have it! And so will my wife's next bike!
I had GSX 500F as my very first motor bike (never owned a moped/scooter, either). I maxed out (220 kmh) in the first corner on the Autobahn foot pegs scraping tarmac and countersteering. While bypassing a semi. I was quite happy with the bike 5 years. And I was very happy that I did not buy Hayabusa or Blackbird as my firsg bike, as I would most certainly crashed it. GSX was also very good on those 400 - 600 km weekend rides. 220 kmh is very boring in the straight part of a highway, but in long distance driving your average speed us mist likely under 130 kmh.
Hahaha, I started on a 1000cc sportbike. Best thing I ever did cause i very quickly learned what i didn't want to ride: a 1000cc sportbike. I still love sportbikes, but personally I find the sweet spot now around 600cc's, and I'd definitely recommend to start smaller just to get the cornering learned.
The choice between big or small is more difficult because the prices are about the same second hand... was going to do DAS and get 600 but was advised and seems reasonable in my location to do a year or so on a 125 first... I live near snowdonia, i'm sure i can enjoy a 125 for a bit...@@supperor91
where loud pipes helps is in intersections where most accidents happen. most drivers who hit bikes say they did not see them, so being heard by them can make them aware of you. in this very video talking about loud pipes you say most accidents happen around 20mph. this means it can save lives because they may/more than likely hear you even if they don't see you... it can also warn animals you are coming and keep them from jumping in front of you, as well as people. the biggest safety concern is not being seen, so engaging a second sense like hearing is an obvious help.
Great video!! I wish this kind of resource had been available when I was starting out in 1990. Lightweight bikes like the KTM Duke 390 , Yamaha MT-3 or Honda CB300R are great, not just for beginners, but also for commuting. Myth: "You don't need to practice braking if you have ABS." ABS is like insurance: Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. However, you also need to practice using the ABS in a safe environment (parking lot) so as to be able to use it when it's needed. (i.e. panic situations on iffy road surfaces.) Practicing full on ABS braking from 60mph in the rain becomes completely stress-free if you practice it. (Work up to 60mph and beyond gradually.) I've found that once you're experienced enough, you can (with warm tire and good asphalt) stop quicker from average to high riding speeds with proper braking technique instead of going full gorilla grip on the brake, activating the ABS. Other "myths". "You don't need riding courses, just go ride." Or: ""You only need to do an advanced riding course once in your life." I think an advanced course EVERY year should be recommended. I've done one every year since I started riding, and I always learn something. Plus; they're a day of fun with other like-minded riders!
I always have a loud exhaust for performance purposes. I have to say though, you definitely have less people change lanes ontop of you after you get louder. People also tend to not cross the road infront of you as much.
Parking brings lessons, too. One has to think before doing it. I once made the mistake of parking in a downward sloping place with cars on both sides. It was falltime and the asphalt was covered with wet leaves. I couldn't back off sitting on the saddle. Had to pull the machine from the side inch by inch, being mindful of the slippery leaf-covered surface. Learned the lesson, and nowadays I look for a comfy spot whence I can ride away without hassles. Think of pulling a 400lbs bike from such a location!
Well, i am riding bikes since almost 35 years. Start with Honda 250 T, then a Suzuki GN 400, than most of the time a Yamaha XJ 750 Seca and now with a Yamaha FJR 1400. All your others advices i fully agree.
Its important to know how to use what you have, abs if fitted but treated like non abs ie releasing brake when you feel a judder is counter productive.
my first motorcycle accident happened on a honda wave and that's just a 110cc scoot, hitting a pothole on a foot-deep flooded highway. i had my left shoulder dislocated and manually relocated on the hospital after. after that i always wear complete gear with my vulcan. no accidents so far, only cruising anyway at 30-70kph anyway. 🤙
Thank you! Those myths are so annoying to hear and read again and again and again and again.... I myself downgraded from a 230 Kg 70HP naked bike to 190Kg 50HP single cylinder ADV one last fall and could not happier. It is more nimble, effortless and snappy to ride in the city and on curvy roads.
I know it's been a few months but I've got like a core memory from when I started riding a couple years ago and wanted to share my little story about it. Friend of mine rode frequently, and when I wanted to get a bike I told him about it. I did some shopping for a while to figure out what I actually wanted and at some point, told him I was looking for a bike with ABS; he immediately jumped in swearing I wouldn't learn how to ride if I did that, and that I'd eventually get into an accident when ABS failed. I never really got an answer when I asked how hitting the ground would teach me better than hearing the ABS buzz, he just kind of kept doubling down that I'd learn better somehow. Like, to this day I still don't get his point, how would throwing my bike at the ground teach me anything that I can't just learn from feedback?? As if I'm incapable of assessing and learning without drastically injuring myself or my wallet, and the only solution is to risk trashing myself or my bike. Over the course of roughly a couple weeks arguing with him, I eventually told him about my experiences with cars in rain, on ice, in the dirt, and how ABS affected all of those situations and how I learned how to drive in all of them just fine without ever having to effing wreck to figure it out; at one point he just "agreed to disagree" and declined to offer help to me anymore 'coz apparently I already knew better than him and didn't need his advice. I find it asinine and borderline disrespectful in hindsight. It demonstrated both a lack of common sense and disregard for my intelligence, as if it's just a given that I am both incapable of learning and of exerting even a modicum of self control. I eventually elected to get the ABS and you know what? I have yet to wreck from locking my brakes, but I HAVE learned to watch for gravel and oil, even in parking lots. I know exactly how hard I can yank on the lever before I will lose traction. If I didn't have ABS I'd have just tossed my bike onto the ground learning those things for no bloody reason and I wouldn't know a darned thing that I don't already know now, or maybe even wouldn't have had the chance to learn at all.
I'm in the...not exactly the opposite camp when it comes to what size bike to start with. You should choose a bike that fits you physically and take in your maturity level and how responsible you are into account. My first bike was a 2006 ZX-10R. I was a bit older than most people starting out riding and as a result was a bit more mature and responsible. I understood the power the bike was capable of and rode it accordingly. I have no regrets starting on a liter bike. Small bikes are more forgiving of mistakes than larger bikes, and I've noticed that a lot of people have sloppy technique that start on smaller bikes. Not everyone and it depends on how much your practice, I don't see many people on small bikes practicing that much since they can get away with a lot using poorly developed skills. I had to get good and develop good techniques quickly...all without the assistance of great channels like this one on TH-cam. Way back in the day most of us had to figure all this out on our own. The only training we had available where I lived was the MSF BRC1. The rest of it we figured out by trial and error and making a lot of mistakes.
I started on a 1994 CBR 600 and almost low-sided twice the first year. Locked up the rear in an emergency brake once and the other time accelerated too quickly out of a turn and lost rear traction. Why didn't I fall? Because of many years of skidding bicycles in gravel and jumping BMX bikes on ramps in the rain as a kid. Sure, it's smart to start with a smaller displacement bike, but the smallest displacement you can get is in fact a bicycle.
I recommend starting on a 50cc with manual gears, or a 125 cc. Learn how to shift, steer in all weather and seasons, everywhere,off road included. Enjoy it. Then move up. I always find it funny seeing videos, especially American ones, where total beginners start out with 900cc monsters. Crazy.
I had a yamaha YZF, was talked into riding it because it was a sports bike... I hated how i felt on a hour plus ride, I was too far forward and just felt uncomfortable. I decided to buy a Honda VTR after riding my dads CB500, that thing rode beautiful and I felt sooo good on it
I've noticed when doing slow-speed drills, when I try to tighten my turn, the front wheel will turn abruptly to almost full-lock. How can I better control the degree of my turn? Thanks, and keep those videos coming.
Anyone who has driven an old school rallye car knows there is a brake balance (front/rear) regulator, and to dip the brakes when you crest a hump, to throw the weight forward onto the steering.
Came across the break in with my riding buddy. Me ZX14 him a big Indian Cruiser. Yup we are kind of a mutt and jeff.. anyways. Breaking in tires. Me take it easy for the first 100ish miles. Trying not to accelerate or stop to harshly and get some nice corners in to scrub those tires. He actually said you can use use bleach to wipe your tires off and get the same thing. The older guys (70 for him) seem to continues this things to the newer tech. Another one is not knowing that almost all spark plugs don't need anticize on them. Way back in the day you did but not anymore. Or all the "advice" out there when doing your own tire change. I love this one... you can use jack stands to balance your tires.
Rode a junker Suzuki dt 100 dirt bike for a few years 35 years ago. 6 months ago my cousin gave me her Honda grom after low siding it. I had my endorsement from 5 years prior to get that out of the way when I had the opportunity to take a free msf basic course. I put 400 miles on the grom and then bought a 2018 xsr700. 😁 I coulda started on the 700 and be okay, just gotta practice and start out in safe places, don't be overconfident and do dumb things. A large empty parking lot is your friend, along with training guides and even courses.. Remember that you can easily kill or maim yourself on a motorcycle, not to mention what other people can do to you.
Hi. I'm from France. Thanks for your channel and your good advices. For your information, here, to obtain your motorcycle drive license, you must take minimum 20 hours of lessons and pass 4 tests, and it costs generally around 1500€ (1645$). First, learn the highway code, and pass a test with 40 questions. Second, lessons on a training track at very slow speed, half-turn, emergency braking, slalom, avoidance, and then a test under the eye of an inspector. Two mistakes and you fail. Third, driving lessons in real traffic with a final driving test up to 45 minutes, the inspector following you in a car with a walkie-talkie. If you pass all the tests successfully, your obtain the A2 driving license. You can then drive an A2 motorcycle, limited to 47.5hp (35kw). Fourth, after 2 years of driving with your A2 license, you can choose to pass your definitive A license, with 7 hours of learning, wich gives you the ability to drive on big motorcycles. When I passed my A2 license, I bought the Kawasaki Z400, and like in your video, I've heard lots of myths about mid-size motorcycles, old bikers were laughing... But I've never had more fun than with the Z400. Nervous and easy to drive, perfect for a young driver. Today I'm riding a z900, but it's good that I only bought it after 2 years because of the power, which I might not have handled properly at first... Concerning mandatory safety gear on motorcycles, in France, wearing approved helmet and gloves is obligatory, but driving schools also require motorcycle jacket and pant, with boots or high-top shoes. Regarding ABS, all motorcycles in France have been equipped with it since 2017.
That's awesome info, thanks! Seems you know quite a lot about it, could you perhaps send me some videos or drawings of your tests? I would like to reproduce them and see how they compare to other countries
Of course ! Here is my maneuver test on the training track, the path is the same as the exam. It is done in both directions, right and left, drawn randomly on the day of the exam. You must complete the slow course in at least 16 seconds. The U-turn should not exceed the lines on the sides. Emergency braking must be carried out at 50 km/h (measured by radar) braking at the first line and stopping before the 2nd. Then you have to make a U-turn with a passenger, but not during COVID. Then, you have to do a slalom at 40 km per hour, with the 3rd gear engaged before the first slalom cone. And to finish an avoidance maneuver without touching the cones, between 45 and 50 km/h then stop between the blue cones. The path must be known exactly in both directions and reproduced identically on the day of the exam. Each cone or pole touched, each foot placed on the ground outside the stopping zones, counts one error, and after two errors, or if you drop the motorcycle, you are failed. Two videos from me, one on the motorcycle : th-cam.com/video/llVhgsuSpEo/w-d-xo.htmlsi=XTAFmS-dO9twNBUz and the other from the outside, the day of the exam, 4 hours before : th-cam.com/video/SwFUi4PrIRc/w-d-xo.htmlsi=JdxmpROr8c4RKDgy If you want, here's also a video from my 10th hour of driving lesson, with another student in front of me, and the instructor following us with his car and the talkie-walkie, and his voice in our helmets : th-cam.com/video/pjdm9ivbD0U/w-d-xo.htmlsi=RL-S2KkOuMdM7_CP
Is it okay to give half clutch and give throttle as well when it seems that the bike will stall at the current gear (say 3rd gear) vecause of low speed?
![ILLSLICK - KILLSHOT REMIX [FULL VERSION]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/RIK8RrqIAzE/mqdefault.jpg)
"going straight into a truck mid corner is a sub-optimal learning environment" 💀
Hard to disagree with this one 😂
Back in the Stone Age, I learned to ride on a 1975 Honda CB750. I had been shopping for a 350-400 cc motorcycle initially but a friend pointed out that everyone we knew who started on a smaller bike bought a bigger one the following season. I wasn't keen on buying a bike two years in a row and he pointed out that the back wheel only gets as much power as you dial in with the throttle. This won't work for people whose desire for speed outpaces their ability to ride rationally.
p.s. I last rode over 30 years ago (had to pay for a mortgage) and recently got a VStar 650 in an attempt to regain my wasted youth & your videos have been indispensable in my return to motorcycling.
Thank you! 👍👍👍👍👍👍
Cb750s are not crazy fast.. but the old ones are darn heavy and the brakes not super great.. a smaller bike can still be a better option for learning the ropes. But like you say - a big factor is attitude. However... A lot is learned is from making mistakes, and smaller bikes are on the whole more forgiving when it comes to mistakes, generally speaking.
The smaller lighter bikes are easier to "save" in stupid learning mistakes and tend to get damaged less when you don't save. It's tha gamble you take if you go bigger sooner..
I am sure for some it works out just fine.. but if everyone did it it would result in a lot of people suffering more than they needed to. So as advice goes.. generically speaking . Yeah start of small.. it's the sensible approach. But sure you can ignore that and have a go . You might be fine.. just it's not something that should be advised!
The problem is now days the new 1000cc sport bikes are so insanely fast that people (especially inexperienced people) get some confidence and decide to push it just a little. 🤏🏻 Then maybe just a little more if that went well. And you get yourself into a bad situation before you know it. I would always joke and say that my cbr will outrun a headlight. Obviously that's impossible but you can easily find yourself going way faster than you're prepared for.
Just bought a GSXR 600. First bike.
I have balls of steel but pride my big brain and small ego. No squid zone
@@Youdoxxikill
Excellent!
Be safe & mind the throttle. 👍
Most people don't realise how braking works, even in cars the work happens at the front... people should study physics more...
The vast majority of people don't want to learn, they want to simply sit in the car and magically arrive at their destination.
@@briangc1972 That's probably why people are so excited with Tesla's autopilot even when the system is known to do more mistakes than a human.
@@KuroAnototally agree 😊😊 tesla is de-braining car
Or try riding a bicycle sometimes, you quickly learn the difference between front and back braking
Skidding the rear wheel of a motorbike is a lot easier to remain upright though. Once your front wheel loses traction, it’s blind luck if you manage to keep upright. More often than not, it’s a short descent to an unforgiving road. In a car, you can’t fall over or get the rear wheels up.
The point remains though, front brakes are crucial to rapid stopping and need to be used properly.
I recently went to an advanced riding course with my wife to help her with her braking & cornering skills & confidence (I've been riding for 40+ years & taught her to ride about 2 years ago). The instructor went on this big rant about how we should turn off ABS because it stops us learning how to brake properly & also said that he (& his assistant) "can out brake ABS every time". I called bullshit & said that I had obviously learned to ride on non-ABS bikes & have never had it kick in on any of my ABS equipped bikes, but I still think it's a fantastic thing that has probably saved many, many learner riders from crashing due to inexperience &/or panic braking situations - but he was having none of it. It's very concerning when so called "experts" are giving new riders such patently wrong information. Keep it up - love your work!
Oh you can 100% outbrake ABS on dry tarmac. That's still not worth missing out on the other advantages ABS provides.
Wet roads,dirty roads…you can out brake an abs fitted bike????I call bs,been riding 45 yrs also.Or are you one of those who don’t ride in the wet???.I learnt on a non abs bike,did 2 advanced riders courses.On the track,I do turn off the abs
same happens in gun training courses. every fudd who has an instructor badge knows the best tactics than the next guy.
If by outbraking an abs bike you mean you can stop quicker with proper braking than snatching the brake and relying on abs to brake for you, you are correct. That is not the purpose of ABS though. It is to cover for you when you've messed up, not to brake better than you can when using good technique. It is a good safety net as it can turn a crash into a slightly longer stop with feedback. Feedback that you can use to get better at braking without hurting yourself. While anti abs people are recovering from crashes you will still be training and getting better.
Pro tip: Tires can take loads and loads of braking force, not so much at a high rate. Progressive pressure is key
Going head on into traffic is sub optimal learning environment.
😂😂😂
People who have never ridden motorcycles have no idea how quickly they can accelerate. I was amazed the first few months I started riding for the first time. Therefore, the first lesson is really critical for your safety. Start with 125cc. The best bike is the one gets you home..
125cc 😂 no
250-300cc is better because you have enough speed to pass big vehicles in the highway ; you can't do it in a 125cc.
In Singapore, getting your motorcycle license means learning at one of 3 official riding schools, where we learn on dinky 125cc bikes (Yamaha YBR125, Honda CB125R)!
It's quite good to learn on these smaller bikes since learners always end up dropping them, plus its safer to learn the basics of bike control (Figure 8s, Slalom courses, Emergency Braking, Narrow Plank) on a smaller cc bike, where its less likely that a learner grabbing a whole handful of throttle is going to send them flying off the circuit :>
Not to mention that we have 3 "classes" of motorcycle license too, based on experience level (400cc for the full motorcycle license after 2yrs of riding experience and passing yet another practical test).
But to be fair, here in SG, we only ride up to a max of 90kph officially, and up to around 120kph is the norm on highways. City riding in a tiny, densely packed country is so different compared to even our neighbours in Malaysia, where their distances are so much further than us!
@@rogersawyers4329 that depends on rider's weight (and size, due aerodynamic drag). 45 kg (100 lbs) girl and 90 kg (200 lbs) man will feel the same 125cc differently. I have 300cc naked bike, and acceleration against wind suffers a lot, though laying on a tank (sport style) helps a bit.
I would reserve the 125cc bike for a more experienced rider who uses it for it's intended purpose: Local commutes at short distances and slower speeds. A 400cc bike will have sufficient power to get the rider out of trouble, and enough weight to keep the front wheel planted on a road's surface. Riding that Honda Grom at 60 mph is not for the faint of heart. And other traffic on an open 2-lane is going to follow too close more often than not, which will compromise safety for the rider. Also: A 125CC bike is NOT going to have ABS, while the 400cc bike will have that option available.
I had people tell me my CBR250R wouldn't be able to make it to safe highway speeds, when it's top speed was 144 kph (real, not speedo). I also had people tell me I'd get bored of it, but happily rode it until it was written off by a cager while parked in a parking lot.
People seem to be basing their expectations of performance on bikes from the 80s, and are projecting what they want motorcycles for onto new riders. Not everybody wants the same thing, and anybody telling you what to buy without first asking what you want to do with it is doing you a disservice.
This is one thing that really gets to me. Average speed of our highways is only around 80kph (being generous here) with speed limit of 100kph but noooo you need at least a 400cc bike for that..
The single cylinder one?
@@G30rg31415 Yup.
What a shame.
Folks don't understand how fast small engine bikes really are, because theywrote them off and bought 1000cc monster... most will hit 100. Only question is how fast. And you can find dozens of videos of someone one 400 or 500 outriding folks on 650 or 1000+. Hell I've seen more than one video of a guy on a Vespa 300 do it.
You can have just as much fun on a small bike as a big bike..😎👍
Actually more kinds of riding
I found that riding a slow bike fast is more fun than riding a fast bike slow.
Always enjoy fanging around Thailand on a 155/160 moped. At home I blast around on a Z900 … 😎
In fairness, it is also fun throwing big bikes around on small tight courses that does not get to the bike’s 2nd gear. (See MotoGymkhana, Japanese police and police rodeo videos)
The vast majority of us will never even push a 500cc anywhere near its limits... speed or handling. And those 450/500cc bikes are a lot cheaper to buy and cheaper to maintain over the years.
ABS also helps if your tyre comes off the ground due to some small bump or broken road while you're braking and as a result your wheel locks up. Saved me a few times
yeah.. no matter how much we are good at braking without abs, in rough patches of the road we can't keep up with ABS..
Despatch rider for years and was amazed when a car ran a red light causing me to jam on the brakes in the rain normally resulting in a nice slide up the road.
This was the first time I had used the brakes in anger on the CB500 and grab, bang, stop....... took my breath away at how effective the ABS turned out.
This channel is pure gold. I'm not a spring chicken anymore and from experience I know all that is said is sooooo true! Sold my bike last (touring bike) year and this year I really want to downgrade to something lighter, smaller, easier to handle - I once had a DRZ 400 SM, with that bike I had the most fun compared to any other I owned (loved each and every one but the 400 was special). So back to the roots - in full gear. :)
If you reeeeally want to enjoy a BIG bike, you need to learn how to reeeeeally enjoy a SMALLER bike…
Learn how to ride in a slower machine, THEN shred a fast bike.
TRUST ME. Every step of the way will be fun.
Dude, no bootlicking but you're quite an authority; quality & straight to the point advices every time.
About #1 point; you might also dissuade newbies to ride overpowered bike with a simple fact: you don't enjoy what you don't control. And if the underlying reason about wanting a powerful bike is to show off, well, nobody serious enough cares who owns parked bikes in front of a café, control on the other hand (no matter the bike) is the real show.
I agree 100% with what you said. I am a new rider, just took my A license few months back and bought a new MT09 SP. I have more than 20years experience with B cat. so trafic is nothing new to me. However, I haven’t ride the bike yet since I got it in November last year, cold season came and I was a bit concerned about the power of the bike, wet road, cold weather and new tires so I decided to leave it at the dealership until spring. I don’t know if the bike will be the one I have expected to be, given the power but when I took the practical courses I found the z650 perfect for me and my day to day needs but a bit more power will be fine also (not that I necessarily use it every day but I think it might come in handy on longer trips and not having to go to a bigger bike after a year). I am not into speed and reckless driving so I would probably enjoy that a lot. I also consider buying a smaller 300cc like the duke just for training purpose and short city trips. But overall I think, at the end of the day, learning curve is much bigger on a big bike than a small one and also the driver will be responsible for his actions on the bike. I barely wait for spring to come and get the bike on a trip.
@@ados7f Wise :) Testing a lot of bikes with different riding position and engine type is also a very good thing, cuz sometimes stuff just don't click and you're wasting your time. Cannot recommend KTM's enough if you end up being a 1/2 cylinder guy, those bike are just natural.
I think it's awesome when someone shifts good (without a QS) and can low speed maneuver like a cop. The dudes that wanna be hella loud with their bikes, speed everywhere, and weave through traffic for the insta are annoying and dumb.
After about a year on a 125cc, I have my heart and mind set on a 300cc. That's as far as my CC ambitions go for several reasons. 1. My skills are not yet ready for a large capacity bike. 2. I'm a very light rider. 3. Small CC bikes are cheaper to buy, cheaper to maintain, cheaper to run, cheaper to insure...and 4. They are potentially more fun and flickable - my 125 certainly has been. ABS saves lives, and keeps limbs attached. No doubt about it. Gazillion CC bikes with infinite BHP that can reach supersonic speeds in a blink of an eye surely belong on the track. Afterall, the speed limit of most roads is 70mph (at least here in the UK).
This is wy i started with driving license A1. In the EU it is limited to Bikes up to 125ccm. And yes, i have full protection gear. If an accident happens and im injured and NOT wearing full gear, the Insurance will not take the full costs of medical attendance - or no costs at all.
Been riding over 25 years and love my Svartpilen 401. I ride mostly in town and in the mountains and it's so fun for that.
That little 373 is so versatile and fun. I like it so much more than the other singles out there in the 250-400cc range.
Well worth stressing the myth about use of the rear brake. It can be really dangerous and is probably still a factor in many accidents. As soon as you start decelerating, effective weight transfer to the front of the machine means you have less usable grip at the rear meaning it takes very little in the way of too much extra brake pressure to lock up and slide, a panic reaction stomp on the rear is pretty much guaranteed to have you sideways down and out. Great vid and solid advice.
Using the front brake or rear brake incorrectly will lead to a bad day.
You can do skid marks with the rear to the moon and back. Then lean while stomping on the rear matters. If you have zero lean, nothing will happen, you can sit on the rear until stop. If you lean and the rear skids, you will have a bad time, "only" then it is unsafe to use the rear. For every other menouver I brake with both brakes. Walking speed menouver with the back of course
@@alexanderjanke1538 Totally correct, If you are totally upright with zero lean then you will just eventually stop still upright. Though thinking about situations where one might apply emergency braking then in a lot of cases if the thing you are wanting to avoid is directly in front of you it's going to be so tempting to provide steering input to avoid it or even pull back on the bars in an unbalanced fashion, it wouldn't take much to upset the plot from zero lean. That's assuming you were at no lean to start with and weren't the recipient of a nasty surprise on a bend. Totally agree that more rear brake use is pretty much essential at lower/very low speeds, helps stability, gentler and less pitching plus feels easier to keep the whole plot balanced.
this actually happened to my friend 3 days ago. Was going too fast into a corner saw an oncoming car and stomped his rear brake. He ended up high siding into the oncoming car and is now in hospital with a fractured spine and a punctured lung. Neither of those injuries would have been nearly as bad if he was wearing a back protector.
@@theozawadzki3934 I agree with everything you said haha
You have to apply the rear wisely
I rode bikes for many years and had a Honda CB550 for 30 odd years. I then bought a CBR600 and it's a whole different ball game. I'm glad I didn't have 110hp as a learner.
About brakes, I remember when I was a kid and used my pedal bike, I would always use the rear brake, because I liked how you could drift and I was scared of flipping over with the front (to be fair, it did happen to me once). As I got older, I learned to rely more on the front brake, usually using a combination of both brakes to slow down. I think it was around the time i fell when commuting to school in the wet and when I grabbed the rear brake, I lowsided on tens of meters. I didn't get injured but had there been a car in the opposite lane, it would've been another story.
Yes, peoples experience with bicycles can be misleading. The center of gravity of man and machine is much higher on a 30 lb. bicycle than a 400 lb. motorcycle. Bicycle center of gravity is well above axle height. So, it is easier to flip over the handlebars on a bicycle than a motorcycle, although possible on both. After riding motorcycles for years, I rode bicycles for a while. I'm sure I used way more front brake than many casual riders. I was very aware of going into a stoppie. Deal with what you have, not some "simple rule". Ever watch a bicycle chase a touring bike down a steep mountain road? Guess who is leaning more? Different vehicles are different.
I feel part of the first myth might also come from how the road speeds are in the US, with people saying anything below 450cc will struggle in highway traffic. Which... isn't always the case (at least from what I've heard from others and witnessed in my video research for learning how to ride) given that displacement is only part of the equation. The bikes torque and your weight are also major factors in that. 250 cc seems like plenty to me (tho maybe I'll consider 450cc if I can handle it down the line) if the bike can get up to 60-65 mph without a severe struggle on the smaller state highways, its good for my area and good for me. Have no interest in going any faster than 85 or trying out the interstate for AT LEAST 4-5 years and I'm so tiny I likely could coax a minibike to hit 60 hahah. Minibikes seem more fun to me anyway, wish there was some that came a bit bigger with a bit more power in the US.... finding cheaper bikes with ABS is also another pain, especially within my local used market. They are like unicorns around here.
Remember when Kawasaki ran an ad for their 454 twin (iirc) stating it was faster than the Corvette? Small bikes are plenty for most riders and they tend to handle better than larger ones.
Honestly, I started on a GS650 and have owned a BMW R80RT and Triumph Bonneville.
My current is a Eliminator 450 and it's my favorite so far of any bike ive owned or ridden. Fast enough (will hit just past 100mph), plenty of torque (32 ft-lb) and horsepower (52 hp) for a 400 pound bike and my 250 pounds. And fuck, it's agile as hell in town and on twisty backroads.
Been riding for 2 months, all practice. I have a 2016 Ninja 300. I f****** love her. Ive dropped her 3 times already and got some minor scuffs but to me it adds character. Dropping the bike already has completely shed my fear of dropping it again. I used to rely on the rear break now im quite confident with using the front. I havent even taken it to or past 4th gear yet. Ive only shifted up to 3rd and feeling that wind at 60 something mph is already heavy enough and it does feel like youre flying. I can say im ready to feel what 80mph is like. However im in no exact rush. Im literally enjoying practicing lmfao. Which in any other scenario, i probably wouldnt be having as much fun. But it really takes knowledge to operate a motorcycle and i think thats what i like the most. Learning. And everyday its something new to learn. On my 3rd and final drop, i actually broke my shifter. So luckily i dropped her in 1st gear and thats what ive been practicing with for the last few weeks. It redlines at 37mph and thats enough for me to literally practice. By the time it gets warm, and ive taken the course.. i can see it now how much fun its going to be and by then I'll have built up enough knowledge on stopping and going, turning, and rev matching. ATGATT. I dont have a suit but i do feel cool as shit with shoulder pads.
"adds character" bro thats an awesome mindset 😂
@@bhok1971 when you think about how scared people are of and to ride a motorcycle, you being able to drop one and pick it up, means you're A LOT stronger than most people. It takes GUTS to ride a motorcycle. Ya kno..?
Good luck and as my old boss used to say....... keep it between the hedges!
It takes guts to ride a motorbike after your 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th SMASH............
When I bought my last bike, I decided that I absolutely needed ABS, and the S1000 was one of the few that had it. 10 years later, I still have my bike 🤣
Thank you for taking time out to share your very valuable experience. Really appreciate it 👌🙏
leaning in a curve is not made to increase the angle, but to counteract the G force that tries to straighten the bike. It does help ALOT in a moving bike that deals some speed in a corner.
I agree with you 100%.
Started 8 years ago eith a Honda CB500, great bike.
Changed to Hornet 600 and got a 800 cc Fazer last year.
I am driving not faster than before, the need for downshifting is gone 🤷♂️
My experience, filtering in fast lane between three or more cars is shifting your hips slightly left or right, rather than shifting weight, turning head or shoulder.
LOL. Some of the most fun I've ever had in 40 years of ridding motorcycles were in 125cc and 350cc bikes. I keep my 800cc and dream about a Ducati Diavel or BMW GS1300R but big bikes are certainly safer once you acquire experience. Fun ridding is not linked to motor size nor irresponsible behavior. 🙂
THE most fun I've had on a bike was on an 80cc dirt bike in snow. it's a lot more fun to ride a slow bike fast, than it is to ride a fast bike slow.
@@kenbrown2808 To me the very low weight (almost bicycle like) of low CC motorcycles together with the more than enough power for fun makes for great times ridding.
THANK YOU! This video should be made compulsory watching for any (newbie or seasoned rider) purchasing a motorcycle. Many, many 👍
Nice to see you dropping new videos! Im folowinf carefully and plan to take the license this spring. I hope you and your wife stay safe.
God bless you for saving lives with your educational channel.
Great advice. I started 43 years ago on a 750 Yamaha and had several minor incidents plus one catastrophic accident within 3 months of ridding it. Hindsight is 20/20. Maybe I should have started on a 350.
A 125cc will be easier on the wallet both regarding repairs, maintenance and acquisition. If you've stopped getting those butterflies every time you get on your crotch rocket and have gone from seasoned 125cc rider to noob 600cc rider, you will hopefully remember what goof-ups led to you and your 125cc kissing the tarmac in order to avoid repeating these goof ups on your shiny 600cc. This will go a long way into keeping your 600cc and yourself in mint condition without needing a graft or unscheduled maintenance.
The worst advices tend to start with the words "Always" or "Never", especially if they're given out by the summer-only dry tarmac-only riders. Though there is one thing I find dangerous which was given out on a certain, otherwise excellent, Canadian channel- ride with your front break pre-loaded. The theory is sound, it would shorten the reaction time, and if you have perfect biochemistry than maybe you can do that, but most other people will sooner or later twitch a bit, especially if you had a coffee or an energy drink right before riding.
I think they were referring to taking up most of the slack in the brake lever / peddle. Not actually holding it to where the master cylinder piston has started to move.
I tried this technique and found that it effected my ability to have good throttle "feel", and found myself dragging the rear brake.
I do ride with the front brake covered most of the time, and always when I am in traffic or town. I do most of my riding in the country where there is little traffic. I do cover the brakes when approaching blind corners. And I practice trail braking.
How I survived the 70s bikes, I do not know LOL. I love ALL of my fancy ABS Pro DTC etc :). It's good to see you spreading the modern realities.
Riding position is so very important but as said its dependant on circumstances. With body position the correct advice is to take time to learn what works for you, and experiment progressively when its safe to do so.
Reality is, that for all circumstances you have to consciously think about whats going on.. and be adaptive..
For me road riding back in hilly, twisty, and sometimes unexpectedly slippery parts of the more rural UK, with high hedgerows and often a poor visability far down the road.
If you are making serious progress your position on the bike varies greatly on an almost constant basis. There is no consistent "i do this" answer to the majority of the road... Sometimes i am standing high on pegs to see over crests as fast as possible so i know if i need to slow more before any surprises, sometimes i am taking my weight off the saddle to help soak up bad road surface and settle the bike better, sometimes i am more head up in corners because in that corner i want to see better down the road .. sometimes i am hanging off more because of the camber or gradient or less convincing road surface..
Being more tucked in, being more open.. all of it depends on the conditions at that moment as to what fits best.
I'm glad I landed on your channel. I've been watching a lot of videos from different sources (which disagree with each other, a lot...) in preparation for starting the riding journey. Your content makes the most sense to me, overall. I'll find out soon, one way or another!
SIMPLE TIP : Seek advice to a Old Timer Chill Riders, not with Hot Blooded Narcissist Young Death Chasers.
I'm a beginning rider, and can say that 350cc is a solid start. Sure, you won't take off faster than even most other cars. My HNTR350 does about 70 MPH. But it handles so well that it's an immediate confidence booster. My brother rides a Bonneville 120T and even he thinks my bike is more fun. Slower, lighter bikes are great to learn good riding habits since you need to use more than the throttle to get out of situations. It's a great city bike and also looks and sounds very nice. Seeing this video confirms my trust in the bike and in me as a rider.
Notice his riding position when riding the duke….much more effective than knee dragging which is just for the track.
My big question is - where do you find a big empty car park that’s not in use or patrolled by security goons? Impossible here in Western Australia. Great video and I’ve heard all these myths over my 50 years of riding. The small bike derision is often delivered by 1000 km/year fair-weather cruiser types, blissfully unaware of the actual performance of many small capacity machines.
The only advice I would impart is to be aware of your own and your bike’s abilities and don’t exceed them in an uncontrolled environment. And ATTGAT. 👍🏻
Yes, it usually takes some effort to find one. Or get up really early😁
I use church and shopping mall back parking lots here in Kentucky. Or go to an off ie building on the weekends when most of the employees are off.
I started with an 800cc (80hp, 85nm). I did mainly motorways and those are way nicer on the motorway and more efficient. after my first one I got 1200 and 1250. So easy to ride and no issue when dropping it.
ABS for the win. Works great. Even cuts the throttle when you keep on the throttle when braking. And the computer will decide how much brake force to distribute to the front and rear.
For the corners: use a bit of rear brake. With the front brake you steer a bit wider. That being said: I never really tested my corner ABS.
The stock exhaust is best. Helps us from being hated and keeps us allowed to drive in certain regions.
I hardly lean on my bike. 70kg compared to 270kg… And I think I do keep away from the limits. I drive on public roads.
Im currently on a 292cc motorcycle. My first bike and Im getting better and better everyday. Testing tight turns, corners, u turns, low speed travel and throttle control. As well, as leaning and counter leaning. Im to the point that if I keep on riding for the next 11 months, Ill consider jumping to a 600cc.
The best decision I ever made as a 6'3 290lb rider was to start on a 2014 CRF250L. I know people who choose 500s and 650s and crashed within months of riding. Guys for the love of God, start on a sub 300cc dual sport is my best advice. I can still reach 70 mph. Lol it's enough for freeways
I'm not agreeing I've started with700cc now 1340cc after just over 2 years but everyone has to decide for self
My first bike was a suzuki ls650, a small and light, single cylinder motorcycle that still had plenty of power. My second bike was a kawasaki concours zg1000 that was a big and heavy beast. Now a days, I ride a Harley sportster iron 883.
The best kind of bike for beginner's is something lightweight, cheap, and used.
Andrey I love to share your videos they are always excellent and clear. Congratulations on over 100k subscribers onwards and upwards!
Thanks!😊
Thanks for your infinite wisdom emanating from your videos. One thing I can add for new riders is that they should not be afraid of speed and speed lines on the roads. I am talking about situations in which there are lots of cars on the slower lanes, some not driving very well, a lots of moving back and forth by them etc. You can swifty squeeze yourself into the fast lane and get away from the mess, the potential danger zone that is. If you are in a car, due to the larger size of a car, you cannot always find an opening to run for it, but you can do it with your nimble bike. So, riding and following a bunch of slow-moving cars could be unsafe, while speeding up and getting away from them is safer.
Always best to have no cars close by around you (front, back, sides), if you have the option to position yourself that way.
I put a slip on pipe with a db killer to increase my bikes noise slightly. I live in Japan where I can filter and just a little extra noise may let cars know I'm there if they are moving slowly without startling them. I also like the sound more but it doesn't make too much noise for my neighbors. Happy with that setup.
I agree with everything except one caveat. If you find the bike you want in your area for a screaming deal and it doesn't have abs. It's not a big deal. Just get in a parking lot and learn the limitations often. You'll be fine. Great video!
i got my license in 2023. bought a vstrom 650 (from 2008) with abs. the bike is fast enough for me. big enough for me (193cm tall) it is a good learner bike. around 67 hp. of course i would not say no to a bigger and faster bike, but i am happy with the one i got for now
"learner bike"?
That's a full size touring bike...
Sure. but it is a ok size for me. very easy to drive. not to powerful. so i would say it is a nice learner bike. @@justathinker8669
Great video. Only one id ask about is abs. Some act poorly at low speeds, on adv bikes (when forgetting to disable) they can cause a crash in dirt/mud. Friend of nearly drove pff a cliff that way. Abs just let the bike keep going. I started on a dr650 so never had to worry abt abs but seems easy to forget.
about ABS i would choose a bike that u can activate it and disactivate it . bc scientifically if you break with the same force you're breaking before the wheel locks , the bike will stop sooner than if it it gets locked and the ABS do it's thing of pumping breaking fluid in and out , so yeah even if u have abs breaking as if u dont have it and leaning how to not engage it will be helpful
'everyone who started on a smaller bike bought a bigger one the following season'... I bought myself a newSuzuki GSX-S 125cc last year. The reason I am looking to buy a bigger bike is that I found very dangerouse to drive with 50-60 miles on a single or dual carriageway and some idiots get stack on my bumper thinking I am driving a superbike... So, I am buying bigger bike for a safety reason and because it will help me to save some money on commuting.
But I was never going to buy a bigger bike first. I learned a lot by riding this little 125cc bike. I love it.
I learned on a CBR 125. When the wind hit it, it was all over the road. After I got my license, I got a ZX-6. Way heavier bike. The wind affects it a lot less. I feel more confident on the ninja when highway driving.
Cornering; point your shoulder into it and look at where you want to be. Wherever you look is where you go. Best advice i was ever given.
I love these instructional videos. The humor is great. Thank you.
The best way to learn to be safe on a street bike is to buy a dirt bike and go crazy. You’ll quickly learn what not to do on any bike.
'Loud pipes save lives' - In my experiece it kinda works for pedastrians who are glued to their phones.
Thank you for your help. A Happy New Year! All the best from Crete!
Man ! I really like your advises and see them a lot.
Down to Earth and experience talk better than a show-off rider that will not ride if it's raining or too cold.
Keep up the work.
(Well I confess my first bike was a second hand 600 cc but I had friends that allowed me to practice on their bike before I got my own)
Best wishes from Portugal.
Jorge Neto
"Each time it decides to take a nap..." I'm literally laughing SO HARD. Thanks for this video man, made my day. Haha.
I will also be like a newbie on a motorcycle. And as my first motorcycle I want to have a Kawasaki Vulcan S 650 (cruiser) It is not a very weak motorcycle, it is not a light motorcycle and it is not an extremely fast motorcycle either. At least from my point of view, it's a pretty good start since I don't intend to ride the motorcycle fast. I want to enjoy the ride and learn as much as possible.
Thanks for using honest language. All you do has helped me a lot. Great work!
Loud pipes give bikes better presence in traffic and reduce instances of cars trying to merge into you.
Idk why everyone touching on this point is so determined to make fun of it. "But your pipe points backwards, hurr durr".
Awesome video ;-)
Just something to say
"Always lean into the turn"
- lean IN and OUT - both have cons/pros, and it's quiet important to know differences ;-) (or better - know that there is not only "lean-IN" way) 😀
- heavily depends on speed and type of road
Another hint: Standing in footpegs
- just small stand in footpegs provides crazy amount "feel of control" over bike ;-)
... not talking about riding on dirt-road ;-)
In case of only rear break does the weight sifts to front tyres?
good points.
I would add that new riders arent all Rossi wannabes looking for thrills. I noted that my wife [experienced car driver] found the engine / clutch control on a larger bike so much easier than a small bike while learning.
Also think that cornering ABS should be mandatory. Even experienced riders are likely to panic brake when a deer runs out mid corner. Normal ABS wont be worth anything in that scenario.
Talking of small bikes.they can be too small. 50cc bikes should be banned IMO. Anything that cant keep up with normal traffic is too dangerous as our roads get more congested and should never be a 16year olds intro to biking.
I’ve been riding since the earth cooled, never had abs but always use front brake more. However, my dirt bike days thought me how to slide around without crashing. I recommend everyone have some fun in a class on dirt. When you come up on a road covered in gravel you will freak out less.
I remember a holiday on the Greek island of Skiathos, coming up to a corner and seeing a young couple pick up a scooter which must have slid away under them a few seconds before. My wife and I could see some red patches on their arms and legs where some skin had been left on the road, and we winced, thinking 'This may just be little scrapes, but they will take months to heal.' We were on a hired little 250 trail bike and had brought our own helmets and Draggin' Jeans gear. Nearly two weeks later we were queuing at the airport and saw them bandaged up and limping slightly… Their holiday must have been so painful! I wince even now looking at scooters being ridden by scantily clad youth.
I agree with almost all of that!
But I will say my personal experience with loud pipes says they help more than you are admitting.
I ride the highway loop around the city I live in often. When my bike had stock pipes I had a lot of problems with drivers coming on the highway and merging in to my lane where I would need to brake, change lanes, or accelerate to avoid contact with the other vehicle.
Same with passing slower traffic. There were a lot of times where I would be passing a slower vehicle and they would decide to change lanes and nearly hit me. I would need to do as above to avoid contact.
This happened almost every single time I would ride the highway loop at least 1 time.
I decided I wanted to change the exhaust on my bike. I wanted it to sound better, and I wanted it to be louder so others would hear a bike was near them.
This worked much better than I expected it to. now I almost never have a drive try and merge in to me. Yes it still happens. But it dropped off by more than 80%.
This is one of the only situations where the louder exhaust works in your favor for safety. But getting bumped at 70mph can easily result and going down. Particularly if the just clip the front tire of your bike.
And honestly this helped more than I expected. Its not replacement for being a good rider. On that I 100% agree. But anything that reduces my need to make emergency maneuvers I will take!
And the louder pipes did that for me. This was not much of a problem in normal highway riding. I really only found they helped on the highway loop around my city where you will encounter some of the worst drivers on earth! LOL And I found that in basically every other situation the pipes made no noticeable difference.
I do like how they sound, and mine are not crazy loud either. And they look better as well.
I'm on a big V-twin bagger. A 900+lb bike. So I cant maneuver as fast as say a sport bike. But I can move rather fast when needed. I cant say if this works the same for a sport bike as their small displacement 4 cylinder engines have a much higher pitched exhaust note that might not carry as well, or permeate the cabin of a vehicle as well as the much deeper tone of my big V-twin, but I can say this worked for me.
And when I replaced that bike, the new one was again stock and again I noticed a marked increase in the number of people that would merge into me on the highway loop until I again installed an aftermarket exhaust system that was louder.
I have never had a bike with ABS, but I will say my next bike will 100% have it!
And so will my wife's next bike!
I had GSX 500F as my very first motor bike (never owned a moped/scooter, either). I maxed out (220 kmh) in the first corner on the Autobahn foot pegs scraping tarmac and countersteering. While bypassing a semi. I was quite happy with the bike 5 years. And I was very happy that I did not buy Hayabusa or Blackbird as my firsg bike, as I would most certainly crashed it. GSX was also very good on those 400 - 600 km weekend rides. 220 kmh is very boring in the straight part of a highway, but in long distance driving your average speed us mist likely under 130 kmh.
"small bikes are boring", like a car, the smaller the better in some places, small country roads for example...
Hahaha, I started on a 1000cc sportbike. Best thing I ever did cause i very quickly learned what i didn't want to ride: a 1000cc sportbike.
I still love sportbikes, but personally I find the sweet spot now around 600cc's, and I'd definitely recommend to start smaller just to get the cornering learned.
Riding a small bike fast can be more fun than riding a big bike slow.
The choice between big or small is more difficult because the prices are about the same second hand... was going to do DAS and get 600 but was advised and seems reasonable in my location to do a year or so on a 125 first...
I live near snowdonia, i'm sure i can enjoy a 125 for a bit...@@supperor91
My first bike was 400. I would have killed myself if I didn't start on something small
where loud pipes helps is in intersections where most accidents happen. most drivers who hit bikes say they did not see them, so being heard by them can make them aware of you. in this very video talking about loud pipes you say most accidents happen around 20mph. this means it can save lives because they may/more than likely hear you even if they don't see you... it can also warn animals you are coming and keep them from jumping in front of you, as well as people. the biggest safety concern is not being seen, so engaging a second sense like hearing is an obvious help.
Great video!! I wish this kind of resource had been available when I was starting out in 1990. Lightweight bikes like the KTM Duke 390 , Yamaha MT-3 or Honda CB300R are great, not just for beginners, but also for commuting. Myth: "You don't need to practice braking if you have ABS." ABS is like insurance: Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. However, you also need to practice using the ABS in a safe environment (parking lot) so as to be able to use it when it's needed. (i.e. panic situations on iffy road surfaces.) Practicing full on ABS braking from 60mph in the rain becomes completely stress-free if you practice it. (Work up to 60mph and beyond gradually.) I've found that once you're experienced enough, you can (with warm tire and good asphalt) stop quicker from average to high riding speeds with proper braking technique instead of going full gorilla grip on the brake, activating the ABS. Other "myths". "You don't need riding courses, just go ride." Or: ""You only need to do an advanced riding course once in your life." I think an advanced course EVERY year should be recommended. I've done one every year since I started riding, and I always learn something. Plus; they're a day of fun with other like-minded riders!
6:25 lmao, "going head on into oncoming truck mid-corner, is ... sub-optimal learning environment." I nearly spat out my drink, haha!
I always have a loud exhaust for performance purposes. I have to say though, you definitely have less people change lanes ontop of you after you get louder. People also tend to not cross the road infront of you as much.
10:59 we can go / sit at upper position rather than downwards and steady, it also helps me to be a perfect turn
Parking brings lessons, too. One has to think before doing it. I once made the mistake of parking in a downward sloping place with cars on both sides. It was falltime and the asphalt was covered with wet leaves. I couldn't back off sitting on the saddle. Had to pull the machine from the side inch by inch, being mindful of the slippery leaf-covered surface. Learned the lesson, and nowadays I look for a comfy spot whence I can ride away without hassles. Think of pulling a 400lbs bike from such a location!
Well, i am riding bikes since almost 35 years. Start with Honda 250 T, then a Suzuki GN 400, than most of the time a Yamaha XJ 750 Seca and now with a Yamaha FJR 1400. All your others advices i fully agree.
Its important to know how to use what you have, abs if fitted but treated like non abs ie releasing brake when you feel a judder is counter productive.
my first motorcycle accident happened on a honda wave and that's just a 110cc scoot, hitting a pothole on a foot-deep flooded highway. i had my left shoulder dislocated and manually relocated on the hospital after. after that i always wear complete gear with my vulcan. no accidents so far, only cruising anyway at 30-70kph anyway. 🤙
Thank you!
Those myths are so annoying to hear and read again and again and again and again....
I myself downgraded from a 230 Kg 70HP naked bike to 190Kg 50HP single cylinder ADV one last fall and could not happier. It is more nimble, effortless and snappy to ride in the city and on curvy roads.
I know it's been a few months but I've got like a core memory from when I started riding a couple years ago and wanted to share my little story about it.
Friend of mine rode frequently, and when I wanted to get a bike I told him about it. I did some shopping for a while to figure out what I actually wanted and at some point, told him I was looking for a bike with ABS; he immediately jumped in swearing I wouldn't learn how to ride if I did that, and that I'd eventually get into an accident when ABS failed. I never really got an answer when I asked how hitting the ground would teach me better than hearing the ABS buzz, he just kind of kept doubling down that I'd learn better somehow. Like, to this day I still don't get his point, how would throwing my bike at the ground teach me anything that I can't just learn from feedback?? As if I'm incapable of assessing and learning without drastically injuring myself or my wallet, and the only solution is to risk trashing myself or my bike. Over the course of roughly a couple weeks arguing with him, I eventually told him about my experiences with cars in rain, on ice, in the dirt, and how ABS affected all of those situations and how I learned how to drive in all of them just fine without ever having to effing wreck to figure it out; at one point he just "agreed to disagree" and declined to offer help to me anymore 'coz apparently I already knew better than him and didn't need his advice.
I find it asinine and borderline disrespectful in hindsight. It demonstrated both a lack of common sense and disregard for my intelligence, as if it's just a given that I am both incapable of learning and of exerting even a modicum of self control. I eventually elected to get the ABS and you know what? I have yet to wreck from locking my brakes, but I HAVE learned to watch for gravel and oil, even in parking lots. I know exactly how hard I can yank on the lever before I will lose traction. If I didn't have ABS I'd have just tossed my bike onto the ground learning those things for no bloody reason and I wouldn't know a darned thing that I don't already know now, or maybe even wouldn't have had the chance to learn at all.
I'm in the...not exactly the opposite camp when it comes to what size bike to start with. You should choose a bike that fits you physically and take in your maturity level and how responsible you are into account. My first bike was a 2006 ZX-10R. I was a bit older than most people starting out riding and as a result was a bit more mature and responsible. I understood the power the bike was capable of and rode it accordingly. I have no regrets starting on a liter bike. Small bikes are more forgiving of mistakes than larger bikes, and I've noticed that a lot of people have sloppy technique that start on smaller bikes. Not everyone and it depends on how much your practice, I don't see many people on small bikes practicing that much since they can get away with a lot using poorly developed skills. I had to get good and develop good techniques quickly...all without the assistance of great channels like this one on TH-cam. Way back in the day most of us had to figure all this out on our own. The only training we had available where I lived was the MSF BRC1. The rest of it we figured out by trial and error and making a lot of mistakes.
"I had to lay it down" - extension to technique #3 ;)
Nothing to object to. Really liked the riding in this video.
Experience = done a lot of mistakes and learned from them.
I started on a 1994 CBR 600 and almost low-sided twice the first year. Locked up the rear in an emergency brake once and the other time accelerated too quickly out of a turn and lost rear traction. Why didn't I fall? Because of many years of skidding bicycles in gravel and jumping BMX bikes on ramps in the rain as a kid. Sure, it's smart to start with a smaller displacement bike, but the smallest displacement you can get is in fact a bicycle.
Carving curves is MT 03 and have loved that motorcycle for years
The only thing about ABS, you take longer to stop. That is fact. All motorcycles should have switchable ABS. More customization
Been riding 30 years and currently riding a 125 with ABS and its great got me out of trouble many times. I wouldn't want it on a track though
I recommend starting on a 50cc with manual gears, or a 125 cc. Learn how to shift, steer in all weather and seasons, everywhere,off road included. Enjoy it. Then move up. I always find it funny seeing videos, especially American ones, where total beginners start out with 900cc monsters. Crazy.
I had a yamaha YZF, was talked into riding it because it was a sports bike... I hated how i felt on a hour plus ride, I was too far forward and just felt uncomfortable.
I decided to buy a Honda VTR after riding my dads CB500, that thing rode beautiful and I felt sooo good on it
This should be mandatory viewing for all new motorcyclists. And most of the "experienced" ones as well.
I've noticed when doing slow-speed drills, when I try to tighten my turn, the front wheel will turn abruptly to almost full-lock. How can I better control the degree of my turn?
Thanks, and keep those videos coming.
Using the rear brake mostly, is referred to low speed maneuvering to prevent overcompensation and dropping the bike........
Anyone who has driven an old school rallye car knows there is a brake balance (front/rear) regulator, and to dip the brakes when you crest a hump, to throw the weight forward onto the steering.
Came across the break in with my riding buddy. Me ZX14 him a big Indian Cruiser. Yup we are kind of a mutt and jeff.. anyways. Breaking in tires. Me take it easy for the first 100ish miles. Trying not to accelerate or stop to harshly and get some nice corners in to scrub those tires. He actually said you can use use bleach to wipe your tires off and get the same thing. The older guys (70 for him) seem to continues this things to the newer tech. Another one is not knowing that almost all spark plugs don't need anticize on them. Way back in the day you did but not anymore. Or all the "advice" out there when doing your own tire change. I love this one... you can use jack stands to balance your tires.
Rode a junker Suzuki dt 100 dirt bike for a few years 35 years ago.
6 months ago my cousin gave me her Honda grom after low siding it. I had my endorsement from 5 years prior to get that out of the way when I had the opportunity to take a free msf basic course.
I put 400 miles on the grom and then bought a 2018 xsr700. 😁
I coulda started on the 700 and be okay, just gotta practice and start out in safe places, don't be overconfident and do dumb things. A large empty parking lot is your friend, along with training guides and even courses.. Remember that you can easily kill or maim yourself on a motorcycle, not to mention what other people can do to you.
Hi. I'm from France. Thanks for your channel and your good advices. For your information, here, to obtain your motorcycle drive license, you must take minimum 20 hours of lessons and pass 4 tests, and it costs generally around 1500€ (1645$). First, learn the highway code, and pass a test with 40 questions. Second, lessons on a training track at very slow speed, half-turn, emergency braking, slalom, avoidance, and then a test under the eye of an inspector. Two mistakes and you fail. Third, driving lessons in real traffic with a final driving test up to 45 minutes, the inspector following you in a car with a walkie-talkie. If you pass all the tests successfully, your obtain the A2 driving license. You can then drive an A2 motorcycle, limited to 47.5hp (35kw). Fourth, after 2 years of driving with your A2 license, you can choose to pass your definitive A license, with 7 hours of learning, wich gives you the ability to drive on big motorcycles. When I passed my A2 license, I bought the Kawasaki Z400, and like in your video, I've heard lots of myths about mid-size motorcycles, old bikers were laughing... But I've never had more fun than with the Z400. Nervous and easy to drive, perfect for a young driver. Today I'm riding a z900, but it's good that I only bought it after 2 years because of the power, which I might not have handled properly at first... Concerning mandatory safety gear on motorcycles, in France, wearing approved helmet and gloves is obligatory, but driving schools also require motorcycle jacket and pant, with boots or high-top shoes. Regarding ABS, all motorcycles in France have been equipped with it since 2017.
That's awesome info, thanks! Seems you know quite a lot about it, could you perhaps send me some videos or drawings of your tests? I would like to reproduce them and see how they compare to other countries
Of course ! Here is my maneuver test on the training track, the path is the same as the exam. It is done in both directions, right and left, drawn randomly on the day of the exam. You must complete the slow course in at least 16 seconds. The U-turn should not exceed the lines on the sides. Emergency braking must be carried out at 50 km/h (measured by radar) braking at the first line and stopping before the 2nd. Then you have to make a U-turn with a passenger, but not during COVID. Then, you have to do a slalom at 40 km per hour, with the 3rd gear engaged before the first slalom cone. And to finish an avoidance maneuver without touching the cones, between 45 and 50 km/h then stop between the blue cones. The path must be known exactly in both directions and reproduced identically on the day of the exam. Each cone or pole touched, each foot placed on the ground outside the stopping zones, counts one error, and after two errors, or if you drop the motorcycle, you are failed. Two videos from me, one on the motorcycle : th-cam.com/video/llVhgsuSpEo/w-d-xo.htmlsi=XTAFmS-dO9twNBUz and the other from the outside, the day of the exam, 4 hours before : th-cam.com/video/SwFUi4PrIRc/w-d-xo.htmlsi=JdxmpROr8c4RKDgy If you want, here's also a video from my 10th hour of driving lesson, with another student in front of me, and the instructor following us with his car and the talkie-walkie, and his voice in our helmets : th-cam.com/video/pjdm9ivbD0U/w-d-xo.htmlsi=RL-S2KkOuMdM7_CP
Is it okay to give half clutch and give throttle as well when it seems that the bike will stall at the current gear (say 3rd gear) vecause of low speed?
I guess it is, in certain situations, but why not just downshift?
@MotoControlEn thank you for your insight. Keep it up, I am subscribing. I appreciate the work you put in to give us the knowledge. Thank you.
Lots of good advice. Thank you.