Reddit mentions: The best motorcycles books

I'm 21, 6'2" and 190. Before the MSF class, I had never ridden anything, so I know exactly how you feel. Let me see what I can do:

> So, besides taking the MSF course, what can I do to learn more?

After the MSF class, read or watch Twist of the Wrist 2
(note: you can find these elsewhere for free) TotW 1 is good too, but 2 is more focused on practical street riding.

> What should I know (I realize this may be early since I haven't had any experience yet)?

Before you even touch a bike, you should know that motorcycles are in fact dangerous when compared to other methods of transportation. Be knowledgeable of the studies that prove it. Also, understand that while the activity is inherently dangerous there are many ways to reduce risk. The MSF class should cover most of this, but here's a couple that should be drilled into your head:

• Gear up. All of it. Helmet, Jacket, Gloves, Boots, and something on your legs with more protection than a pair of Levi's.
  
  
• Gear up ALL THE TIME
  
  
• Don't ride in blind spots
  
  
• Always be aware of your surroundings
  
  
• Ride like every car is trying to kill you, because they are
  
  
• Don't be a squid
  
  >Here in Arizona passing the MSF course waives your skills and written test for a license and I have a hard time believing that 2.5 days of experience is enough for me to feel comfortable riding around without more practice.
  
  I took the MSF class and picked up a Ninja 250 a month later with no practice in between. I puttered around the neighborhood streets for a while (about 200 miles worth of residential and <40mph streets) before I took it out on the highway. Mostly, work on your coordination. Keeping track of what gear you're in and what order you pull levers and push pedals can be confusing when you're also making sure you don't get run over. Practice until you're confident.
  
  > Also, I was looking around some dealers this past weekend and almost unanimously they said to ignore the MSF teachers' advice to go for a 250cc bike for a learner because I would "outgrow" it within a few months.
  
  Wrong. Well, Kind of. It's less the amount of time you own it and more the amount of technically challenging miles you've put on it. One piece of advice I love to give to people considering the 250 is this: Don't ever let anyone tell you that you need to have a big bike to be a good rider.
  
  I had my 250 for 3 months and put 3800 miles on it and I was still working on my form when I wrecked it. The people that get bored with a 250 in a couple months are the ones that go fast in straight lines. They upgrade to a 600 supersport, lowside it once and get scared shitless. It's why there are so many cosmetically damaged supersports on the market.
  
  > I've seen a lot of testimonials to the contrary and I mentioned that and then they said that it would be a safety issue, where a larger bike could accelerate out of accidents that a smaller one would get trapped in. Really, I just get the feeling that they are trying to upsell me on a larger bike but I was curious if these things are true.
  
  Plausible, but unlikely. Power is no substitute for safe riding. I feel a little safer in traffic on my 600 than I did on my 250 simply because I can get out of blind spots faster, but all I'm doing is accelerating to get out of someone's way instead of braking.
  
  And yes, the dealer is definitely trying to sell you a bigger bike. Bigger bike, more money, more commission.
  
  > Finally (wow this is a lot of questions) I was looking at a Ninja 250R, probably a used one since the refresh a couple of years ago. Any input on that as a starter bike?
  
  You should check out r/250r for fellow redditors with the 250r. Also, ninja250.org has one of the biggest knowledge databases on the two-fiddy.
  
  > I know it's a "sportbike" but it seems more like a standard bike with rider positioning. Also, would a guy of my height have an issue with one? I sat on one and compared to other bikes I felt like I was sitting very low and wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.
  
  Inseam matters more than height. Cycle-ergo is an awesome tool that can tell you roughly where your knees will be and how much you have to lean. Honestly, at 6'2", the 250 was a little small for me. I had one of the older ones which was slightly different, but the new ones I sat on at the dealer were also cramped though there are guys taller than me that ride them comfortably. Next time you go to the dealer, sit on one with your hands on the handlebars and stay there for a while. If it seems a little small don't worry, there are a handful of things you can do to change the ergonomics of the bike. If you're completely uncomfortable after 10 minutes, you may want to look at a bigger bike. (Not a supersport.)
  
  > Basically, any advice you can give me would be great!
  
  I know I threw a lot at you and it may be a little overwhelming. You did the right thing by signing up for the MSF class to see if you're truly interested. If you don't make it through the class, don't worry; riding isn't for everyone. It's dangerous, it's expensive and it's certainly a lifestyle change. You'll find yourself going out of your way to hit the twisties and showing up late to things. You'll neglect other projects on the weekends so you can get some seat time. You'll shave your head to avoid helmet-hair. You'll hear the sound of an engine and whip your head around trying to see what kind of bike it's coming from. You'll lean into turns in your car.
  
  But riding is also one of the most rewarding experiences in the world. Getting over the fear, accepting the danger and finally throwing a leg over a bike is a feeling like no other. Once you do that, you get to experience the silent camaraderie of "the wave," the butterflies in your stomach just as you lean into a corner, the feeling you get whenever you see one of those 'curvy road ahead' signs, the exhilaration of completing a perfect set of twisties, and much, much more.
  
  Riding is awesome, and I'm sure you'll love it. Good luck in your class!
  
  EDIT: Downvotes? Seriously? I sure hope that was a bot.

Howdy, and welcome to the wonderful world of motorcycling. Good luck on your quest.

First off, does that $2,500 include riding gear or is that just for the bike? Assuming the former, you could spend $500 on a helmet, jacket, and gloves with $2k left over for the bike purchase. For riding gear, I recommend checking out motorcyclegear.com, especially their closeouts. They also have deals called 'almost free' where you receive a gift card for nearly the full price of the garment. You can sign up for their sale emails, check it out.

The bike you posted looks good, but given the age it would be helpful to take a knowledgeable friend along before buying. There is a lot to inspect to prevent unforeseen costs. As /u/DantesDame mentioned, rubber bits get old, brittle, and dry rotted. Think leaky carb boots, fork seals, brake hoses, things like that. Also you should check the valve clearances and ignition timing; personally I find these things fun but I did grow up wrenching on things.

A CB350 would be good, really anything from Honda's CB lineup would be fine, though the 750s and up get pretty heavy for a beginner. If there are many dirt roads near you, maybe consider a dual-sport such as a Honda XR or CRF230L (-R is offroad only, -L is street legal), Yamaha TTR, Suzuki DR-Z. They tend to be light and easy to handle, they're single-cylinders and generally pretty easy to work on.

Back to maintenance--whichever bike you get, get yourself a copy of the service manual. This is a how-to book with detailed instructions for all types of maintenance, including how to take the bike apart down to the last nut and bolt and still put it back together again. If you have that and a friend who knows how to change their own oil, you're off to a good start.

Of course take the class, but if you can meet seasoned riders to talk to or ride with, even better. Just be sure to take your advice from safe, responsible folk. If you can't find people like that, check your local library for this book. If they don't have it, you might be able to get it on inter-library loan:

http://www.amazon.com/Proficient-Motorcycling-Ultimate-Guide-Riding/dp/1889540536

Yeah it was a blast! Although there were definitely low points as well. I was 26/27 for the trip, currently 30. It was about 3 months on the road, but I also skipped almost all of N. America. Figured I can do that later, but South and Central America is changing daily. I think I did 12,000 miles total. I think I spent about 11k for the whole thing, 2500 for bike ('02 KLR, garage kept with only 3,000 miles) another 2000 for mods and equipment, and the rest on the road. You could do it cheaper if you wanted I ended up staying in hotels more often than camping, although the hotels were only about $10-15 a night so even that wasn't too much. Biggest expense ends up being fuel and paying for entry visas, insurance etc. Also I was originally planning on selling my bike at the end but got too attached and shipped it home, so that added another $900. I did go over budget but not by too much fortunately, my girlfriend helped me a little towards the end to finish up (which is why I had no hesitation to make her my wife)
As far as equipment, the most important thing is a bike (obviously!) that you feel comfortable on, you'll be spending a lot of time together. Otherwise I feel my best money spent was on a very good set of panniers. Also good country by country GPS databases were invaluable, but you can get those for free online. I'm a big fan of paper maps, but I have to say the GPS was a lifesaver. There's so much to talk about regarding what to get, and what NOT to bring, it's easy to pack too much. For now I'd focus on getting a good bike and in the mean time I highly recommend this book it's fairly general at times, but is a great place to start planning. I read it front to cover.

Anyway good luck and feel free to stay in touch, especially if you decide to go for it!

(1) Ok so licensing and basic training is pretty easy in the US but it still varies state to state.

All states use a rider training program, the majority of them being of the MSF curriculum, a small handful of them being run by the MSF themselves. other states will have their own, but the process is usually more or less the same.

you take a 2 day course that takes you from the point of never having sat on a motorcycle to being a licensed rider (some states will still make you take the DMV written exam however) some states will REQUIRE you to take this class if you are under 21. best to check with your state on the process.

This is where you should start. this is not where you should end however. these courses will give you the skills you need to operate the motorcycle, but before being road ready they need to be drilled down in a parking lot. after getting your bike hopefully you can ride it home in a light traffic hours or have it delivered, and be prepared to get out to an empty parking lot and practice the exercises taught before getting into full blown traffic.

in addition to this, your rider education should not stop. i advise you to check out some books from your local library if not purchasing a copy yourself. i will link below

(2) the clutch in a manual car is more difficult than on a bike, but the same interplay between the clutch and throttle applies. most bikes are also designed with wet clutches which allow them to slip more and take more abuse than dry clutches, also gives them a more linear release (although some Italian bikes have dry clutches) . Bikes can also move off easier without throttle which makes things easier in the beginning. hills starts are not as much of a problem on a bike than a car. one advantage a car has however is a mental one, you dont have to worry about keeping the vehicle upright while you are learning. doing this plus learning the clutch could make things challenging. for the most part, though, a motorcycle will be easier than a car.

(3) at your height most bikes will fit well. there's only a few bikes that you can be too tall for, most of the time its the other way around, where as a beginner you want to be able to flat foot the bike. so a lot of this comes down to which bikes you like.

the other things is that a lot comes down to body geometry so not all 6'2" are going to be equally comfortable on the same bike. best it to go and sit on a few bikes. if you are into sportbikes/sport standards, most of the entry level 250cc-300cc bikes actually fit taller people better than say, a 300cc cruiser.

that being said, when you go to take the course. expect to be slightly uncomfortable. a lot of these bikes used at courses tend to be bikes with very low seat heights so that shorter people can still flat foot them...while you are learning you will have to put your foot down a lot, which can be make a taller person feel cramped on the bike. once your riding, these bikes are mostly fine for us taller folk but in the course with so much stop and go, and bike walking exercising, with such a low seat height, its kind of uncomfortable.


Recommended reading:

Proficient Motorcycling: The Ultimate Guide to Riding Well
by David L. Hough
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1620081199/
This book is pretty popular and its VERY good. your local library probably has it. I was actually able to get an ebook from the library to read on a tablet in full color without getting off my butt.


The Follow up:
https://www.amazon.com//dp/1935484869/

If you are into sportbikes:

Lee Parks Total Control https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00R31222S

Nick Ienatsch Sport Riding Techniques https://www.amazon.com/gp/1893618072/

Just a couple things on your form:

Put your toe on the outside of the peg and pivot from there, this gets the knee in the correct position more naturally. You're big enough that you shouldn't need to hang off more than half a cheek. Also, don't ignore your outside leg, keep the toe pointed into the turn will provide the squeeze against the tank, like an anchor. That will help your lower-body positioning. You should have this done just before you flick it into the turn.

As far as upper body, your vision seems perfect (up and out), but you're still in-line with the bike. If you imagine leaning around the frame of a door to look through, that's the goal. Basically get your chin and shoulder down over the hand grip and keep your eyes up. Also try not to square up your shoulders, instead line them up with the turn.

Once you get comfortable with both of those, it will come together and you'll be tripping the tank with your outside knee and forearm, while your inside knee glides along the pavement!

Aside from body position, throttle control is key. Essentially you want 60% of the weight on the back, 40% on the front. This is achieved with steady, constant roll on the throttle.

As far as suspension goes, I'm not sure if you have rebound on your springs, but at the least set your sag and preloads for your weight. You'll need a friend for this, and a video like this one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAWLaLf1Awc&playnext=1&list=PL0E1D32409F421246&feature=results_video

These two books are amazing, cheap, and I absolutely recommend picking up a copy, or if you're ever in KC, hit me up and I'll give them to you! A Twist of the Wrist and A Twist of the Wrist 2, both by Keith Code.

http://www.amazon.com/Twist-Wrist-Motorcycle-Roadracers-Handbook/dp/0965045013/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347847984&sr=8-1&keywords=twist+of+the+wrist

Also, your gear on top is perfect but a pair of riding pants with knee pucks and good boots with toe sliders will give you loads more confidence.

Most of all, enjoy it and ride at 80% of what you feel capable of, you'll last a lot longer that way! Ride on.

So, judging by the comments is this actually you or is it your friend? Either way, 90% of us (myself included) went through the squidly phase of "trying" to drag knee, and posting evidence of such transgressions on reddit is not going to end well.

Kudos to whoever that is for at least doing it in a more controlled environment than a two-lane road. Now that he has got it out of his system, as others have said, he needs to work on the actual techniques that will make dragging knee more of an option than a goal. Getting a knee on deck should be the consequence of proper body position, decent lean, and a knee slightly extended. What he is doing looks and feels unnatural, but optional kneedown territory looks and feels natural, and the knee only needs to be out a tiny bit to touch. Now, the fledgling squid may say in their defense "No way man I was barely trying to stick my knee out". However, the dead giveaway is the distance from the foot-peg to the ground. A "natural" knee down comes when the pegs are just about touching the ground.

He didn't crash so his technique can't be too terrible, but I would say; his head needs to be more towards the inside of the turn, he should probably scoot his butt back and lean his upper body more forward/down, his foot needs to be more towards the inside of the peg, and his knee to be to be in a lot more.

If your friend is interested in becoming a proficient, quick, and safe rider, two excellent books are Nick Ienatsch's "Sport Riding Techniques" and Keith Code's "Soft Science of Road Racing Motorcycles" Nick's book is more of an all encompassing road/track guide that has tons of good information including proper body position. The "Soft Science" book is a bit more advanced and goes a more into theory and what one can do to make themself a more adaptable and competent decision maker on the bike.

​

https://www.amazon.com/Sport-Riding-Techniques-Develop-Confidence/dp/1893618072/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1541093996&sr=8-1&keywords=sport+bike+riding+techniques

​

https://www.amazon.com/Soft-Science-Roadracing-Motorcycles-Procedures/dp/096504503X

​

Lastly, don't necessarily listen to the more "refined" riders who tell you not to drag knee. Riding a motorcycle is about fun, and sticking a kneedown is fun as hell, even if you don't need to. The point is to make sure you FIRST learn the techniques that allow you to do it safely, and to do it in a controlled environment (the track).

​

​

It's definitely because you haven't figured out how to handle it yet. I'm an instructor with Doc Wong Northwest. It's a free riding clinic & covers the finer details of sport riding. We teach the concepts covered by Keith Code's Twist of the Wrist 2. I personally help run the clinics in Albany, but they originally started in PDX. You should check them out. They meet the first Saturday of every month at BMW Motorcycles of Western Oregon in Tigard. Not only is it a great way to learn more advanced riding, but it's a good reason to get out and ride & a great way to meet other riders in the area.

I'd also like to recommend a few books to get you started:

• Twist of the Wrist 2
  
• Sport Riding Techniques
  
• Total Control
  
  Seriously, when you know you'll be in Eugene with your Bandit...PM me. There are a lot of great roads around here.

I completely understand where you're coming from. I also took the class and passed but I was still so uneasy about riding. It baffled me that I was a licensed rider because there was no way I was ready to get on the roads.

I bought a bike (Kawasaki Ninja) because I found an amazing deal on it. I figured I just paid to get my license and I should use it. The bike was cheap enough for me to justify spending the money even if I decided I hated riding in a few months. A friend came with me to check out the bike and also rode it back home for me. I kept it at his house because, like you, my parents would have killed me if they found out.

After getting my bike, I literally just rode around neighborhoods for weeks. Weeks! I nearly dropped my bike after popping the clutch in the first few days of having it. I was always so nervous riding that I avoided doing so as much as possible. I'd make excuses why I couldn't/didn't want to ride and when I did ride, I only rode with friends. But it gets easier, I promise. Everyone always told me that one day, things will just click. I thought they were just trying to be nice, but one day, it happened. It just clicked. The nerves went away and I felt comfortable riding.

There is no way in hell I thought I'd be where I am now. I'm still very much a novice, but I feel so much more comfortable riding now. My parents know about my motorcycle. My dad got his license and rides with me now. I'm looking to get a new bike next year.

Check out Twist of the Wrist. You can read the intro here. I think back to it all the time, how I'm using less attention doing the small things that I once found so difficult.

I don't have advice about the parents thing to be honest. My parents just accepted it because I had already had the motorcycle and license for so long (I told them about a year after I got it). If you can figure this part out, I definitely say find a cheap starter bike and start practicing.

Just like /u/w0lf3h said, you'll make mistakes. But don't quit just yet! If you want to do it, don't let your fear hold you back. Fear is good, as it will keep you cautious and alive. But don't let it hold you back from doing something you really want to do.

If you want to talk more personally, feel free to PM me!

Jeesus. I was in college when you were born. Anyway... It's hard to give general tips without sounding like a broken record, but here goes:

Get decent gear and wear it, people will tell you that you have to spend $1,000 on gear but that's BS, just keep an eye on closeouts, my favorite site is http://www.motorcyclegear.com/ a few hundred bucks will get you everything you need if you're not fussy about having the best, latest or flashiest stuff.

Take the MSF if you haven't already.

Get this book and read it, it's the best book there is for teaching rider safety on the street. http://www.amazon.com/Proficient-Motorcycling-Ultimate-Guide-Riding/dp/1889540536

Take short, easy rides at first, your riding brain is like a muscle that you have to work out to build up over time.

Get out there and have fun!

At the very start of the video you hear the engine throttling up, then a slight skid, followed by the throttle being chopped. This tells me the rider was rolling on the throttle either too aggressively or too early and the rear wheel broke traction and started sliding to the outside of the turn. Anyone who has read or watched "Twist of the Wrist II" knows this as "Survival Reaction #1:" chopping the throttle causes the rear tire to re-acquire traction and kick the bike upright, which usually results in a high-side. It sounds like the rider got lucky and didnt get thrown over. Instead, he hung on and was attempting to regain his composure (get his feet back on the pegs and finish the turn) but ran out of room. Its at this point that target fixation kicked in and the rider became a passenger. He watched himself ride in a straight line off the road, across the dirt shoulder, up the hill and into the air thanks to the large boulder.

Technically, this rider seems to exhibit all seven of the Survival Reactions (instinctive fear-induced reactions) that Keith Code explains:

1. rolling off the gas
   
2. Tightening on the bars
   
3. Narrowed and frantically hunting field of view
   
4. fixed attention (on something)
   
5. Steering in the direction of the fixed attention
   
6. No steering (frozen) or ineffective (not quick enough or too early) steering
   
7. Braking errors (both over-and under-braking)
   
   In this scenario, the ideal course of action for the rider would be to not have gotten into the position that we see in the video. This accident occurred before the video even started.
   
   But short of that, once the rear tire started sliding out, had he kept the throttle input the same instead of chopping it, there's a chance the skidding wheel would have kept the bike tipped over on the ground, causing a low-side instead.
   
   And there is a slim (and I mean SLIM) chance that had the rider INCREASED throttle, the spinning wheel might have had enough force to power its way out of the slide and get back into line with the front wheel: Power on, lean a little more and hope that the turn doesn't have dirt on it from the last time someone wiped out there. With some luck, he might have been able to pull through the turn and wind up on the straight without any damage.
   
   Now, keep in mind that all of this takes place in less than a second. Even if your reaction time is FLAWLESS, that still doesnt leave much time to 1. identify the problem, 2. predict what's going to happen 3. decide on the best course of action and 4. execute that plan as quickly as possible. Even the best riders in the world get it wrong from time to time.
   
   Plain and simple, the rider sealed his fate the minute he started rolling on the throttle. Which - Im guessing - was motivated by his need to look cool, knowing that this turn is populated by people with video cameras.

You can do that with the Ninja 250. It's all practice. Like V_Glaz_Dam mentioned you should watch the Twist of Wrist 2 series.

Here's something I wrote for one of my friends.

For books, I personally like this one the most. I feel like Nick took a lot information from the Twist of the Wrist books and made it more modern.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1893618072/ref=oh_o02_s01_i00_details



But I also learned a lot from Lee Park's book. Lee Park hosts a rider school where he runs over all the drills in his book and helps with rider technique. You have to google the class schedules but he comes around California at least once or twice a year.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0760314039/ref=oh_o04_s00_i00_details



The there is the Twist of the Wrist series
http://www.amazon.com/Twist-Wrist-Motorcycle-Roadracers-Handbook/dp/0965045013/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330372612&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/Twist-Wrist-Basics-High-Performance-Motorcycle/dp/0965045021/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1330372612&sr=8-2

I haven't read those books but the Twist of Wrist II videos are on youtube so you can check them out.



The last book I would recommend is Proficient Motorcycling. I highly recommended reading that one because it focuses a lot on general riding. Techniques that everyone should learn just to stay alive riding on the road. The book can be found at some libraries so you can save some money by just loaning it.
http://www.amazon.com/Proficient-Motorcycling-Ultimate-Guide-Riding/dp/1933958359/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1330372534&sr=1-1-spell

The rest is all practice.
Also youtube "ninja 250 track" and you'll see a bunch of videos of guys racing their 250s on the track.

I wouldn't get on a track until you are at least familiar with your motorcycle. Get some miles under your belt before you decide to do it. After you are comfortable on your bike I would try to hook up with some local riders who are better than you. That way you can talk to them and learn from their experience. But remember to take most advice with a grain of salt. I personally use meetup.com to meet a lot of other guys to ride with.

Glad you're alright!

As a new rider, I highly suggest you pick up Proficient Motorcycling by David L Hough. It's an amazing book that is very honest about the risk, and lays out tons of techniques to handle stuff like different road hazards that you'll eventually run into, and how to basically perfect defensive riding.

A lot of this stuff isn't in the MSF manual, and the book goes into great detail about how to safely navigate through stuff like gravel on the road, around train tracks and any edge traps, oil on the road, slanted roads with bad traction, deers and dogs, etc. This kind of stuff will make you eat shit if you don't know how to handle it - it did me. We all have instincts for these emergency situations, instincts that can often be the wrong thing to do, like cutting your throttle as soon as you hit an oil patch and start slipping. You can't always trust your instincts and experience.

I've googled for a while trying to figure out these tips but it's really hard to find a good deal of information on the internet on this stuff. This book really puts it all together and teaches you how to be a safer rider. Highly recommend it.

Welcome to the club! And remember, about two years in when you're feeling much more confident as a rider, you're actually at a higher risk because riders get more cocky. stay safe

Heh, of course no one can hold their best 500 m time for 2k. But if you're well-trained, you should be able to predict your 2k time to a very rough approximation from your 500 m time. Yours isn't that far off, I would say. My bests were around 1:29 and 1:44.

A couple caveats: It's not a direct linear relationship, as split scales to the 1/3rs power of power output, and human power output is, obviously, a function of exertion time.

The linked plot appears in Bicycling Science, which has a ton of interesting information about human power output and endurance in general, which is applicable to rowing.

EDIT: Now I'm bored and curious. I'm going to apply the Concept II formula to the data in the human power curve. I will report back with a rough idea of humanity's rough limits for split vs. time. If I'm still bored, I'll give best efforts to distance and compare with actual records.

DOUBLE EDIT: Here we go! The splits here are comically low, which I believe reflects the fact that they're not only best efforts, but best efforts for an ideal mechanism, which the erg, while pretty good, is not.

TRIPLE EDIT: And here's the theoretical best times!. All the same caveats apply as before. Also note this is a log-log scale, rather than a semilog scale as before. The record data came from concept II. There actually is an individual 1 megameter record, but it's off the plot range it's so high. I'm not fixing the spelling error in the first plot.

Great advice.

Just be aware- what is taught in the basic rider course is the most basic elementary stuff. It's also not really everything you need to know- it's just enough to give you a fighting chance of not being killed immediately, and hopefully gives you a solid starting point to improve your skills.

It takes conscious effort to learn riding techniques, and it takes continuous practice to improve. Simply putting on miles without understanding that you need to put focused effort into improving will get you miles under your belt without developing superior skills. Staying alive on the street is a combination of riding skill and observation & planning skills. Some of this you can learn from books, I recommend David L. Hough's books "Proficient Motorcycling" and "Mastering the Ride: More Proficient Motorcycling", and also his "Street Strategies: A Survival Guide for Motorcyclists" book.

And there are many others who have written good books on riding, but those are the ones I own. When my wife and later our kids decided to ride, those are the books I strongly recommended to them.

Take more formal instruction after you have a little experience on the street. The MSF advanced rider course, or a dirt bike school, a police motor office course, anything with a pro instructor. Track days can be good too, if there is good instruction and coaching available. Right now, you don't really know what you don't know.

I'm going to recommend something a little unconventional around here: an actual paper book.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0760313318/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_6wgwybXHCREVS

I bought this sort of on a whim when I started riding and was in the same position as you, and it was unbelievably informative and interesting to read. Its slightly out of date in that it precedes the advent of common electronic aides, but 100% of the stuff in the book is useful.

Also, while I'm recommending books for new riders, Lee Park's "Total Control" (https://www.amazon.com/dp/0760343446/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_Mxgwyb3MVM3CF) is an absolutely brilliant book. Its specifically about street riding (as opposed to track) and is targed towards newish riders. This book basically singlehandedly changed me from a hesitating novice to a confident (though a little reckless, it taught me to ride well but doesn't teach thoughtfulness the way Keith Code does) rider.

And, of course, the great grand daddy of them all, Twist of the Wrist 2 (https://www.amazon.com/dp/0965045021/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_aygwyb1BB573F). This book is so good and so dense that I still find new things to practice every page or two. The definitive riding technique book for good reason. No, you don't need to read part 1.

A few things, good choice on the bike! Love the SV650. Get it setup for your weight, it will handle better. We just did this to my son's SV650, he's 130lbs and we resprung it and did the racetech gold valves, and we set proper sag on it. You should be able to set sag, at least on the S model it has preload on the forks, they all have the preload on the rear shock. Also get the svracingparts.com moto frame sliders, they're the best available for this bike and will protect it when you drop it.


Secondly, pick up Lee Parks book, and read it. https://www.amazon.com/Total-Control-Lee-Parks-ebook/dp/B00R31222SConsider taking the intermediate rider course, or the advanced rider course since you've been riding for awhile. I assume you are in the states since you mentioned MSF. Here's the website to find courses in your area.


Thirdly, and this is huge to improving your riding skills, just practice. Find a local big parking lot and just do drills, slow speed u-turns, offset weaves, Emergency BRAKING (huge). Subscribe to Motojitsu channel on youtube. He's probably got the best practice videos out there, I found him when trying to explain countersteering to my son.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0FFFneMi9GwRHUsuBjM0jA


He's also got a couple books on amazon. He's a certified Total Control instructor, and knows his stuff. https://www.amazon.com/MotoJitsu-Master-Riding-Program-Widmar-ebook/dp/B07P8J6Q89


So, Bike setup, Book, courses, videos, practice. Repeat the last one as necessary. I am taking the ARC1 course December 8th (San Diego). Should be fun, I've been off the bike for 15 years, need to blow off the rust.

That's a beautiful bike. Treat her with respect and she'll last a long, long time.

In case you're interested, this is my favorite book on motorcycle concepts and technique. That book and a MSF course will put you well ahead of the curve (no pun intended).

Ride safe and enjoy!

In Vancouver there's an awesome community bike shop called Moto Method where you can do your own wrenching. Tire swaps are always easier to let somebody else handle. The further south you are the easier it is to find nice Mexican mechanics/muffler shops that you can haggle with to let you use tools you don't have packed and/or weld something up for you.

I prefer to do this kind of travelling solo. Forgive me if I'm getting a little philosophical, but I think Ted Simon explains the benefits of solo travel best in his book Jupiter's Travels: he speaks of how the only way to truly let the world change and affect you is when you travel alone, because if you travel with a partner you tend to see yourself as a reflection of how they see you and their perception of you is resistant to change. Why else do we travel but to let the world sweep us up and affect and change and become a part of us in some meaningful way?

Here's a list, off the top of my head - I know all these are on my bookshelf, but I'm probably missing a few more:

Hell's Angel: The Life and Times of Sonny Barger and the Hell's Angels Motorcycle Club by Sonny Barger

Freedom: Credos from the Road by Sonny Barger

Ridin' High, Livin' Free: Hell-Raising Motorcycle Stories by Ralph Sonny Barger

Dead in 5 Heartbeats by Sonny Barger

Under and Alone by William Queen

No Angel: My Harrowing Undercover Journey to the Inner Circle of the Hells Angels by Jay Dobyns

Hell's Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga (Modern Library) by Hunter S. Thompson

Street Justice by Chuck Zito

The Original Wild Ones: Tales of the Boozefighters Motorcycle Club by Bill Hayes

Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road by Neil Peart

The Masked Rider: Cycling in West Africa by Neil Peart

Against the Wind: A Rider's Account of the Incredible Iron Butt Rally by Ron Ayres

Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry into the Value of Work by Matthew B. Crawford

Honda CB750: The Complete Story by Mark Haycoc

Shovelhead Red The Drifter's Way by Roy Yelverton

Shovelhead Red-Ridin' Out by Roy Yelverton

A Twist of the Wrist 2: The Basics of High-Performan​ce Motorcycle Riding by Keith Code

Total Control: High Performance Street Riding Techniques by Lee Parks


Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values by Robert M. Pirsig - Still my favorite. A high school english teacher bought it for me when he found out I had just passed my motorcycle road test. I've read it at least 15 times, and get something new from it each time.


But the best recommendation - Buy the FACTORY SERVICE MANUAL for your bike and read it. Read it often, until you can almost turn to the exact page for each procedure.

• In short, there's nothing you can say or do now that will ease her mind.
  That all comes with time. Save up and pay for your own bike and gear, take the safely course. Try not the crash in your 1st year of riding. Show her you're responsible adult.
  
  
• Don't ride in the rain, Take public transport. But sometimes it can't be helped. Just take it slow, wait for the rain to die-down if it get too heavy (what's heavy? you have to make a judgement on that)
  You can get riding gear that's water proof, but my experiences with them is that they don't work. Just carry a water proof backpack with a change of clothes in there, Kriega makes great stuff. The bike should be fine in the rain, but it's best to find a shaded area to park.
  
  
• Just keep in mind that you're a beginning and know your limits. A twist of the wrist 2. Read it or Watch it.

It was a long time ago, but yes, I recall something similar. I just want to add a word of warning that while you may feel more relaxed now, you must never become complacent. "They" say that the 2nd year of riding can be the most dangerous simply because of the situation you outlined. You get comfortable, relaxed and think "hey! I haven't crashed! I think I have this 'riding' thing down!" So keep your guard up and start practicing the next level of riding.

Oh, and if you haven't yet, I highly recommend reading Proficient Motorcycling - excellent reading no matter what your riding style/skill level.

PPS - nice bike - I have two of them (Gen I) ;-)

Everything in that warning is true, but IMO, Hill Country is a great place for a novice to practice their technique. He needs to be careful, of course, but a rider who learns out there won't get into the habit of out-riding his sightlines.

Maybe you could pair the Butler Map with a copy of Hough's Proficient Motorcycling, which is a great manual for riding safely in real-world situations.

> The BB height that varies by like 30 mm is going to be negated by you squatting down and bringing the CG lower. -you are completely wrong here. In my experience 5 mm of drop is very noticeable. 30 mm is massive. I lowered my bb last summer by swapping the linkage on my enduro, it dropped ~ 12 mm. Afterwards, I had to increase my tire pressure ~ 4 PSI, because I was rolling the tire off the rim on the same trail I'd been riding for 2 years from cornering that much harder. A lower BB allows you to corner harder all other things being equal - full stop. Even a small difference is VERY noticeable to an experienced rider.

Hah. Thats actually not to the bb being lower, its due to the fact that by dropping the rear, you have slackened your head angle and increased the geometric trail, which will make your bike feel much more planted in corners. Same reason why you get on a DH rig with a 63 head angle over your 66-68 trail bike, and it feels weird in the parking lot, but once you start going downhill you feel like you can just put it in corners and it stays there.

>Likewise, moving your weight back lets you corner much more aggressively because it creates stability in the front. -wrong again. If this were the case, Pro Riders would be way off the back of the bike in every corner - they aren't. Also, if you don't weight the front wheel you risk having it slide out. I'll concede that skilled riders will shift their weight front to back depending on the turn, but always shifting back is not the magic skill.

That is because the DH bikes that rail through corners already have a rearward weight bias.

And the point is that you can simply move your body weight back and forth to achieve cornering characteristics.

>Your example of riding with no hands is off - you don't understand the effect. But my first year physics knowledge fails me here - can some other internerd assist?

I 100% understand this effect, as my expertise and hobby is in suspension and chassi tuning for motorcycles.

The front fork/wheel assembly is at an angle known as the head angle. Because of this, when the handlebars are straight, the wheel is actually at the higher CG then it would be if you turned the bars. You can see this effect by yourself - take the bike, hold it upright on pavement, and lean it slightly one way or the other, and you will see the handlebars turn that direction as the front wheel "falls" in CG height to a lower position.

Likewise, if you lift the rear of the bike slightly and repeat the experiment, you will find that the handlebars don't turn as much, because the steeper head angle lessens this effect.

However, the head angle also puts the contact patch of the tire behind the steering axis, creating the trail effect. This makes the front tire act as a weathervane, and the effect increases at speed - rolling fast and turning a tire creates a higher slip angle, which creates a bigger force on the tire, which creates a higher force to straighten the bars.

The reason you can ride without hands is because of the interaction of those 2 events. When you lean your body, you lean the bike, and the handlebars want to turn in that direction, but the trail prevents that. And the slacker the head angle, the faster you have to go because the slacker head angle will make the bike fall over more, so you have to increase speed to make the trail effect cancel this.

And as you can probably imagine, putting more weight over the front tire effectively makes it "heavier", and thus increases the effect, since you are basically generating a handlebar yawing torque with the weight at the CG of the tire, which is affected by how much weight you put over it.

When you corner, the front end pretty much determines how the bike will corner. If you have the right amount of head angle and consequently trail, as you lean the bike, it settles into a steady state that feels planted, and you can rail through corners. If your head angle is steep and you have smaller trail value, the bike feels nervous, and you have to hold it in a high speed corner as opposed to the bike naturally settling there because of the reduced effect. And if you don't hold the bars in the right place, you start to either oversteer or understeer or even loose the front because you are exceeding the slip angle if you try to corner to hard.

>And moving the weight back also lets you brake harder with the front brake. -You move back as you brake to counter the force and not get sent over the bars. You are still weighting the front wheel pretty heavily when this happens.

Right, its the same thing as I am describing. If you are way forward, the front brake can generate enough torque to lift the rear end of the bike and send you over the bars, so you are limited by how much you can brake. If you weigh down the rear end of the bike, the torque required to flip you is much more, so you can apply much more front brake.

>I'm gonna skip your suspension stuff - I don't get your point.

The point is that if you wanna make judgement about linkages, you have to take the shock out of the equation. I agree that there are some cheap FS bikes with linkages that are worse than All mountain or Enduro bikes, but for all the better designed linkages, the goodness of the suspension is mostly due to the shock.

For example, take a Trance 3 from 2016, and the shock only has rebound adjustment. Someone riding it may say, "oh the rear dives to much under pedal power or it feels too stiff", all because the compression damping is internally set, and you can crank up the pressure or the rebound to make it pedal more efficiently but loose any suspension action.

But take that shock, swap with a Monarch RT3 Debonair, and suddenly you have the option of putting the bike in full lockout which makes it stiff but very pedal efficient, or full open which makes it super plush for fast descents over rough stuff. Likewise, you can add or remove spacers and modify the pressure and the bike can change from a trail machine that absorbs all bumps and lets you pedal uphil over roots without loosing traction, or it becomes a bike that can take drops and feels super planted when cornering.

>But design and construction are pretty darn important!

They are, and different frames weigh differently and some are stiffer which are noticeable. But none of this is enough to give a bike a rating in terms of being good or bad performer.

FYI, this is a book that will explain all dynamics in detail. Its very math intensive though, but there are plots that show all the effects I talk about.
https://www.amazon.com/Motorcycle-Dynamics-Second-Vittore-Cossalter/dp/1430308613

Where are you? Where can you go?
Figure out the furthest point you can get without having to ship the bike and aim for that.
If you have transportation, you can probably use that, people have gone round the world on R1s. I recommend hard luggage for the bike, aluminium not plastic.
Try and get your visas before hand, it makes life easier but it's not strictly necessary.
Buy a copy of The adventure motorcycling handbook.
Go to Horizons Unlimited and read up on the subject, ask questions on the forums, they're great guys, very helpful!

Of course your first resource is the local DMV handbook. Read up on that and sign up for a proper training class wherever available. It might be expensive but it is well worth the money.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVWcag00ktc

Watch, learn, watch again.

https://www.amazon.com/Lets-Ride-Sonny-Bargers-Motorcycling/dp/0061964271/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

A good book all about motorcycles. It's very beginner friendly and talks a lot about the very basics of everything. It's a good starting spot.

I love my Harley, but just FYI for OP who sounds a little cash-strapped atm: you can also take a regular MSF course for much less money, and they take you all the way from "this is the throttle" to "you are now taking your license exam" in 1 weekend.

The one I took was very good and between that course and Twist of the Wrist (http://www.amazon.com/Twist-Wrist-Motorcycle-Roadracers-Handbook/dp/0965045013) I increased my competence and confidence by a ton.

Read Proficient Motorcycling. It's a great book, and will give you exercises to practice and advice for how to ride safely and more confidently. Good luck.

http://www.amazon.com/Proficient-Motorcycling-Ultimate-Guide-Riding/dp/1889540536

It comes down to your skill level. Rear braking and downshifting can set up your rear suspension, braking with power helps you control your exit.

Shifting works the same way.....

Way over simplified, but it's a good idea to get used to the feeling of controlled braking and/or adding power through corners. You never know when an off camber or decreasing radius turn ( or something slick that knocks you off your line) will toss something scary at you.

My racing days were a LONG time ago. A good first read -- http://www.amazon.com/Twist-Wrist-Motorcycle-Roadracers-Handbook/dp/0965045013

Also, anything that works on the track will help you on the road. Being able to maneuver and or stop ridiculously fast will help avoid most incidents in traffic.

I'm just learning how to do it on a big cruiser. The first time I grabbed a handful of front brake last week at a quick light, I almost blew through the intersection (after 25 years of riding.) Today I was giving those big brembos all they could take to find out where my loss of traction would start and to see how stable the bike is with some front wheel slide. Very stable, happy to say. But, I had to know.

Well looks like you got alot of good advice and help here, I'll just add some further reading you can do from the comfort of the couch:
Kieth Code: Twist of the wrist
Although it looks like a racing handbook its also a motorcycle skills book. Enjoy!

Getting away from 1%er type books - this is a pretty well known book in Europe but maybe not so much in the US, I don't know to be honest.

In 1973 Ted Simon set off on a 63,000 mile round the world trip on a 500cc Triumph Tiger 100. He did it again at the age of 70(!) in 2001 as it happens, but this book's about the first '73 trip which took him 4 years. Well worth a read if you haven't come across it. The US Amazon site has jumped the distance up to 78k miles, I have no idea why. He wrote a follow up, Jupiter's Travels.

Guy's a rider, that's for sure.

Ted Simon - Jupiter's Travels

The bike

His website

Sounds though you still have the mindset that you are responsible for your driving and they are responsible for theirs...On a bike this is shit. You are responsible for your self and any other traffic. You have to assume they WILL cut you off they WILL not see you etc.
It's a part of a defensive strategy. I would suggest a good book on motorcycle safety:
https://www.amazon.com/Proficient-Motorcycling-Ultimate-Guide-Riding/dp/1889540536

Again, I am not saying I don't run into issues or that I am the perfect rider or that I never have road rage. None of that. But I do now realize that If I don't account for bad drivers ACTIVELY I will eat dirt one day. KNOW that cars are out to get you and just maybe you can prevent it. Just my take on it.

Go classy. See the world on a motorbike. Camp along the way. Carry more than on a bicycle but be highly approachable, fuel efficient and relatively low impact. Here are some good examples of folks who have (I'm sure there are many others as well):

• 'Ultimate Journey' motorcycle travelogue from aRound The World couple
  
• Horizons Unlimited forum for RTW motorcyclists
  
• Article about pioneering female motorcycle traveler
  
• English dude who rode through Asia and Africa from Europe
  
  Also, for additional points read Ten Years on Two Wheels, One Man Caravan and Jupiter's Travels for inspiration.
  
  

I read a bunch of different answers. I only use the brakes for slowing or stopping. When I've accomplished that, I let them go or let up. I try to be as efficient with my controls as possible, only using what I need, when I need it. That gives my brain more time to process the "big picture". I used to think of the bike as an extension of myself. Now, after experience and practice, it is :)

There is a lot that needs to be paid attention to when riding, so taxing your brain in a pseudo "ready mode" or other taxing thought processes isn't as good as fully paying attention to the present. Definitely practice any riding skills until they become natural. My goal is to have total awareness of my surroundings as much of the time as possible, but instantly focusing 100% on any potential emergencies while spending as little time in that state as possible, then going immediately back to total awareness. For example: I'm sitting at a stop light, swivel my helmet and see some one coming up fast. I then take action. Could be tap the brake, turn on my turn signal, or grab the bars and make my best effort to move to safety if needed depending on the situation. Then reset and scan.

With more practice, one can grab the clutch, twist the throttle, shift to 1st, and start releasing the clutch in well under 1 second or seemingly simultaneously. I've been riding for 21 years and it's 2nd nature, (I don't think about it) which allows for they key to being on the road in any vehicle = pay attention.

--

This is an absolute must for ANY rider weather you're racing, riding , or driving:
http://amzn.com/0965045021
http://www.amazon.com/Twist-Wrist-II-Keith-Code/dp/0965045072

I'd say the KLR 650. It's the budget adventure bike.

Check out ADVRider.com, as there's some great ride reports of exactly what you want to do on there, and all of the info you could ever want. Great forums.

You could also buy the book: Adventure Motorcycling Handbook. It's a fantastic read!

Be sure to read up on how to be a better rider. I highly recommend reading Proficient Motorcycling available in both paper and e-book.

Welcome to FREEDOM.

Yeah I read long way round.. but you HAVE to read Jupiters travels.. it's what inpired Ewan and Charlie in the first place..

GET JUPITERS TRAVELS!!!!! BEST BOOK EVER.. and it's a better route than the Long Way Round crew took.

http://www.amazon.com/Jupiters-Travels-Years-Around-Triumph/dp/0965478521

I'm reading Maximum Control and Motorcycling Excellence. I've been riding for 10 years and for the $13 dollars spent on Motorcycling Excellence, I've gotten a great refresher. Plus, the chapter on wheel geometry has given me more confidence in the WNC twistys. Totally worth $13 IMHO. Not Started Maximum Control yet.

For further reading, check out Proficient Motorcycling. This is an excellent resource and I generally recommend it whenever I can because I really believe it helped me become a better, safer rider.

He mentions that there was a growing concern about motorcycling safety so they rounded up a bunch of expert riders and put them into tough (staged) situations. So many of them crashed when trying to cross an uneven road surface that they came up with the "45 degree" rule.

A book like this might help:
https://www.amazon.com/Proficient-Motorcycling-Ultimate-Guide-Riding-ebook/dp/B004CLYCPM

In short, you will have about 75% of the traction of dry roads. Just ride slower and more carefully that you normally do. Be aware of surfaces that might be more slippery when wet, like metal things, leaves. Avoid leaning the bike on manhole covers. Regular road tires are fine. Puddles on the highway can cause hydroplaning. If that happens you want to say light on the controls and keep the speed constant. You won't plane at lower speeds, its not an issue around town. Stay smooth on the controls, use the rear brake in conjunction with the front to give you warning of low traction.

The ultimate visor solution is a pin lock visor. If you are doing significant rain riding get one. If you are doing short 10m rides maybe you can get by without.

Rain gear becomes more important the longer you are out. Better gear will generally keep you dry longer.

EDIT: Forgot to consider visibility. As others have stated, people in cars see even less than normal. Take care to be visible when off your bike. A highviz vest with reflective patches will be money well spent if you come off at night in the rain.

The book Bicycling Science is a great resource. It doesn't have all the answers but it has some really good information as a starting point to understand some of the more recent discussions.

https://www.amazon.com/Bicycling-Science-Press-Gordon-Wilson/dp/0262731541/

If I recall correctly that's more about handling than rider fit. The modern approach to rider fit is based on stack and reach, which you can read about here:

https://www.slowtwitch.com/Bike_Fit/Choosing_a_Tri_Bike_via_Stack_and_Reach/The_Stacktennial_3432.html

I've not read it yet myself but I see Twist of the Wrist recommended here pretty often. There is a movie as well but books usually trump all. :)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0965045013/ref=redir_mdp_mobile

Finally, something I can answer:

I have two books in my repertoire:

Bike Science 3rd Ed. - This breaks down the physics of what's happening. It goes in depth about materials, history, really everything bike related. It doesn't go into detail about makes and models though.

Zinn and the Art of Road Bike Maintenance - Where Bike Science is the why, Zinn gets down to brass tacks and gives you useful information on how to fix a bike (note that there is also a Zinn book for Mt. Bikes and triathlon bikes which I haven't read yet...). This is my go-to reference when something goes wrong with my bike.

BikeForums.net - So I don't know everything about anything but this is the place to do research. SRAM vs Ultegra? Trek vs Cannondale? Someone has already asked the question and it's on BikeForums somewhere. I trust people who've actually ridden/owned a bike I have a question about far more than some online review that was vetted by the manufacturer.

Hope it helps.

Experienced international motorcycle traveler here.

If you haven't already, check out ADVRider, Horizons Unlimited, and the Adventure Motorcycling Handbook.

Cost of the bike will be a significant factor. Not just the cost of the bike and accessories, but the cost of a carnet de passage. It's a "passport for your bike" that requires a "surety bond" to be put down depending on the cost of your bike and where you plan to take it (the purpose is to cover import taxes in case you leave the country without the vehicle). The minimum is something like 150% the value of your vehicle, running up to (IIRC) 800% in Egypt. Imagine putting away 8x the cost of a 1200GS for your entire time away.

As to bike choice, yours will be determined by what kind of riding you want to do. I did my trip from the US to Argentina mostly on-road on a KTM 1190 Adventure R. If you want to do lots of offroading, lighter is better.

Pack way less than you think you need (it's not the empty void, you can buy things you need, even in the developing world). Do shakedown trips. Commit to going and actually go. I can't recommend it highly enough.

Twist of the Wrist
http://www.amazon.com/Twist-Wrist-Motorcycle-Roadracers-Handbook/dp/0965045013


full of stuff that seems counter-intuitive, but is consistent with the laws of Physics. Easy read, easy to practice, can save your life.

IF you are mechanically inclined, check out getting a Honda CB (or similar 70s Jap bike) and wrench/rebuild it your self.

While this edit is significantly better, Code's techniques are still woefully outdated (and exceedingly complex). Please, if you really want to improve your riding, pass on Code and check out anything by Nick Ienatsch. Not only is his methodology way better, but what he teaches draws heavily from what we've learned from MotoGP/WSBK about how motorcycles actually operate.

His book is the best source for how to improve your riding. http://smile.amazon.com/Sport-Riding-Techniques-Develop-Confidence/dp/1893618072/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413476530&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=nick+ientasch

No affilliation whatsoever, but have been involved in motorcycle instruction for over 15 years.

1. Watch Twist of the Wrist for information on cornering and general riding skills.
   
   
2. Read Proficient Motorcycling to understand some of the roadcraft you'll need to keep yourself on two wheels. If you hunt around long enough, I'm sure you can find a pdf somewhere.
   
   
3. Take a training course! This will save you tons of money in repairs and hospital bills. I'm not from Australia, but 5 seconds of googling landed me a few potential leads.
   
   
4. Don't worry about keeping track of what gear you're in. Just shift up or down as necessary to keep the bike in a reasonable rev range and you'll be fine. The only time you'll really care about exactly what gear you're in is when you're at a stop light and need to be in first, or when you're on the highway and try to shift into seventh.
   
   
5. Practice braking in a parking lot to get a feel for how your bike behaves. Start out by getting up to 15-20mph in first or second gear, and gradually try to stop in shorter and shorter distances until you get a feel for how quickly you can stop without locking the wheels.
   
   Good luck!
   
   

1. Its spinning faster, making more power. in general, good riders keep the bike in power band: where it makes most power. on your bike, HP levels out around 8-10K, so shifting between 8-10K is good idea for spirited riding.
   
2. Ideally, you should blip the throttle and downshift through every gear, though this might be problematic in the city.
   
3. This is engine braking. you shild blip the throttle/rev match for smooth downshifitng.
   
4. Its good idea to stop the way so you can take off rapidly - it just makes your riding safer.
   
5. Thats because when you downshift without blipping the throttle the RPMs are growing rapidly, plus you are putting additional stress on transmission. no, you don't suck, you are just learning and sking right questions.
   I would suggest some reading though: https://www.amazon.com/Sport-Riding-Techniques-Develop-Confidence/dp/1893618072/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473751156&sr=8-1&keywords=sportbike+riding+techniques is an excellent read.

Cant find any specs for a VM14 or VM14SH, but it should get you 1. great mileage and 2. awesome low end power, assuming its re-jetted correctly, or using a adjustable jet.

Your not going to have much top speed though since it will probably be hitting max flow at about 7-8k rpm. (for 50->70cc that is, after all its a 40% normalized volume increase. in reality its much more because of how the bypass-puschback exhaust compression on a 2stroke works, but meh.)

here, have some reading:

http://www.mopedarmy.com/wiki/Carburetor

http://iheartstella.com/resources/manuals/tuning/Graham-Bell-Two-Stroke-Performance-Tuning.pdf (Page 93 and on, esp page 112 which illustrates the carb sizing i mentioned,, but really, this entire PDF is the GO-TO document of 2 stroke theory, setup and tuning. get the book if you dont like on-screen reading

Bikebuilds is a new site that catalogs custom bike builds. There are some similar builds indexed there.

As for reference, my experience was a little different because I was altering bikes for my own use in racing, so it's all really focused on handling, but still, you might find it useful: go-to books have been Bradley and Tony Foale.

That said, if you're really into understanding the implications of swing-arm lengths and rake angles, I have heard high praise for Cossalter's Motorcycle Dynamics, though I have not read it myself.

It's definitely worth pursuing.

I can totally recommend investing in a copy of the Police Riders Handbook (not the new edition, it's terrible and a waste of money), and also the Police Drivers Handbook.

They are dry as hell to read, but it is definitely possible to teach yourself at least the basics of the system and begin to apply it, without ever needing to pay quantities of money to IAM or Rospa. Then, once you're back in the black so to speak, you'll have a baseline to work from and a decent knowledge of what is expected.

Bikesafe actually threw in a goodiebag for us that contained an IAM book that gives you a good foundation.

Beyond that, Nick Ienatsch's book is a great read too for sportier riding.

I’m in the same boat as you. I’m looking for more of an ok rider/winter project though. Pick up Donnys unauthorized tech guide. https://www.amazon.com/Donnys-Unauthorized-Technical-Harley-Davidson-Present/dp/1475942826/ref=nodl_

I bought it and have been reading through it and it’s a gold mine. Hope someone can offer more good luck.

They definitely are! I highly recommend you read Twist of The Wrist by Keith Code. There are some very good points on downshifting, and useful techniques that you can apply to street riding.

http://www.amazon.com/Twist-Wrist-Motorcycle-Roadracers-Handbook/dp/0965045013

Thanks =)

Also I recommend Twist of the Wrist II. The DVD is entertaining in a "Vanilla Ice 1980's" sort of way.

Well that part is just physics

Here is a great book I can recommend. It's more about the psychology of the driver, but does a great job to explain the basics of physics.

The MSF certificate plus your learner's permit should get you your M1 license without taking the riding test. I took the written test, then took MSF, turned in my certificate, and got my M1. That was back in 2003, so maybe it's different now.

I bought an '03 Ninja 250 new for $3,500 or so, rode it exclusively for a year, and since then it's got occasional miles on it. Mine has 15k miles. I chose to get a new one because I am not a good mechanic and I didn't want to have problems with the bike while I was learning. One big downside to buying new is the engine break-in period. Basically my top speed was 35MPH for 500 miles and 55MPH until 1,000 miles. I was learning though, so I stuck to side streets and it was good to keep it slow. I couldn't commute until I got to 3k miles. At my first fill-up, during the break-in period, I got 92MPG! After I started driving more vigorously my economy dropped to about 65MPG. Now the carbs are a little dirty and I get about 55.

A 250 is absolutely a great beginner bike, and you can stick with that size if you have the temperament for it. I expect there to be a lot of 250's out there cheaper than the one you found, but listings won't pick up until just before spring.

One reason a 250 may not work for you is if you are over 200 pounds. I had to upgrade the rear shock on mine because it was either causing or worsening some lower back pain. The upgrade was from a newer model Ninja, though, so maybe that's not an issue after 2003.

Make sure to budget for gear. I think I spent $1k on gear at the time I got the bike. Also budget for insurance. At the time I got the bike, insurance was much cheaper than for an auto.

A couple good resources:

• Ninja250.info forum. Great for learning about how to care for the Ninja 250.
  
  
• Book: Proficient Motorcycling. It probably covers a lot of what you learned in MSF over again but I was happy to have read it.

THis is a repost for me... but fits the situation. You will inevitably come up with the idea that you want to try to get sponsorship as well as everyone thinks it would be easy and I talk about that here:

Ok... From someone that is doing the same thing and has ridden on all but one continent, I will start off being blunt as I was initially told.

YOU ARE NOT DOING ANYTHING SPECIAL!!! NOTHING!!! This goes for sponsorship... There are probably 10k people or more right now on Round the World trips in various Degrees. Some guys on prewar sidecars.. guys on scooters, sportbikes, people doing it 2 up, some with kids.. yada yada... You WILL NOT get a bike sponsorship at all... This will be assured. You may be able to get discounts on gear though, but even this is far fetched as you have NOTHING to bring to a sponsor. How are you going to get them a return? How are you documenting it? Are you filming? Are you a photographer? What gear do you already own? Basically you need to do it for yourself with your own money. Once you get a charity involved you need lawyers as how much of the donation will go for your trip and how much will go to whatever you are donating? 10%... 90%???? I am assuming you wanted donations to help pay your way, but I may be wrong. The only way you may is through your church, as most churches are gullible as hell and have money to burn when it comes to thinking about someone riding the world converting heathens on some mission.

Your bike choices are just meh and all aren't really RTW bikes. You are on a crap bike that will leave you stranded on a bike you are unfamiliar on. Also, getting a bike in and out of some countries is a PAIN IN THE ASS not to mention the cost of anything over 125cc in the rest of the world once you take taxes in to consideration. A non kitted BMW Adventure will run about 18k in the states... while in SE Asia, the bike is 38k-44k. Mind you this is a 1200 and a big bike. What you need to be looking at are Dual Sports be it a BMW or Honda. I'd look at a BMW Dakkar or Honda TransAlp for the budget conscious. Forget the sidecar as it just adds weight and can be a pain in the ass for a novice rider and stay as far away from an unreliable Ural for this type of trip.

I don't know what your financial situation is or your work situation, but it is something you need to save for. The bike being your most important asset. It is what will make or break your trip. Then you have all of the gear associated with this. Also, where have you ridden before? Is your longest trip 1500km? 10000km? 50km? Have you ever been on a bike for 2 months straight? How mechanically inclined are you. Can you do your own maintenance? All of these are musts. You will need to be as self sufficient as possible. This even comes down to first aid and being rescued. Do you have evacuation insurance? Insurance on your bike in each country? Are you getting a Sat Phone? GPS tracking with rescue ala a Spot tracker? Do you know how to travel in different countries, like where to keep money, carrying 7 or eight copies of your crucial documents, carrying multiple copies of an international DL as well as. Do you even know what an International DL is?

I am not saying you that your trip is impossible, but the way you are thinking about it is very very unlikely. Why did McGreggor and Boreman get shit??? Well it is fucking Luke Skywalker and the money behind the name. Rewatch Long Way Around again and notice how THEY almost didn't get a bike sponsorship and were bluntly turned down by KTM. This is with the backing of the BBC. I was told long ago, you need to do this trip for yourself if you want it, not for someone else. This comes in everything. I know guys that have climbed Everest with sponsorship.... their second time. Once you show you are able to do something on your own, and show a viable product... this is when sponsorship will come. But then, it is only helping you do what your passion is. right now, from the rest of your posts it seems that you are 2-3 years of really getting into this before I would even recommend this to you. This is after you have ALL of the gear and about 80k USD in the bank. You never know what will happen. Plus, some of the coutries you mentioned mandate you have a Carnet of Passage. This is basically an insurance policy stating that everything you have with you will be with you when you leave or you will pay for it. This alone cost me 50k bond to be held by the company holding my Carnet. I am not including this mandatory 50k in the 80k you should have in your banks.

When I mentioned 80k that was for a RTW trip and being gone for a year. It won't be as much for you as you are not having to take into account the $1k it costs to ship bikes between continents and then your airfare. Also, this is purely a rough estimate and a reserve fund. Your trip will probably cost about $10-15k depending on how fast you travel and where you stay. Camping isn't normally done unless you are out in the severe outback, as most of where you are going will have fairly inexpensive hotel lodging. Always have double the money you think it might take as a reserve. So if you think it would cost you 15k have 30k at your disposal in case of injury, bike breaking down, the grand or so for tires you will need, accidentally killing some farmers goat, ransom, bribes... all have a chance of happening.

How many people? Another bike? Or Two up with your significant other? Even the best friendships will get strained just being with one person for months. I have been there... hell even in LWR they couldn't stand each other for the last legs of the trip. It happens and if you say it won't, you are being VERY NAIVE. Also, what is your nationality? This makes a huge difference too. Americans can't travel into some countries that you have planned. Well, at least not with a ton of red tape and finding people that will help you.
What gear do you own? Plan on buying quality gear as it will make your life so much easier. Don't worry about spending $500 on those riding pants or $900 on your jacket as you will be in them EVERY DAY for a couple months and they could save your life. You must be safe. Read this thread. Clayton became a quadriplegic after hitting a burro in mexico on his way to South America. After a while of living in this state, he killed himself. Shit happens.

You need to read, and read a lot. Buy these and use them as your bibles:

Adventure Motorcycling Handbook

Jupiters Travells

Two Wheels Through Terror

Or Glen's other book One More Day Everywhere

Get them and read. Can you ride offroad? There is a reason nearly everyone does a RTW trip on a dual sport. This is why I said 3 years. Gear costs money...

It is basically said:

PLan on a 6 month planning time frame for a trip in between countries, 1-2 years of planning for multiple continents. Also remember, that bike you buy has to be paid off. No leans. this means you have to come up with the cash for this upfront.

My last trip across North America was 28k km, lasted 3 months and cost 10k after I already had my gear. This is also camping everywhere in the US and Canada and hoteling it in Cental America. My trip to South America was about 14k for a similar time frame. Remember everything cost money. You want to go to Machu Piccu... that is 150 bucks. MMMMM.. wanna see the Nazca Lines from a plane, that will be 200. There will be tons of things you will want to see as well on your trip. And you can't say FUCK I dont have the cash to see it. That defeats the complete purpose of the trip.

Having the will is great and so is optimism. But Blind optimism gets you injured or killed. Where have you ridden before? What is your longest ride? Honestly you sound like every other person that has seen LWR and made their way to the net with grandiose plans only to realize that it is A GREAT DEAL harder than you thought. Even if you had the funds.. which you don't as you probably balked at having 80k in the bank... a multiple continent motorcycle ride is difficult. But the benefits are AMAZING!!!

All That being said, it is the problems you overcome that will be in your memories and stories forever. Nobody ever remembers that day where you rode and stopped at a little restaurant for coffee then pulled up into a hotel. No, they remember the time you ran out of gas and blew a tire 200km from anywhere and you had to put your bike in the back of a military truck to get to help. That story you will tell FOREVER!!! The adventure begins with the adversity.

Sorry for the long wall of text...TLDR READ IT ALL....

OH... all my cost are in USD

Sport Riding Techniques: How To Develop Real World Skills for Speed, Safety, and Confidence on the Street and Track https://www.amazon.com/dp/1893618072/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_ZwW0AbMMYHP0P

And

Proficient Motorcycling: The Ultimate Guide to Riding Well https://www.amazon.com/dp/1620081199/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_ryW0AbSGD7P6H

And the others by Hough - his books are good on the strategies and decision making of real world full-time riding.

Check out Twist of the Wrist. There's a DVD and a book. Both are excellent. There are some great excerpts from it on youtube as well.

Book:
http://www.amazon.com/Twist-Wrist-Basics-High-Performance-Motorcycle/dp/0965045021


Some bits from the DVD on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWH_QiXw5n4&feature=related

Random point - You might want to check you can still get from Morocco to Algeria, or the other way around. Last time I looked all the border points were closed, not sure why or whether that's still the case...!

I can't really provide you with any useful information myself, but you should check out...

Horizons Unlimited and their Forums The Hubb

ADVRider

Adventure Motorcycling Handbook - The Adventure Motorcycling Bible (Well, pretty much...)

Thanks!
Another interesting read in the subject of riding in the real world:
https://www.amazon.ca/Upper-Half-Motorcycle-Unity-Machine/dp/1884313752

From the review in Bike World: "In the preface, the author explains that "This book is not about motorcycles per se.Rather, it is about motorcycle riding and the motorcycle rider as a thinking, acting, reacting human being with the unique ability to create, use, and adapt tools, instruments, equipment and machines in an integrative way as extensions, or components, of himself."
http://www.webbikeworld.com/books/upper-half-of-the-motorcycle.htm

I followed directions in Zinn & the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance, which is a great book for all kinds of maintenance and building tasks.

But here's a great guide I just found, which has as much, if not more, information than the book on the subject: http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/hub-overhaul-and-adjustment

I will say apex also has better beginner bikes then the Harley class in Fairfax. the apex, and while the Harley class is longer they both cover the same info , I'd recommend also getting and reading a copy of Proficient Motorcycling by David L. Hough

This book is great if you're looking to improve at the track as well. There is also a dvd that covers most of the material in the book.

http://www.amazon.com/Twist-Wrist-Basics-High-Performance-Motorcycle/dp/0965045021/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342376172&sr=8-1&keywords=twist+of+the+wrist+2

I agree, David Hough's books are great. Also recommend Nick Ienatsch's Sport Riding Techniques and his article The Pace.

There's a book by that very name: https://www.amazon.com/Bicycling-Science-Press-Gordon-Wilson/dp/0262731541/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

I've only read a few chapters, but it covers a lot of pretty interesting topics.

One of the learning challenges is that there are a ton of different bike models, so based on your description you might get something out of the Haynes Motorcycle Basics Textbook. It's not about riding, but is about the mechanical basics that apply to basically every motorcycle in the world. Thorough explanations of every major component, the theory and history behind how they were designed, the different forms they may take in different engines, and how they interact with other parts. It's really an awesome book if you want to understand how a motorcycle works to a component level.

The downsides are that the book is a bit pricey and that it is a dense read; it is a textbook after all, not necessarily meant to be 'fun'.

Just go to Amazon right now and order this and this right now. Do it. Will save your life and make riding fun.

Sport Riding Techniques by YCRS lead instructor Nick Ienatsch Essentially a good portion of the concepts in the school. A good primer if you're interested in investing in a class.

While you are making reading recommendations, can I suggest that you point him in the direction of A Twist of the Wrist by Keith Code? It really is one of the best instructional books in existence for becoming a better rider.

Start by buying this. Then the FACTORY service manual. The older manuals aren't great, but you'll need it. You're also gonna need a few specialty tools that the manual will tell you of, depending on what needs to be gone through- clutch hub puller, transmission sprocket nut socket, 4 speed shifting fork timing tool, timing light for ignition, torque wrenches, a bottle or blue 243 LocTite and a bottle of high-temp anti-seize compound.

After that, it's a matter of good mechanical habits, using LocTite on all fasteners that don't get anti-seize compound, and so on. Read the Donny Peterson book. It's filled with useful stuff you'll encounter.

My friend that got me into riding races an R6 with more low end torque than an R1 (only tops out at 120 because of that though :/ ). Another is a bmw s1000rr. I myself ride a old 90 FZR600 supersport and a honda shadow.

It doesn't matter what type of bike it is, steering physics work the same. Cruisers just steer slow and with less lean. It doesn't mean your input on the turn should be any different.

This is also backed up by some well known pro's. Example:

Twist of the Wrist: Keith code

http://www.amazon.com/Twist-Wrist-Basics-High-Performance-Motorcycle/dp/0965045021/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1344012435&sr=8-2&keywords=twist+of+the+wrist

Total Control: Lee Parks

http://www.amazon.com/Total-Control-Performance-Street-Techniques/dp/0760314039/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1344012569&sr=1-3&keywords=total+control

Lee Parks spend a good amount of the book explaining the techniques for both sportbike and cruisers, which end up being the same thing.

https://www.amazon.com/Motorcycle-Basics-Techbook-Haynes-Manuals/dp/185960515X not sure if that would help but seems like it gives a basic rundown of common engines. Looks like something you might be looking for at least for now

I bought this book for $1 on ebay:

https://www.amazon.com/Proficient-Motorcycling-Ultimate-Guide-Riding/dp/1889540536

It is worth $100.

Buy it, read it, and do the drills.

Edit:

Also: Wake up early!

5:30 - 7:30 on a Saturday/Sunday is the BEST time to ride. Less traffic and less cops.

Just watch out for drunks.

I ordered this book and it showed up yesterday - haven't gotten through much of it but it looks like it has most of the dynamic formulas you could ever need for a motorcycle.

I got my license when I was 16, I've been 21 for a short while now.

I did not take a class, though I rode a 50cc scooter for a while, which was an easy start. I had ridden dirt bikes a few times before that.

My first time riding, I showed up at the house where the bike I was buying was, jumped on, and rode it home. Learned through trial-and-error. I did a fair amount of practicing in parking lots, exercises from this book, and I also read this book, which is great.

If you can afford a course, then take it. If not, be very pro-active about your riding education, practice lots and learn always.

NP. You can't really go wrong with either option ;-)

​

But [SERIOUS]ly.

My only real concern is that you might be making your rookie mistakes on a relatively fast motorbike.

You mentioned that you've got some experience, which is good. You also inferred that you might want to push your MT-09 on a twisty mountain road in the Norwegian countryside, which makes me both terribly jealous and a bit worried.

If you are planning to ride well within your limits (and speed limits) you might well get by with your stringent Norse license and self-control. But if you plan on riding harder (and who doesn't) sooner or later you will get yourself into a sticky situation. ABS and traction control are wonderful aids, but both rely on rider input.

Be honest with yourself regarding your own experience. Disregard this post if you've ridden thousands of kilometers, made your mistakes and learnt your lessons. Otherwise I'd really recommend you do everything possible to boost your experience with (relative) low risk. Attend a track school or high-performance riding lessons or even an off-road academy. And check out Keith Code's Twist of the Wrist series (see Amazon and Youtube) for some riding theory.

Motorbikes are wonderful things, but they can bite hard. You too will make mistakes. Mitigate the consequence!

I was recently loaned this book

https://www.amazon.com/Sport-Riding-Techniques-Develop-Confidence/dp/1893618072

The skills it gets you working on are amazing and it'll make him a safer rider.

Take the MSF course first. Pick up a copy of Proficient Motorcycling. Then look for a bike.

At 19 it's hard to grasp, but it takes dedication and practice to be safe on a motorcycle. The consequences for minor mistakes are severe, and even if you are careful and responsible, it takes years to master basic techniques to stay safe out there.

Don't rush into it. And don't get into debt to do it.

Mostly, more experience is the solution.

In cases like this: Look around, and figure out where you want to go. Evaluate everything you can, then look straight at where you want to go and go there.

Remember that stopping is only one of many options available to you. If you do stop, immediately carry on and get the fuck out of the way of the guy who's about to rearend you, wasn't paying attention, and hasn't maintained his brakes.

Read Proficient Motorcycling. If your Proficient Motorcycling book isn't dogeared and torn, you haven't fully taken advantage of it yet.

EDIT: Additionally, the golden rule of braking and leaning being mutually exclusive isn't entirely true. Nick Ienatsch's book is awesome and really talks about how you can brake in turns, but you just can't grab a fistful of brake and expect anything good to happen.

Additionally if you take MSF ARC, at least the one I took, there's an exercise in braking while leaned over.

I think if you look around, you'll see that every major bicycle maker has a large variety of bicycles available. Almost all of them offer at least a few options made of carbon, aluminum, and steel. Not all high-end, lightweight bikes are carbon. Weight very much matters in some applications. In others, it doesn't as much. In your application, it doesn't as much.

Tires: Wider tires allows you to run lower pressure. This can help in both comfort and traction with certain surfaces.

I'm about your size, carfree, and live in a City with horrible roads (mostly from all the snow plowing). I wouldn't dream of running below 35cm front and rear. My most often used bike is a rigid 29er that weighs in near 30lbs with front and rear racks.

I'm not familiar wit touring bikes set up as you describe. Most touring rigs run wider than 23/25.

If you're into the science of this endeavor, this book is pretty great.

https://www.amazon.com/Bicycling-Science-Press-Gordon-Wilson/dp/0262731541

Upvote for Proficient Motorcycling recommendation. It's a great book, for anyone who wants to learn to ride well.

Good tips in comments. MSF ridercourse should make you a confident rider, and the book "lets ride" by sonny barger should be a must read for any new, or seasoned rider. I read it every year. http://www.amazon.com/Lets-Ride-Sonny-Bargers-Motorcycling/dp/0061964271

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0262731541/ref=redir_mdp_mobile/179-6181336-7358164

This book is pretty thorough. Might be worth a buy considering your interests.

Psh, when I ADV ride I'll be getting a 500cc vintage Triumph Tiger :)

Sport Riding Techniques: How To Develop Real World Skills for Speed, Safety, and Confidence on the Street and Track
More Proficient Motorcycling

+1 Kevin Cameron's Sportsbike Performance Handbook is a really good read. A. Graham Bell has written two books on engine tuning (Two-Stroke /Four-Stroke Performance Tuning) which are good companions.

Space does not permit all the tips I've learned by reading this, this, this, this, and this.

But, briefly:

• watch out for "edge traps"--where road work or a 2x4 in the street or anything similar can catch your tire and turn it to the side.
  
  
• go somewhere safe, not on the road, and practice. Learn how hard you can apply your brakes, and how to ease off the back as you apply the front. Set up cones and practice various kinds of turns.
  
  
• look far ahead, look all around, predict what other vehicles are going to do in one second, two seconds, five, ten.
  
  
• Three words: Shots and wheelies.

If you want a few tricks under your belt this is a good book

https://www.amazon.com/Sport-Riding-Techniques-Develop-Confidence/dp/1893618072

And it's always a good idea to find a big ass parking lot and practice your skills, do tight circles, emergency stops from cruising to highways speeds, and anything that you might identify that you can work on.

Stay safe out there, riding is the most fun I've ever had, cheers!

You may be leaning plenty already (for the street). The pegs on a sportbike are situated differently from those on a cruiser, and the amount of lean required to drag them may be more than what you need.

You might want to concentrate on skills specific to sportbike riding - yes, they are different from cruisers. (For example braking is different due to a different weight distribution between the front and back wheels.)

Keith Code's book is excellent.

You need to go to the track. Track days are friendly to even the most novice of riders.

Also, I recommend this book, and this one.

> ... learn in general what's where in a bike, how it works etc.

This book is a good starting point for general knowledge about the various parts/systems on a motorcycle:

Haynes Manuals: Motorcycle Basics Techbook

If you have a motorcycle already, then the factory service manual or Haynes/Clymer manual for your specific bike will be helpful.

This book might give you some insight into the custom build process:

The Build: How the Masters Design Custom Motorcycles

Yeah. One of my instructors lent me this book:

Sport Riding Techniques: How To Develop Real World Skills for Speed, Safety, and Confidence on the Street and Track, by Nick Ienatsch. The book answered a lot of questions that I'd had, and taught me things I wouldn't have thought about.

So yes, MSF is a start, but there's a ton of more information to learn, and other places to learn it from.

I just want to reiterate how helpful Hough's book was for me as a new rider. I would recommend Proficient Motorcycling to any rider, novice or experienced.

Also, you should learn about (and how to avoid) the SMIDSY

Keith Code's training movie based on this book is available as a 7 part series.

Highly recommended whether you're the kind who takes your bike to the track or to the canyons. I would recommend that you purchase the DVD, it is a worth while investment.

Perhaps not exactly the cup of tea you're looking for but it's about travelling and certainly worth the read:

http://www.amazon.com/Jupiters-Travels-Years-Around-Triumph/dp/0965478521

Make it your business to be safe on the bike and never lose your head. The world is scary, both on and off the bike, so ride defensively within your comfort zone.

Could also see about doing more classes at MSF.
Or read some into the activity, I bought Proficient Motorcycling to read in my spare time when I first got my bike 10 or so years ago? I never finished it but it seems like a decent enough resource.

Riding a motorcycle is dangerous. Part of the responsibility of being a proficient rider is minimizing the inherent risks as much as possible. Throwing a leg over a motorcycle is not the equivalent of pulling the handle on some cosmic slot machine though.

If you are brand new to motorcycles I would very strongly suggest you go take the motorcycle safety course. I also highly recommend Proficient Motorcycling.

But, to answer your original question, one of most well known statistical reports is the "Hurt" report. Unfortunately this report was originally published almost 30 years ago now and nothing (i'm aware of) of the same scale has been published since. More information can be found here

Basically that's it for the swerve. Just getting to know how hard and fast you can switch directions. A lot of the time it's a car pulling in front of you and not having time to break.

For emergency brakes its going from speed to 0 as quick as possible without locking a tire. Most of the time locks come from too much rear break. At the beginning of the brake apply both brakes, progressively applying more to the front and letting off the rear(front breaks have about 75% of the stopping power). Also, if you do lock a tire it's best to ride it out, depending on speed releasing a break can cause the bike to over correct into a highside.

You might also look into taking the Motorcycle Safety Course(assuming you are in the US). It gives the basics of low speed maneuvering and how to deal with panic situations. It also has the benefit of lowering insurance rates and counting as the driving portion of the license test(depending on the state).

Also, This book is very in depth look into good riding habits and bike control. Highly recommended if you don't know much about bikes and how their controls are much different than cars.

I agree, twist of the wrist definitely caters to those requiring a more, ugh, special education.
Try Sport-Riding-Techniques, Its written with a regular thinking folk in mind and contains plenty of clearly formed concepts/ techniques.

A Twist of the Wrist and A Twist of the Wrist 2 oh and Total Control. These books are amazing.

You cannot control someone else's feelings and emotions, is it guns or motorcycles, but what's really important is the safety of both the rider and other drivers. Physical safety applies to the rider obviously, but there's also mental safety. If you're hit by a car and die, it's going to be a nightmare for the driver even if it was your fault. For this reason I only split when both cars in both lanes stand still. Period. If they're in motion, even 5mph, I'm too - with them in a lane.

I don't remember how I learned it but I guess it's either from Proficient Motorcycling or Street Strategies.

I read these based on Amazon reviews and they were both very helpful in addition to Twist of the Wrist.

Total Control

Sport Riding Techniques

Excellent book on this subject: Bicycling Science by David Wilson. There's a formula in there for power vs. airspeed, if I remember right.

Suggestion. I am told by various Harley & Goldwing owners that this is an excellent book if you are new to motorcycles of that size.

Save yourself a bit and get a twist of the wrist 2.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0965045021/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1371548523&sr=8-1&pi=SL75

Also: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjH-F7vosB0&feature=youtube_gdata_player

That exact question is addressed in David Wilson's "Bicycle Science" book. Don't have the reference handy, but it is an interesting read.

These two are pretty good, but I found "Total Control" kind of lacking, and the writing style of "Twist of the Wrist" to be annoying after a while.

My favorite so far has been Nick Ienatsch's "Sport Riding Techniques:..."

You don't want the front wheel to lock up; this is why ABS is so popular. Also contact surface area does not affect traction. Weight and how the energy is transferred plays a more significant role in how a motorcycle stops.

Source

Check out Motorcycle Dynamics by Vittore Cossalter..

Basically the RCVD of the motorcycle world. worth the cash if you're serious about it. ($45). i bought it about 5 years ago though and I don't remember it being that much back then but, who knows...

https://www.amazon.com/Motorcycle-Dynamics-Second-Vittore-Cossalter/dp/1430308613

Also, John Bradley - The Racing Motorcycle: A Technical Guide for Constructors, Volume 1 (v. 1)

haven't read this one personally but it's always been highly recommended.

http://www.amazon.com/Sport-Riding-Techniques-Develop-Confidence/dp/1893618072

this book (and his school, Yamaha Champions Riding School) will get you sorted out

I hesitate to offer advice to take less training, but I understand the cost and time investment can be a concern. In PA we get free courses so everyone should start at the BRC.

However, if this is true: "I've read the entire MSF handbook from cover to cover", try finding a written test and test yourself. If you get 100% of the questions right (you really should get them all because they should be obvious answers to you), then I say go for the ERC.

I've taken the BRC/ERC/ARC. The first day of riding in the BRC is all about clutch control (just starting from first), and a few simple loops around the parking lot. Since you are riding to work already, you have these skills.

The BRC will continue with more challenging exercises from there that you may find difficult. However, these exact same exercises are done in the ERC except that you are on your own bike instead of a loaner. I found it better to practice on my own motorcycle than the 125s they provide.

In my experience the ERC was not much harder than the BRC, so I think the value of getting to learn how to perform the maneuvers on your motorcycle is better.

Whatever you decide you absolutely need to do one of them. The statistics show that MSF trained motorcyclists have lower crash rates. Get this book and read up to understand how to lower your risks:

http://www.amazon.com/Proficient-Motorcycling-Ultimate-Guide-Riding/dp/1889540536

I've read most of the books that are likely to come up in this thread. Let's Ride, by Sonny Barger, was my favorite. He discusses everything from gear (where he encourages ATGATT, but doesn't preach), choosing the right bike, what to look for in a used bike, weather and other inclement conditions, and basic/routine maintenance. His attitude during the entire book just made me want to drop whatever I was doing and hop on the nearest two-wheeled conveyance and tear off into the sunset.

And hey, it's worth reading just to hear one of the founders of the Hells Angels rag on how Harley-Davidson is way behind the times.

There is a Twist of the Wrist Volume 2...also Sport Riding Techniqes is probably my favorite.

There are literally books written on the subject
https://www.amazon.com/Motorcycle-Dynamics-Second-Vittore-Cossalter/dp/1430308613/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=motorcycle+dynamics&qid=1573548435&sprefix=motorcycle+dynamics&sr=8-3

edit: for more interesting topics bike-trike hybrid that cannot steer https://youtu.be/rNQdSfgJDNM

and bike that self balances without gyroscopic forces and trail https://youtu.be/YdtE3aIUhbU

Keith Code - Twist of The Wrist I/II (Vol 1 / Vol 2)

Also, once you're get to the apex, start rolling the throttle on smoothly. This will help balance your lean angle and the feeling of 'falling inwards'.

Twist of the Wrist, a must read for anyone wanting to learn how to ride better.

reading is good too

Sport Riding Techniques is another good book.

I have found Zinn's books good for beginners:

Mountain Bikes

Road Bikes

Now that I've got a bit of real world experience since my MSF class, I do plan on taking a supermoto class and ADV riding training (if I can find such a thing).

The main thing I learned since MSF is that there's always more to learn. David Hough's book saved my ass the very day after I read it, luckily for me! I got into a situation in a construction zone that I would have had no idea how to handle if I hadn't read his book, and only had the MSF as my base of knowledge.

AVOID THIS VIDEO. AVOID ANY OF THE TWIST OF THE WRIST SERIES

These are not the best for new riders. Keith loves to throw opinion in there, and explain things without going into the science behind it.

Read Sport Riding Techniques by Nick Nick Ienatsch and you'll be much better off.

Do yourself a favor and read Proficient Motorcycling.

Sport Riding Techniques is my favorite. Sorry for mobile link on phone. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1893618072/ref=redir_mdp_mobile/178-4191191-4910622

Not really sure why you're being downvoted because you asked an extremely important question with an attempt to learn...

For the longest time, I've misunderstood counter steering entirely. As said above, you push one way, you go that way... But it's not as simple as that.

It's important to note the difference between steering and leaning. You push right, causing the tire to point left. Due to the curvature of the tire, the contact point where the tire greets the asphalt shifts, resulting in a lean opposite to the direction you steered.

Here's what really blew my mind that I'd been doing all along. If you pull right, the tire points right, shifting the contact patch from tire to asphalt, resulting in a left lean.

You can try that out next time you ride on a straight road. So long as you aren't yanking on the handle bars, you'll just drift one way or the other.

I'd highly recommend this book. The pictures may all be outdated, but all the crucial skills and scenarios are always relevant.
http://www.amazon.com/Proficient-Motorcycling-Ultimate-Guide-Riding/dp/1889540536

According to this page, "Friction Zone" in Oct. 2005 reported that "The only state that prohibits the wearing of earplugs is California" (and even then not fully).

David Hough recommends wearing ear protection. So did my MSF instructor. I don't think it's an unusual position.

I regularly wear ear protection (not when riding -- I'm a musician), and I cannot imagine ear protection so strong it would be a safety issue.

One of the commenters at my first link raises a very good point: if your department of licensing will license a deaf driver, there's no reason earplugs should be a problem. According to this, the deaf are allowed to get full driver's licenses in (among other countries) the U.S., Britain, Germany, France, and Australia. So even if you had some magical earplugs that made you 100% deaf, there still sholudn't be any problem.

Seems like every single person in this video (save for the near-wrecks due to asshat car drivers) really needs a lesson on corner exit. You don't necessarily get back on the throttle once you pass the apex, you get back on the throttle as you bring the bike back up. Ideally these two things coincide, but when you're a squid on the street and blow a corner it's not uncommon to stay cranked over well past the apex.

A copy of Twist of the Wrist 2 or Sport Riding Techniques would have probably avoided nearly every one of these incidents ಠ_ಠ

This stuff really shouldn't be on Youtube though, as this is a commercial and pirated video.

Watch it by all means and then thank Keith Code properly:

https://www.amazon.com/Twist-Wrist-II-Keith-Code/dp/0965045072/

https://www.amazon.com/Twist-Wrist-Vol-High-Performance-Motorcycle/dp/0965045021

Read proficient motorcycling, it gives real world examples of what to watch out for an I recommend it to anyone who goes out on the street on 2 wheels. I still re-read it every year and make notes of which situations happened to me. I think I'm close to 90% by now

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Proficient-Motorcycling-Hough/dp/1889540536

I recommend Proficient Motorcycling by David Hough as far as books go.

>learned how to spot dangerous situations faster/earlier, defensive driving, etc.

Do this. As important as repairing your bike and your confidence is changing your mindset and your approach to riding. There's almost always something you can do to avoid an accident.

I highly recommend reading Proficient Motorcycling by David L. Hough.

You'll want to read about it from someplace like here for a proper description. Essentially, it describes matching the speed or revs of the engine when switching into a new gear. When done correctly a proper change in gearing will occur smoothly with no lurch in the bike. If done improperly, you will feel the bike sort of throw itself forward on a downshift, let's say. In the case of a downshift, which took me a long time to realize, you want to blip the throttle while shifting to match the higher rev of the lower gear. Some really badass bikes do this for you. Most do not.

I think everyone goes through this starting out. The guy who I took advice from was ATGATT and had a good riding philosophy. When my mom first saw me with the bike, I showed her all the gear, padding, and armor. and it eased some of her fears. "Whatever happens" does not have to be whatever. You need to take control of your own safety so when "whatever" happens, you have a safe response. Your dad needs to see how you're prepared for danger and prepared for life.

Watch a lot of motorcycle crash videos, seriously. Try to figure out what went wrong, why did the rider crash, what could they have done to prevent it? Buy and read this book: Proficient Motorcycling

Are you a good car driver? Be honest with yourself. If yes, then you can be a good motorcyclist because it uses a lot of the same driving skills. The biggest difference is the controls. The risk is much higher and that's the part you really need to be okay with. Use your fear to make better decisions, become more observant, and find ways to get other drivers' attention. No matter how many years you ride, there will always be fear.

Lastly, Why did you stall five times riding around your block? What did you do to resolve this issue? What are you going to do the next time you stall the motorcycle? Don't tell me, tell yourself. Learn something from everything you do wrong...and right.

Non obvious? I make sure to take my adderall, and typically tell my wife when I'm heading out and when I expect to be back. I put in a dozen parking lot hours at the start of every season, and practice emergency stops whenever I can.

>Would it be a good idea to spend a lot of time on reddit and other motorcycle message boards reading anecdotes from other riders about the dangers they've faced?

It seems to me like 99% of posters here have either never ridden a motorcycle or have been riding less than a year. To save yourself the trouble of separating the wheat from the chaff, check out the books Proficient Motorcycling and Twist of the Wrist.

Add stomp grips! They will allow you to hook your leg and stay solidly in control. My tank was so slippery I felt like I was going to fall off and kept smashing my nuts under hard barking. Added stomp grips and I stay put.

Seriously, get them!

Also watch / read twist of the wrist
and I got this: http://www.amazon.com/Sport-Riding-Techniques-Develop-Confidence/dp/1893618072/ref=pd_sim_b_44

My dad made me read this book before I got my first bike
http://www.amazon.com/Proficient-Motorcycling-Ultimate-Guide-Riding/dp/1889540536 : good book about minimising risk while riding.
I got my bike at 28 (2004 dl650 vstrom)

In a book I'm currently reading (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bicycling-Science-David-Gordon-Wilson/dp/0262731541), there's a "mile/gallon" calculation for various modes of transport. Bicycles work out to be in the order of 500 mpg, if we assume there's food with the same calorific value as petrol... While not a particularly useful comparison, it puts things into perspective.

Nope. That's the whole point, vibrations, bad frame geometry, incorrect suspension settings, stuff like that can cause the rear end to do things like what's seen in the video. You should also consider that the front and rear tires are independent and of different radii, and can track independently which can be exacerbated based on surface, inflation and other factors

Check out a book called Motorcycle Dynamics. Just a cursory glance will show you motorcycles and the physics involved in a chassis are very complicated.

for learning the basics, nothing beats a good instructor. so, as people have said, take a course.

as for books, i can recommend Upper half of the motorcycle. most of it is not so much about technical stuff, but about the psychological aspects of becoming a unity with the bike, rather than just a piece of luggage it has to carry around.

If you go for it: Start small. Many new riders get way to much motorcycle right out of the gate.

BUY GOOD PROTECTIVE GEAR. This can quite literally mean the difference between living through a crash and dying from one. After you've bought the gear WEAR IT ALL THE TIME. Yeah I know, it's hot, the gear is heavy bla bla bla. Trust me when I tell you that any discomfort that you feel while in your gear is a lot better than the discomfort you'll feel when covered in road rash and broken bones.

Take a rider course. In some areas this is a requirement in some states to get your license/endorsement.

Find an experienced rider to buddy up with. Most riders that I know are happy to share their knowledge with novices even to the point of helping with parking lot practice.

Learn how to work on your machine. This is another area where knowing and befriending an experienced rider can come in handy.

Get a copy of Keith Code's A Twist of the Wrist
I know it says it's a roadracers handbook but it will give you a lot of what you need to know no matter what kind of riding you do. (there are pdf's of this book floating around the interwebs)

WEAR YOUR GEAR

And if I haven't already mentioned it: WEAR YOUR GEAR

The book is too cheap to not buy. Well worth the money.

But keep in mind: your tires need to be warm for this stuff to work properly.

I started riding at 16. My family all took the MSF class together and all passed. I rode a Honda Shadow all senior year and it was great. I regard myself as a pretty careful guy but still did some foolish things back then (gear, what gear?), including nearly dropping girl off the back because I gunned it so hard and she didn't have a good grip. Not a good way to impress the ladies. Lesson learned: don't try to show off, they'll be impressed by just going faster than their bicycles. If you haven't already, take the MSF class. They offer some advanced ones as it appears you're already riding. I took beginner at 16, then when I started riding again last year (11 years later after a 9 year hiatus while at college) took the advanced which teaches more about advanced handling and evasive maneuvers.

Forget all the haters hating on the 17 year old. I get it (both ways). It's easy and fun to be cocky, just don't let it lead to anyone getting hurt.

FYI: In all that time in high school, and knock on wood still to this day, I've never dropped my bike or gotten into any sort of accident. Sure hell of a lot of close calls, enough to remind me to keep my eyes up and about. There's an interesting statistic in Proficient Motorcycling along the lines that most motorcycle accidents occur during the second year of riding: enough time that riders get confident and start relaxing to the point they they become overconfident and get into trouble. I guess if you make it through that then you've had enough close calls to know how to get yourself out of a tight spot and, more importantly, avoid them from happening.

So you've read Bicycling Science, right?