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Reddit mentions of Proficient Motorcycling: The Ultimate Guide to Riding Well

Sentiment score: 20
Reddit mentions: 44

We found 44 Reddit mentions of Proficient Motorcycling: The Ultimate Guide to Riding Well. Here are the top ones.

Proficient Motorcycling: The Ultimate Guide to Riding Well
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Found 44 comments on Proficient Motorcycling: The Ultimate Guide to Riding Well:

u/chunkyks · 30 pointsr/motorcycles

Realise that it's not actually going to kill you and be on your way. It's actually not a super significant amount of wind, it just feels like it is.

Also, buy Proficient Motorcycling

u/SOMUCHFRUIT · 26 pointsr/Whatcouldgowrong

Glad someone said this! I read proficient motorcycling when I started riding, and these stats really stuck out to me. Another thing was how there is a steady drop-off in accidents as a rider becomes more experienced with time, and then there is a sharp rise around the 2-year mark. Essentially, riders become complacent.

Also, in said multi-vehicle accidents, most of the time it's a car turning across an intersection that doesn't notice the bike coming.

Ride safe!

Edit: Also, I can't believe someone downvoted you :/

u/elkster88 · 23 pointsr/motorcycles

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.

u/JustTrustMeOnThis · 12 pointsr/motorcycles

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

u/chadcf · 11 pointsr/Frugal

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.

u/cortechthrowaway · 8 pointsr/motorcycles

If you're looking for real-world riding techniques, check out Hough's Proficient Motorcycling (book, article).

But don't dismiss TTW just because it's geared towards riding fast. IRL, a lot of riders wobble through corners because they aren't using enough throttle (among other problems). Riding smoothly is safer--it gives you a lot more control over where you're going.

u/Yarhj · 7 pointsr/motorcycles
  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!

u/[deleted] · 6 pointsr/DoesAnybodyElse

Well, the speed limit one hardly applies to safety, I'll give you that. Personally I think that speed limits should not exist, but that's a topic for another post.

I am indeed conscious of the happenings around me, paying attention to avoid riding in someone's blindspot, and avoiding putting someone else in mine. The car behind me normally means very little, though they will modify my breaking habits... and if they are riding too close my foot goes off the gas until they pass (ok, that's not exactly safe, maybe I'm better than 85% of the drivers).

Most of my driving skills come from my motorcycling days where a target was painted on the side of my tank. Read a few books on motorcycle safety (including the best one: Proficient Motorcycling - David Hough), and taken the Motorcycle Safety Foundation week-long class. The book has likely saved my life and the class has saved my skin. Both taught to drive looking a few hundred yards down the road, and keep an eye on the furthest point around a corner. So yes, I see that wreck.

TL;DR: Grandmas make a funny sound when you run over them, but they squish easily with very minimal damage to your vehicle.

u/DantesDame · 6 pointsr/motorcycles

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) ;-)

u/PraxisLD · 5 pointsr/motorcycles

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

u/SithLard · 4 pointsr/motorcycles

Proficient Motorcycling is a great book from a rider who's been doing it over 40 years. Also debunks a lot of bs noise about riders and riding with credible data.

u/Some_Old_Man_Fishin · 4 pointsr/motorcycles

Read Proficient Motorcycling by David Hough

u/mattgif · 4 pointsr/motorcycles

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.

u/misterrF · 3 pointsr/motorcycles

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

u/antarcticgecko · 3 pointsr/motorcycles

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.

u/rabidfurby · 3 pointsr/AskReddit

Rather than tell him anecdotal scare stories, get him to read the findings of the Hurt Report, which is the largest (and still one of the only) studies of motorcycle crashes & fatalities ever done.

Some of the more interesting bits of the summary:

> The motorcycle riders involved in accidents are essentially without training; 92% were self-taught or learned from family or friends.

> More than half of the accident-involved motorcycle riders had less than 5 months experience on the accident motorcycle, although the total street riding experience was almost 3 years.

> Almost half of the fatal accidents show alcohol involvement.

There's also a couple books, Proficient Motorcycling and More Proficient Motorcycling, which every motorcycle rider should read (in my humble but correct opinion).

u/Scoobies · 3 pointsr/motorcycles

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)

u/cartoonhead · 3 pointsr/motorcycles

Do yourself a favor and read Proficient Motorcycling.

u/__xor__ · 3 pointsr/motorcycles

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

u/Asshole_Salad · 2 pointsr/motorcycles

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!

u/OutofSpec · 2 pointsr/motorcycles

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

u/Depafro · 2 pointsr/motorcycles

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.

u/codeduck · 2 pointsr/motorcycles

So basically what you're saying is that your basic rider course was worthless, because you seem to have learned nothing from it. What were you doing that you managed to drop a 250cc twice in one day?

> Sadly, I laid it down twice on the first day of owning it.

"Laid it down" is an oxymoron for "I'm a fucking pelican and I crashed the fuck out of my new bike"

Please do yourself a favour - buy a copy of this book and watch this youtube video before climbing back onto your bike.

You are a danger to yourself and to others at the moment.

u/sew_butthurt · 2 pointsr/SuggestAMotorcycle

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

u/InconvenientCheese · 2 pointsr/nova

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

u/funnythebunny · 2 pointsr/Harley

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.

u/YouWillHaveThat · 2 pointsr/motorcycles

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.

u/jnish · 2 pointsr/motorcycles

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.

u/wabiker · 2 pointsr/motorcycles

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.

u/syntheticwild · 1 pointr/motorcycles

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.

u/mhud · 1 pointr/Sacramento

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:

u/AbandonedLogic · 1 pointr/motorcycle

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

u/Django_gvl · 1 pointr/motorcycles

Let me recommend a book to you. Proficient Motorcycling by David Hough. It has given me a boost in confidence in riding the twisties here in western NC. And I've been riding them on a motorcycle for almost 10 years! Check your local library for it, that's where I found mine.

u/Garberage · 1 pointr/motorcycles

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

u/Weenie · 1 pointr/motorcycles

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!

u/NoTor1uS · 1 pointr/motorcycles

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

u/thumbtackpress · 1 pointr/motorcycles

I cannot upvote this recommendation enough.

u/seattle_dilettante · 1 pointr/motorcycles

>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.

u/Subtlefart · 1 pointr/motorcycles

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.

u/ScienticianAF · 1 pointr/motorcycles

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.