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> I'm still in the "this is pretty scary" phase

Yeah, we were all there at one point...

Practice helps, but there's still a lot of learning that can be done so that your practice is fruitful.

Below is my standard response for newer riders, to help build skills and confidence as you embark on an amazing adventure:

Advice to New Riders

Motorcycling can be a lifelong passion, but you have to be smart about it and remain ever vigilant.

The training mentioned below is mostly US-based, but there are similar courses around the world, and most of the books/videos will apply no matter which side of the road you happen to ride on.

My best advice for newer riders: understand that motorcycling is a skill, and focused training and proper practice can make you a better, smoother, safer rider.

Experienced riders understand the Fundamental Truth of riding: Motorcycles aren't automatically dangerous (despite what naysayers will repeat ad nauseam), but they are quite unforgiving of mistakes.

Every rider has to know their own skill level (regardless of the bike they're riding), but it's sometimes hard to know just where that skill level is. And even harder to learn how to raise that skill level without putting yourself and others at serious risk.

As a kid, you didn't just jump on a bicycle and head directly out into the busy street, did you? I imagine you were given a small starter bicycle, maybe with training wheels, and you rode around the driveway or backyard until you got better at balancing, steering, and stopping. Then the training wheels came off, and you graduated to bigger bicycles as your skills grew.

Motorcycling is much the same. Start small, build your skills and your confidence, then progress as your time, experience, and budget allows. Most of that has to be done on the bike, of course, but there are several good resources that you can use during the down time to help improve your understanding of motorcycle physics and best riding practices.

And when you are riding, your entire attention should be focused on the ride. No distractions, no stressing about work or family or relationships or life. And no riding impaired under any substance, legal, illegal, or otherwise. You have to focus 100% of your energy on the road. Remember, your #1 goal is to make it safely to your destination, no matter what the road throws at you.

Side note: When you're out on the road, legal Right of Way means nothing if it means that you get hit by some idiot who's not paying attention. Being legally right is for courtrooms afterwards, whereas simply recognizing and avoiding the dangerous situation before it happens is a much better way of staying safe.

It bears repeating that ATGATT should be your normal mode right from the beginning. This brings us to another Fundamental Truth about riding: Pavement hurts, but with the right gear, you can walk away relatively unscathed. Remember, it's much easier to repair/replace a broken motorcycle than a broken person...

But it's better not to crash, obviously, which is where skills training comes in.

Focused, professional training from a qualified instructor is always worth your time and effort. Having a skilled professional trainer watch you from outside and critique your style is invaluable in reaching that next skill level, and in building confidence.

Even after 4 decades and around 600,000 miles on two wheels, I still take regular training courses and track days, still read up on riding skills and accident avoidance, and still "practice" on every single ride. It's what keeps you safe out there.

On a side note, ABS is a great thing to have on a motorcycle. It just sits there unobtrusively, unless you need it during an emergency braking situation when it kicks in and can easily save your ass. Like ATGATT, it can be the difference that lets you walk or ride away from an incident.

The MSF offers their Basic Rider Course and Advanced Rider Course, which are well worth the small time and money commitments. Some riders might already be at that point, or beyond, so they'd be looking towards developing more advanced riding skills, as mentioned below.

Riders of any skill level can start with Proficient Motorcycling: The Ultimate Guide to Riding Well, More Proficient Motorcycling: Mastering the Ride, & Street Rider's Guide: Street Strategies for Motorcyclists by David Hough. Then move on to Twist of the Wrist I & II by Keith Code and Smooth Riding - the Pridmore Way by Reg Pridmore.

Many of the ideas and techniques explained above can be practiced locally. Just find a large empty parking lot if you're in the city, or a lonely side road if you're out in the country, and try to recreate what the books are telling you.

And if you're interested in doing much longer rides, you should read Don Arthur's excellent Fatigue and Motorcycle Touring, which I re-read before every extended multi-day ride.

Then continue with the Twist of the Wrist I & II videos (can also be found on YouTube).

And don't forget some helpful websites, such as The Pace, The Pace 2.0, The Fine Art of Braking, and TrackDoD Novice Group Orientation.

That will set you up for a skills-based track day such as Ride Smart, where the point isn't to "win" or to "put a knee down" but rather to expand your riding skill set by practicing all the above ideas in a safe and controlled environment, with immediate feedback from qualified instructors.

You can also look at instructor-based training, such as Lee Parks Total Control program. And there are a few other places that offer one-on-one training as well.

Skills-based track days and private training can be found all over the country, if only you search for such things.

And when you're done perusing all of the above information, then sit down and watch On Any Sunday, On Any Sunday 2, and On Any Sunday, The Next Chapter

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That should keep you busy for a while.

And remember to enjoy the ride...

Here are some of my personal supplies and tool recommendations.

An anti-corrosive spray, doesn’t hurt paint but I’d be careful about yours anyway.
www.amazon.com/dp/B000P1C8UO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_5v0NDb496VPF6

A good tire pressure gauge. www.amazon.com/dp/B01J8DLGU2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_dy0NDb58BP0WX

A basic multimeter. www.amazon.com/dp/B01ISAMUA6/ref=cm_sw_r_em_tai_c_VZPFDbGK9FQ5V

A great battery tender, a lifetime purchase. www.amazon.com/dp/B000CITKCE/ref=cm_sw_r_em_tai_c_ACFQCb40H0E0K

A very good spray on bike cleaner. www.amazon.com/dp/B0036GK83Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_XB0NDbJZZC76W

A good explanation about testing your battery and charging system, goes well with the multimeter and tender.

https://www.louis.eu/rund-ums-motorrad/schraubertipps/elektronik

These screwdrivers or ones like it are a must. www.amazon.com/dp/B00A7WAHTU/ref=cm_sw_r_em_api_i_c_kBB7AbGCN238A

A winter storage checklist, very detailed, and can probably pare it down a little but...

http://www.clarity.net/~adam/winter-storage.html

The best (IMO) winter gas treatment. www.amazon.com/dp/B001CAW2DK/ref=cm_sw_r_em_tai_c_ryNKDb9RRE8KF

One of many easy to use lift, works for both front or rear, may have a model for a smaller bike, this is for my Yamaha Raider www.amazon.com/dp/B016Z01QYW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_UH0NDbVMTEC9K

A great totally enclosed cover, find the size for your bike. I attach the battery tender, the cord comes out where the zipper meets.
www.amazon.com/dp/B001I7XYZW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_sJ0NDbTJAPEEB

For maintenance questions, a great sub is r/Fixxit.

That’s all I can think of at the moment, welcome to the Club and Happy Trails!

I got one of these a while ago, I've only used it a few times but it seems pretty decent. I've still got an ultimate addons charger wired to the battery and couldn't be bothered swapping it out for this 1 in, but having the usb port there would be very practical. If you get a lot of vibrations going to it then might be worth cutting up some bie inner tubes and wedging them into the mounting point to try dampen things down. A good pot hole will probably still give you some chatter. IMO the vibes are alright aslong as you have auto rotate off.

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You'd still want to find a water proof case tho, preferably one with a full hard shell, but the beauty of this mount is it'll fit pretty much any phone/case combo. Some mounts only work with proprietary/specific mounts.

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EDIT: That mount comes ready to mount to a bar, but you can get something like this, which will let you mount the thing to anywhere there's a bolt (might need to find a longer bolt in some cases). Also i've found mounting things to the fork stem heps cut down vibrations, for that you'd wont this or this.

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The price really does start to add up for all these bits and bobs tho..

That first one looks good. CE1 certified, has hard parts around ankles, and made of microfiber, which is like leather but doesn't require any maintenance like leather. If they have a soft, padded shin that's ok; if the shin part is hard or has plastic bits that's even better.

https://www.amazon.com/Alpinestars-Waterproof-Street-Motorcycle-Boots/dp/B01CENQR1Q

Cross-read the reviews here and see what people say. They look pretty good for 180 bucks.

I have been through a lot of gear and came back full circle to my original budget gear. The biggest boon from paying more is boots, hands down. I have riding suits, two piece high end gear, and everything in between. This gear is flexible and goes over my business formal attire. I carry my dress shoes. This gear is inexpensive to replace, sturdy, and incredibly flexible. The below is my final set list:

Helmet: https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/hjc-cl-17-helmet

Jacket: https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/joe-rocket-velocity-mesh-jacket

Vest (winter, heated, usually comes with wiring): https://www.ebay.com/itm/Widder-Lectric-Heat-Vest-Motorcycle-Heated-Electric-USA-Made-VEST-Fits-SIZE-44/323977252981?hash=item4b6e8c9075:g:YWAAAOSwtjBdygxf

Pant: https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/alpinestars-wake-air-pants

Glove (summer): https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/cortech-dx-3-gloves

Glove (winter, heated, make sure it comes with glove wiring that attached to vest): https://www.ebay.com/itm/Widder-Lectric-Heat-Thinsulate-Gloves-Medium-Very-Good-Condition/193197841767?hash=item2cfb7d1d67:g:bCYAAOSwEFhdxD65

Boot: https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/alpinestars-air-plus-v2-xcr-gore-tex-boots

Neck (winter): https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/alpinestars-tech-neck-warmer

Rain Jacket: https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/frogg-toggs-road-toad-rain-jacket

Rain pant (for fisherman, not the moto one so you don't get a wet crotch): https://www.amazon.com/Frogg-Toggs-Pro-Advantage-Bib/dp/B07G51L5NZ/ref=pd_sbs_200_t_0/132-3940543-5959211?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07G51L5NZ&pd_rd_r=f9169fec-6648-4740-893c-801db1f7133a&pd_rd_w=wLZoe&pd_rd_wg=vAsv2&pf_rd_p=5cfcfe89-300f-47d2-b1ad-a4e27203a02a&pf_rd_r=5JZZZ8FQMAT7ZWXXB9WS&refRID=5JZZZ8FQMAT7ZWXXB9WS

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I ride from 105 degrees down to the 26 degrees we have had this week for my commute. I keep all this gear in my saddlebag so I can adapt to any riding condition. You sweat when it is hot and you can sweat when it is cold. I turn the heated gear to maybe 25%. This is probably the most versatile gear set up you will see recommended. All of the gear is high quality for value. I use it every day rain or shine.

Total cost? $1000

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You will see a lot of statements like "what is your life worth" and "buy once, cry once" and "buy the best you can afford."


All that will do is leave you with less money. Go with flexible, inexpensive gear with good safety ratings. You will learn what you like and don't like after living with it for two years. Then when it wears out switch to something that satisfies those desires. My Shoei helmets are not that much better than my HJCs (and I still wear my HJCs). Hell, my Bilt Raptor was 90 dollars and it is just as comfortable as my Shoei, but louder.

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You don't have to spend a lot of money to be safe. You need to spend just enough money to get gear that you will wear as often as possible.

A lot of those service manuals you can find online for free, if you can't find it, I would ask here for help, just let me/us know what year, make, model and size bike you have and I'm sure we can dig something up.

As for tools;

A lot of people recommend rivet style masterlink chain for bikes bigger than 500cc. Clip chains are super easy to install but rivet chains are considered more safe, thus why they are used on with bigger bikes that have more force. If you want to rivet your own chains, it's a pain in the ass, but I recommend this tool. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000WJ3LPU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I bought a different one and it broke from the force the first time I tried to use it.

Next, I bought these two:
Front stand
https://www.ebay.com/i/271431688516?chn=ps

Rear stand
https://www.walmart.com/ip/700LB-Motorcycle-Front-Rear-Wheel-Swingarm-Lifting-Stand-with-Wheels-Red/651901433?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=529&adid=22222222227096045591&wmlspartner=wmtlabs&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=215292218804&wl4=pla-346492733506&wl5=9028784&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=112354406&wl11=online&wl12=651901433&wl13=&veh=sem

With some of my bikes the rear one doesn't fit because the mufflers are in the way of the swing arm, and you need to remove them, again a pain in the ass. I don't think the brand of rear stand you buy will matter, you'll probably run into the problem with any rear stand. As for the front one, some times the front stand gets in the way of taking the wheel off. So I also bought:

Triple Tree front stand
https://www.ebay.com/p/DMP-Front-Paddock-Stand-for-Sportbikes-Gsx-r-CBR-ZX-R1-R6/1355877061?iid=372246273928&chn=ps

I don't think this is the exact model triple tree stand I bought. The one I bought was a little too cheap, and the metal bent a bit under that weight of the bike. It still works fine, but it needs some help from a few bricks to prop the wheel up while I slide the axle back in. If you don't want to risk it, it might be worth dropping extra money on a better stand.

If you don't want to buy both types of front stands I would definitely go with the triple tree stand since the regular front stand wont let you remove tries from some bikes.

The holes that the triple tree uses, under the headlight, are different sizes for every bike. The bike I had didn't fit any of the pins that came with the stand so I got this:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/DMP-HEAD-LIFT-10-PC-PIN-SET-200-1120-/361276306735?hash=item541dbef52f

With that pretty much every bike will work with my triple tree stand.

You'll also want this if you are chaining tires.

https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/xtra-seal-4-way-valve-tool-w-core-15-6045/28200661-p?c3ch=PLA&c3nid=28200661-P&adtype=pla&gclid=CjwKCAjw8r_XBRBkEiwAjWGLlCwQi54Gf4P_hgOpNJRDYkWkbxAadfkAYTWYdLR_mu_tlhfQBjU3LhoCh8IQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

And this

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Motorcycle-Bead-Breaker-Tool-Tire-Changer-Changing-Stand-Portable-New-in-Box-/361952497708

There are a tone of makeshift DIYs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dtvTcv8BJk It's not that simple. xD I tried this almost the exact same way and the tier bead didn't break even jumping with my whole body weight coming down on it. Those things are on that really damn tight and it's not as easy as the video looks. Do yourself a favor and buy the tool if you plan on changing ties. Also the tool I bought, the rod that the wheel rests on was too big to fit the axle hole on my bike tire. I went to the hardware store and picked up a metal rod, a bit smaller, that had rivets to screw nuts onto and it worked fine.

Also, I wasted time with super cheap air pumps. Don't waste your time with the $10 ones that plug into your cars lighter port. I got, the goodyear i8000.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Goodyear-i8000-120-Volt-Direct-Drive-Tire-Inflator/132561490710?epid=2254351792&hash=item1edd47d316:g:1AQAAOSwsO1avQsU

When I got it, I think it was a bit cheaper. I can't seem to find the exact seller I got it from any more. But for that price it's still worth considering, but you might find a comparable brand for less, just don't get anything that looks like this.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/12v-Car-Motorcycle-Motor-Bike-Compact-Mini-Tyre-Air-Compressor-Inflator-Pump/323225758713?epid=28005354906&hash=item4b41c1abf9:g:64cAAOSwbsRa4T~Q

Oh, and you'll want a trickle charger. Which one you get doesn't really matter, as long as it is 12v, it'd fine. I've never heard or seen of a motorcycle battery that wasn't 12v. I'm sure someone has a custom thing for the hell of it, but nothing you'd run into.

http://www.sears.com/diehard-battery-charger-maintainer/p-02871219000P?sid=IDx01192011x202447539&gclid=CjwKCAjw8r_XBRBkEiwAjWGLlPJL236xKHFc6FyPnrdb0Ufia9UeYCt_-Cam91ByCqatTZiwbNNnpxoCHbYQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CJSTu6Ot9doCFVE5TwodXKQLxA

The main lessons I learned were:

Get a higher quality air pump

Get a bead breaker

If you don't want to buy 2 front stands, spend a little extra on a triple tree

And get the higher quality rivet tool (it wasn't even more expensive than the first one I got).

This probably accounts for the most amount of money you'll even need to spend on maintenance. If you think about over the course of your life, it's really not that much. Most of these tools will last a lifetime. And you don't need to buy them all at once, if you don't want to change ties yet, don't worry about the tools for that, the exception is probably the trickle charger and the air pump. You never know when you'll need it on a cold morning and your bike wont start (then again, I ride even in the winter). And with the air pump that's just something you should be checking on/refilling every few weeks (I'm a lazy hypocrite).

I hope this helps. If you have any questions, let me know. :)

If he doesn't already have ear plugs, buy him some of 3Ms best ear plugs and save his hearing:

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https://www.amazon.com/3M-Foam-Ear-Plugs-Pack/dp/B00EVQKPP4/ref=sr_1_26?keywords=3m+bulk+ear+plugs&qid=1567976510&s=gateway&sr=8-26

I used a GoPro Hero 7 black's time warp feature at 30x speed. I put a portable charger (link below) in my windshield bag and fed the cable under my tank up to the GoPro attached to my helmet.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B012NIQG5E/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

You can mostly make it waterproof. You can crack open the case and conformal coat the PCB. I wouldn't consider it 100% because you will still have a battery and button exposed, the voltage/current is low enough it's not likely to be an issue though.

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https://www.amazon.com/MG-Chemicals-Silicone-Modified-Conformal/dp/B008O9YIV6/ref=sr_1_2

A lot of people use this to make PCBs waterproof after the manufacturing process as a DIY thing. I use to to coat receivers on my RC cars and crawlers.

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That or find a small bag and put it in there. my friend does this with his phone lol

I use this if I don't take my helmet in with me. Stops honest people, not someone with serious malicious intent.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B010IBDS04/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

> so I am back to the same problem again a day after getting a new battery. It may be the charging system them
awww.amazon.com/dp/B01ISAMUA6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_VZPFDbGK9FQ5V