While we're on the subject of safety, there's a book titled "Proficient Motorcycling" you might check out.

What's your dad riding now that you've stolen his joy?

 

Always slow in turns until u get used to it. I hope the damage was minimal. Good luck.

 

Even though you already took BRC, doesn't mean you can't find an open area to practice. Work on your low speed turns and cornering. I try to do this every spring, as a refresher, before getting back on the open road. At my age, gotta dust-off the joints a bit...

 

He had bought the motorcycle when he was in Afghanistan and then it kinda sat around till I started riding it. When I moved out of the house I bought a 2004 Mercedes Benz E55 AMG. So we made a little trade. He has been done riding motorcycles for awhile now. It got to dangerous being a motorcycle cop he said.

 

Yeah, the front left turning signal bulb broke, but I think I can fix that. Rear turn signal scraped also but stayed together. Floor board went up and absorbed most of it.

 

Haha that's what I was doing around my neighborhood, but got a little ahead of myself. Getting back on it today to practice.

 

Riding in a straight line fast is easy and many, even myself, feel at that point you're good. Turning and slow speed control is where the good rider is separated from a great rider. Calm, confident efficient turns where the rider looks like he's just floating through. That's where you want to be. I see that confidence and control on the best riders out there - motorcycle cops. Those guys go through intense rider training.
A good tip, whenever im going out for a ride and see an empty parking lot, I pop in and do a few s turns, u turns at very slow speed just to warm myself up. Get used to the weight and feel where the lean angle maxes out yknow (sometimes I go weeks between rides, I work a lot).

 

I learned by doing. The more I rode, the better I got. I live in rural America so I have access to many paved back country roads that have a combination of curves and straight stretches and I just rode and rode and rode on those roads to increase my skill. Classes are good but practicing what you learn is also good.

 

All good info here. Now get over to the "Calling all Fatboy Lo's" thread and get ready to start spending money on all those mods you didn't know you needed! Oh yeh, and welcome!

 

Watch those right turns, especially from a dead stop, They are much harder.