Beginner Questions
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,541
Likes: 1
From: Nuevo México, Los Estados Unidos de América
Jesus. OP, use some common sense when riding (and your front brake).
Highway riding is easy. If you're breaking in the bike, make sure you vary the RPMs on the ride home.
The biggest thing for you is going to be to just ride it. It sounds like there's a disconnect from lack of experience between what you're expecting, and the reality of riding everyday. Just ride, and you'll get more comfortable, and stop over(under)-thinking things.
Getting a new scratches on your new bike will help too. It's much more fun when you stop treating your new ride as a sacred artifact and really start riding it.
Here's another tip: don't tailgate. Until you're used to breaking, and have figured out for yourself the front/rear break ratio, and how it FEELS, try and avoid situations where you might need to break, turn, or accelerate quickly.
Highway riding is easy. If you're breaking in the bike, make sure you vary the RPMs on the ride home.
The biggest thing for you is going to be to just ride it. It sounds like there's a disconnect from lack of experience between what you're expecting, and the reality of riding everyday. Just ride, and you'll get more comfortable, and stop over(under)-thinking things.
Getting a new scratches on your new bike will help too. It's much more fun when you stop treating your new ride as a sacred artifact and really start riding it.
Here's another tip: don't tailgate. Until you're used to breaking, and have figured out for yourself the front/rear break ratio, and how it FEELS, try and avoid situations where you might need to break, turn, or accelerate quickly.
Novice
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Try to use both brakes simultaneously- steady pressure on both while getting adjusted to the new feel and weight of the bike and yourself. Downshifting helps, but probably won't be necessary during the break in period. When in doubt, consult your MOM (motorcycle owners manual). Congrats on the purchase and welcome to cruising.
Intermediate
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 27
Likes: 0
From: Sunny So Cal
In panic situations, we always revert to what we practice, what is habitual. If you never practice hard braking with the front brake, and only practice with the rear, you will revert to that rear brake in panic situations. See this all the time. Hundred feet of skid mark right into whatever they were trying to NOT hit. Why, because they jammed on the rear brake in panic. Practice hard front braking (AT LOW SPEEDS), practice hard rear braking, practice using both brakes hard. Do this in a controlled environment (NOT ON THE ROAD), low speed, and in different conditions. Learn how your bike will react to hard braking, to low traction, and to hard maneuvers. Learn how to feel the road. Practice all these things, so that in an emergency you can react in a way that will keep you alive.
I could not agree with the above statement more!! Practice all the things you wonder about in a controlled environment. As a beginner I can say every time I ride I learn a lesson. Not in a bad way, but I'm a curious person that like to be prepared for the unexpected. I practice slow riding then accelerate as if I'm coming to a light that just turned green. All that crap...you can never test yourself enough. Again, in a controlled environment.
Intermediate
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 32
Likes: 0
From: St. Louis, MO
New HD rider here also. Has been 20 years since riding 250cc or less dirt bikes. Bought softail custom about 2 months ago. First thing I did was take riders edge course. Talked alot about braking. Just some of what they preached, when conditions are right always use both. Don't use front in turn or lean, you will go down. If you can straighten up then use both. Don't grab but squeeze. If locked up front release then reapply. If locked rear keep applied. If you cant get to riders course, I reccomend the "ride like a pro" dvd. Motoman know his sht.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 3,429
Likes: 239
From: northeast
New HD rider here also. Has been 20 years since riding 250cc or less dirt bikes. Bought softail custom about 2 months ago. First thing I did was take riders edge course. Talked alot about braking. Just some of what they preached, when conditions are right always use both. Don't use front in turn or lean, you will go down. If you can straighten up then use both. Don't grab but squeeze. If locked up front release then reapply. If locked rear keep applied. If you cant get to riders course, I reccomend the "ride like a pro" dvd. Motoman know his sht.
by moving there and starting a real course????
also he had an incident when he picked it up which is touched on
in another thread
Tourer
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 367
Likes: 0
From: yankton SD
oddly enough i think the thing that helped me the most with the when to use and not to use front brake thing is riding bicycles with hand brakes growing up. the first one i had with a front brake i grabbed both brakes hard in a corner and bit it hard, its never happened since.lol
Road Master
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 1,161
Likes: 2
From: Walnut Creek, CA
Persian I started riding 6 months ago- got my first bike Sportster XLC- I loved the ride- super easy to handle- it was no problem for me switching from the training tiny honda to the Sporty HOWEVER... I'm a 6'4" chick and after riding it for 5 months.. my back was killing me it wasn't as powerful as i wanted.. etc. etc. Yeah I could have done a bunch of mods that would have cost me a bunch of money (which btw doesn't really increase the value of the bike)...
My advise is this- If you know 1000% that you will have your first bike for a long time and it will be comfortable for you - Get it- the Sporty that is... but if not- don't be intimidated by the size of Dynas- they're just as easy to handle as a Sporty- All you need is practice, practice and practice. If someone told me that 6 months ago, I would save myself thousands of dollars, going upside down on the Sporty and other stuff... Today I ride FXDB and I love it:-)
Just something from my own experience.
hope it helps
My advise is this- If you know 1000% that you will have your first bike for a long time and it will be comfortable for you - Get it- the Sporty that is... but if not- don't be intimidated by the size of Dynas- they're just as easy to handle as a Sporty- All you need is practice, practice and practice. If someone told me that 6 months ago, I would save myself thousands of dollars, going upside down on the Sporty and other stuff... Today I ride FXDB and I love it:-)
Just something from my own experience.
hope it helps
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hey guys whats up
alrite my iron has arrived i pick it up on wednsday
i have loads of questions i need 2 ask u all....
its going 2 b the 1st time i will be riding a HARLEY ....
i just got my license last week i was practicing on those little pot pot bikes
HONDA unicorn 125 cc lol...
So now i need 2 know what mistakes should i not do ...im picking it up from the show room ...so i need 2 know exactly what are the do's and dont's
help me out ....never use front breaks ... do i accelerate in turns should i get use 2 it ..?!?!
and now how do i clean the engine bike when its dirty what should i get and not get ...how do i keep it clean
how do u clean matt black paint do u get spirals ..eeekkkkk
anything else u guys can add in would b appreciated ...
im excited im scared ....its a weird feeling ...
alrite my iron has arrived i pick it up on wednsday
i have loads of questions i need 2 ask u all....
its going 2 b the 1st time i will be riding a HARLEY ....
i just got my license last week i was practicing on those little pot pot bikes
HONDA unicorn 125 cc lol...
So now i need 2 know what mistakes should i not do ...im picking it up from the show room ...so i need 2 know exactly what are the do's and dont's
help me out ....never use front breaks ... do i accelerate in turns should i get use 2 it ..?!?!
and now how do i clean the engine bike when its dirty what should i get and not get ...how do i keep it clean
how do u clean matt black paint do u get spirals ..eeekkkkk
anything else u guys can add in would b appreciated ...
im excited im scared ....its a weird feeling ...
#2 - Front brakes are your friend. 70% of your braking comes from the front. The reason for this is when you brake, weight is transferred forward to your front wheel - making it the wheel with the most traction.
#3 - washing your ride. Lots of people have provided excellent advice already...
#4 - Buy a DVD series called "Ride Like a Pro" (http://www.ridelikeapro.com). It is a modified version of the techniques used by Law Enforcement motorcycle divisions. Practising the techiniqes demonstrated there will dramatically improve your riding skills. After a bit of time mastering the basics, you will ride circles around your fellow riding school graduates (literally if you want!!!).
