2Wheeltips

Many bikes do not have a gear indicator or a tachometer and one of the first things new riders have to learn is when to shift. If you read the motorcycle manual, you are led to believe you need to shift gears every 8 - 10 mph. This implies that proper shifting means constantly watching your speedometer to determine when to shift. Not only is this not the case, but you can not possibly operate a bike safely while constantly glancing down to check your speed much less enjoy riding.

So how do you tell when it is time to shift? And when you do shift, is it ok to skip gears the way you do in a car?

First of all it is perfectly ok to skip gears. Many new riders make the mistake of thinking they need to upshift or downshift into all gears. If you are riding at highway speeds and enter a school zone, it is perfectly ok to downshift 2 gears before engaging the clutch.  The same with very fast acceleration. You may skip 2nd gear and move directly to 3rd.

Down shifting is easy, if the engine begins to lug or feels sluggish when you twist the throttle, you know you need to down shift. Depending on your speed, you may need to shift more than one gear.

Upshifting is a different story and requires that you get a "feel" for the sound of the engine as you accelerate. Another way to "feel" when to upshift is how the engine responds when you shift to the next gear. If the engine is sluggish or lulls, then you shifted too early. If the bike jerks or the engine rpms are high, you shifted too late.

While practicing, you can use the chart in the motorcycle manual as a starting point, but you soon develop a feel for when to upshift.

One of scariest things a new rider will experience is riding over a big bump. As you go over it, you feel as if you have been thrown 3 feet in the air followed by a sensation that you are going to fly off the back of the bike. You grip the handlebars tightly and slow down as the adrenaline rushes through your body. It can be a very frightening experience...enough to make you reconsider riding.

To avoid this, you need to practice scanning the road in front of you for bumps as well as potholes, and maneuver the bike to avoid them. If the bump can not be avoided, you should prepare yourself for the bump by relaxing and not tensing up on the bike.

As with just about all things related to improving your skills, as you go over more bumps, you will learn how your bike reacts to bumps and you will get better at handling them.

Check out our video on cracks and road imperfections for more tips on riding over rough road surfaces.

One of the biggest questions a new rider faces is what type of motorcycle to buy. Many new riders will buy a bike similar to the one used in their motorcycle training class only to outgrow the bike within 6 months when their skills improve. eBay, newspapers and magazines are littered with these types of bikes. You also don’t want to go to the other extreme by buying a huge 800 lb. cruiser or a 150 hp+ sport bike that you don’t have the skills to control. Lots of beginners give up on riding because they are intimidated by the size, power and speed of a bike that is far beyond what they can handle.

The key is to purchase a bike that matches the style of riding you anticipate doing over the next two years and has the features, size, power and speed that you can enjoy as your skills improve. Your height and weight also matter. The bike needs of a 6’2”, 200 lb. man are not the same as those of a 5’1”, 100 lb. woman. One will need more size and power while the other will need lower seat height, ease of control and lighter weight.

Before buying, you should know what type of riding you plan to do. Motorcycles that are good for commuting back and forth to work may not be the best bikes for riding cross country or zooming around twisting back roads with friends. So, pick the bike that best suits your needs. Below is a list of common motorcycles you will see at your dealer.
 
Cruiser

1. Easy to control and maneuver
2. Generally have lower seat heights than other types of bikes
3. Varied in weight and length but tend to be relatively heavy 
4. Seating position on cruisers is upright with feet positioned forward
5. Well suited for carrying a passenger, luggage, and saddlebags
6. Excellent for short as well as longer rides and is the choice of most new riders

Standard

1. Easy to control and maneuver
2. Lighter in weight than most cruisers and have a standard seating position where the rider is in an upright position with feet directly under the hips  
3. Tend to have a higher seat height than cruisers
4. Well suited for short rides and longer rides and is a good choice for new riders.

Sport Bike/Racing Bike/”Crotch Rocket”

1. Fast, powerful, light, nimble bikes that can exceed 120mph with ease
2. Have high seating positions and limited storage capacity
3. Racing seating position with the legs back and the rider over the gas tank and handlebars
4. Not suited for long rides; can be very uncomfortable after 1 hour of street riding
5. Much more expensive to insure than other types of bikes
6. Although very popular, is not a good choice for new riders

Tourer

1. Big, heavy bikes used for long rides with the option of comfortably taking a passenger
2. Often equipped with a fairing, CB, GPS, AC, heat, iPod, DVD and other creature comforts needed for long rides
3. Expensive
4. Not a good choice for new riders

Sport-Touring Bike

1. Cross between a sport bike and a touring bike
2. Upright seating position with feet underneath the hips
3. Usually have a fairing and some other creature comforts needed for long rides
4. Usually have a high seating position
5. Well suited for carrying a passenger and luggage on long rides
6. Like touring bikes, sport-touring bikes are not a good choice for new riders

Scooters

1. Light, nimble and easy to control
2. Generally smaller than motorcycles and come with automatic transmissions
3. Larger scooters have considerable storage and can even carry a passenger comfortably at highway speeds
4. Good choice for new riders or those who cannot operate a clutch

Before making your choice, shop around and don’t get stuck on one brand of bike. There are at least 13 major manufacturers to choose from and the price for similar bikes varies considerably. It is very common for similar bikes from different manufacturers to vary by $7,000.00 or more.

New or used?
For obvious reasons, a new bike is always an excellent choice, but used bikes can be as well. A good used bike in great condition can be the perfect first bike; you will be surprised at the number of very low mileage used bikes out there. The sellers are usually riders who are trading up to larger bikes, or have decided that riding is not for them. Depending on the make, it is easy to find a 3 - 4 year old bike with less than 3000 miles on it for half of the cost of a new bike. But, before you purchase a used bike, you should have it checked by an experienced mechanic to make sure that it is properly maintained and isn’t damaged.

How powerful?
Bikes come with engines of various sizes and power.  Most bike engines are rated by the “cc” (cubic centimeter). The higher the cc spec of the engine, the more powerful the bike. For cruisers a good choice for a new rider is in the 750cc - 1000cc range. For sport bikes, 600cc’s is the maximum for a new rider. Standards in the 400cc - 800cc range are a good choice. You want to get a bike that you will not outgrow in 6 - 9 months and yet is not so powerful that it is intimidating to you.


Picking your first motorcycle is a very exciting experience.  Be practical!  Don’t let yourself fall for a bike that may not be good for a novice rider.  There are many bikes out there to pick from, new and used.  Your first bike is just that:  your first bike.  Make sure that it is the right one for YOU to learn on!

The following story is from one of our members BkrBilly. He agreed to let us post this story about his trip to Billings with a new rider.

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August 2008 was a trip to the SMSA Conference and the RiderCoach Trainer update.  In May of 2008 a friend(and still a friend) of mine took the BRC.  He purchased a BMW Adventure to satisfy his mid life crisis.

During the course wrap up he expressed a wish to take a road trip.  Without thinking I mentioned the trip to Montana.  Before I knew it he was planning to join me.  Before I go much further into this adventure I have to tell you that I take road trips frequently.  I have no problem with getting on the bike and travelling cross country.  In my garage there have always been two bikes.  One that I ride for short trips and one that I ride for the long haul.  Either bike could do the long trip, it is just a matter of which one has been serviced and has tires, brakes and been given thorough check out.

Joe, soon to be my riding partner, was excited beyond description.  My immediate response was to tell him that his new bike that was delivered to his garage had less than 20 miles on it.  I told him to go home, practice on side streets and around the neighborhood and call me when he had 500 miles on the odometer.

A month later I got the call.  He reached 500 miles, bought all sorts of camping gear and other newbie stuff for the trip.  The little voice in the back of my head kept saying “engage brain before opening your mouth”. So I guess I better prepare myself before taking off on this adventure.  My mind wandered to the last time I took someone with me on a road trip.  It was another RiderCoach and we were off to Sturgis.  We made a lot of rest stops, food stops, gas stops and the pace was slow and tedious.  On the second night we stopped at a Red Roof Inn that I insisted that we stay at.  There is a great family style restaurant within walking distance and I plan and time myself to get there at a reasonable hour to get a good meal and night’s rest.  The first comment, as we got off the bikes, was what great time we were making.  My response was “Yes, but last year I stayed here the first night”.

So Joe and I had a long chat on what to bring.  I realized later that it didn’t have a lot of effect on Joe.  Some things he brought with him were a Paul Bunyan sized axe.  I know Paul from living in Bemidji, MN for two years.  Some other weapons that I won’t go into detail.  A waterproof duster, but no rain pants.  I offered him a pair of rain pants but he told me the duster was sufficient.  More about this error later in the story.  His bike was loaded.  I chose my 10 year old BMW 1100GS.  Before leaving I gave it the 8 hour going over that included oil changes, filters, new tires and brakes, lubricating everything that needed  and some things that didn’t, valve adjustments and checking wiring and lights.  I usually replace some of  the bulbs, but I didn’t and that was a mistake, not a big one but I had to get two replacements on the road.  Joe asked me if the bike would make it and I assured him that if there was a break down it would probably be his bike.  He didn’t get it.

Now to get down to why I am writing this.  Things in the BRC that are not mentioned or emphasized enough.  Proper riding gear.  What looks cool may not always be practical.  We tell new riders not to take passengers, but we should also tell them not to load their bike down with a lot of unnecessary stuff. Keep the weight down to a minimum.  My philosophy is that if I forgot it, I’ll do without it.  If I can’t, I will buy another on the way.   If I have too much on the bike I find the nearest post office or now a UPS store and send things home.  When I went to Alaska I had 19 boxes on my front porch when I got home.

During the classroom of the BRC I always include a segment on what to eat and drink during the course.  I probably should include the same applies to road trips.  Eat healthy!  Limit caffeine.  Include all three food groups in your snacks.  Sugar burns off in a few minutes; Carbs last up to two hours and protein four to six.  Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches contain all three food groups and will give you time released energy.  Joe ate a big breakfast every morning.  It included hard digesting foods.  That meant more rest stops, stomach problems and  I won’t go into detail.  Use your imagination!

I altered my route to include less Interstate and more for lack of other description quiet roads.  Also more scenic.  We spent the first day on the PA Turnpike for no other reason than to get away from the east coast.  We then turned north through Michigan and towards the Upper Peninsula.  Joe was doing fine.  We did have a few discussions about him riding in my blind spot.  We were not being filmed as the 21st century Easyriders.  Leave some distance and enjoy the ride.  Joe did listen and did some exercise to get into shape for the trip, but he did not expect it to be as physically demanding as it was.  I guess I was just used to riding eight or more hours a day.  I use a gel pad in my seat, Joe bought an aftermarket seat that said it was more comfortable.  It didn’t say more comfortable than what.

Now we get to the bridge.  For those of you who have never crossed from lower Michigan to the Upper Peninsula, the bridge is five miles long, usually very windy and the left lane is metal grate and the right lane is concrete.  Of course they were doing repairs on the right lane so it was the metal grate and dealing with the wind.  We stopped at the rest area on the North side where Joe spent some time in the men’s room.  Five miles of a death grip on the handlebars can be painful.  Too late to tell him to ease up and go with the flow.

The UP was a great ride.  Followed the south shore along Lake Michigan and then cut north to ride the shore along Lake Superior.  I put Joe in front to give him a different view of the road.  He was getting more relaxed, more in control and doing much better as a rider.  He was using lane positioning, slowing for those occasional intersections and riding at a steady pace.  During our breaks for food or gas we talked about his feeling of more confidence and being in control.

Next day was the inevitable rain, compounded by a lot of construction in Superior, WI.

The road was covered in mud, there was a long trench in the middle of the road where they were installing a pipeline and of course there were trucks and other large vehicles.  Joe talked about this day for the remainder of the trip. Another learning experience probably made much worse by the fact that he was wearing his duster( remember the duster and no rain pants).  By the time we got to Duluth his boots were filled with water.  Another lesson learned through experience.  We can tell the BRC students things in class but some must learn by experience.  Joe was more mindful of my advice from this point.  That was a good thing, especially when we got to the Rockies.  Still couldn’t get him to lighten up on those big breakfasts.

The rest of the ride was not so eventful but the views were exciting, the roads were good and the people were friendly.  We stayed on the back highways and passed through the small towns, ate in the local cafes and enjoyed the warm dry air.

Leaving Billings we took the Bear Tooth Highway to Yellowstone.  Up, down, switchbacks, cold.  A lot of reminders of Out, In Out, late apex, oncoming traffic on the wrong side of the road.  Stopped several times for the scenery.  And then the ride into Yellowstone.  Several encounters with the wildlife on both two and four legs.  Tourists are inconsiderate, careless and often, for lack of a better word, stupid.  They stop in the middle of the road, litter, noisy and do not consider the rights of others.  We camped in Yellowstone where, because schools had already opened, the campgrounds were empty and peaceful.  Nights were cold and another lesson Joe learned by experience and not from lecture.  My little blow up tent was easy to erect; Air mattress and warm sleeping bag.  Joe decided that it would be cool to have an army style tent composed of two shelter halves and sleep on the ground.  I remember those days from my Army years.  I never want to see a shelter half again.  Joe wound up sleeping on the picnic table to be awakened by the deer looking for leftovers.

The trip out was accompanied by Buffalo on the road, a wolf running across our path, and the winding roads as we descended out of the mountains.  The remainder of the trip was less eventful.  We made stops to visit friends, traveled more of the less travelled roads, dropped south to go through Missouri, Tennessee and up the Blue Ridge on the way home.  Of course travelling East we were accompanied by several days of rain(still no rain pants although I offered to stop several times).  Caught the tail end of a hurricane and holed up for two days in Virginia and left Joe with a lot of war stories to tell his friends.  Every time I see him the question is, “Where are we going this year?”

Joe left as a novice and returned as an experienced rider with a lifetime of learning ahead.  We both felt good about the ride.