Reader Comments

What a great website!!! At 62, I'm an "old timer" too and riding keeps me young. Without it, it would be like losing my soul.

All the very best for a long and happy riding experience - thank you for sharing

Geoff
www.geoffjames.blogspot.com

I found your website VERY useful. After 25 years since I last rode (Japanese 250cc sportsbikes when I lived in the UK) I bought a Harley (V-Rod Muscle)last week and have been getting back in the saddle and really enjoying it. I'm working on my skills -and I've booked to take a safety course - the stuff on leaning and cornering was great
thanks!

Nice info. I passed the MSF course a few months ago and have been looking around at bikes. Of course, my eyes have been drawn to really powerful bikes like the Kawasaki Vulcan (900?), Honda Fury and the VROD! lol But thanks to your encouragement I realize that, never having ridden before, I had better play it safe and stick to something smaller.

Great info and stories --- I think your choice in a motorcycle is awesome. I started out in cruiser-land but moved to sport-touring maching (FJR1300) but recently took an in-line 4 750 naked through the mountains on a recent trip to Thailand. Great fun! I enjoyed the lesser weight and it had all the power any reasonable person could need.

I am glad you came out of the crash you had in one piece and find your writing to be inspirational. Motorcycle riding is one of the best ways I can decompress and mentally stay focused and happy.

Used Motorcycles

Just wanted to say thanks for the starting out experience. I have been talking about getting a mototrcycle endorsement for 20 years. I am 43 soon to be 44 and rode dirt bikes in my teen years. I finally decided to go for it and did the Team Oregon BRT. I missed the skills test by one point. I to was kind of depressed though I realized that I need to be safe on the road. I went a bought an older Honda XL 185 so I could practice offroad and also on back country roads. My dirt bike skills from years back are returning with the practice. My finacee and I both went and got our learners permits yesterday. I'll get some more time on the bike and then go for the skills test at DMV. Thanks for the upbeat look at things.

I came across your website from Google when I was searching for "Counter Weight". I found your articles very helpful for safe riding. I hope you recover well from the 2004 accident, and happy safe riding!

What a delight to find some good Maxine jokes that I can hand out for my next presentation – and the bonus is to read your other pages on riding – I have a Sportster 1200XL Custom and ride every weekend. I have saved your page and will read it thoroughly this evening. Thanks for the jokes!

Hello Sir,
I just read though you website. I thought that it was great. I'm 37 and am just seriously getting interested in learning how to ride. Thank you for taking the time to make this website, to pass on advice and your experiences. Take Good Care, Dirk

WELL MY FRIEND IT HAS BEEN A WHILE BUT I HAVE NOT FORGOT YOU I SENT A FEW EMAILS SOME TIME BACK AND YOU EMAIL ME BACK BUT IF YOU DON'T RECALL NO SWEAT. I HEAR THINGS ARE STILL KIND OF BAD WITH YOU BUT HOPE AND PRAY THAT WILL CHANGE...I HAVE SOME HEALTH PROBLEMS TOO AND THE DEPRESSON ALSO AND I KNOW HOW JUST THAT ALONG CAN KNOCK A MAN DOWN AND KEEP HIM THERE, EVERY DAY IS A BATTLE WITH ME ON THAT BUT I STILL WANT TO RIDE. SO ALL I CAN SAY IS WILL KEEP YOU IN MY PRAYERS AND THOUGHTS, AND HOPE ONE DAY TO HEAR THAT YOU ARE RIDING AGAIN. TAKE CARE.. RANDY

I just got my motorcycle license thanks to the local MSF Basic Rider course. The only thing I completely sucked at was the U-Turns. We didn't spend long covering them (I got 3 tries) and then BANG - we had to take the road test.

Since I was having trouble doing tight turns from a stop on my neighborhood streets, I did a web search and found your U-Turns page. It was very detailed and I finally understood clearly what I had to do!

Today I bought a bunch of sidewalk chalk and some string and made a few concentric circles in the cul-de-sac behind my house. Luckily my one neighbor back there is really friendly and doesn't mind the street looking like it was attacked by mad "crop circle" people!

After a half-hour of practice I'm already better at tight turns. And I have a whole bucket of chalk to keep re-applying the circles as the inevitable New England spring rains wash them away.

Thanks again for having detailed, useful information for those of us who want to practice to ride better.

Hello, I have the same bike you do, the 2001 ZR7s. I think it is a great bike. What I like; great engine, good gas mileage, simple air cooled and tested engine, great looks, great riding position. What I don't like is extreme cold bloodedness and not very good wind protection, and only a five speed tranny. I rode it to Las Vegas and back a few years ago with a group of Goldwing riders. 5500 miles total in ten days. It was hard on my 59 year old body, but the bike was great. With a few mods like a better seat, it can be a great sport touring bike. Safe Riding!!

just want to say thanks for tips on u turns. Ive got my test mid March and U turns are a thorn in my side at the moment, the ones i done were pure fluke. Hopefully my next lesson ill put what u suggested into practice. Its really spoiling my lessons at the moment because im ok with the rest. cheers

Just started blogging. Retired English teach and started riding a motercyle at age 50 after both daughters married. I am riding a 1975 BMW R/90 and have been for 14 years. I had to lay off for a year due to 4 back surgeries and a hip replacement.I am rapidly improving and intend to ride a lot this coming summer. (once all this snow leaves)

Just wanted to say thx for this: "A general rule of thumb often cited: a beginners first bike should be 50hp or less and 400 lbs or less."

Having owned one bike only, some forty years ago, the appeal unexpectedly returned several years ago. The idea has steadfastly refused to lie down on the rug in the corner. So several months ago I took the MSF course, got the license endorsement, but still haven't decided if this is something I'm going to do. Help with the decision has arrived; like many Americans, I'm about to lose my job, with no prospects for a replacement out there at the moment. This will effectively forestall the bike-buying decision indefinitely. But I've been reading insatiably about motorcycles for a while, in part for the sheer enjoyment of it, and in part to try to come to some conclusion about what my second first-bike should be.

Then this evening, letting serendipity have it's way, I landed on your blog and this priceless bit of wisdom.

Perfect.

I accept this as an axiom. Should my fortunes reverse and a decision to take the plunge result, this quotation from your Beginner Motorcycle pages shall guide my hand.

Many thx. Hope you are well.

Great info and stories --- I think your choice in a motorcycle is awesome. I started out in cruiser-land but moved to sport-touring maching (FJR1300) but recently took an in-line 4 750 naked through the mountains on a recent trip to Thailand. Great fun! I enjoyed the lesser weight and it had all the power any reasonable person could need.

I am glad you came out of the crash you had in one piece and find your writing to be inspirational. Motorcycle riding is one of the best ways I can decompress and mentally stay focused and happy.

Best regards,
Jason

Just wondering why your page on under 400cc bikes does not include dual sport models such as Kawasaki Super Sherpa 250, Honda CRF230L, Suzuki DR200SE or Yamaha XT225 - all of which are street legal, have low seat heights and are economically priced - great beginner bikes. I think it would be very helpful if you were to add some these models to the 400cc page. I used to have a 600cc bike but now I am "downgrading" to one of these fuel efficient dual sports in order to improve my motorcycle handling skills (and save on gas). Just my two cents, your site looks good.

Hello. I did a search on google for motorcycle riding instructions, and came upon your website. The first page I visited was extremely relevant to the stage I am in now. I've always thought a motorcycle would be fun, but for the first time ever, it seems like a financial possibility. So I've started looking at various makes and models and such, and, well, I guess the bug has truly bitten. In that effort, I'm going to be testing for the learner's permit next weekend, and as soon as possible after that enrolling in the training/safety course offered by the state.

I'd have to admit, looking at various models and doing not much else than dreaming, it's easy to keep imagining getting a better and better (and bigger) bike as my first one. Your page explaining all the reasons I had figured on smaller and cheaper being better was just what I needed to read, rather than more stats on better and better bikes.

It's great finding sites like your's with practical and sensible information. Anyway, I plan on reading the rest of your site, at least the parts regarding beginning motorcycles and riding. Thank you for putting out great information.

Hello again I emailed you a while back but you get so many i don't think you would remember. Any way how is your health doing?? I hope that it has gotten better so that you can ride again. You have a good one and best of luck on you health.

Hi,
I just took the MSF Course over the weekend. I never been on a motorcycle but wanted to learn how to drive one, so a friend of mine told me about this course. It was the worst experience for me. I was nervous, never driven a motorcycle before in my life time and the instructor there was mean. He yelled at me the whole time we were on the driving range. I didn't understand how to shift the motorcycle, he never showed any of us how to do that. The whole class except for me and another women had experience. The instructor asked me to leave on Sunday, just arrived at 8:00 a.m. and I left at 8:30 a.m. The other women decided she should leave to, she had trouble shifting to. I always wanted to learn how to drive a motorcycle, a dream of mine, but the instructor we had shattered that dream for me. I knew the day we went on the course I didn't have a chance but I came back the next day, I didn't want to quit. I think the instructor was upset that I showed up the next day. This is not a course for beginners. You need to know how to drive a motorcycle before you take this course. Don't waste your time or money if you don't have any experience. Just wanted people to know. Thank you Lori

ok, so i know your site is supposed to be for old guys.... sorry for trespassing. lol. I am actually 17, and have recently been thinking about learning about,purchasing,and riding a motorcycle.
I found your website and found it really helpful. Not only in what kind of bike i should be looking at, but that there was even a difference between types of motorcycles!

Thank you so much for all the information!