Questions for those that ride two wheeled contraptions.

[Spoon Man]

Hello,
I've recently acquired a 1982 Yamaha Maxima 550, and I was wondering who else rides, and if you ride in the winter times, and if so, what do you wear?

In general, what advise can you give to someone starting out?

Thanks,
Spoon man

[HarryT]

I've been riding motorbikes for 30+ years.

Invest in a decent set of leathers. It's expensive, but a lot easier than growing a new skin if you come off and slide along the road for a while.

Also, assume that every car driver is a blind idiot, because in any accident you'll come off worst.

My bike was the sole means of transport for 10+ years, and then I rode in all weathers. Now I don't ride when the roads are icy; it's just not worth the risk.

[pholy]

I have a friend who is 80+, still riding since he could get a license, and I'm pretty sure he would echo HarryT's advice.

My brother-in-law, 65+, has long since stopped advising friends about buying motorcycles - he said he lost too many of them to poorly developed reflexes.

So if you are over 40, in addition to HarryT's advice, I'd say "Be Careful, and practice a Lot!"

Best wishes for lots of fun rides!

[dsvick]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Also, assume that every car driver is a blind idiot, because in any accident you'll come off worst.

Excellent advice, I can't agree more - my mom still rides her bike and she is into her 60's. Just last year she got cut off by a driver who never even saw her, after 9 months in therapy and a long and painful recovery she still does not, and never will, have full use of her wrist back. She still rides her 900 though

Personally, I've not ridden in quite a while, my wife says I can get a bike again "later"

[Lycoming]

If you can access the bike's electrical system and create a spur with a plug some of these clothes are suitable to run directly from a 12 volt supply. A heated gillet, and heated warm gloves can make all the difference to your riding on a cold winters day.

Enjoy it anyway. Just think ahead, and wonder "What is the worst thing that could possibly happen in this situation?" And humans being human, it almost certainly will. I once stopped alongside a Police rider, he was stemming the blood flowing from his face. His Police bike was on it's side in the road, T-boned by a small car, in which sat the quivering wreck of a middle aged lady.

"She didn't see me" he said. Now, if she couldn't see a BMW in full livery with a big lad clad in yellow with a white helmet, what chance the rest of us?

Last point. Never ride without gloves. It may look and even be cool. However if you come off the first thing to touch the deck is your paw. Enjoy.



http://www.heated-motorcycle-clothing.co.uk/

[Sweetpea]

I've been riding my bike since I was about 4 years old... Summer and winter, snow and rain!

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by pholy

So if you are over 40, in addition to HarryT's advice, I'd say "Be Careful, and practice a Lot!"

I completely agree. In the UK it's middle-aged men who buy "superbikes" without the experience to know what they are doing who have the highest fatality rate.

I would strongly advise going on a proper training course. Any motorbike dealer should be able to advise which ones are available locally.

[kindlekitten]

get a full face helmet, sure it's not cool but things hitting your face at speed feel like little bullets. you can get leathers, or they are making some good riding gear out of neoprene now. ALWAYS have your lights on. there are ways to make your light kind of flash, gets peoples attention. always ride where the left hand wheel of a car would be. NEVER ever take a chance on a left turn. if it is at all questionable, just wait and take your time. that's how my Dad killed my Triumph, laid it down under someone who turned in front of him. keep your attention out further than you normally would while driving a car. my son t-boned a lady that pulled out of a parking lot at the top of a blind hill. he somersaulted over the car, no more Harley, 2 very badly screwed up disks in his neck.

I can't emphasize how important being alert and aware of your surroundings is

[Spoon Man]

Well, thank you all for the advise! Thankfully, I'm not yet a middle aged man, and this is a "sport bike" so by that logic I should be great!

Seriously though, this is going to be my primary transport for a year or so, meaning riding in cold and potentially icy weather, and I'm going to be as careful as possible. I'm looking into leathers currently, the budget is a bit tight but I'll find a way to make that work.

Does anyone have any recommendations on the rain and cold-weather suits I keep seeing? I've heard mixed reviews.

[kindlekitten]

like I said, check out the neoprene stuff!!! that is what is very common (and dry) in the Pacific Northwest!

[HarryT]

Really any sort of protective suit will be just fine. Leathers are the toughest, but you're right, they are expensive and I can entirely understand if they are currently out of your budget. The main thing is that you're wearing something that will stop your skin from being scraped off on the road. That's no joke, believe me! I cringe when I see people riding bikes in a T-shirt. Sure, it's nice in warm weather, but if you have an accident in a T-shirt, you're probably going to need major skin grafts and that's not nice at all.

The "all in one" waterproofs" are absolutely fine provided that they have a decent amount of padding.

[kindlekitten]

check this site out this place services people who ride in the rain and the snow. it's where I got my stuff from

[JeremyZ]

Good advice so far. I rode motorcycles and scooters for 10 years. Just stopped last year, at a ripe old 33 years old.

To me, the three most dangerous things to watch for are:

1) Deer, from dusk until dawn, when you're outside urban areas
2) Intersections. Most motorcyclists are killed here by left-turners. Make sure you stay in the right-hand side of the lane if you are approaching an intersection, so that you are visible to oncoming traffic around the guy waiting to turn left.
3) Entering a turn too fast or finding debris mid-turn and reacting wrongly.

The reason I quit riding was because of a crash. I entered a turn too fast and it was too late to adjust properly. Braking was not an option, as I was already using all my traction to lean over. I was running wide and was leaned over so far that the pegs were scraping HARD. It lifted the rear wheel off the ground and a spun out into the woods at 40 mph. If there was oncoming traffic, I would be dead. As it was, I only broke my leg in three places. My helmet saved my life. (again) My full riding gear saved my skin. I slid on the road for a bit before hurtling into the woods. I had a full face helmet, motorcycle specific boots, pants, jacket, and gloves.

3 years prior, I was out motoring in the countryside on a hot summer night. Suddenly, a deer appeared in front of me. With my adreneline-boosted strength and my Jedi-like reflexes, I locked up the front tire of the scooter (which had disc brakes) and went tumbling down the road at 45 mph. I was wearing a full face helmet, sandals, shorts, gloves, and a fleece jacket. I had all kinds of road rash on my legs and feet. It hurt like a b!itch for quite a few days. The helmet hit the pavement at least 4 times, and it saved my life that time too.

As my Mom put it: "Consider this a tap on the shoulder." I don't believe in God, but I do believe my luck would eventually run out.

Now, I'm walking without crutches again, but not able to run. I have arthritis in the leg and ankle at a ripe old 33 years old. I have a plate & 9 screws in it.

All that said, I don't regret motorcycling. It was really fun, and really hard to give up; even after the big crash last year. There is nothing quite like it. (for better or worse) Talking someone out of it who hasn't hurt himself badly is near impossible. Wives sometimes have luck with this... Being hurt is what finally changes the person's mind.

Do your best to mitigate your risks. Go fast enough to have fun leaning through the turns, but not fast enough that there is no room for "slippage."

I have since sold both my motorcycle and my scooter and bought a couple of sweet bicycles and a Miata. The Miata is nearly as much fun, much safer, better for sharing the experience with your partner, more practical, and doesn't require riding gear. I can drive it comfortably all year round, but choose not to expose it to road salt. Something to keep in mind for later.

Oh, perhaps most importantly, sign up for your local Motorcycle Safety Foundation course, and buy the book Proficient Motorcycling by David Hough. That training probably also saved me a few crashes.

[JeremyZ]

A Maxim 550 is not a sport bike; more of a standard or UJM. (Universal Japanese Motorcycle)

With regards to the helmet, I second the vote to go for full-face. DOT/Snell if at all possible. The highest point of impact on the head during a motorcycle crash is the front left chin area; 37%.

They have modular helmets how, where the face can be flipped up. But only the expensive ones are any good. I had a cheap one, and a screw fell out of the mechanism and the face fell off during a ride.

Riding year-round in Atlanta area is completely doable. Except for snow & ice. (which you don't get much of, last year you had a couple dicey days, as I recall) Don't do it. If you don't kill yourself, someone else will. Just about any slip will become a fall. Your roads down there are PERFECT for motorcycling. Not all frost-heaved and pot-holed like ours up north.

Have the bike tuned up by a dealer if you're going to rely on it as basic transportation. It is coming up on 30 years old, so even Japanese quality only goes so far. It might need a carb cleaning, if it has sat for half a season. Is it shaft-driven or chain? If it is shaft-driven, change the oil in the final drive. If it is chain, check it for stretch and make sure the chain & sprockets are in good shape. Change the spark plugs and wires. Have the timing points checked. Make sure the tires are not cracked and have plenty of tread. The tread is what keeps you safe when you get caught in the rain.

Look into some soft luggage at a minimum. I prefer a removable locking top case by Givi, but they are expensive. Failing that, a strap on tail bag, tank bag, and saddle bags can do a lot. Lots of kids use backpacks, but remember that you can potentially land on whatever is in there. One Russian guy broke his spine and was paralyzed from the back down because he landed on a can of Coke in his backpack. Tail bags and tank bags stay out of the airstream and don't affect aerodynamics like saddlebags.

If you want it, I have a modular tank bag I'll sell you for $30 shipped. (It cost $85 new, and is in excellent condition. Black nylon) It has the base, which doubles as a map pocket. A small tank bag can buckle onto that. The small tank bag can carry all your day-to-day stuff. Keys, cell phone, wallet, maps, rain suit, etc. There is also a large tank bag which can hold clothes and such. This can either be used on its own, or with the small bag buckled on top of it.

Good luck. Keep it shiny-side-up.

[wayrad]

You should be fine riding year-round in Georgia, with proper gear. I did it when I lived in SC (Aiken/Augusta area) and I don't regard myself as a particularly hardy soul. It's perfect riding country, as already mentioned.

An electric vest and some extra leg covering (overpants or chaps) are handy on the coldest days (in addition to the usual boots, gloves, and helmet of course!). On a bike, hypothermia can occur in weather that wouldn't bother you on foot, and it will affect your mental acuity, so be careful.

I second the recommendation for the Motorcycle Safety Foundation training course. Your local bike shop can tell you times and locations. It's a great deal, since you get to practice and form the right habits on somebody else's bike.