Best motorcycles books according to redditors

We found 375 Reddit comments discussing the best motorcycles books. We ranked the 104 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.

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Motorcycle repair & performance books

Top Reddit comments about Motorcycles:

u/Ole_Gil · 125 pointsr/motorcycles

Congrats on the Babigale and living down your dream!

Reality check: plenty of power is an understatement. Like others have said, your age group and situation is one of the most accident prone. If you are gonna cruise to starbucks every third Sunday, then you probably don't need much more than a basic rider course.

I'll tell you from experience that an 899 is an incredible motorcycle. The engine is good, but it's the chassis that is unbelievable. You already own the bike, it would be a sin not find out what it can do when pressed, because it shreds. Do yourself a ginormous favor and start doing some track-day schools. DON'T try to go be Rossi Sr. on the street, you will either mame/kill yourself or never improve because the learning curve is too steep. Also Twist of the Wrist I and II are must haves. Sport Riding Techniques by Nick Ientasch is another great read.

https://www.amazon.com/Sport-Riding-Techniques-Develop-Confidence/dp/1893618072/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1499826120&sr=8-1&keywords=sport+riding+techniques

https://www.amazon.com/Twist-Wrist-Motorcycle-Roadracers-Handbook/dp/0965045013/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1499826148&sr=8-2&keywords=twist+of+the+wrist

https://www.amazon.com/Twist-Wrist-Vol-High-Performance-Motorcycle/dp/0965045021/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1499826174&sr=8-1&keywords=twist+of+the+wrist

Lastly, the best way to get back at the people who call it a mid-life crisis is to become a proficient motorcyclist.

u/chunkyks · 30 pointsr/motorcycles

Realise that it's not actually going to kill you and be on your way. It's actually not a super significant amount of wind, it just feels like it is.

Also, buy Proficient Motorcycling

u/SOMUCHFRUIT · 26 pointsr/Whatcouldgowrong

Glad someone said this! I read proficient motorcycling when I started riding, and these stats really stuck out to me. Another thing was how there is a steady drop-off in accidents as a rider becomes more experienced with time, and then there is a sharp rise around the 2-year mark. Essentially, riders become complacent.

Also, in said multi-vehicle accidents, most of the time it's a car turning across an intersection that doesn't notice the bike coming.

Ride safe!

Edit: Also, I can't believe someone downvoted you :/

u/PriceZombie · 23 pointsr/LifeProTips

Thanks =)

Also I recommend Twist of the Wrist II. The DVD is entertaining in a "Vanilla Ice 1980's" sort of way.

u/elkster88 · 23 pointsr/motorcycles

Great advice.

Just be aware- what is taught in the basic rider course is the most basic elementary stuff. It's also not really everything you need to know- it's just enough to give you a fighting chance of not being killed immediately, and hopefully gives you a solid starting point to improve your skills.

It takes conscious effort to learn riding techniques, and it takes continuous practice to improve. Simply putting on miles without understanding that you need to put focused effort into improving will get you miles under your belt without developing superior skills. Staying alive on the street is a combination of riding skill and observation & planning skills. Some of this you can learn from books, I recommend David L. Hough's books "Proficient Motorcycling" and "Mastering the Ride: More Proficient Motorcycling", and also his "Street Strategies: A Survival Guide for Motorcyclists" book.

And there are many others who have written good books on riding, but those are the ones I own. When my wife and later our kids decided to ride, those are the books I strongly recommended to them.

Take more formal instruction after you have a little experience on the street. The MSF advanced rider course, or a dirt bike school, a police motor office course, anything with a pro instructor. Track days can be good too, if there is good instruction and coaching available. Right now, you don't really know what you don't know.

u/cacophonousdrunkard · 16 pointsr/LifeProTips

I love my Harley, but just FYI for OP who sounds a little cash-strapped atm: you can also take a regular MSF course for much less money, and they take you all the way from "this is the throttle" to "you are now taking your license exam" in 1 weekend.

The one I took was very good and between that course and Twist of the Wrist (http://www.amazon.com/Twist-Wrist-Motorcycle-Roadracers-Handbook/dp/0965045013) I increased my competence and confidence by a ton.

u/Some_Old_Man_Fishin · 13 pointsr/motorcycles

This website is a decent starting point:

http://www.dansmc.com/mc_repaircourse.htm

This book might help as well:

Motorcycle Basics Techbook (Haynes Manuals)

u/JustTrustMeOnThis · 12 pointsr/motorcycles

Riding a motorcycle is dangerous. Part of the responsibility of being a proficient rider is minimizing the inherent risks as much as possible. Throwing a leg over a motorcycle is not the equivalent of pulling the handle on some cosmic slot machine though.

If you are brand new to motorcycles I would very strongly suggest you go take the motorcycle safety course. I also highly recommend Proficient Motorcycling.

But, to answer your original question, one of most well known statistical reports is the "Hurt" report. Unfortunately this report was originally published almost 30 years ago now and nothing (i'm aware of) of the same scale has been published since. More information can be found here

u/chadcf · 11 pointsr/Frugal

Take the MSF course first. Pick up a copy of Proficient Motorcycling. Then look for a bike.

At 19 it's hard to grasp, but it takes dedication and practice to be safe on a motorcycle. The consequences for minor mistakes are severe, and even if you are careful and responsible, it takes years to master basic techniques to stay safe out there.

Don't rush into it. And don't get into debt to do it.

u/craftyshafter · 10 pointsr/motorcycles

Just a couple things on your form:

Put your toe on the outside of the peg and pivot from there, this gets the knee in the correct position more naturally. You're big enough that you shouldn't need to hang off more than half a cheek. Also, don't ignore your outside leg, keep the toe pointed into the turn will provide the squeeze against the tank, like an anchor. That will help your lower-body positioning. You should have this done just before you flick it into the turn.

As far as upper body, your vision seems perfect (up and out), but you're still in-line with the bike. If you imagine leaning around the frame of a door to look through, that's the goal. Basically get your chin and shoulder down over the hand grip and keep your eyes up. Also try not to square up your shoulders, instead line them up with the turn.

Once you get comfortable with both of those, it will come together and you'll be tripping the tank with your outside knee and forearm, while your inside knee glides along the pavement!

Aside from body position, throttle control is key. Essentially you want 60% of the weight on the back, 40% on the front. This is achieved with steady, constant roll on the throttle.

As far as suspension goes, I'm not sure if you have rebound on your springs, but at the least set your sag and preloads for your weight. You'll need a friend for this, and a video like this one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAWLaLf1Awc&playnext=1&list=PL0E1D32409F421246&feature=results_video

These two books are amazing, cheap, and I absolutely recommend picking up a copy, or if you're ever in KC, hit me up and I'll give them to you! A Twist of the Wrist and A Twist of the Wrist 2, both by Keith Code.

http://www.amazon.com/Twist-Wrist-Motorcycle-Roadracers-Handbook/dp/0965045013/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347847984&sr=8-1&keywords=twist+of+the+wrist

Also, your gear on top is perfect but a pair of riding pants with knee pucks and good boots with toe sliders will give you loads more confidence.

Most of all, enjoy it and ride at 80% of what you feel capable of, you'll last a lot longer that way! Ride on.

u/ridethepiggy · 8 pointsr/motorcycles

Oh man, have you heard about Twist of the Wrist 2?.

u/BuckeyeBentley · 8 pointsr/motorcycles

Read Proficient Motorcycling and A Twist of the Wrist II, and watch the movie A Twist of the Wrist.

u/cortechthrowaway · 8 pointsr/motorcycles

If you're looking for real-world riding techniques, check out Hough's Proficient Motorcycling (book, article).

But don't dismiss TTW just because it's geared towards riding fast. IRL, a lot of riders wobble through corners because they aren't using enough throttle (among other problems). Riding smoothly is safer--it gives you a lot more control over where you're going.

u/squizzix · 7 pointsr/whichbike

Finally, something I can answer:

I have two books in my repertoire:

Bike Science 3rd Ed. - This breaks down the physics of what's happening. It goes in depth about materials, history, really everything bike related. It doesn't go into detail about makes and models though.

Zinn and the Art of Road Bike Maintenance - Where Bike Science is the why, Zinn gets down to brass tacks and gives you useful information on how to fix a bike (note that there is also a Zinn book for Mt. Bikes and triathlon bikes which I haven't read yet...). This is my go-to reference when something goes wrong with my bike.

BikeForums.net - So I don't know everything about anything but this is the place to do research. SRAM vs Ultegra? Trek vs Cannondale? Someone has already asked the question and it's on BikeForums somewhere. I trust people who've actually ridden/owned a bike I have a question about far more than some online review that was vetted by the manufacturer.

Hope it helps.

u/RayDeemer · 7 pointsr/Rowing

Heh, of course no one can hold their best 500 m time for 2k. But if you're well-trained, you should be able to predict your 2k time to a very rough approximation from your 500 m time. Yours isn't that far off, I would say. My bests were around 1:29 and 1:44.

A couple caveats: It's not a direct linear relationship, as split scales to the 1/3rs power of power output, and human power output is, obviously, a function of exertion time.

The linked plot appears in Bicycling Science, which has a ton of interesting information about human power output and endurance in general, which is applicable to rowing.

EDIT: Now I'm bored and curious. I'm going to apply the Concept II formula to the data in the human power curve. I will report back with a rough idea of humanity's rough limits for split vs. time. If I'm still bored, I'll give best efforts to distance and compare with actual records.

DOUBLE EDIT: Here we go! The splits here are comically low, which I believe reflects the fact that they're not only best efforts, but best efforts for an ideal mechanism, which the erg, while pretty good, is not.

TRIPLE EDIT: And here's the theoretical best times!. All the same caveats apply as before. Also note this is a log-log scale, rather than a semilog scale as before. The record data came from concept II. There actually is an individual 1 megameter record, but it's off the plot range it's so high. I'm not fixing the spelling error in the first plot.

u/stop-rightmeow · 7 pointsr/TwoXriders

I completely understand where you're coming from. I also took the class and passed but I was still so uneasy about riding. It baffled me that I was a licensed rider because there was no way I was ready to get on the roads.

I bought a bike (Kawasaki Ninja) because I found an amazing deal on it. I figured I just paid to get my license and I should use it. The bike was cheap enough for me to justify spending the money even if I decided I hated riding in a few months. A friend came with me to check out the bike and also rode it back home for me. I kept it at his house because, like you, my parents would have killed me if they found out.

After getting my bike, I literally just rode around neighborhoods for weeks. Weeks! I nearly dropped my bike after popping the clutch in the first few days of having it. I was always so nervous riding that I avoided doing so as much as possible. I'd make excuses why I couldn't/didn't want to ride and when I did ride, I only rode with friends. But it gets easier, I promise. Everyone always told me that one day, things will just click. I thought they were just trying to be nice, but one day, it happened. It just clicked. The nerves went away and I felt comfortable riding.

There is no way in hell I thought I'd be where I am now. I'm still very much a novice, but I feel so much more comfortable riding now. My parents know about my motorcycle. My dad got his license and rides with me now. I'm looking to get a new bike next year.

Check out Twist of the Wrist. You can read the intro here. I think back to it all the time, how I'm using less attention doing the small things that I once found so difficult.

I don't have advice about the parents thing to be honest. My parents just accepted it because I had already had the motorcycle and license for so long (I told them about a year after I got it). If you can figure this part out, I definitely say find a cheap starter bike and start practicing.

Just like /u/w0lf3h said, you'll make mistakes. But don't quit just yet! If you want to do it, don't let your fear hold you back. Fear is good, as it will keep you cautious and alive. But don't let it hold you back from doing something you really want to do.

If you want to talk more personally, feel free to PM me!

u/SutekhRising · 7 pointsr/motorcycles

Before you accuse me of killing someone, you may want to double-check your information with someone who actually knows something about riding. In this case, I refer to Keith Code. Clearly you haven't heard of him, but take my word for it, he knows a little bit about cornering. The information can be found in his book: Twist of the Wrist II. In fact, its in chapter 4.

Or, if you prefer, the following information is taken word-for-word from the "Twist of the Wrist II" DVD. If you have it, pop it in and go to 26:48 and follow along with the words below:


> "Riders are often confused about why the bike initially stands up and runs wide when they get off the gas mid-turn.

>Once into your lean and the gas is rolled off, weight transfers to the front of the bike, compressing the forks. That weight goes to the front tire, and spreads out the contact patch. This creates additional drag on the patch to the inside of the centerline of the bike. That drag countersteers the bike upwards and it runs wide. The whole thing can seem confusing, especially as the rider expects to tighten the turn when he rolls of the gas, and he finds the opposite of that happening. A moment later, since the gas is off, the bike slows, leans further over and finally tightens up the turn.

>Applying brakes mid-corner creates the same effect. When the weight transfers forward, the result is the same: the bike stands up.

>A static throttle slows the bike as well. Again, the bike tends to run wide. This effect is even more pronounced at higher speeds and steeper lean angles. Getting on the gas too hard, too soon will also send the bike off line: wide."

u/Yarhj · 7 pointsr/motorcycles
  1. Watch Twist of the Wrist for information on cornering and general riding skills.

  2. Read Proficient Motorcycling to understand some of the roadcraft you'll need to keep yourself on two wheels. If you hunt around long enough, I'm sure you can find a pdf somewhere.

  3. Take a training course! This will save you tons of money in repairs and hospital bills. I'm not from Australia, but 5 seconds of googling landed me a few potential leads.

  4. Don't worry about keeping track of what gear you're in. Just shift up or down as necessary to keep the bike in a reasonable rev range and you'll be fine. The only time you'll really care about exactly what gear you're in is when you're at a stop light and need to be in first, or when you're on the highway and try to shift into seventh.

  5. Practice braking in a parking lot to get a feel for how your bike behaves. Start out by getting up to 15-20mph in first or second gear, and gradually try to stop in shorter and shorter distances until you get a feel for how quickly you can stop without locking the wheels.

    Good luck!

u/the_technician · 6 pointsr/AskReddit

If you go for it: Start small. Many new riders get way to much motorcycle right out of the gate.

BUY GOOD PROTECTIVE GEAR. This can quite literally mean the difference between living through a crash and dying from one. After you've bought the gear WEAR IT ALL THE TIME. Yeah I know, it's hot, the gear is heavy bla bla bla. Trust me when I tell you that any discomfort that you feel while in your gear is a lot better than the discomfort you'll feel when covered in road rash and broken bones.

Take a rider course. In some areas this is a requirement in some states to get your license/endorsement.

Find an experienced rider to buddy up with. Most riders that I know are happy to share their knowledge with novices even to the point of helping with parking lot practice.

Learn how to work on your machine. This is another area where knowing and befriending an experienced rider can come in handy.

Get a copy of Keith Code's A Twist of the Wrist
I know it says it's a roadracers handbook but it will give you a lot of what you need to know no matter what kind of riding you do. (there are pdf's of this book floating around the interwebs)

WEAR YOUR GEAR

And if I haven't already mentioned it: WEAR YOUR GEAR

u/[deleted] · 6 pointsr/motorcycles

I'm 21, 6'2" and 190. Before the MSF class, I had never ridden anything, so I know exactly how you feel. Let me see what I can do:

> So, besides taking the MSF course, what can I do to learn more?

After the MSF class, read or watch Twist of the Wrist 2
(note: you can find these elsewhere for free) TotW 1 is good too, but 2 is more focused on practical street riding.

> What should I know (I realize this may be early since I haven't had any experience yet)?

Before you even touch a bike, you should know that motorcycles are in fact dangerous when compared to other methods of transportation. Be knowledgeable of the studies that prove it. Also, understand that while the activity is inherently dangerous there are many ways to reduce risk. The MSF class should cover most of this, but here's a couple that should be drilled into your head:

  • Gear up. All of it. Helmet, Jacket, Gloves, Boots, and something on your legs with more protection than a pair of Levi's.

  • Gear up ALL THE TIME

  • Don't ride in blind spots

  • Always be aware of your surroundings

  • Ride like every car is trying to kill you, because they are

  • Don't be a squid

    >Here in Arizona passing the MSF course waives your skills and written test for a license and I have a hard time believing that 2.5 days of experience is enough for me to feel comfortable riding around without more practice.

    I took the MSF class and picked up a Ninja 250 a month later with no practice in between. I puttered around the neighborhood streets for a while (about 200 miles worth of residential and <40mph streets) before I took it out on the highway. Mostly, work on your coordination. Keeping track of what gear you're in and what order you pull levers and push pedals can be confusing when you're also making sure you don't get run over. Practice until you're confident.

    > Also, I was looking around some dealers this past weekend and almost unanimously they said to ignore the MSF teachers' advice to go for a 250cc bike for a learner because I would "outgrow" it within a few months.

    Wrong. Well, Kind of. It's less the amount of time you own it and more the amount of technically challenging miles you've put on it. One piece of advice I love to give to people considering the 250 is this: Don't ever let anyone tell you that you need to have a big bike to be a good rider.

    I had my 250 for 3 months and put 3800 miles on it and I was still working on my form when I wrecked it. The people that get bored with a 250 in a couple months are the ones that go fast in straight lines. They upgrade to a 600 supersport, lowside it once and get scared shitless. It's why there are so many cosmetically damaged supersports on the market.

    > I've seen a lot of testimonials to the contrary and I mentioned that and then they said that it would be a safety issue, where a larger bike could accelerate out of accidents that a smaller one would get trapped in. Really, I just get the feeling that they are trying to upsell me on a larger bike but I was curious if these things are true.

    Plausible, but unlikely. Power is no substitute for safe riding. I feel a little safer in traffic on my 600 than I did on my 250 simply because I can get out of blind spots faster, but all I'm doing is accelerating to get out of someone's way instead of braking.

    And yes, the dealer is definitely trying to sell you a bigger bike. Bigger bike, more money, more commission.

    > Finally (wow this is a lot of questions) I was looking at a Ninja 250R, probably a used one since the refresh a couple of years ago. Any input on that as a starter bike?

    You should check out r/250r for fellow redditors with the 250r. Also, ninja250.org has one of the biggest knowledge databases on the two-fiddy.

    > I know it's a "sportbike" but it seems more like a standard bike with rider positioning. Also, would a guy of my height have an issue with one? I sat on one and compared to other bikes I felt like I was sitting very low and wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

    Inseam matters more than height. Cycle-ergo is an awesome tool that can tell you roughly where your knees will be and how much you have to lean. Honestly, at 6'2", the 250 was a little small for me. I had one of the older ones which was slightly different, but the new ones I sat on at the dealer were also cramped though there are guys taller than me that ride them comfortably. Next time you go to the dealer, sit on one with your hands on the handlebars and stay there for a while. If it seems a little small don't worry, there are a handful of things you can do to change the ergonomics of the bike. If you're completely uncomfortable after 10 minutes, you may want to look at a bigger bike. (Not a supersport.)

    > Basically, any advice you can give me would be great!

    I know I threw a lot at you and it may be a little overwhelming. You did the right thing by signing up for the MSF class to see if you're truly interested. If you don't make it through the class, don't worry; riding isn't for everyone. It's dangerous, it's expensive and it's certainly a lifestyle change. You'll find yourself going out of your way to hit the twisties and showing up late to things. You'll neglect other projects on the weekends so you can get some seat time. You'll shave your head to avoid helmet-hair. You'll hear the sound of an engine and whip your head around trying to see what kind of bike it's coming from. You'll lean into turns in your car.

    But riding is also one of the most rewarding experiences in the world. Getting over the fear, accepting the danger and finally throwing a leg over a bike is a feeling like no other. Once you do that, you get to experience the silent camaraderie of "the wave," the butterflies in your stomach just as you lean into a corner, the feeling you get whenever you see one of those 'curvy road ahead' signs, the exhilaration of completing a perfect set of twisties, and much, much more.

    Riding is awesome, and I'm sure you'll love it. Good luck in your class!

    EDIT: Downvotes? Seriously? I sure hope that was a bot.
u/DantesDame · 6 pointsr/motorcycles

It was a long time ago, but yes, I recall something similar. I just want to add a word of warning that while you may feel more relaxed now, you must never become complacent. "They" say that the 2nd year of riding can be the most dangerous simply because of the situation you outlined. You get comfortable, relaxed and think "hey! I haven't crashed! I think I have this 'riding' thing down!" So keep your guard up and start practicing the next level of riding.

Oh, and if you haven't yet, I highly recommend reading Proficient Motorcycling - excellent reading no matter what your riding style/skill level.

PPS - nice bike - I have two of them (Gen I) ;-)

u/playfulcyanide · 6 pointsr/motorcycles

Book links for the lazy:

http://www.amazon.com/Sport-Riding-Techniques-Develop-Confidence/dp/1893618072


Edit: removed unpaid link, even though it was kickass.

u/MykeMalicious · 5 pointsr/motorcycles

To be honest, take the lessons first. There is a lot of physics and things to be aware of when riding, including countersteering and emergency handling and braking response that it's hard to explain via the internet. Without proper training you really limit what you are able to do and really increase the likelihood of really trashing the bike, and even worse - yourself. And if you pick up bad habits at the start, it could take you forever to get out of them (lord knows I still have a few I am working on).

Riding itself is not as dangerous as some will make it out to be, but without knowing what you are doing you are increasing that risk a thousandfold. Even with all the proper gear, it's not hard to get hurt in the worst situations and that's for people who have years and years under their belt.

Don't live the "Ride Hard, Die Young", go for "Ride Smart, Die Old".

That said, I am not your parent so if you choose to ride before you get the right lessons, a few helpful things are:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVWcag00ktc

A good video all about motorcycles and how they work

https://www.amazon.com/Lets-Ride-Sonny-Bargers-Motorcycling/dp/0061964271/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

A good book all about motorcycles. It's very beginner friendly and talks a lot about the very basics of everything. It's a good starting spot.

Be safe out there, wear your gear as well.

u/autophage · 5 pointsr/math

So you've read Bicycling Science, right?

u/jmkogut · 5 pointsr/motorcycles

A Twist of the Wrist and A Twist of the Wrist 2 oh and Total Control. These books are amazing.

u/MProph · 5 pointsr/TheVeneration

and by the way.. I just gave you a nickname.. You're "Jupiter" named after Ted Simon's bike that he took around the world.

You should read this book.. it will inspire you and may actually change your life.

http://www.amazon.com/Jupiters-Travels-Years-Around-Triumph/dp/0965478521#

u/tracknod · 5 pointsr/motorcycles

THis is a repost for me... but fits the situation. You will inevitably come up with the idea that you want to try to get sponsorship as well as everyone thinks it would be easy and I talk about that here:

Ok... From someone that is doing the same thing and has ridden on all but one continent, I will start off being blunt as I was initially told.

YOU ARE NOT DOING ANYTHING SPECIAL!!! NOTHING!!! This goes for sponsorship... There are probably 10k people or more right now on Round the World trips in various Degrees. Some guys on prewar sidecars.. guys on scooters, sportbikes, people doing it 2 up, some with kids.. yada yada... You WILL NOT get a bike sponsorship at all... This will be assured. You may be able to get discounts on gear though, but even this is far fetched as you have NOTHING to bring to a sponsor. How are you going to get them a return? How are you documenting it? Are you filming? Are you a photographer? What gear do you already own? Basically you need to do it for yourself with your own money. Once you get a charity involved you need lawyers as how much of the donation will go for your trip and how much will go to whatever you are donating? 10%... 90%???? I am assuming you wanted donations to help pay your way, but I may be wrong. The only way you may is through your church, as most churches are gullible as hell and have money to burn when it comes to thinking about someone riding the world converting heathens on some mission.

Your bike choices are just meh and all aren't really RTW bikes. You are on a crap bike that will leave you stranded on a bike you are unfamiliar on. Also, getting a bike in and out of some countries is a PAIN IN THE ASS not to mention the cost of anything over 125cc in the rest of the world once you take taxes in to consideration. A non kitted BMW Adventure will run about 18k in the states... while in SE Asia, the bike is 38k-44k. Mind you this is a 1200 and a big bike. What you need to be looking at are Dual Sports be it a BMW or Honda. I'd look at a BMW Dakkar or Honda TransAlp for the budget conscious. Forget the sidecar as it just adds weight and can be a pain in the ass for a novice rider and stay as far away from an unreliable Ural for this type of trip.

I don't know what your financial situation is or your work situation, but it is something you need to save for. The bike being your most important asset. It is what will make or break your trip. Then you have all of the gear associated with this. Also, where have you ridden before? Is your longest trip 1500km? 10000km? 50km? Have you ever been on a bike for 2 months straight? How mechanically inclined are you. Can you do your own maintenance? All of these are musts. You will need to be as self sufficient as possible. This even comes down to first aid and being rescued. Do you have evacuation insurance? Insurance on your bike in each country? Are you getting a Sat Phone? GPS tracking with rescue ala a Spot tracker? Do you know how to travel in different countries, like where to keep money, carrying 7 or eight copies of your crucial documents, carrying multiple copies of an international DL as well as. Do you even know what an International DL is?

I am not saying you that your trip is impossible, but the way you are thinking about it is very very unlikely. Why did McGreggor and Boreman get shit??? Well it is fucking Luke Skywalker and the money behind the name. Rewatch Long Way Around again and notice how THEY almost didn't get a bike sponsorship and were bluntly turned down by KTM. This is with the backing of the BBC. I was told long ago, you need to do this trip for yourself if you want it, not for someone else. This comes in everything. I know guys that have climbed Everest with sponsorship.... their second time. Once you show you are able to do something on your own, and show a viable product... this is when sponsorship will come. But then, it is only helping you do what your passion is. right now, from the rest of your posts it seems that you are 2-3 years of really getting into this before I would even recommend this to you. This is after you have ALL of the gear and about 80k USD in the bank. You never know what will happen. Plus, some of the coutries you mentioned mandate you have a Carnet of Passage. This is basically an insurance policy stating that everything you have with you will be with you when you leave or you will pay for it. This alone cost me 50k bond to be held by the company holding my Carnet. I am not including this mandatory 50k in the 80k you should have in your banks.

When I mentioned 80k that was for a RTW trip and being gone for a year. It won't be as much for you as you are not having to take into account the $1k it costs to ship bikes between continents and then your airfare. Also, this is purely a rough estimate and a reserve fund. Your trip will probably cost about $10-15k depending on how fast you travel and where you stay. Camping isn't normally done unless you are out in the severe outback, as most of where you are going will have fairly inexpensive hotel lodging. Always have double the money you think it might take as a reserve. So if you think it would cost you 15k have 30k at your disposal in case of injury, bike breaking down, the grand or so for tires you will need, accidentally killing some farmers goat, ransom, bribes... all have a chance of happening.

How many people? Another bike? Or Two up with your significant other? Even the best friendships will get strained just being with one person for months. I have been there... hell even in LWR they couldn't stand each other for the last legs of the trip. It happens and if you say it won't, you are being VERY NAIVE. Also, what is your nationality? This makes a huge difference too. Americans can't travel into some countries that you have planned. Well, at least not with a ton of red tape and finding people that will help you.
What gear do you own? Plan on buying quality gear as it will make your life so much easier. Don't worry about spending $500 on those riding pants or $900 on your jacket as you will be in them EVERY DAY for a couple months and they could save your life. You must be safe. Read this thread. Clayton became a quadriplegic after hitting a burro in mexico on his way to South America. After a while of living in this state, he killed himself. Shit happens.

You need to read, and read a lot. Buy these and use them as your bibles:

Adventure Motorcycling Handbook

Jupiters Travells

Two Wheels Through Terror

Or Glen's other book One More Day Everywhere

Get them and read. Can you ride offroad? There is a reason nearly everyone does a RTW trip on a dual sport. This is why I said 3 years. Gear costs money...

It is basically said:

PLan on a 6 month planning time frame for a trip in between countries, 1-2 years of planning for multiple continents. Also remember, that bike you buy has to be paid off. No leans. this means you have to come up with the cash for this upfront.

My last trip across North America was 28k km, lasted 3 months and cost 10k after I already had my gear. This is also camping everywhere in the US and Canada and hoteling it in Cental America. My trip to South America was about 14k for a similar time frame. Remember everything cost money. You want to go to Machu Piccu... that is 150 bucks. MMMMM.. wanna see the Nazca Lines from a plane, that will be 200. There will be tons of things you will want to see as well on your trip. And you can't say FUCK I dont have the cash to see it. That defeats the complete purpose of the trip.

Having the will is great and so is optimism. But Blind optimism gets you injured or killed. Where have you ridden before? What is your longest ride? Honestly you sound like every other person that has seen LWR and made their way to the net with grandiose plans only to realize that it is A GREAT DEAL harder than you thought. Even if you had the funds.. which you don't as you probably balked at having 80k in the bank... a multiple continent motorcycle ride is difficult. But the benefits are AMAZING!!!

All That being said, it is the problems you overcome that will be in your memories and stories forever. Nobody ever remembers that day where you rode and stopped at a little restaurant for coffee then pulled up into a hotel. No, they remember the time you ran out of gas and blew a tire 200km from anywhere and you had to put your bike in the back of a military truck to get to help. That story you will tell FOREVER!!! The adventure begins with the adversity.

Sorry for the long wall of text...TLDR READ IT ALL....

OH... all my cost are in USD

u/PraxisLD · 5 pointsr/motorcycles

Upvote for Proficient Motorcycling recommendation. It's a great book, for anyone who wants to learn to ride well.

u/e60deluxe · 5 pointsr/motorcycles

(1) Ok so licensing and basic training is pretty easy in the US but it still varies state to state.

All states use a rider training program, the majority of them being of the MSF curriculum, a small handful of them being run by the MSF themselves. other states will have their own, but the process is usually more or less the same.

you take a 2 day course that takes you from the point of never having sat on a motorcycle to being a licensed rider (some states will still make you take the DMV written exam however) some states will REQUIRE you to take this class if you are under 21. best to check with your state on the process.

This is where you should start. this is not where you should end however. these courses will give you the skills you need to operate the motorcycle, but before being road ready they need to be drilled down in a parking lot. after getting your bike hopefully you can ride it home in a light traffic hours or have it delivered, and be prepared to get out to an empty parking lot and practice the exercises taught before getting into full blown traffic.

in addition to this, your rider education should not stop. i advise you to check out some books from your local library if not purchasing a copy yourself. i will link below

(2) the clutch in a manual car is more difficult than on a bike, but the same interplay between the clutch and throttle applies. most bikes are also designed with wet clutches which allow them to slip more and take more abuse than dry clutches, also gives them a more linear release (although some Italian bikes have dry clutches) . Bikes can also move off easier without throttle which makes things easier in the beginning. hills starts are not as much of a problem on a bike than a car. one advantage a car has however is a mental one, you dont have to worry about keeping the vehicle upright while you are learning. doing this plus learning the clutch could make things challenging. for the most part, though, a motorcycle will be easier than a car.

(3) at your height most bikes will fit well. there's only a few bikes that you can be too tall for, most of the time its the other way around, where as a beginner you want to be able to flat foot the bike. so a lot of this comes down to which bikes you like.

the other things is that a lot comes down to body geometry so not all 6'2" are going to be equally comfortable on the same bike. best it to go and sit on a few bikes. if you are into sportbikes/sport standards, most of the entry level 250cc-300cc bikes actually fit taller people better than say, a 300cc cruiser.

that being said, when you go to take the course. expect to be slightly uncomfortable. a lot of these bikes used at courses tend to be bikes with very low seat heights so that shorter people can still flat foot them...while you are learning you will have to put your foot down a lot, which can be make a taller person feel cramped on the bike. once your riding, these bikes are mostly fine for us taller folk but in the course with so much stop and go, and bike walking exercising, with such a low seat height, its kind of uncomfortable.


Recommended reading:

Proficient Motorcycling: The Ultimate Guide to Riding Well
by David L. Hough
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1620081199/
This book is pretty popular and its VERY good. your local library probably has it. I was actually able to get an ebook from the library to read on a tablet in full color without getting off my butt.


The Follow up:
https://www.amazon.com//dp/1935484869/

If you are into sportbikes:

Lee Parks Total Control https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00R31222S

Nick Ienatsch Sport Riding Techniques https://www.amazon.com/gp/1893618072/

u/SnrNC · 5 pointsr/Dualsport

If you haven't read Proficient Motorcycling by David Hough [link] (http://www.amazon.com/More-Proficient-Motorcycling-Mastering-Ride/dp/1931993033) start there. I still go back to it all the time and pick up tips on riding.

u/Django_gvl · 4 pointsr/motorcycles

I'm reading Maximum Control and Motorcycling Excellence. I've been riding for 10 years and for the $13 dollars spent on Motorcycling Excellence, I've gotten a great refresher. Plus, the chapter on wheel geometry has given me more confidence in the WNC twistys. Totally worth $13 IMHO. Not Started Maximum Control yet.

u/mattgif · 4 pointsr/motorcycles

Non obvious? I make sure to take my adderall, and typically tell my wife when I'm heading out and when I expect to be back. I put in a dozen parking lot hours at the start of every season, and practice emergency stops whenever I can.

>Would it be a good idea to spend a lot of time on reddit and other motorcycle message boards reading anecdotes from other riders about the dangers they've faced?

It seems to me like 99% of posters here have either never ridden a motorcycle or have been riding less than a year. To save yourself the trouble of separating the wheat from the chaff, check out the books Proficient Motorcycling and Twist of the Wrist.

u/Neterson · 4 pointsr/motorcycles

I've not read it yet myself but I see Twist of the Wrist recommended here pretty often. There is a movie as well but books usually trump all. :)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0965045013/ref=redir_mdp_mobile

u/SithLard · 4 pointsr/motorcycles

Proficient Motorcycling is a great book from a rider who's been doing it over 40 years. Also debunks a lot of bs noise about riders and riding with credible data.

u/thtanner · 4 pointsr/motorcycles

AVOID THIS VIDEO. AVOID ANY OF THE TWIST OF THE WRIST SERIES

These are not the best for new riders. Keith loves to throw opinion in there, and explain things without going into the science behind it.

Read Sport Riding Techniques by Nick Nick Ienatsch and you'll be much better off.

u/CAWW718 · 3 pointsr/Harley

Good tips in comments. MSF ridercourse should make you a confident rider, and the book "lets ride" by sonny barger should be a must read for any new, or seasoned rider. I read it every year. http://www.amazon.com/Lets-Ride-Sonny-Bargers-Motorcycling/dp/0061964271

u/tetrahydrofuran · 3 pointsr/bicycling

In a book I'm currently reading (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bicycling-Science-David-Gordon-Wilson/dp/0262731541), there's a "mile/gallon" calculation for various modes of transport. Bicycles work out to be in the order of 500 mpg, if we assume there's food with the same calorific value as petrol... While not a particularly useful comparison, it puts things into perspective.

u/foggymtnspecial · 3 pointsr/motorcycles

Hey! Welcome to the awesome world of motorcycles. I'm new to r/motorcycles, but not motorcycles.

Ouch, this video is a classic case of what are called "survival reactions" causing the rider to go exactly where they didn't want to go. He probably entered the corner too quickly, misjudged the radius, felt uncomfortable about his traction, unsure of his bad body position, etc, and then panicked and did several things:

  • tightened up on the bars (which straightens up the bike)
  • braked (which straightens up the bike)
  • target fixated (which straightens up the bike)
    I'm sure you see the pattern here. A sport bike can lean over for days. For example, racers can drag their elbow on a race track with a stock sport bike on DOT tires; okay, race DOTs, but you get the point.

    Here's some more on survival reactions: http://www.beginnerbikers.org/showthread.php?37861-Keith-Code-and-Survival-Reactions

    This guy got super lucky. It could've been way worse. I won't say he's dumb; you will make mistakes and panic at some point while riding bikes, but if you don't want to be this guy, here's my advice:
  • wear protective gear for crying out loud!
  • avoid speeding on the street, it will get you hurt
  • go to the track! seriously, it's so much fun for beginners and experts alike
  • check out TOTW: http://www.amazon.com/Twist-Wrist-Motorcycle-Roadracers-Handbook/dp/0965045013
  • consider a Code or other bike racing school, even if you don't plan on racing, these schools will help you understand how to be a safer rider on the street

    Have fun and keep the sticky side down!
    Edit: formatting :)
u/friendly_jerk · 3 pointsr/motorcycles

You need to go to the track. Track days are friendly to even the most novice of riders.

Also, I recommend this book, and this one.

u/khafra · 3 pointsr/AskReddit

Space does not permit all the tips I've learned by reading this, this, this, this, and this.

But, briefly:

  • watch out for "edge traps"--where road work or a 2x4 in the street or anything similar can catch your tire and turn it to the side.

  • go somewhere safe, not on the road, and practice. Learn how hard you can apply your brakes, and how to ease off the back as you apply the front. Set up cones and practice various kinds of turns.

  • look far ahead, look all around, predict what other vehicles are going to do in one second, two seconds, five, ten.

  • Three words: Shots and wheelies.
u/Lumpy_bd · 3 pointsr/motorcycles

There is a book called A Twist of the Wrist by Keith Code. It's an absolute must for anybody who wants to improve on their cornering skills (amongst others) and it covers this very topic at length.

u/Xysten · 3 pointsr/motorcycles

This book is great if you're looking to improve at the track as well. There is also a dvd that covers most of the material in the book.

http://www.amazon.com/Twist-Wrist-Basics-High-Performance-Motorcycle/dp/0965045021/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342376172&sr=8-1&keywords=twist+of+the+wrist+2

u/Pogogunner · 3 pointsr/motorcycles
u/1esproc · 3 pointsr/motorcycles

Nope. That's the whole point, vibrations, bad frame geometry, incorrect suspension settings, stuff like that can cause the rear end to do things like what's seen in the video. You should also consider that the front and rear tires are independent and of different radii, and can track independently which can be exacerbated based on surface, inflation and other factors

Check out a book called Motorcycle Dynamics. Just a cursory glance will show you motorcycles and the physics involved in a chassis are very complicated.

u/myVisionIsAugment3d · 3 pointsr/motorcycles

There are literally books written on the subject
https://www.amazon.com/Motorcycle-Dynamics-Second-Vittore-Cossalter/dp/1430308613/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=motorcycle+dynamics&qid=1573548435&sprefix=motorcycle+dynamics&sr=8-3

edit: for more interesting topics bike-trike hybrid that cannot steer https://youtu.be/rNQdSfgJDNM

and bike that self balances without gyroscopic forces and trail https://youtu.be/YdtE3aIUhbU

u/gamblekat · 3 pointsr/Fixxit

Motorcycle Basics Techbook. Covers all the major systems in detail and how they developed.

u/yoyobye · 3 pointsr/motorcycles

I'd say the KLR 650. It's the budget adventure bike.

Check out ADVRider.com, as there's some great ride reports of exactly what you want to do on there, and all of the info you could ever want. Great forums.

You could also buy the book: Adventure Motorcycling Handbook. It's a fantastic read!

u/Toukakoukan · 3 pointsr/IAmA

Where are you? Where can you go?
Figure out the furthest point you can get without having to ship the bike and aim for that.
If you have transportation, you can probably use that, people have gone round the world on R1s. I recommend hard luggage for the bike, aluminium not plastic.
Try and get your visas before hand, it makes life easier but it's not strictly necessary.
Buy a copy of The adventure motorcycling handbook.
Go to Horizons Unlimited and read up on the subject, ask questions on the forums, they're great guys, very helpful!

u/__xor__ · 3 pointsr/motorcycles

Glad you're alright!

As a new rider, I highly suggest you pick up Proficient Motorcycling by David L Hough. It's an amazing book that is very honest about the risk, and lays out tons of techniques to handle stuff like different road hazards that you'll eventually run into, and how to basically perfect defensive riding.

A lot of this stuff isn't in the MSF manual, and the book goes into great detail about how to safely navigate through stuff like gravel on the road, around train tracks and any edge traps, oil on the road, slanted roads with bad traction, deers and dogs, etc. This kind of stuff will make you eat shit if you don't know how to handle it - it did me. We all have instincts for these emergency situations, instincts that can often be the wrong thing to do, like cutting your throttle as soon as you hit an oil patch and start slipping. You can't always trust your instincts and experience.

I've googled for a while trying to figure out these tips but it's really hard to find a good deal of information on the internet on this stuff. This book really puts it all together and teaches you how to be a safer rider. Highly recommend it.

Welcome to the club! And remember, about two years in when you're feeling much more confident as a rider, you're actually at a higher risk because riders get more cocky. stay safe

u/cartoonhead · 3 pointsr/motorcycles

Do yourself a favor and read Proficient Motorcycling.

u/Scoobies · 3 pointsr/motorcycles

My dad made me read this book before I got my first bike
http://www.amazon.com/Proficient-Motorcycling-Ultimate-Guide-Riding/dp/1889540536 : good book about minimising risk while riding.
I got my bike at 28 (2004 dl650 vstrom)

u/rabidfurby · 3 pointsr/AskReddit

Rather than tell him anecdotal scare stories, get him to read the findings of the Hurt Report, which is the largest (and still one of the only) studies of motorcycle crashes & fatalities ever done.

Some of the more interesting bits of the summary:

> The motorcycle riders involved in accidents are essentially without training; 92% were self-taught or learned from family or friends.

> More than half of the accident-involved motorcycle riders had less than 5 months experience on the accident motorcycle, although the total street riding experience was almost 3 years.

> Almost half of the fatal accidents show alcohol involvement.

There's also a couple books, Proficient Motorcycling and More Proficient Motorcycling, which every motorcycle rider should read (in my humble but correct opinion).

u/antarcticgecko · 3 pointsr/motorcycles

For further reading, check out Proficient Motorcycling. This is an excellent resource and I generally recommend it whenever I can because I really believe it helped me become a better, safer rider.

He mentions that there was a growing concern about motorcycling safety so they rounded up a bunch of expert riders and put them into tough (staged) situations. So many of them crashed when trying to cross an uneven road surface that they came up with the "45 degree" rule.

u/misterrF · 3 pointsr/motorcycles

Read Proficient Motorcycling. It's a great book, and will give you exercises to practice and advice for how to ride safely and more confidently. Good luck.

http://www.amazon.com/Proficient-Motorcycling-Ultimate-Guide-Riding/dp/1889540536

u/canyonchaser · 3 pointsr/motorcycles

While this edit is significantly better, Code's techniques are still woefully outdated (and exceedingly complex). Please, if you really want to improve your riding, pass on Code and check out anything by Nick Ienatsch. Not only is his methodology way better, but what he teaches draws heavily from what we've learned from MotoGP/WSBK about how motorcycles actually operate.

His book is the best source for how to improve your riding. http://smile.amazon.com/Sport-Riding-Techniques-Develop-Confidence/dp/1893618072/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413476530&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=nick+ientasch

No affilliation whatsoever, but have been involved in motorcycle instruction for over 15 years.

u/YamahaRN · 3 pointsr/motorcycles

Sport Riding Techniques by YCRS lead instructor Nick Ienatsch Essentially a good portion of the concepts in the school. A good primer if you're interested in investing in a class.

u/pwnd_nz · 3 pointsr/motorcycles

Does what you're doing look like how Rossi does it?
If so, you're probably doing it wrong. ;)

-- Sounds like you're using the weight of your body to pull the bike around the corner, rather than steering it around the corner, I do this in a more subtle way by shifting my weight on the footpegs and if it's a big corner, shifting my ass to the inside of the seat...

Have a read of this (there's an e-book version available from your favorite torrent search) Sports Riding Techniques - Nick Ienatsch

In the book it explains how a tyre has a maximum of 100 points worth of grip (these points are arbitrary, they're just to illustrate the point)

When you're coming out of a corner, you are using most of your 100 points for cornering grip, if you apply too much throttle, you'll dedicate too many points to acceleration, overwhelm the tyre and you'll lose traction.

-- In my experience (relatively limited but I'm studious when it comes to staying alive) It all comes down to how smoothly you apply the throttle on exit as to whether you'll break traction in a bad way or not and head for the scenery... - eventually, you'll learn that limit and if you're being smooth, it'll be recoverable.

u/mjxii · 3 pointsr/motorcycles

Add stomp grips! They will allow you to hook your leg and stay solidly in control. My tank was so slippery I felt like I was going to fall off and kept smashing my nuts under hard barking. Added stomp grips and I stay put.

Seriously, get them!

Also watch / read twist of the wrist
and I got this: http://www.amazon.com/Sport-Riding-Techniques-Develop-Confidence/dp/1893618072/ref=pd_sim_b_44

u/te_anau · 3 pointsr/motorcycles

I agree, twist of the wrist definitely caters to those requiring a more, ugh, special education.
Try Sport-Riding-Techniques, Its written with a regular thinking folk in mind and contains plenty of clearly formed concepts/ techniques.

u/UrbanEngineer · 3 pointsr/motorcycles

Modern version of the one you mentioned.

Got the modern one :).

Also recommend the Race Tech Suspension Bible. There is much to learn.

u/Stabme · 3 pointsr/WTF

Basically that's it for the swerve. Just getting to know how hard and fast you can switch directions. A lot of the time it's a car pulling in front of you and not having time to break.

For emergency brakes its going from speed to 0 as quick as possible without locking a tire. Most of the time locks come from too much rear break. At the beginning of the brake apply both brakes, progressively applying more to the front and letting off the rear(front breaks have about 75% of the stopping power). Also, if you do lock a tire it's best to ride it out, depending on speed releasing a break can cause the bike to over correct into a highside.

You might also look into taking the Motorcycle Safety Course(assuming you are in the US). It gives the basics of low speed maneuvering and how to deal with panic situations. It also has the benefit of lowering insurance rates and counting as the driving portion of the license test(depending on the state).

Also, This book is very in depth look into good riding habits and bike control. Highly recommended if you don't know much about bikes and how their controls are much different than cars.

u/EnigmA-X · 2 pointsr/motorcycles

Take the course. Read some books.

Practice at an empty parking lot. A lot!

u/markw365 · 2 pointsr/motorcycles

A few things, good choice on the bike! Love the SV650. Get it setup for your weight, it will handle better. We just did this to my son's SV650, he's 130lbs and we resprung it and did the racetech gold valves, and we set proper sag on it. You should be able to set sag, at least on the S model it has preload on the forks, they all have the preload on the rear shock. Also get the svracingparts.com moto frame sliders, they're the best available for this bike and will protect it when you drop it.


Secondly, pick up Lee Parks book, and read it. https://www.amazon.com/Total-Control-Lee-Parks-ebook/dp/B00R31222SConsider taking the intermediate rider course, or the advanced rider course since you've been riding for awhile. I assume you are in the states since you mentioned MSF. Here's the website to find courses in your area.


Thirdly, and this is huge to improving your riding skills, just practice. Find a local big parking lot and just do drills, slow speed u-turns, offset weaves, Emergency BRAKING (huge). Subscribe to Motojitsu channel on youtube. He's probably got the best practice videos out there, I found him when trying to explain countersteering to my son.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0FFFneMi9GwRHUsuBjM0jA


He's also got a couple books on amazon. He's a certified Total Control instructor, and knows his stuff. https://www.amazon.com/MotoJitsu-Master-Riding-Program-Widmar-ebook/dp/B07P8J6Q89


So, Bike setup, Book, courses, videos, practice. Repeat the last one as necessary. I am taking the ARC1 course December 8th (San Diego). Should be fun, I've been off the bike for 15 years, need to blow off the rust.

u/Ojisan1 · 2 pointsr/motorcycles

Now that I've got a bit of real world experience since my MSF class, I do plan on taking a supermoto class and ADV riding training (if I can find such a thing).

The main thing I learned since MSF is that there's always more to learn. David Hough's book saved my ass the very day after I read it, luckily for me! I got into a situation in a construction zone that I would have had no idea how to handle if I hadn't read his book, and only had the MSF as my base of knowledge.

u/Bobosmite · 2 pointsr/motorcycles

I think everyone goes through this starting out. The guy who I took advice from was ATGATT and had a good riding philosophy. When my mom first saw me with the bike, I showed her all the gear, padding, and armor. and it eased some of her fears. "Whatever happens" does not have to be whatever. You need to take control of your own safety so when "whatever" happens, you have a safe response. Your dad needs to see how you're prepared for danger and prepared for life.

Watch a lot of motorcycle crash videos, seriously. Try to figure out what went wrong, why did the rider crash, what could they have done to prevent it? Buy and read this book: Proficient Motorcycling

Are you a good car driver? Be honest with yourself. If yes, then you can be a good motorcyclist because it uses a lot of the same driving skills. The biggest difference is the controls. The risk is much higher and that's the part you really need to be okay with. Use your fear to make better decisions, become more observant, and find ways to get other drivers' attention. No matter how many years you ride, there will always be fear.

Lastly, Why did you stall five times riding around your block? What did you do to resolve this issue? What are you going to do the next time you stall the motorcycle? Don't tell me, tell yourself. Learn something from everything you do wrong...and right.

u/ThreeBrothers913 · 2 pointsr/relationships

First off (To the OP): Your fear is understandable. I've heard it all: murdercycle, organ donor, all of it. Keep in mind that he can die in a car, walking on the sidewalk, or absolutely anything. A motorcycle is more dangerous than a car; there's no doubt. And the chance of a serious or fatal accident is higher than a car.

The question you should be asking him: why do you want a motorcycle? If it's just to save money or some other, non-passion reason you should have him think hard about his choice. You will spend more money, have more frustration (Maintaining the bike and a car), and have more stress than not owning a bike at all. But if it's a truly a passion, then all the bad will be outweighed by the feeling a rider gets when they're on a bike. It is an experience that cannot be described; it has to be felt. The money and all the frustrations pale in the face of that. And trying to rationalize it away never works.

And questions you should be asking yourself: why am I so afraid? Is it because I don't know anything about riding? Is it because the media has hyped up the danger? Am I worried he's going to die, and is that worry not overblown? You thoughts matter and you should think about your fears, where they come from, and are they realistic/overblown/justified/etc. Maybe you'll want to take the MSF course (See below) and see for yourself the risks involved. Maybe not. But it's just as important for you to understand your feelings as it is for him so you can have a good discussion and come to a solution that you both can agree to and feel satisfied with.

Now.. If he wants to see if riding is worth it then he should do the following:

  1. Contact the local Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) and take their course (Usually two evenings and a Saturday). You don't even need a bike to take the course. It's invaluable. And once a year take the advanced course if they offer it. Find them here: http://www.msf-usa.org/
  2. Go buy "Proficient Motorcycling" by David Hough. It's THE bible when it comes to riding safely. Paper or electronic, it's as important as the MSF course. An Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Proficient-Motorcycling-Ultimate-Guide-Riding-ebook/dp/B004CLYCPM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1410465502&sr=8-1&keywords=proficient+motorcycling

    Hell, I find this book so important that I'll buy you a copy if it'll help in any way. Just PM me.

    Then get the proper gear (CE rated) a used bike (To see if it's something he'll want to spend money and do), and get on the road and take it slowly. Just like any new car driver does. In fact, treating riding in the beginning like starting out in a car for the first time is the best way to think about it. In other words, he won't be commuting on a highway immediately after completing the course.

    But then again there's some bad advice out there too. To whit:

    > There are only two kinds of bikers. Those who have, and those who will, lay their bikes down.

    Some sort of mishap should be expected. I've had my "0mph crashes" (Dropping the bike while stopped), and I've had one accident where I got a hospital ride, and then thrown out of the emergency room for not being sick/injured enough. Proper gear, proper safety equipment, etc should be paramount and will make the difference between walking away with a little road rash, and the ICU or worse.

    That being said...."Lay the bike down"? Seriously? You've been riding for 10 years and you're putting that in writing? Do you even understand where that comes from and why it's no longer relevant?

    You NEVER lay the bike down. Modern bikes have amazingly good brakes (Search Youtube for "stoppies" to see) and you NEVER cede control ever. You ride that brake upright until the bitter end if you can't avoid the accident to lose speed and keep control. If necessary you hit the object upright too (See motorcycle airbags, or as I call them "assbags"). The laws of physics, once they're in full control and you become a passenger, are a lot harsher than if you always have control and options. "Lay the bike down"....Why don't you go back to fixing your rear drum brake while you're at it too?

    >Leather is a MUST

    Nope. Motorcycle Consumer News some years back highlighted a report that did drag tests on various materials showed that Cordura/Synthetics could keep up with all but the highest quality leather. Unless your husband plans to compete in MotoGP at Leguna Seca he should buy gear from a reputable manufacturer, and pay close attention to the seams, stitching, and zippers. The material itself makes little difference for most street use; poor stitching will in a slide though.

    >STAY THE FUCK AWAY FROM SEMI TRUCKS.

    Yes and no. They are dangerous to be around, but the hysterics presented are just that. I worry more about the student from China that has just started college with his brand new Audi and a US driver's license. Take the risk in context, not as an absolute.

    >STAY THE FUCK off the freeway in the rain.

    Horseshit. I do it all the time, and have no problems. Living in New York it rains A LOT and this year even moreso. That said I have had no traction problems or issues from riding other than the water soaking through my gear and the usual fuckwits in their cage. Your husband needs to decide for himself how safe/unsafe it is than rely on individuals who deal in absolutes.

    >Full faced helmets protect from road rash, but I've seen some of my best friends get killed because of the torque on their neck on impact.

    Anecdote is anecdote. Mine is easy: In my accident my full face helmet prevented injury to my head. That included a bounce in the process.

    Statistically there is NOTHING to support such a statement. If anything, wearing a non-full face helmet opens you up to more serious, if not fatal face/head injuries. See the Hurt Report for details. Proficient Motorcycling will go into some detail on this as well.

    Ultimately, if your husband decides to ride, he should take individual opinions with a grain of salt. Individual anecdotes about how full face helmets can kill, leather over Cordura/synthetics, staying away from rain and tractor trailers, etc are just that: either anecdotal or outright BS. He should listen to the MSF instructors and the book. If there's any questions he should not go for anecdotes. He should look to Europe where they take riding more seriously than the US, try to buy equipment that meets Europeon standards, and failing that spend time with quality publications (Motorcycle Consumer News) and quality message boards (Eg: Adventure Rider). And, above all else, he needs to be comfortable with what he has and what he's doing. If not, then he needs to stop and re-evaluate.

    Now before /u/MentalSewage goes off, here's my experience:

  • Riding for 11 years, driving for 26
  • Drove professionally for 6 years averaging 75K miles/year in all weather conditions, including blizzard (1"+/hour snow for 8+ hours. Don't miss those days at all)
  • Ride averaging 10K miles/year starting April 1st and going until first icing/salt truck (Usually early November)
  • Ride in ALL conditions, form rain to sun, to snow. Thank you New York, Pennsylvania and the crap meteorologists they employ
  • Do not hesitate to ride 400+ miles in a day on the Interstate, regardless of weather

    All typos and grammar mistakes are mine. Accept no substitutes.
u/SellMeSomeSleep · 2 pointsr/motogp

I can personally recommend this book if you want to know the physics of what adjustments or design changes do to the performance characteristics of a motorcycle:
www.amazon.com/How-Why-Motorcycle-Design-Technology/dp/8879113445

u/llazy_llama · 2 pointsr/motorcycles

I've read most of the books that are likely to come up in this thread. Let's Ride, by Sonny Barger, was my favorite. He discusses everything from gear (where he encourages ATGATT, but doesn't preach), choosing the right bike, what to look for in a used bike, weather and other inclement conditions, and basic/routine maintenance. His attitude during the entire book just made me want to drop whatever I was doing and hop on the nearest two-wheeled conveyance and tear off into the sunset.

And hey, it's worth reading just to hear one of the founders of the Hells Angels rag on how Harley-Davidson is way behind the times.

u/mbeels · 2 pointsr/askscience

That exact question is addressed in David Wilson's "Bicycle Science" book. Don't have the reference handy, but it is an interesting read.

u/tuctrohs · 2 pointsr/bicycling

The book Bicycling Science is a great resource. It doesn't have all the answers but it has some really good information as a starting point to understand some of the more recent discussions.

https://www.amazon.com/Bicycling-Science-Press-Gordon-Wilson/dp/0262731541/

If I recall correctly that's more about handling than rider fit. The modern approach to rider fit is based on stack and reach, which you can read about here:

https://www.slowtwitch.com/Bike_Fit/Choosing_a_Tri_Bike_via_Stack_and_Reach/The_Stacktennial_3432.html



u/Sleeveless9 · 2 pointsr/bikewrench

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0262731541/ref=redir_mdp_mobile/179-6181336-7358164

This book is pretty thorough. Might be worth a buy considering your interests.

u/RickRussellTX · 2 pointsr/motorcycles

Suggestion. I am told by various Harley & Goldwing owners that this is an excellent book if you are new to motorcycles of that size.

u/setofskills · 2 pointsr/nononono

Twist of the Wrist, a must read for anyone wanting to learn how to ride better.

u/mesablue · 2 pointsr/motorcycles

It comes down to your skill level. Rear braking and downshifting can set up your rear suspension, braking with power helps you control your exit.

Shifting works the same way.....

Way over simplified, but it's a good idea to get used to the feeling of controlled braking and/or adding power through corners. You never know when an off camber or decreasing radius turn ( or something slick that knocks you off your line) will toss something scary at you.

My racing days were a LONG time ago. A good first read -- http://www.amazon.com/Twist-Wrist-Motorcycle-Roadracers-Handbook/dp/0965045013

Also, anything that works on the track will help you on the road. Being able to maneuver and or stop ridiculously fast will help avoid most incidents in traffic.

I'm just learning how to do it on a big cruiser. The first time I grabbed a handful of front brake last week at a quick light, I almost blew through the intersection (after 25 years of riding.) Today I was giving those big brembos all they could take to find out where my loss of traction would start and to see how stable the bike is with some front wheel slide. Very stable, happy to say. But, I had to know.

u/Quagga_1 · 2 pointsr/SuggestAMotorcycle

NP. You can't really go wrong with either option ;-)

​

But [SERIOUS]ly.

My only real concern is that you might be making your rookie mistakes on a relatively fast motorbike.

You mentioned that you've got some experience, which is good. You also inferred that you might want to push your MT-09 on a twisty mountain road in the Norwegian countryside, which makes me both terribly jealous and a bit worried.

If you are planning to ride well within your limits (and speed limits) you might well get by with your stringent Norse license and self-control. But if you plan on riding harder (and who doesn't) sooner or later you will get yourself into a sticky situation. ABS and traction control are wonderful aids, but both rely on rider input.

Be honest with yourself regarding your own experience. Disregard this post if you've ridden thousands of kilometers, made your mistakes and learnt your lessons. Otherwise I'd really recommend you do everything possible to boost your experience with (relative) low risk. Attend a track school or high-performance riding lessons or even an off-road academy. And check out Keith Code's Twist of the Wrist series (see Amazon and Youtube) for some riding theory.

Motorbikes are wonderful things, but they can bite hard. You too will make mistakes. Mitigate the consequence!

u/ilolatstuff · 2 pointsr/motorcycles

I've been riding for a year now and I feel like I've got some of the basics covered, IMO.

By basics I mean: general notions of how the bike works in terms of the physics involved; gyroscope effect, counter-steering, how acceleration/deceleration effects the suspension, traction, etc. I also understand and practice cornering (where and if appropriate), rev-match downshifts, try to lean into the turns and hang-off the bike (this is my current biggest issue), etc.

My guides have been Sport Riding Techniques, the Twist of the Wrist 2 DVD and I am currently going through the Twist of the Wrist 2 book.

I understand a lot of the skills needed to ride are practiced daily but I also feel like it's impossible to know certain things if not told by a more experienced rider. At this time I feel like I am not correctly hanging off the bike at turns that could benefit from it, either because I might be leaning too far on turns that might not need it so much (or the opposite) or that I might be hanging off incorrectly (probably both, tho) and upsetting the bike.

I'm basically scared to go to a track and find that I lack the required skill level but then again I don't know how I could get to this level without someone actually telling me what I am doing wrong.

u/alexpap031 · 2 pointsr/greece

Σου προτείνω για αρχή αυτό αν ξέρεις καλά αγγλικά.

https://www.amazon.com/Twist-Wrist-Motorcycle-Roadracers-Handbook/dp/0965045013

Δεν ξέρω αν υπάρχει μετάφραση στα Ελληνικά.

Κράνος, μπουφάν, γάντια, παπούτσια (και παντελόνι αλλά πιο δύσκολο το κατακαλόκαιρο) ΜΗΧΑΝΗΣ, όχι ό,τι να 'ναι, ακόμα και το κατακαλόκαιρο. Κοστίζουν αλλά αξίζουν τα λεφτά τους και όχι μόνο για την ασφάλεια αλλά και την άνεση αν κάνεις αρκετά χιλιόμετρα.

Μάθε από παλιότερους. Όχι τον κάθε ξερόλα με το ασυντήρητο χρέπι δεκαετίας και βάλε, θα καταλάβεις. Αν δεν έχεις πρόχειρο τέτοιον σκέψουν την πιθανότητα να πας σε καμιά λέσχη μοτοσικλετιστών. Πολλοί βαρεμένοι εκεί αλλά και πολλοί έμπειροι που μπορεί να σε βοηθήσουν + μπορεί να βρεις καλύτερες τιμές και συμβουλές για εξοπλισμό, ανταλλακτικά κλπ.

Θα μπορούσα να γράψω πολλά περισσότερα αλλά ξεκίνα με αυτά και θα βρεις την άκρη.

Καλά χιλιόμετρα.

u/schwiz23 · 2 pointsr/motorcycles

They definitely are! I highly recommend you read Twist of The Wrist by Keith Code. There are some very good points on downshifting, and useful techniques that you can apply to street riding.

http://www.amazon.com/Twist-Wrist-Motorcycle-Roadracers-Handbook/dp/0965045013

u/gonzo_au · 2 pointsr/motorcycles

I also punt a 954 Fireblade and a CB919 around. Rear brakes get a work out on these two.

I'm not trying to be a jerk, but do an advance skill course. Or at least read up on it.

u/StarWolve · 2 pointsr/motorcycles

Here's a list, off the top of my head - I know all these are on my bookshelf, but I'm probably missing a few more:

Hell's Angel: The Life and Times of Sonny Barger and the Hell's Angels Motorcycle Club by Sonny Barger

Freedom: Credos from the Road by Sonny Barger

Ridin' High, Livin' Free: Hell-Raising Motorcycle Stories by Ralph Sonny Barger

Dead in 5 Heartbeats by Sonny Barger

Under and Alone by William Queen

No Angel: My Harrowing Undercover Journey to the Inner Circle of the Hells Angels by Jay Dobyns

Hell's Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga (Modern Library) by Hunter S. Thompson

Street Justice by Chuck Zito

The Original Wild Ones: Tales of the Boozefighters Motorcycle Club by Bill Hayes

Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road by Neil Peart

The Masked Rider: Cycling in West Africa by Neil Peart

Against the Wind: A Rider's Account of the Incredible Iron Butt Rally by Ron Ayres

Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry into the Value of Work by Matthew B. Crawford

Honda CB750: The Complete Story by Mark Haycoc

Shovelhead Red The Drifter's Way by Roy Yelverton

Shovelhead Red-Ridin' Out by Roy Yelverton

A Twist of the Wrist 2: The Basics of High-Performan​ce Motorcycle Riding by Keith Code

Total Control: High Performance Street Riding Techniques by Lee Parks


Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values by Robert M. Pirsig - Still my favorite. A high school english teacher bought it for me when he found out I had just passed my motorcycle road test. I've read it at least 15 times, and get something new from it each time.


But the best recommendation - Buy the FACTORY SERVICE MANUAL for your bike and read it. Read it often, until you can almost turn to the exact page for each procedure.

u/Rocketsprocket · 2 pointsr/motorcycles

You may be leaning plenty already (for the street). The pegs on a sportbike are situated differently from those on a cruiser, and the amount of lean required to drag them may be more than what you need.

You might want to concentrate on skills specific to sportbike riding - yes, they are different from cruisers. (For example braking is different due to a different weight distribution between the front and back wheels.)

Keith Code's book is excellent.

u/ocelotpotpie · 2 pointsr/motorcycles

Check out Twist of the Wrist. There's a DVD and a book. Both are excellent. There are some great excerpts from it on youtube as well.

Book:
http://www.amazon.com/Twist-Wrist-Basics-High-Performance-Motorcycle/dp/0965045021


Some bits from the DVD on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWH_QiXw5n4&feature=related

u/unoriginal_stuff · 2 pointsr/motorcycles
  • In short, there's nothing you can say or do now that will ease her mind.
    That all comes with time. Save up and pay for your own bike and gear, take the safely course. Try not the crash in your 1st year of riding. Show her you're responsible adult.

  • Don't ride in the rain, Take public transport. But sometimes it can't be helped. Just take it slow, wait for the rain to die-down if it get too heavy (what's heavy? you have to make a judgement on that)
    You can get riding gear that's water proof, but my experiences with them is that they don't work. Just carry a water proof backpack with a change of clothes in there, Kriega makes great stuff. The bike should be fine in the rain, but it's best to find a shaded area to park.

  • Just keep in mind that you're a beginning and know your limits. A twist of the wrist 2. Read it or Watch it.
u/kowalski71 · 2 pointsr/motorcycles

Psh, when I ADV ride I'll be getting a 500cc vintage Triumph Tiger :)

u/random_echo · 2 pointsr/Justrolledintotheshop

numbers come from this book, i'll scan you the page if you'r interested, maybe I did'nt got it right

http://www.amazon.fr/Motorcycle-Dynamics-Edition-Vittore-Cossalter/dp/1430308613

but we are not talking street application, the accident occured on a track, there is a lot more of grip, rear matters a lot less.

u/kin670 · 2 pointsr/motorcycles

You don't want the front wheel to lock up; this is why ABS is so popular. Also contact surface area does not affect traction. Weight and how the energy is transferred plays a more significant role in how a motorcycle stops.

Source

u/mooxie · 2 pointsr/motorcycles

YouTube is a great resource, as people are saying. Especially if you can find someone who is working on a similar bike.

The basic user maintenance for your bike will be briefly described in the owner's manual. To go deeper than that definitely pick up the Haynes or Clymer service manual for your bike. They are more beginner-friendly than the manufacturer's service manual.

Finally, if you really want to foster a deep understanding of how motorcycles work on a book-learnin' level, grab the Motorcycle Basics Techbook https://www.amazon.com/dp/185960515X

u/IAm_Yu · 2 pointsr/motorcycle

https://www.amazon.com/Motorcycle-Basics-Techbook-Haynes-Manuals/dp/185960515X not sure if that would help but seems like it gives a basic rundown of common engines. Looks like something you might be looking for at least for now

u/tobiasu · 2 pointsr/motorcycles

The Upper Half of the Motorcycle - very popular in Germany, not yet well known in the English-speaking world: http://www.amazon.com/Upper-Half-Motorcycle-Unity-Machine/dp/1884313752/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1311352599&sr=8-1

It focuses mostly on the rider itself, what we do wrong, why, and how to overcome your wrong instincts. Also contains a number of small exercises designed to improve your road riding skill.

u/AgentRocket · 2 pointsr/motorcycles

for learning the basics, nothing beats a good instructor. so, as people have said, take a course.

as for books, i can recommend Upper half of the motorcycle. most of it is not so much about technical stuff, but about the psychological aspects of becoming a unity with the bike, rather than just a piece of luggage it has to carry around.

u/wabiker · 2 pointsr/motorcycles

According to this page, "Friction Zone" in Oct. 2005 reported that "The only state that prohibits the wearing of earplugs is California" (and even then not fully).

David Hough recommends wearing ear protection. So did my MSF instructor. I don't think it's an unusual position.

I regularly wear ear protection (not when riding -- I'm a musician), and I cannot imagine ear protection so strong it would be a safety issue.

One of the commenters at my first link raises a very good point: if your department of licensing will license a deaf driver, there's no reason earplugs should be a problem. According to this, the deaf are allowed to get full driver's licenses in (among other countries) the U.S., Britain, Germany, France, and Australia. So even if you had some magical earplugs that made you 100% deaf, there still sholudn't be any problem.

u/DodgersOneLove · 2 pointsr/IdiotsInCars
u/onecartel · 2 pointsr/motorcycles
u/jnish · 2 pointsr/motorcycles

I started riding at 16. My family all took the MSF class together and all passed. I rode a Honda Shadow all senior year and it was great. I regard myself as a pretty careful guy but still did some foolish things back then (gear, what gear?), including nearly dropping girl off the back because I gunned it so hard and she didn't have a good grip. Not a good way to impress the ladies. Lesson learned: don't try to show off, they'll be impressed by just going faster than their bicycles. If you haven't already, take the MSF class. They offer some advanced ones as it appears you're already riding. I took beginner at 16, then when I started riding again last year (11 years later after a 9 year hiatus while at college) took the advanced which teaches more about advanced handling and evasive maneuvers.

Forget all the haters hating on the 17 year old. I get it (both ways). It's easy and fun to be cocky, just don't let it lead to anyone getting hurt.

FYI: In all that time in high school, and knock on wood still to this day, I've never dropped my bike or gotten into any sort of accident. Sure hell of a lot of close calls, enough to remind me to keep my eyes up and about. There's an interesting statistic in Proficient Motorcycling along the lines that most motorcycle accidents occur during the second year of riding: enough time that riders get confident and start relaxing to the point they they become overconfident and get into trouble. I guess if you make it through that then you've had enough close calls to know how to get yourself out of a tight spot and, more importantly, avoid them from happening.

u/YouWillHaveThat · 2 pointsr/motorcycles

I bought this book for $1 on ebay:

https://www.amazon.com/Proficient-Motorcycling-Ultimate-Guide-Riding/dp/1889540536

It is worth $100.

Buy it, read it, and do the drills.

Edit:

Also: Wake up early!

5:30 - 7:30 on a Saturday/Sunday is the BEST time to ride. Less traffic and less cops.

Just watch out for drunks.

u/dirtyoldduck · 2 pointsr/motorcycles
u/funnythebunny · 2 pointsr/Harley

Be sure to read up on how to be a better rider. I highly recommend reading Proficient Motorcycling available in both paper and e-book.

Welcome to FREEDOM.

u/InconvenientCheese · 2 pointsr/nova

I will say apex also has better beginner bikes then the Harley class in Fairfax. the apex, and while the Harley class is longer they both cover the same info , I'd recommend also getting and reading a copy of Proficient Motorcycling by David L. Hough

u/sew_butthurt · 2 pointsr/SuggestAMotorcycle

Howdy, and welcome to the wonderful world of motorcycling. Good luck on your quest.

First off, does that $2,500 include riding gear or is that just for the bike? Assuming the former, you could spend $500 on a helmet, jacket, and gloves with $2k left over for the bike purchase. For riding gear, I recommend checking out motorcyclegear.com, especially their closeouts. They also have deals called 'almost free' where you receive a gift card for nearly the full price of the garment. You can sign up for their sale emails, check it out.

The bike you posted looks good, but given the age it would be helpful to take a knowledgeable friend along before buying. There is a lot to inspect to prevent unforeseen costs. As /u/DantesDame mentioned, rubber bits get old, brittle, and dry rotted. Think leaky carb boots, fork seals, brake hoses, things like that. Also you should check the valve clearances and ignition timing; personally I find these things fun but I did grow up wrenching on things.

A CB350 would be good, really anything from Honda's CB lineup would be fine, though the 750s and up get pretty heavy for a beginner. If there are many dirt roads near you, maybe consider a dual-sport such as a Honda XR or CRF230L (-R is offroad only, -L is street legal), Yamaha TTR, Suzuki DR-Z. They tend to be light and easy to handle, they're single-cylinders and generally pretty easy to work on.

Back to maintenance--whichever bike you get, get yourself a copy of the service manual. This is a how-to book with detailed instructions for all types of maintenance, including how to take the bike apart down to the last nut and bolt and still put it back together again. If you have that and a friend who knows how to change their own oil, you're off to a good start.

Of course take the class, but if you can meet seasoned riders to talk to or ride with, even better. Just be sure to take your advice from safe, responsible folk. If you can't find people like that, check your local library for this book. If they don't have it, you might be able to get it on inter-library loan:

http://www.amazon.com/Proficient-Motorcycling-Ultimate-Guide-Riding/dp/1889540536

u/codeduck · 2 pointsr/motorcycles

So basically what you're saying is that your basic rider course was worthless, because you seem to have learned nothing from it. What were you doing that you managed to drop a 250cc twice in one day?

> Sadly, I laid it down twice on the first day of owning it.

"Laid it down" is an oxymoron for "I'm a fucking pelican and I crashed the fuck out of my new bike"

Please do yourself a favour - buy a copy of this book and watch this youtube video before climbing back onto your bike.

You are a danger to yourself and to others at the moment.

u/Depafro · 2 pointsr/motorcycles

I got my license when I was 16, I've been 21 for a short while now.

I did not take a class, though I rode a 50cc scooter for a while, which was an easy start. I had ridden dirt bikes a few times before that.

My first time riding, I showed up at the house where the bike I was buying was, jumped on, and rode it home. Learned through trial-and-error. I did a fair amount of practicing in parking lots, exercises from this book, and I also read this book, which is great.

If you can afford a course, then take it. If not, be very pro-active about your riding education, practice lots and learn always.

u/OutofSpec · 2 pointsr/motorcycles

I recommend Proficient Motorcycling by David Hough as far as books go.

u/Asshole_Salad · 2 pointsr/motorcycles

Jeesus. I was in college when you were born. Anyway... It's hard to give general tips without sounding like a broken record, but here goes:

Get decent gear and wear it, people will tell you that you have to spend $1,000 on gear but that's BS, just keep an eye on closeouts, my favorite site is http://www.motorcyclegear.com/ a few hundred bucks will get you everything you need if you're not fussy about having the best, latest or flashiest stuff.

Take the MSF if you haven't already.

Get this book and read it, it's the best book there is for teaching rider safety on the street. http://www.amazon.com/Proficient-Motorcycling-Ultimate-Guide-Riding/dp/1889540536

Take short, easy rides at first, your riding brain is like a muscle that you have to work out to build up over time.

Get out there and have fun!

u/tttruck · 2 pointsr/motorcycles

These two are pretty good, but I found "Total Control" kind of lacking, and the writing style of "Twist of the Wrist" to be annoying after a while.

My favorite so far has been Nick Ienatsch's "Sport Riding Techniques:..."

u/motodoto · 2 pointsr/motorcycles

Look at any bad review on the book or video, it gets attacked in the comments by Scientologists. They flooded his reviews page with this crap. A better book is Sport Riding Techniques if you are going to get a book, but the video is pretty good too, just a little dated. Also, dude is a whack job, here's a quote from him on heroin:

>I think heroin is one of the least destructive drugs. Given a choice I'd take heroin way before prozac or other prescription drugs that really do harm you. With them the degradation happens more slowly, heroin's pretty quick, but in the end the prescription drugs do more harm.

June 2005 issue of Performance Bikes magazine

Obviously he thinks prozac is worse than heroin because he's a Scientologist.

Keith Code on his Dianetics sponsored bike

u/wafflingcharlie · 2 pointsr/motorcycles

Sport Riding Techniques: How To Develop Real World Skills for Speed, Safety, and Confidence on the Street and Track https://www.amazon.com/dp/1893618072/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_ZwW0AbMMYHP0P

And

Proficient Motorcycling: The Ultimate Guide to Riding Well https://www.amazon.com/dp/1620081199/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_ryW0AbSGD7P6H

And the others by Hough - his books are good on the strategies and decision making of real world full-time riding.

u/yebbit · 2 pointsr/motorcycles

There is a Twist of the Wrist Volume 2...also Sport Riding Techniqes is probably my favorite.

u/xpurplexamyx · 2 pointsr/MotoUK

It's definitely worth pursuing.

I can totally recommend investing in a copy of the Police Riders Handbook (not the new edition, it's terrible and a waste of money), and also the Police Drivers Handbook.

They are dry as hell to read, but it is definitely possible to teach yourself at least the basics of the system and begin to apply it, without ever needing to pay quantities of money to IAM or Rospa. Then, once you're back in the black so to speak, you'll have a baseline to work from and a decent knowledge of what is expected.

Bikesafe actually threw in a goodiebag for us that contained an IAM book that gives you a good foundation.

Beyond that, Nick Ienatsch's book is a great read too for sportier riding.

u/disgustipated · 2 pointsr/motorcycles

Sport Riding Techniques is another good book.

u/gconsier · 2 pointsr/motorcycles

Sport Riding Techniques is my favorite. Sorry for mobile link on phone. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1893618072/ref=redir_mdp_mobile/178-4191191-4910622

u/dontstopnotlistening · 2 pointsr/Ducati

If you're looking to tune the suspension on your stock bike, I'd suggest making sure that you first understand what you are about to do. I like this book a lot:

http://www.amazon.com/Sportbike-Suspension-Tuning-Andrew-Trevitt/dp/1893618455

Adjusting the pre-load for your weight is likely the most important tuning that you will ever do on a bike intended for casual riding. Depending on how aggressively you ride, you'd probably be completely fine if you never touch any of the tuning away from stock settings.

One suggestion that I will make is to make sure that you have the rear brake configured so that it's difficult to lock up the rear tire. When I got my monster, I felt like the brake lever was too high up and adjusting made using the rear brake feel better for me. Your manual has instructions for adjusting all of the controls.

u/FerrumAvis · 2 pointsr/klr650

Yeah it was a blast! Although there were definitely low points as well. I was 26/27 for the trip, currently 30. It was about 3 months on the road, but I also skipped almost all of N. America. Figured I can do that later, but South and Central America is changing daily. I think I did 12,000 miles total. I think I spent about 11k for the whole thing, 2500 for bike ('02 KLR, garage kept with only 3,000 miles) another 2000 for mods and equipment, and the rest on the road. You could do it cheaper if you wanted I ended up staying in hotels more often than camping, although the hotels were only about $10-15 a night so even that wasn't too much. Biggest expense ends up being fuel and paying for entry visas, insurance etc. Also I was originally planning on selling my bike at the end but got too attached and shipped it home, so that added another $900. I did go over budget but not by too much fortunately, my girlfriend helped me a little towards the end to finish up (which is why I had no hesitation to make her my wife)
As far as equipment, the most important thing is a bike (obviously!) that you feel comfortable on, you'll be spending a lot of time together. Otherwise I feel my best money spent was on a very good set of panniers. Also good country by country GPS databases were invaluable, but you can get those for free online. I'm a big fan of paper maps, but I have to say the GPS was a lifesaver. There's so much to talk about regarding what to get, and what NOT to bring, it's easy to pack too much. For now I'd focus on getting a good bike and in the mean time I highly recommend this book it's fairly general at times, but is a great place to start planning. I read it front to cover.

Anyway good luck and feel free to stay in touch, especially if you decide to go for it!

u/ArbiterOne · 2 pointsr/motorcycles

Experienced international motorcycle traveler here.

If you haven't already, check out ADVRider, Horizons Unlimited, and the Adventure Motorcycling Handbook.

Cost of the bike will be a significant factor. Not just the cost of the bike and accessories, but the cost of a carnet de passage. It's a "passport for your bike" that requires a "surety bond" to be put down depending on the cost of your bike and where you plan to take it (the purpose is to cover import taxes in case you leave the country without the vehicle). The minimum is something like 150% the value of your vehicle, running up to (IIRC) 800% in Egypt. Imagine putting away 8x the cost of a 1200GS for your entire time away.

As to bike choice, yours will be determined by what kind of riding you want to do. I did my trip from the US to Argentina mostly on-road on a KTM 1190 Adventure R. If you want to do lots of offroading, lighter is better.

Pack way less than you think you need (it's not the empty void, you can buy things you need, even in the developing world). Do shakedown trips. Commit to going and actually go. I can't recommend it highly enough.

u/boredcircuits · 1 pointr/bicycling

Excellent book on this subject: Bicycling Science by David Wilson. There's a formula in there for power vs. airspeed, if I remember right.

u/bicyclehubabaloo · 1 pointr/bicycling

I think if you look around, you'll see that every major bicycle maker has a large variety of bicycles available. Almost all of them offer at least a few options made of carbon, aluminum, and steel. Not all high-end, lightweight bikes are carbon. Weight very much matters in some applications. In others, it doesn't as much. In your application, it doesn't as much.

Tires: Wider tires allows you to run lower pressure. This can help in both comfort and traction with certain surfaces.

I'm about your size, carfree, and live in a City with horrible roads (mostly from all the snow plowing). I wouldn't dream of running below 35cm front and rear. My most often used bike is a rigid 29er that weighs in near 30lbs with front and rear racks.

I'm not familiar wit touring bikes set up as you describe. Most touring rigs run wider than 23/25.

If you're into the science of this endeavor, this book is pretty great.

https://www.amazon.com/Bicycling-Science-Press-Gordon-Wilson/dp/0262731541

u/kimbo305 · 1 pointr/bicycling

There's a book by that very name: https://www.amazon.com/Bicycling-Science-Press-Gordon-Wilson/dp/0262731541/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

I've only read a few chapters, but it covers a lot of pretty interesting topics.

u/its-the-new-style · 1 pointr/pics

I got the 10% from the calculations in Bicycling Science by
David Gordon Wilson

u/micvee · 1 pointr/motorcycles

This book has a bunch of drills you can do yourself.

u/MrJadaml · 1 pointr/Denver

Reminds me of a book about only having so much attention to give when riding a motorcycle. I feel that it also applies to driving: http://www.amazon.com/Twist-Wrist-Motorcycle-Roadracers-Handbook/dp/0965045013

u/TianWoXue · 1 pointr/MGTOW

Twist of the Wrist
http://www.amazon.com/Twist-Wrist-Motorcycle-Roadracers-Handbook/dp/0965045013


full of stuff that seems counter-intuitive, but is consistent with the laws of Physics. Easy read, easy to practice, can save your life.

IF you are mechanically inclined, check out getting a Honda CB (or similar 70s Jap bike) and wrench/rebuild it your self.

u/vijjer · 1 pointr/motorcycles

Keith Code - Twist of The Wrist I/II (Vol 1 / Vol 2)

Also, once you're get to the apex, start rolling the throttle on smoothly. This will help balance your lean angle and the feeling of 'falling inwards'.

u/tomatopaste · 1 pointr/motorcycles

> The techniques I have learned and shared were taught to me in the MSF Beginner course. I think your advanced techniques and concepts might certainly be confusing and "over the head" to many beginners .. such as the OP.

I encourage others to think, and -- as I keep stating -- I fight misinformation. If you have a problem with one or the other, I really don't give a shit.

The MSF course teaches you the fundamental mechanics of riding and very little more. In retrospect, I'm horrified that they put people on the street with so little training. If you want to swaddle people in a nest of MSF generalities, go ahead. I may well be there, too, to point them in the right direction.

> Oh, and disagreeing with others does not have to equal calling them idiots.

I call it like I see it. Not an idiot? Demonstrate it by reading and writing carefully. Your post was poorly constructed, contained tangential information, and was simply wrong. Further, you were defending someone who has been going around spreading some dangerous misinformation.

Seek out information and learn.

Total Control

Proficient Motorcycling

More Proficient Motorcyclig

Twist of the Wrist

Twist of the Wrist Vol 2

u/AGGGman · 1 pointr/motorcycles

You can do that with the Ninja 250. It's all practice. Like V_Glaz_Dam mentioned you should watch the Twist of Wrist 2 series.

Here's something I wrote for one of my friends.

For books, I personally like this one the most. I feel like Nick took a lot information from the Twist of the Wrist books and made it more modern.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1893618072/ref=oh_o02_s01_i00_details



But I also learned a lot from Lee Park's book. Lee Park hosts a rider school where he runs over all the drills in his book and helps with rider technique. You have to google the class schedules but he comes around California at least once or twice a year.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0760314039/ref=oh_o04_s00_i00_details



The there is the Twist of the Wrist series
http://www.amazon.com/Twist-Wrist-Motorcycle-Roadracers-Handbook/dp/0965045013/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330372612&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/Twist-Wrist-Basics-High-Performance-Motorcycle/dp/0965045021/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1330372612&sr=8-2

I haven't read those books but the Twist of Wrist II videos are on youtube so you can check them out.



The last book I would recommend is Proficient Motorcycling. I highly recommended reading that one because it focuses a lot on general riding. Techniques that everyone should learn just to stay alive riding on the road. The book can be found at some libraries so you can save some money by just loaning it.
http://www.amazon.com/Proficient-Motorcycling-Ultimate-Guide-Riding/dp/1933958359/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1330372534&sr=1-1-spell

The rest is all practice.
Also youtube "ninja 250 track" and you'll see a bunch of videos of guys racing their 250s on the track.

I wouldn't get on a track until you are at least familiar with your motorcycle. Get some miles under your belt before you decide to do it. After you are comfortable on your bike I would try to hook up with some local riders who are better than you. That way you can talk to them and learn from their experience. But remember to take most advice with a grain of salt. I personally use meetup.com to meet a lot of other guys to ride with.



u/Emmmmmmmmm · 1 pointr/motorcycles
u/Desmocratic · 1 pointr/motorcycle

Well looks like you got alot of good advice and help here, I'll just add some further reading you can do from the comfort of the couch:
Kieth Code: Twist of the wrist
Although it looks like a racing handbook its also a motorcycle skills book. Enjoy!

u/Gertm · 1 pointr/motorcycles

The book is too cheap to not buy. Well worth the money.

But keep in mind: your tires need to be warm for this stuff to work properly.

u/Harb67 · 1 pointr/motorcycles

Seems like every single person in this video (save for the near-wrecks due to asshat car drivers) really needs a lesson on corner exit. You don't necessarily get back on the throttle once you pass the apex, you get back on the throttle as you bring the bike back up. Ideally these two things coincide, but when you're a squid on the street and blow a corner it's not uncommon to stay cranked over well past the apex.

A copy of Twist of the Wrist 2 or Sport Riding Techniques would have probably avoided nearly every one of these incidents ಠ_ಠ

u/TrexinF-14 · 1 pointr/motorcycles

Keith Code's training movie based on this book is available as a 7 part series.

Highly recommended whether you're the kind who takes your bike to the track or to the canyons. I would recommend that you purchase the DVD, it is a worth while investment.

u/silverfox762 · 1 pointr/Harley

Oh yeah, do the author a favor and buy the book to go with the video. He runs a track school, and really knows his shit. It's cheap. Don't let the "high-performance riding" label fool you. He means that literally- to perform at a high level.

http://www.amazon.com/Twist-Wrist-Vol-High-Performance-Motorcycle/dp/0965045021/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1409609765&sr=8-1&keywords=twist+of+the+wrist+2

u/TriumphRid3r · 1 pointr/electronic_cigarette

It's definitely because you haven't figured out how to handle it yet. I'm an instructor with Doc Wong Northwest. It's a free riding clinic & covers the finer details of sport riding. We teach the concepts covered by Keith Code's Twist of the Wrist 2. I personally help run the clinics in Albany, but they originally started in PDX. You should check them out. They meet the first Saturday of every month at BMW Motorcycles of Western Oregon in Tigard. Not only is it a great way to learn more advanced riding, but it's a good reason to get out and ride & a great way to meet other riders in the area.

I'd also like to recommend a few books to get you started:

u/drwatson · 1 pointr/AskReddit

Take a class and read this book. Geared towards racing but still very insightful for any rider.

u/im_mrmanager · 1 pointr/motorcycles

In addition to the MSF and additional training, this should be required reading https://www.amazon.com/Twist-Wrist-Vol-High-Performance-Motorcycle/dp/0965045021

u/bbasara007 · 1 pointr/motorcycles

My friend that got me into riding races an R6 with more low end torque than an R1 (only tops out at 120 because of that though :/ ). Another is a bmw s1000rr. I myself ride a old 90 FZR600 supersport and a honda shadow.

It doesn't matter what type of bike it is, steering physics work the same. Cruisers just steer slow and with less lean. It doesn't mean your input on the turn should be any different.

This is also backed up by some well known pro's. Example:

Twist of the Wrist: Keith code

http://www.amazon.com/Twist-Wrist-Basics-High-Performance-Motorcycle/dp/0965045021/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1344012435&sr=8-2&keywords=twist+of+the+wrist

Total Control: Lee Parks

http://www.amazon.com/Total-Control-Performance-Street-Techniques/dp/0760314039/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1344012569&sr=1-3&keywords=total+control

Lee Parks spend a good amount of the book explaining the techniques for both sportbike and cruisers, which end up being the same thing.

u/nagilfarswake · 1 pointr/motorcycles

I'm going to recommend something a little unconventional around here: an actual paper book.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0760313318/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_6wgwybXHCREVS

I bought this sort of on a whim when I started riding and was in the same position as you, and it was unbelievably informative and interesting to read. Its slightly out of date in that it precedes the advent of common electronic aides, but 100% of the stuff in the book is useful.

Also, while I'm recommending books for new riders, Lee Park's "Total Control" (https://www.amazon.com/dp/0760343446/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_Mxgwyb3MVM3CF) is an absolutely brilliant book. Its specifically about street riding (as opposed to track) and is targed towards newish riders. This book basically singlehandedly changed me from a hesitating novice to a confident (though a little reckless, it taught me to ride well but doesn't teach thoughtfulness the way Keith Code does) rider.

And, of course, the great grand daddy of them all, Twist of the Wrist 2 (https://www.amazon.com/dp/0965045021/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_aygwyb1BB573F). This book is so good and so dense that I still find new things to practice every page or two. The definitive riding technique book for good reason. No, you don't need to read part 1.

u/Albert0_Kn0x · 1 pointr/motorcycles

Just go to Amazon right now and order this and this right now. Do it. Will save your life and make riding fun.


u/CarlOrff · 1 pointr/backpacking

Perhaps not exactly the cup of tea you're looking for but it's about travelling and certainly worth the read:

http://www.amazon.com/Jupiters-Travels-Years-Around-Triumph/dp/0965478521

u/windblast · 1 pointr/motorcycles

In Vancouver there's an awesome community bike shop called Moto Method where you can do your own wrenching. Tire swaps are always easier to let somebody else handle. The further south you are the easier it is to find nice Mexican mechanics/muffler shops that you can haggle with to let you use tools you don't have packed and/or weld something up for you.

I prefer to do this kind of travelling solo. Forgive me if I'm getting a little philosophical, but I think Ted Simon explains the benefits of solo travel best in his book Jupiter's Travels: he speaks of how the only way to truly let the world change and affect you is when you travel alone, because if you travel with a partner you tend to see yourself as a reflection of how they see you and their perception of you is resistant to change. Why else do we travel but to let the world sweep us up and affect and change and become a part of us in some meaningful way?

u/s1am · 1 pointr/AskReddit

Go classy. See the world on a motorbike. Camp along the way. Carry more than on a bicycle but be highly approachable, fuel efficient and relatively low impact. Here are some good examples of folks who have (I'm sure there are many others as well):

u/culraid · 1 pointr/Harley

Getting away from 1%er type books - this is a pretty well known book in Europe but maybe not so much in the US, I don't know to be honest.

In 1973 Ted Simon set off on a 63,000 mile round the world trip on a 500cc Triumph Tiger 100. He did it again at the age of 70(!) in 2001 as it happens, but this book's about the first '73 trip which took him 4 years. Well worth a read if you haven't come across it. The US Amazon site has jumped the distance up to 78k miles, I have no idea why. He wrote a follow up, Jupiter's Travels.

Guy's a rider, that's for sure.

Ted Simon - Jupiter's Travels

The bike

His website

u/xilanthro · 1 pointr/bikebuilders

Bikebuilds is a new site that catalogs custom bike builds. There are some similar builds indexed there.

As for reference, my experience was a little different because I was altering bikes for my own use in racing, so it's all really focused on handling, but still, you might find it useful: go-to books have been Bradley and Tony Foale.

That said, if you're really into understanding the implications of swing-arm lengths and rake angles, I have heard high praise for Cossalter's Motorcycle Dynamics, though I have not read it myself.

u/cajunboy_ · 1 pointr/MechanicalEngineering

Check out Motorcycle Dynamics by Vittore Cossalter..

Basically the RCVD of the motorcycle world. worth the cash if you're serious about it. ($45). i bought it about 5 years ago though and I don't remember it being that much back then but, who knows...

https://www.amazon.com/Motorcycle-Dynamics-Second-Vittore-Cossalter/dp/1430308613

Also, John Bradley - The Racing Motorcycle: A Technical Guide for Constructors, Volume 1 (v. 1)

haven't read this one personally but it's always been highly recommended.

u/703Sumo · 1 pointr/MTB

> The BB height that varies by like 30 mm is going to be negated by you squatting down and bringing the CG lower. -you are completely wrong here. In my experience 5 mm of drop is very noticeable. 30 mm is massive. I lowered my bb last summer by swapping the linkage on my enduro, it dropped ~ 12 mm. Afterwards, I had to increase my tire pressure ~ 4 PSI, because I was rolling the tire off the rim on the same trail I'd been riding for 2 years from cornering that much harder. A lower BB allows you to corner harder all other things being equal - full stop. Even a small difference is VERY noticeable to an experienced rider.

Hah. Thats actually not to the bb being lower, its due to the fact that by dropping the rear, you have slackened your head angle and increased the geometric trail, which will make your bike feel much more planted in corners. Same reason why you get on a DH rig with a 63 head angle over your 66-68 trail bike, and it feels weird in the parking lot, but once you start going downhill you feel like you can just put it in corners and it stays there.

>Likewise, moving your weight back lets you corner much more aggressively because it creates stability in the front. -wrong again. If this were the case, Pro Riders would be way off the back of the bike in every corner - they aren't. Also, if you don't weight the front wheel you risk having it slide out. I'll concede that skilled riders will shift their weight front to back depending on the turn, but always shifting back is not the magic skill.

That is because the DH bikes that rail through corners already have a rearward weight bias.

And the point is that you can simply move your body weight back and forth to achieve cornering characteristics.

>Your example of riding with no hands is off - you don't understand the effect. But my first year physics knowledge fails me here - can some other internerd assist?

I 100% understand this effect, as my expertise and hobby is in suspension and chassi tuning for motorcycles.

The front fork/wheel assembly is at an angle known as the head angle. Because of this, when the handlebars are straight, the wheel is actually at the higher CG then it would be if you turned the bars. You can see this effect by yourself - take the bike, hold it upright on pavement, and lean it slightly one way or the other, and you will see the handlebars turn that direction as the front wheel "falls" in CG height to a lower position.

Likewise, if you lift the rear of the bike slightly and repeat the experiment, you will find that the handlebars don't turn as much, because the steeper head angle lessens this effect.

However, the head angle also puts the contact patch of the tire behind the steering axis, creating the trail effect. This makes the front tire act as a weathervane, and the effect increases at speed - rolling fast and turning a tire creates a higher slip angle, which creates a bigger force on the tire, which creates a higher force to straighten the bars.

The reason you can ride without hands is because of the interaction of those 2 events. When you lean your body, you lean the bike, and the handlebars want to turn in that direction, but the trail prevents that. And the slacker the head angle, the faster you have to go because the slacker head angle will make the bike fall over more, so you have to increase speed to make the trail effect cancel this.

And as you can probably imagine, putting more weight over the front tire effectively makes it "heavier", and thus increases the effect, since you are basically generating a handlebar yawing torque with the weight at the CG of the tire, which is affected by how much weight you put over it.

When you corner, the front end pretty much determines how the bike will corner. If you have the right amount of head angle and consequently trail, as you lean the bike, it settles into a steady state that feels planted, and you can rail through corners. If your head angle is steep and you have smaller trail value, the bike feels nervous, and you have to hold it in a high speed corner as opposed to the bike naturally settling there because of the reduced effect. And if you don't hold the bars in the right place, you start to either oversteer or understeer or even loose the front because you are exceeding the slip angle if you try to corner to hard.

>And moving the weight back also lets you brake harder with the front brake. -You move back as you brake to counter the force and not get sent over the bars. You are still weighting the front wheel pretty heavily when this happens.

Right, its the same thing as I am describing. If you are way forward, the front brake can generate enough torque to lift the rear end of the bike and send you over the bars, so you are limited by how much you can brake. If you weigh down the rear end of the bike, the torque required to flip you is much more, so you can apply much more front brake.

>I'm gonna skip your suspension stuff - I don't get your point.

The point is that if you wanna make judgement about linkages, you have to take the shock out of the equation. I agree that there are some cheap FS bikes with linkages that are worse than All mountain or Enduro bikes, but for all the better designed linkages, the goodness of the suspension is mostly due to the shock.

For example, take a Trance 3 from 2016, and the shock only has rebound adjustment. Someone riding it may say, "oh the rear dives to much under pedal power or it feels too stiff", all because the compression damping is internally set, and you can crank up the pressure or the rebound to make it pedal more efficiently but loose any suspension action.

But take that shock, swap with a Monarch RT3 Debonair, and suddenly you have the option of putting the bike in full lockout which makes it stiff but very pedal efficient, or full open which makes it super plush for fast descents over rough stuff. Likewise, you can add or remove spacers and modify the pressure and the bike can change from a trail machine that absorbs all bumps and lets you pedal uphil over roots without loosing traction, or it becomes a bike that can take drops and feels super planted when cornering.

>But design and construction are pretty darn important!

They are, and different frames weigh differently and some are stiffer which are noticeable. But none of this is enough to give a bike a rating in terms of being good or bad performer.

FYI, this is a book that will explain all dynamics in detail. Its very math intensive though, but there are plots that show all the effects I talk about.
https://www.amazon.com/Motorcycle-Dynamics-Second-Vittore-Cossalter/dp/1430308613

u/BendersCasino · 1 pointr/MechanicalEngineering

I ordered this book and it showed up yesterday - haven't gotten through much of it but it looks like it has most of the dynamic formulas you could ever need for a motorcycle.

u/hubcentred · 1 pointr/travel

Random point - You might want to check you can still get from Morocco to Algeria, or the other way around. Last time I looked all the border points were closed, not sure why or whether that's still the case...!

I can't really provide you with any useful information myself, but you should check out...

Horizons Unlimited and their Forums The Hubb

ADVRider

Adventure Motorcycling Handbook - The Adventure Motorcycling Bible (Well, pretty much...)

u/KLReuven · 1 pointr/motorcycles

Thanks!
Another interesting read in the subject of riding in the real world:
https://www.amazon.ca/Upper-Half-Motorcycle-Unity-Machine/dp/1884313752

From the review in Bike World: "In the preface, the author explains that "This book is not about motorcycles per se.Rather, it is about motorcycle riding and the motorcycle rider as a thinking, acting, reacting human being with the unique ability to create, use, and adapt tools, instruments, equipment and machines in an integrative way as extensions, or components, of himself."
http://www.webbikeworld.com/books/upper-half-of-the-motorcycle.htm

u/ScienticianAF · 1 pointr/motorcycles

Sounds though you still have the mindset that you are responsible for your driving and they are responsible for theirs...On a bike this is shit. You are responsible for your self and any other traffic. You have to assume they WILL cut you off they WILL not see you etc.
It's a part of a defensive strategy. I would suggest a good book on motorcycle safety:
https://www.amazon.com/Proficient-Motorcycling-Ultimate-Guide-Riding/dp/1889540536

Again, I am not saying I don't run into issues or that I am the perfect rider or that I never have road rage. None of that. But I do now realize that If I don't account for bad drivers ACTIVELY I will eat dirt one day. KNOW that cars are out to get you and just maybe you can prevent it. Just my take on it.

u/Subtlefart · 1 pointr/motorcycles

You'll want to read about it from someplace like here for a proper description. Essentially, it describes matching the speed or revs of the engine when switching into a new gear. When done correctly a proper change in gearing will occur smoothly with no lurch in the bike. If done improperly, you will feel the bike sort of throw itself forward on a downshift, let's say. In the case of a downshift, which took me a long time to realize, you want to blip the throttle while shifting to match the higher rev of the lower gear. Some really badass bikes do this for you. Most do not.

u/seattle_dilettante · 1 pointr/motorcycles

>learned how to spot dangerous situations faster/earlier, defensive driving, etc.

Do this. As important as repairing your bike and your confidence is changing your mindset and your approach to riding. There's almost always something you can do to avoid an accident.

I highly recommend reading Proficient Motorcycling by David L. Hough.

u/thumbtackpress · 1 pointr/motorcycles

I cannot upvote this recommendation enough.

u/Weenie · 1 pointr/motorcycles

With the way the partial fairing is shaped on a Bandit, you may be getting some aerodynamic lift on the front end at those speeds. Add in a little turbulence from the car you're (very ill-advisedly) passing, and you get some chaotic input to your very light front suspension. This can result in a tank-slapper. It can also come from uneven pavement giving the front wheel a bump.

I could never explain the physics as well as David Hough does. Pick up a copy of Proficient Motorcycling and read up on the workings of motorcycle suspension. Another good source is the DVD "A Twist of the Wrist II." And please, please ride more conservatively, especially with so little experience under your belt. I feel like you may be assuming that we motorcyclists are a more daring bunch than we are.

u/NoTor1uS · 1 pointr/motorcycles

Not really sure why you're being downvoted because you asked an extremely important question with an attempt to learn...

For the longest time, I've misunderstood counter steering entirely. As said above, you push one way, you go that way... But it's not as simple as that.

It's important to note the difference between steering and leaning. You push right, causing the tire to point left. Due to the curvature of the tire, the contact point where the tire greets the asphalt shifts, resulting in a lean opposite to the direction you steered.

Here's what really blew my mind that I'd been doing all along. If you pull right, the tire points right, shifting the contact patch from tire to asphalt, resulting in a left lean.

You can try that out next time you ride on a straight road. So long as you aren't yanking on the handle bars, you'll just drift one way or the other.

I'd highly recommend this book. The pictures may all be outdated, but all the crucial skills and scenarios are always relevant.
http://www.amazon.com/Proficient-Motorcycling-Ultimate-Guide-Riding/dp/1889540536

u/johnny2bad · 1 pointr/books
u/Garberage · 1 pointr/motorcycles

I hesitate to offer advice to take less training, but I understand the cost and time investment can be a concern. In PA we get free courses so everyone should start at the BRC.

However, if this is true: "I've read the entire MSF handbook from cover to cover", try finding a written test and test yourself. If you get 100% of the questions right (you really should get them all because they should be obvious answers to you), then I say go for the ERC.

I've taken the BRC/ERC/ARC. The first day of riding in the BRC is all about clutch control (just starting from first), and a few simple loops around the parking lot. Since you are riding to work already, you have these skills.

The BRC will continue with more challenging exercises from there that you may find difficult. However, these exact same exercises are done in the ERC except that you are on your own bike instead of a loaner. I found it better to practice on my own motorcycle than the 125s they provide.

In my experience the ERC was not much harder than the BRC, so I think the value of getting to learn how to perform the maneuvers on your motorcycle is better.

Whatever you decide you absolutely need to do one of them. The statistics show that MSF trained motorcyclists have lower crash rates. Get this book and read up to understand how to lower your risks:

http://www.amazon.com/Proficient-Motorcycling-Ultimate-Guide-Riding/dp/1889540536

u/AbandonedLogic · 1 pointr/motorcycle

Read proficient motorcycling, it gives real world examples of what to watch out for an I recommend it to anyone who goes out on the street on 2 wheels. I still re-read it every year and make notes of which situations happened to me. I think I'm close to 90% by now

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Proficient-Motorcycling-Hough/dp/1889540536

u/mhud · 1 pointr/Sacramento

The MSF certificate plus your learner's permit should get you your M1 license without taking the riding test. I took the written test, then took MSF, turned in my certificate, and got my M1. That was back in 2003, so maybe it's different now.

I bought an '03 Ninja 250 new for $3,500 or so, rode it exclusively for a year, and since then it's got occasional miles on it. Mine has 15k miles. I chose to get a new one because I am not a good mechanic and I didn't want to have problems with the bike while I was learning. One big downside to buying new is the engine break-in period. Basically my top speed was 35MPH for 500 miles and 55MPH until 1,000 miles. I was learning though, so I stuck to side streets and it was good to keep it slow. I couldn't commute until I got to 3k miles. At my first fill-up, during the break-in period, I got 92MPG! After I started driving more vigorously my economy dropped to about 65MPG. Now the carbs are a little dirty and I get about 55.

A 250 is absolutely a great beginner bike, and you can stick with that size if you have the temperament for it. I expect there to be a lot of 250's out there cheaper than the one you found, but listings won't pick up until just before spring.

One reason a 250 may not work for you is if you are over 200 pounds. I had to upgrade the rear shock on mine because it was either causing or worsening some lower back pain. The upgrade was from a newer model Ninja, though, so maybe that's not an issue after 2003.

Make sure to budget for gear. I think I spent $1k on gear at the time I got the bike. Also budget for insurance. At the time I got the bike, insurance was much cheaper than for an auto.

A couple good resources:

u/syntheticwild · 1 pointr/motorcycles

Make it your business to be safe on the bike and never lose your head. The world is scary, both on and off the bike, so ride defensively within your comfort zone.

Could also see about doing more classes at MSF.
Or read some into the activity, I bought Proficient Motorcycling to read in my spare time when I first got my bike 10 or so years ago? I never finished it but it seems like a decent enough resource.

u/Leonid1882 · 1 pointr/motorcycles
  1. Its spinning faster, making more power. in general, good riders keep the bike in power band: where it makes most power. on your bike, HP levels out around 8-10K, so shifting between 8-10K is good idea for spirited riding.
  2. Ideally, you should blip the throttle and downshift through every gear, though this might be problematic in the city.
  3. This is engine braking. you shild blip the throttle/rev match for smooth downshifitng.
  4. Its good idea to stop the way so you can take off rapidly - it just makes your riding safer.
  5. Thats because when you downshift without blipping the throttle the RPMs are growing rapidly, plus you are putting additional stress on transmission. no, you don't suck, you are just learning and sking right questions.
    I would suggest some reading though: https://www.amazon.com/Sport-Riding-Techniques-Develop-Confidence/dp/1893618072/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473751156&sr=8-1&keywords=sportbike+riding+techniques is an excellent read.
u/WingedDefeat · 1 pointr/motorcycles

I found it.

u/Recover_Username · 1 pointr/MotoLA

I agree, David Hough's books are great. Also recommend Nick Ienatsch's Sport Riding Techniques and his article The Pace.

u/incendiary_bandit · 1 pointr/AussieRiders

I was recently loaned this book

https://www.amazon.com/Sport-Riding-Techniques-Develop-Confidence/dp/1893618072

The skills it gets you working on are amazing and it'll make him a safer rider.

u/IveHadBlackFriends · 1 pointr/motorcycles

If you want a few tricks under your belt this is a good book

https://www.amazon.com/Sport-Riding-Techniques-Develop-Confidence/dp/1893618072

And it's always a good idea to find a big ass parking lot and practice your skills, do tight circles, emergency stops from cruising to highways speeds, and anything that you might identify that you can work on.

Stay safe out there, riding is the most fun I've ever had, cheers!

u/uncledahmer · 1 pointr/CalamariRaceTeam

Yeah. One of my instructors lent me this book:

Sport Riding Techniques: How To Develop Real World Skills for Speed, Safety, and Confidence on the Street and Track, by Nick Ienatsch. The book answered a lot of questions that I'd had, and taught me things I wouldn't have thought about.

So yes, MSF is a start, but there's a ton of more information to learn, and other places to learn it from.

u/slakwhere · 1 pointr/motorcycles

http://www.amazon.com/Sport-Riding-Techniques-Develop-Confidence/dp/1893618072

this book (and his school, Yamaha Champions Riding School) will get you sorted out

u/jtunzi · 1 pointr/motorcycles

I read these based on Amazon reviews and they were both very helpful in addition to Twist of the Wrist.

Total Control

Sport Riding Techniques

u/changgerz · 1 pointr/motorcycles

your dad has no idea what he's talking about. if a bike had no suspension, it would have no grip, be sliding everywhere (and crashing), and absolutely destroy its tires. you should read this book if you want to know more. it's not very long and is pretty simple and easy for a beginner.

u/madrogp · 1 pointr/motorcycles

tuning suspension is a lot harder than tuning a motor or really anything else on the bike to get right. I do not tune my own suspension nor do I know much about it, but I do know you do not set 'sag' on the front forks you set preload and that is based on the springs. Also 5 inches of sag seems like a LOT in the rear. You should read a book not make a thread I'd suggest this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Sportbike-Suspension-Tuning-Andrew-Trevitt/dp/1893618455/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422042366&sr=8-1&keywords=suspension+tuning+sportbike&pebp=1422042392314&peasin=1893618455

u/Benny_Lava · 1 pointr/motorcycles

Capt. Crash Idaho has some good tips and techniques with his free videos.

Here are some basic parking lot exercises. A tip for laying out parking lot cones--get a bunch of bright yellow tennis balls and cut them in half. You'll get two "cones" for the price of one tennis ball.

There's a lot of good articles on Bike Safer.

There are some good books and DVDs if he's willing to spend a few bucks, get the Total Control or Ride Like a Pro DVDs. RLAP is mostly focused on slow-speed tight turning techniques (like the police bike "rodeos" do). More Proficient Motorcycling book is great for street survival tips. If he's willing and able to spend more money, then he could take a course, such as Total Control, MSF Experienced Rider course, etc. Speaking of MSF, you can get their book here.

When I took the MSF Beginning Rider Course, several of the other students already had experience riding and owned their own bikes. They, like me, were there to refresh the basic skills and maybe learn something new because we were all self-taught. BRC isn't cheap, but I think it's worthwhile, and being on a bike in a structured environment like that might be just the confidence-builder that he needs.

Edit: I found a link to PDF files from the MSF, including their textbook for the BRC.

u/rogueman999 · 1 pointr/motorcycles

More Proficient Motorcycling. No joke, that's how the sequel is called :p

http://www.amazon.com/More-Proficient-Motorcycling-Mastering-Ride/dp/B0057D9YKW/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_2

u/demon646 · 0 pointsr/motorcycles

I read a bunch of different answers. I only use the brakes for slowing or stopping. When I've accomplished that, I let them go or let up. I try to be as efficient with my controls as possible, only using what I need, when I need it. That gives my brain more time to process the "big picture". I used to think of the bike as an extension of myself. Now, after experience and practice, it is :)

There is a lot that needs to be paid attention to when riding, so taxing your brain in a pseudo "ready mode" or other taxing thought processes isn't as good as fully paying attention to the present. Definitely practice any riding skills until they become natural. My goal is to have total awareness of my surroundings as much of the time as possible, but instantly focusing 100% on any potential emergencies while spending as little time in that state as possible, then going immediately back to total awareness. For example: I'm sitting at a stop light, swivel my helmet and see some one coming up fast. I then take action. Could be tap the brake, turn on my turn signal, or grab the bars and make my best effort to move to safety if needed depending on the situation. Then reset and scan.

With more practice, one can grab the clutch, twist the throttle, shift to 1st, and start releasing the clutch in well under 1 second or seemingly simultaneously. I've been riding for 21 years and it's 2nd nature, (I don't think about it) which allows for they key to being on the road in any vehicle = pay attention.

--

This is an absolute must for ANY rider weather you're racing, riding , or driving:
http://amzn.com/0965045021
http://www.amazon.com/Twist-Wrist-II-Keith-Code/dp/0965045072

u/quaste · 0 pointsr/nonononoyes

Well that part is just physics

Here is a great book I can recommend. It's more about the psychology of the driver, but does a great job to explain the basics of physics.

u/RocketGrouch · -3 pointsr/motorcycles

This stuff really shouldn't be on Youtube though, as this is a commercial and pirated video.

Watch it by all means and then thank Keith Code properly:

https://www.amazon.com/Twist-Wrist-II-Keith-Code/dp/0965045072/

https://www.amazon.com/Twist-Wrist-Vol-High-Performance-Motorcycle/dp/0965045021