Got my first motorcycle!!

[NotoriouS]

Hey guys!
After years of wanting a motorcycle I have finally gotten one! I am an absolute and from reading and getting advice from experienced riders I decided to get the Honda CBR 125R (don't laugh!!!! ). Once I'm a bit more comfirtable on the bike I will be looking at getting a Ninja 300. Needless to say, I'm super excited!

 

[sharky]

Sweet bike mate Have fun!

 

[scorps]

Motos are great, I have a ninja 250 but its bord out to a 375

 

[Justdragons]

Thats awesome. Wish i had the guts to buy a bike..

 

[Gruni]

From someone who has confronted the black top when a car failed to give way the biggest advice I will offer is: regardless how short the ride... All The Gear, ALL The Time! Get a summer jacket and some Draggin Jeans and some good boots. It is the best fun and I love riding but I was very thankful I wasn't in t-shirt and shorts when I came off.

 

[saximus]

From someone who has confronted the black top when a car failed to give way the biggest advice I will offer is: regardless how short the ride... All The Gear, ALL The Time! Get a summer jacket and some Draggin Jeans and some good boots. It is the best fun and I love riding but I was very thankful I wasn't in t-shirt and shorts when I came off.

And assume every driver is completely stupid and out to kill you.
Congrats

 

[roobars]

Welcome to the riders club mate,

Don't pick your next bike until you are fully over your current one. You never know what style of riding will suit you.

A lot of sport biker wannabes end up riding their $20K rides like a scooter. That is against all that is motorcycling.

You have a great commuter bike now, cheap, fun, light, easy, will never break down if you maintain it...
Stick with it for a while, and do some track days if speed is your overall goal, they are fun on ANY bike!! (and don't be intimidated by the superbike riders with all the gear in the pits etc etc, they are usually just wealthy track obstacles )

And yeah... wear your gear, but you don't have to go SUPER crazy on it... If you are ducking down the corner shop doing 50km/h max I wouldn't bother.
My push bike goes faster than that... every day on the way to work as a matter of fact.... you wouldn't suit up to ride a push bike to work would you? nope!
Tour de France riders wear full leathers or Kevlar? nope... they hit crazy speeds for human powered road craft.
Just be mindful of your consequences, and if you need to get on the freeway then yeah... gear up!

 

[Gruni]

And yeah... wear your gear, but you don't have to go SUPER crazy on it... If you are ducking down the corner shop doing 50km/h max I wouldn't bother.
My push bike goes faster than that... every day on the way to work as a matter of fact.... you wouldn't suit up to ride a push bike to work would you? nope!
Tour de France riders wear full leathers or Kevlar? nope... they hit crazy speeds for human powered road craft.
Just be mindful of your consequences, and if you need to get on the freeway then yeah... gear up!

I have no problem with the first part of your post but I do with this. I was riding 4km home in a country town doing max 60kph when the car pulled out of the stop sign and I had 2 choices, bin the bike and slide or t-bone the car and look at spinals from the landing. I binned it, have no memory of the accident proper, four plates and 16 screws in my face and a nurse commenting on the fact that I didn't need any skin grafts or scrubbing to get gravel out. I had a more casual outlook prior to my airlft to John Hunter and my facial surgery. I wear an Ixon Hacker jacket on hot days and at least a pair of jeans regardless of the length of the ride... even to get a carton of milk. I agree you don't need full leathers but I cringe every time I see a rider in shorts and t-shirt.

I still ride regularly and not like an old grandpa.

If you want a reality check here is a link to the pics over the next three pages of the thread it includes exrays too: AUSTRALIA'S OFFROAD CLUB • View topic - Gruni's Accident.

 

[dangles]

If you can try and do a proper stay upright or Honda Australia Roadcraft Training. The Honda one is decent, the focus is more on attitude and defensive riding. As said above all cage drivers are out to kill you. I do 5 hrs a day on a bike and probably have at least 3 incidents a day where people pull out on me, I wear hi vis and the bike has hi vis bits too.

 

[NotoriouS]

I will definitely be gearing up - as a minimum I will be wearing a jacket, helmet and gloves. My helmet should be arriving any day now (have borrowed one for now!), the jacket and gloves i'll be picking up this weekend (currently just wearing a normal leather jacket). I did ride in a t-shirt yesterday, but that was in an abandoned parking lot.

- - - Updated - - -

If you can try and do a proper stay upright or Honda Australia Roadcraft Training. The Honda one is decent, the focus is more on attitude and defensive riding. As said above all cage drivers are out to kill you. I do 5 hrs a day on a bike and probably have at least 3 incidents a day where people pull out on me, I wear hi vis and the bike has hi vis bits too.

Yea I did a lesson with Mick from Sydney Bike Training last night (he is a certified trainer, used to work at Upright) - he is excellent!

 

[Radar]

Ignore the tough kids, wear your gear.

 

[ArcticMonkey]

And NEVER overtake on the inside.

 

[NotoriouS]

Thanks for the tips guys! Quick question: are parking lots considered private property? As in, can someone without a license practice riding there?

 

[Radar]

To the best of my knowledge and I could be wrong, according to the police, if you have a party at your place, and invite members of the public onto your land to park (say you have an acre of land), your driveway etc then becomes public road, and they can get done for drink driving on your driveway if the cops invite themselves in. I'm guessing car parks are probably out but don't know for sure.

 

[Stuart]

Ignore the tough kids, wear your gear.

Seconded. I have the scars from trying to be cool.

 

[Venomous1111]

Ignore the tough kids, wear your gear.

squids.

 

[fourexes]

good on you Notorious, what's the other bike in the garage?

& to Scorps, I'm pretty sure if it was only boring you would end up machining out the cylinder bores. You can't make a 250 into a 375 without more than just machining AFAIK (I'm no kwaka expert). Do spill if you're actually aware of the amount of work performed.

Also that's a really cool baloon gruni! & just to elaborate, Draggin Jeans contain kevlar, which is more than 50% less efficient when wet. Bull-it covec jeans do not. A blend between personal preference, safety & marketing hype I guess.

 

[Gruni]

You should have your L's if you are in any public place and a carpark is still a public place altough if the place is closed and empty I don't think you really have a lot to worry about.

 

[borntobnude]

I had !! a cousin who had a bike out in the bush they found him about 500 mts off the highway in bits his leathers didn't hold him together . He always wore them but he also Always went fast

BE SAFE !!! and enjoy the thrill

 

[Stuart]

Sigh. No personal insults please.

FYI I have had 13 accidents on track and road. All except 2 were not my fault but I acknowledge what I did wrong and learnt from it. I suggest following this and not attacking others for their ideas be a better approach.

S