New rider's log & pics

[Ravo]

I guess I should start out saying that today, May 20, is my first day ever on a motorcycle. My first bike is a Honda Shadow 700cc cruiser. I don't have insurance, or plates, or a license. I took it for a ride today and it was the most illegal thing I've done in my life.

It came in off a truck from the seller at 9:30. After a little talk about the bike I handed him his money and he gave me the title. I took it for a few spins around our house on sand and grass and everything was fine. I donned a helmet and a leather jacket (I may be driving illegally and be totally inexperienced, but I'm not *that* stupid). My first stop was my brother's house. The trip involves 5 turns and is about 4 miles away. A perfect trip for a beginner.

I pull out onto my home street in first gear. It stalls. I shift it into neutral and start it again. After 2 or three times of this I learn that unlike a car, you need to ride the clutch to start out. The first time is from one paved road to another with a stop sign and a LOT of gravel between. I stop, check both mirrors, check both sides of the road and since it is completely dead, I pull out and turn left. After a mile or so I hit my second turn, MORE gravel. I downshift and let the engine do all the breaking well in advance and take the turn at about 10mph. No worries. I travel for another half mile and reach my next turn but there are bicyclists all over it, so I just keep travelling forward. I find a dirt road and slow to a crawl and turn around and head back.

Once I got home, I donned a pair of gloves because that wind is killer. I started out again, taking the first turn fine. On the way to the second turn a station wagon pulls out behind me. Well, I got a little nervous. On the second turn I slowed down to about 6mph and didn't lean hard enough. Realizing I was about get into a field of freshly planted corn I hit the front brake and try to correct myself. I hit the gravel and the whole bike slid out from under me, throwing me to the left side of it. I hit the pavement and gravel. My leather jacket does it's job and absorbs most of the impact and road rash on my torso. My helmet does it's job, and only after I get back up and look at it do I realized I even hit my head. My gloves were ruined and I skinned my left palm pretty bad. My left hip took most of the impact and is pretty sore. Luckily the guy in the station wagon was a biker. He helped my get the bike up and running again. I rode it to my brother's house and stayed there for about 20 minutes to heal a little.

I rode back uneventfully.

I bent the handlebars, the gear shifter, and my speedometer as well as scratching up the turn signals and denting the gas tank. However, the bike is my first (No emotional connection) and still roadworthy so I only plan on doing minimal repairs before setting out again.

Second trip. SECOND TRIP and I put the bike down. =\ I'll have pics the moment my camera decides to let me upload them.

[Cigaro]

I don't mean to be a dick, but you're supposed to have a driving license for a good reason - to make sure you know how to drive (or ride). Get your license before you take it out again, and be glad you didn't get caught or worse.

[LeeR]

I think from the idiom of the language Ravo used he might be in North America where the laws can be very different... www.dmv.org in fact the license (sic) is very often the actual number plate that is purchased annually for 50c and means nothing in terms of ability to ride, all the best with the new bike and get some training.
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My claim to fame: Austin Vince nicked my pen...

[Ravo]

Yes, I'm from North America. Just a few hours south of Canada. We have two types of motorcycle licenses, a learner's permit and a full license. Neither of them give any restrictions on what kind of bike you ride as long as it's road legal. I do agree with your system. I think being able to jump on an 1100CC with only a learner's permit can be suicidal, but considering the intelligence rate in my local area, natural selection needs to take place now and then.

I've bent the shifter back into place, as well as the highway bar. The handlebar is about an inch off and I'm contemplating not even fixing it until I am much more comfortable riding. The dent in the gas tank matches the one in my father's Honda CB350. We call this "Breaking her in". =p

I visited my cousin who's completed our state's motorcycle safety course. He gave me the book which outlines how you ride, brake, shift, etc. I realize now my mistake was relying on the front brake and not thinking ahead. (See gravel, do something about it. Too complicated for my brain?) I'll be out later this week to ride some more after I get my transferred title, license plate, and insurance. And some nice gloves.

Still working on the pics. Gphoto2 and Konqueror are being a pain. Got before & afters.

[Cigaro]

Sorry, I shouldn't have been so sharp of tounge. Glad the damage to yourself and the bike isn't too bad.

But still, get some bloody insurance

[Ravo]

Pics time! Here are the before pictures. The bike is pristine considering it's 23 years old.

[Ravo]

More pics! These were taken after the fall, and only highlight the damaged areas. I dropped the image quality since I don't have the bandwidth for image uploading.

TheBassJunky: I don't know how insurance works in your location, but around here we only use it because it's illegal not to. Every shady business practice they can legally use, they do. If I had insurance today, I wouldn't even tell them it happened. Better to pay out of pocket for the repairs and set me back a month's pay then have the insurance pay to fix it and set me back several years of pay stretched out over the course of my lifetime. I am quite bias against insurance companies over their treatment of me and my own in the past.

[Cigaro]

[LeeR]

Well for a 23 year old bike that's in pretty good nick, as they say round these parts, enjoy your riding.

Look on the bright-side your accident could've cost you more, I love this clip: https://youtube.com/watch?v=0QPm6v6xi5w $39,000
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My claim to fame: Austin Vince nicked my pen...

[Ravo]

I was fine yesterday. Today every part of me that could hurt does. I guess I took the fall a little harder than I thought. I won't be riding on roads until I heal.

On the flipside, I took my father's 1973 Honda CB350 for a spin around our property. For a 34 year old bike, it handles better than mine.

[thegubner]

nice bike

[Ravo]

6-11-2007
I guess I should update this log...

After my accident I took time away from the bike to finish legalizing it. On an internal level, I had to fight with myself over what course of action to take. I can say with confidence that the hardest thing I've ever done with regards to biking was getting back on the bike for the first time after crashing it for the first time.

I fussed and argued with myself for 2 weeks, contemplating selling the bike, trading for something smaller, or just stowing it away and only remembering the physical and mental pain of getting my ass handed to me by pavement when I look at it. I still have a bruise or two.

But I got back on. I literally had to force myself onto the bike the first time. I'm glad I did. Just two or three uneventful trips over the last few days and the fear is all but gone, every time I look at the bike it's easier to get back on.

The lesson learned here is old as dirt. If you fall off a horse, you get back on, or you may never ride again.

[Noxious89123]

Ouch

Glad your ok, and the bike isn't too badly damamged.

Now if you'd done some rider training, you'd have known to only use the back brake in the corners.

And don't rely on engine braking too much when on the road....

It can slow you down really quickly, BUT without showing a brake light. Before you know it, that car behind you is right up your ass.

[LeeR]

[Ravo]

Here in the US, you don't even need a day's experience on a bike to get a learner's permit. After you get one, you get on the bike and ride for a few months before taking a road test. Riding courses are few, far between, and far away. You don't need to take a single class to get a motorcycle endorsement.

Besides, I'd been riding for literally 15 minutes when that happened. Give me a break. I haven't laid it down since and I've been making longer and longer trips with it. Considering every legal UK rider has taken a course and had to start on some tiny little 50cc-125cc bike with no weight to throw around I'd say I'm doing pretty good for my experience.

[LeeR]

Ravo, sorry I wasn't meaning specifically "you", the English language is so restrictive sometimes. Maybe I should have generally said "one", as in when one engages in training one is advised that blah, blah, blah... Personally I think you're doing okay, but I think you should break the mould here. I mean just because one can ride without training in the US doesn't mean you have to follow suit. Did you check the dmv website out? They list all training organizations by state for bike and car, they could be nearer and cheaper than you think.
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My claim to fame: Austin Vince nicked my pen...

[Ravo]

[LeeR]

Okay well it's your money and time and obviously you can spend it how you like. I would say though that here we do Compulsary Basic Training (CBT) by law which costs us £100 ($200) for a day's instruction on a 125cc. Most of us, in spite of it being compulsory, consider it money well spent.

If your car does 20mpg, that'll mean using 10 gallons what's that cost these days $10, it'd cost us £45 ($90)!

The point I'm trying to make is that the information/training you receive is actually priceless, and may well save you binning the bike.

Regarding junctions without stop signs (a give-way in the UK) a tip my instructor gave me was that if I feel uncomfortable with a junction then I should just stop anyway, it's not a crime, gives you time to plan and make the manovure with more confidence. You can have that one for free, it cost me £450 ($900)
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My claim to fame: Austin Vince nicked my pen...