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Riding on the street for the first time (i.imgur.com)

submitted ago by bayankPhilly '07 Ninja 250

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[–]Jspiral(CRT) Gridlock Gladiator 28 points29 points ago

One day, especially if you ride everyday, you will realize you're damn near clairvoyant and can read the minds of other drivers. Take riding on the street very seriously from a mental aspect. 100% focus on your surroundings is necessary. Put away the ipod, keep your head on a swivel, and be safe out there.

[–]DanMachUnited States '82 XS400J || '05 KLR650 12 points13 points ago

If you don't ever go over 45, then ya, don't use any kind of sound cancellation(ear plugs, whatever).

If you go over 45mph, USE EAR PLUGS. Seriously hearing damage is not something that can be reversed. You will suffer life long damage.

[–]Jspiral(CRT) Gridlock Gladiator 3 points4 points ago

I don't wear earplugs unless I plan on being on the freeway for a long period of time. Even then it's a really big decision for me because it's known that we react faster to sound than sight and with earplugs in, I am eliminating my most important sense.

[–]ohtobiasyoublowhardSuzuki DRZ400-SM 06 0 points1 point ago

90% of the information you get while driving is through the eyes. This is why we let deaf people drive cars, but not blind people.

[–]Jspiral(CRT) Gridlock Gladiator 3 points4 points ago

Which is why the suggestion isn't a blindfold.

[–]Benj11052012 Yamaha FZ8 2 points3 points ago

I have a full face helmet(shoei x twelve) a stock fz8 (very quiet) and I'm usually going anywhere from 40-60 and never really on the interstate or anything is the wind noise enough to cause damage to my hearing?

[–]countingthedays'09 Ninja 650R 4 points5 points ago

Over the long term, yes. Have you ever gotten off your bike and had your ears ring?

[–]Benj11052012 Yamaha FZ8 2 points3 points ago

No not yet, my hearing isn't that great already, listened to music too loud as a kid.

[–]NiceGuysFinishLast 2 points3 points ago

All the more reason to protect what hearing you have. I wear either earplugs or sound isolating In Ear Monitor type headphones (I can't recommend the ER6i enough) for long trips. With good headphones, you can keep your music low enough to be safe for your hearing, and allow you to hear important things (sirens, brake screeches, etc) while attenuating the road/wind noise to tolerable levels. I believe it was NHTSA studies that showed that wind noise causes fatigue and inattention. I know that on my 600+ mile days, I would go crazy on the superslab without music. It keeps me focused, but I can see that it just distracts some.

[–]polychaos 2 points3 points ago

What's the legality of this? I thought it wasn't legal to wear headphones?

[–]NiceGuysFinishLast 1 point2 points ago

It's not legal. Headphones for music fall under different laws than headphones for handsfree communication. I don't let that bother me. My 5mph over the limit aren't legal, either. Earplugs are lesss strictly regulated (almost not at all). Check your local laws, I am not lawyer and don't want to screw anyone over.

[–]polychaos 1 point2 points ago

Cool, yeah I was just curious.

[–]wekR 0 points1 point ago

Definitely illegal here in Minnesota. However, I've been pulled over on my bike for various reasons probably ~10 times. Every time I have had my earplugs in, every time I've taken off my helmet and the officer has seen them. However, once I explain why I use them they seem fine with it. Never been ticketed for it.

[–]TheRiddler75'01 F4i, '95 EX500 (track) 0 points1 point ago

Depends on your state. California law is headphones are legal only in one ear. Earplugs are legal in both/any ears for the purpose of protecting your hearing. Sometimes I'll ride with one earplug and one headphone in.

[–]countingthedays'09 Ninja 650R 1 point2 points ago

Same here. I always do ear plugs for that reason, they're cheap and actually make riding much more comfortable.

[–]Cilician 0 points1 point ago

How are you liking that fazer? I'm thinking of upgrading to one down the line.

[–]Benj11052012 Yamaha FZ8 0 points1 point ago

It's been an absolute blast it's still in the break in period but the power in the lower rpms is still enough to where you feel like you really aren't missing out on much

[–]notimea9z 0 points1 point ago

Just learned this after a 1000km in 2 days on highways. Couldn't hear very well after and was all sorts of disoriented for a few hours after. Luckily it all came back to baseline but lesson learned- its an acustic assault. Earplugs next tome fo'sho.

[–]1thief 1 point2 points ago

Do you really swivel your head though? I find that focusing and only looking at things that really matter are more beneficial to my awareness. Then again I always look at billboards with pretty girls. Always.

[–]Jspiral(CRT) Gridlock Gladiator 2 points3 points ago

haha it's an expression meaning to pay attention to everything around you.

[–]she_did_whatDR-Z434SM 2 points3 points ago

around intersections yes. everyone is crazy.

[–]gidonfireBMW R1100RS NYC 1 point2 points ago

yeah. I swivel the shit out of my head. I'm constantly looking in my mirrors and then double checking by looking over my shoulder. Double lane change? Look over shoulder. Clear? Change lanes. Look over shoulder again. Still clear? Change lanes. Look everywhere, all the time. Riding is work.

[–]mindctrlpankak2008 Ninja 250R 0 points1 point ago

I generally am looking around a bit, attention deficit disorder does that.

[–]notimea9z 0 points1 point ago

This. Just did a 1000km highway riding in 2 days and I was at 99.999% for every second of it.

[–]Fauropitotto2008 GSX-R 1000 18 points19 points ago

You'll continue to ride for a few months, and one day, you'll feel like you've "got it".

...and some time soon after, you'll do something stupid, and, assuming you're still alive, will end up right back to the feeling you got your first time in traffic.

After this, you'll eventually move up to a larger and faster bike, and start hanging around some faster riders, and maybe you'll keep up....but at some point, there'll be just one guy, or a very small group of guys that blow past you. These guys do track days often, they're often very knowledgeable, and have a very good skillset.

...and you'll try to keep up with them, and you'll be left in the dust, and again, right back to where you were before.

Unless you're Stoner, Rossi, or any of the other top dogs, this will be your experience for the rest of your life.

Embrace it.

[–]M0T0BACKhand[SB,CA]2005 Ducati 749 Dark 17 points18 points ago

that's an incredibly negative way to view motorcycling

[–]Bobby_Bowlingspoon2012 Suzuki TU250X 21 points22 points ago

I don't think so. It shows that a constant accumulation of knowledge will happen, and that even if you think you know everything, you don't. Just like everything else in life.

If that's not incentive to try to increase your abilities, I don't know what would.

[–]genuinepolitician2001 Honda VT750CD 15 points16 points ago

Going faster doesn't mean you're a better rider or anything of that nonsense. Being able to do tricks or things of that nature is not what motorcycling is about to many of us. Maybe there's a different attitude between sportbike riders and cruisers, but this reads more like a sportbike rider progression than a cruiser.

[–]Fauropitotto2008 GSX-R 1000 0 points1 point ago

Bingo.

[–]Jspiral(CRT) Gridlock Gladiator 6 points7 points ago

I agree. Not everybody has the same aspirations. Personally I feel if you are riding with people who are leaving you behind, then you are riding with the wrong people.

[–]Bazzie09 Triumph Street Triple R 3 points4 points ago

That's an incredibly negative way to view that comment. For me it just means there is allways room to learn something new and progress and that is what keeps things interesting for me.

[–]Daakuryu 0 points1 point ago

The best way to acquire knowledge is to acknowledge you know nothing.

[–]DanMachUnited States '82 XS400J || '05 KLR650 -2 points-1 points ago

Oooh you're a druggy! Your message makes sense =) (Moron)

[–]M0T0BACKhand[SB,CA]2005 Ducati 749 Dark -3 points-2 points ago

Oh no, people who base their judgement are basing their experience on other experiences without consulting other?! How offensive and surprising! have fun on your 400 poor boy. Even after food/rent/credit cards/ loans, I know that you're far from extra sauces but once you get there, oh man....

[–]Mntfrd_Graverobber'81 xs400 -1 points0 points ago

Thank you for making fun of my bike and the fact that I am poor.
But it looks so cool...
edit: also, please tell me how bbq sauce will help speed me along the path to owning something as awesome as a Ducati.

[–]namegoeshere -1 points0 points ago

It's reality.

Edit: Aww.. the newbs of the current moto don't like truth. Who cares? Neither me nor the pavement. Good Luck fellas.

[–]IAMJesusAMAA2006 Yamaha YZF-R1 -1 points0 points ago

But it's still realistic.

[–]dracthrus1985 Honda Magna 1 point2 points ago

Why would them being faster have anything to do with me feeling like I haven't "got it"?

The goal on a bike isn't to get from A to B the fastest, heck most of us pass through C, D, E, and F to get to B just because we enjoy the ride, the view, the freedom. Most of the time when someone passes me I just don't care, or smile latter if I pass them while they are pulled over for speeding.

[–]Fauropitotto2008 GSX-R 1000 0 points1 point ago

First, there are two completely different approaches to motorcycle riding. The first approach is to treat motorcycle riding as a skill to be developed and fine tuned. The second approach is to treat motorcycle riding as a purely recreational activity for the purpose of enjoying being on two wheels.

If you belong to the second approach, then disregard everything I've said before and everything that I'm about today.

If you belong to the first approach, then speed has everything to do with it. The only way to go fast safely is to have a set of skills to allow you to do that (doesn't matter what displacement the bike is). All that matters is your technique. The ONLY objective meter for that skillset is lap times (on the track), and location in the group (on the street). My whole point is that developing your technique is a lifelong endeavor for those of us in the first group...and that there will always be someone faster than us, which implies that they have a better refined skill set and technique.

Again, if you ride your bike for fun just to cruise down the road and meander through some backroads enjoying the scenery, the wind, and the feel....then ignore this.

If however, you ride your bike with the intention of building a specific skill set, then technique is everything, and the gauge of that technique is speed and cornering. Everything you train to do on the bike will be for the intention of going faster, safer, and being more consistent.

[–]iNVWSSV06 GSXF600 1 point2 points ago

i remember my first ride on the street after buying my bike. i had passed the msf course about 2 months prior, and had been super excited to get out there and ride.

so i had been sticking to neighborhood roads but apparently i took a turn, right towards a busy road. anyway, i said fuckit, throttled up and i felt like i was flying. all of 40 mph. i had a fucking death grip on the handlebars! feeling like i'm the fastest man in the world, i suddenly look to my left... as a station wagon slowly cruises past me...

felt dumb haha. good times though.

[–]Enzie1991 1 point2 points ago

This pic of Michael is on the top page of trees and motorcycles! HOORAY.

[–]JarlGrimnar0311 0 points1 point ago

I had this feeling continuously during my first year of riding in SoCal along I-5. Didn't help that unless u wanted people swerving around you like your a idiot minimum speed was 75 ಠ_ಠ

[–]Kyoti 1 point2 points ago

I'm right off the I-15 and there are innumerable amounts of asshole drivers in the area. I'm holding off on freeway riding for a few months until I'm totally comfortable in street traffic, I'd like to avoid becoming a stain on the 15 :-(

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point ago

Two ways to learn that I know. Dirt, and a stopwatch. If you ain't done your time with either of them, you're going to have a bad time.

[–]wrayjustinNew Rider ('82 HD Sportster) 0 points1 point ago

What?

[–]Kyoti 0 points1 point ago

This is going to be me in a matter of a few weeks once I get a bike.

I am not looking forward to the small heart attack I'm likely to have the moment I set wheels on a real street.

[–]Candera♀ 2009 Ninja 650 0 points1 point ago

I remember this feeling...

Specifically the first time I rode on the highway I felt like I was hyper aware!

Now its all just routine...

[–]bigmill2012 Ninja 650 -1 points0 points ago

Can anyone comment on Alpinestars leather jackets and pants (GP-Plus 2012 and GP pants)? I want some of the safest gear I can buy, it has a hefty price tag but well worth it to me.

[–]ohtobiasyoublowhardSuzuki DRZ400-SM 06 0 points1 point ago

1) Buy stuff that you will wear every time you ride, even if you're only going to the store. If you're going on long trips and your every day gear doesn't cut it, buy a different set for that.

2) If you live in a place that has sunshine, do not underestimate how hot it gets in clothes without venting.

Not minding the $$$ going out of your account is a good attitude when you get into motorcycles.

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