Bought My First Bike! Scared of even starting it... lol

[CrookedHalos]

My friend just bought a Ninja250 last month and it motivated me to get my own and experience the learning together. So I looked on craigslist a few days and pounced on a 2008 Ninja 500r. The poor guy got back from Iraq with shrapnel in his back and isnt able to ride crouched over anymore so he had to sell the bike. I bought it for $2300 with 17,000 miles. He just had it inspected not even a month ago with a full service, new brakes, fluids, and tires. It starts up easily and no leaks or anything. The engine sounds really healthy! It was dropped by the wind unfortunately, so there are a few dings and the left side panels are stitched together, but even that the bike looks nice IMO.

I have a few questions though.. I heard that its beneficial to practice a little on your own before you pay for the driving lessons. What is every ones thoughts on that?
Also the gear, I've decided on buying a Dainese Air-Frame Textile Jacket and Alpinestars S-MX 2 Boots.. But for pants i cant figure out what would be a good quality pair. I dont like slim fit, I was thinking of going with Bioarmor and a regular pair of my favorite baggy jeans (they aren't overly baggy) over them. Would that be fine? I live in a desert climate
Also what is the purpose/practicality of Bioarmor?

Sorry for the horrible lighting lol

[ConPilot1]

Jeebus that looks brand new. You did well. The Ninja 500 is a rock-solid little bike, as are most Kwaks.
Treat it good and the thing will run forever with minimal fuss.  

Welcome to STN.

[Cablebandit]

Welcome.

+1 for parking in the living room.

[hovmaven]

Congrats.  You may wish to read this first, before taking the bike on the road. . ..

Proficient Motorcycling, by David Hough

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

[CrookedHalos]

lmao i live in an apt next to he border. So front parking is a hell no..  No side entrance to the back yard either and the wind is relentless last few weeks.

[Cablebandit]

Also fill out your profile so we know where you are.  I'm sure if you're in the states you're local licensing agency can point you in the direction of the local MSF or similar training.

[JReazor]

Go take the MSF class RIGHT NOW. Don't worry about practicing on your own yet. Just go take the class. They'll get the basics out of the way so you know what you need to work on afterwards. Seriously... take the class.

[CrookedHalos]

Alright ill sign up for the class asap.. I just didnt want to drop $200 and fail cuz i didnt catch on fast enough or something. That was my only Concern.
Could someone please explain bioarmor though? lol I tried looking it up but Im still not sure what its intended for. (safety of course) But why buy that over a jacket/pants?

[cbsnbiker]

Welcome to STN!

JOOC, where are you located? You don't have to be very specific. If you're in the U.S., in which state do you live?

I have a few questions though.. I heard that its beneficial to practice a little on your own before you pay for the driving lessons. What is every ones thoughts on that?

I disagree. Often, a novice starts to develop bad habits when trying to learn on his own. Starting off with good habits learned in a course is beneficial.

Assuming you live in one of the 48 states that offer the Motorcycle Safety Foundation Basic RiderCourse (BRC), I recommend that you take the course. It is designed for beginners with no riding experience.

For more information:

http://www.msf-usa.org

If you live elsewhere, then investigate what training options are available in your area.

Here's an example of why it's good to take the course first. A fellow who owns a restaurant near where I teach signed up for the course. While waiting for his turn, he bought a bike and rode it on the street. He made a mistake and crashed. He wasn't seriously injured, but he broke a few bones and missed some work. He sold the remains of his bike and hasn't ridden since.  

Also the gear, I've decided on buying a Dainese Air-Frame Textile Jacket and Alpinestars S-MX 2 Boots.. But for pants i cant figure out what would be a good quality pair. I dont like slim fit, I was thinking of going with Bioarmor and a regular pair of my favorite baggy jeans (they aren't overly baggy) over them. Would that be fine? I live in a desert climate
Also what is the purpose/practicality of Bioarmor?

I'll let others go into more detail about the specifics. I do applaud you for preparing yourself for the ride by obtaining and wearing high quality riding gear.  

I am a firm believer in ATGATT ("all the gear, all the time"). Whenever I'm riding on public roads I wear motorcycle-specific protective riding gear: a full-face helmet, gloves, boots, and either a one-piece riding suit (most often) or leather jacket and pants.
 

[Cablebandit]

The best students in my classes were the ones who have never been on a bike before and are there because they want to learn.  The course is designed with those in mind.  It takes you from ground zero to "hopefully" a licensed rider at the end.

[bluepoof]

Welcome!  Congrats on joining both the STN and Ninja families!  

I wouldn't worry about riding at all before taking the MSF.  You don't want to get bad habits or, worse, hurt yourself -- the class is designed for people who have no experience.  Heck, I'd never even driven anything with a manual transmission before taking the MSF.    I was all, "clutch, what?"  

+1 on the suggestion to read Proficient Motorcycling, though.  That book is incredible and will help you immeasurably.

For pants, I'm very partial to overpants (mesh for summer) over the jeans instead of wearing armor under the jeans.  I don't have any particular reason, other than that it's really nice to take the overpants off when I get to a restaurant or whatever the destination is and not have to wander around with sweaty armor chafing around my knees all day.    

Welcome again!

[Hell's Bella]

Congrats on the new bike! The rest of these guys will have WAY more to say on the subject than I would, but I can tell you that I took the MSF course with zero experience on a bike other than as a passenger, and passed just fine.

We had folks in the class with a pretty wide range of riding ability; about 2/3 had little or no experience, some were taking it as a refresher after some time off, and a couple of others were regular riders who were taking it to reduce their insurance. We all had a great time, were able to learn a lot from the instructors and one another, and in the end, everyone passed.

[ConPilot1]

Plus 100 on the MSF comments. Take it before attempting to ride the 500 if you've never ridden before.

As far as gear goes, if you're in a desert environs and you've got a little cash to spend on good gear, check out the Motoport Air Mesh Kevlar jacket's and pants and don't look back.

Shop around for 2nd hand deals if you can find, they're out there. Best hot weather gear I've owned, and I also feel more protected in that suit than anything else I have, including my 2 pc leathers.

[cbsnbiker]

Here's another good book to read:

"The Motorcycle Safety Foundation's Guide to Motorcycling Excellence: Skills, Knowledge, and Strategies for Riding Right (2nd Edition)"

[CrookedHalos]

wow the support from the community is amazing on this forum, way better then the Mustang forum i post on for my car.. lol I'm impressed. Thank you all for the suggestions and advice. I really appreciate it!!!

[CrookedHalos]

As far as gear goes, if you're in a desert environs and you've got a little cash to spend on good gear, check out the Motoport Air Mesh Kevlar jacket's and pants and don't look back.

Whoa, I dont have that much of a budget.. lol I live in kinda a middle/low income population. Finding Second hand Motoport or even Dainese is rare. Only thing I find are locally are alot of Second hand Icons and Joe Rockets. I am not a fan of Ebay as well.

[ConPilot1]

ADV-STN-or IBMWR marketplaces.

ADV's marketplace is huge and very active.

[bluepoof]

Motorcyclegear.com often has good closeouts -- they've got a pair of mesh pants for $59 now.

http://www.motorcyclegear.com/street/closeouts/mesh_jackets_and_pants/

Looks like this site has quite a few options, too, though I've never bought from them so I can't vouch:

http://www.motorcyclecloseouts.com/sport/mesh+motorcycle+jackets

Definitely check out the ADV marketplace, like Con said.  There's often tons of good stuff there.  

[Royal Tiger]

The book hovmaven posted is a great resource.  Here is a good list that is easily obtainable at Barnes & Noble:

Proficient Motorcycling; 2nd Edition - David Hough
More Proficient Motorcycling - David Hough
Total Control - Lee Parks
Twist of the Wrist - Keith Code
Twist of the Wrist II - Keith Code

[Gary B.]

+1 on the training first! Also on buying riding gear. Since I went down last fall, I'd spend money on gear now before farkling the bike.


@Crooked Halos- If ya really want to have some fun, start a thread here asking what oil and chain lube to use.