Nervous new owner/rider

[kevincook]

Well, I went and did it. I took the MSF BRC last October and spent all winter trying to decide on the appropriate starter bike. I ended up with a used K1200LT :eek:

I looked at a lot of bikes but nothing was really what I was looking for until I checked out the LT. After a lot more reading and all the stories about the poor low speed handling I decided that an RT might be a better first bike. I don't know how I ended up with the LT but so far I'm happy.

I picked the bike up in New Jersey on Friday and trailered it to Long Island to watch a game on Saturday. We arrived home in upstate NY about 1am Sunday morning. If anyone saw the bike on a trailer as opposed to being ridden I apologize.....it may ruin our image as "riders" :) I'm not a complete idiot, I at least knew better than to try riding in NJ/NYC traffic with the thing. I didn't mention the BRC was the only experience I had riding a motorcycle. I had never actually riden a bike on the road.

After working up enough courage to unload the bike off the trailer with the help of my wife and daughter I got suited up for my first ride.....straight to the school parking lot.

I spent about 30-45 minutes in the parking lot practicing all the drills we did in the BRC last fall. I was actually very surprised how well the bike handles and how manueverable it is. For me, it was easier than the little 250's they taught the course on.

After the tour around the parking lot I headed out for some unpopulated roads. I rode a little over 100 miles with temperatures between 38-42, heavy rain off and on and wind gusts to 35mph. It was great. :) BTW, the only other bike I saw all day was someone on an R-series bike, everyone else just stayed home.

I rode to work this morning when it was 36 degrees and was surprised to see that nobody else rode today. There are usually 6-8 bikes there.

I still have a ton to learn and am being extra cautious but I'm pleasantly surprised at how easy the LT is to ride.

I still don't know how to operate everything on the bike. At first I thought that the side cases were broken because I couldn't figure out how to open them. Then I thought that Reverse was broken because I couldn't figure out how to operate that. It's a good thing this site exists or the cases may still be closed.

Now I think the BC is broken because I can't figure out how to operate that. Any suggestions? And what is that lollipop looking thing sticking up from the right handgrip?

Thanks, I'm sure I'll be back with more questions.
Kevin

[hschisler]

Hey Kevin,
Welcome to this wonderful site. As you're already seeing, there are tons of information here. You name it, it's been cussed, discussed, debated, analyzed and dissected. More info than you could read in a month straight.

Like you, I jumped into the deep end of motorcycling. Started riding last August; took the BRC, bought a starter bike, 3 weeks later bought the LT and haven't looked back. (OK, maybe a couple of times!)

You're doing the right thing, of course, by practicing the BRC drills and starting out on lightly-traveled rodes. You'll get used to all the features, bells and whistles... and oh, what a ride. My wife and I just walked in from an evening ride up the road an hour for some shopping and dinner. 49 egrees here in central Ohio this evening and the heated seats and grips felt great.

Let us know how things go for you.

[mneblett]

Now I think the BC is broken because I can't figure out how to operate that. Any suggestions? And what is that lollipop looking thing sticking up from the right handgrip?Great start, Kevin! And welcome to the asylum :)

Do you have numbers in the BC display? If so, you can shift between the 4 screens by either pressing the BC button on the right grip cluster, or pushing in on the rubber-covered button below the BC display (IIRC, the left is the scroll between display button, the right is the reset button for each display.

The lollipop a couple inches tall? An aftermarket assessory -- a base for the RAM series of mounting devices for everying from GPSs to coffee cups. Corresponding clamps and brackets can be found on the Accessories list (bar above) and from forum vendors, such as CycleGadgets. Happy "farklizing" as we call it. (The bike may have been a good deal, but just plan on starting to put away paychecks for the required accessories :))

[messenger13]

Welcome Kevin! Nervous? About what? Sounds like you're doing just fine. :thumb:

Scroll down and read my comments in RED...


Well, I went and did it. I took the MSF BRC last October and spent all winter trying to decide on the appropriate starter bike. I ended up with a used K1200LT :eek: Hey! It's a nice, small "learners" bike. :D

I looked at a lot of bikes but nothing was really what I was looking for until I checked out the LT. After a lot more reading and all the stories about the poor low speed handling I decided that an RT might be a better first bike. I don't know how I ended up with the LT but so far I'm happy.

I picked the bike up in New Jersey on Friday (Don't worry. That's not the last time you'll be "picking up the LT". :D) and trailered it to Long Island to watch a game on Saturday. We arrived home in upstate NY about 1am Sunday morning. If anyone saw the bike on a trailer as opposed to being ridden I apologize.....it may ruin our image as "riders" :) I'm not a complete idiot, I at least knew better than to try riding in NJ/NYC traffic with the thing. I didn't mention the BRC was the only experience I had riding a motorcycle. I had never actually riden a bike on the road. This may be the best reason I've ever read for trailering an LT. Smart move.

After working up enough courage to unload the bike off the trailer with the help of my wife and daughter I got suited up for my first ride.....straight to the school parking lot. Another smart move.

I spent about 30-45 minutes in the parking lot practicing all the drills we did in the BRC last fall. I was actually very surprised how well the bike handles and how manueverable it is. For me, it was easier than the little 250's they taught the course on. And you didn't drop it . . . YET?!

After the tour around the parking lot I headed out for some unpopulated roads. I rode a little over 100 miles with temperatures between 38-42, heavy rain off and on and wind gusts to 35mph. It was great. :) BTW, the only other bike I saw all day was someone on an R-series bike, everyone else just stayed home. You must live amongst posers! :p

I rode to work this morning when it was 36 degrees and was surprised to see that nobody else rode today. There are usually 6-8 bikes there. Too cold for posers!

I still have a ton to learn and am being extra cautious but I'm pleasantly surprised at how easy the LT is to ride. The more you learn, the more you'll realize just how much there is to know. Sounds like you're off to a great start though...keep it up!

I still don't know how to operate everything on the bike. At first I thought that the side cases were broken because I couldn't figure out how to open them. Then I thought that Reverse was broken because I couldn't figure out how to operate that. It's a good thing this site exists or the cases may still be closed.

Now I think the BC is broken because I can't figure out how to operate that. Any suggestions? The 'MODE' button scrolls between the 4 info displays. The 'RESET' button resets the average speed and the mpg displays back to zero. The 'BC' button on the right handlebar also scrolls through the 4 displays. And what is that lollipop looking thing sticking up from the right handgrip? Sounds to me like that is a RAM mount ball. You can buy a RAM mount, and use it to mount a cell phone, CB radio, satellite radio, etc. etc...

Thanks, I'm sure I'll be back with more questions. We'll leave the light on for ya...
Kevin

[tarheel_rider]

Welcome, great start. We all started somewhere and usually without the good sense approach you've taken. Enjoy!

[UncleRock]

Well, I went and did it. I took the MSF BRC last October and spent all winter trying to decide on the appropriate starter bike. I ended up with a used K1200LT :eek:

I picked the bike up in New Jersey on Friday and trailered it to Long Island to watch a game on Saturday.
How did the bike like the Game?? :D
We arrived home in upstate NY about 1am Sunday morning. If anyone saw the bike on a trailer as opposed to being ridden I apologize.....it may ruin our image as "riders" :)

After the tour around the parking lot I headed out for some unpopulated roads. I rode a little over 100 miles with temperatures between 38-42, heavy rain off and on and wind gusts to 35mph. It was great. :) BTW, the only other bike I saw all day was someone on an R-series bike, everyone else just stayed home.

I rode to work this morning when it was 36 degrees and was surprised to see that nobody else rode today. There are usually 6-8 bikes there.

I still have a ton to learn and am being extra cautious but I'm pleasantly surprised at how easy the LT is to ride.

Thanks, I'm sure I'll be back with more questions.
Kevin
Take your time, While I always suggest that people start out on an old beat dresser, I mean an HD.
Going around corners to fast makes the floorboards scrape having 2 instant reactions. 1 Your butt grips the seat tight as it puckers up, 2. You slow down and live to learn to ride.
I have been in MC rights for a long time, most numbers can be tilted the way you would like to help your point of view.
Not this one, almost 75% of motorcycle fatalities happen to riders with less than 2 years riding experience. (The combination results of massive power with inexperience)
So don't rush or get over confident, it will all come in time.
Remember if someone can do something stupid in front of you, EXPECT IT! :eek:
Rock

[BallsCasten]

I had a good chuckle about dropping the bike … yet! I’ve been riding touring bikes since I was tall enough to steal my dads Goldwing. Anyhoow, I get my new to me LT on sat. Go for a ride on Sunday and of course showing off my automatic center stand. Its time to leave from a stop and I see I’ve put down the center stand down on a slight up hill. So I’m off the bike, grab the handle bar and handle on rear saddle bag. Pull it off the stand and it proceeds to fall away from me. I put less than a hundred miles on it before I dropped it, so you made it farther than I did.

[midwilshire]

So don't rush or get over confident, it will all come in time. Remember if someone can do something stupid in front of you, EXPECT IT! :eek:
RockHey Kevin, welcome! I like what Rock said here. Ya gotta be so on-the-ball that you know when other drivers are going to get stupid even before the time comes for them to prove you right. Most of my close-calls came within the first year of riding, which BTW, is when I focused on the BRC skills instead of just doing them, as they were not yet second nature to me. Now I mutter a silent challenge to the world when I roll out the the end of my driveway, "okay you bastards, what'cha got in store for me today?" I sit up tall and I ride with an aire of authority. I'm convinced that this two-wheeled survival game is mostly mental.

[LTsaddledance]

Hey Kevin, welcome! I like what Rock said here. Ya gotta be so on-the-ball that you know when other drivers are going to get stupid even before the time comes for them to prove you right. Most of my close-calls came within the first year of riding, which BTW, is when I focused on the BRC skills instead of just doing them, as they were not yet second nature to me.

Stats (don't know the exact number) have shown most rider accidents occur in first year of ridership and close to home. Inexperience and complacency.
Ride (and practice skills) and gain the experience. Never be complacent about what's going on around you. Keep your situational awareness.


Now I mutter a silent challenge to the world when I roll out the the end of my driveway, "okay you bastards, what'cha got in store for me today?" I sit up tall and I ride with an aire of authority. I'm convinced that this two-wheeled survival game is mostly mental.


Abso-damn-lutely! I think and ride the exact same way you do. I also agree that survival odds are enhanced by your mindset.

[mneblett]

Not this one, almost 75% of motorcycle fatalities happen to riders with less than 2 years riding experience. (The combination results of massive power with inexperience)
So don't rush or get over confident, it will all come in time.
Excellent post and point, Rock.

To which I'll add (for those of us that are feeling all warm and comfy because we are "experienced"), the accident rate is also higher for those within the first 6 months of riding a *new* bike, regardless of experience level.

[kdog]

I sit up tall and I ride with an aire of authority. I'm convinced that this two-wheeled survival game is mostly mental.

I like that. When I picked up my new LT (6 years ago), I hadn't ridden a motorcycle in 17 years. My salesman, a very good rider, told me to "always dominate the traffic. Don't let it dominate you." That's been my mantra for the past 100K safe miles. That isn't to say be overly aggressive or be a jerk. It just means essentially what you say -- ride with an aire of authority. Be cautious, but make plenty of eye contact. Don't be indecisive. Make your presence known. I guess it's kind of hard to put into words exactly. At any rate, the LT is a very good bike for gaining respect from traffic. Auxillary lights increases your profile as well.

Regards,
-joel

[hschisler]

Excellent post and point, Rock.

To which I'll add (for those of us that are feeling all warm and comfy because we are "experienced"), the accident rate is also higher for those within the first 6 months of riding a *new* bike, regardless of experience level.Our BRC instructors told us (just 9 months ago) that the accident rate for motorcyclists was high initially, settled down for a couple of years, then shot high again after 2-3 years of experience. The thinking is that you get some good skills going then get a little cocky, start taking chances, etc.

[BecketMa]

Think I had my LT for almost two years. One day, I noticed this funny looking plastic bolt head sticking out of the upper rear case lid. I noticed it was loose, so I found an open end wrench and gently tried to tighten it.

Dam if I didn't find a mirror after jiggling it when it didn't tighten!

Bob

[rodgtc]

Kevin, congratulations. I found this rider safety site a few years ago and have learned alot from these guys. Check it out. (www.msgroup.org/DISCUSS.asp) I have been riding for 25 years and still learn every time I ride. Be sure and watch the tar snakes and painted lines when it is wet. Ride like every cager (car) is out to get you and you will do fine. Dress for the fall not for the ride.

Good Luck
Rodger

[kevincook]

Thanks for all the support guys. I'm having fun and being very careful. I'm treating every time on the bike just like a drill and trying to learn more.

So far the toughest thing is right hand turns on an incline from a stop. I'm going out of my way to practice this the most right now. I'm sure the people in town are going to start wondering who the nut is on the motorcycle driving in circles in the school parking lot. In a couple of weeks I may even set up my own cones, right now I'm just using paint markings on the ground.

Thanks for the warning about the paint, I keep finding myself thinking "stay away from the paint" everytime I come to a stop.

Thanks,
Kevin

[RT_COOP]

My recent (re)lesson was pulling the bike up to a nice, graceful stop at an intersection, setting my feet down and sllliiippp, an oil puddle. Luckily I didn't drop. You've always gotta be on the look out for something, even stopped.

Browse the archives about stopping and dropping the LT. And always wear your gear, especially good boots.

Ohhh, and have lots of fun on those Finger Lake NY State roads, soon, you'll be checking off your counties and then states.