Judge the quality of advice - Rider resumes

[BIGGByran]

Handle: BIGGByran (Bryan)

Age: 27

Current Bike(s): 2006 Kawasaki Ninja 650R

Retired Bike(s): None

Squidly Stuff: Every time I ride. Always in full gear(Helmet, jacket, pants, gloves, boots), riding to work and back, training with my friend trying to encourage her to ride with me so we can practice (safer cause should anything happen, we can help each other out), going 5 mph over the speed limit or trying to keep up with traffic (going 15+mph). If I remember right, one of the qualifications of a squid is one who can't corner but can accelerate fast, therefor I am. I can't practice cornering because its not safe to do it in the streets, so I will forever be a squid until I can find a safe place to practice it.

Licensing/Training/Experience: M Endorsement, Local Motorcycle Safety course by the Motorcycle Police Department, 310miles (total on all bikes) and counting.

My Gear:
Helmet - Scorpion Exo 400 Tsunami
Jacket - Xelement Tri-Tex Fabric Level-3 Armored (All season) and Shift Air Avenger (Summer Jacket, I think thats the correct name, they don't seem to make it anymore or I can't find it)
Pants - Vulcan NF-7009 (Winter) and Tour Master Venture Air (All Season, Just got them and LOVE THEM, so much more comfortable!!)
Gloves - Shift (Summer, Can't find them on a site, guess they don't make them anymore) and Xelement Basic & Waterproof Padded / Insulated Leather Gloves (Winter/Rain)
Boots - Brahma Work boots, leather, steeltoed, slip resistant, water proof.

Future Gear:
Helmet - Scorpion Exo 500
Jacket - Another all weather jacket (researching)
Gloves - Winter/Rain gloves (researching)
Boots - Better motorcycle boots that are comfortable walking on them (researching)

[GizzyZZR6]

Handle: GizzyZZR6 (A.J.)

Age: 19

Bikes owned: 2007 KAWI ZZR6

Squidly stuff: still have my first bike, have put about 5k miles on it so far.

Licensing/training/experience: MSF basic riders course

Gear: Alpine star leather jacket, Icon CE back protector, BILT leather gloves with carbon fiber knuckles, shift riding shoes, Scorpion EXO-1000 helmet, hoping to purchase leather overpants soon.

[GoIllini]

Handle: GoIllini (Mark)

Age: 27

Current Bike(s): 2006 Triumph Daytona

Retired Bike(s): 2005 Ninja 250, 2005 CBR 600 F4I (Stolen; insured)

Squidly stuff: Sometimes hit {undisclosed speeds} in light traffic after backtracking to ensure no police or obstacles. Extremely rare wheelies may have been seen. (Hey, it's New Jersey; you can do 100 down the road and people will still be passing you.)

Licensing/Training/Experience: BRC. M endorsement now in three different states. Five years riding experience, including four in Manhattan traffic. ~10k miles, many of them at 10-15 mph. A few track days.

Gear: Dainese Steel 1 pc race suit, Sidi Vortice boots, Shoei X-12 Helmet, Alpinestars GP-Tech race gloves. I will substitute hiking shoes, jeans, and a north face fleece for short trips that require me to show up in civilian clothing (EG: riding to class), but otherwise wear full race gear.

If you ever want to ride to work in full gear and show up in business formal, hit me up; it can be done.

[Dem0nDuck]

Handle: DemonDuck

Age: 35

Bikes owned: Street bikes... 82 Honda CB750K, 08 ZX14, 12 S1000RR

Licensing/training/experience: MSF Basic, advanced, and sportbike. I have about 30k miles on the CB750k, 60K miles when I sold the ZX14, and 6k miles on the S1000RR. So close to 100k street miles. I have done about 8 track days and still ride level 2 at the track for now. I have been to the dragstrip a dozen or more times. I have had one 0-1 mph laydown.


Track Gear: 2 piece leathers, boots, gloves, X-11.
Street Gear: Jacket (one of 4), overpants (when its cold), boots, gloves, Helmet (one of 6 but usually the X-11).

[gsJack]

Handle: gsJack

Age: 80

Bikes owned: In order, 81 CB400T, 82 CB750K, 81 CM400A, 85 CB650SC, 97 GS500E, 02 GS500

Squidly stuff: Nothing much worth mentioning, didn't start riding until 52 yo.

Licensing/training/experience: Got M endorsement when I started riding by taking state test, haven't got around to taking the MSF yet. Been riding for 28 years and have over 400,000 street miles so far. A few drops, only one accident when a kid in a S-10 hit my rear as I turned off highway onto side road about 10 years ago.

Gear: Started with an open face helmet, leather jacket, jeans, and boots for many years but got a RF1000 helmet and some armored riding jackets when we started taking rides to the Smoky Mtns back in 01 to play, still wearing jeans though.

[MegaManX]

Handle: MegaManX (Lane)

Age: 30

Bikes owned: '97 Ducati 916 Biposto, '12 Kawi Ninja 250R. Previous: CBR 600 F4i

Squidly stuff: used to run a mid-'80s Ninja 900 down every interstate in the DC area with only a helmet on. Well, a helmet and jeans and a t-shirt. I wasn't naked. Amazing I survived to finish college.

Licensing/training/experience: licensed at 18, MSF basic + sportbike, Superbike School in Las Vegas in 2012. 12 years riding with a few years off in the middle.

Gear: Shoei RF-1100, AGV Rossi "WTF!?" helmets; Dainese jacket, Dainese 2-piece suit, A* SMX-1 and SMX Plus boots, various A* gloves depending on weather.

[Ghost_Rider]

Name: Ron
Age: 40
Years of riding: 35
Years of riding street: 23 (off and on)
Bikes owned: '94 Katana, '00 Hayabusa, '02 GSXR 1000, '02 R6, '08 1098S, WR250F... etc.
Crashes: 3 (2 major, 1 severe)
Track Exp: Yes
KneeDragger: Yes
Chicken Strips: No
Gear: Arai RX-7, Sidi Vortice, A-Stars GP Pro's, Dianese 1pc, Joe Rocket Textile, Icon Textile Pant, etc.
Willing to provide photos/x-rays/advice: Yes

Lives by: I paid the price of admission... I'm going to stay and watch the fucking movie!!!

[fiveboltmain09]

*NEW RIDER, NEW MEMBER*

Age: 27

Occupation: U.S. Navy active duty stationed in Jacksonville, FL - soon to be Norfolk, VA

Motorcycle owned: 2009 Yamaha FZ6 (first bike). I chose this particular model because it is so well-rounded (other models considered: Suzuki SV650, Ducati Monster 696, Kawasaki Versys, Kawasaki KLR650). It does many things well. I'm hoping to have a nice collection of bikes someday. Being from Milwaukee, WI originally, it was hard to overcome the "have to have a Harley" mentality.

Riding experience: Limited riding on friends' dirtbikes/4-wheelers/snowmobiles in years past. I just bought my first bike recently and have been riding it every moment of my spare time. I put about 600 miles on the bike the first week I had it.

Safety accreditation: MSF Basic Rider Course; taking MSF sport bike course on 17Apr2013; Florida D/L motorcycle endorsement.

Safety gear: Joe Rocket textile jacket; A-Star gloves; Icon full-face helmet, Red Wing Iron Ranger boots. Currently saving up to get a Shoei (or other Snell-approved) helmet, second riding jacket, motorcycle-specific boots, and pants. I don't get on the road without my gear.

Squidly stuff: none so far. I'm fortunate in that I waited to buy a motorcycle until I was old enough to be mature about it and respect the bike. It's a blessing in disguise that my parent's forbade me from having a motorcycle in my younger years.

Miscellaneous: I absolutely love riding. I can't get enough of it. I try to adopt a "ride defensively always, aggresively when you have to" attitude; know your limits. I drill myself on the BRC skills often to try and make them muscle memory. Somebody else in the thread said it best - ride as if every other car on the rode was trying to kill you. Great advice.

[katrider29]

Handle: Katrider29 (Jeff)

Age: 31

Motorcycle(s) owned: 2002 Suzuki Katana 600

Experience: Two years street riding- 20,000 miles. Completed basic MSF course.

Squidly stuff: Began riding with only a helmet as protection. After a few hundred miles and a lot of reading on this site, I purchased full gear. Got a ticket for "failure to maintain proper lane position while on a highway with clearly designated lanes." (lane splitting) Received several well deserved verbal lashings from home-owners for tripling the speed limit in residential neighborhoods. Embarrassed some kid in a GT 500 Mustang on the highway.

Gear: Ancient Fulmer helmet, Tourmaster textile riding jacket, Suzuki textile riding jacket, Fly textile mesh riding jacket, Fly textile riding pants, mesh dirtbike stlye riding pants, Fly lined heavy gloves, Fly mesh light gloves. Alpinestar SMX-2 short riding boots. I wear a full face helmet, jacket, riding pants, gloves and boots every time I ride, no exceptions.

[johnnytriumph2004]

Name: John

Age: 43

Bike: 2004 Triumph Daytona 600 (awesome bike, but hard to find certain parts)

First Started: approx. 4 weeks ago. No kidding.

Training: Here's the fun stuff... (this is where most people either don't believe me, laugh at me, or tell me i'm an idiot). I get on youtube and search "how to ride a motorcycle." I kid you not. And i found this guy, 13mordeth and this video:

How to Ride a Motorcycle for the very FIRST TIME - YouTube

How to Ride a Motorcycle for the very FIRST TIME - YouTube

This is how I learned to ride. I took my bike out into the street, never got out of first gear and I would just let the clutch out. I'd start moving, and then I'd hit the brakes. I'd do this over & over until I got used to it. Then i worked on U-turns...still in first gear...still in the street in front of my house. I had my neighbors laughing at me and joking that they would call 911 when I crashed, and I'll admit, I felt sorta goofy, but that was just 4 weeks ago and now I've got two neighbors that are wanting to get bikes!

Squidly Stuff: I'm a newb, so i've got lots of problems. I've finally stopped killing my bike at stop lights! Now, i'm working on taking off going uphill. Since I've started riding, i've encountered a bunch of different stuff. I locked up my back tire on the highway because of an accident in the road as I came around a turn. I stayed calm the whole way through and did everything that I could remember from the book you study for your permit (which is a great source of safety info). I almost got hit by an ass who tried to pass me (and several others) on the shoulder of the road. But I paid attention and that's why I didn't get hit. I got caught in the rain. That was a bit scary at first, but I thought, "if racers can do this at 150mph, surely I can do it at 35mph!" I just stuck to everything I learned up to this moment, and it worked out great.

Gear: Icon Alliance Speedmetal helmet. I think this thing is awesome!
Harley Davidson Full Finger mesh gloves (they were a gift)
Some old leather gloves from the military
I'll get more gear as I learn what's best. The guys at the bike shop just seem to be salesmen. They really have no concerns for me, and that's not a bad thing. I'm the one that has to be concerned. I just take in the info & then sort it all out. I think next is better gloves & some shoes. I'm lost in the shoe dept.

Advice: I understand that how i've learned to ride is not the most practical way to do so. But i'm still here and everyday is the best ride I've ever had. I'm still lost on a lot of things: what kind of coolant to use. am i changing my oil right. am i waving to other bikers correctly. where the hell do i get lower fairiings for a 2004 Triumph Daytona? But in all, my advice? ...learn as much as you can and be able to apply it. When any obstacle rears it's ugly head, keep your cool, stay focused & don't crap your pants. There'll be plenty of time to crap later. I've been around the planet twice and that last bit of advice has saved my life more than once.

I can't believe that it's taken 43 years to get on a bike! It's absolutely amazing.