Beginner Tips for Motorcycle Riders: 7 Things I Wish I Knew
7 Riding and Maintenance tips for beginner motorcycle riders
Below is a list of 7 beginner tips for new riders that I wish I knew when I started out. I am by no means an expert, but these simple (and often overlooked) tips will help you maintain your health and motorcycle.
1. Do Not Worry About Cellphone Drivers
I hear from a lot of new riders that this is their biggest pet peeve. They are casually riding along and glance over to see a man or woman completely lost in candy crush or whatever is the newest bullshit shovelware game on social media. The first thought is unmitigated rage because this person, driving a four thousand pound machine barreling down the highway, is completely oblivious. DO NOT focus on this person and try to lecture them at 65 mph on a three lane motorway.
The average person is already a terrible driver. Now, factor in the fact that cell phone use behind the wheel reduces the amount of brain activity associated with driving by 37 percent. Does this sound like the type of person you want to distract even more while they are next to you and can kill you in a split second? It is not worth it, ignore them and move along on your glorious two wheeled machine. There are too many other variables at highway speeds to worry about then someone texting illegally.
I have heard “Your text isn’t more important than my life”. That sentiment is 100% correct but most people don’t grasp this. Without also being a biker, it is very hard for the average driver to really understand the tragic repercussions of hitting a motorcycle on the road. The odds of a teenage girl driving in traffic while keeping her fucking snapchat streak alive looking up as you scold her, understanding the error of her ways, and reevaluating her priorities is slim to none.
2. Don’t Wash A Hot Engine
This one might seem obvious but you’d be surprised. Remember in that God awful 2005 Fantastic Four movie when they beat Dr. Doom by heating him up and then spraying him with water? Don’t do that to your motorcycle. Spraying cold water on a hot engine and hot pipes can cause serious damage to your bike. It is a common mistake and it is caused solely by carelessness. Take a few moments to let the bike cool down before you or someone else washes it.
Heated metal expands and rapid cooling can crack engine blocks. People who ride cruisers should be doubly careful as the heated chrome pipes are very susceptible to damage from cold water. Revzilla, my go to site for ordering parts and accessories, has a great guide to properly washing a motorcycle.
3. Wait For A Heavy Rainfall To Clear The Salt
This one doesn’t really apply to people that live in good places that skip the bullshit winter. In fact, it isn’t totally necessary at all, but better safe than sorry. I know we’re all foaming at the mouth as the winter winds down to get back on the bike(s), but it really is best to wait for all that salt to dissipate. I am not discouraging people from riding in the rain, I do it myself (and the snow occasionally because the Scrambler cares little for adverse weather!).
Waiting for a really hard rainfall will ensure that the roads are clean and ready for you to reclaim as the automotive alpha. Even if you wait for a rainfall, salt can remain in potholes and other crevices on the road. Be sure to routinely check your bike after early post winter rides to clean that off. Salt can slowly corrode your motorcycle and have it looking like a poorly maintained fishing boat.
4. Get A Kickstand Pad
Another commonly overlooked practice is resting your kickstand on a pad on a hot day. Cruisers and roadsters tend to have flatter kickstands which helps spread the weight so the bike won’t sink into heated asphalt. However, my Panigale’s kickstand looks purposely designed to impale any piece of earth I decide to park on. Regardless of what you’re riding, it won’t kill you to invest in a cheap kickstand pad.
An old coworker warned me not to rest the bike directly on the hot asphalt in the company parking lot. I listened to him and started using a piece of wood I found on the warehouse floor (I’m a minimalist). The one day I forgot to do this it was a breezy 97 degrees in Stamford, CT. I walked out of the office for lunch and noticed my bike was leaning on its own, and not a fun apex lean. As I got closer I saw the ground caved in and that was after only 5 hours at work!
5. Don’t Tailgate
The above tailgating? Super acceptable and awesome. Tailgating a car on a motorcycle because someone pissed you off? Unacceptable and incredibly dangerous. How you drive is how you’ll ride, and if you get road rage while driving a car, you need to let it subside when you’re on the bike. This goes hand in hand with not worrying about drivers on their cellphones. Once you start tailgating a car, in that driver’s mind you are no longer a man or woman on a bike, you are an immediate volatile threat.
The best case scenario is the person just ignores you and goes about their business. However, I have seen cars brake check new riders that are not experienced enough to either swerve at a moment’s notice or they apply too much pressure to the front brake and the tire locks up. In both scenarios the results were a totaled bike and shattered bones 20 feet down the road.
Again, car drivers DO NOT understand the impact of separating you from your motorcycle. I am 100% guilty of tailgating cars going 45mph in the left lane and each time I yell at myself internally for being so stupid. Recently, I have gotten much better about it because I am valuing my life more and more the better the New York Rangers are looking each season. If a driver pisses you off because he’s going so slow and you need to pass him, there are other options, which brings me to my next point.
6. If You’re Going To Lane Split, Do It Fast
Unless you live in California, a state that seemingly outlaws everything else, lane splitting is illegal. I am not going to sit here and tell you not to lane split when a very large percentage of people ride motorcycles solely for the ability to lane split. Plus, it saves so much time! What I will tell you is that despite all the negative connotations to it, lane splitting has benefits for both drivers and riders alike.
I lane split (or “white line”, which is infinitely cooler) all the time. I did not buy a 211 horsepower motorcycle to sit in traffic with minivans. My advice to you is that when you decide you’re going to split two vehicles on a highway, do it quickly. I don’t bank on drivers recognizing much, but I do have faith they notice the equally large car/SUV driving along next to them. They are not going to swerve into that vehicle, and so the gateway is open for me to sneak by. The less time you give the average driver to make a mistake, the better.
My brother was in the Marines and his drill Sergeant would always tell him that if you’re going to do something reckless, do it quickly and efficiently to minimize your window of exposure. This should 100% be applied to lane splitting. So if you’re going to do it, Go Fast and Don’t Die.
7. Do Not Salute Three Wheelers
Do I need to go into detail on this one? Is there anything lamer than these 3 wheelers on the road? I don’t care how comfortable they are. You know what’s more comfortable? A Goddamn car. Do not salute 3 wheelers or guys on vespas.