A book to help you learn to ride motorcycles. No shame in SLOW.
Written: Mar 07 '03 (Updated Mar 07 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: This is wonderful starter biker book.
Cons: I can't speak for veteran riders.
The Bottom Line: I have found this book to be the max. It has helped me learn to ride my Harley.
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| CyndiA's Full Review: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Motorcycles Books |
OK. I’m an idiot. I bought a Harley, and I didn’t even know I’d have to change gears with my foot rather than with a shift like on cars and trucks. One thing I have going for me is that I am a very careful idiot. My dream was to have a bike, but I didn’t assume that I was born knowing how to ride this bike I so lusted after.
I read the manual that came with my Harley, watched the video, and my brother loaned me The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Motorcycles. The video was mostly a commercial (since this the 100th birthday of HD), the manual covered the basics, and the Idiot’s book gave me the basics plus a lot of other information.
Before anyone reminds me that I’m just a garden variety idiot like in a comment on my review on my Harley Davidson Sportster (review at http://www.epinions.com/content_67896184452 ), let me say that I know that a lot of Harley folks have that “attitude” going. If you aren’t really cool biker person, then don’t even go there. On the plus side, a heck of lot of the Harley (and bike folks in general) are great and will give solid pointers and shore you up if you want to take the plunge.
I had not really planned to buy a bike when I did, but I saw the one I wanted and I got it. The mechanic drove it home for me and put it in my garage. I read up a little bit and then drove the bike around my house. I burned my leg, and I learned to be much more careful and to wear long pants. I did this while sitting on the bike and trying to turn it in gravels, so I was not busting down the road thinking I had it licked. It does get hot fast, and it is a heavy bike at over 500 lbs.
My next step was to read the Idiot’s guide and to think.
The book covers all the beginning stuff from the ground up. I studied the parts of the bike and where the clutch was located (left hand), brakes (right hand and foot), and neutral with a small light in the dash area. Then, I sat on the bike with it cranked and practiced hitting neutral (which is hard to find) and first gear and then back over and over.
After I got the basic hand and foot things down, I began riding my bike around my house. This is in grass and circles in 2nd gear. If I do fall over, then I’m on grass and nothing too hard. I suppose I could kill myself at 5 mph and willing to jump off and let the bike take the dints, but I doubt it.
Now, I’m up to the street beside my house. I live on a dead end with almost no traffic. I ride up 2 blocks to the barber’s shop (barber has a Harley too) and then to my house and back. This is in 3rd gear now (and 5 total). I would also mention that I DO have a learner’s permit, which involves only a written test which I passed in large part because I read this book. The main rule with the learner’s is that you can’t ride passengers. I would not dream of that as I learn anyway. But, it does make for a great excuse not to take anyone for a ride.
As I’ve continued to learn very slowly, I have read through the Idiot’s book many times. It really has everything a new rider would want to know. The book covers the various types of bikes, how to ride, club riding, the culture, and how to keep up a bike. It has lots of pictures and diagrams that are easy to follow. Since this is my main help on learning, I can say that it does cover things well enough to learn without someone standing there telling you what to do. If you have biker friends, then that is great. But, do know that even old time bikers may not know everything.
The book was put out by the editors of Motorcycle Magazine with writer Darwin Holmstrom. Biker late-night host, Jay Leno, gave an endorsement on the front cover. I know that Leno has a really hot bike. I don’t know when he learned to ride or how. I suppose he could just be putting his name on for looks, but I don’t think people get anything for the blurbs on the front or back of books.
As a brand new biker, I would say that this book tells me what I need to know. Human input is important too, and I do plan to take a safety course at the community college when it gets a little warmer. I just didn’t want to go and have no clue at all what to do. It’s easier for me to read, process, and practice steps like learning how to find neutral.
My brother is a braver biker than I am. He took the safety class, read this book (and then loaned it to me), and he is riding in 5th gear and all over. He was much quicker than I have been, and that’s OK. While I would love to jump on the Harley and tear down the road, I know what I feel comfortable with.
Though the title of the book includes “Idiot,” the book does not make you feel like one. I heard different things about the brakes on a bike. I looked up brakes in the index. Then I went to that section and learned that I need to use both foot and hand on that. What I had been told was NOT to use the front as it might throw me over the handlebars. The book tells me that 70 percent of the braking is in the front but that I need both for an even stop. So, I am doing both going up to the end of the block to get used to using both a hand and foot which is very unlike my manual SUV with only a foot brake. Basically, I just get a feel for it by taking it slow and easy.
There have been times when I wondered if I really was dumb to get a bike, since I can’t just jump on it and drive right down the road. Well, I guess I could. But, I need to feel safe about it first. This book combined with my boys, students at school, friends and neighbors all encouraging me have made it OK to be a slow and steady learner. Everyone waves at me even when I just sit on the bike and work on neutral. One of these days I will surprise everyone by going faster and turning some corners.
I can’t really say how much this book would help if you grew up on bikes and know a lot. I wanted one really bad, but my dad said I would have to move out if I got one when I was younger. It’s almost 25 years later, and I still had that bike bug, so I got the one I really wanted. The Sportster Hugger may not be the ultimate in starter bikes (not an easy ride), since it is a big bike with a lot of power. But, this is the one I wanted and the one I will slowly learn to ride with the help of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Motorcycles. The Guide does list it as a starter bike. It’s set low and not as heavy as many Harley’s, but I can tell you it still a lot of bike. You might get a quicker start with a smaller bike. But, I would say that you could go with any bike you want and take it slow and easy with the information provided in this book.
This book is also available on eBooks with the option to print what you want and when you want it. I like having a hard copy, but some folks (and esp more experienced bikers) may want only parts of the book. It's less expensive new to get the eBook version. If you want a used copy, then you can find those for lower than eBook or print.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
CyndiA
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Member: Cyndi
Location: out in the yard grilling
Reviews written: 1156
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About Me:
Get some sleep and dream of rock 'n roll - Bread.
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