Only say it if you mean it

[crazy steve]

I tend to agree with Davinci, it's a good way to clean the gene pool. The only problem sometimes is if the number of 'Darwin Award' winners gets too high, somebody decides they need to 'do something' that just makes it harder on the rest of us...

[BA80]

............................

[fredintoon]

Semantically you are correct, however, I would argue how much riding experience do you actually have if all your riding time has been on somebody else's bike? - - -

Hi Geo,
correct but perhaps misleading? Most race bikes are owned by the factory. Most street bikes are owned by a finance company.

[ddragon63]

my XS was my first bike... My Dad told me it was mine when I was 5!

I took the riders course here in WA state when I was 16. After Wrecking my 96 R6 and then my 99 R1 about 4 months apart, I took a break from bikes for about 9 years. When I got the XS up and running summer of 09 I had just picked up a Ducati from a buddy... So decided to RE-take the course as a refresher. it was a big help.

I find alot the the people I talk to that say "I've been riding my whole life" usually are referring to Dirt Bikes. I can tell you from a life time of experience on the dirt (first bike @ 6)... other than the controls are in the same place... dirt and road are 2 different animals!

[ddragon63]

Squid

I meet guys like that often, they go around proving Darwin's theories. Eventually they'll all go the way of the Dodo bird while the rest of us watch and wonder.

in the sport bike world we call them people "Squid's"

Took this straight out of the urban dictionary


Squid
#1 A young motorcyclist who overestimates his abilities, boasts of his riding skills when in reality he has none. Squid bikes are usually decorated with chrome and various anodized bits. Rear tyres are too wide for their own good, swingarm extended. Really slow in the corners, and sudden bursts of acceleration when a straight appears. Squids wear no protection, deeming themselves invincible. This fact compounds intself with the fact that they engage in 'extreem riding'--performing wheelies and stoppies in public areas. Squids wreck alot. Derived from 'squirly kid'


#2 An extremely rare animal with a short lifespan. Usually a new sport bike enthusiast with the reasoning of a lunatic, whom you might see thrashing on an R1 wearing sandals, shorts, and a tee.
When found lying motionless on the pavement, this creature transforms itself into a stream of blood, exposed flesh, and broken limbs. Hence the squid moniker.

Stupid
Quick
Underdressed
Imminently
Dead
Did you see that guy leave the showroom on the R6? Did you see what he was wearing? What a moron. That Squid.

[geobiker]

Hi Geo,
correct but perhaps misleading? Most race bikes are owned by the factory. Most street bikes are owned by a finance company.

Fred . . . can't argue with your point but that is why I love my XS11. I paid cash for it!!

[Cuda 69]

Rider course should be manditory for new riders.Trying to talk swambo into getting her bike licence,she will take the course.Dont want her learning all my bad habitsmight even take it with her,think ill get kicked out for racing thoughs little 250s

[cywelchjr]

Hi Geo,
correct but perhaps misleading? Most race bikes are owned by the factory. Most street bikes are owned by a finance company.

However most of those with street bikes owned by the finance company refer to the bike as being theirs. Generally they are the registered owner, just not the LEGAL owner (a fine distinction I know, but an important one, one is the person authorized to operate the vehicle the other is the one authorized to dispose of it (generally with restrictions placed on BOTH of them)).

[fredintoon]

However most of those with street bikes owned by the finance company refer to the bike as being theirs. Generally they are the registered owner, just not the LEGAL owner (a fine distinction I know, but an important one, one is the person authorized to operate the vehicle the other is the one authorized to dispose of it (generally with restrictions placed on BOTH of them)).

Hi Cy,
most bike racers refer to their factory ride as "my bike" and get really huffy if the bike's actual owner lets someone else ride it.
And I would suppose the Captain of the USS Nimitz refers to her as "my ship", eh?

[tv5150]

Old Dog Never Too Old to Learn New Tricks

Been riding legally for over 45 yrs. and I took it upon myself to take the Advanced Rider's Course 11 yrs ago when I got my 1st GL1800 (after owning every Goldwing model since 75) and I'm here to tell 'ya you can never get too old to learn something new OR re-enforce the knowledge that's been instilled into your brain over a lifetime. I ALWAYS suggest and recommend ANY rider that's never ridden or has been off a bike for any number of years to take the Basic Rider's Course before they attempt to get into the helter-skelter exposure of daily riding in today's climate of driver's. Any and all knowledge can and will be helpful for you to survive in this day and age. I'm actually looking for a MSF class close to me to re-fresh my skills....

[DiverRay]

Here in California, you MUST take the course to obtain the class 3 endorsement on your license. At the local community college, I used to see the young kids, and now and then the "biker", all in the class! I will be looking into the advance class later this year. 31 years legal on the street, but I hope I can still learn.
As for the comment about dirt and street, I ALWAYS tell someone to ride in the dirt for a few months BEFORE trying the street. That will give them time to learn the controls, and hopefully slide and fall a few times. For the most part, you don't have a car ready to run over you in the dirt when you make the error the first or second time...

[tv5150]

Here in California, you MUST take the course to obtain the class 3 endorsement on your license. At the local community college, I used to see the young kids, and now and then the "biker", all in the class! I will be looking into the advance class later this year. 31 years legal on the street, but I hope I can still learn.
As for the comment about dirt and street, I ALWAYS tell someone to ride in the dirt for a few months BEFORE trying the street. That will give them time to learn the controls, and hopefully slide and fall a few times. For the most part, you don't have a car ready to run over you in the dirt when you make the error the first or second time...

It's been a while (11yrs) since I took that Advanced Rider's Course,
but from what I remember it's also State Law in Texas that you take the Basic Course to get your motorsickle endorsement...
Any other Texians here who can verify or testify???
Can I get a witness???

[fredintoon]

- - - As for the comment about dirt and street, I ALWAYS tell someone to ride in the dirt for a few months BEFORE trying the street. - - -

Hi Ray,
some years before, even. Nothing like riding a bike on mud, dirt and gravel to teach someone how to handle a bike once the tires lose adhesion.
I got my boys onto dirt bikes at age 9, that and the riders course at age 16 made them into more skilled riders than I ever was.

[DGXSER]

I never had a dirt bike, and I do think they would add some skill to ride them first. Parents forbid motorcycles, so until I was 21 never even rode one. Even my first one I kept at a friends house for 6 months.

I wanted tot ake the advance riders course, but that career school I posted has four or five sites in town and every one fills for the basic rider course year round, so they had to drop the advance rider course to open more spots for the basic course. Here in Ohio, you must take the MSF basic course to get your endorsement if you are under 18. 18 and up you do not need it, but taking it does save you taking the riding portion of the test, and at the course you take those same skill test on their 250 cc bikes, mine was a Nighthawk 250. We even had a lady that took hers on an old Yamaha 150 I think it was, about the same vintage as an XS but defintiely 100 or 150 in that range. It was a street bike, but very small.

[b.walker5]

Nothing like riding a bike on mud, dirt and gravel to teach someone how to handle a bike once the tires lose adhesion.

Absolutely. Couldnt agree more. Where I grew up, and learned to ride, sealed roads were only for 'townies'. All the roads i rode on were either clay or loose gravel (metal).

Nowadays I get a kick out of passing the 20mph Hardley riders at 50mph on the gravel. (Rallies in this part of the world often involve a few miles on gravel roads).