Oppo, How Long Does It Take to Learn To Ride a Motorcycle?

"Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him" (tylerssvtfocushateshim)
02/27/2014 at 22:14 • Filed to: Two Wheels Maybe?

The want is strong with this one... !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

DISCUSSION (46)

beardsbynelly - Rikerbeard > Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him
02/27/2014 at 22:16

a day or two.

E30Joe drives a Subaru > Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him
02/27/2014 at 22:16

A bike like that? A day of riding around and you'll have the confidence you need.

Can you drive a motorcycle with a clutch?

Velocity- Peuguette Connoisseur > Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him
02/27/2014 at 22:17

Took me like 3 seconds. Although I was able literally drive anything from birth

Velocity- Peuguette Connoisseur > Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him
02/27/2014 at 22:17

Also, I want that too now. But I live nowhere near it

CRider > Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him
02/27/2014 at 22:18

A few days of practice and you should be ready to take the MSF course and get your license.

CRider > E30Joe drives a Subaru
02/27/2014 at 22:19

What do you mean a motorcycle with a clutch? 99.999998% of motorcycles over 49cc have clutches.

Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him > E30Joe drives a Subaru
02/27/2014 at 22:20

I've ridden an ATV before, so kinda? It was about an hour-long ride but I picked it up quickly (save launches, of course).

Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him > Velocity- Peuguette Connoisseur
02/27/2014 at 22:21

I've ridden an ATV and I was surprisingly not terrible at it (except getting it moving to begin with), I'm hoping an actual bike won't be too bad.

E30Joe drives a Subaru > Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him
02/27/2014 at 22:22

So figure 20 minutes to figure out how the shifting and clutch works on the bike, and the rest of the day dicking around in parking lots and streets that are not too busy and you'll be riding like a champ in no time.

E30Joe drives a Subaru > CRider
02/27/2014 at 22:23

That's exactly what I mean, a lot of people ride their friends 50 with out a clutch or a scooter without a clutch.

The first bike me and my brother rode didn't have a clutch, it was just a little 50.

Besides 50's are fun for grown ass men too.

Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him > CRider
02/27/2014 at 22:23

Sounds about right. I know a guy who rides and he's said about the same thing, just wanting to get other people's opinions in case I actually do wanna buy this thing (or wait until the summer for more options to pop up).

Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him > E30Joe drives a Subaru
02/27/2014 at 22:27

Sounds about what other riders I know have said. My biggest concern is dumping the bike. I'm barely 120lbs so I dunno if I could get a ~400lb bike off me if I fell over haha.

Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him > Velocity- Peuguette Connoisseur
02/27/2014 at 22:29

It does look super nice, right? We actually drive right by this guy's house on the way to our lakehouse and he's always got a nice collection of bikes sitting out for sale. I'm in college and broke but I'm thinking over the summer I might drop by and see what he has besides this one after I start working again.

CRider > Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him
02/27/2014 at 22:29

If you wan't to be as safe as possible before you buy a bike get in as much time as possible practicing. Where are you located? Dirt is the safest place to learn by far.

In summer the prices of bikes will go up, keep that in mind. Also make sure you buy a new helmet and all the other gear you'll need before you buy the bike. The best helmets with meet both the DOT and ECE standards and will say so on the back.

dogisbadob > Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him
02/27/2014 at 22:30

I want to know too. Not that I can afford a motorcycle yet, but still...

E30Joe drives a Subaru > Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him
02/27/2014 at 22:31

That thing is barely 380 pounds, shouldn't be hard when you dump it.

Also if it's you're first bike, you will dump it. No questions asked. It might only be at 5mph but expect to dump your first bike. I've put my R6 down going pretty fast before. Nothing to stress about.

CRider > E30Joe drives a Subaru
02/27/2014 at 22:32

I've never ridden a bike without a clutch. Even the old XR75 I learned on and the 80 after that were both clutch operated manuals. The idea seems weird to me.

Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him > CRider
02/27/2014 at 22:33

Central Indiana, though the bike's up in the boonies (we drive right by this guy's house on the way to our lakehouse) so there's definitely some dirt roads up there I could learn on. And I figured as much for the prices going up, but as a poor college kid I'm not in the market right now. In the summer I'll have a job so that's the time I'd be shopping around, it's more of a hypothetical at this point. Believe me I won't skimp on a helmet. I gotta protect this pretty face :)

Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him > dogisbadob
02/27/2014 at 22:36

I'm in the same boat. College is expensive man, though I can still dream about picking up a cheap bike like this in the summer, the price is barely a month of delivering pizzas provided my car doesn't break something like it normally does haha.

E30Joe drives a Subaru > CRider
02/27/2014 at 22:37

If you grew up in the city/burbs like myself a lot of your friends had scooters that were autos and that was about the only experience people had with two wheels. Me and my buddies were always the motorcycle/gearhead kids at our highschool so we generally had a little better of a grasp on things than most.

Velocity- Peuguette Connoisseur > Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him
02/27/2014 at 22:37

It's like riding a normal bike, but heavier and harder to steer.

Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him > E30Joe drives a Subaru
02/27/2014 at 22:38

Oh I know I'm gonna lay this thing down, that's something that happens to everyone. But that's the fun of learning something like a manual or a motorcycle is working hard to get good at it. Damn, not I really want this thing, haha, wish I had the money now. Summer I'll have more money, maybe this guy will have more bikes like it (I know his house, he fixes up and sells bikes as a hobby, this being one of them)

E30Joe drives a Subaru > Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him
02/27/2014 at 22:42

Yeah learning on a bike like this is a better idea that what I did. Got a 450 Honda as my first real bike and then an R6. Only laid the R6 down once and that was on the track so it was fair game. It has nearly killed me a few times though, that's the fun part!

Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him > E30Joe drives a Subaru
02/27/2014 at 22:46

Haha, there's no fun without a bit of danger, right? I want a smaller bike like this that I can putter around town on so I don't have to spend a ton of gas money or take out in the country for a nice relaxing ride. I don't need a big liter bike or something, just a little dinky thing to have fun on.

E30Joe drives a Subaru > Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him
02/27/2014 at 22:48

45MPG on my R6 if I beat the piss out of it, which I do :)

Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him > Velocity- Peuguette Connoisseur
02/27/2014 at 22:48

Yep, that's that's what I've heard. A guy I work with has a bike and he says once you get past the steering it's totally natural, it's just weird to begin with.

Velocity- Peuguette Connoisseur > Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him
02/27/2014 at 22:52

Yeah that's what was weird for me. You can't just fling around the front tire like a bike, you have to like, actually steer like a normal vehicle.

Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him > E30Joe drives a Subaru
02/27/2014 at 22:53

Damn, you must be thrashing it man, the guy I work with gets in the 80's on his Honda 650. That's the main thing I'm looking forward to besides having a toy is the gas savings. Delivering pizzas in a car that takes premium kinda sucks haha.

E30Joe drives a Subaru > Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him
02/27/2014 at 22:54

Pretty much redline it in every gear.

Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him > E30Joe drives a Subaru
02/27/2014 at 22:55

*Having a shit-ton of fun in every gear

Fixed that for ya :)

E30Joe drives a Subaru > Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him
02/27/2014 at 22:58

I essentially got the bike for free, paid 2700 bucks and sold all the spare parts I got with it and made a profit of 100 bucks on the bike. Not bad for a fuel injected R6 with 14k. So I ride it like I stole it. Since I did.

Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him > E30Joe drives a Subaru
02/27/2014 at 23:03

Wow, nicely done. My budget's at most 1000, so I'm finding a lot more project bikes than actual roadworthy examples (which is kinda cool cuz I've always wanted something to tinker with, even if it's not running, just to work on stuff like that). The problem is there's so many dirtbikes, dude. Seriously, I dunno where they ride here in Indiana but it seems like every other bike on CL is some dude's old beat-up old dirt bike from the 80s that he's too fat to ride now.

yamahog > Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him
02/27/2014 at 23:04

Trick question. You never stop learning.

Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him > Velocity- Peuguette Connoisseur
02/27/2014 at 23:06

Heard that as well, like you need to take your time with steering inputs and really drive it. Again more great advice I'll keep in mind, thanks.

Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him > yamahog
02/27/2014 at 23:06

I'd say that's true of everything in life, my friend :)

E30Joe drives a Subaru > Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him
02/27/2014 at 23:07

An enduro is the most fun you can have with a motorcycle.

My R6 is a blast but It strictly sticks to very nicely paved roads whereas when I ride my DRZ I literally can whip up on to a sidewalk and cut across a yard right back on to the street or go ride it on a bike path or something hoon-ish like that.

That being said a supermoto is the perfect bike.

awe46m3zcp > Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him
02/27/2014 at 23:10

I rode a friends bike around his neighborhood for a few laps, and then went on a 2 hr long ride thru light traffic backroads the first time I rode a motorcycle and I felt like a pro afterwards. I didn't buy my own till a year later, and I was able to get on it and ride it home.

Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him > E30Joe drives a Subaru
02/27/2014 at 23:11

Supermotos are the half-street/half-dirt bikes things, right? I've found a few of those as well, I'm just looking for an older cruiser-kinda thing. Me and the same guy I work with are half-considering taking a roadtrip to Las Vegas if I pick up a bike and I don't think I'd survive for very long on something like a DRZ or an R6.

Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him > awe46m3zcp
02/27/2014 at 23:13

That's what other people have said, it just takes a few hours to get used to and then it gets a lot easier. I've ridden an ATV before so I figure I'm ahead of the learning curve a bit at least in regards to the transmission, so hopefully if I do pick this or another bike like it up it shouldn't be too bad. Now I just need money, haha.

E30Joe drives a Subaru > Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him
02/27/2014 at 23:14

A DRZ is a good bike, 400cc 4 stroke so it's got a good power band.

This is a supermoto, a dirt bike with street goodies:

Kinja'd!!!

They are generally very expensive.

Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him > E30Joe drives a Subaru
02/27/2014 at 23:20

Ah, OK, definitely know what you're talking about now. Pretty thing, isn't it, haha, no wonder it's expensive. I'd love one of those but I've always had a soft spot for the 70's vintage-styled bikes. Ideally I'd like to get a Triumph Bonneville once I get a job out of college but for now I wouldn't mind the old Suzukis or Hondas in the least.

hethoughtofcars > Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him
02/28/2014 at 00:47

Here's how I replied to a similar thread about how long it took to learn to drive stick.

On a car? Probably a couple months to feel confident.

On a motorcycle? THAT DAY, since I had the incentive of not wanting to end shiny side down :)

Good luck, and consider a class before you actually get on that thing!

Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him > hethoughtofcars
02/28/2014 at 23:24

Thanks! I'm definitely going to take a class on this, just trying to find a bike to take with me :)

bob and john > Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him
03/02/2014 at 18:32

because the cluitch is on the hand, it should take about an hour to learn how to stop and go reliably. from then ok, its cake.

Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him > bob and john
03/03/2014 at 01:05

That's about what other people have been saying. I've ridden an ATV before so I kinda got used to the weirdness of a hand-controlled clutch, but not near well enough to be confident with it.

bob and john > Tyler's SVT Focus Hates Him
03/03/2014 at 08:22

how good are you at riding a mountian bike?

also, pro-tip and learning to start rolling and not freak out: dont give it gas, just use the clutch the first first couple of times. once the clutch is fully engages, THEN give it gas. it will help ur technique a lot