bicycle helmet 5 year old image
Wyatt
Im 17 and really wanna get a motorcycle in the next few years. I didn't grow up with a dad so i missed out on a lot of the "man" stuff like motorcycles and cars. I have never rode a motorcycle in my life and i know nothing about them and am totally spooked about riding the first time. Is it tough? What do i need to know before trying? should i take a first time rider course? Thanks!
Answer
I read somewhere, a few years ago, that more than half of all buyers of new Harleys were either total newbies or else coming back to riding after 20-30 years (raising a family no doubt). And at the time I wondered why total noobs would want such a dauntingly big, heavy bike.
Well then a friend of mine (a woman who rides) wanted to buy one, and she began asking me questions about them. I've been riding a long time but I had never ridden a Harley. So I suggested we rent one for a day and split the cost, and take turns switching between the Harley and her bike. I have to say I was just shocked at how easy the Harley was to ride, how easy to manage and 'well mannered' it was. This was a Heritage Softail, maybe the biggest bike Harley's ever made, a 700 lb beast.
Harleys are 'cruisers'. Cruisers have a lower center of gravity, and a lower seat, so they feel much lighter than they are. Now ALL motorcycles feel pretty light once you get up to about 10 mph. On the road, weight means stability. But big bikes are a little scary when you're holding them up at a stoplight, or parking them on a slight hill. The Harley was even easy to hold up and park.
Ten minutes on this bike taught me all about cruisers. They are not good-handling, high-performance, they are stable and easy to ride. They support a relaxed, laid-back riding style, which is a lot safer than 'pushing the envelope' on a crazy sportbike. They are comfortable and relaxing to ride. The Softail would make a great touring bike, at 85 mph it's like sitting in a flying easy chair and watching the scenery go by. And I say that not exactly being a Harley fan, or a cruiser fan.
BUT I would seriously not recommend you get one to learn to ride on. You're likely to be hard on your first bike. You will almost certainly drop it once or twice (at least), nothing serious, just losing your balance in a parking lot, stuff like that. And you will almost certainly abuse the clutch. Even a halfway decent USED Harley is like $10k.
I would recommend you start on a Japanese cruiser, a used one. Honda Shadow, Kawasaki Vulcan, Yamaha Star, Suzuki C50 or Boulevard. Something between 5 and10 years old, old enough to be depreciated but new enough that you can still get parts. Maybe with a few dings and bruises already so you won't feel so bad when you drop it. 750cc is a good size to start with for a cruiser, it feels light, its easy to park, but it will still cruise on the freeway all day without the wind blowing it around. Maybe $3000. If you buy carefully, you can sell this 'old beater' a year later for about what you paid for it. And -then- if you want a Harley go get one, and it will be the same but bigger and nicer.
You don't need professional training to ride a motorcycle. You learn by yourself, by riding. The MSF course (Motorcycle Safety Foundation, in the US, in other English-speaking countries they have something similar) only teaches you some very important safety habits to keep you safe while you learn on your own. It's probably a good idea. They supply the bike, you just show up, so a lot of people do it who are just considering getting a bike and want to see what it's like and if they can even do it.
If you've never ridden a bicycle, i would start on a bicycle, just to learn about balancing and steering. If you can drive a manual-shift car, learning a motorcycle will be easier because you understand how a clutch and gearshift work. But the controls are different, you clutch with your hand and shift with your foot, so you need to develop new 'muscle memories'.
Also leave room in your budget for a helmet, jacket, and gloves, at a minimum. The gloves and jacket are about abrasion resistance when you skid on the ground.
If you know anyone who rides, pepper him with questions. Bikers love to talk (and write) about motorcycling. It really is just as much fun as it looks. 8^)
I read somewhere, a few years ago, that more than half of all buyers of new Harleys were either total newbies or else coming back to riding after 20-30 years (raising a family no doubt). And at the time I wondered why total noobs would want such a dauntingly big, heavy bike.
Well then a friend of mine (a woman who rides) wanted to buy one, and she began asking me questions about them. I've been riding a long time but I had never ridden a Harley. So I suggested we rent one for a day and split the cost, and take turns switching between the Harley and her bike. I have to say I was just shocked at how easy the Harley was to ride, how easy to manage and 'well mannered' it was. This was a Heritage Softail, maybe the biggest bike Harley's ever made, a 700 lb beast.
Harleys are 'cruisers'. Cruisers have a lower center of gravity, and a lower seat, so they feel much lighter than they are. Now ALL motorcycles feel pretty light once you get up to about 10 mph. On the road, weight means stability. But big bikes are a little scary when you're holding them up at a stoplight, or parking them on a slight hill. The Harley was even easy to hold up and park.
Ten minutes on this bike taught me all about cruisers. They are not good-handling, high-performance, they are stable and easy to ride. They support a relaxed, laid-back riding style, which is a lot safer than 'pushing the envelope' on a crazy sportbike. They are comfortable and relaxing to ride. The Softail would make a great touring bike, at 85 mph it's like sitting in a flying easy chair and watching the scenery go by. And I say that not exactly being a Harley fan, or a cruiser fan.
BUT I would seriously not recommend you get one to learn to ride on. You're likely to be hard on your first bike. You will almost certainly drop it once or twice (at least), nothing serious, just losing your balance in a parking lot, stuff like that. And you will almost certainly abuse the clutch. Even a halfway decent USED Harley is like $10k.
I would recommend you start on a Japanese cruiser, a used one. Honda Shadow, Kawasaki Vulcan, Yamaha Star, Suzuki C50 or Boulevard. Something between 5 and10 years old, old enough to be depreciated but new enough that you can still get parts. Maybe with a few dings and bruises already so you won't feel so bad when you drop it. 750cc is a good size to start with for a cruiser, it feels light, its easy to park, but it will still cruise on the freeway all day without the wind blowing it around. Maybe $3000. If you buy carefully, you can sell this 'old beater' a year later for about what you paid for it. And -then- if you want a Harley go get one, and it will be the same but bigger and nicer.
You don't need professional training to ride a motorcycle. You learn by yourself, by riding. The MSF course (Motorcycle Safety Foundation, in the US, in other English-speaking countries they have something similar) only teaches you some very important safety habits to keep you safe while you learn on your own. It's probably a good idea. They supply the bike, you just show up, so a lot of people do it who are just considering getting a bike and want to see what it's like and if they can even do it.
If you've never ridden a bicycle, i would start on a bicycle, just to learn about balancing and steering. If you can drive a manual-shift car, learning a motorcycle will be easier because you understand how a clutch and gearshift work. But the controls are different, you clutch with your hand and shift with your foot, so you need to develop new 'muscle memories'.
Also leave room in your budget for a helmet, jacket, and gloves, at a minimum. The gloves and jacket are about abrasion resistance when you skid on the ground.
If you know anyone who rides, pepper him with questions. Bikers love to talk (and write) about motorcycling. It really is just as much fun as it looks. 8^)
Is it legal to ride an electric scooter in the bike lane?
TALLguy18
It is a schwinn S-1000 goes about 18 MPH.
Im 15.
Could you ride it correctly in the bike lane and not get a ticket?
I live in Oceanside CA.
I would like to know the rules of that from someone who is a cop and has delt with this before.
Answer
Yes it is, so long as you are at least 16. Since you are 15, you cannot legally operate it on a public road - including a bike lane.
CVC 406(b) "Motorized Bicycle" states:
A "motorized bicycle" is also a device that has fully operative pedals for propulsion by human power and has an electric motor that meets all of the following requirements:
(1) Has a power output of not more than 1,000 watts.
(2) Is incapable of propelling the device at a speed of more than 20 miles per hour on ground level.
(3) Is incapable of further increasing the speed of the device when human power is used to propel the motorized bicycle faster than 20 miles per hour.
CVC 24016 "Motorized Bicycle Electric Motor: Safety and Equipment Requirements" states:
(a) A motorized bicycle described in subdivision (b) of Section 406 shall meet the following criteria:
(1) Comply with the equipment and manufacturing requirements for bicycles adopted by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (16 C.F.R. 1512.1, et seq.) or the requirements adopted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (49 C.F.R. 571.1, et seq.) in accordance with the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966 (15 U.S.C. Sec. 1381, et seq.) for motor driven cycles.
(2) Operate in a manner so that the electric motor is disengaged or ceases to function when the brakes are applied, or operate in a manner such that the motor is engaged through a switch or mechanism that, when released, will cause the electric motor to disengage or cease to function.
(b) All of the following apply to a motorized bicycle described in subdivision (b) of Section 406:
(1) No person shall operate a motorized bicycle unless the person is wearing a properly fitted and fastened bicycle helmet that meets the standards described in Section 21212.
(2) A person operating a motorized bicycle is subject to Sections 21200 and 21200.5.
(3) A person operating a motorized bicycle is not subject to the provisions of this code relating to financial responsibility, driver's licenses, registration, and license plate requirements, and a motorized bicycle is not a motor vehicle.
(4) A motorized bicycle shall only be operated by a person 16 years of age or older.
(5) Every manufacturer of a motorized bicycle shall certify that it complies with the equipment and manufacturing requirements for bicycles adopted by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (16 C.F.R. 1512.1, et seq.).
(c) No person shall tamper with or modify a motorized bicycle described in subdivision (b) of Section 406 so as to increase the speed capability of the bicycle.
EDIT..... to "Doodlestuff"... NEVER advise people to ask cops about the law. Cops are a horrible source of legal advice. They believe more myths about the law than tax protestors, and even if they 'do' know the law on something, they are allowed to lie.
Richard
Yes it is, so long as you are at least 16. Since you are 15, you cannot legally operate it on a public road - including a bike lane.
CVC 406(b) "Motorized Bicycle" states:
A "motorized bicycle" is also a device that has fully operative pedals for propulsion by human power and has an electric motor that meets all of the following requirements:
(1) Has a power output of not more than 1,000 watts.
(2) Is incapable of propelling the device at a speed of more than 20 miles per hour on ground level.
(3) Is incapable of further increasing the speed of the device when human power is used to propel the motorized bicycle faster than 20 miles per hour.
CVC 24016 "Motorized Bicycle Electric Motor: Safety and Equipment Requirements" states:
(a) A motorized bicycle described in subdivision (b) of Section 406 shall meet the following criteria:
(1) Comply with the equipment and manufacturing requirements for bicycles adopted by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (16 C.F.R. 1512.1, et seq.) or the requirements adopted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (49 C.F.R. 571.1, et seq.) in accordance with the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966 (15 U.S.C. Sec. 1381, et seq.) for motor driven cycles.
(2) Operate in a manner so that the electric motor is disengaged or ceases to function when the brakes are applied, or operate in a manner such that the motor is engaged through a switch or mechanism that, when released, will cause the electric motor to disengage or cease to function.
(b) All of the following apply to a motorized bicycle described in subdivision (b) of Section 406:
(1) No person shall operate a motorized bicycle unless the person is wearing a properly fitted and fastened bicycle helmet that meets the standards described in Section 21212.
(2) A person operating a motorized bicycle is subject to Sections 21200 and 21200.5.
(3) A person operating a motorized bicycle is not subject to the provisions of this code relating to financial responsibility, driver's licenses, registration, and license plate requirements, and a motorized bicycle is not a motor vehicle.
(4) A motorized bicycle shall only be operated by a person 16 years of age or older.
(5) Every manufacturer of a motorized bicycle shall certify that it complies with the equipment and manufacturing requirements for bicycles adopted by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (16 C.F.R. 1512.1, et seq.).
(c) No person shall tamper with or modify a motorized bicycle described in subdivision (b) of Section 406 so as to increase the speed capability of the bicycle.
EDIT..... to "Doodlestuff"... NEVER advise people to ask cops about the law. Cops are a horrible source of legal advice. They believe more myths about the law than tax protestors, and even if they 'do' know the law on something, they are allowed to lie.
Richard
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Title Post: Should i be intimidated to ride a Harley?
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