New to the Forum

MB-5 Joined: Aug 18, 2006 Posts: 24 Location: Florida

Hey everyone, I just wanted to say that I'm new to the forum. Well, actually I'm new to the whole biking world... I'm in the market for a bike and was told by Tony that the Honda CB750F was the way to go. I haven't gotten a license yet, nor have I actually learned how to ride a bike profieciently, but all in do time.... Any advice you all can give me would be great, I look forward to talking to you all.

Semper Fi

Lee

Posted: Sat Aug 19, 2006 4:29 am

Cowboy150 wrote:

Hey everyone, I just wanted to say that I'm new to the forum. Well, actually I'm new to the whole biking world... I'm in the market for a bike and was told by Tony that the Honda CB750F was the way to go. I haven't gotten a license yet, nor have I actually learned how to ride a bike profieciently, but all in do time.... Any advice you all can give me would be great, I look forward to talking to you all.

Semper Fi

Lee

Welcome. But I would say a 750 would be the wrong bike to start with. Try a nice light honda twin 350-450 something like that. Even though the 750's arnt terribly fast they can still move, and they do weight almost 600lbs.

This is a 1982 honda 450 hawk. Honda made many bikes like this and would be much better for a first time rider. But then you also have to think about whats available, look around see what you can find in your price range. You might want to find a good friend to let you learn on there bike so you can get the hang of it then decide what will work for you.

I started riding at a very young age (7), but my brother is 21 and wants to get into bikes so I am going to start him on a Yamaha Seca II 600cc, very light bike with good brakes, and only like 50 horspower so he doesnt kill himself.

Goodluck, hope I helped.

Posted: Sat Aug 19, 2006 5:16 am

Welcome, dammit..... There are lots F'ers in Florida, you're sure to have some riding company soon!

Cheers

Posted: Sat Aug 19, 2006 7:41 pm

Hi and welcome to this amazing site!

I've been riding for 3 years now but still consider myself a newbie to riding. I started with a smaller Honda from the 80's (CB400N) and now have a CB750F.

The CB750F has enough power for me, and so does the CB400N. By enough power I mean that I can overtake safely at more or less legal speeds, and enjoy the twisties.

Now that I've mainly been riding the 750, the 400 seems very, very small (in physical size, not in power). But I'm sure that if I rode the 400 again for a month, the 750 would feel like the huge, top-heavy tractor that I first came to know. Laughing

So in a way it's a matter of what you get used to. A smaller, modern 500cc bike might be the ideal starter bike for most people, but people start on all sorts of bikes and end up OK. If you get the 750 and feel unsure on it, you can always take a few riding lessons with a professional instructor or a more experienced friend.

Posted: Sat Aug 19, 2006 7:52 pm

I recommend trying a friends beater bike if you can find one to get acquainted with motorcycling. Once you get the hang of it a 750 Honda should be no problem. My first bike was a Kawasaki 750 tripple... now that was a handful for a first bike, but I'd actually ridden motorcycles a fair bit by the time I got my own.

As was said before you should consider taking a motorcycle safety course, too. Riding a bike is not at all like driving a car and the risk is your mortality.

The real key to owning a motorcycle, once you can ride worth a shit, is maintaining it. They require vigilant and continuous attention kinda like an airplane. If you do that they will last a long time and will do what you ask of them, no waiting Wink

Posted: Sat Aug 19, 2006 10:07 pm

your lucky to be alive, genesound!!! Cowboy 150........ buy a $300 bike so you won't be too pissed when you forget to put the kick stand down and walk away or crash into the rear wall of the garage (how do i know these things?) and hurt you bike. then get a cb900f. welcome aboard

Posted: Sat Aug 19, 2006 11:13 pm

I'm with Grump on this one. You're bound to bite it a few times learning so get something you don't mind hittin' the pavement with once or twice. Not too heavy, not too fast, not too 'spensive to fix. Preferrably your buddys' bike, or a repo, or a barn special, that 750F is too much bike to go flinging it down the road. I know some people have learned on a larger bike and not wrecked it, but the odds are against you, besides, I really don't think your bike education is complete 'til you've wiped out a time or two. Very Happy

Posted: Sun Aug 20, 2006 3:01 am

What up lee. If none of you know I am Tony. I have been teaching him how to ride on my bike... my 750F. It was my first and think its a great bike to start on as well as won't out grow it too soon. He is doing super well and he can pretty much ride around fine, just needs some more practice and soemopen rode time. Now you know he has to be a good friend for me to let him ride my F Shocked

Posted: Sun Aug 20, 2006 3:39 am

Cowboy,

Welcome to one of the nicest forums on the planet. Enjoy it.

As to your brother, DO NOT let him start on a bike bigger than a 450 twin. They certainly go fast enough to kill you, but at least they won't tempt you into doing something really stupid with lots of horsepower.

And as to Genesound, he IS lucky to be alive. Those Mach IV's (when they were running right) were a handful for the most experience riders! Peaky crazy horseposer coupled with old school handling equals one hell of an exciting ride.!!!!!!

Tyson

Posted: Sun Aug 20, 2006 3:42 am

he's doing it just fine. Drove it for like 2 hrs the toher day under my close supervision with another friend of mine. Do not worry he will be taking a MSF coarse, but he is dieing to learn. he can ride a scooter, just the F is a tad bit faster. He's good though an di have faith. i wouldn't allow my biek to be used unless i was 100% confident of his skills

MB-5 Joined: Aug 18, 2006 Posts: 24 Location: Florida

I just want to say thanks to everyone who has welcomed me to the forum, for those of you who haven't, you better get on the ball lol... As SuperSportCB750F aka Tony has said, I have already been familiarized to the 750. I have taken it through the parking lot a few times practicing shifting..... and if you can shift using Tony's clutch I think you deserve a medal lol. But in all seriousness, I believe that I shouldn't have too much difficulty mastering the 750. Now, as far as biting the bullet a few times, I'm sure it'll happen. I'm also sure I'll be tempted to do real stupid things ( lord knows how many of those things I've followed through on). But, I have been tempted by other things and seem to manage well, I only hope I won't give in on a bike. I would love to get a beater, but finances do not allow, I guess I'll have to learn the hard way. I do appreciate the support and information and look forward to riding with some of you in the near future....

Semper fi

Lee

Posted: Sun Aug 20, 2006 5:32 am

LOL

Keep a cool head and take baby steps for a while Lee. If you could get out to a deserted road somewhere all the better, get used to a little more speed... then get into leaning into turns. That is one of the things that really needs to be developed into a comfortable reaction. One of the worst things that can get you is a little crisis situation and you react by not leaning and freak out. It takes lots of practice to get really good. It also takes a firm grip on the power... apply the power in the turn and it just takes you right into it and through and out. Another thing... that rear brake is just for correcting and pulling down yer ass, use the front brake to do most of your stopping. I'm sure you're in good hands with Tony, just don't over step your skills too far too soon.

I had to cut my teeth on my Mach IV right quick on the 605 freeway, but that was in 1974. One quick ride and I signed my life away Wink

But like I said, it was far from my first ride, I had spent a whole summer in possesion of a BSA 650 prior to that, a whole different bike, but still I could ride, even though the foot levers were backwards. Before that it was a 305 Super Hawk. Cool

That Kwak had just under 3000 miles on it when i got it, I think it scared the crap out of the original owner one too many times. Bert's in Azusa sold it to me with a waranty and everything except for the brown spot on the seat. I didn't have enough sense to let it scare me Laughing

It explains a lot about my riding style now Shocked

Posted: Sun Aug 20, 2006 4:01 pm

Some stats to ponder for new riders....and i refreshes me occasionally as well.

1. Approximately three-fourths of these motorcycle accidents involved collision with another vehicle, which was most often a passenger automobile.

2. Approximately one-fourth of these motorcycle accidents were single vehicle accidents involving the motorcycle colliding with the roadway or some fixed object in the environment.

3. Vehicle failure accounted for less than 3% of these motorcycle accidents, and most of those were single vehicle accidents where control was lost due to a puncture flat.

4. In single vehicle accidents, motorcycle rider error was present as the accident precipitating factor in about two-thirds of the cases, with the typical error being a slideout and fall due to overbraking or running wide on a curve due to excess speed or under-cornering.

5. Roadway defects (pavement ridges, potholes, etc.) were the accident cause in 2% of the accidents; animal involvement was 1% of the accidents.

6. In multiple vehicle accidents, the driver of the other vehicle violated the motorcycle right-of-way and caused the accident in two-thirds of those accidents.

7. The failure of motorists to detect and recognize motorcycles in traffic is the predominating cause of motorcycle accidents. The driver of the other vehicle involved in collision with the motorcycle did not see the motorcycle before the collision, or did not see the motorcycle until
too late to avoid the collision.

8. Deliberate hostile action by a motorist against a motorcycle rider is a rare accident cause.

9.The most frequent accident configuration is the motorcycle proceeding straight then the automobile makes a left turn in front of the oncoming motorcycle.

10. Intersections are the most likely place for the motorcycle accident, with the other vehicle violating the motorcycle right-of-way, and often violating traffic controls.

11. Weather is not a factor in 98% of motorcycle accidents.

12. Most motorcycle accidents involve a short trip associated with shopping, errands, friends, entertainment or recreation, and the accident is likely to happen in a very short time close to the trip origin.

13. The view of the motorcycle or the other vehicle involved in the accident is limited by glare or obstructed by other vehicles in almost half of the multiple vehicle accidents.

14. Conspicuity of the motorcycle is a critical factor in the multiple vehicle accidents, and accident involvement is significantly reduced by the use of motorcycle headlamps (on in daylight) and the wearing of high visibility yellow, orange or bright red jackets.

15. Fuel system leaks and spills were present in 62% of the motorcycle accidents in the post-crash phase. This represents an undue hazard for fire.

16. The median pre-crash speed was 29.8 mph, and the median crash speed was 21.5 mph, and the one-in-a-thousand crash speed is approximately 86 mph.

17. The typical motorcycle pre-crash lines-of-sight to the traffic hazard portray no contribution of the limits of peripheral vision; more than three-fourths of all accident hazards are within 45deg of either side of straight ahead.

18. Conspicuity of the motorcycle is most critical for the frontal surfaces of the motorcycle and rider.

19. Vehicle defects related to accident causation are rare and likely to be due to deficient or defective maintenance.

20. Motorcycle riders between the ages of 16 and 24 are significantly overrepresented in accidents; motorcycle riders between the ages of 30 and 50 are significantly underrepresented. Although the majority of the accident-involved motorcycle riders are male (96%), the female motorcycles riders are significantly overrepresented in the accident data.

22. Craftsmen, laborers, and students comprise most of the accident-involved motorcycle riders. Professionals, sales workers, and craftsmen are underrepresented and laborers, students and unemployed are overrepresented in the accidents.

23. Motorcycle riders with previous recent traffic citations and accidents are overrepresented in the accident data.

24. The motorcycle riders involved in accidents are essentially without training; 92% were self-taught or learned from family or friends. Motorcycle rider training experience reduces accident involvement and is related to reduced injuries in the event of accidents.

25. More than half of the accident-involved motorcycle riders had less than 5 months experience on the accident motorcycle, although the total street riding experience was almost 3 years. Motorcycle riders with dirt bike experience are significantly underrepresented in the accident data.

26. Lack of attention to the driving task is a common factor for the motorcyclist in an accident.

27. Almost half of the fatal accidents show alcohol involvement.

28. Motorcycle riders in these accidents showed significant collision avoidance problems. Most riders would overbrake and skid the rear wheel, and underbrake the front wheel greatly reducing collision avoidance deceleration. The ability to countersteer and swerve was essentially absent.

29. The typical motorcycle accident allows the motorcyclist just less than 2 seconds to complete all collision avoidance action.

30. Passenger-carrying motorcycles are not overrepresented in the accident area.

31. The driver of the other vehicles involved in collision with the motorcycle are not distinguished from other accident populations except that the ages of 20 to 29, and beyond 65 are overrepresented. Also, these drivers are generally unfamiliar with motorcycles.

32. Large displacement motorcycles are underrepresented in accidents but they are associated with higher injury severity when involved in accidents.

33. Any effect of motorcycle color on accident involvement is not determinable from these data, but is expected to be insignificant because the frontal surfaces are most often presented to the other vehicle involved in the collision.

34. Motorcycles equipped with fairings and windshields are underrepresented in accidents, most likely because of the contribution to conspicuity and the association with more experienced and trained riders.

35. Motorcycle riders in these accidents were significantly without motorcycle license, without any license, or with license revoked. 36. Motorcycle modifications such as those associated with the semi-chopper or cafe racer are definitely overrepresented in accidents.

37. The likelihood of injury is extremely high in these motorcycle accidents-98% of the multiple vehicle collisions and 96% of the single vehicle accidents resulted in some kind of injury to the motorcycle rider; 45% resulted in more than a minor injury.

38. Half of the injuries to the somatic regions were to the ankle-foot, lower leg, knee, and thigh-upper leg.

39. Crash bars are not an effective injury countermeasure; the reduction of injury to the ankle-foot is balanced by increase of injury to the thigh-upper leg, knee, and lower leg.

40. The use of heavy boots, jacket, gloves, etc., is effective in preventing or reducing abrasions and lacerations, which are frequent but rarely severe injuries.

41. Groin injuries were sustained by the motorcyclist in at least 13% of the accidents, which typified by multiple vehicle collision in frontal impact at higher than average speed.

42. Injury severity increases with speed, alcohol involvement and motorcycle size.

43. Seventy-three percent of the accident-involved motorcycle riders used no eye protection, and it is likely that the wind on the unprotected eyes contributed in impairment of vision which delayed hazard detection.

44. Approximately 50% of the motorcycle riders in traffic were using safety helmets but only 40% of the accident-involved motorcycle riders were wearing helmets at the time of the accident.

45. Voluntary safety helmet use by those accident-involved motorcycle riders was lowest for untrained, uneducated, young motorcycle riders on hot days and short trips.

46. The most deadly injuries to the accident victims were injuries to the chest and head.

47. The use of the safety helmet is the single critical factor in the prevention of reduction of head injury; the safety helmet which complies with FMVSS 218 is a significantly effective injury countermeasure.

48. Safety helmet use caused no attenuation of critical traffic sounds, no limitation of precrash visual field, and no fatigue or loss of attention; no element of accident causationwas related to helmet use.

49. FMVSS 218 provides a high level of protection in traffic accidents, and needs modification only to increase coverage at the back of the head and demonstrate impact protection of the front of full facial coverage helmets, and insure all adult sizes for traffic use are covered by the standard.

50. Helmeted riders and passengers showed significantly lower head and neck injury for all types of injury, at all levels of injury severity.

51. The increased coverage of the full facial coverage helmet increases protection, and significantly reduces face injuries.

52. There is no liability for neck injury by wearing a safety helmet; helmeted riders had less neck injuries than unhelmeted riders. Only four minor injuries were attributable to helmet use, and in each case the helmet prevented possible critical or fatal head injury.

53. Sixty percent of the motorcyclists were not wearing safety helmets at the time of the accident. Of this group, 26% said they did not wear helmets because they were uncomfortable and inconvenient, and 53% simply had no expectation of accident involvement.

54. Valid motorcycle exposure data can be obtained only from collection at the traffic site. Motor vehicle or driver license data presents information which is completely unrelated to actual use.

55. Less than 10% of the motorcycle riders involved in these accidents had insurance of any kind to provide medical care or replace property.

Posted: Sun Aug 20, 2006 4:26 pm

Grump,

Is that from the Hurt USC study?

Tyson

Posted: Sun Aug 20, 2006 5:41 pm

I'm not sure. I did a Google search ( and got this of some lawyers site) on MC/experiance/accidents because I am aware of these statistics. I published them in a small mag before.

In reading these statistics several things become apperent. The statistic about 50% or more of the accident occuring to riders with less than 5 months experiance is truely enlightening ( i have seen new riders go straight into trouble without any attempt at avoidance) note the 3 year item in there but I'm not sure what that means. Also of importance is the notation of intoxication, speed (not necassaily excessive), attention, closeness to home, use of helmet AND I think one fundamentally significant fact, dirt riders are under represented in the crash statistics. That, I imagine, is because dirt biking teaches avoidance and proper brake usage. Start the kids in the dirt even if it's a pain for you!! Another thing I like is the one about women. I know some fast women, one that rode the AlCan by herself. I wonder if machismo has something to do with this?

Posted: Sun Aug 20, 2006 5:41 pm

Grump, thanks, that's a great articule, i am gonna printed out and read it a least once a week.
And cowboy, it's hard to decide which bike to buy when the "f" are present. it's the soul in them. let me tell you what happen to me. i started in 1980 with a 200cc honda twinstar. then move to a 1980 750f, and around 1986, bought the 11f. and drove for a few years after i sold, stupid of me. always wanted to buy another one until i found one last november, and work on it for a few months. As soon as the bike got home, my kids got little crazy about it. and one of them wants and had some money, so we were shopping around to see what was available in the local market. the big market bikes is very small. so we didn't find anything nice, excepting a 1100 suzi, that you can see in one of my earlierst post. the bike came from italy, and it was very nice.
so i thought to myself, this is not a good bike to learn how to drive. but the kid wanted, so what to do? so we got it, and i started to learn. a friend of mine has a nice area. with probably a mile with asphalt. with nice bend and curves, really nice for a beginner. after a while we went out of town, volcanoes, very winding roads, etc.
A couple of months ago, on a beautiful saturday afternoon, clear skies, dried road, and couple of miles from the house, a guy on a car made a wierd turn on a two lane road, my kid was on the right lane and couldn't avoid hitting the car. he broke both wrist, but nothing else, his jeans were shatterd, his leather and gloves gave him a lot protection. both of them, his girlfriend was with him, flew over the car, it's a miracle that were not hit by that car or another. his girlfriend was unconsiens for a few hours, she had no protection so his arms were rubbed against the asphalt, but she came very ok. helmet is a law here, and they had good helmets, her helmet is not good anymore. and both came very ok i think for the kind of accident.
now could he have avoid the accident with a smaller bike? or with more experience? or he lost attention for a couple of seconds?
there is so much to learn from this. his bike is very fast, probably didn't have the 2 seconds to decide what to do. did he freeze?
I think a lot falls in the "second guess".
that's why this a great site, because we all shares our experiences, and we can learn from somebody else's mistakes-
my dad always says, that we can be the best drivers in the world, but we cannot control the rest of the drivers.
so if a 20 year old kid, can drive the 1100 suxi, i think you could great with an 750f, and then you know what will be the best bike to have.
just get a good protection. at night i wear some of those protection glasses like the ones you use with tools. there are huge bugs flying around here at night.
i'll accept any comments or recommendations. it's hard for a dad, not even to mention his mon, to let his go on that huge bike
Thanks everybody.

Posted: Mon Aug 21, 2006 12:34 am

THREAD HIJACK ALERT!

Sorry.

But, Grump, FYI, the Hurt study also showed that being on a bike other than your own also was an important risk factor. . . Yep, last year I spent most of a day on a friend's FZ-1. "Most of the day" because it ended early when I slammed on the brakes, locked up the front and went down avoiding some kids who rode into the middle of the road on bicycles. I was shocked. My F would have stopped easily and with no muss. So would the Yamaha, if I had been used to hte brakes in "near panic mode."

Also, Hurt found that ANY helmet, even a $5.00 helmest was a hugely significant mitigator of head injury. The diffenrence between the best helmets and the cheapest was barely measurable, but the difference between none and one was huge. Makes sense, but it is nice to have some facts actually gathered from the field research.

Tyson

Posted: Mon Aug 21, 2006 2:17 am

In defense of the F's, they are super-smooth and predictable in stock trim. Drivability is a huge factor in traffic, so in my opinion smoothbores etc are not good until you have a couple of years in the saddle.

The downside of F's is the heavy weight and top-heavy feel. If you are tall enough to keep both feet flat on the ground and strong enough to stand beside the bike and lean it 45 degrees without losing it, a 750F is a pretty sweet first bike.

Posted: Wed Aug 23, 2006 1:07 pm

My first bike was my F. Neither can i flat foot it or lean it 45 degrees standing next to it (i think.. i haven't really tried) But i can't flat foot, and i get along well