[Lux-Biker]

hi,

and another newbie (getting my first Bike) on this board ;D
I'm gonna buy an M 620 next month and so i got some questions...

So here they are:

- What exactly is the difference (cause i dont see any) between an M 620 and M 620 Dark. I'm asking cause there is difference in the Price.

- Could u give any Tips to a Beginner if he doesnt wanna drop his bike, tip it over,....

Thx for your Help !

 

[Andrew_Cornett]

paint, front fairing, and rear seat cowl. You can get the dark with one or two front brake disk and the other comes with two. That is all there is to it.

 

[ScottRNelson]

If you haven't taken the Motorcycle Safety Foundation beginner course, sign up for that as soon as possible. Get a good book like Proficient Motorcycling by David L. Hough and study all of the hints in there on how to become a better rider. Don't start to get overconfident after you've managed to ride safely for a month or even six months. That's often when new riders make the bigger mistakes and hurt themselves and/or their bikes.

 

[Guest]

Good question Lux-Biker, how do this people go about when they drop their bikes? This issue comes up again and again. Sometimes I wonder if I have logged on to the

 

[ducatania]

Doesn't the dark have a steel swingarm ...>

instead of aluminum?

paint, front fairing, and rear seat cowl.

 

[Capt. Steubing]

In my limited experience, in the first 6 months, watch out for gravel, and be careful in parking lots. When you turn off a paved road onto a gravel road or driveway, watch the front brake, it's easy to use too much. And in parking lots, it's easy to lean a little too far and dump the bike only going 5-10 mph. And the MSF course is a fantastic idea, I learned a lot even though I'd ridden for years.

 

[cyclepup]

I learned a hard lesson early about sloping surfaces at stop signs; I was even warned in the MSF class. First bike was a realtively top heavy 750 Nighthawk. Casusually pulled up to a stop sign and put a foot down and got nothing but air. By the time I made contact, that 500 pounder was too far over to catch. Pulled a hamstring badly and was lucky not to break my leg.

I hope you skip that lesson.

 

[Guest]

Here's another recommendation for the MSF class. You learn a lot and put most of it into practice every day you're out there. Advice: Take it slow. Don't try to do too much too soon. I liken it to getting my driver's license. I didn't get on the freeway until I felt confident on streets. I'm still in a learning mode six months after qualifying for my M1 license.

 

[Skier]

First there is a rider.

Then there is a smart rider.

Next is experienced rider.

Then comes smart and experienced rider.

A Rider asks, listens, tries out things with right protection and help from the smart and experienced riders.

Then he becomes a smart rider.

It is not that much yet. After those one to six months smart rider is building up experience by riding a lot but forgets that even a quite smart but not experienced can fall easily (where normally is gravel, how bad is riding in the rain, what means group rides, sign language, how to pack, how bad is fog in the lense, why not to hurry in the dark, why brake before after during the curve...)

Then arrives the smart and experienced level where still there is no guarantees of them fellow motorists cars suvs etc ,....

Skier

 

[terrible_viking]

Lux-brother,

I took a returning rider for a ride about two months ago. I was behind him, making sure not to push him - he ran wide the first two canyon turns he took. Luckily, there was no traffic so we motored on. After lunch he told me to go ahead and have some fun, he'd chill and catch up with me. I pulled away but slow, watching him for a couple miles in my mirrors. He ran wide again two more times just trying to hang with me so I got behind him again and fell waaay back so he could ride by himself a bit.

What am I getting at? Do NOT follow ANYBODY out there. Don't even look at other riders. Look where you want to go. Think as far ahead as you can, it takes some getting used to. Visualize the road that's ahead just outside your vision range. Don't even get on the bike without taking the MSF first. Don't even take the MSF before getting ALL your gear first.

I made all the mistakes. Riding in t-shirts and sneakers, without gloves, etc. My younger brother, who is starting now, is smarter than I was - he's learned from my experience. He's on a budget so a year ago, he started to buy his gear bit by bit - he now owns full leathers, boots, gloves, and a good helmet - and he's never sat on a bike yet.

He's three weeks into the course (he's in Germany, where the training is much more in-depth and intense than it is here - it will take him a minimum of 16 classroom, 10 training-site and 15 traffic hours to complete the course). He probably won't get a bike before the summer, but he'll be prepared.

Be like my brother. Or, to say it in the words of my good friend Viral M. Gupta, the great mathematician: "Stop. Think first."

Happy motoring,

-R.

 

[PEDS DOC]

Turning radius is strange on a monster than other bikes. difficult to make a u turn in the middle of the street. Give your self ample space to make a uturn or you will be embarrased and on the ground. Watch front braking too hard in the rain because your front wheel will stop and your rear wheel will keep on going causing a crash. If you take the class it will teach you all of this.

 

[Zombie_Hunter]

All advice so far is great, I would add:
1) learn to maintain and take pride in a well maintained bike, particularly tire pressures, suspension setup etc.
2) as stated, ride your own ride and dont feel compelled to stay or copy others.
3) I like to keep as much distatnce as possible from cars and other things that kill.
4) maintain spatial awareness, which monsters and other naked bikes have over sports bikes.
5) remember your physics: traction, inertia, momentum, friction etc. there are real limits this change when raining, oil on road, too heavy trottle or brake.
6) for any given corner and speed itmis much safer turning late and exiting tight than turning in tight and running wide. Running wide will kill you.
7) a sure sign of a newbie when stopped is putting your right foot down. Left foot down, right foot on brake is the correct method.
8) learn to balance the right amount of rear brake when cornering, particularly slower corners like roundabouts. Thsi allows you to keep sufficient power on without running too fast.

Get as much training as you can.

Good luck and welcome to the world of two wheels.

Regards, Tony

 

[Zombie_Hunter]

Oh, a nearly forgot, one more thing, setup the brakes. What I mean is bringing the brakes up to pressure before you need them. Just a touch of mainly front brake, just enough to balance the bike and ensure the brakes are pumped. On occasion you will find that your brake slack some pressure from rough roads shaking the pads back etc. a light touch helps stabilise, right, the bike and ensures you have your normal brakes.

This becomes routine after a while.