Okay. Let me start out by saying that I have always wanted a motorcycle though I have never driven one. I have ridden a few but never driven one.

I broke down and went Saturday and bought one. I got a 2005 Honda Shadow Sabre 1100. It is a sweet bike, black with red flames.

The only thing is that I thought it was gonna be a little easier riding/driving the thing than it actually was. Bear in mind that I have never driven a motorcycle before. I got on with my helmet and put the thing in first and went in the parking lot next door and rode around for a minute. It was a little harder steering than I thought because of the size of the bike.

I am smart enough to know that I did not need to be on the freeway to take this thing home because of my inexperience. So, I got DFW Honda to get someone to take it home. Needless to say I felt like an idiot to ask someone to take my bike home for me. But, I have signed up for the 2-day, 8 hour per day motorcycle course in Irving this next weekend.

Just want to know when I take this motorcycle course will they teach me pretty much everything I need to know to be able to get on some side streets and actually ride this thing?

Any responses would be appreciated.

I will try to post a picture of my bike below.

 

You might feel stupid asking someone to take the bike home for you but imagine how you would feel if you wreck it pulling out of the dealer...like a real horses' patoot. The safty course is very helpful and even worth taking for someone who has ridden before. Good luck with the bike it looks nice! Keep the brain bucket on and the rubber side down.

 

Looks sweet dude! Drive safe!

 

I had a friend whose dad bought him a brand new Ninja. He had ridden a little dirt bike or soemthing before, he had the Ninja fifteen minutes then drove it thorugh his neighbors privacy fence and totalled it.

Good idea to take a course

 

You be smart. I had my first bike brought home in a truck. Then I took my time to learn how to ride. No way you be an idiot. You the opposite..

BTW, nice bike, be safe, and enjoy...

 

1100 seems like a lot of bike for a rookie.

I've ridden bikes for 30 years and had my street license for over 20, but I rarely ride on the street since I sold my last dual sport bike 5 years ago.

One thing I heard when I first got my license was that over 50% of all motorcyle fatalities had their license less than one year. Take it easy, build skills and stay safe while you learn the ropes. That way you will live to ride many many more years.

 

sick bike

 

A couple of weeks ago, I watched some kid who looked barely old enough to drive by himself, pull up to a stoplight on Alameda and Kipling (in Denver), and he wiped out his new crotch rocket because he thought it would be cool to screech to a stop. I believe he just used too much front brake.

Anyway, I think if he would have employed your philosophy, he might have saved face that day. So don't feel stupid. You're probably smarter than most.

Post back after the class and tell us how it went. I'm thinking about doing the same thing. (Smaller bike though.)

 

yea I bet most bike accidents are on sport bikes not cruiser harley bikes

 

Welcome to the wonderful world of two wheel motoring.

I've been riding for over 18 years. In those 18 years, I've taken 6, that's right 6, MSF or equivalent course. I'm actually signed up to take my 7th (Experiences Rider's Course 11 May) & 8th (Advanced Sportbike Rider's Course 27 & 28 June). My wife will be taking both with me. You can NEVER learn too much about riding.

I keep taking these classes because:
1. I actually enjoy the classes, I have a good deal of fun in them.
2. I get a break from my NJ insurance if I take a "defensive" driving course every 3 years, the MSF classes count.
3. I ALWAYS learn something new.
4. It's a great way to learn from the experiences of others.

Trust me, you will learn alot in the class, & I highly recommend not operating the bike until you do take the class. It would suck to be a statistic before you turned 100 miles on the new ride. BTW, I don't really like cruisers but I think that those Saber's are sharp with the flame paint job.

KC-10 FE out...

 

bought my first bike in 86. i went with a friend to pick it up. i had never ridden before. i sat on the back of the bike and we rode to his house. at that point he got off, and away i went.

i learned by watching what he did on the ride home from the shop. for the break in period, if i remember right, i had to ride 250 miles and not rev the bike over 4 grand, then another 250 not going over 8, then after that i could rev to the 10,500 redline. the bike was only 420 pounds and handled like a dream, those bigger bikes are cumbersome at low speeds.

i thought it was quick at 4000 rpm. and was amazed at 8000, it felt like a rocket at 10,500.

i have heard nothing but praise for the classes that are offered now to teach you the proper ways to ride. i think in new jersey you actually get your license at the end of the class if you pass the course. good luck with the bike, and it sounds like you made the right move getting it brought to the house. you will have plenty of time for riding it later.

 

Thanks everyone for all the comments and suggestions. Yes, I have decided to park the bike and not ride, as much as I hate to do it, until I have taken and passed the Motorcycle Riding Class. I can barely sleep at night thinking about riding the thing, though I am a rookie at it.

To Dirt Bike Dave, the only reason I got a bigger bike is because I am a big guy. I was worried that the 750cc bike would not have as good acceleration on the highways as the 1100. I asked the dealer, which may be a bad idea because the bigger bike is more expensive, which should I go with, the 750 or 1100 and he said the 1100 because of my size. So I think I got the right one.

Now I just have to learn to ride. Slowly but surely was what I was always told.

 

Yah. The 1100 is a big scoot and you were very smart ingetting someone to take it home for you AND you are very smart in taking the riders safety course. My wife took it and her confidence was boosted by about 200%. She wouldn't even consider taking my bike for a ride until after she took the course. Now she has her own Honda Shadow 750 ACE and has been riding it for 4 years now. She even mentioned trying to take my Road King for a ride some time.
So........ Be crefuel, take the course and stick to the back roads for a bit, until you are completely comfortable on the bike. Join a riding club too. Travel towards the back of the pack for a bit and watch the other riders. If they go too fast, don't worry. Keep at your pace. If they are a good bunch of riders, they will make allowances for your inexperience and slow down so you can stay with them.
Welcome to the world of 2-wheelers.
Keep your kneeze in the breeze and the rubber side down.
Finally got my scoot out of the snowbank today.

 

Just an update. I took the Motorcyle Rider Course this Saturday and Sunday. I know that I mentioned earlier in the post that I didn't know how to ride and was kind of tense about riding my bike home from the dealership. Just wanted to let you guys know that I am 1000% more confident now that I have taken the rider class. The class starts slow and works progressively in showing how to "safely" ride a motorcycle. I am pumped and I am going to go riding when I get off work. I live in the DFW metroplex but I'm gonna stay on the side streets for awhile and not get on the big 6 lane highways until I am sure about my skills. They taught me to ride on a 250cc but my bike is an 1100cc. So I am sure there will be a difference in the way the 2 bikes ride. But I will take it slow and easy and ride enough to get my skills polished.

 

Congrats on the scoot. I've got a 96' Magna. Ride safe man!!