So, I recently bought my first bike Suzuki Gixxer. My friends here on TDF helped me decide it for me.
I did a lot of research, watched hours of videos on YouTube learning about different concepts of bike. I wanted to learn the theory before I buy myself a bike. So I did a lot of reading and research. I will try to document my learning in this thread. Hopefully this thread can serve as a good read for some newbie who would want to get started riding.
*i.imgur.com/LiWodYo.jpg
Here I go, my experience about getting a new bike:
First things first:
Riding on public roads is a responsibility. When you have an upwards of a 100 KG state of the art machine, that can go in motion with the twist of your wrist, it's kinda obvious that if handled incorrectly can hit anyone like a bullet. You don't want that. If you value your life and other's, be cautionary on roads.
Riding a bike demands a discipline. An alertness, that requires understanding of your environment. You need to be focused all around you on roads. You need to be prepared for anything on the road, notice traffic lights, and also have an understanding of traffic behind you, using mirrors. It's something that will come with experience, as I am told. I myself have just been 2 weeks riding. So I would leave more advice for the experts. I would learn as I go along and document it here as my understanding grows.
Before I buy a bike:
I needed practice. In USA, there's something called MSF (Motorcycle Safety Foundation) which for every new rider is a must to attend. In India, people learn motorcycles from their dad, or mostly from there friends. Had such course available in India, I would have jumped on it. But I didn't learn riding up until I completed my post graduation. In my heart I always wanted to get my own bike, but I never felt I needed it because of the abundance of public transport and since my workplace provides commute facility. Secretly though, owning a bike was one of my dream that only grew as time went by. One day I decided I had enough. One day I got up, went to a showroom and got out with a brand new Suzuki Gixxer!
Nah. Although partially true, it was not that simple. That one day I finally bought my bike, was a culmination of years, months and then weeks of research, practice and brainstorming.
Some basic concerns which I had for choosing a bike:
Height was the single most important factor. Being around 5.4", I didn't want to overwhelm myself with a bike I couldn't even reach my toes. I wanted something I can control easily.
Horsepower and weight, was the second factor. I was willing to get a 100cc bike if it was lightweight and easy to maneuver. I always thought more CC means more weight. More the weight, less controllable it will be.
Mileage was something my dad wanted from a bike. I was concerned more with above factors, but mileage was something that was important too.
Learning to ride, before buying deciding to get my own bike:
I had a friend with Yamaha FZ version 2, a 150cc bike that was a rage when it was launched few years ago. It was a superb bike of its time, and even today rules the roads. While never following a fixed schedule, I managed to practice on his bike whenever we both had time. He use to take me to open roads with less traffic and asked me to ride it while not sitting on the pillion seat. He didn't want to take a chance, in case I do something crazy. It was up only recently that I he manage to get courage to ride behind me. I didn't disappoint. I was doing good. The only thing I was not able to manage was shifting gears smoothly. While in motion, riding was not an issue for me at all.
While my friend proved very instrumental for me to learn riding, I was feeling bad for his bike since I was abusing it way too much. It was obvious that if I wanted to be a pro rider I needed my own bike. While I could have tried to get a used bike for cheap, to learn, I was apprehensive that it might prove fatal for me in few cases. One part failure was enough for a big accident on road. I just wasn't confident going on road with an "old" bike. So I finally decided to buy a new bike altogether.
Choosing a bike:
It was this time around when in August, I created a thread on this forum and discussed with fellow members about the best bike I could get for my needs and confidence. Since I had practiced on a 150cc bike I knew a mere 100cc bike couldn't satisfy me anymore. Moreover I knew the importance of wide tires in maintaining balance on high speeds and in wet conditions. So after going through many options I finally settled on Suzuki Gixxer which satisfied following features:
> 155cc bike
> Street bike with less height than most other 100 or 125cc bikes like Discover.
> Disc brakes both in front and rear (for all the goodness of braking power)
> Tubeless Tires (for being safe even after puncture)
> Features like clock and Gear indicator (that isn't even in more priced Yamaha FZ 2 sold me)
> Sporty look to die for! It has a personality!
The only con about this bike was the pillion seat. It seemed too high. But then other features made up for it. And I bit the bullet and decided to go for it.
Online research:
On weekends I use to practice on my friends bike and on weekdays I use to read and watch hours of videos on YouTube. Being a geek I wanted to know every chemistry and physics of bikes. One of the most popular video which I was recommended numerous times and which I would recommend now to everyone else is this:
The above video was hard to find and it was recently uploaded too. So I would suggest to download the video for future reference or contact me in case this video is taken down (I can arrange for you). But it's a must watch video for anyone who wants to get good in riding. This video introduces lots of concepts that is important for safe and efficient riding. I am planning to watch it a second time, once I get more comfortable with riding bikes.
Below I am dumping all the important videos from my YouTube history, that I watched over the course of a month to learn more about riding:
Final day of buying the bike:
So finally after doing so much research, reading, watching videos and practicing on my friend's bike, I went on to the Suzuki's showroom and got the bike after a test drive. It costed me around Rs 87k. It was unbelievable for me to finally be an owner of a bike. My joy has no bounds. Since then on, I have driven about 80 KM and with every ride my confidence is increasing. I still haven't been to a long ride, but I intend to do that soon. Will keep you posted.
My Suzuki Gixxer album (where I will keep adding pics):
Suzuki Gixxer -Vyom
I want to end this post by posting this video:
THIS IS WHY WE RIDE 2 (best among all 4 video with this title for me)
This Is Why We Ride 2
Enjoy and safe riding!
I did a lot of research, watched hours of videos on YouTube learning about different concepts of bike. I wanted to learn the theory before I buy myself a bike. So I did a lot of reading and research. I will try to document my learning in this thread. Hopefully this thread can serve as a good read for some newbie who would want to get started riding.
*i.imgur.com/LiWodYo.jpg
Here I go, my experience about getting a new bike:
First things first:
Riding on public roads is a responsibility. When you have an upwards of a 100 KG state of the art machine, that can go in motion with the twist of your wrist, it's kinda obvious that if handled incorrectly can hit anyone like a bullet. You don't want that. If you value your life and other's, be cautionary on roads.
Riding a bike demands a discipline. An alertness, that requires understanding of your environment. You need to be focused all around you on roads. You need to be prepared for anything on the road, notice traffic lights, and also have an understanding of traffic behind you, using mirrors. It's something that will come with experience, as I am told. I myself have just been 2 weeks riding. So I would leave more advice for the experts. I would learn as I go along and document it here as my understanding grows.
Before I buy a bike:
I needed practice. In USA, there's something called MSF (Motorcycle Safety Foundation) which for every new rider is a must to attend. In India, people learn motorcycles from their dad, or mostly from there friends. Had such course available in India, I would have jumped on it. But I didn't learn riding up until I completed my post graduation. In my heart I always wanted to get my own bike, but I never felt I needed it because of the abundance of public transport and since my workplace provides commute facility. Secretly though, owning a bike was one of my dream that only grew as time went by. One day I decided I had enough. One day I got up, went to a showroom and got out with a brand new Suzuki Gixxer!
Nah. Although partially true, it was not that simple. That one day I finally bought my bike, was a culmination of years, months and then weeks of research, practice and brainstorming.
Some basic concerns which I had for choosing a bike:
Height was the single most important factor. Being around 5.4", I didn't want to overwhelm myself with a bike I couldn't even reach my toes. I wanted something I can control easily.
Horsepower and weight, was the second factor. I was willing to get a 100cc bike if it was lightweight and easy to maneuver. I always thought more CC means more weight. More the weight, less controllable it will be.
Mileage was something my dad wanted from a bike. I was concerned more with above factors, but mileage was something that was important too.
Learning to ride, before buying deciding to get my own bike:
I had a friend with Yamaha FZ version 2, a 150cc bike that was a rage when it was launched few years ago. It was a superb bike of its time, and even today rules the roads. While never following a fixed schedule, I managed to practice on his bike whenever we both had time. He use to take me to open roads with less traffic and asked me to ride it while not sitting on the pillion seat. He didn't want to take a chance, in case I do something crazy. It was up only recently that I he manage to get courage to ride behind me. I didn't disappoint. I was doing good. The only thing I was not able to manage was shifting gears smoothly. While in motion, riding was not an issue for me at all.
While my friend proved very instrumental for me to learn riding, I was feeling bad for his bike since I was abusing it way too much. It was obvious that if I wanted to be a pro rider I needed my own bike. While I could have tried to get a used bike for cheap, to learn, I was apprehensive that it might prove fatal for me in few cases. One part failure was enough for a big accident on road. I just wasn't confident going on road with an "old" bike. So I finally decided to buy a new bike altogether.
Choosing a bike:
It was this time around when in August, I created a thread on this forum and discussed with fellow members about the best bike I could get for my needs and confidence. Since I had practiced on a 150cc bike I knew a mere 100cc bike couldn't satisfy me anymore. Moreover I knew the importance of wide tires in maintaining balance on high speeds and in wet conditions. So after going through many options I finally settled on Suzuki Gixxer which satisfied following features:
> 155cc bike
> Street bike with less height than most other 100 or 125cc bikes like Discover.
> Disc brakes both in front and rear (for all the goodness of braking power)
> Tubeless Tires (for being safe even after puncture)
> Features like clock and Gear indicator (that isn't even in more priced Yamaha FZ 2 sold me)
> Sporty look to die for! It has a personality!
The only con about this bike was the pillion seat. It seemed too high. But then other features made up for it. And I bit the bullet and decided to go for it.
Online research:
On weekends I use to practice on my friends bike and on weekdays I use to read and watch hours of videos on YouTube. Being a geek I wanted to know every chemistry and physics of bikes. One of the most popular video which I was recommended numerous times and which I would recommend now to everyone else is this:
The above video was hard to find and it was recently uploaded too. So I would suggest to download the video for future reference or contact me in case this video is taken down (I can arrange for you). But it's a must watch video for anyone who wants to get good in riding. This video introduces lots of concepts that is important for safe and efficient riding. I am planning to watch it a second time, once I get more comfortable with riding bikes.
Below I am dumping all the important videos from my YouTube history, that I watched over the course of a month to learn more about riding:
Top 5 Sportbike Motorcycles for Short People, New Riders, Women
Top 5 Mistakes about riding motorcycles
Common Mistakes of New Motorcycle Riders:
Consequences of not understanding Counter-steering on a motorcycle
Helmet Crash Test | Local Vs. Branded
Helmet Crash Test | Local Vs. Branded | Special Feature | Motown India
HOW NOT TO RIDE A MOTORCYCLE
HOW NOT TO RIDE A MOTORCYCLE ⚡️
Top 5 Common Mistakes on a Long Motorcycle Trip - How to avoid it?
Top 5 Common Mistakes on a Long Motorcycle Trip - How to avoid it?
5 Things You Didn't Know Motorcyclists Do!
5 Things You Didn't Know Motorcyclists Do!
front brake use demonstration
front brake use demonstration
Clutchless Vs Quickshifting Explained
Clutchless Vs Quickshifting Explained
Man Saves Girlfriend From Fatal Motorcycle Crash
Man Saves Girlfriend From Fatal Motorcycle Crash
How to use BRAKE PROPERLY - Motorcycle Braking Technique
How to use BRAKE PROPERLY - Motorcycle Braking Technique
Debunking the Motorcycle Kill-Switch Mystery
Debunking the Motorcycle Kill-Switch Mystery | MC Garage
Delete Tinder, Buy a Motorcycle
Delete Tinder, Buy a Motorcycle
Top 5 Mistakes about riding motorcycles
Common Mistakes of New Motorcycle Riders:
Consequences of not understanding Counter-steering on a motorcycle
Helmet Crash Test | Local Vs. Branded
Helmet Crash Test | Local Vs. Branded | Special Feature | Motown India
HOW NOT TO RIDE A MOTORCYCLE
HOW NOT TO RIDE A MOTORCYCLE ⚡️
Top 5 Common Mistakes on a Long Motorcycle Trip - How to avoid it?
Top 5 Common Mistakes on a Long Motorcycle Trip - How to avoid it?
5 Things You Didn't Know Motorcyclists Do!
5 Things You Didn't Know Motorcyclists Do!
front brake use demonstration
front brake use demonstration
Clutchless Vs Quickshifting Explained
Clutchless Vs Quickshifting Explained
Man Saves Girlfriend From Fatal Motorcycle Crash
Man Saves Girlfriend From Fatal Motorcycle Crash
How to use BRAKE PROPERLY - Motorcycle Braking Technique
How to use BRAKE PROPERLY - Motorcycle Braking Technique
Debunking the Motorcycle Kill-Switch Mystery
Debunking the Motorcycle Kill-Switch Mystery | MC Garage
Delete Tinder, Buy a Motorcycle
Delete Tinder, Buy a Motorcycle
Final day of buying the bike:
So finally after doing so much research, reading, watching videos and practicing on my friend's bike, I went on to the Suzuki's showroom and got the bike after a test drive. It costed me around Rs 87k. It was unbelievable for me to finally be an owner of a bike. My joy has no bounds. Since then on, I have driven about 80 KM and with every ride my confidence is increasing. I still haven't been to a long ride, but I intend to do that soon. Will keep you posted.
My Suzuki Gixxer album (where I will keep adding pics):
Suzuki Gixxer -Vyom
I want to end this post by posting this video:
THIS IS WHY WE RIDE 2 (best among all 4 video with this title for me)
This Is Why We Ride 2
Enjoy and safe riding!