Just this weekend I got my first bike - a Honda XL750 Transalp. Winter is coming where I live, so when I saw a blue sky, dry roads and temperatures just over 0, I thought I could have a little ride. But that wasn’t the stupid, even though I forgot the keys after being completely suited up with thin jogging gloves and winter gloves.
There wasn’t any stupid during the ride, although I forgot the keys again after putting on the two pairs of gloves after a little break. Or that I kept hitting the hazard lights by accident, or the high beams.
The stupid was when I got back and rolled into the driveway. I wanted to slowly roll in and park in front of the wall of the garage. Had the clutch pulled and apparently twisted my wrist to get my thumb on the kill switch. The motor revved up so loud it scared the whole family out the house and onto the porch, where they witnessed me rolling towards the wall, bumping into it because I was so startled I didn’t remember to apply the brake and me falling very, very slowly and gently (almost with a certain grace, I hope) to the side.
As far as I could see, there’s only a few scratches on the bar end and the peg. Whew! But, I was told I bumped hard enough that the rear wheel lifted into the air! Hope that the fork and frame are ok!
Was a real downer after the nice ride, but I guess it’s true what I heard, that all riders fall at least once!
750 is a lot of CC for a first bike. Do carpark drills so you get used to the hardest part of riding; slow speed and manoeuvring. Especially that weight.
The bike only does what it’s told to do.
But don’t worry, you’ll fuck up more. Accept it. Each time you’ll get better and better. Not many riders out there that have a first bike and first few months free of physical (bike or themselves) and/or pride damage. Glad you shared. Just minimise the risk to others and train safely. Get better in no time 👍
“hope the fork and frame are ok”
Don’t worry, it’s a motorcycle made for it
It’s cool man, mistakes happen in the first year.
I dropped my work ID at a light and thinking I could get it, accidentally dropped the entire bike. Luckily she’s quite old and also light, but man was I embarrassed while I knuckled the bike back upright. Guy in the car next to me just stared while I nervously laughed and said, “one of those days eh?”. 😅
Real talk, your machine can hurt you. Glad your ride went ok, nothing serious happened. Any bike while running is kinda like electricity, try to play safely. Engine off and neutral if you gotta roll it around manually? If you have access to an MSF course (though that may be a solely US thing), I’d very strongly recommend it.
I think MSF is a solely US thing, but there are for sure alternatives here in Europe. At least in my country to get a license you need to complete a certain number of hours with a certificied instructor, and they do teach different skills like body position, emergency braking, slow and high speed maneuvering, as well as eventually taking you out on the roads and practicing in a real commuting scenario.
One thing thats different (not sure if its not a law or its not enforced) is that each instructor will have different equipment. For example when I started lessons before covid cut them short right before my exam my then instructor would take me to a parking lot he had a deal with to use in the evening, and just had cones for exercises. My now instructor after I restarted post covid has a friend who has an events venue with a massive parking lot, cones, and even bluetooth communication devices for the helmets. So now we can communicate while im doing exercises and also while out on the roads… The amount of times I hear him in my ears yelling (in a joking way) “TRAFFIGATOOOOR” before I sheepishy switch it off is too damn high 😂
I think your first doing a stupid is buying a 750 for your first bike!
This is a predominantly American Men’s thing, as far as I can tell. Many get the biggest bike they can, fail to learn to control it, and then go around chest thumping.
Meanwhile the best rider I know, a professional test rider, spends his weekends teaching Moto Gymkhana on a 125.
Part of the reason bigger engines are desirable in the US is because to get anywhere other than local riding you’re going to be on quite a bit of long straight highway at high speeds. I can drive for 15 hours straight at highway speeds and still not leave my state.
A 250 will be absolutely tapped out to the point of being unsafe because you have no reserve power. And that seems unnecessarily hard on the vehicle.
A 500 will typically be usable but uncomfortable because it’ll still be high in the rev range and vibrating.
On the longer stretches doing maybe around 75mph I even find myself wishing my 800GS could chill at some lower RPMs (currently around 5k maybe a bit more at those speeds), whereas my brothers 1400 with 2/3 the horsepower of mine just chugs along at those speeds (no tach but I think about 3200rpm is what I calculated and that sounds about right). When I pass him he says mine sounds like a mosquito.
Except that OP is in the UK.
While you might want to go in straight lines most of the time being able to handle corners first is a good idea, plus things like emergency brake and swerve techniques to avoid accidents … the European test only checks if you can emergency brake from 30mph, stopping from 75 with enough technique to feel like your eyeballs are being sucked out of your skull takes practice.
Hell, I remember one American on Reddit who swore up and down that you shouldn’t use the front brake to emergency stop - for people who really love motorbikes extra training is a must, and that starts with a small bike you can drop a lot while learning how to use the whole tire and how to handle a bike when the front wheel locks, etc.
Edit: as for your BMW, why not just add a tooth to front sprocket?
Nothing wrong with a 750 for your first bike.
Depends on the 750.
This bike I think is definitely too much for a first bike. Tons of power and lots of potential for whiskey throttle.
But some of the cruiser 750s would make a good first motorcycle as they don’t make lots of power. Something like a Honda Shadow 750 would be a great starter bike with a comfortable ride and enough power to keep up and have some fun but not overwhelming.
You sound like a mess. Take some time to learn your machine. Not in a driveway and not in freezing temps. It’s clear you need to take the MSF course.
Yeah I feel like one, too. I took a course for the unrestricted A license here in Europe, so I had a few rounds in an empty park swerving around traffic cones. I think the problem was that I was using the thick winter gloves for the first time and kept fat-fingering.
If you’re in Europe and passed your A test you’re about ready to start learning how to actually handle a small bike.
Get extra instruction, and start doing Moto Gymkhana. Consider getting a cheap small and light bike like a CBF250 or Duke 125, and learn to really master it.
Your instructor probably shrugged when you said you were getting a TransAlp because he knew there was no point in telling you not to. He’s seen umpteen people pass their test and then go out and crash right away.
European tests requires you to be quite good at both high and low speed(along with a theoretical test, and a test in traffic) maneuvering with the bike size you’re getting your license for. Unrestricted is at least 650CC and at least and 40kW or more. You’re not passing the tests if you’re not adept at maneuvering the bike.
