I can't speak highly enough of the book "Proficient Motorcycling" by David Hough.

Since a little before I got the S40 I've been reading at Suzuki-Bikes Forums. A couple of guys there (Dragbar it was, and tlwisner seconded the motion) suggested that I go out NOW, don't wait NOW and buy myself "Proficient Motorcycling." I took their advice, and went to the bookstore as soon as I had the chance. I even called first to make sure that they had the book in stock. While I was there I also picked up "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Motorcycles." and a Cycle World magazine.

I sat down with Proficient Motorcycling first. This book seems to assume that you 1) have a motorcycle, even if you don't have much experience at all and 2) you know how to actually work the bike. Neither one was true for me, but I sat down with the book and devoured it.

Now that I've got my motorcycle and have been out there on the road a few times I really think these guys did me a huge favor. I seem to have internalized a lot of it and it helped send me out on the road prepared instead of COMPLETELY green.

I'm remembering things from the book as I encounter the situations on the road. I'm seeing a lot situations where my natural instinct would be to let off the throttle but instead I'm accelerating through it and feeling control increase instead of decrease. It has me looking out for things that I wouldn't otherwise have expected to be problems - left turners, loose gravel, and small animals in particular.

It explains what countersteering is in great detail, though I have to admit that it seems considerably more natural out on the bike than his description of it makes it sound. I keep referring back to it in my head as I'm out there riding around.

I intend to recommend Proficient Motorcycling to every new biker I encounter. It's that good.

As I mentioned, I also picked up "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Motorcycles" by Darwin Holmstrom and Charles Everitt. After "Proficient Motorcycling" it almost felt like a waste of time picking this book up and reading it. Still, I gave it a go.

Given the choice over again I might have skipped it, or at least borrowed it from the library instead of buying it. It had a lot of information in it that wasn't in Proficient Motorcycling... not information that's likely to be as vital unless someone is holding a gun to my head and demanding that I tell them what ad campaign really set the market for Japanese motorcycles on fire in the US. (It's the 1961 "You meet the nicest people on a Honda" ad campaign. Example) A lot of interesting stuff that I probably wouldn't have picked up elsewhere, but not much that is likely to be lifesaving. The stuff that IS likely to be lifesaving was covered with considerable more depth in Proficient Motorcycling.

The vital information it did gave me that wasn't in Proficient Motorcycling is... well, vital. But it's not exactly hard to come by. Exactly how to go about shifting the gears was big on the list of important things. It's also got a rundown of basic maintenance and heavy repairs that I'm likely to need to be able to effect (or bring it to a shop for). To be honest, I found all this information on the internet a week or two before I sat down to read this book.

That's about it the extent of its usefulness for me, though. The advice on buying a motorcycle? I'd already crossed that bridge. How to get into racing? Um, yeah. Pass, thanks. The buyer's guide? Again, I'd made my decision already (and the models it shows are dated by a couple of years - 2004 models). I was happy to note that they considered the Suzuki LS650 Savage (the bike my S40 is descended from with very few modifications) to be one of their "Best First Bike" picks, but the blurb bugged me a little; I could have done without the last line there.

You have to give Suzuki credit for staying the course with a 650-cc single, optimistically named Savage. The budget thumper gets little more than revised colors for 2004 and remains on the showroom floor to tempt newbies and shorties alike. It's got just enough cruiser style to avoid total wimpdom.

:-/ "Total wimpdom." You know what? Hum on my nuts. I like my S40/Savage, damn it. You may have called it one of the "Best First Bikes" but that's a completely backhanded compliment you're giving it there, and you're not winning friends with people who like them.

I still haven't figured out why Jay Leno (who wrote a page-and-a-quarter long Foreword) has his picture on the cover when the guys who wrote the other 423 pages are pictured nowhere in the book.

It was a beautiful day out there today when I woke up at noon (I worked the graveyard shift). I got up, grabbed half a sandwich, got dressed and got riding.

The sun was shining, the wind was not too strong, the bike was doing great, and it looked like it was going to be an uncomplicated ride. I even managed to avoid the minivan that turned left in front of me.

I understand that 70%+ of motorcycle accidents involve left turning vehicles entering a motorcycle's path and then say "I never saw it!" I don't buy it. Not in my case anyway... not when I was wearing this thing.

(Images from brocktoncycle.com)


I'm sorry, if you didn't see me wearing that then you probably shouldn't be qualified to drive seeing as you're blind.


I decided to take Military Highway, which runs through most of the area, down from the closest point to my house to the end, then figure out what to do with myself from there. It's a nice drive, but I never realized just how many large bumps there are on that road. No matter.

Not far in I checked my mirrors and discovered that my evil twin had snuck up on me and was riding almost with his head under my arm. Damn it, he's always doing reckless shi... no... my mirror has come loose and is showing me my own reflection. It startled me, but I did my best to correct it and moved on. It turned itself to admire me several more times before the ride was over (it must really have decided that it likes me).

Before long the speed limit hit 55 and I was practically flying. I was deep into Chesapeake, most of the way to the 64/664 interchange, when the motorcycle was beginning to act a little sluggish. It didn't sound quite right either.

No... don't die at 55mph... please, what's wrong with you?

It died. I tried to restart it, but it wouldn't go. I drifted (intentionally) across a lane of traffic and across a service road into a deserted hotel parking lot. I tried several times to get it to turn over, but to no avail.

I calmed myself a little and started to think about everything I'd read. What could be causing this? I'm certain that any experienced rider has spotted it already: I'd run out of gas and needed to switch to reserve. Trying to start it several times had burned off the last of the gas in the carburetor, so I had to switch it into "prime" before I could get it to turn over. It did, reluctantly, and took a minute before it sounded healthy again. I looked around, and there was a gas station right down the road.

I was very pleased to see that it only took about five bucks to fill the tank to almost overflowing.

I got back on the road and soon came to the end of Military Highway. I'm not extremely familiar with that area, so I decided on a whim to take the road towards Suffolk. I was figuring on a nice and easy back road, I got a six lane superslab with traffic whizzing past in excess of 80-mph. This was a bit of a surprise, since I hadn't ever been on a highway on my bike before and wasn't planning on going on one for several days yet. I certainly hadn't been expecting one there.

As it turned out, it was simpler to ride on the highway than it is on city streets. The only drawback seems to be the standard Vibra-Butt™ seat that they have on the '06 S40. The placement on the seat of the ridge that separates the passenger and the driver areas is just about EXACTLY in the wrong place for a guy who is 6'0". It feels comfortable when you first get on, but as time passes it becomes a little painful. Then you forget about it because your butt goes numb from mid-way up all the way to the small of your back.

It might eventually be worth investing in a different seat. For the time being, I can live with it.

As for the bike? Once I got into fifth gear (I had been avoiding it until then) and settled into a comfortable speed I almost had to check to make sure that the engine was still running. It was SMOOTH. Just to satisfy my curiosity I cranked the throttle a little... and hit 65 almost instantaneously. I eased it back and found the next place to turn around.

Since I'd gotten onto the highway anyway I decided to take it all the way back home. This meant crossing two of the area's bridge-tunnels, the Monitor-Merrimac Bridge Tunnel and the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel. They're both beautiful to cross on good days, and this was a good day. As it turns out the smoothest pavement I've encountered anywhere in the entire area has been the tunnel portion of the MMBT.

I had no idea what time it was by then (as it happened I had been out on the road for a couple of hours by then) and I decided to head to the auto parts store to pick up a clock for the handlebars. I pulled into the parking lot at one end at the same time as some guy on a Suzuki C50 pulled into the other end. We pulled into adjacent spaces and spoke briefly about our bikes as we went in. We finished up at the same time too (I got a little dashboard-mount clock which I later attached with zip-ties). While we were waiting he asked me if I had joined up with any clubs in the area yet. Nope, I haven't.

So he gave me a card for a local chapter of "American Cruisers" and told me about the rides that they go on. It sounds like something I might really be interested in.

On the way out he showed me the modifications that he'd done to the bike: he had added a towing hitch that he had built for it. He also described the trailer he had built for it; an S-CarGo roof rack that he had modified with an axle, some electrical work and some lights. The thing was ALMOST a street-legal hitch by then, and the part that he bought for it (a wire that would split the motorcycle's single break light into two for the hitch's two lights) was the final touch he needed to make it good.

I didn't catch his name, but I'll bet I'll see him around. We rode off our separate ways and I came home again.

The odometer now reads 110 (I'll mention this at the end of each new entry when I've ridden). That's a lot of riding in two days when I had no destination; I'm not exactly saving gas this way... I justify it to myself by saying I need the practice.


Mileage: 110.?

I called my friend - the one who had gone with me to the dealerships the first time - and I told him that it was ready. Unfortunately, he wasn't available today.

I wasn't about to wait, though. Enough waiting!

I got out of work at about 5:30 PM - earlier than I thought I would. I got home around six, and my wife drove me. We got to the dealer around 6:45. They close at 8, so we were pressed for time.

On the way there I noticed that the sun was going down. I didn't really want my first ride to be at dusk or after dark, but it looked like that's exactly how it was going to go down.

I filled out most of the paperwork when I ordered it, so it was just a few final things this time - most of which I had read over the last time I was in. Once that was done he showed me back to the rear of the shop and introduced me to my bike. He got me all set up with the minute ins and outs of controling it - I guess I looked like a n00b.

Going in, I had every intention of buying a jacket and gloves before I left the place. So I did; I got this riding jacket (all black) and these gloves (also black).

After another quick once over of the bike with me, he put me on a small, suburb type road behind the shop, just to give me enough practice (twice up and down the road) to get me on my way.

I rode back to the parking lot, and waited for my wife to catch up on foot. She did quickly, and it was time to drive home. My wife followed... with her hazard lights on the entire way.

So my first ride was well after dark, and I wearing mostly black.

It was great.

(Sorry for the bad lighting in some of the pictures - it was well after dark.)









(Yes, I'm bald this week.)

Problems I encountered:
- I need to work on accelerating from a stop. At first, I kept stalling. At one (back on the residential road) the assholes behind me went around on my right, giving me the oportunity to stall three more times. I got better as I went along, but the most harrowing moments were definitely based around stalling out at intersections.
- It was far too short. Probably that's best for a first go, but I wanted to keep going.
- U turns on tight roads. Eek.
- I need to learn not to crank the throttle hard while I'm breaking. It's counterproductive and startling - the way I'm holding my hand it's cranking while breaking.

Thrills I encountered:
- Being able to corner. And LEAN while cornering - wow, that was great. I took to turns at-speed like a fish takes to water. If I was countersteering, I don't know it - it was so intuitive.
- Actually being able to put what I've read to use. It's nice to see that I didn't just buy those books for nothing.
- Passing other motorcycles (or more accurately, them passing me). Stopping at a light, looking over, and getting a nod or a wave.
- Coming out of the dealership and finding a group of people standing around my bike, admiring it. That was a weird one, walking up to it while they looked on. Sort of a "oh yeah, it's mine!" moment.
- Feeling myself improve the further I rode. Figuring out how to shift more and more smoothly - including when to downshift.

I can't wait to get out there again.

It's at the dealership... AAAH!!!

I've got my insurance lined up, I've got my loan lined up, I've got everything I need taken care of... if only I could get out of work sooner.

Come on! It's time to go!

I don't care that it's only 11:30 AM!

... it still hasn't arrived at the dealership. What are they using, FedEx?

(I've never had anything but problems from FedEx.)

He said it would be there last week! Where is it?

A guy who calls himself "Stoned" on a website I go to has some advice for me:

DO NOT drill out the baffles unless you know what you are doing. even if you know what you are doing, don't do it.

1. drilling out the baffles adds more wear and tear to your engine
2. loud motorcycles are cool if they are supposed to be loud (i.e. huge engine). people who take their little 650cc bikes and drill them out to sound like a fat hog are posers.

you're not a poser, are you?

LOL. I replied, telling him:

How would I respond to this if I had any intention of making the thing louder? Hell, I have no intention of drilling it or messing with it to make it "cooler" - I was thinking about riding it. I figured that was enough cool for me. I don't want to overdo it.

Most people would say "it looks like you bought a Motorcycle." They'd be right.

Since hurricane Katrina hit the coast and gas prices jumped through the roof I finally convinced my wife to let me get a motorcycle. I've always wanted one, but just never got around to getting one. Or a license, for that matter.

Experience? My grandfather let me ride his beaten up, underpowered old motorcycle (probably in the range of 200cc or less - most likely less) through the woods near his house. It was great - flying over little hills, the trees whipping by, not running into them (possibly that was the best, most exhilarating part: the "not crashing" part). That was roughly 18 years ago.

So ten minutes experience on a motorcycle 18 years ago and I've bought a 650cc bike for commuting. I feel a little crazy even saying it - sort of explains the "What have I done" title on this entry.

As I said, I started by getting a permit which was easy...

To be completely honest, though, I had to take the test twice. The first time I went in on a Friday, completely prepared and ready for the test, but with a bit of a headache and worrying about work that night. Two and a half hours later, two and a half screaming kid, waiting in line, mindless tedium, head-splitting headache hours later I failed the test. Big surprise there, considering my testing conditions - the throbbing headache lasted all night after that. Monday was a national holiday. Tuesday I went in first thing in the morning, before the rush. I was first in line (and waited a half an hour anyway) and aced it.

Anyway, next I drove around with a friend of mine who has roughly 18 years of experience riding motorcycles (though he doesn't have one at the moment). He talked me out of buying a 250cc bike like the Honda Rebel or Nighthawk and into getting something that costs a little more but has a little more ability to get out of the way of trouble, should it occur.

We shopped around, looked at several dozen bikes, looked at a few seriously (including the Suzuki S40, which I really liked and which felt pretty good) discussed the merits of used bikes for beginners. I bought a helmet and we called it a day before I made any sort of decision.

Since then I've been all over the web. I found dozens of reviews, models, prices. Several forums, lists of motorcycle-friendly stores, very little in the way of information for the COMPLETE novice.

Time and again I kept coming back to the S40 as a relatively inexpensive bike that's great for a new rider. The reviews I read for the S40 were all highly positive, though they suggest that they have a tendency to backfire. (They also suggested a quick and easy fix for the backfiring... though the description of the procedure was in Greek to me.) Some suggested that it might be a little on the small side for a guy as big as me (6'0"), but it felt just about perfect when I sat on it at the dealership when I was out with my friend.

It also struck me that the S40 was extremely accessible; the used bikes that would have been a good fit for me seem to be over 100 miles away or have sellers I trust about as far as I could throw their bikes. Buying new made it much easier to find and finance, and gives it a year on warantee.

So I bought one today. It's a 2006 Suzuki S40 (or "Savage," as I've learned by lurking around here for the past week or so). I got the red one. It should arrive and be ready for me sometime next week (plenty of time for Hurricane Ophelia to pass us by).

I can't wait...


(Image from suzuki.com)




Before anyone suggests it - I'm already looking into safety courses. The next DMV approved one (that would let me waive my road test) around here... starts in March.

How can they let it get THAT booked up? If there's that much demand, ADD MORE SUPPLY.

Maybe there are some non-DMV approved ones.

I just went to the DMV to get a motorcycle learner's permit this morning - I've been driving a car for nearly 16 years now, but never a motorcycle. I went in, filled out a form, took the test (answered not quite all of the questions out of 25 - it shut off after my average was already good enough to pass) and walked out with $5 less in my pocket but a motorcycle learner's permit.

Everyone please watch out when you're driving. They say motorcycles are harder to see.

I'm really excited about this... but it's questions like this that make you a little nervous about the whole motorcycle-riding thing:

Question 5

You have been cut off on your motorcycle. He says he's sorry, he didn't see you. That doesn't do you much good, because the car ran over your torso, squeezing your guts out of your belly like jelly out of the side of a jelly donut. Do you:

1) Brush the dirt off of your intestines and try to put them back in.

2) Squeeze both the front and back breaks as hard as you can, clenching your teeth against the pain.

3) Pray to God.

4) Calmly request that the driver contact an ambulance.