[Wuvvyen]

New rider here in central Washington. Purchased a 2015 R3 last weekend at a very good price (0 miles, brand new).

Haven't ridden since I was a younger and I'm excited to get back into it. I'm an extremely patient man and have been researching my "perfect" bike for about a year now. Decided without a doubt in my mind that the R3 is exactly what I'm looking for. Bike arrives next Wed (had to order it in the blue color I wanted.)

I couldn't decide between the fit of the Gmax medium and the HJC large, so I got both. The medium Gmax gives a tiiiiny headache that the guy at the shop says will go away over time once the padding is better form fitted to my face. The large feels more comfortable as-is but he says the padding "might" be a tinnny bit loose once it breaks in. Going to use the Medium for a month and test his expertise (which I trust) and hopefully just have the large for passengers if necessary. Both blue, of course.

Bought a mesh reinforced Fly jacket with shoulder, elbow, and spine guards with the matching riding pants with an enormous amount of protection in them as well. Fly racing gloves to match with knuckle and wrist protection.

Going to putt around town for a little while to build my confidence back up to speed, MSF course scheduled for next month.

I plan to do a good bit of freeway riding, no more than 2 or so hours at a time. I live in "the windy city" of WA, so I'm hoping this will hold up well enough.

I also wish I knew more people that rode in the area so I could get a bit more direction in my practicing and getting used to the bike. I have full faith in myself, but it's always nice to have a helping hand. Unfortunately, my nerdy gaming friends aren't much into the riding scene.

Very excited to be apart of a community dedicated to such a wonderful machine. I see a ton of information here, and a large handful of people always willing to give advice. I'm sure I will have many questions and will see most of you around the forum.

 

[SeventyTwoMoto]

Greetings from Washington, enjoy your new bike!

 

[Lollingthunder]

Another hello from WA, King County.

 

[Wuvvyen]

Hey, thanks guys! This wait is turning this into the longest week of my life. Will add plenty of pics then!

 

[Rossco]

welcome from Vancouver BC its a blast. Make your way down here and we can go for a ride.

 

[W41442]

Welcome from Bothell!

 

[jthomas1310]

Welcome! Ride Safe!

 

[Tal]

Welcome from England enjoy your new bike.

 

[squirdle]

Another hi from England.

 

[Ride4Ever]

Welcome from Pennsylvania.

 

[Wuvvyen]

Guess what came in today?

 

[Wuvvyen]

Day 1: Paperwork complete. 3 hours of downtown stop and go after work to get the feel of it. 33 miles in. Had to stop because its freezing as ****. (It's 40 degrees out atm.)

First impressions as a brand new rider to any sort of motorcycle as an adult? Lets start from the beginning.

I've done, for a year straight nearly every day, an enormous amount of research, planning, and saving (you know how things come up and wreck your savings). Now, I work at a dentist office, and out of my office window across the street is the Powersports company I purchased from. I literally stared every day. After deciding on the R3, I went down and took care of business.

Now, all of my friends are computer gaming/other nerdy things I won't get into people that all scoff at riding, so I didn't have anyone to ride with me, teach me anything, etc. My father rides an 1800cc 2011 Honda Goldwing, but lives several hours away and wasn't able to come up during this buying process. So I made sure to tell the salesman that I'm a new rider and would need a few pointers once the paperwork was complete, which he agreed. So I go out back to the mechanic that's giving me the rundown, and I say "cool, so how about a few riding pointers before I just take off on a brand new machine I'm unfamiliar with? Dude then tells me that he cannot give any sort of info because he's running behind on another project.

So there I sit. Fully geared, yes, but had only my memory of my research and HUNDREDS of youtube videos.

I'll tell you what, damnit. If anyone else is going in dry like myself, DO THE RESEARCH. It paid off in the end. Big time. Having zero riding experience, and zero help, I was easily able to figure out the clutch, shifting, etc. Now keep in mind, I'm not saying I'm "good" at anything here, I'm simply promoting to do the research before you hop on. It saved my bike, and possibly my life. This bike is EXTREMELY forgiving. The light weight allows you to make corrections easily and safely. I feel like any bigger of a bike and I may have struggled with confidence a little.

I then spent the next 2-3 hours going to various places around town. Stop lights, signs, various different intersections I purposefully sought out. I also did every "course" i made in my head twice. Once forward, once backward. I read that favoring one side can be a huge no-no habit for the future. Ended up putting 33 miles on the bike, playing with throttle blipping when downshifting (still quite rusty, but getting better), practicing counter-steering, loosening my "death grip" and putting extra pressure on the legs (HUGE HELP), and practicing the normal rules of the road on a 2 wheeled vehicle. I will admit that I tested the acceleration a few times; anyone who says this bike is "slow" is shamefully mistaken. Obviously compared to a liter bike it will be, but coming from a cager background (I have an 07 Dodge Charger and a V8 Magnum Durango), this thing has some badass torque even in the 5k rpm range. Scoff if you'd like, but again, I'm comparing to my 4 wheeled vehicle background.

At no point in time do I think I will get bored of this bike. I know, people will say "oh, just wait," but the real reality is, I have no business accelerating any faster than this bike can do. And I have no business going a higher top speed freeway than this bike can do.

Random side note to any new riders that haven't purchased the bike yet; make sure your gloves fit perfectly. Mine are slightly big and it actually caused a bit of a distraction a couple times. I will be buying a new pair tomorrow.

Today took me around town. Where will the weekend take me? Only the universe knows.

P.S. My Roommates Buick makes my bike look so weak.

 

[Endopotential]

Congrats on your new toy, and even more for making it through your first day without a scratch to yourself or your bike!!!
Looks like you have a safe and sensible approach. No MSF classes available in your area? I think that's the best place to start for anyone aspiring to ride a motorcycle.

One random tidbit I wished I knew as a newbie; it wasn't mentioned in my MSF class nor other places - when at a complete stop, try not to have your handlebar turned too far to either side, especially if you're on a steep incline. This will make the bike want to tip over to that side. I learned the hard way.

Have fun, and be safe.

 

[Wuvvyen]

Thanks, Endo!

There is an MSF course available about 40 minutes away. I'm working up to freeway so I can get there. I plan to enroll in April when the weather is a bit more predictable up here.

It's also a 4 day course here, and taking off work at the Dental Clinic is nearly impossible on Thursday and Sunday (open both days here =/) So have to request it off far in advance.

 

[Lollingthunder]

Congrats. You've got some balls my friend, but then you did ride when you were younger, no doubt that helped you out.

They provide motorcycles on the beginner's MSF course, so if you're not up to riding on the freeway for 40 min, there's always that. But then, most people will just tell you to use their bike anyway. A good chance you'll end up on a cruiser. So there's that opportunity to feel a different bike's characteristics.

 

[Wuvvyen]

Thanks for the info, brother!

With my work schedule I'm hoping to be in by April; whether or not I use my bike or theirs isn't a big worry, I just know I need/want to take the course without question. I'm just going to take it easy this week, start practicing freeway if I feel comfortable next week, and then use the MSF as a way to better hone the skills I develop naturally.

 

[Tal]

Wuvvyen i'd rather be riding my R3 than driving your mates Buick.

 

[Wuvvyen]

Day 2 Update:

It's been raining all day up here in the PNW. I was bummed at first, but then I realized, what exactly am I afraid of? It had been raining for several hours, so the oil residue had mostly washed away, so I said screw it, let's do this. I'm a firm believer that if you don't do things that push yourself and/or are outside of your bubble ever so slightly, you will never progress. So I geared up, and off I went in the rain.

First reaction was "daaaaaamn, I really need to get some anti-fog for my helmet visor." Ended up having to do most of the ride with the shield visor 1 notch up for airflow to keep it from fogging. Second thing I realized was, because I don't ride extremely aggressive, I really didn't feel much of a difference in town. Obviously with a leg down on the track you might feel different? But in town riding, not so much.

Honestly, I don't have an enormous amount more to say about riding in the rain, as it wasn't as eventful as I thought it might be, which is a good thing. The fresh air was fantastic, though!

I WILL point out a few instances today that definitely challenged my ability to react, and also a couple things that I notice in general.

"Hey bro, do a wheelie!" - Happened THREE, count em', THREE times today. I just shook my head in disgust and continued forward.

When in the store with gear on grabbing a few items real fast (went into the store twice today), I got "what kind of bike you ride, bro?" by people who when I said "2015 YZF-R3" clearly had no idea what I was talking about. It appeared because it didn't have the generic word "ninja" in it, they couldn't relate. 4 times total.

A few riding moments that pissed me off pretty bad; one young punk, must have been 18 years old, pretended to swerve across the solid yellow to act like he was going to hit me. When I swerved the opposite direction, he began laughing. He got a middle finger and a rev.

Being followed super close behind almost touching my tire? Middle finger and a rev.

Backing out of a driveway without looking if there is oncoming traffic? Guess what he got? Middle finger and a rev.

I want to say that it was unfortunate, but I actually look at all of this in a positive light. Between the rain, the people, and the idiot cager driving, I feel like I pushed myself and learned an ENORMOUS amount about keeping myself safe.

On a side note, I'm also verrrry eager to get on the freeway as I have family 1.5 hours east, 1 hour east, 1 hour south, and 1.25 hours west. So I decided to hit the country back roads (I live in Hickville USA that also has a University in the middle of it...very weird, but I like it.) There's a road I know specifically with several fun corners (for a beginner) and a loooong straight away that you can see down for a mile and a half. This road has 1 house, and never any cops. Juuuust so happens that my roommates parents live in the house. So I decided to practice freeway speeds. I mean, logically, I don't want to get in trouble...but at the same time, I don't want my first freeway speed experience to be on the freeway surrounded by cars and any extra unnecessary danger.

Hollllyyyyy ****. The rush that I felt, and the smile on my face that stayed put for a solid 15 minutes. What a magnificent experience to feel the wind hitting my chest. Though the 15mph winds from the weather wasn't helping much either. I ended up practicing overtaking....nothing. Haha! Downshift, switch lanes, overtake, switch back, etc. I hit 85, which with a wet road, I felt was as far as I wanted to push for day 2.

All in all, and you will hear me say this atleast 50 more times. I am in love with this bike. It is so forgiving and is treating me so incredibly well.

71 miles in on day 2. Wish I had more, but the weather just wouldn't permit much more! (Couldn't feel my hands from the cold.)

 

[Tal]

Looks like you'll be making a date with a petrol pump sometime soon.

 

[Wuvvyen]

Day 3 Update:

Much shorter entry than my previous, though I rode several hours today. I continue to hit every stop sign and stoplight I possibly can, and constantly switch which direction I'm turning (no destination in mind) to make sure there's no favoritism to one side. I managed to go the entire day without stalling once. I also tested triple digit speeds on a straightaway with no cars; only thing I could hurt is myself. 20mph winds today made it feel a tiny bit uncomfortable, so I didn't maintain the speed long.

I will say one thing, though. It's amazing how many people really don't like motorcyclists. I was scoffed at several times when I was the one following the rules of the road, and they were the ones running stop signs and such. I'm CONSTANTLY on the look out for stupidity, luckily.

On the flip side, though, 3 kids waved, and when I waved back I saw enormous smiles. VERY cool feeling.

I have a go pro 3 with remote on the way next week, so I'll switch over the the motovlogging scene soon to document my progress. It will be great for beginner riders to see a "start to finish" type of experience I think.

All in all, work tomorrow. I plan on riding to work regardless of rain or not as it's a short ride. I'm extremely excited to pull up in the new R3 to my dental office with a suit on underneath my riding gear.

121 miles on the speedo, mostly in town stop and go. I haven't been doing the "break in period," I've instead adopted what I've been told by the dealership and several mechanics of "ride it like you plan to ride it."

From Thursday evening to right now, all I can say is, this has been a breathtaking experience. It is very clear to me that my life is headed down a fantastic path with this new sport. I can't wait to see what tomorrow holds.