| You beam with pleasure as you thought of the shiny | | | | degree turns and your feet on the foot pegs. |
| Black Harley Davidson Fatboy you just bought. You | | | | Next try doing tight figure eights. Still keep your feet |
| feel the adrenaline rushing on your system and your | | | | on the floorboard and not on the ground. Put some |
| heart beating faster as you think about the | | | | marks you have to hit every time around to make |
| adventure and fun that await you and your brand | | | | you precise and consistent. These exercises enable |
| new bike.. You are already browsing catalogs for new | | | | you to get the overall feel of your bike, to teach |
| cool accessories and looking forward to pampering it | | | | you what kind of traction your new tires offer and |
| for hours, showing off your new motorcycle and just | | | | how powerful and responsive your brakes are. Use |
| looking around to see if people are checking you out | | | | low speed to practice stopping. |
| and your beloved cruiser. | | | | Stopping with the rear tire will show you what to |
| Yet every new relationship have awkward moments. | | | | expect in a real life panic stop. It reveals how your |
| They can be fatal if they happen on a motorcycle in | | | | new motorcycle behaves in an emergency. Once |
| traffic. Do not get carried away with your emotions | | | | your comfortable using the back brake, it's now time |
| and know this fact: New motorcycles get crashed | | | | to focus on the front brake because that is where |
| more often than old familiar ones. So to accelerate | | | | most of your stopping power comes from. Since |
| the process of familiarization of how your new ride | | | | over braking up front can result launching and |
| responds and performs, take the motorcycle riding | | | | eventually crash. You might not want to do it too |
| safety course. I am sure you have one in your local | | | | aggressively. This particular exercise will make a clear |
| area. You will be under the tutelage of an | | | | sense of how much pressure you can apply to the |
| experienced and qualified instructor as you acquire | | | | significant front brake. |
| and sharpen safer motorcycle riding skills. | | | | Once you have mastered cornering, swerving and |
| Before rolling off your new Harley Davidson Fatboy | | | | stopping at low speed, you can now practice at |
| from the dealer's, make sure it is already adjusted to | | | | higher speeds of sixty miles per hour or less. At |
| fit you. Like the clutch and brake lever or the handle | | | | higher speed you practice leaning your motorcycle far |
| bar, brake pedal etc. Set the mirrors to give you full | | | | enough before it drags to help you learn the |
| view of the lanes next to you. Just make sure your | | | | motorcycle's limits. Swerving by using dotted lines as |
| new Fatboy is adjusted properly to fit you and not | | | | pylons and check out how fast you can comfortably |
| the factory's test rider. | | | | swerve between them. Practice hard stops and |
| Read the owner's manual and find out where, what | | | | make sure there is no one close behind you when |
| and how switches and instrument controls work | | | | you jump on the brakes. Pick a spot as a mark |
| before your ride the new motorcycle home. | | | | where you intentionally want to stop while allowing |
| Understand each unique features so it won't distract | | | | room to overrun if you can't. Practice quick starts |
| or confused you while riding. Other adjustable | | | | too. Who knows your best escape from disaster |
| motorcycle parts are windshields, suspension and | | | | might come in the form of a hard launch. |
| headlights. Have the dealer's technician set these | | | | In the first few weeks take it easy with your newly |
| adjustments. Ask him about tool kit access, fuse box | | | | acquired motorcycle. Slow down in corners and avoid |
| location, how to check oil level, where the idle speed | | | | riding in heavy traffic or riding in a group which could |
| control is. | | | | add workload and stress on your part. |
| You have to realize that your newly bought cruiser | | | | Numerous studies show that riding skills or any other |
| handles differently from your old bike you are used | | | | skill can atrophy if not practiced daily. You can retain |
| to. Clutches, controls are engaged and positioned | | | | a skill for about six months after you have trained |
| differently from your previous ride. When the throttle | | | | for it or practiced it. Skills will begin to erode after |
| is goosed, it responds quite differently. In other | | | | that. Leveling off after about two years. So to |
| words the movements and routines you are used to | | | | remain sharp when you fall out of the six month |
| while riding that old motorcycle are not useful | | | | frame, is to take a refresher riding skills class at least |
| anymore. Those differences are likely the reasons | | | | once a year or you can practice all by your lonesome |
| why new bikes often crash. | | | | those vital skills-braking,cornering and swerving every |
| You need to rack up the time and miles in order to | | | | time you ride. If you will not push yourself, you won't |
| be intimate and be safe with your new motorcycle. | | | | get ahead of where you want to be. |
| If a motorcycle riding course is not available in your | | | | This article is not mainly about new motorcycles |
| local area you can practice alone even if not under | | | | being an accident waiting to happen thing. A new |
| the eye and guidance of an expert. | | | | motorcycle means newer and safer tires, brakes and |
| You need a piece of pavement like a deserted | | | | suspensions than your previous old ride. If you adopt |
| parking lot without potholes,bumps and slippery stuff. | | | | a no-nonsense attitude about learning and practicing |
| You have to master how to panic stop, swerve and | | | | essential riding skills, get mechanically intimate with |
| corner. Begin with low speed work and do circles with | | | | your new bike, you will have more fun and won't |
| your bike and don't put your feet down. Soon you | | | | leave a trail of asphalt rash along the way. |
| will get the hang of it and can now do a full 360 | | | | |