Draft FAQ

Subjective FAQ, from NJ NC700X Anon:

>I want *extremely fast bike* as my first. Will I die?
Sitting on the bike won't kill you, but your first major mistake might. There are plenty of bikes that you can end up going 100mph with just a little whisky throttle, and that's a great way to hurt yourself. Not only that, but it's sort of a self fulfilling prophecy. If you start big and don't get hurt right away, you get cocky, and getting cocky on a big bike leads to you high siding off a cliff. And if you do get hurt right away, and don't die, a lot of people will put the bike away for good.

>Should I buy *extremely old project* as my first bike?
Only if you wanna learn to wrench, not learn to ride. It's hard enough getting down throttle control, clutch control, countersteering, and the major points of motorcycle riding without needing to diagnose problems you've never had to deal with before. Doing this is another thing that stops people from falling in love with riding, because it spends more days on a stand than on the road. Aim for a bike from this millennia, preferably one ten years or younger, although good fifteen year old examples abound.

>Can I start on bigger bikes, or is a beginner bike needed?
Know yourself. If you're risk averse and responsible, you can probably handle starting on a big bike, though there are more dangers, listed above. But if you know you're responsible enough to start on a 750cc motorcycle instead of a 300cc motorcycle, you'll probably be smart enough to realize you should still start on the 300cc motorcycle. Personally, I recommend starting under 50hp, and you should be okay.

>What gear do I need?
A helmet always, preferably full face. Otherwise you lose your nose and break your chin in a crash. Good ideas include gloves, riding pants, riding boots, and a jacket. Leather is usually best, for everything, but modern textiles offer perfectly adequate protection on the street. If you're somewhere extremely hot, there are also good mesh options that, while not quite as protective, promote great airflow. Any gear you wear is better than gear you don't. Overkill is airbag vests, but many find them tempting.

>How do I learn to ride?
Go to your country's equivalent of the MSF, and take the course. As long as you can ride a bicycle, you'll come out of the course knowing how to ride a motorcycle. I recommend doing it as early in the year as it's offered, so you have an entire first season to hone your skills before the bike inevitably goes away for the winter. Usually you'll take the course on some kind of small cruiser or standard motorcycle, both of which are excellent beginners choices.

>Why does /DBT/ always make fun of Suzuki/Harley/KTM/...
It comes in cycles. As of writing, Suzuki is the flavor of the month to hate, and Indian is the darling child of /dbt/. Come back next year and we'll hate Indian and sing the praises of BMW. It's just the way it is.