Welcome aboard! My advise to you: No matter how slow or cautious you are. Sonner or later you will fall off the bike so the smartest thing you can do is wearing protective gear. Enjoy your ride!!!!
Yeah, thanks Got all the right gear when I started riding pillion, though I must admit it IS time for a new helmet. Thanks, though... and you too
Hey Crow- I'm a newbie lady rider as well (July 2012)-Welcome! The forum can be a good stop for some Moto knowledge-take what you need-share what you learn. :-)
I ride in LA-so whether it's local or freeway- most of the time it resembles a scene from Mad Max. So I too have gotten the "You got a bike?!" and then a story about a friend, a relative, a Yahoo article about the latest Moto death.
Plan for the worst and be ready to react-practice until it becomes a reflex, not a thought. Fear is good to keep the ego in check-ride within your limits. I ride assuming the cars around me are about to make the worst decision ever-and it has saved my @$$ more than once being mentally prepped to move.
Before I got my bike-someone once told me that riding a motorcycle would feel like the closest thing on land to flying...I am not going to disagree. Good luck and enjoy!
Hey 1LAryder - great to know there are more girls out on two wheels
Yeah, our roads are also super busy and super crazy, but the backroads and longer routes outside of the city are more beautiful and relaxed. I rode two different highways today and it's insane, but I also drive a small car, so I've had lots of practise with other drivers. Thanks for the tips - I guess it's safe to assume that no one has seen you (because they don't look for you), but to also not be a hooligan.
Agree with you on that last thought there Thanks for the response x
Also, get used to finding and remembering the gear you're in. Practice u-turns before attempting on the real road...I dropped mine (lightly) the other day...more embarrassing than anything but could have ended badly, I imagine.
Read about 'Counter Steering'...as a newbie, this has been great for me to make my turns a LOT smoother. Do it if you're comfortable with it.
I've been to countries with similar (and worse) roads to J-burg and one thing I can recommend for you to always have on your mind is 'i'm invisible to everybody, and its on ME to avoid everything'.
One last thing...good choice...black is 100% the fastest colour!!
Awesome - thanks. Had a lot of practise today with remembering gears and I'm getting the hang of it. Slowly.
I've read all I can and watched so many YouTube videos about countersteering - wow! Had the opportunity to put it into practice today while also fighting some hectic crosswinds. One of the girls I ride with told me I looked like I was made for the track, but it was scary as hell.
Gotcha on the invisibility - also pre-empting a lot of what drivers may or may not do.
ps. im 64 [!] been riding motorcycles since 16..
if you dont count 'flying' on the tank of dads bikes
as a little boy.. there are lots of old motorcyclist,
which counters the assumption that we are all
going to die thru riding our motorcycles...
Thank you so much for imparting all this advice. Promise, I did read all of it I'm extremely careful, but also believe in having the right skills to get out of tricky situations, and that it all comes down to conscious practise and paying "school fees" for those near misses. I'll come back to this post again and again to make sure I've covered all the basics and don't get careless.
I used to ride with my dad, no helmet, barefoot and in school uniform in the 80's, but never thought I'd take to it like I have now. And when I sent him the pics of my CeeBee, his response: "You lucky bugger." Love it!
And thanks too for the reminder that motorcyclists can also age gracefully.
Hey Crow. Welcome to the forum. I live in Cape Town and I have to admit that the taxis are daunting. Just keep your eyes open and be aware of everything that's going on around you.
The way I handle the taxis is by trying to anticipate what they are going to do and to go past them at the earlirst moment that it's safe to do so. (they pull over a lot, so try to go past them then)
Anticipation and awareness should be your moto from now on!! Also, like previous posters said: go ATGATT.
Hey! Not many South Africans on this forum (they don't know what they're missing ).
I will -NEVER- ride on the left side of a taxi if I can help it. I know all about those sudden pull-overs. And yes, got you on the anticipation and awareness. It's impossible to ride here without those two elements.
I love my gear, and even if it's 30 degrees (like this weekend), I'll still wear it all. Just have to think of having gravel removed from my flesh with a scrubbing brush to banish even the smallest inkling of wanting to ride without gear. See you on the forum
Hey! Not many South Africans on this forum (they don't know what they're missing ).
I will -NEVER- ride on the left side of a taxi if I can help it. I know all about those sudden pull-overs. And yes, got you on the anticipation and awareness. It's impossible to ride here without those two elements.
I love my gear, and even if it's 30 degrees (like this weekend), I'll still wear it all. Just have to think of having gravel removed from my flesh with a scrubbing brush to banish even the smallest inkling of wanting to ride without gear. See you on the forum
I didn't mean to pass them on the left. You should really not pass anyone on their left side, EVER!!! That's the last place on earth a cager is expecting you to be and they will take you down.
Glad to hear you go ATGATT, I don't know what Joburg's like, but down here you see people with T-shirt and PT broekies. WTF? (Especially popular attire @ the beach)
I definitely agree that there's not enough South Africans on the site!
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Got all the right gear when I started riding pillion, though I must admit it IS time for a new helmet. Thanks, though... and you too 
Thanks for the response x
