Would you believe that I've never ridden a motorcycle in my life?

Just bought my first ride today.  An '09 monster 696.  Delivered by none other than Monstermash.

First, I'd like to thank him for taking time out of his day to ride this beautiful machine out to my place, and also for being an all around good guy (not to mention turning me on to this forum!)

I don't have my 696 registered or insured yet, so I just spent the last couple of hours with the lights on in my garage admiring my new ride with a s%$t eating grin on my face  ( )... a feeling I'm sure that you all have had at one point or another.  I've got my M permit, I've got an appointment to take the MSF beginner course next weekend, and I'm hoping to take my first tentative ride on it sometime around a week from now.

So hello forum.  I look forward to meeting you all and taking in as much as I can from your collective knowledge and wisdom.  Who knows?  Someday I may be able to contribute!

~Tak

Welcome Tak, and congrats on your 696.  You'll find lots of riding and tech experts here.

Good idea signing up for the MSF, it's a great start.

Have fun, ride safe, don't forget shiny side up.

That's a great bike Tak.
Great idea on the MSF.

Be safe,
Jake

Congratulations on the bike. I know how you feel. Just got mine about a couple of months ago. I'm still running to the garage in the middle of the night. That class is good. It will help you learn little safety techniques. Well good luck. Maybe will meet up in the furture rides.

welcome to the dmf

where u at?

Quote from: DuCaTiNi on September 24, 2008, 03:46:41 AM
welcome to the dmf

where u at?

Thanks,  I'm from Waltham, MA.  Just outside of Boston.

Quote from: Takster on September 24, 2008, 06:56:17 AM
Thanks,  I'm from Waltham, MA.  Just outside of Boston.

well get yourself over to our local section and introduce yourself 
NEMHA

Quote from: DuCaTiNi on September 24, 2008, 07:27:34 AM
well get yourself over to our local section and introduce yourself 
NEMHA

Thanks.  I'll do that now.

I'm glad you're happy with the purchase Tak!

Good luck this weekend.    [moto]

 
Hey welcome to the site Tak. Be careful, motorcycles are addictive. I rode my first one 41 years ago and have never been without one since. Welcome to a lifetime of fun and a way of life. [moto]

Thanks to everybody for being so warm and welcoming.  I really appreciate the hospitality both in the forum and also in general to the world of motorcycling.

I just thought I'd give you all a new-guy update.
I just completed day 1 of the MSF beginner riding course.  I'm taking it with Ironstone.  Let me tell you, the rain did NOT let up today, but I think it will turn out to be beneficial.  I learned to ski as a kid in New England, and now, I feel like I can ski anywhere in the world with confidence.  I'm hoping to feel the same way about motorcycling!  In any case, the classroom portion was kind of a drag, but once we got moving it was great.  Even with the rain, the instructors were very patient and encouraging.  I feel like I did pretty well except for one point where I accidentally locked up the rear during a quick stop.  It was tough to gauge because of the overly hefty hiking boots that I wore... great, more gear I should buy!

There was another guy in the course who similar to myself bought a Monster as a first bike.  His is a S4R.  I'm going to give him a link to the forum tomorrow.

Anyway, after day 1, the gravity of my decision to buy a 696 is really beginning to sink in.  I have no regrets, but there is certainly more to it than I had originally anticipated.  I'm a quick but patient learner, and not a big adrenaline junkie, so I think I'll be ok.  I feel like I know just enough to realize that I don't know a goddamn thing.

I'll be back for a day 2 update.
~T

Quote from: Takster on September 27, 2008, 08:28:55 PM
Thanks to everybody for being so warm and welcoming.  I really appreciate the hospitality both in the forum and also in general to the world of motorcycling.

I just thought I'd give you all a new-guy update.
I just completed day 1 of the MSF beginner riding course.  I'm taking it with Ironstone.  Let me tell you, the rain did NOT let up today, but I think it will turn out to be beneficial.  I learned to ski as a kid in New England, and now, I feel like I can ski anywhere in the world with confidence.  I'm hoping to feel the same way about motorcycling!  In any case, the classroom portion was kind of a drag, but once we got moving it was great.  Even with the rain, the instructors were very patient and encouraging.  I feel like I did pretty well except for one point where I accidentally locked up the rear during a quick stop.  It was tough to gauge because of the overly hefty hiking boots that I wore... great, more gear I should buy!

There was another guy in the course who similar to myself bought a Monster as a first bike.  His is a S4R.  I'm going to give him a link to the forum tomorrow.

Anyway, after day 1, the gravity of my decision to buy a 696 is really beginning to sink in.  I have no regrets, but there is certainly more to it than I had originally anticipated.  I'm a quick but patient learner, and not a big adrenaline junkie, so I think I'll be ok.  I feel like I know just enough to realize that I don't know a goddamn thing.

I'll be back for a day 2 update.
~T

kudos to the new guy for bringing us another new member 

keep up the good work, and good luck riding in the dry  [moto]

Glad to hear day 1 went well, looking forward to the next report.

What has two thumbs and has a Massachusetts motorcycle license?

THIS GUY.

I started out today on the wrong foot.  I work at a nightclub, and was at work until 3am.  My class today started at 7:30am, and it's 30 minutes away from my apartment.  I bolted upright at 7:15 realizing that I had slept right through my alarm.  I showed up to the class 15 minutes late (and looking like a complete train-wreck,) but they let me stay.  Did a few classroom exercises, and took the written test, which I passed with no problems.

The afternoon was out on the range... we did some tight-quarters, low speed maneuvering exercises as well as some quick-stop exercises, then took the riding portion of the test.

I'm happy to say that I passed both the written and riding portions with no problems.  (OK, so I think I was a little wide on a U-turn.)

Anyway, needless to say, I'm very very excited to get out on the road.  I just need to get the title, insurance and registration (I'm hoping to have it all done tomorrow or tuesday at the latest.)

I'll post here with first-ride impressions.

Sorry that this post is becoming somewhat blogified.  I just need to share my excitement right now.

~T

good for you