I would tell a n00b to take not one but several rider safety courses before they think about hitting the street. One safety course is not enough when talking rider safety. For something like this you want to engage ‘layered learning’ as we’re talking a life and death issue. And then when you get a little experience on the street you should go to a racers school. That’s right, take your Harley with extended forks and ape hanger bars and go to a school that teaches racers how to be a better racer. A school like that will be held at a race course. And before you hit the street a prospective street rider has to know what the number one contributing factor that causes a rider to crash. They need to know the answer to that question or they need to research it and if they don’t know the answer then they shouldn’t be on the street. And you should spend your time in Cyberspace with other like minded riders who discuss safety, talk safety, analyze safety and share their experiences because once you start to ride on the street you automatically assume that you’re taking a much greater risk in life, a risk that can or will kill you or seriously injure you, so it would behoove a n00b to pretend their a parent and do what any decent parent would want their son or daughter to do should their child decide to take up street riding. I’ll post two links to a couple of forums where you’ll find excellent info that might prevent a new rider from getting killed or seriously hurt, forums where they talk safety and emphasize safety, especially link #1. Bookmark ’em to your favorite web browser (especially link #1, worth repeating as that site is geared 100% towards safety talk). This is not spam: I’m more interested in preventing a fellow rider from going down and getting hurt or killed AND I want to read what other experienced riders have to write about safety, wisdom that’ll keep me alive and injury free.
Now where are you at this point in your riding career ArniVidar, did you take the leap and are you riding in the street here in April 2010? How’s it going out there? And have you gone down yet if so, what happened? How’s your experience been? I bet your first time out on the street was a little like the first time you had sex: one part confusing, one part exhilerating, all of it a MAJOR head rush.

1) http://www.msgroup.org/forums/mtt/default.asp
2) http://london.craigslist.org/forums/?forumID=1947

Just a quick summary of how much I’ve spent on gear:

Helmets x 2 = $300
Leather Jacket x 2 = $1000
Draggin’ Jeans = $200
Boots = $200
Wet weather / Winter gear = $200
Gloves x 3 =$120
General accessories (scarves, masks, sunglasses…) = $100

I don’t think I’m missing anything there.
Anyway, altogether that’s $2120, just on gear. Not all of it you might think are necessary, but that’s just what I’ve personally spent. Looking back, that’s a lot of money!

Just a quick edit too – Some of the prices depend on the brand too, I know I spoilt myself with a Harley jacket.