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Ontario


Hey guys,

Awesome parillaguy I bought my rc 390 just the other day there(mission cycle in angus)! I think it was the last one they had left. This is my first bike, and my first time being on a motorcycle, I had to drive home yesterday in the rain and fog, was raining really hard... was nuts lol.

The guys at the dealer thought I was crazy. But they were very good and helpful to me.. I did some low speed testing in the parking lot, not the mission cycle one but the one next door as it was bigger... yeah honestly when I first started it scared the crap out of me lol.

The bike is bigger then I thought it was going to be, and heavier, less agile. I mean this what I was thinking before ever getting on one. That it wouldn't be to big, or heavy, and would be relatively agile. Mind you I"m sure compared to a larger bike they are smaller/lighter/more agile, it was just abit of a shock to me as I'm 5"5 and weigh like 130-140lbs.

So yeah as I was driving it in the parking lot, I stalled it once and the bike came to a sudden stop and it fell over. Luckily the fairing didnt have a scratch on it but the clutch pedal snapped, and the tip of the clutch handle snapped to.

I parked it and went back inside and told them, I walked the bike back inside the shop.. they checked inventory online for the clutch pedal and they were in stock, so they took one off one of the other bikes, it might have been a duke. Luckily they had one or that would have been it for the day.

I still need to get a handle but I am going to order better ones.

So yeah I found it really scarey to drive for the first time, its really peppy down low and jerky as some others have described it, and because its all so new I'm worried of panicking and forgeting to brake, or sometimes when your arm is stiff when you start accelerating sometimes the acceleration causes you to kinda keep accelerating.. I don't know how to say it exactly but.. just some things you deal with as noob rider. I was feeling very apprehensive about riding all the way home to collingwood(about 60-70 km's) in the pouring rain. Eventually I just bit the bullet and went for it, I stalled it the first two stops I came to, but instead of panicking I just took my time. I found that once I was underway going at higher speed I felt alot more comfortable, and was easier for me to get comfortable with the bike and learn how to handle it.

I was having problems with my visor both fogging up, aswell as water sticking to the outside and not running off very well, even at 80+ kmph... the guy at the dealer said it would blow off once you get to a certain speed, the visor really wasn't doing that very well, I probably drove 2/3 of the way home looking out little tiny 1" gaps between big water drops and fog... I tried wiping with my hand but that didnt help much. I eventually discovered after coming to a stop about 2/3 of the way home, that the fog became alot less if I cracked the visor open abit, there is little vents on the top of my helmet that were clsoed because of it raining which also helps. I still have so much to learn but its great when your dealing with something and then discover a way of dealing with it that makes it so much easier.

It's only been less then 24 hours since I got my rc 390 and started the addictive hobby of motorcycle riding, but I am loving it so much, I can't wait untill I get more comfortable and profficient at riding that I don't feel so uneasy on the bike and more confident on how to handle it. I have a few problems with the bike that I think will be improved/fixed with some upgraded parts... I will be making a thread about that in another sub-forum.

Not sure where you live in ontario, but if you live not to far from me we should go riding sometime! I don't know any other riders, so need to meet some riding buddies to tear up the roads with.

ttyl
 
So yeah I found it really scarey to drive for the first time, its really peppy down low and jerky as some others have described it, and because its all so new I'm worried of panicking and forgeting to brake, or sometimes when your arm is stiff when you start accelerating sometimes the acceleration causes you to kinda keep accelerating..

Hello and welcome to this forum

I had to take a *deep* breath after I read your post, and thought a little about how to address some of your topics...

First off, congrats on taking up motorcycling. With proper preparation, thought, planning and practice, you can have plenty of years of enjoyment ahead of you.

I suspect there will be a slew of replies from other members as to whether the RC390 is appropriate for your first bike, but then again, you've already bought it, so .. for the sake of your own safety and to others, just a few token suggestions:

Take small steps. Baby steps for now.

This might sound corny to you, but google up some youtube videos on motorcycle safety riding techniques....I'm sure you'll pick up some very valuable pointers


Make sure you have all your protective clothing

Start riding only in the dry....for now.

Find an empty parking lot NEARBY...if not possible, then go out early in the morning on weekends, when traffic is at its lightest.
Stick only to your neighborhood.

Stay away from main highways and arteries until you get comfortable in the very basics such as:

throttle control
your riding posture on a supersport bike and how you rest your weight on your wrists
your braking technique
your vision
clutch control

There's just so much more to motorcycle safety and proper technique....

I'm not trying to lecture you; it's just that your first experience on a bike was ... well let's just say, very concerning.

It's sad that the dealer even let a new learner ride off with a new purchase - in the rain.
It could have been a disaster.

Glad you made it back safely.
 
Thanks for your reply I appreciate it. Sorry if my last post seemed cavalier and made it sound like I wasn't concened with safety. I am. It was a tough situation when I picked up my bike, I had made the appointment to get the bike that day, and I only had insurance for that one day to get it home, as there is a problem with my insurance company with insuring the bike... for some reason its coming up as prohibited. But they should sort it out soon, I'v heard some other people have had similiar problems in the states but that their insurance company when looking into it sorted it out.

So even though it was raining and absolutely not the best conditions, I felt like I needed to get it done that day, and I took my time practicing in the parking lot next door untill I felt as ready as I could be, honestly weirdly enough I felt safer on the road then in the parking lot... I would need a very large parking lot to properly practice.

Before getting my bike, I have been researching it for awhile, I have basically been meaning to get a motorcycle start riding for the past 2 summers, I have been watching tons of videos on youtube, motovlogs... how to's... safety stuff... stuff for beginners... which is the best beginner bike, etc.

Every seems to have a different opinion on what makes a good beginner bike, its a very controversial topic. But what I narrowed it down to was getting a bike between 250cc and 500cc. Both because of the power levels within that bracket, aswell as cost of insurance. It is generally accepted that bikes in this bracket are good for beginners, although I say generally, this is what I have read but everyone has their own opinion.

I didn't want to get a bike where I would be bored of the power after the first riding season and have to sell it and buy the next one up, with a 390(or should I say 375) I felt like this was a good compromise, and that as I learned I could also add some mods to give it a little extra oomph.

I'm lucky that I live in a part of the province where the population isn't super dense, the roads arn't super busy, and I live in a rural part of this area aswell. So I will be staying away from very busy area's untill I feel more comfortable with the bike. I have been learning fast though and I already feel pretty comfortable, my hardest part seems to be at low speeds as the bike is very peppy/jerky around 10-20kmph... and that is taking the most getting used to. But I feel very comfortable above 30 kmph up to 100.

I know your not trying to lecture me and I appreciate the concern and advice, I didn't word my first reply as well as I should, I guess I was letting ego to cause me to make it abit more dramatic then I should have, not to say that it couldnt have gone badly. But the worst part is over now, now I know what to expect and in a very basic sense how to operate the bike. Baptism by rainstorm you could say.
 
Also forgot to mention that I do have safety gear, I bought new KTM helmet, riding jacket and pants when I got the bike, it looks killer and has all the hard foam inserts in them for protection. They are really quite nice. I'm sure there is better ones out there(one of the jackets they had for sale was over 1000$, I couldnt' believe it) but these will do me just fine. I still need to get riding boots/shoes, as I'm still using running shoes, but I have only been out a couple times yesterday as I'm not insured now, until my insurance sorts things out, I'm hoping for monday-tuesday.
 
Awesome! It's really fun to hear someone recount their very first ride. I clearly remember mine; it was on a sport bike that was WAAAAY too powerful for a beginner to be on. You have picked a great bike to learn on, IMO.

Regarding riding in the rain and your visor issues. There are some products you can put on the outside of the visor if you anticipate riding in the rain, such as rainX, which will help the visor shed water. I avoid rain as much as possible, so I don't have it applied to my visor. If I do end up in the rain, and the droplets accumulate, as you experienced, I will occasionally turn my head sideways and the wind will pull the droplets off. At least you get some temporary clearer vision that way.

There are anti-fog products for the inside of the visor as well, but I think they are hit or miss. Best thing to do is crack the visor as you did, and maybe open the vents on the helmet if there areany to help with airflow. Riding in the rain just generally sucks, for a whole lot of reasons. (I'm sure there are a few folks that would disagree with that statement)
 
Yeah I was looking into the anti-fog inserts for the inside of the visor, it seemed like they worked really well for maby half of the people, and not at all or makes things worse for the other half... kinda makes it hard to make a decision. I will likely try the furniture polish that I read in some other threads, for the outside that is. I heard rain-x anti fog for the inside is good, but I dunno. I also think it depends on the helmet you have, the formulations for the visor are probably different depending on the manufacturer. Not sure how that would effect an insert but, I unno.
 
Awesome scottie, thats some serious mileage. I am just hitting 1000km's I'v been riding for abit over a week now, for the most part. But I have been trying to put the KM's on so I can get the first service done, then I can add some extra parts onto it. To bad you live in Ottawa as thats quite a distance from me, if I"m ever out that way I'll send you a message, and vice versa(I live in around collingwood area).

The RC 390's seem pretty rare in ontario, I'm not to sure how many have been sold in ontario, but I know most people who see my bike have never seen one before, it definitely gets attention, probably why I bought it..... not because it gets other's attention but rather it got mine. It doesn't hurt to be riding something that stands out, not being seen is one of the biggest safety hazards.
 
so at 10000km it blow the motor!!!! I have been waiting for a new motor from kmt since aug 17. I still don't have my bike back this sucks. how many people are have problems ?
 
so at 10000km it blow the motor!!!! I have been waiting for a new motor from kmt since aug 17. I still don't have my bike back this sucks. how many people are have problems ?

Sad to hear!
Just curious, any details on what blew? description of what happened or broke?
 
I was out on the weekend riding (on the real Thanksgiving weekend not that funny one they celebrate in the US) ;) I was rdiing between Galt and Paris Ontario and saw the same guy on a RC390 twice. Both times going the other way so coudln't flag him down to say hi. If you are lurking....say hi and maybe we can meet for a ride before the winter sets in. parillaguy
 
I just plated my bike a couple weeks ago. Never drove a bike before taught myself in a parking lot for about two hours and hit the roads. Maybe I'm a natural I didnt find it all that hard. Of course I'm taking it easy but its nothing crazy. Im 6'3 220lbs lol i think i fit just snug?

Where are some track days in southern ontario? Really interested in taking a class or something.

eddy
 
Hey guys, Another Ontario person on here!

I picked up my '16 rc390 2 weeks ago, in St. Catharines area. so far so good. a few hiccups missing user manual and few bolts missing the heads. I'm located in Hamilton and haven't seen any RC390s yet. I'm the only one!
 
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