Welcome to the fraternity of motorcyclists! You've taken the first step -- overcoming the testosterone to ask for advice. You might just live long enough to learn how to ride.
Bear in mind that all other motorists are of a single mind: to lull you, the motorcyclist into a false sense of security, and then squish you like a bug on the windscreen.
Oh, they'll try and make it look like an accident. An innocent lane change here, a left turn (from the right lane) there, but make no mistake -- it is a deliberate attempt to kill you. Think of yourself as a duck, and the cagers as the hunters in the blind, and you'll get the idea.
You have but one defence from their treachery: eternal vigilance. Look for the roof of the car lurking behind the bushes for you to approach so it can back out. Look for the turn of the wheels as buck fever siezes the driver of the car waiting for you at the intersection. Watch for the tell-tale brake lights signaling the impending left turn as you pass. Watch your mirror as they pass the truck behind you and pull into your lane beside you.
And watch out for Volvos. More bikers are killed by Volvos than by any other brand.
When you spot the hunter, you have two means of avoidance: Braking and swerving. Braking a bike is a little different than braking a four wheeled cage. You may have noticed by now that both squeezing the lever on the right handlebar, and pressing down on that tiny pedal under your right foot will slow the bike. Both together works even better. But maximum efficiency requires practice, lots of practice. Good tires and dry pavement help too. Bikes don't deal well with salty, sandy, or wet pavement. Oh yeah, and that slippery strip down the centre of the road is called the "yellow line of death" for a reason...
Swerving is also aquired art, and counter-intuitive. Believe it or not, (at speed- say 20 mph or so) pushing forward on the left handlebar will make the bike go left. No, that's not a typo, and it's so important, I'll say it again: PUSHING FORWARD ON THE LEFT HANDLEBAR WILL MAKE THE BIKE GO LEFT!!! And vice-versa. I told you it was counter-intuitive. Try it yourself. Soon. Find an empty stretch of road, get her up to about 30, move to the left side of your lane, take your left hand off the bar, and g-e-n-t-l-y lean forward on the right bar. The bike will go right, I promise. Of course, too vigorous a push, and the bike will go hard right, but you won't, bringing us to our next point:
Wear leather. I don't care if it's hot out. Gloves, coat, boots, and a good helmet, minimum. (Are you old enough to remember the old Bell slogan: If you've got a $10 head, wear a $10 helmet?) If you like your ass: pants or chaps complete the ensemble, but under no circumstances wear shorts -- they look stupid with the leather coat.
Always remember, there are two kinds of bikers: those that have had an accident, and those that are about to. If you take one of those beginner courses (in Canada they're put on all over the country by the Canada Safety Council, in the US by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation), then you get to crash one of their bikes instead of your own, and considering the cost of replacement parts, for a very reasonable fee.
The CSC course is great. They taught my wife stuff in two weekends that took me years to learn. (You don't want to know how I figured out about that handlebar thing). Three months pregnant and they had her wheelying over logs, riding over teeter-totters, jumping ramps, emergency braking, and swerving like a pro. Interestingly enough, the hotshots who had been riding dirt bikes on the farm since they were 12 (and therefore knew everything) didn't do so well...
Sorry I'm so long winded tonight. I'll get off my soapbox now.
tafn
dv
PS: One other thing I'd like to add: When you meet a fellow biker on the road, it is traditional to wave. We're all out there in the same s**tty weather, facing the same idiot cagers (car drivers), searching for the perfect twisty bit of motorcycle road. 'The Wave' is our secret handshake. Use it. dv