I bought a motorcycle. It was a huge mistake. 

His dedication to giving QT a heart attack is admirable

Lud, as a motorcycle rider and dirt bike rider, motorcycle armor (not leather jackets), gloves, motorcycle boots, helmets are all a must to wear. Its not just you that can cause accidents, its other people as well. Its all fun until you crash. Have fun but be safe!

As a European I am always surprised at how EASY it is for Americans to get their MC license... I REALLY recommend you take all the extra courses that are available, I've heard you have loads of optional saftey courses you can take. Stuff that should really be mandatory, that actually teach you how to ride and how to do it safely.

Tbh I’m really glad he learned as much as he did so quickly. It takes a lot of guys years and injuries to learn what these dudes told him in one day

As a motorcycle guy, I'm 90% positive that Lud is gonna become a motorcycle guy.

Can Ludwig do anything that isn’t accidental or a huge mistake?

I feel like everyone else who rides motorcycles laughed to themselves when Lud said he wasn't going to be a motorcycle guy.

Ride on Lud, as long as your safe! I lost my dad in a motorcycle accident 15 years ago, and ever since then, me and my sisters have been huge advocates for sharing the road! Please drivers, SHARE THE ROAD WITH BIKERS!

@ludwig as someone who has ridden motorcycles for 20 years, it's not if you fall. It's when you fall. Because it will happen at some point whether a crash or you drop it. You just need to know what to do when it happens. Stay safe

As a motorcycle guy, I am very worried about the continued health of lud

This will be a hard one to watch in the library once you’ve passed. It’s been so fun watching you man thank you for everything 💯 prayers for QT

LUDWIG! man, you will probably never see this but by God do I have to say that I'm insanely excited for the switch you did!! As a passionate MC rider myself I absolutely adore the choice you made for your first bike. I just wish you would've watched a few more "which bike fits me best" videos on RU-vid before you decided to ultimately buy one. there's a lot of motorcycle types that appeal to different situations, however in your situation (wanting a tour, riding cross country which includes dirt roads and gravel paths) I would've reccomended more adventure-esque bikes. Triumph is a great brand to be honest, and they have great adventure bikes too. they don't rev up as fast and they tend to stay a bit more stable, especially since they often come with a main stand. they're also more pack-able for long rides. (and a bigger fuel tank as well... you Will need that in Japan.) A windscreen in nice too, which conveniently comes with places to hold a navigation system in place as well (I can only reccomend Garmin). Clothing-wise I hope you discard everything you got and get yourself geared up Properly in a store. My reccomendations for Japan's humid weather are brands like Held, Klim or maybe even Dainese. Helmet-wise I can only reccomend Shoei or Schuberth, they are the leaders in that department and safety always comes first. Go for Non-membrane Layered Goratex gear if you plan to ride during colder months. Dont pick motorcycle shoes for racing and dont pick any that have laces. there's also intercom systems that I highly reccomend. Sena or Cardo comes to mind in that department. other than that, enjoy your ride :) I hope you decide to ride more even after your trip.

A mindset that I learnt while riding is: "Ride like all the cars on the road are trying to kill you", that way as a defensive rider you stay way more alert and reduce reaction time. Stay safe, but have fun!

I cannot imagine any world, where I would see a person wearing crocs while on a motorcycle. Not because it clashes so much, but just because I could imagine you easily losing footing, but here you've done it.

I would love to see some moto vlogs with you on the bike Lud. Just to see your adventures and you learning how to ride the new bike. Good luck and stay upright my guy.

the california motorycle safety classes you can take are really helpful and taught me a lot about riding, you can even use your own bike in the class.

You went to the right store, good on them for telling you straight

Ludwig is the type of guy who needs a replacement for his motorcycle as emotional support after his previous one was stolen by his friends and sold off at an auction

Lud is 100% one of the people i can see in a motorcycle posse that meets up every other sunday at the local coffee shop

Bro I felt that fr. I got my first bike in May (Suzuki DR650) and all I heard was I was gonna get hurt and/or die. The goal is to not drop the bike at all, don't let those people get in head but its always good to safety thoughts in the back of the mind. Stay safe and have fun!

I had a motorcycle and went through the same thought process Ludwig did. The problem isn’t necessarily that you will crash yourself. It’s that other drivers do not see you. You need to become a very defensive driver and guess when cars will pull out in front of you. You’ll quickly learn how many people drive distracted.

Michael's master plan coming into play, life insurance on Lud

bro Ludwig is like that chill friend hes such an amazing creator

The first thing I learned when I started riding is that there is nothing for safety like there is in a car so you have to *wear* the safety you find in a car. I refuse to ride in the summer because of it, in the winter I have a jacket that I've put some heating elements in because I have bad blood circulation in my arm to help keep it warm and it's such a nice ride at that point

You should definitely take a beginner’s MSF course. There’s a lot of useful information that they give you about safety and riding technique. Things like target fixation or how normal car drivers don’t “see” you, even when they see you. Also, you get used to people telling you that you’re gonna die, it’s not an unfounded fear, but it’s blown way out of proportion by people who have never touched a motorcycle.

I dont think lud should be driving a motorcycle considering the fact it took him like 3 tries to pass just the WRITTEN TEST lmao.

Once you're a motorcycle guy, you're a motorcycle guy for life.

The long way round is such a good documentary.

I honestly don't know how you can tell this story so well. If the same experience happened to me, and someone asked how my day had gone, it would last precisely 10 seconds. "I went and bought a motorbike, and I rode it home with sweatpants and crocs because I didn't realise I needed loads of equipment. How was your day?"

Now that people don't let Michael play with tasers anymore, his only hope to hurt his friends is to convince them to do dangerous stuff of their own will.

Holy this seems crazy. I wish you tons of good luck. I've wanted a motorcycle for years myself, but just the licence alone here in Norway costs a couple thousand dollars. The ride across Japan seems so crazy, and I'm hopefull it's something i can do one day aswell. Again, I wish you tons of good luck, stay safe, use your gear, and enjoy yourself, don't forget to enjoy yourself

I live in redneckville at the base of the Appalachian mountains, so riding bikes is huge here (curves and sunshine = fun times in car or bikes). My whole family rides bikes and it’s essentially a rite of passage. My siblings and I have been riding bikes since we could sit up (not even exaggerating, my first ride I wasn’t even 2). My brother bought his first bike last year, rode it for a bit, and then bought a speed bike. Anyway! Even though we have all this practice and experience, he hit some debris last fall on the highway, and was flung into the air ~10ft after losing control and hitting a guard rail. He shattered his elbow and opposite wrist, and had major breaks in both arms. Miraculously, other than some serious road rash, that was the extent of the damage. He has a lot of crisis training, from being a medic in the military (including in Iraq), working in an ER, and volunteering with EMS and the fire department for years, so he knew exactly how to handle the situation and to keep calm. BASICALLY, if you DO wreck (and little accidents are pretty common) DONT FREAK OUT. Wear your gear ALWAYS. And if it’s serious, stay limp. When you land on the ground, DONT MOVE. You don’t know if your spinal cord is severed even partially. See if you can wiggle your toes, feel your legs, wiggle your fingers, etc. being completely still can be scary for bystanders (as seen by my dad who was riding behind my brother and witnessed, and was very scared when my brother was laying motionless on the ground) but it can be lifesaving. They had walkies in their helmets so they could communicate, which I 10/10 recommend. Your phone can play music, GPS, and walkies so you can stay focused on the road. But staying still and doing a quick body check can save your life. It’s hard to remember in times of crisis, but if you can, DO. Focus on breathing, and WEAR. YOUR. GEAR. Ultimately riding bikes are very fun but not something to be taken lightly. They’re serious and can change your life in the blink of an eye (so can cars, of course, but it’s much easier for surrounding vehicles to see cars and be wary than bikes. People can also be assholes to bikers). Another tip my dad taught me, is to always look at the car’s tires. If they’re turning, the tires will tell you which direction, even if they don’t use blinkers. You can do everything right, but you can’t guarantee others will. Wishing you all the fun and happiness and safe journeys on this new adventure. Watch out for road debris, and mown grass or leaves are INCREDIBLY slick. Have fun!

A roadtrip across a country with two guys that cant change gears without stalling would be great idea

Can’t believe Ludwig is going through a quarter-life crisis already. I hope he gets better.

I definitely recommend the MSF courses you can take here in America, it's around 400 bucks at least where I am but its worth it. You have an online class and then two days of actual in-person riding training. They teach you a lot of low-speed maneuvering that is very useful, and you learn to get comfortable with how all the controls of the bike work with each other. At the end of it they give you a riding test and if you pass you get a voucher you can just take to the DMV and they'll add the motorcycle endorsement to your license. You also get a pretty sizeable discount on your insurance with the course certificate. I pay about 25 bucks a month as a mid 20s male for a my rebel 250, and that is comprehensive insurance with under-insured and no-insured coverage, cosmetic coverage, etc. With the bare minimum basic insurance it would have been about 18 bucks a month.

That is a lot of power for the beggining

Riding a 300cc vespa without gear is basically just as dangerous as riding a motorcycle. Most of the risk comes from other vehicles and you’re just as unprotected if you don’t wear gear on a moped.

I love how Ludwig gets his motorcycle knowledge from mission impossible

When my dad was like 16 he was riding motorcycles with friends and got in an accident. We was wearing jeans and sneakers and ended up hospitalized after a slide. His leg got caught under the motorcycle and he had horrible road rash and also had parts of his foot and ankle severely damaged from getting caught in something and burned. His leg had multiple small rocks like imbedded into his skin. He now has a fused ankle (so it cant bend), is missing most of his big toe and to top it off the top of his foot and part of his ankle is skin grafted with skin from his abdomen. Life long chronic pain plus after getting a bone infection at the hospital he sometimes every like 10-15 years of remission will suddenly develop another infection and be hospitalized again. Last time the surgery went down into a bone in his foot and needed a wound vac. Please please please wear good gear anytime you get on a motorcycle or better yet avoid it altogether. My dad has always said to steer clear of the things and my grandpa who loves motorcycle made me promise id never get on one without full leather motorcycle gear no matter the weather. All it took was one dumb decision at 16 to cause my dad a lifetime of health troubles so dont be like him! He regrets it everyday at age 60.

Twisting it to be a jet lag type video series would be something I would want to see

The one thing I was always told growing up getting a bike license; there are 2 things every new bike owner does. Buy the gear, write a will.

The amount of good advice you were given from various people makes me happy. I expected you to get the squid rider responses and say gear is not needed.

My dad owned multiple motorcycles while I was growing up and always said "Dress for the ride, not the weather". He ended up selling his bikes and got a soft-top Jeep Wangler. Same outdoorsy feel but less prep and much safer. Anyways, Long Way Round is a good movie! I would watch it with my dad when I was little. Stay safe! Ride safe!

I used to ride in shorts and a tshirt when it was really hot, then crashed twice while luckily wearing my gear and still came out in rough shape. Haven’t ridden without full gear since. You can definitely get some warm weather gear that lets the wind through though but has the padding and protection. Riding across japan sounds like an amazing experience and amazing content to watch.

The Trident 660 was a good choice for sure. Glad you were pointed in the right direction with gear, and the mentality of safe riding. Id propose that you get more formal training if you want to learn to ride better quickly. Yamaha champ school online course has a good breakdown of the fundamentals of riding. Well worth the time. -Street triple rider.

Anything Ludwig does on purpose is a mistake, while anything clever is an accident…

I saw this stream not even kidding 3 times, but because Ludwig has such gobsmacking storytelling abilities im here again. 🗿

When I first got my motorcycle I was super eager to get all my friends to ride it and get the experience but I quickly changed my mind. Riding a motorcycle is not for the majority of people as I quickly learned that the average person is not competent enough to understand how traffic works and how to put themselves in favorable situations. Don't get me wrong I speed and ride like a hooligan but I do so while minimizing my risk by putting myself in favorable situations and adjusting based on how traffic is changing. I live in CA which imo is the best state to ride in to learn cuz its forces you to be an aggressive rider which is necessary imo and you can ride all year round, the more miles you can put down the more you will learn. Riding a motorcycle is easy, could teach any teenager how to ride, its being able to ride around cars and understanding where you can be seen and cannot be seen. 99% of these motorcycle accidents happen is nearly identical ways and are easily avoidable by the rider but too many people just ignore these situations that play out in traffic because they think they are different. Anyhow I no longer let my friends even touch my bike for the simple fact that I don't want it to be the reason they get into riding, I don't want to be the reason someone get into riding, they have to make that decision themselves. I chose to ride cuz it really is the only thing that makes me happy in life, anytime I get on my bike there is always a smile on my face. Highway riding is boring, the twisty single lane roads through the mountains is where the fun is at but this is also where most people crash cuz people don't know how to corner properly so if your gunna do it then you better learn how to ride first. And I am not going to sugar coat it, I speed that is a fact nothing about that will change. Anyone that say otherwise are full of shit. But if your going to speed you better know how to use your front brake, too many people are afraid of that front brake because it can also be the very thing that causes you to crash. But if your gunna do hooligan shit then that is the only thing that can save you so learn how to use it. All this being said, Ludwig has a large fan base and many of these are young kids. I don't think it is the best idea to influence these kids on riding because no matter how dangerous you tell them it is they are still influenced by your decisions. But I mean to each their own, I just don't agree with it personally. I am sure Ludwig will realize this as he continues to ride more especially since he lives in CA. The PCH is no joke for a new rider. The amount of crosswind you will get on a naked bike can be overwhelming for a new rider and as you know going the speed limit in CA is not an option. You need to be comfortable going faster than flow of traffic otherwise you will find yourself in much more dangerous situations that the guy that is continuously moving past traffic. Anyhow have fun riding, you will probably come across me on highway 1 in Norcal cuz I ride that nearly every weekend along with highway 9/32. I plan to do the PCH ride towards LA once all of highway 1 opens up again, there is still a good portion that is still closed of from last winter. Always 2 fingers down past every rider, even the vespa riders lol.

getting to see my favorite youtuber and favorite hobby collide is something i didnt think I would ever see, ride safe lud and all other viewers that ride, its fun but risky :)

Hey man long term viewer here, and avid motorcycle rider. Don't let what everyone is saying to you stress you out too bad, as long as you ride safely and wear all of your gear you should be just fine. A really important tip though is to kind of ignore who has the right of way when you're riding. People will either not pay attention or just not care so you do need to be more attentive and careful, but you should be fine as long as you're not dumb!

emphasize sliders on your gloves, prevents a lot of wrist breaks in the event you do crash, and riding boots make shifting a lot more comfortable

As a rider in the US, i highly recommend taking some beginner and intermediate riding courses. If you’re planning to do the trip within the year they’ll really help you learn some important skills. You’ll even meet a ton of people that will give you advice and tips for the road. Glad to see you’re taking it seriously and have bought the gear though! Hopefully during your time riding you fall in love and stick with it! Welcome to the fam 😁

I love videos like this. Ludwig gets into some kind of *predicament* but then learns a lot about something while cannoodling his way out of it. It’s a great formula and also is slightly heart-warming!

Ludwig is the type of guy to make mistakes and buy motorcycles

First motorcycle tour vid title: „The Fall…“ Second vid title: „I‘m okay“

Woof, stay safe on the PCH, there’s a ton of accidents on it in the LA area that are often fatal due to the speeds :/

As a motorcyclist, I'm super happy for you! Please be safe, listen to more experienced riders as it will likely prevent you getting into an accident! Motorcycles take a lot more skill than a vespa. On the shifting note, you can actually modify it to shift up and down kind of like a paddle shifter in a car if you'd like!

Micheal has definitely gotten some life insurance on Lud

The guy who Ludwig talked to at the store 100% teaches a motorcycle safety class. Where I'm at youre required to take a few of them for different engine sizes and licenses and much of the stuff he said(ride for yourself, dress for the slide not the ride, most accidents are close to home) are all things covered in these courses regularly and 100% true. I love my bikes, riding is one of my favorite things in the world, but I also have multiple people I've known to be killed, paralyzed, or hospitalized while doing 100% the right thing. It can be very dangerous and because of this you need to educate yourself so that you are never adding to the chances of something happening to you. Another big thing is practicing, me and many other people who have rode for years and years still practice, maybe practice some emergency stops or swerving to avoid something, could be whatever but most people who truly ride understand that even if you just do it to commute you should be practicing the things you dont do every say so that when they come up youre prepared.

I really hope ludwig isn't stubborn. His safety is more important than trying to look cool or his addiction to crocs

hey lud apologies for the unsolicited advice but if you want to get better quickly you might want to look into taking an intermediate or advanced motorcycle training course. ive found being more confident on a bike makes it more fun as well, since you know what to do in dangerous situations. cool bike!

Congrats on the triumph! Great first bike. The japan trip sounds amazing, hope to take my hp4 up PCH soon!

You should still wear protective gear on a vespa. Mainly to protect yourself from other drivers. Even if you aren't driving on the freeway, you can easily die still at low speeds.

I think a short series or even like a single, longer "documentary" style video about you and michael reeves travelling across japan with a more like authentic, low production vibe would absolutely slap ngl

Super important video, getting the message across that motorcycles are dangerous especially as an influencer who’s riding one is vital! Good job for being responsible and teaching all your viewers a lesson❤

I'm sure lud will become a bike guy once it's over, it's dangerous but super addictive, nothing beats cruising

I can’t wait for lud and Michael to ride across Japan together I reckon it would be great content

Ludwig is absolutely gonna fall in love with this bike at the end lmao, happens to all bikers

Hey Lud! Long time RU-vid frog and first time commenter. It’s cool to hear your story because it’s something that I have recently done too. I entered the motorcycle world with a Honda Navi and it’s what I used to first learn how to drive and just commute to my college campus. I recently sold it and bought a Honda CBR300R so that I can go further and so that I can learn how to drive bigger bikes in the future(All manual). I’m glad you got all the gear as it is essential, but I highly recommend watching DanDanTheFireman’s motorcycle crash break downs so that you can learn what to look out for while riding. All of his videos really helped me feel safer when I first got the CBR. You should also get a gremlin bell and good luck with your motorcycle! Ludwig7

I like how he says he doesn't want to be a motorcycle guy, but then says the only reason he got the bike is to drive across a country with his friend (a common biker endeavor).

someone thats in his chat regularly tell him to get a Grom if he decides to get rid of the 660. also to mention that, here in Hawaii, Mopeds are one of the most common forms of transportation and its mind boggling that you see everything from college kids to older adults wearing no eye protection, no gloves, flip-flops / slippers, tank tops, and some wear earpods or full on headphones which is so stupid in every sense. When it is unbearably hot I wear my jacket to a certain extent and at night I usually wear no jacket but instead wear something bright. I think it was also humbling when I purchased my bike cause I was not allowed to test drive it at the dealership but its for mainly liability since you're on 2 wheels so youre not balanced right out of the gate also if you have no idea how a clutch work you can easily burn up your gears for first timers. Everytime I ride my bike I always bring my jacket, gloves, and helmet. There is no excuse on not riding without these. Also, even if Ludwig does go back to riding a Vespa he did just admit that he can hit 70 mph on it, you're on two wheels so it'll hurt regardless if youre using a moped or motorcycle.

Bro, I have a 30 minute commute to work and during the summer I take my bike most days, but recently it has been high 90s. I was contemplating riding into work tomorrow without my gear on since it is so hot. You have reminded me about why I wear my gear. Never gone down before, but sometimes you only need to go down once to stay down.

Ludwig’s storytelling skills are top notch ❤

I've rode motorcycles for awhile, and had my life and death experiences on the road, and a low-side wipeout to boot. Best advice I've ever gotten, if you're not afraid of the motorcycle when you get on, don't ride the motorcycle. A Bike Cop of 35+ years gave me that advice when i asked if he had any, and he was right. The second I treated my bike like a toy, I had my low-side accident. It is amazing, riding, but the fear is important because it's a reality. Be careful out there, if you're young and you wanna ride you should, but take a class and listen to somebody who takes the danger seriously.

LMAOO IN THE PIC HE'S WEARING A TANK TOP AND CROCS, BROTHA IS ALREADY A SQUID 😭😭😭

You 100% no joke need to take a 2-day MSF motorcycle safety course; I recommend this to all new riders. You should also lookup and watch Twist of the Wrist 2 on youtube and watch it. Also, you need to look up the motorcycle laws in Japan because my understanding is that they're more strict with their licensing and require licensing for different engine displacement sizes starting with 250cc... which is half the bike you own now. Look up proper engine break in procedure for your specific bike. You have to worry not just about breaking in the tires but also the engine to make sure everything wears in properly and you dont damage the pistons, cylinders, head, etc. Next, if you re-watch, Long Way Down, Long Way Round, or Long Way Up, you'll notice Ewan and Charlie are in riding pants, boots, and jackets most of the time, hot or cold. They do take some liberties (open jacket, no helmet, etc.) but are geared most of the time and have a lifetime of motorcycle experience which you do not. Finally, while ATGATT (all the gear all the time) is the rule to follow, if you do SQUID (stupid, quick, underdressed, imminently dead), at the very least wear a helmet (even if a brainpan), gloves (because one rock kicked up on the highway hitting your hand and you'll regret it), and proper shoes. I also don't recommend riding in shorts ever. I got a 3rd degree burn when I was just moving my bike when I was forced to move less than 20 yards when I was camping. The bike slipped and I caught it but the engine burned my thigh. Be smart, take the class, ride safe. Shiny-side up, rubber-side down. Cheers.

I'm so keen for this series. But also, don't rush into it. You have to learn to like all those things you don't like if you want to be good at them. Stay safe Ludwig7

I can see how passionate you are about this, congrats on the bike! Stay safe out there

I'm glad at least you understand the dangers. And it was nice knowing you man 😊

Ludsquid in the crocs. Respect.

Ludwig the type of guy to buy a motorcycle and expect it to be the same as a vespa

Whenever I hear how easy it is to get a driver's license in the US it makes me scared to ever drive there. And that they didn't even brief you nor test you on theory and safety (like what gear you need and why) is just so crazy.

As a motorcyclist I would have suggested a Honda NC750 as the bike for you. The manual option is nice but it does come as an automatic too which makes it more like a scooter that looks like a motorcycle. Ideal bike for lud as it isn't that powerful but still looks the part and feels familiar to what he used to ride.

Beautiful bike. Was considering the trident, wish it came in a 900. There's tons of guys that don't wear gear all the time. Usually the ones on big cruisers. But if you find the right gear for the weather you'll be just about as comfortable as without it

Bro I just bought this motorcycle a month ago and I love it. Be safe, go fast. Love ya Lud

Ludwig just gave us all a PSA in the most entertaining fashion possible. Nice

This man is about to live out my dream. I watched a guy who undertook the ride Ludwig is willing to take. He actually accomplished it in Japan in a documentary by the BBC. I don't remember the name of the documentary, but man, I really wish to do that ever since I watched it. Good luck to you and have fun doing it.

That's pretty awesome that the seller gave ya a heads up on the slick tires on the ride off the lot. It's pretty likely that not only did he wanna drop some more beginner fundamentals for ya cuz of the fresh tires, but subtly he wanted you to be extra EXTRA mindful and focused riding the new bike, especially when you hit those first couple sharper turns, where a lot of bikers first accidents tend to happen. Simply not having the first-hand experience on sharp turns, really learns ya quick what NOT to do when approaching them lol. It'll definitely wake you tf up and back into reality as a true blue bloodborn biker that's for sure haha but yeah jokes aside frfr, ride safe out there ludwig and never be afraid to ride for yourself like the guy mentioned before. They don't call em steel horses for nothin' lol safe travels homie 🫡👍

I recently bought my first bike and its great its amazing how quickly you can pick it up but also you understand the philosophy of bikes and all the safety and riding aspects. I know why it's so addictive

respect for getting a 600CC than a 1000+ on your first big bike its kinda overkill still but confident your responsible enough to not hurt yourself the dealer actually gave critical points to beginner riders 10/10

12:02 "If you die who gets Jackie Chan?" LMAO

ludwig telling is he got a trident when its a triumph on the screen makes me chuckle.

This was hilarious hearing after riding bikes forever. At least you're honest with it all. Welcome to the big boy 2 wheel club. Be safe

Be careful out there man. A close friend of mine bought a bike and did everything you're supposed to wore the equipment didn't go too crazy with it then a month later he was in the hospital without his left foot.

Lud with the slick tires you can help get the rear one grippy by doing a burnout or getting someone to do a burnout with the front one your just there for the ride

Hey man, that was a great video. Have fun. Tons of great riding in Cali after you decide you're hooked.

We will never forget you Ludwig! ❤

ludwig is the kind of guy to make a video out of the first 15 minutes of his stream.

I'd fuckin LOVE more motorcycle videos from you. Used to watching moto vloggers and stuff, it's great! Not saying you gotta vlog but record your rides :3

I loved Long Way Round, i'd totally watch a video series of you and Reeves travelling down Japan!