Thanks everybody for the good advise and suggestions, I plan on utilizing several.

 

Gear up and have fun.

 

**SEAT TIME** !!

That's the only way you'll get better. Reading, listening, watching vids, etc - nothing compares to seat time. Ride as much as you can.. Street, dirt, whatever - just ride.

Good luck, have fun!

 

...unless it is PEG TIME! Learn to stand up when off-road. It's a must when things get rough, especially if you have stock suspension. The more comfortable you are when standing, the quicker you'll be able to develop your handling skills. Seriously consider having at least the front forks redone...the lack of high speed compression dampening is it's worst behavior...and that makes it even tougher for a newby to stay on line in rough terrain.

 

Cousin & Blackheart make extremely valid points. The famous 1981 Hurt Study shows rider inexperience as a factor in more than 1/2 of all accidents. Also "motorcyclists with dirt experience are significantly under represented in accidents"!
The Hurt Study is public domain and well worth reading for anyone with an interest in causation of motorcycle accidents.
Oh, and guess what, turns out loud pipes do NOT save lives!

 

Also more - I advise you to spell advice with a "C".

After that, get all your gear, and ride as much as you can.

Good luck.

 

Loud pipes work in my neck of the woods. See a deer, blip the throttle , bye bye deer.

 

You live near some great riding in the Mendocino National Forrest, Stonyford area. Pick up a free map at the Stonyford Work Center. There are 100's of miles of trails and roads. You can ride all the way to Clear Lake.

Gear up and ride.