First ride today!!!

[Angelique]

Ok so both I and my brand new bike got our first proper ride today, granted it was just puttering around the back streets but still!! I have never felt as good as I do on that thing :)

So despite more stalls than I can count and the neighbours giggling at me behind their windows all good :) So if anyone out east is in a similar boat, ie just learning (like seriously very very beginner) - feel free to PM me and come stall with me. May not feel like such a gump if theres someone else doing the exact same thing...

[wildcat_lgf]

Ok so both I and my brand new bike got our first proper ride today...

Congrats...commuting will never be the same again - and you'll never want to take the car out :)

[Pedrostt500]

Welcome to the World of motorcycles, we were all where you are in our riding ability, I crashed into Mums grape vine on my first ride, but I havent looked back, Been riding bikes for 35 yrs now.
you meet the nicest people on motorcycles.

[newby]

Hey Angelique! In a month or two tiimewhen i can find a bike, and buy it, ill be in the same boat (or should that be bike?) if you want someone to ride with that will make you look like an expert in comparison :P

[Trudes]

Good on you gal, keep up the puttering, it's all good!! Happy riding!:sunny:

[Number One]

:sunny: You Go girl...

that doesn't get any less cheesy over time does it?!

[centercore]

Stallings like a rash it will go away soon enough. I reckon it was the hardest thing to learn otherwise its just like a bicycle but badass.

If you live nearish lolyd elsmore park I can help you out, I'm pretty much next to it. I practiced there.

[merv]

Yep start easy and keep on practicing and you'll really enjoy yourself.

[FJRider]

Well done girl, the hardest part is the starting out... you've started now. It does get easier... just doesn't feel like it at times. Longer and longer rides WILL help, following an experienced rider...watching their lines etc.
Is Motorcycling, learning how to throw yourself at the air...and missing ...???

[fire eyes]

:rockon: awesome!

[Choco]

You will pass the 'stall at every second stop' stage fairly quickly, just don't freak out when it happens and you will learn quick!

[Victoria]

Congrats!! From a newby about 4 rides ahead, it gets easier and easier everytime....There is nothing cooler than your first wave from another bike!!..I grin inside my helmet everytime!:woohoo:

[Meekey_Mouse]

Woohoo! Congrats on the first ride :) as every one else has said... Don't worry about the stalling part :2thumbsup

Keep it shiny side up and remember to ride as if every other road user is either A: A moron, B: can't see you C: Doesn't know how to drive ... Or D: All of the above :sweatdrop

[swedencamilla]

I am so pleased I read your thread. I got my Scorpio delivered today and took it out on a few quiet streets and a car park for practice. I had a few problems just getting out of the our long driveway, which is uphill. I was out for an hour and stalled quite a few times, I lost count and felt like an utter idiot. It was great fun though. Initially I did not have any problems with the neutral, the light came on easily, but for the last 20 min or so I could not get the light on. Not sure what the problem is. Does any one else have problems with the neutral light? I wish there was a gear indicator, so I could know which gear I am in, but I guess it is more a matter of listening to the motor. With all the gear on I sort of feel like a Michelin man, but cold I am not. The helmet really seems to do a good job of ruining the hair!! How long does it usually take until one is safe to go in busy innercity traffic?

[Victoria]

I am so pleased I read your thread. I got my Scorpio delivered today and took it out on a few quiet streets and a car park for practice. I had a few problems just getting out of the our long driveway, which is uphill. I was out for an hour and stalled quite a few times, I lost count and felt like an utter idiot. It was great fun though. Initially I did not have any problems with the neutral, the light came on easily, but for the last 20 min or so I could not get the light on. Not sure what the problem is. Does any one else have problems with the neutral light? I wish there was a gear indicator, so I could know which gear I am in, but I guess it is more a matter of listening to the motor. With all the gear on I sort of feel like a Michelin man, but cold I am not. The helmet really seems to do a good job of ruining the hair!! How long does it usually take until one is safe to go in busy innercity traffic?
I've had neutral play silly buggers on me a couple of times on my first couple of rides, usually it was because I hadn't put it into 1st hard enough, and was kind of neither 1st or neutral. That goes away...really!! so does leaving your indicator on...wonder when? :rolleyes: I'm still not comfortable heading into the city, mainly coz I have to do the motorway to get there, but I also think I need more practice stopping hard without freaking out.

[Big Zappa]

Went for my first ride today, couldn't resist going out after work!

Was a lot easier than I thought at first, then at a traffic light it hit me - shit, I don't even know where this bike's friction point is! Numerous stalls later, I felt somewhat confident. Then on a twisty narrow and dark uphill to my place, I feel it running a bit low, so I drop it down a gear - the only problem is that a shiny green light comes on telling me I got it neutral. So I pull over and drop it into first and try to start up hill - no dice. After about 5 solid minutes of wrestling with the bike and stalling about 50 times, I finally get it going... to stall at a less steep uphill part literally 20m away!

Finally, I manage to find the right combination of clutch and throttle for a hill start and its no problems back to my house. However I was literally sweating bullets when I got inside!

So, what I'm gonna do on Saturday, is get up bright and early, find a carpark and drill starting/stopping/slow corners for a solid couple of hours, then maybe find a quiet street and practice hill starts. Only then will I be thinking about going for a longer stroll.

[Trudes]

Good on you Big Zappa, that's the right idea, get the simple fundamental stuff down first eh... starting, cornering, slow riding and balance and most importantly stopping!, and then go for the longer rides.

[CB ARGH]

Well done love! I'll be in the same position in a few weeks time once I've finnished rebuilding my baby! I can speak from experience for starting and stopping, about seven years ago I sat on a motorbike for the first ever time and learnt to ride it, this was a piddly Honda XR100. I can't remember stalling heaps, which I DEFINATELY would have done, however I can clearly remember trying to go from first to second and getting it in neutral accidentaly, and then revving the crap out of it wondering why I don't go faster. This happened MILLIONS of times... minor exaggeration. :p

Give it a good five hours total, and you should be sweet as. Even I won't dare to go out onto a busy street for quite some time, probably a week. Just take it a step at a time, and you'll be away buzzing on a nice long summer's ride...

not saying it'll take all the way to summer to get going well!

[portokiwi]

Way to go on your bike. I live in GI the bronks. One day I will get out for a team ride.
Enjoy the bike shame on the weather

[007XX]

You go girl!!!


*sigh* I still remember those days when I was breaking into a sweat just at the mere idea of throwing my leg over the seat of my little VTR...Good days!

This is the beginning of a long love story for you Angelique, so enjoy it!

[Grub]

It's like sweet music ... all of you, Angelique, swedencamilla and Big Zappa ... out on your first rides ... brilliant, just brilliant. It becomes and obsession of the buziest kind.

If I can pass on anything that might help, it's this. Bikes get dropped at low speed, below walking speed. It happens in the carpark, in the driveway, doubling back in the street - almost always when you are turning around. Everyone does it and it really sucks because beautiful nice bike bits get broken and scratched.

It happens because bikes at low speed are at their most unstable and have no gyroscopic forces to keep them up. A touch of front brake is usually fatal if the front wheel is anywhere other than straight ahead. Also guaranteed for falling down at creep speed is a stall or throttle surge. You slow down because you're trying to be careful, you start to turn r.e.a.l.l.y slowly ... and the f'king thing stalls! Down we go @#*&^$!

Ok, so that's the bogeyman (or woman :innocent:), there are ways of controlling that and the one I like is with the clutch. I've found that I 'feather' the clutch all the time at low speeds, including going through roundabouts. You've probably already found that at low speeds if you go on and off the throttle the damn thing snatches and jerks. It's those that'll have you the bike on its side in milliseconds.

Instead of closing the throttle, if you just pull the clutch in a little, you'll find that the deceleration is smoooth and jerk-free. Same goes for needing a little more oomph. If your engine is carrying a few revs, then just letting out a little clutch will apply just a little forward momentum rather than a sudden burst that the throttle alone will give you. So in those situations, ride with your fingers on the clutch blade and just practice engaging and disengaging at low speeds - in a straight line at first of course. It becomes an essential skill when you get to the dreaded U-turns :)

I hope that makes sense, I hope so, dropping a perfectly good bike at a speed slower than a baby can crawl is a gutting and unneccesary drama.

[Angelique]

I had a few problems just getting out of the our long driveway, which is uphill. I was out for an hour and stalled quite a few times, I lost count and felt like an utter idiot. It was great fun though. Initially I did not have any problems with the neutral, the light came on easily, but for the last 20 min or so I could not get the light on..

I have the same issue with an uphill driveway lol, I just walked it down for fear of getting to the bottom and freaking out... I had the same issue with the neutral light, its the whole only going half a click up from first that gets me, I always go too far... but we shall succeed!

[-JT-]

... I had the same issue with the neutral light, its the whole only going half a click up from first that gets me, I always go too far... but we shall succeed!

We've found on our Intruder VL250 that it's easier to get to neutral from 2nd gear, instead of 1st. Might be worth a try.

[FJRider]

I am so pleased I read your thread. I got my Scorpio delivered today and took it out on a few quiet streets and a car park for practice. I had a few problems just getting out of the our long driveway, which is uphill. I was out for an hour and stalled quite a few times, I lost count and felt like an utter idiot. It was great fun though. Initially I did not have any problems with the neutral, the light came on easily, but for the last 20 min or so I could not get the light on. Not sure what the problem is. Does any one else have problems with the neutral light? I wish there was a gear indicator, so I could know which gear I am in, but I guess it is more a matter of listening to the motor. With all the gear on I sort of feel like a Michelin man, but cold I am not. The helmet really seems to do a good job of ruining the hair!! How long does it usually take until one is safe to go in busy innercity traffic?

When I was learning, I often looked for neutral between 2nd and 3rd... it wasn't there.
Learning what speed/revs you are doing, in each gear, is part of the learning.

[Pedrostt500]

You Newbies dont be scared to ask for help from some of your local more exsperienced members of KB, weather its advice online or some practical one on one mentoring, about riding or bike maintenance.

[Victoria]

Did my first rain ride today...I'm in Wellington it had to happen sooner or later!...was a bit nervous but had been raining for a while so wasn't worried about it being greasy. Stayed off the paint and it was fine....until the final turn, and the wee darling stepped out on me...bless her...sure enough, was going too slow, chopped down too many gears, let go of the clutch and a racing engine and a wee slide... had to smile that it happened so gently so as to show me what happens, but not scare the shit outta me..! bring on the good weather...and G-TARanaki!!!

[Number One]

I have the same issue with an uphill driveway lol, I just walked it down for fear of getting to the bottom and freaking out... I had the same issue with the neutral light, its the whole only going half a click up from first that gets me, I always go too far... but we shall succeed!
OMG DON'T do that!!! You are way more incontrol on the bike, clutch pulled, FEET ON THE PEGS and covering the rear brake...HONEST!!!!!

[vifferman]

I've found that I 'feather' the clutch all the time at low speeds, including going through roundabouts.
This is good advice: get used to using the clutch. :yes:
Practice riding very slowly, and controlling your speed using the clutch by pulling it in and letting it out. It also helps if you blip the throttle while the clutch lever is in, as the various mechanical doodads whirling around in the engine help to keep the bike stable. When doing slow-speed turns (like u-turns), it is imperative that you can get the balance/coordination between throttle, clutch and rear brake right (the rear brake is useful to drag slightly as it acts like a rudder during slow speed turns).

Practice, practice, PRACTICE! Turns, stopping and starting, figure-eights, going up/down through the gears smoothly, finding neutral at stops, etc.

And remember - ALWAYS look where you want to go: look through corners, and practice avoiding obstacles like potholes, slippery lane markings, catseyes, dead cats, slow cars by tracing with your eyes the path you want to take.

And above all - HAVE FUN and keep the shiny side up!

[swedencamilla]

Thanks everyone for all your helpful comments and encouragement. You are such a friendly bunch! Grubs advice about the clutch is great. Seems much smoother this way. It is very reassuring hearing that other people have had similar problems, when they start out. Walking the bike up the driveway sounds dangerous and difficult. I agree with the better control of bike when riding it with both feet up. We have to learn to start in uphill some time anyway, so why not now. Someone mentioned about not being afraid to ask for some help eg mentoring and I would be quite keen to get some help. It is not the same thing exchanging infor on the net. I thought it would be best just to get some basic riding on very quiet streets and car park practice first. Maybe later a group of newbies in Wellington could get together and practice together. What do you think?

[Number One]

Thanks everyone for all your helpful comments and encouragement. You are such a friendly bunch! Grubs advice about the clutch is great. Seems much smoother this way. It is very reassuring hearing that other people have had similar problems, when they start out. Walking the bike up the driveway sounds dangerous and difficult. I agree with the better control of bike when riding it with both feet up. We have to learn to start in uphill some time anyway, so why not now. Someone mentioned about not being afraid to ask for some help eg mentoring and I would be quite keen to get some help. It is not the same thing exchanging infor on the net. I thought it would be best just to get some basic riding on very quiet streets and car park practice first. Maybe later a group of newbies in Wellington could get together and practice together. What do you think?
I'm surprised there aren't any sessions like those that KittyHawk does up north...surely there are some well enough experienced and helpful bikers on here that would happy to help out with some drills and skills?

I'm not volunteering because I still consider myself a learner who needs to be schooled in the basics from time to time....as in all the time :lol:

[swedencamilla]

Have been out again today. No issues getting out of driveway this time and things were going well. I was doing some figure 8s in an empty cul de sac and a few starts and stops, then a few really quiet nearby roads going up and down first few gears. Must say I think the gears are a little indistinct at times - need more practice. Still stalling at times, but much less. Was feeling really good and ventured a little further out, of course I stalled in a steep narrow hill street with a car behind me wanting to pass and my little baby just did not want to start. In the end had to walk sit it down backwards just releasing front brake for a second at a time, then turn around and start. Overall though things are getting better. I read about a RRRS course that is available in Auckland and Dunedin. Later when I am more proficient it would be great if something like that was available in Welly.

[Badjelly]

...the one I like is with the clutch. I've found that I 'feather' the clutch all the time at low speeds, including going through roundabouts. You've probably already found that at low speeds if you go on and off the throttle the damn thing snatches and jerks. ...

That's interesting advice, Grub, I might try it. Having ridden for a decade or so in my youth, and come back to riding 9 months ago, one thing I find that hasn't changed about 4-stroke bikes (I now have a Scorpio) is that they're damned jerky at low speeds, due to a combination of play in the drivetrain and a fair bit of engine braking. Many years ago, I made the mistake of thinking this was due to slack in the chain, and overtightened it as a result, but actually (I think) it's due to play in the gearbox. I think the manufacturers build them this way to make gear selection easier.

Whatever, riding the Scorpio smoothly at low speeds is difficult and a little more use of the clutch might help. (I believe it's useful for fine control when doing wheelies as well.)

[Victoria]

Thanks everyone for all your helpful comments and encouragement. You are such a friendly bunch! Grubs advice about the clutch is great. Seems much smoother this way. It is very reassuring hearing that other people have had similar problems, when they start out. Walking the bike up the driveway sounds dangerous and difficult. I agree with the better control of bike when riding it with both feet up. We have to learn to start in uphill some time anyway, so why not now. Someone mentioned about not being afraid to ask for some help eg mentoring and I would be quite keen to get some help. It is not the same thing exchanging infor on the net. I thought it would be best just to get some basic riding on very quiet streets and car park practice first. Maybe later a group of newbies in Wellington could get together and practice together. What do you think?
I'm pretty much alone in my quest to ride, and as I would rather have a root canal without anaesthetic than go near a riding instructor EVER again:angry:, I'll have to find another option....so if there were something organised in Wellington or the Hutt I would be really keen to join in.

[<G>]

Good on all the newbies for taking their bikes out in this cold, rainy weather!
Angelique, we'll go for rides once I get my new bike :yes:

[tate35]

Ok so both I and my brand new bike got our first proper ride today, granted it was just puttering around the back streets but still!! I have never felt as good as I do on that thing :)

So despite more stalls than I can count and the neighbours giggling at me behind their windows all good :) So if anyone out east is in a similar boat, ie just learning (like seriously very very beginner) - feel free to PM me and come stall with me. May not feel like such a gump if theres someone else doing the exact same thing...
Hi Angelique,

Congrats!!! Biking is so much fun, I just got my bike about a month ago now and each time I think about going to the shop or just down the road to visit a friend, I take a look at my car and then my bike....and the bike wins every time...its SO MUCH FUN!!! Happy riding :scooter:

[heyjoe]

Welcome to the world of riding Angelique. Enjoy and ride safe!

[howdamnhard]

so despite more stalls than I can count and the neighbours giggling at me behind their windows all good :) So if anyone out east is in a similar boat, ie just learning (like seriously very very beginner) - feel free to PM me and come stall with me. May not feel like such a gump if theres someone else doing the exact same thing...

Don´t worry we all stalled once.I´m out east so if you need someone to go out with you for support PM me.There are a lot of nice backroads around Clevedon if you want to go for a slow ride too.Kittyhawk is starting up some training in August in our neck of the woods.Wednesday night training is also good but it is along way out West and rush hour traffic at night can be quite daunting.Once your a little more experienced I suggest you do the Ride safe ride right course.Anyway keep up the good work and take care.

[Irontusk]

I'm on the North Shore too, I've never used a 2 wheeled motorbike before but I have been driving a manual car for about 5 years so I have some understanding of the clutch (though I expect it to be much different using my hand). Anyway I'm sitting my basic riding training/test in a fortnight and will have my new VL250 shortly after. If there was anyone around here that could guide us while we try to learn that could be much more enjoyable than mostly working it out ourselves. I'm in the East Coast Bays area but I'm not sure how far I'll be able to get my bike easily :eek5: And originally I thought I might ride it home from the dealer myself.. but I think I may need to work something else out, I'll see how my training goes!

[Gremlin]

I would suggest learners have someone more experienced out with them, until they get more confident with handling traffic etc. It can be daunting when everything is hitting you at once. (Besides, its actually quite fun intimidating cars :shifty:). Also helps for offering advice on riding, picking the bike when it falls over (or just plain watching it fall over in front of you) :sunny:

Angelique, or anyone else out east (I'm in Bucklands Beach) need someone more experienced to assist, just ask. Can probably only help on weekends, as work keeps me out of mischief during the week.

[FLYMO]

:chase:soon enuff they will follow u in droves
have fun