Learning to ride (Zippo)

[Zippo]

I'm 24 this year and for what seems like an eternity, I’ve always wanted to ride a motorbike. Back in Malaysia when I was about 6, I discovered that every time I missed the school bus, one of my uncles would come fetch me on their motorbikes. This became such a regular occurrence that my mother started picking me up and dropping me off at school.

Learning to ride has always been in the back of my mind.

When i finally got round to getting my bike licence, the weight of the bike really took me by surprise. I’m not sure what I was expecting, perhaps for some strange reason, I thought they would be featherweight. It took me three times to get my licence....

I've been having a really hard time building the confidence to ride. I'm still learning to pull my bike out of our carport (which sits on a hill) and I've only clocked 600kms on it. I really want to practice my slow manouevres but the fear of dropping my bike is a little overwhelming. I'm saving up to get some one on one tutoring hopefully soon. This weather depresses me because all I want to do is get on my bike and practice.

Not too much support from friends and family, so here I am

Thanks for reading!

[sinfull]

I'm 24 this year and for what seems like an eternity, I’ve always wanted to ride a motorbike. Back in Malaysia when I was about 6, I discovered that every time I missed the school bus, one of my uncles would come fetch me on their motorbikes. This became such a regular occurrence that my mother started picking me up and dropping me off at school.

Learning to ride has always been in the back of my mind.

When i finally got round to getting my bike licence, the weight of the bike really took me by surprise. I’m not sure what I was expecting, perhaps for some strange reason, I thought they would be featherweight. It took me three times to get my licence....

I've been having a really hard time building the confidence to ride. I'm still learning to pull my bike out of our carport (which sits on a hill) and I've only clocked 600kms on it. I really want to practice my slow manouevres but the fear of dropping my bike is a little overwhelming. I'm saving up to get some one on one tutoring hopefully soon. This weather depresses me because all I want to do is get on my bike and practice.

Not too much support from friends and family, so here I am

Thanks for reading!

This weather depresses me also !

Good luck with that weight issue, Can you touch the ground with both feet flat footed ?

[nzspokes]

Where out west are you? I could pop out for a ride sometime, I live in Glen Eden.

[Mushu]

I'm 24 this year and for what seems like an eternity, I’ve always wanted to ride a motorbike. Back in Malaysia when I was about 6, I discovered that every time I missed the school bus, one of my uncles would come fetch me on their motorbikes. This became such a regular occurrence that my mother started picking me up and dropping me off at school.

Learning to ride has always been in the back of my mind.

When i finally got round to getting my bike licence, the weight of the bike really took me by surprise. I’m not sure what I was expecting, perhaps for some strange reason, I thought they would be featherweight. It took me three times to get my licence....

I've been having a really hard time building the confidence to ride. I'm still learning to pull my bike out of our carport (which sits on a hill) and I've only clocked 600kms on it. I really want to practice my slow manouevres but the fear of dropping my bike is a little overwhelming. I'm saving up to get some one on one tutoring hopefully soon. This weather depresses me because all I want to do is get on my bike and practice.

Not too much support from friends and family, so here I am

Thanks for reading!

Just get yourself to an empty carpark and practice riding as slow as you can before you worry about riding on the road too much, don't be too worried about dropping the bike, a VTR250 wont suffer too much damage from a slow drop and it's likely going to happen at some point anyway. By the time you learn to ride and make turns so slowly you need to slip the clutch to keep the engine from stalling the weight of the bike wont seem like so much of an issue (they don't get much lighter than your VTR) and you need to get to this point before you ride on the road, from a safety standpoint. Also make sure you get the right gear (jacket, pants, gloves etc.) and wear it every time you ride (even practicing in the carpark) it could make all the difference if you do come off at some point

[bosslady]

Just get yourself to an empty carpark and practice riding as slow as you can before you worry about riding on the road too much, don't be too worried about dropping the bike, a VTR250 wont suffer too much damage from a slow drop and it's likely going to happen at some point anyway. By the time you learn to ride and make turns so slowly you need to slip the clutch to keep the engine from stalling the weight of the bike wont seem like so much of an issue (they don't get much lighter than your VTR) and you need to get to this point before you ride on the road, from a safety standpoint. Also make sure you get the right gear (jacket, pants, gloves etc.) and wear it every time you ride (even practicing in the carpark) it could make all the difference if you do come off at some point

I second mushu. Practice your clutch work, feel when it bites when you slowly let it (the clutch) out. For a week or so I just rode around the block or went to the highschool up the road and practiced in their car park. Also don't worry about dropping your bike, it will likely happen eventually, I've dropped mine at least 3 times, practicing on the road for the first time and target fixating on a curb, going up a steep driveway in too high a gear and turning too fast on gravel. I almost dropped it yesterday too, was tired, started my bike (without me on it) when it was in first gear (you can do that on my bike) and it jumped forward, kicked back the stand and promptly dropped, thankfully I caught it! Shit happens, that's why I got a crappy bike, you'll likely just scratch it or break something that's cheap and easy to fix. And once you get up and going, the weight isn't so much of an issue anymore. Have you looked at the subsidised courses run by pro rider?

[Zippo]

I love my little VTR to bits and yeah she's pretty light in comparison to other bikes. I could reach the ground with the balls of my feet with my sneakers but now that I've got proper riding boots I can pretty much flat foot her, which makes a huge difference!

Bike has been dropped on multiple occasions previously and luckily she's still as good as I got her (well loved). I've spent a bit of time in a carparks and have graduated onto the road. I can mostly manage hill starts and coming to a stop slowly using clutch control etc, but I would really like to be able to manoeuvre my bike in small carparks. I've tried performing tight u-turns a few times and failed. I don't just want to be able to ride, I want to be able to ride well and have full control of my bike. The last time I went to the carpark alone to practise, I dropped my bike and no matter how much I tried copying those youtube vids, I couldn't lift it. Luckily a guy was nearby who was watching me. My partner doesn't like me practising in the carparks on my own, but he's always too busy to "watch" over me. He rides daily to work and doesn't really have the patience to sit and watch me.

So, I've been looking at different courses and it's more a matter of saving up to get some one on one tutoring.

I went on a small ride today to get gas and ride around my old neighbourhood and ended up on a road with roadworks (and several potholes that i'm proud I survived) and I got to practice lots of stopping and starting at the lights with cars around me, so I'm happy today!

[bosslady]

Slow speed stuff I.e. u turns are hard, as a newbie, I struggle with u turns but that's all in my head, mind games. Why not get out on the road and build your confidence, you can always keep coming back to the super slow stuff and practicing that but how often are you going to be doing super tight u turns, really? great skill to have, and you'll get it, but don't let that put you off getting on the road. I should take my own advice but believe me when I say, it will come with time, but possibly not as quickly as you would hope or might think it would.. I'm still trying really hard but suspect I still know fuck all!

[NewRob]

Keep up riding on the road and you will learn more and build your confidence. Try going for the SASS or NASS ride if you can, as they also do practice in the car park for what you need. Cheers

[nzspokes]

Both my partner and I went through the NASS/SASS system. Works well.

[bosslady]

Yea I need to get back to SASS myself also!

[Mushu]

Slow speed stuff I.e. u turns are hard, as a newbie, I struggle with u turns but that's all in my head, mind games. Why not get out on the road and build your confidence, you can always keep coming back to the super slow stuff and practicing that but how often are you going to be doing super tight u turns, really? great skill to have, and you'll get it, but don't let that put you off getting on the road. I should take my own advice but believe me when I say, it will come with time, but possibly not as quickly as you would hope or might think it would.. I'm still trying really hard but suspect I still know fuck all!

I would say the slow speed stuff is far more important than time on the road, it can force you to learn to use the bike properly like throttle control and using the throttle to stabilize the bike while turning as well as building confidence in a safe environment, also practice picking the bike up, if done properly it doesn't take much strength and you don't wanna end up stuck not being able to pick it up.

Sent from my XT535 using Tapatalk 2

[bosslady]

I would say the slow speed stuff is far more important than time on the road, it can force you to learn to use the bike properly like throttle control and using the throttle to stabilize the bike while turning as well as building confidence in a safe environment, also practice picking the bike up, if done properly it doesn't take much strength and you don't wanna end up stuck not being able to pick it up.

Sent from my XT535 using Tapatalk 2

I wasn't saying it wasn't important, or whatever, but I wouldn't stop myself getting on the road because I hadn't mastered super slow speed maneuvering. Cause, if that were the case, I'd have not clocked up 10.5k in 4.5 months and I'd have not seen or have done all the things I have. It's super important, but you can't master this stuff super fast and let it stop you getting somewhere other than a car park, that's all I'm saying..

[Zippo]

Yea I need to get back to SASS myself also!

Just curious bosslady, you're based on the North Shore, but it sounds like you prefer SASS. Is there any reason for this?

I'm getting a clear visor for my helmet today, so that I can do more night riding.

I bribed my partner with lunch and he's agreed to "supervise" me while I practice my u-turns in the carpark.

[bosslady]

Just curious bosslady, you're based on the North Shore, but it sounds like you prefer SASS. Is there any reason for this?

I'm getting a clear visor for my helmet today, so that I can do more night riding.

I bribed my partner with lunch and he's agreed to "supervise" me while I practice my u-turns in the carpark.

Nothing against NASS but I travelled to SASS because I feel that personality wise they are people I gel with better, there are also women that are in that group so that made me feel a bit more comfortable too. There was also more of a variety of different types of bikes i.e. not just all sports bikes. And, for my level of expertise (or rather, lack thereof) I felt the nature was more relaxed and I did not feel as pressured to be something I am not (which is awesome at motorbiking, hah!). Also, I do have a lot of trouble picking this kind of thing up and have a serious lack of confidence in my abilities and when I left NASS I always felt like I was doing very poorly and felt very disheartened. People in this group should not take offence to that comment though, I was/am being too sensitive but it was due to the aforementioned lack of self confidence and generally speaking I don't feel good about ANYTHING I do - motorbikes aside. It is nothing against NASS, you may well find you like them over SASS, but not everyone likes everything all of the time so you change and find something that suits you, your skill(s) and your personality better, just how it is. If there were two good things I got out of NASS they would be learning about counter-steering and how to ride slower than first gears - these are things I use every time I ride and have been invaluable. With SASS, I felt really happy when I left, the only thing is that they talk so bloody much so I don't get away till late! haha

[nzspokes]

Just curious bosslady, you're based on the North Shore, but it sounds like you prefer SASS. Is there any reason for this?

I'm getting a clear visor for my helmet today, so that I can do more night riding.

I bribed my partner with lunch and he's agreed to "supervise" me while I practice my u-turns in the carpark.

One of the Sass riders comes from out west so you may be able to come out with him. Next week will be quiet as Jane and Brian wont be there so maybe leave it untill the following week.