Regaining confidence after a fall

[george formby]

Good you were able to get the clutch issue explained clearly. Its unfortunite so many others were left with the impression I did it on all bends and at all speeds as I said I specifically did it on tight bends and roundabouts which cannot be taken at more than low speed without falling off anyway in gear or not.
As for your u turn fear what I do is stick my leg out for balance which works for me but at a very low speed. I have seen other bikers do this so am not alone in doing it if Drew and co think its dangerous. The best way to master
what gears and speed to get into on bends would be to try a bend with an 80km speed rating then a 70,60,50,40 etc and you will get a feel for the increased amount of braking and lowering of the gearing required for each.
If you change bikes again you will have to go through the process all over again as its not just the engine power and gearing but also the handling that affects cornering. As a rule of thumb the shorter the wheelbase the better the bike will corner but they are not so relaxing on long straight roads.

I can do a u-turn, a 270, or as many 360's as you want in 1/1/2 my bikes length, 3 mtr road width or so.. Yup, we measure it. Full lock. I can do 360's left & right in a 6 mtr wide road, in 2nd gear at 25-35kmh. 3rd gets me sweating... I can do this on a Fire blade, too. Prolly do it on a Harley once I had a few try's.
No clutch, non, nada. How? Correct technique. My G/F is better than I am, she has been riding for less than 2 years.
I stick my leg out riding on dirt. When the bike sticks it's butt out to get round a corner. Any hoo, whatcha gonna do with your leg when your 250kg + bike & rider has a lie down?

Cassina, up until my G/F started learning I thought I was a competent rider, I could not do u-turns without clutch, feet, puckered date etc. I was living in ignorance. 35 years of it. An offer of some training from somebody far more advanced than myself and an excellent teacher has lifted my ability & confidence through the roof. I have been blunt, no offence intended, but your muddying the waters for a rider who has lost confidence & $4600.

Shflbm, well done. Keep learning, keep practicing. And your absolutely right, nothing is obvious when it comes to understanding how to ride a bike. Something else my G/F taught me. Onwards & upwards!

[george formby]

You get the honour of being a scooter boy around the 30-post mark.

Glad the course has boosted your confidence. I went through one of the Ride-Safe courses a couple of months ago and found it really helpful. I'm now on the hunt for more carparks & the time to play.

That's the bugger!

[skippa1]

The lady actually found my comment of interest as she said her husband did it too and as i said if my initial post had been read fully by others I never said I coasted all bends at all speeds which was the impression the others gave me. At least she has an understanding now. You have read me wrong also believing i stick my leg out going around corners and if you can make a U turn without putting your foot down after having lessons well done but its hardly a road safety thing otherwise it would be a road code rider testing requirement would it not?
At least with my leg out there is less chance of my bike falling on it if I dropped it when making a U turn. BTW it has been Harley Riders that I have seen stick their legs out doing U turns and if you get a chance to ride a Harley
it will be your own fault if you drop it not putting your leg out for balance.

You still going?

[Katman]

it will be your own fault if you drop it not putting your leg out for balance.

I think you'll find a leg being put out is to safeguard in the event of falling over.

Why would you stick it out for balance?

It's a far better idea to learn to balance your bike correctly.

[bogan]

You still going?

There's a forum appropriate saying about a woman always being right, also something about what a man says next being the start of a new argument

[george formby]

The lady actually found my comment of interest as she said her husband did it too and as i said if my initial post had been read fully by others I never said I coasted all bends at all speeds which was the impression the others gave me. At least she has an understanding now. You have read me wrong also believing i stick my leg out going around corners and if you can make a U turn without putting your foot down after having lessons well done but its hardly a road safety thing otherwise it would be a road code rider testing requirement would it not?
At least with my leg out there is less chance of my bike falling on it if I dropped it when making a U turn. BTW it has been Harley Riders that I have seen stick their legs out doing U turns and if you get a chance to ride a Harley
it will be your own fault if you drop it not putting your leg out for balance.

You said tight bends. Got it. I said Harley, you made my point.
I tried to suggest that you have room for improvement. Mis-understood obviously.
The Op is furthering her training & knowledge.
Your stuck in a rut.
It is what it is. Your not re-inventing the wheel.

[george formby]

Cassina, I have learned how to do this. A year ago when I started.

http://youtu.be/3LWz_BVUPTk

No clutch, just an open mind & willingness to improve. You wanna see me now! Tight corners & round abouts. Pfffffft.

OP, this kind of practice is the mutts nuts.

[george formby]

I am always keen to improve but dont see any actual road safety merit in what you can do about balancing in a U turn without your foot down. In the times I have come off things have happened too fast to even put the
brakes on and certainly nothing to do with not being able to balance in a U turn without my foot down.

Erm, it's more about bike control than balance. Mucking about in such a tight area ends up requiring a bit of body English to start with, not a bad skill to have.
I guess your just short sighted.

[haydes55]

I am always keen to improve but dont see any actual road safety merit in what you can do about balancing in a U turn without your foot down. In the times I have come off things have happened too fast to even put the
brakes on and certainly nothing to do with not being able to balance in a U turn without my foot down.

If you can u-turn at full lock with no clutch, you can turn to full lock to avoid a car pulling out on you in a 50km/h zone. It's not like you are going down to the dairy for milk doing u-turns and full lock the entire way. It's a skill that you don't have that one day you may need.

Plus you look like you're a learner if you u-turn with your leg out.

[bosslady]

If you can u-turn at full lock with no clutch, you can turn to full lock to avoid a car pulling out on you in a 50km/h zone. It's not like you are going down to the dairy for milk doing u-turns and full lock the entire way. It's a skill that you don't have that one day you may need.

Plus you look like you're a learner if you u-turn with your leg out.

What if you have a motard?

[george formby]

If you can u-turn at full lock with no clutch, you can turn to full lock to avoid a car pulling out on you in a 50km/h zone. It's not like you are going down to the dairy for milk doing u-turns and full lock the entire way. It's a skill that you don't have that one day you may need.

Plus you look like you're a learner if you u-turn with your leg out.

This is so. The fun bit is going full lock in the other direction immediately afterwards to avoid the truck coming at you in the opposite lane. Necessary skills to have if you want to avoid spilled milk.
But yeah. Best to practice, just in case.

[Ocean1]

What if you have a motard?

No different. Except full lock is further.

And your arse is further off the ground, so you fall harder.

So like I've said a few times, find a bit of grass and just do it, it's a useful skill to have.

[haydes55]

What if you have a motard?

Then only if you back it into the corner

[george formby]

What if you have a motard?

It's a all betterer. That whole slidey corner thing? No idea. Testicles like apple pips unfortunately.

[bosslady]

No different. Except full lock is further.

And your arse is further off the ground, so you fall harder.

So like I've said a few times, find a bit of grass and just do it, it's a useful skill to have.

It's late (for me) I don't get what you mean full lock further? And I don't fall, I just drop the bike and manage to land not so gracefully on my feet