First ride today.

[kazza_nz_05]

Hi Guys. Well I took the bike out for a little ride around Taita today. Stalled a total of 3 times, what an idiot. Even noticed that I can't go below 2 revs in 2nd, stall. Bloody scarey, cause back wheel skidded a bit. What I did notice though was the Front brake lever is angled quite a way from the throttle and the bit and the end of the lever is turned up more than the clutch lever. They don't look the same, Looks warped....Is this normal???
Heres the good part.
Trying to put the bike in the garage backwards and i ended up almost dropping the damn thing, I placed it on the ground gently as I didn't want to fall over the bike. I wasn't even riding it and its already been on the ground. How blonde is that. No damage done though...Phewww..

[T-Thunder13]

nice work! it can only get better...................i hope

[merv]

If you aren't happy with the lever positions you can loosen the clamps where they attach to the handlebars, rotate the levers and then tighten them up again. Good on ya for getting the first ride under ya belt.

[Chrislost]

Hi Guys. Well I took the bike out for a little ride around Taita today. Stalled a total of 3 times, what an idiot. Even noticed that I can't go below 2 revs in 2nd, stall. Bloody scarey, cause back wheel skidded a bit. What I did notice though was the Front brake lever is angled quite a way from the throttle and the bit and the end of the lever is turned up more than the clutch lever. They don't look the same, Looks warped....Is this normal???
Heres the good part.
Trying to put the bike in the garage backwards and i ended up almost dropping the damn thing, I placed it on the ground gently as I didn't want to fall over the bike. I wasn't even riding it and its already been on the ground. How blonde is that. No damage done though...Phewww..

i smashed my fairings turning into my driveway on my 2nd ride
your not doing bad

[Wannabiker]

Yep...dropped my first (and brand new) bike on the first trip home. Parked it outside the garage and put the stand down....and then must have flicked it back up!! Jumped off to open the garage door and introduce my new bike to the collection of big boys toys in the shed, and down it fell. Busted indicator and mirror! The good news is that once you have got that out of the way, it will be plain sailing from now on.

[babyblade250rr]

yeah clutch and braker levers are fully adjustable,

And well done on your ride

[Slingshot]

Cracker day for ya first ride!!

As mentioned, you should be able to adjust the levers, if you need a hand...just post and I'm sure one of the Hutt members will rock on over to take care of it for you.

Does your hubby ride?

When daylight savings start, we'll be kicking off the Wednesday night rides again. The Wednesday night ride is perfect for those learning or out for a cruise.

Also, once you get your confidence up, you should check out some of the group rides that go over to the Wairarapa. The Rimutakas is a fantastic but ya need to build up to it.

Anyway...welcome to the nut farm that is KiwiBiker.

[gijoe1313]

Good on ya for giving it a go! Don't worry about the incident, all part and parcel of the learning experience!

Note the crew you got down there can give you plenty of tips and mentoring... I'm sure you will be learning heaps and getting back out there!

[kazza_nz_05]

Hey Guys, Thanks for your comments. I think maybe the lever bent out of shape a bit when i placed my bike on the ground. I just don't know as the levers are pretty stron and don't seem to bend easy. May ride out carefully to the place I got the bike and see what they can do. May need to replace the lever if its bent.

Hubby doesn't ride. Doesn't like bikes that much - safer in cars. He likes flying though (where I am not too keen, but do it anyway..lol).

I felt horrible for the rest of the day cause of the ? bent lever and me almost dropping the bike. Hubby was like its ok, just get back on. Its not broken...LOL

[Slingshot]

Hey Guys, Thanks for your comments. I think maybe the lever bent out of shape a bit when i placed my bike on the ground. I just don't know as the levers are pretty stron and don't seem to bend easy. May ride out carefully to the place I got the bike and see what they can do. May need to replace the lever if its bent.

Hubby doesn't ride. Doesn't like bikes that much - safer in cars. He likes flying though (where I am not too keen, but do it anyway..lol).

I felt horrible for the rest of the day cause of the ? bent lever and me almost dropping the bike. Hubby was like its ok, just get back on. Its not broken...LOL

I had my bike knocked over in a bike park once, bent the lever too. I thought about having it replaced, but I'm used to it now and kinda like it bent.

[gijoe1313]

I had my bike knocked over in a bike park once, bent the lever too. I thought about having it replaced, but I'm used to it now and kinda like it bent.

Stylish! I'm sure some people will wonder where they can pick one up!

[Rosie]

Sounds like you had an eventful ride! At least you are getting out there and giving it a go!

Everyone gives their bike a little lie down at some stage. At least there was no damage.

It might pay to take your bike back to the shop and ask about the position of the levers. They may just need to be adjusted to suit your hands. Or it may be normal. It's always a good idea to check, for peace of mind. It can dent your confidence a lot when you are learning and you think there might be something wrong with the bike.

Stalling is a normal part of the learning process. If you can find an empty carpark, or similar, it's good to practise lots of starting and stopping, so you are less likely to stall when you are out on the road.

[janno]

One of the first things my husband had me practise when he taught me to ride motorcycles was how to restart from a stall quickly without thinking. We practised this over and over, to get rid of my fear of stalling at the lights infront of cars and getting into a flap.

This was great to get down pat - one less thing to worry about. And of course, all that throttle practice meant I pretty much got over the stalling thing anyway.

Hope you find someone to help you out with your riding - it helps to have your mistakes pointed out before they turn in to bad habits which are a bitch to break.

Have fun!!

[kazza_nz_05]

Hey Slingshot - Your lever looks quite cool, really bent but cool. Mines not that extreme. I took my bike out again today and had a great time. went from my place (Taita) all the was to Avalon park and just drove around the parks road practicing starting and stopping and emergency braking and going over jugger bars safely - cause there were some...lol... Might do that for 30minutes every day to build confidence.

[bull]

sounds like a very good idea - when i first started out i went to a carpark as much as i could and just rode around it practicing stopping and starting just like you. Also practiced emergency braking.
Just take your time and enjoy the learning phase and once youre ready join in on the Sunday Rides or even the Wednesday evening rides once daylight savings kicks off again. even a cruisy ride into Wellington then around the bays is a nice simple ride.