Oopsie

[bezajel]

Maybe an idea to get the bike taken to a more learner friendly flat area for a bit of confidence building. Riding really slowly is actually harder than riding fast, momentum is your friend.

Apart from starting in a carpark (I did get bored fast), flat isn't much of an option around here

Today after a bit of practice in the hills that I'm familiar with, we went for a ride down to the bay, through a 70 zone. It was much easier than the hills!

Great to here you got stright back on and went for that ride. That keeps the confidence up.

It's funny, I was fine getting on after falling off, but today before going for a ride I was seriously panicking, guess the adrenaline from the day before had worn off... was ok after once around the block, I had to stop to calm down for a bit though.

I filtered through about 20 cars and went to the front of the que. The light went green, I felt a bit under pressure knowing there were 20 angry bastards behind me thinking "F**king teenager"... I over-revved and stalled. Haha

Hah yeah each time I start at an intersection I'm going "don't stall don't stall don't stall"..

Actually there are fucken heaps of us girls out there...you just not looking hard enough

I never noticed girls on 'bikes til I started thinking I might learnt o ride myself... then I saw them everywhere!

Glad you weren't hurt,remember the clutch is your friend.Use it to smooth things out,great when you get it in the wrong gear by mistake or the engine ceases etc,etc.

I'm starting to use the clutch more! Practice practice practice

I keep dropping my bike at the top of my driveway - cant imagine why. Worse thing for me is I can only just lift it up so need to go ask the neighbour to help me...

I picked mine up the first time, but I wasn't on the street then... I think I need to lay her down and practice getting her up, just so I know the best way to do it if I fall over in public again lol...

[Irontusk]

i could have easily killed my myself.

I thought that was your goal in life. (As read in a recent post)

Back on topic. I didn't have any problems with neutral for a while, but I hit neutral instead of 2nd and revved it up to get nothing twice yesterday, not a fun feeling. And the slight drop I had in my driveway was because I stalled it (I think, I don't know exactly what happened..), like Mom said about momentum and centrifugal force, I was expecting the bike to take care of itself as I moved forward (I may have also been trying to look behind me at the same time? Like I said, it happened pretty quick so I don't remember exactly..) to line up with my garage, but it stalled due to either me not using the clutch right or my bumpy sloped driveway (cobblestones, grrr) and it just tipped straight over. I didn't realise that's what it could've been but I was moving it around the driveway without warming it up today (just had to move it, wasn't going out) and it stalled, nearly having the same result, caught it in time though

[MarkH]

Hah yeah each time I start at an intersection I'm going "don't stall don't stall don't stall"..

I'm starting to use the clutch more! Practice practice practice

My machine is automatic, so I don't have to worry about clutch or stalling. But I wouldn't recommend it for a learner - it doesn't hurt to learn to use clutch + gears. When I come across a car driver that says they CAN'T drive a manual I think "WTF?". I can imagine the same thing with some scooter riders - learn on a 50, then get a 125 then a bigger scooter, full m/cycle license but unable to actually ride a bike with gears.

Keep up the practice and get used to clutch/throttle control - after a while stalling will be a very rare occurrence.

[Badjelly]

Cocked up changing into second, slipped into neutral, ...

Tell me about it . After a year with the Scorpio, I still do that from time to time. The gearbox is so smooth and light, the changes go through like butter--except, occasionally, they don't.

Cheer up. You will get better. With more experience, you won't muck up your gear changes as often, and you won't fall off when you do.

[howdamnhard]

[QUOTE=bezajel;1711005]


I'm starting to use the clutch more! Practice practice practice



Excellent keep up the good work.. The great thing about riding is that you never stop learning to improve and it's fun.

[Sam_I_am]

ME TOO! I went out for the 2nd time today, wanted to practice stopping properly at stop signs etc. doing OK, then on a hill & having to turn right out of the road, stopped & gravity took over & over it went! Then had to pick it up, up hill! managed to lift it up though, then had a bit of a struggle getting my leg over.

[Littlewheels]

I have dropped the bike in all the worst places, at the top of my driveway LOL for all the neighbours who all think I'm strange anyway.
dropped it outside a rather big bike shop, so now I don't have to worry about that one any more.
also in the driveway of a very upmarket shop for gear, banging my head (luckily in helmet) on the wall of the building. I was so pissed off that I picked up the old girl (bike) like a feather, swearing like a trooper, and took off before anyone saw my face (very red)
these tales have had my friends in fits of laughter, so far have not hurt the bike as it usually lands on me (ha ha)
I tend to be more selective on where I go now and how I approach tricky places.

[sinfull]

The scorpio has got rather a long first gear unfortunately ! Its one of those things that ya have to say is good that it happened, only way to really learn is to experience ! Never nice to scratch up the bike, but getting straight back on is the key !

[mowgli]

I dropped my bike again!

Turning out of our little street to head up into the hills where I've been practising (nothing but hills around here). Cocked up changing into second, slipped into neutral, realised why I wasn't going anywhere, got her into second and voom! stall! fallover to the left!

Maybe you should go to a car park and practice moving off in second from standstill. Would help you get comfortable with slipping the clutch a bit more in such situations. When you've nailed it going straight try the same exercise setting off in a turn just as you were in this incident.

[bezajel]

I went out for the 2nd time today, wanted to practice stopping properly at stop signs etc.

I still need a bunch of stopping and starting practice, especially since at the moment I have a slight tendency to just keep going when i should probably stop to make sure it's safe...

I have dropped the bike in all the worst places, at the top of my driveway LOL for all the neighbours who all think I'm strange anyway.
dropped it outside a rather big bike shop, so now I don't have to worry about that one any more.
also in the driveway of a very upmarket shop for gear, banging my head (luckily in helmet) on the wall of the building. I was so pissed off that I picked up the old girl (bike) like a feather, swearing like a trooper, and took off before anyone saw my face (very red)
these tales have had my friends in fits of laughter, so far have not hurt the bike as it usually lands on me (ha ha)
I tend to be more selective on where I go now and how I approach tricky places.

I just have to try to ignore the really embarrassing situations where I do really embarrassing things, to avoid mucking up further! I'm starting to be a bit more cautious and level headed now though which helps

[bezajel]

Tell me about it . After a year with the Scorpio, I still do that from time to time. The gearbox is so smooth and light, the changes go through like butter--except, occasionally, they don't.

Cheer up. You will get better. With more experience, you won't muck up your gear changes as often, and you won't fall off when you do.

My biggest issue with the Scorpio is the really annoying gear shift at the heel, must be my foot size but my heel keeps getting caught on it, and I reckon my foot's too small to use it anyway, prefer just to use my toes... I'm considering getting the damn thing cut off...

Maybe you should go to a car park and practice moving off in second from standstill. Would help you get comfortable with slipping the clutch a bit more in such situations. When you've nailed it going straight try the same exercise setting off in a turn just as you were in this incident.

It's probably about time for another carpark play, just a really HUGE carpark with fun obstacles so I don't get bored... hmm...

[maybe]

Main thing is no injuries and bike still ridable, we all have little opsys as long as we learn from them is what matters.

Happy riding. As I said we all do opsys

[maybe]

Main thing is no injuries and bike still ridable, we all have little opsys as long as we learn from them is what matters.

Happy riding.

[CookMySock]

Turning out of our little street to head up into the hills where I've been practising (nothing but hills around here). Cocked up changing into second, slipped into neutral, realised why I wasn't going anywhere, got her into second and voom! stall! fallover to the left!

It happens. Last week my rather heavy 650 slipped out of first gear while doing a fairly quick U turn - suddenly no power to keep me upright resulted in a very loud STOMP of the foot to the ground to keep upright. Maybe your gearlever is set too high as well, but yeah you will get used to that neutral being there and the sneaky tricks it can pull on you.

Went well apart from being very timid with speed still (largely narrow, hilly, windy streets granted, but 40 on the easier bits still felt like OMG).

hehe, come the summer you will be a legend on it. Aint no one more careful on a bike than my mrs, and after a few months practice she makes it look easy now, so just ride when you feel ready to - don't try too hard. The summer around your favourite places will be just great, you will see.

Steve

[Okey Dokey]

I guess most or all of us dropped a bike once or twice while learning. The good thing is that you got on and kept learning. Good for you! It does get easier the more you ride. Cheers.