Hill starts

[CHOPPA]

practice some burnouts, it gives you all the required skills....

[ManDownUnder]

A drill to teach clutch control.

Start off from a standing start - in 2nd. Stop - do it again... and again... and again...

[discotex]

Try putting a block of wood behind the rear tyre. This will allow you to practice moving off and coordinating throttle and clutch without the extra complexity of the brake . And remove some of the stress. Once you can easily start on the hill, take the block away and do it using the brake.

Other option is to find a nicely cambered quiet street and use roll the back wheel up against the gutter. Practicing parking at the same time

I just found a quiet local street with a bit of a hill and did them over and over until I had it sorted. Same for u-turns.

[Irontusk]

I had real trouble with taking off on the near flat when I sat my basic handling test, that was on a Keeway 150 'speed', but the VL250 is certainly much easier! Only had a bit of trouble once, can't remember what happened but I ended up rolling backward nearly hitting the car behind me, my instant reaction was to stand up while grabbing the front brake (which included twisting the throttle ALOT, I think that was on my 3rd ride) so I made a whole lot of noise and in my embarassment I wanted to get out of there as quick as possible, the extra pressure was great cause I just sat back down and went.

Now I usually use my rear brake, seems to work for me, but from your previous posts it sounds like you're a fair bit bigger than me so you'll need more throttle.

Who uses a handbrake for hillstarts in a car? I'd do without on my bike too if it had a bit more guts

[fatzx10r]

ya just need a bit more throttle and ride the clutch untill you have a bit of speed up. hold your front brake with one finger and that way you can leave both feet on the ground if that feel's more comftable to you. a bit of practice and you will have it all sorted in a few day's

[metalslug]

one quick question here:

I have been practising hillstart on my lil 2 stroke kr150. I usually step on my rear brake, then gas in first gear until rpm reaches 6-7k before slowly let go of the clutch (and brake), then gas more as I let more clutch out.

When I do this my bike usually screams like mad and I get a lot of bystanders looking at me with my L plate thinking I must be some try hard loser. But this seems to be the only way I can do it. Is there a better way?

and also is the high rpm at first gear bad for the bike (i can so feel the shake lol).

cheers

[breakaway]

There is no better way on highly strung bikes.

This includes 4 strokers too, I have to give my bike quite a lot, and the exhaust isn't exactly quiet

As you get used to your bike, you will know it's limits and know how to give it the least amount of revs for a hill start. All about keeping the engine in the power band.

"and also is the high rpm at first gear bad for the bike (i can so feel the shake lol). "

No, it's a 2 stroke. 2 Strokes are designed for and meant to live their lives out at redline or near redline. Riding it sedately will be worse for it than thrashing the hell out of it. I had an RG150 and it loved it when I gave it hell.

[Ixion]

one quick question here:

I have been practising hillstart on my lil 2 stroke kr150. I usually step on my rear brake, then gas in first gear until rpm reaches 6-7k before slowly let go of the clutch (and brake), then gas more as I let more clutch out.

When I do this my bike usually screams like mad and I get a lot of bystanders looking at me with my L plate thinking I must be some try hard loser. But this seems to be the only way I can do it. Is there a better way?

and also is the high rpm at first gear bad for the bike (i can so feel the shake lol).

cheers

Its a two stroke. Rape it and it'll beg for more. All two strokes are sluts from way back.

[FROSTY:Me]

Really the guts of it is that its all about CLUTCH control.
A learner rider tends to use the clutch like a off/on switch.

[Lilly2w]

Had to pick up my hubbies V.L after its first service, so sweating it when they told me its "readyto go outback" (W.M.C has a HILL outback) i'd only riden the bike twice before and never done a hill start on it, Rev'd the snot out of it and slowly let out the clutch (ok i was panicing SLIGHTLY) didn't stall! Yipee! so relieved as am slightly paranoid girl rider and was sure that all the W.M.C guys were watching to see how i would do..