Lost confidence

[BMWST?]

Is the Harley new(ish) to you?If so i agree with the person who suggested some low speed manouvering practise.Start on the flat,then try the same things on a slope.I think you are getting the feeling the bike is about to fall over.There is only two responses to that feeling,turn the bars tighter,and or feed in some power/clutch to pick it up again.It may FEEL different to the other bikes but it will respond to the same inputs

[MadDuck]

To the newb, when someone asks for help with humility, its best to respond with good grace. After 20 odd years, I still find situations where I need to rethink stuff, and there are often people here who can give good advice, rather than a blanket statement like bike skills. Even Rossi falls off occasionally...

Yes Rossi does fall off.. Dont get me wrong I love the bike I have chosen and I will master my damn silly fear

[Maha]

Oh really? Damn best I go slit my wrists then

No need...just put your trainer wheels back on for the next few rides, you confidence will be back in no time.

[TLDV8]

Its hard to picture exactly but can't you stay on the right coming up the drive so you get a bigger radius to swing around at the top.
It might sound odd,but maybe a little more speed will be good for momentum,maybe even slipping the clutch a little at the turn.

If you had no probs on the other bikes then something must have changed somewhere.

[The Pastor]

when in doubt gas it out!

[Mystic13]

Okay, it's about time you invited the KB crew up who apparently have all the skills in the world. I suggest you go for 20. Put on the beers, get the video camera out and charge $ to let them have a go.

Or you could;

1/ Rent a garage down the road. Ride your Harley back from a ride and into the garage where your sport bike is stored. Jump off the Harley and onto the sport bike then up your drive.... or

2/ Install a turntable on the bend. Ride up and park on the turntable. Press the remote while the bike turns. When she stops ride off and into the garage.

3/ Mount the Harley on a trailer, back teh trailer, blindfolded down the drive. At the bottom take the bike off and ride off. When you return park on the trailer again.

4/ Buy one of those transformer bikes. Get to the bottom of the drive and press the button to change from Harley to Sport. Then ride up the drive.

....


On a more serious note the cops do some serious learning on their big bikes. Get one to come up and see if he can get the bike up easily. If he can then get him to show you how.

I bought rain-off gloves last winter and the drive to the house where they're sold from is a killer. And though everyone is told, Steep hill, moss on tar, sharp right half way up then left at the top. Many people still drop their bikes. I almost dropped mine. I cam to a stop at the bend after failing to take it. With the front brake on the bike was sliding backwards down the hill with me doing a fast reverse duck walk. I had to get the rear brake on to stop. Then try again for a steep hill start and tight right. I did it.

So what I'm saying is I think I'd be able to drop the bike like you do so I really have no useful advice.

But it sounds like it would make a great event. Charge entry and watch rider after rider fail.

Cheers.

[FJRider]

Yes D thats where I painted the lines. Hmmm house paint which i am sure will wash away with all the rain.

Bike is fine. Pride is somewhat deflated.

I hope that house paint does not make the driveway slippery ???

[mister.koz]

Yes Rossi does fall off.. Dont get me wrong I love the bike I have chosen and I will master my damn silly fear

Good on you I reckon the moment you loose confidence you will keep following the same (almost anxious) pattern at the same point.

A guy who mentioned that the harley has a lower centre of gravity and rake etc etc so the steering dynamic is totally different - its a really good point... my zx6rr turned completely differently to my 10r.. and they are the same brand/type(ish) of bike.

Visual range looks like its a factor too, I would look to clearing that.

Good luck, you'll be sweet

[ajturbo]

Oh really? Damn best I go slit my wrists then

no Photo's...

never happened!



hey matey.. once the blood stops, i would make sure that the moss/mould is cleaned away...( i am SURE that your work may have a damaged bottle or two...)

cut back some of the left hand bush ( making sure that the local iwi has been informed and paid)

then as soon as you can ( while riding up the cliff) look where your going to finish up... you know that corner like you know where you keep your spare batteries for your special friend, you do not have to look AT IT any more,

and before you know it, you'll be doing it on you back wheel... like "carver" would

[Crisis management]

Ok, I haven't read the whole thread, I'm lazy so if it's been said before, sorry.

Get someone who can ride to teach you how to negotiate the corner. I don't mean that in a derogatory manner but somewhere your skill set doesn't know how to deal with the situation, get some coaching. It sounds like a bastard bit of driveway and probably you need to use some "off road" style of riding to get around it, ie, stand on the pegs and use your body position to get the bike to manouver more tightly.

More than happy to turn up and make an arse of myself, so if you want any assistance (or just entertainment) send me a PM.

[MsKABC]

My driveway is a cast iron MF too, I've only met two women who could reverse up it first time, one is a courier (and she's an ex race car driver), the other is a Yummy Mummy who is gifted.

It's not that difficult. I've seen worse.

[MsKABC]

Am I right in assuming that since you've owned this bike for several months and you've only had a whoopsie twice, that your strike rate for getting it into the garage without mishap is pretty good? (Like, say 99%?) This means that you do have the skills to get the job done, and that it's only a confidence problem as you say. So you just need to practise lots and every time you get it right you will be a bit more confident. Every time you go up that driveway, you just focus on the last time you did it right and verbalise what you need to do to get it right again. It's like refining any skill - break it down into the steps required and repeat them in your head.

[Maha]

Am I right in assuming that since you've owned this bike for several months and you've only had a whoopsie twice, that your strike rate for getting it into the garage without mishap is pretty good? (Like, say 99%?) This means that you do have the skills to get the job done, and that it's only a confidence problem as you say. So you just need to practise lots and every time you get it right you will be a bit more confident. Every time you go up that driveway, you just focus on the last time you did it right and verbalise what you need to do to get it right again. It's like refining any skill - break it down into the steps required and repeat them in your head.

Its like making scones really aint it?
One day, you just dont need the book.....

Edit: damn, I gotta spread bla bla before giving it to Anarkist again.....

[<G>]

What MsKABC said - your success rate is excellent. I know how debilitating a lack of confidence can be, but I'm sure that you will be able to overcome it.
Good luck!

[MsKABC]

Its like making scones really aint it?
One day, you just dont need the book.....

Perhaps not quite the analogy I would have chosen. I was thinking more along the lines of learning to water-ski (arms straight, knees together, look up) or emergency braking (throttle off, front brake, clutch in, back brake, change down).