First ride today!!!

[Big Zappa]

Went for my first ride today, couldn't resist going out after work!

Was a lot easier than I thought at first, then at a traffic light it hit me - shit, I don't even know where this bike's friction point is! Numerous stalls later, I felt somewhat confident. Then on a twisty narrow and dark uphill to my place, I feel it running a bit low, so I drop it down a gear - the only problem is that a shiny green light comes on telling me I got it neutral. So I pull over and drop it into first and try to start up hill - no dice. After about 5 solid minutes of wrestling with the bike and stalling about 50 times, I finally get it going... to stall at a less steep uphill part literally 20m away!

Finally, I manage to find the right combination of clutch and throttle for a hill start and its no problems back to my house. However I was literally sweating bullets when I got inside!

So, what I'm gonna do on Saturday, is get up bright and early, find a carpark and drill starting/stopping/slow corners for a solid couple of hours, then maybe find a quiet street and practice hill starts. Only then will I be thinking about going for a longer stroll.

[Trudes]

Good on you Big Zappa, that's the right idea, get the simple fundamental stuff down first eh... starting, cornering, slow riding and balance and most importantly stopping!, and then go for the longer rides.

[CB ARGH]

Well done love! I'll be in the same position in a few weeks time once I've finnished rebuilding my baby! I can speak from experience for starting and stopping, about seven years ago I sat on a motorbike for the first ever time and learnt to ride it, this was a piddly Honda XR100. I can't remember stalling heaps, which I DEFINATELY would have done, however I can clearly remember trying to go from first to second and getting it in neutral accidentaly, and then revving the crap out of it wondering why I don't go faster. This happened MILLIONS of times... minor exaggeration.

Give it a good five hours total, and you should be sweet as. Even I won't dare to go out onto a busy street for quite some time, probably a week. Just take it a step at a time, and you'll be away buzzing on a nice long summer's ride...

not saying it'll take all the way to summer to get going well!

[portokiwi]

Way to go on your bike. I live in GI the bronks. One day I will get out for a team ride.
Enjoy the bike shame on the weather

[007XX]

You go girl!!!


*sigh* I still remember those days when I was breaking into a sweat just at the mere idea of throwing my leg over the seat of my little VTR...Good days!

This is the beginning of a long love story for you Angelique, so enjoy it!

[Grub]

It's like sweet music ... all of you, Angelique, swedencamilla and Big Zappa ... out on your first rides ... brilliant, just brilliant. It becomes and obsession of the buziest kind.

If I can pass on anything that might help, it's this. Bikes get dropped at low speed, below walking speed. It happens in the carpark, in the driveway, doubling back in the street - almost always when you are turning around. Everyone does it and it really sucks because beautiful nice bike bits get broken and scratched.

It happens because bikes at low speed are at their most unstable and have no gyroscopic forces to keep them up. A touch of front brake is usually fatal if the front wheel is anywhere other than straight ahead. Also guaranteed for falling down at creep speed is a stall or throttle surge. You slow down because you're trying to be careful, you start to turn r.e.a.l.l.y slowly ... and the f'king thing stalls! Down we go @#*&^$!

Ok, so that's the bogeyman (or woman ), there are ways of controlling that and the one I like is with the clutch. I've found that I 'feather' the clutch all the time at low speeds, including going through roundabouts. You've probably already found that at low speeds if you go on and off the throttle the damn thing snatches and jerks. It's those that'll have you the bike on its side in milliseconds.

Instead of closing the throttle, if you just pull the clutch in a little, you'll find that the deceleration is smoooth and jerk-free. Same goes for needing a little more oomph. If your engine is carrying a few revs, then just letting out a little clutch will apply just a little forward momentum rather than a sudden burst that the throttle alone will give you. So in those situations, ride with your fingers on the clutch blade and just practice engaging and disengaging at low speeds - in a straight line at first of course. It becomes an essential skill when you get to the dreaded U-turns

I hope that makes sense, I hope so, dropping a perfectly good bike at a speed slower than a baby can crawl is a gutting and unneccesary drama.

[Angelique]

I had a few problems just getting out of the our long driveway, which is uphill. I was out for an hour and stalled quite a few times, I lost count and felt like an utter idiot. It was great fun though. Initially I did not have any problems with the neutral, the light came on easily, but for the last 20 min or so I could not get the light on..

I have the same issue with an uphill driveway lol, I just walked it down for fear of getting to the bottom and freaking out... I had the same issue with the neutral light, its the whole only going half a click up from first that gets me, I always go too far... but we shall succeed!

[-JT-]

... I had the same issue with the neutral light, its the whole only going half a click up from first that gets me, I always go too far... but we shall succeed!

We've found on our Intruder VL250 that it's easier to get to neutral from 2nd gear, instead of 1st. Might be worth a try.

[FJRider]

I am so pleased I read your thread. I got my Scorpio delivered today and took it out on a few quiet streets and a car park for practice. I had a few problems just getting out of the our long driveway, which is uphill. I was out for an hour and stalled quite a few times, I lost count and felt like an utter idiot. It was great fun though. Initially I did not have any problems with the neutral, the light came on easily, but for the last 20 min or so I could not get the light on. Not sure what the problem is. Does any one else have problems with the neutral light? I wish there was a gear indicator, so I could know which gear I am in, but I guess it is more a matter of listening to the motor. With all the gear on I sort of feel like a Michelin man, but cold I am not. The helmet really seems to do a good job of ruining the hair!! How long does it usually take until one is safe to go in busy innercity traffic?

When I was learning, I often looked for neutral between 2nd and 3rd... it wasn't there.
Learning what speed/revs you are doing, in each gear, is part of the learning.

[Pedrostt500]

You Newbies dont be scared to ask for help from some of your local more exsperienced members of KB, weather its advice online or some practical one on one mentoring, about riding or bike maintenance.

[Victoria]

Did my first rain ride today...I'm in Wellington it had to happen sooner or later!...was a bit nervous but had been raining for a while so wasn't worried about it being greasy. Stayed off the paint and it was fine....until the final turn, and the wee darling stepped out on me...bless her...sure enough, was going too slow, chopped down too many gears, let go of the clutch and a racing engine and a wee slide... had to smile that it happened so gently so as to show me what happens, but not scare the shit outta me..! bring on the good weather...and G-TARanaki!!!

[Number One]

I have the same issue with an uphill driveway lol, I just walked it down for fear of getting to the bottom and freaking out... I had the same issue with the neutral light, its the whole only going half a click up from first that gets me, I always go too far... but we shall succeed!

OMG DON'T do that!!! You are way more incontrol on the bike, clutch pulled, FEET ON THE PEGS and covering the rear brake...HONEST!!!!!

[vifferman]

I've found that I 'feather' the clutch all the time at low speeds, including going through roundabouts.

This is good advice: get used to using the clutch.
Practice riding very slowly, and controlling your speed using the clutch by pulling it in and letting it out. It also helps if you blip the throttle while the clutch lever is in, as the various mechanical doodads whirling around in the engine help to keep the bike stable. When doing slow-speed turns (like u-turns), it is imperative that you can get the balance/coordination between throttle, clutch and rear brake right (the rear brake is useful to drag slightly as it acts like a rudder during slow speed turns).

Practice, practice, PRACTICE! Turns, stopping and starting, figure-eights, going up/down through the gears smoothly, finding neutral at stops, etc.

And remember - ALWAYS look where you want to go: look through corners, and practice avoiding obstacles like potholes, slippery lane markings, catseyes, dead cats, slow cars by tracing with your eyes the path you want to take.

And above all - HAVE FUN and keep the shiny side up!

[swedencamilla]

Thanks everyone for all your helpful comments and encouragement. You are such a friendly bunch! Grubs advice about the clutch is great. Seems much smoother this way. It is very reassuring hearing that other people have had similar problems, when they start out. Walking the bike up the driveway sounds dangerous and difficult. I agree with the better control of bike when riding it with both feet up. We have to learn to start in uphill some time anyway, so why not now. Someone mentioned about not being afraid to ask for some help eg mentoring and I would be quite keen to get some help. It is not the same thing exchanging infor on the net. I thought it would be best just to get some basic riding on very quiet streets and car park practice first. Maybe later a group of newbies in Wellington could get together and practice together. What do you think?

[Number One]

Thanks everyone for all your helpful comments and encouragement. You are such a friendly bunch! Grubs advice about the clutch is great. Seems much smoother this way. It is very reassuring hearing that other people have had similar problems, when they start out. Walking the bike up the driveway sounds dangerous and difficult. I agree with the better control of bike when riding it with both feet up. We have to learn to start in uphill some time anyway, so why not now. Someone mentioned about not being afraid to ask for some help eg mentoring and I would be quite keen to get some help. It is not the same thing exchanging infor on the net. I thought it would be best just to get some basic riding on very quiet streets and car park practice first. Maybe later a group of newbies in Wellington could get together and practice together. What do you think?

I'm surprised there aren't any sessions like those that KittyHawk does up north...surely there are some well enough experienced and helpful bikers on here that would happy to help out with some drills and skills?

I'm not volunteering because I still consider myself a learner who needs to be schooled in the basics from time to time....as in all the time