a "problem" w/ the clutch and throttle and...uhhh would up on my ***! ok, so it happened twice, got kinda banged up and now... I'm kinda freaked about getting back in the saddle! Help me out bikers! I wanna ride!
2006-12-21 20:06:50 · 22 answers · asked by RAVEN 2 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Motorcycles
You are just thinking about it too much. Take a break for a week and let your mind reset. Then take it out on a side street and cycle between first and second until your confidance returns. Small steps grasshopper. The only thing you have to fear is fear itself.
2006-12-21 23:39:54 · answer #1 · answered by Bill G 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
bikernoj always has a good point. I think he's just being a little harsh today. No body told me about increasing the idle when I started - that would have helped me. Something else I saw here - put the front tire against a solid object, and slowly let out the clutch. Practice and get the feel of it. You should take a day off to settle yourself down, then get back in the saddle and start over, slowly. Do take the safety course. It will do nothing but help. Don't leave the parking lot until you do. And wear a helmet. I exercise my choice now, but when I started, I always wore one.
2006-12-22 06:12:36 · answer #2 · answered by Firecracker . 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I agree with Gatesfam. The class is a good thing, the first week I finish class I dropped the bike on my foot and was ready give up, I'm glad I did not. I'm having a ball riding now. Take it slow. I think it's good to learn on a small bike to get the clutch and throttle master. In class you will ride a small bike.
Good Luck and Be Safe
2006-12-22 03:37:58 · answer #3 · answered by Pamela 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Perhaps you didn't learn all you could from the MSF course you took? You DID take an MSF course to actually LEARN how to ride, didn't you?
If not, then you are just one of the 83% of crashing motorcyclists that didn't have any training. You are, in short, a squid.
Motorcycles are not cars. They don't work like cars, don't handle like cars, and don't behave like cars. If you think you're driving a car, you'll be on your @ss (oh wait, that DID happen to you!).
It's a good thing you had full gear and a helmet on, or you'd be hurt a lot worse, RIGHT?
It's also a good thing you'll sign up and pass a REAL training course instead of letting your drunk nephew "teach" you how to ride, RIGHT?
And in your off-time, you'll go out and buy a book titled "Proficient Motorcycling" and read it cover-to-cover, RIGHT?
It's your life, and learning to ride a motorcycle takes more than a couple days; in fact, it takes YEARS just to be good enough not to be a danger to everyone around you. Either figure it out, or get your @ss in a really bad situation and die.
2006-12-22 01:52:01 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
Take a motorcycle safety foundation course, where you can learn to ride on a small motorcycle.
Took me a couple of months to get the hang of the throttle and clutch. You'll learn.
P.S. Don't kickstart your 'cycle when it's in gear. That's a serious ouchie.
2006-12-22 12:06:24 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Find an empty parking lot and drive around there, testing out the clutch and throttle. Also, follow everyone elses advice about the safety course. It is a fantastic course. I made my husband take it with me and he has years of experience. Even with the years of experience he said he still learned something. Also, make sure to wear safety gear. Good luck and keep trying.
2006-12-22 03:14:59 · answer #6 · answered by blb 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Just think about what you're doing, when you do it. Don't try to be like someone else, don't try to "outride" yourself by getting too technical - you're new.
Are you giving a lot of gas, and then popping the clutch - then wheelie-ing? If that's the case, remember this, and practice it -
When you pull in on the clutch, let off the gas - that's what I do - it's smoother. Don't lay on the gas all the time - it's wasteful, and dangerous - as you've found out!
lay off the gas, pull in the clutch, kick up to the next gear, let off the clutch, give it a LITTLE gas - just enough to increase throttle through the powe band of the gear - no more. Believe me, in your state of learning, you don't need to be worried about going fast.
You need to concentrate on keeping the wheels down and on the pavement. Just take it slowly. Trying to keep up with someone or trying to get on their level is either going to get you hurt or killed.
Just take it easy - don't go out on any "major" streets yet - find a nice, big, EMPTY parking lot, and just ride around. Get used to shifting up (you'll only get to about second or third, but it's good practice), and downshifting to help stopping (pull in on the clutch, and kick down a gear while braking - let the clutch out slowly, not too abruptly). You'll see, it'll work!
You might also consider taking the MSF course in your area.
Good luck, be safe, and wear a helmet!
2006-12-22 01:51:48 · answer #7 · answered by gatesfam@swbell.net 4 · 3⤊ 1⤋
When I first learned, I sped up the idle on the carb enough so all I had to learn was the feel for the clutch, then after I got comfortable, I turned the idle speed back down and practiced both throttle and clutch.
2006-12-21 22:18:35 · answer #8 · answered by strech 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
If you want to get a feel for the clutch without messing with the throttle just turn the idle up a little... just enough that you can take off without stalling the bike, once you have mastered the clutch then turn the idle back down.
2006-12-21 20:24:18 · answer #9 · answered by misc 75 3 · 6⤊ 0⤋
these videos are worth alot more than what they're sellin for. i have 1 of em, and their excellent. go to http://www.ridelikeapro.com
ridin a bike is fun, but is an entirely different animal isnt it. here is another thing u need to remember. where u are looking is where the bike is gonna head to. so, if ur at very slow speed and u look at the ground when u go to do a turn, u will go down. been there, done it. oh, and another thing.....never grab on the front brake with the handlebars turned. it'll pull u down like the road turned into a magnet.
2006-12-22 11:40:27 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋