| Author | Message | ||
     Drkside79 |
So i bought a XB9SX it's also my first bike. I already love it. I am a little nervous i had a rough first day on it. I got it Sat. and practiced in a parking lot for two hours. after that i took it onto residential side streets. All is good for like 30 min till I'm riding along real slow maybe 25 tops and a punk teenager blows a stop sign and makes a left turn right in front of me. I avoided him. Not quite sure how, but down i went with my brand new bike! Anyway I keep getting on it but I'm a little apprehensive while riding. Will this pass? Does anyone have any advice? | ||
| Jramsey |
Get the proper riding gear and take a riding course as soon as you can. BTW welcome to the zoo. | ||
| Jaimec |
Have you taken the MSF Basic RiderCourse? | ||
| Buellinachinashop |
Don't feel bad, I'm relatively new as well and thought it best to buy a nice used bike that already had some scrapes. My advice, take a rider's course. Don't be discouraged about the damaged parts, you can find a ton here and on ebay pretty cheap. | ||
| Ratbuell |
It will pass, don't worry. The good news is, you got the "first one" out of the way and now you don't have to worry about it! Practice and time will teach you how and where on a vehicle to look, to see the telltale signs of when they're about to do something stupid. I always look at the front wheel of a vehicle on a side street; if it's turning (i.e. the car is rolling, even a little) I get on my front brake and get ready to evade. Even if they're not rolling, I cover the brake and am ready for them to look right through me and pull out anyway. If a car is travelling in the same direction as me (i.e. another lane on a highway) I look at the drivers head and body language. Cell phone to ear? Cover the brake and make sure I have runoff if they decide they want my lane. Hunting for assorted objects, disciplining rearseat rugrats, fiddling with gizmos...same thing. Time and practice, time and practice. You've found the right online home for support...now get off the computer and go ride some more! | ||
| Xl1200r |
Glad you're okay, glad you've made your way to the Buell world, and glad that a little mishap hasn't kept you off it. Take a course. The feeling will pass. I've been a little nervous about really hammering on the bike for a couple weeks now after a buddy went down behind me and messed up his leg pretty bad. I haven't had a chance to do much riding since so that doesn't help, but the confidence will come back, I promise. | ||
| Cowboy |
Never let the bike take you any place your mind has not been 5 sec. before | ||
| Bbbob |
Ditto taking a course & get good riding gear. IT WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE!! | ||
| Zane |
Greetings Drkside, I'm new at all this motorcycle stuff myself. Been riding about 3 months now and love it just a little more each time I get on. Motorcycling really does get in your blood. Ok, now I'll be the echo to Jramsey, Jaimec, Buellinachinashop and everone else. Take an Motorcycle Safety Foundation approved class. I thought highly enough of the one I took that I paid for my 17 year old son to take it too. Tons of good information in it. The MSF course will go a long way toward keeping you safe. It stresses building a strategy in the way you approach riding that helps you avoid trouble before it happens. Again, welcome aboard. | ||
| Nevrenuf |
dropped my new xt a couple weeks ago just from trying to turn around so i can back into a parking spot. was maybe going about 1mph. i plan on taking an advanced riders course as soon as one is available. fall out of the saddle get back on the horse. i got hit back in the navy and as soon as i was in a half cast on the right leg, i was back on the bike. | ||
| Drkside79 |
No on the riders course cant get into one I've been on wait list for the past month. I already fixed the damage on the bike for the most part i just snapped the left peg. Which made it a little interesting riding home after the mishap. thank you all for the advice. I am getting taught by my father whos been riding for 15 or 20 years but i still plan to take a class ASAP. | ||
| Nevrenuf |
it'll be the best thing you can do for yourself. a friend of my buddy rode all his life. a big ol guy who was called spike. he always had the problem of forgetting to put his legs down when he came to a stop for some reason. they talked him into taking the course and low and behold he stopped dropping the bike. changed driving habits i would think. | ||
| 86129squids |
If you can't get into a MSF Beginner course anytime soon, there are many good instructional books, videos, DVD's and such. Head to a good bookstore and skim through them, then take home your favorite. One good DVD to look at would be "Ride Like a Pro"- the 5th edition is out and the intent is to teach you how to ride like a motor cop! Think about that- these guys handle fullsize H-D baggers like they're ballerinas. "www.ridelikeapro.com" This DVD got a great review from Motorcycle Consumer News- now that I mention it, you should subscribe to that magazine too. They're always got a good column about rider techniques, mentalities, gear, you name it. Get all Spongebob about learning, and hang with the right folks- avoid squids but watch them carefully. | ||
| Thumper74 |
Take the class! Get a good jacket, the most comfortable helmet you can afford, get some gloves and riding boots. I rode with my temps for three years before I took the MSF class and I unlearned a lot of nasty habits and it has managed to save my butt more than once. My gear has done it as well. A few years ago I got a concussion in a parking lot and lots of roadrash with no gear at less than 10mph. A few months ago I rearended a Saturn at 30-40mph, totaled the bike but walked away due to good gear. A good jacket, gloves, boots and pants are the difference between sitting on the curb waiting for the police or an abulance for a skin graff... A helmet is the difference between life and death... Good luck, you'll love the bike and the community you just bought into. | ||
| Reepicheep |
The MSF drills are great. I practiced starts, stops, turns, etc in a parking lot until I got pretty bored before taking it to the street. So much of riding well is about being comfortable with the bike, the environment, and your skill level... so do something in controlled circumstances until it gets booring and you don't even have to think about it to do it. And take your time. If you ride nothing but side streets and back roads for the first season, just enjoy it and move on when you want to, not because you feel like you are supposed to. | ||
| Josh_ |
Since you're in IL the MSF courses (basic and advanced) are free, which is why they're packed. They do take walk-ins when people don't show up. You're also close to Milwaukee where you can take the Total Control class TC link (note you'll want to have 1000+ miles of experience) Might as well show up at Homecoming since it isn't that far away also!} | ||
| Cityxslicker |
dropping sucks, gravity wins when traction fails. parking lots are some of the worst places to practice as the cars leak and drop oil all day long. Plus you get the 5-10 mph lookie loius that are off in their own world looking to park the barge and not watching for bikes. get the gear, keep your eyes up, and welcome to the family. Anybody that tells you they never dropped a bike is categorically lying. I take mine off road all the time, just so if I do drop it, its out off the pavement and out of traffic. | ||
| Regkittrelle |
Lot-o-good advice here, 79. Take heed. Also, continually replay the situation in your mind with the intent of determining exactly why it happened. Specifically, what should/could you have done differently to avoid the get-off? This is important because it removes the episode from the "just one of those things" category. That's a dangerous category as it attributes way too much to chance and reinforces the apprehension and timidity with which you approach your riding.. either of those can get you hurt. | ||
| Deltablue |
+1 on the MSF course. The things that it will cover in the amount of time it takes, just can't reproduced on the street. The skills and strategies are life savers, no two ways about it. If you really want to ride then the fear will go away over time. Good Luck & keep the rubber side down. | ||
| Bcordb3 |
Welcome to the madness, remember all the gear all the time is a good thing. | ||
| Rainman |
Oh, and one more thing: Don't worry about scrapes and scratches on the bike, they're stories just like scars on your arm. If they're your scrapes and scratches, they're cool. Show's you're not some wussy wax rider, all polish and no ride. | ||
| Azxb9r |
Another vote for the MSF course. Total Control by Lee Parks is a good read. If you expect other motorists to do the stupidest thing possible...you will rarely be disappointed. The nervous feeling will go away, just make sure you don't replace it with complacence. Happy riding  | ||
| Thumper74 |
Total Control was GREAT! I've been trying to get my dad to rear it. He just got back into riding after a 20 year hiatus and thinks he's 'still got it'. I'm glas I was able to get him to take the class with my fiance. I practice those drills in the book all the time, especially when I notice myself taking more chances. See my thread about the ticket. Focus on having fun and perfecting your technique rather than going balls out. I'm trying to work on The Pace, but it's REAL hard to resist ripping the throttle outside of the city limits. I was a nervous wreck the first few months on a motorcycle. I was self taught and taught by friends who aren't the best riders. My biggest advancement in riding was with the MSF Rider's Edge where one of my instructor's is always on here. After that, I was hooked. Once I realized what the class did for me, I became a million times more confident. Now I'm thinning out my chicken strips and have 12,000 miles on my Buell since I bought it in December... My car is jealous. (Message edited by Thumper74 on July 01, 2008) | ||
| Tramp |
welcome, drkside 79: The situation you describe is common- many new riders are over-drilled on using, strictly, their front brake, which, on soft or wet surfaces, can drop you like a left from Tyson. Unfortunately, many of the safety Foundations teach this technique, as well, and I'm amazed by the number of new riders/recent MSF grads I meet who've dropped their scoots on these sudden-decel maneuvers. Train yourself to ease down, first, with the rear brake, and always to depress your clutch and release your throttle, first. It's simple to go out and practice little drills for this, remembering to release the throttle, depress the clutch, and apply the rear brake...then squeeze the front. While I wouldn't expect anyone to go through this regimen with each stop, I will attest to the fact that it helps new riders learn NOT to grab the front brake, suddenly. Give it time, and be patient. ...and, again, Welcome!  | ||
| Firebolt32 |
Never let the bike take you any place your mind has not been 5 sec. before That's the truth...you can't ride scared but your eyes got to be moving. Glad your ok. I put mine down couple months ago,only having it 5 months...lost the peg and the shifter peg. That ride is weird...she'll fix up cheap and get back on her.Learn that bike and before you know it you'll be tossing that bike all over. | ||
| Thumper74 |
The technique for front brakes? SQUEEEEEEEEEZE..... the lever. The rear brake is there for looks, don't rely on it to do anything. On an XB, your front brake is your brake. | ||
| Tramp |
Yep- And that logic is the primary reason so many new riders drop their scoots on rapid deceleration. There's a difference between the reaction 'subtlety' of a new rider, and of the seasoned rider, thump. | ||
| Cowboy |
If you want your butt busted just grab that right hand leaver on a slick surface (mud-pine straw - pea gravel ect) you will sure find your self in a world of hurt. | ||
| Tramp |
Thanks, Cowboy- this is exactly what most new riders do, unfortunately. It's still drilled into them at safety courses, being as they don't seem to have much wet pavement and pea gravel at these. Unfortunately, most real-world back road intersections (these are where most new riders find themselves in the "oh Sh*T" mode, trying to stop ASAP) have a bit of gravel and loose debris on them. I always advise new riders to release the throttle, depress the clutch lever, ease the brake pedal, and then depress the font brake. | ||
| Firebolt32 |
Tramp...that's what I was taught, not at any school. The schools are good, I didn't go. There's time where your gonna have to use it, I rarely do. Stomp the hell outta the back break and that side is controlable. A stoppie...not so much. My 2c. |
