The General Motorbikers Discussion Thread

Double post, but who cares!

Big step in my scootering today, I finally made it out of the sheltered roads of my neighbourhood and onto main roads! Went to the local petrol station with my dad to get fuel for the scooter, then went to a neighbouring suburb (along some shocking roads!!!) and back home again, about 1/2 an hour in all in decent traffic. Like I said, my dad was leading me (at the speed limit for once!) on his motorbike, which helped hugely. He is going to take me around to more routes and places he learnt on over the next couple months, and my aim is for me to be able to go where I want in my town/city when I want on the scooter by the end of February. Given i only get the scooter 3 days a week, it may be harder than I think, but I'm going to try!

But for the first time in ages, I actually want to go and get on my scooter and go riding. I had been getting bored with doing circles for quite a while, and the change of scenery and that is nice! I am still a bit wobbly, especially on things I haven't encountered much of yet (eg right hand turns around roundabouts, but I can do them!). Also, having a pink helmet and jacket seem to be working for me, not against me as I thought. Instead of people target fixating on me, they seem to realise that I am a girl on a scooter (very rare in my townto see a girl on any sort of 2 wheeled motorised contraption!) and give me some space and are more courteous, somthing my dad wasn't afforded by the very same drivers in some cases!

Anyway, needed to spill- I am so excited and happy, I am back to loving riding around again. Still have to go back and do my l's test again as I said before- which may be a good thing. Dad chastised me on a bad habit today (putting both feet down when i stop) and I'm determined to break it at the course. But long story short- YAY!!!!!! :D
 
Welcome to the club.

Practice the stopping beforehand. Nothing beats automatic impulses, but you have to train them. Best way would be a deserted parking lot where you stop at every second or third parking spot, so you have the lines as a fixing point. You don't need speed for that, walking pace is sufficient, and lets you know of the instability at those speeds and how to play with it.

With two feet you don't care how your bike is oriented horizontally, but for the proper technique you have to think a bit ahead, to let the bike tip over on your destined foot. Do it slowly and

Imagine going/stopping on a street which isn't flat. If you are used to use both feet and you wiggle it a bit wrong, the bike could lean a bit too much to handle. This of course has a larger effect on heavier bikes and could be almost non-existant on a light scooter.

Nevertheless, have fun and enjoy the ride.
 
Grats!

Joker is completly right. Best way to practice it is repeating to stop right foot only, left foot only.
My trainer had me do starting, driving 3-5m, stopping left foot down 3 times. Doing a tight 180? turn and on the way back the same again with the other foot. 180 turn... worked pretty well. The turns were the hardest thing though... damn slow speed handling :). Now it is second nature thanks to that.

Have fun! :)
 
brydie76 said:
Dad chastised me on a bad habit today (putting both feet down when i stop) and I'm determined to break it at the course.
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I'm confused. I was taught in the MSF course that we should be putting both feet down. We were to put one foot down slightly before the other (and of course I've forgotten which - I believe it was the clutch foot down first so you could stay on the rear brake longer). But both feet were to go down most of the time. Do I misunderstand something?
 
MSF teaches you to ride in a parking lot. Also, MSF is designed for people who have never ridden before and likely have only seen a motorcycle, they don't trust the noobies to not drop their motorcycles, so they want you to put both feet down.
 
No reason. I just put down one most the time, unless I need to stand up and stretch out a bit at the lights.
 
equiraptor said:
So why shouldn't one put both feet down?
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When you're pointing up a steep hill - the motorcycle version of the hill start. Hold the rear brake and leave the bike in first, then hold in the clutch - it's one technique, anyway. Can be kind of annoying on a cable-clutch bike, though.

equiraptor said:
I believe it was the clutch foot down first so you could stay on the rear brake longer).
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Erm, if it's the clutch foot you're putting down, you are probably riding a very old American motorcycle with a tank or jockey shifter and hand-operated ignition advance. :D (Foot clutches pretty much went out with the Harley Electraglide. :p) At which point you're also taking hands off the handlebar and it may not even have a front brake - which foot you put down starts becoming really minor. :p

As for the MSF instruction, yes, it's gearshift foot down first. When people only put one foot down it's typically that one anyway.

brydie76 said:
But for the first time in ages, I actually want to go and get on my scooter and go riding. I had been getting bored with doing circles for quite a while, and the change of scenery and that is nice! I am still a bit wobbly, especially on things I haven't encountered much of yet (eg right hand turns around roundabouts, but I can do them!). Also, having a pink helmet and jacket seem to be working for me, not against me as I thought. Instead of people target fixating on me, they seem to realise that I am a girl on a scooter (very rare in my townto see a girl on any sort of 2 wheeled motorised contraption!) and give me some space and are more courteous, somthing my dad wasn't afforded by the very same drivers in some cases!
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Scooters tend to be wobbly to begin with (small wheels + terrain irregularities = all over the place) so no real shame there.

Also, girls on two wheels are unfortunately rare in most Western Bloc countries. It's why I encourage it. :D
 
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Blergh, due to winter having struck zhe Vatherland I'm limited to thinking about my bike instead of riding it.

Anyway, I think I'll probably get rid of the Beemer. There's nothing really wrong with it, I guess, but somehow I just don't like it. And why should I cling onto something that doesn't excite me, when I could have something that does? I don't really know what to replace it with at the moment though, but it'll have to be in the price range as what I can get for the BMW.
An XT660R would be fantastic, but they're too expensive still. Maybe an XT600 then, if I can ever find one that's the right model year, is in reasonably good condition, hasn't been modded to hell, and isn't stupidly overpriced.
CBF600/500s would be another choice, but they seem to hold their value too well.
From what I'm looking at, the most realistic options are probably CB750s and Yamaha XJ600Ns. But finding a good one of those isn't that easy either...
 
Spectre said:
When you're pointing up a steep hill - the motorcycle version of the hill start. Hold the rear brake and leave the bike in first, then hold in the clutch - it's one technique, anyway. Can be kind of annoying on a cable-clutch bike, though.
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*nod* I'm familiar with that method. But that's a special circumstance, not just a "flat and level stopped at a stoplight".

Spectre said:
Erm, if it's the clutch foot you're putting down...
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Oh, shuttup. I misspoke. It's still the "transmission/shifting/stuff-like-that" foot rather than the brake foot. :p
 
I generally put both feet down, but that is because the pegs on pretty much every bike are a little high and I can easily get both feet flat on the ground. I usually sit at a light, both feet flat on the ground, in gear, clutch in and maybe holding the front brake.
 
Crazyjeeper said:
I generally put both feet down, but that is because the pegs on pretty much every bike are a little high and I can easily get both feet flat on the ground. I usually sit at a light, both feet flat on the ground, in gear, clutch in and maybe holding the front brake.
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:+1:
I used to always keep my right foot on the peg at a stop, until I noticed a burning smell, looked down, and saw I was burning my textile pants. This only happens when the bikes been at a stop for a while.

I only put it on the peg on hills now.
 
equiraptor said:
*nod* I'm familiar with that method. But that's a special circumstance, not just a "flat and level stopped at a stoplight".
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Other than that, no. No reason to not put both down, but if you can hold it upright just fine with one (most days without hurricane force winds), no absolute need to put both down.

Oh, shuttup. I misspoke. It's still the "transmission/shifting/stuff-like-that" foot rather than the brake foot. :p
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:p

Unless you are riding a pre-74 or so Britbike, in which case the foot controls are reversed for no apparent reason. Then it *is* the brake foot, see 13x01. :) :p :D

Rossco said:
:+1:
I used to always keep my right foot on the peg at a stop, until I noticed a burning smell, looked down, and saw I was burning my textile pants. This only happens when the bikes been at a stop for a while.

I only put it on the peg on hills now.
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That's because you have a V-Twin with the pipe next to your leg. :p
 
Heh, I remember my starter boots - when one of my leather panels melted off at the end of the ride, it was definitely time to upgrade.

I dunno, I always keep left food down, right foot up on peg - I know a lot of peeps who do that because they have to tripod the bike/can't flat foot it. But I always leave it in first at the stoplight hence both brakes. *shrugs*

shad_68 said:
Blergh, due to winter having struck zhe Vatherland I'm limited to thinking about my bike instead of riding it.

Anyway, I think I'll probably get rid of the Beemer. There's nothing really wrong with it, I guess, but somehow I just don't like it. And why should I cling onto something that doesn't excite me, when I could have something that does? I don't really know what to replace it with at the moment though, but it'll have to be in the price range as what I can get for the BMW.
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Aww, shipping from Germany is probably going to be too much for me... :lol:
 
Kiki said:
Aww, shipping from Germany is probably going to be too much for me... :lol:
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Have you tried a first gen F650 already? I somewhat lack the experience to compare and form a solid basis for an opinion, but somehow I can't help but feel it's a dual sport gone wrong. It has too many offroad traits (high seating position, ground clearance and resulting center of gravity) that make it too compromised as a road bike, while on the other hand being too much of a road bike (high curb weight) to have a real enduro character.
To me at least, it seems like the second generation F650 would be a better choice (looks a lot better to start with :lol:), but then again, there are plenty of people who love their 1st gen 650s with a strong following for it. :dunno:
It's just not for me, I guess.
 
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I was looking at one a while ago, but nope, never test rode it. It's funny every time I head to one of the two local bmw dealers, and they always sit me first on the F650 GS.

I'm tempted next year in the spring, when the tax return hits, to pick up either a cheap old scooter or a dual sport. My friend also works up in Park City, and he's always talking about going up the short way via the dirt roads on his DRZ. :drool: Granted, if I do go with a beaten up dual sport, I might have to find a closet to park and hide it in, for some of our resort's ritzy guests may not like the unsightliness. :lol:
 
Meh, just stick it around the corner in the loading bay, no one will see it.
 
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