Rode for the First time today

[lil_lissa]

and boy was it ever hilarious. My dad's buddy has a 110cc dirt bike that he let us borrow so i could start to get the hang of riding a little bit before i get my m2 and before i get my new bike. i was getting pretty good at it.. i only went from first to second and was just going up and down my street.. i was mainly using the handbrake though at first. well i was turning the one time and went to brake, but when i was pulling on the hand brake, i was also turning the throttle back so the bike just went faster and right up over the curb and onto someone's front lawn.. hahahaha it was absolutely hilarious.
i jumped off and the bike went infront of my a bit, my arm landed near the chain i think because i got some sweet scrapes and grease all over my arm but i just got up and started laughing my *ss off...

oh man.. absolutely hialrious... let's just say i'll be riding this for awhile before i even THINK about getting on my bike..

it's a lot more to think about than i thought.. i guess it will just take practice practice practice... but i'm not afraid of a few bumps and bruises along the way!

[Rockhead]

[blackie1491]

So you were wearing your gear, Helmet, boots, Jacket, Gloves!!!!!!

I hope you were not a

[lil_lissa]

hey now now... i wasn't "Stupid, QUick, Inevitably Dead," i'm inexperienced and practicing! everybody has to start somewhere@!! and yes i had a helmet, a longsleeved sweater, thick jeans and i'm sorry no boots.

[Clint]

That sounds like a fun way to learn. Unfortunately, I didn't have that opportunity, and I crashed two months into my riding career. Carry on!

[tlwisner]

It sounds like fun, but if you get some training you'll have something to practice - and you'll understand the riding mishap you describe above and how to NOT do it!

Be careful and enjoy the ride.

[Rockhead]

Game on........

Next time make sure your wearing underwear.

[inspiron]

All leg humping aside ...

From your description, I can see that you made 2 basic mistakes in a very short time. First, you should slow down BEFORE you start turning, not in the turn. Motorcycles are a lot less forgiving than a car. The proper way to enter a turn is to slow down while going straight, then look into the turn, lean the bike, and roll through the turn with the throttle slightly open.

Second, you looked at the curb, so that's where you went. Your bike will follow your eyes. If you stare at something, you will hit it. You need to look where you want to go, and not focus on where you DON'T want to be.

Take the MSF as soon as possible. It will save you lots of bumps and bruises.

[lil_lissa]

thanks for the tips
my course is already booked so don't worry about that

i knew exactly what i was doing wrong but it was one of those heat of the moments nervous things when you freeze up..lol i used to do it allll the time when i was riding horses (the horse does something crazy and i'd freeze), but now its just a regular reaction to whatever the horse does.. same with a car, probably the same as the bike

i did slow down before the turn, and was going too slow that i was going to end up stopping so i turned the throttle a little bit but i was still getting used to just how much to turn it and i turned it too much so it started going too quick, then i tried to grab the handbrake to slow down but instead kept pulling the throttle back... ahhh well...

didn't make that mistake again for the rest of the time i was riding
started using the back brake a lotttt more after that.. haha

[Louis]

When is your course Melissa?

Braking power is about 70% with the front brake and 30% rear brake. Never use the front brake when turning, you'll go down. The rear brake stabilizes the bike. As Jim (inspiron) said, don't brake IN a turn, brake before.

Keep it up, go slow, have fun!

[bat4255]

I started riding when I was 15 years old on a Bridgstone 90. Then on other assorted dirt bikes. Yea they ARE a blast, and crashing @ 10 mph in the dirt, is better than 50 or 60 on the road. You learn how to fix things, and how to fall (yes, how to fall).

Don't be in a hurry to get on the road, if you really like to "play" stay on small ones and do it in the dirt. The road is almost boring by comparison.

Gear up!!

[Clint]

I beg to differ with Louis' suggestions on braking. It's plain dangerous to avoid using the front brake. The proper technique varies with many factors, so I never give braking advice in the form of percentages. Please refer to numbers 29, 30, 128, and 174: http://www.msgroup.org/discuss.asp

[Louis]

Originally Posted by RowdyRed94

I beg to differ with Louis' suggestions on braking. It's plain dangerous to avoid using the front brake.

Maybe it didn't come out as it should have then. What I meant is that the front brake shouldn't be used while the front wheel wasn't straight, especially at lower speeds.

Isn't that what I said?

[Clint]

I still don't agree. Except at very low speeds or in reduced-traction situations, both brakes should be used in an appropriate ratio.

[tlwisner]

Here's my 2 cents worth:

Using your front brake while your front wheel is not straight creates torque in the direction of a highside - that's why it should be avoided. If you have to stop while turning, straighten up and brake hard using both brakes as the MSF class teaches. Trail-braking is a bad habit on the road - do your slowing down before you do your turning.

[lil_lissa]

thanks again guys!

can someone tell me what a high-side/low-side is? i've heard it used on here but never knew exactly. i wasn't leaning in the turns because i read on here that at slow speeds you shouldn't really lean much.

and bat: thats what i was thinking. learn the basics/fall/turning/gears all that stuff on a bike that i dont care if it gets a scrape on it, or it isn't lethal and isn't going to kill me... i will NOT, i repeat NOTTTT be even driving my own bike down the driveway until i have all these things perfected and i can absolutely guarentee you of that. the way i see it, its better for me to learn now on a dirt bike and do my falling now, than when i have my new bike and i'm out actually driving on the streets and possibly endangering other people when i dont have the proper skills yet


i'll be good i promise
but thank you all for the help, tips this like will help me that much more!

[Clint]

Tim, in a turn your wheel is straight, or very close to it, once the turn has been initiated. I'm not suggesting anyone hit the brakes as they initiate a turn, but if you're rounding one at less than the limits of traction, you certainly can brake if you carefully balance front to rear and total traction. To say you should never brake will send people into the rhubarb.

[blackie1491]

A large parking lot is a better place to learn as less curbs to run over.

There are some good books out there to learn from.
If you know some one who has taken the course, borrow their material till you start the course.
If you do a search for motorcycle safety foundation you will find their course in a read only file, which will help you in the type of excersizes to do.

It is the basic rider course.
Use some tennis balls cut in halve in place of cones, cheap at Walmart, easy to transport.

[Louis]

Originally Posted by blackie1491

Use some tennis balls cut in halve in place of cones, cheap at Walmart, easy to transport.

That's a great idea!

[blackie1491]

That idea came from someone else here. I think he paid $6 for 12 tennis balls.