Need honest opinions please

[Paul_Jungnitsch]

One thing with the street bikes is that once they start going over, you've got to be pretty quick to get them back on center. And once they reach a certain point they are just going to go over, unless you are a superman. Dirt bikes are much easier that way.

Mine used to fall over regularly when I started riding it, even though I'm 5'10" and had ridden a dirt bike for some time. That and I had a helluva time making the slow speed course for my licence. After failing that a few times, I eventually gave up and took the bike on the road anyway (I'd bought it for a Cross-Canada trip). On the first part of the trip, a loop through Prince Rupert/Ferry/Island/Kooteneys, I got stopped by a cop in Vancouver and thought I'd have to walk home. He believed my story that I only needed a regular car drivers licence to ride a bike in Alberta (whew).

Anyway, after driving the bike day in day out for a month there were no more problems. One tip, keep your grip bolts slightly loose so the lever assemblies will pivot rather than break when the bike goes down (dirt bike trick).

[Rick G]

Hi Heather, I'm 5'9 1/2   but my inseam is 29 1/2 "  , When I was  just starting as a wrench in 1964  I had to ride many new bikes that belonged to the shop and bikes that belonged to customers . At first the triumphs gave  me problems , I never dropped one  but scared my self several times .  I learned , with practice , to ride anything that came into the shop , with out dropping it . I did drop my Vision on a snow covered  logging road in OR. I ahd a hell of a time getting it upright again!
As to your brake lever , it looks fine to me . what you can do is what I do . I ahve arthritus in my hands and  have little power in my grip when my fingers  are extended  so I have  backed  the free play adjuster  (under the rubber boot  that covers the lever pearch
) Its behind the lever, loosen the lock nut  and back off the adjusting screw a couple of turns  and try  the grip . Be sure that the lever dosen't bottom out on the throttle . It works really well for me , and I haven't run in to anything yet! This will make it a little easier  and time  and practice with perfect  your skills.

[redxz550inoz]

Heather, like my instructor said to me on my first lesson - if you can pick it up of the ground you can ride it! (I learnt on a little suzuki GN250 and managed to drop it within half an hour of getting on it)
I'm not sure how things work over your side of the world but here in Aust we have to pass a test to ride a restricted (250cc and under)class bike for at least 12 months before being allowed to apply and be tested for an unrestricted bike license. I had a fantastic instructor so aside from being a little nervous about being on the road with the cars I was pretty much right.
What he taught me has carried me through my 250 (Kwaka GPX) and now to my Vision.
This does not however mean I've never dropped any of my own bikes - lol.
I'm also 5'4" with short legs and while I have problems if I ever need to put both feet down, I'm fine with my balance with only one foot down.
Hey, you reckon it's hard to reach the ground on the black mamba - try it on a Suzuki GS1000!! now THAT'S a heavy bike. (got told if I dropped that one, don't bother coming home  LOL)
Guess what I'm trying to say Heather is stick with it! We've all been there. You learnt to ride a bicycle right? ;D
Before long it'll be second nature

Christie

[Kevin]

Heather, I helped  teach the msf course years ago. If you are still wobbly take the course again. If you have acess to a 250 or smaller on-off road bike find a empty parking lot or better yet a field with some obsticales and do a lot of stop and go. When you are stopping the bike your right foot stays on the brake pedal and your left foot balances the bike. When you come up to a stop light you should be downshifting and in first gear when you stop. Then you shift your short body to the right side and the right foot supports the bike while you put the bike into neutral. When you are taking of from a stop get your feet on the pegs as soon as the bikes wheels are moving to get your balance. I see many street riders dragging thier feet through intersections, poor control. Keep your knees tucked into the gas tank and learn to stop with the front brake. kevin      

[hfarley]

One thing that I am not having problem s with and am getting better at is picking up the bike. That trick with putting your back to the bike and squatting down and then backing up with the bike works really well. Also it doesn't seem to be an issue for me to jump off the bike as it goes down. Kia had a really good idea last night about sitting on the bike with my husband holding it upright and just practicing the moves. Clutch, brake, shifting, etc... I am going to try that. Also I am going to make some minor adjustments that he recommended. Maybe between all of that I will feel more comfortable.

Here in NJ you have to either go to DMV and pass the written and driving test which is a bunch of turns, stops, etc.. or take the MSF course and pass that. They also give you a written test and driving test. I did take the course and actually had no problems on the 250cc bikes. I guess that is why I am so perplexed why I am having such problems with the Vision. I may either take the MSF course again or see if my maintenence instructor can find time to give me a private lesson with my bike. That way maybe he could see what I may be doing wrong.

Thanks again and I will keep you guys updated!
-heather

[Rolle]

Hello Heather and the rest of You!
 For me I took my drivinglicens for cars and got the bikelicens at the same time, without even have to touch a bike. That was when I was 18 years old, now I?m 57 and got a Yamaha 550 XZ Vision in the summer last Year. I have manage to keep the bike on the upright position so far and hope it will stay so ;D

My problem is that I?m affraid to drop the bike when I want it to stand on the centerstand. I know the teknik but teory and real life is two different thing.....

One more thing for me to worries over is that I don?t dare to lean the bike so much in korners and roadbends as necessary so I wind up on the wrong side of the road time to time when I go to quick into the bends :o

Nower days they must take drivinglicens for cars and bikes separate and that?s a good thing.

Sorry that I can?t give You any advice but You got plenty of them anyway by other members here and I learn some things to!

Roland.....

[ofstone]

Also here in the netherlands, i had to do a lot more to get my drivers license, and a lot of money to!
First you have to learn the traffic rules, wich can differ from the car rules, and the theory of driving a motorcycle, even if you already have a license for a car. You have to do a theory exam of 50 Questions, and you may make 5 faults max.

Then if you are older than 18 but younger than 21 you have to do a course and examination on a 25KW bike max, and you are restricted to a bike with maximun 25KW. This can even be a very big engine volume heavy bike, but you have to officially tune him back to 25KW max. If you become older than 21, you can change your license to an unlimited one.

If you are 21 or older, you do an exam with an +25KW bike, and you can drive everything you want (can) after you passe steh exams.

The practical exam has 2 phases.

Phase 1: the special movements: You have to do special movements like:
- put the bike on and off centerstand on the correct way
- Walking the bike by hand
- driving very slowly ( les than 5 km/h) and keeping your balance without feet touching the ground.
- drive from side to side around cones
- making sharp half turns at low speed (footsteps almost to the ground)
- emergency stop brake testing from high speed, and when you have stopped, your bike needs to be in first gear.
- turning an 8 with your bike around cones
- turning 3 sharp circles (footsteps almost touch ground)in a specified area
- making a wheelie ( just kidding, i wish it was)

All those special movements are for bike handling only.
(during the course i dropt the bike once during the 3 circles, i was driving to slow and the engine stalled, rear wheel skipped and BOOM.)

From al those you have to do 5 and you may only fail one.

Than Phase 2: The driving test by itself.
A course of about 35 minutes wich almost contains every kind of road, rural, highway, or city traffic. The examinator is driving closely behind you and tels you by radio were to go.
They monitor everything, even if you are braking correctely and if you cross a pedestrians crossing it is not allowed to pass over the painted lines, because they are verry slippery, unless not possible. I almost failed, because i was braking to much on the rear wheel.

I needed about 25 Hrs of lessons in total to get to a point were the teacher sayed i was ready to take the exam.
This all was 3 years ago now for me. Now already they made the exams even more difficult for new drivers.

The funny thing is , i know a lot of motordrivers around here (especially the 50+ age ones) who back then just got there license for free. They really only had to drive around the block and they got their license, also with the car.
Soem of them drive around without even knowing the rules correctely.

I am convinced that you will get the trick to do it easier. The best ways are to learn it from more experienced drivers.
My first times when i was riding a bike i did the course and exam on a 2002 model year bike. And the bike i owned then was from 1982, so that was a huge difference in weight, balence and handling. To me it looked like a had to learn driving a bike all over again.

My driving teacher always said: "You only stop learning, when you stop driving!"

[MrMe]

Hey
Don't know about NJ but here in illinois they have an advanced course that you use your bike at rather than the 250's.
Brian

[ps2/bikevision]

well here in michigan you can sign up for a class or go to a specified school and take a test. you use your own bike and ride it there (messed up you dont have a licnese yet but you have to ride your own bike there). i paid $35 and the course took less than 10min. they make sure everthing works then you drive around some cones, then you accel then stop within a specified distance. and as long as you can do that they pass you. my licenes for a car was much harder than the bike.

[hfarley]

UPDATE: Last night I went and switched the front brake lever from my bike with the spare bikes. I also moved the angle of the lever further downward so it was a more comfortable reach. I then adjusted that little screw in between the throttle and the brake lever to my liking.

It does feel a bit better. The original lever was bent just slightly but it must have been enough to make a difference with my hands. I can actually reach the right end of the brake lever while my hand is on the throttle now. I couldn't do that before. I will try to post pictures later this week.

I have not taken the bike out yet for a test drive as my allergies have now decided to flare up in the last two days and I pulled a muscle in my back. When it rains it pours right? LOL! But I do feel a difference in the grip. I am hoping that will be enough.

Tonight at my maintenance class my instructor is going to meet with me early and refresh my memory and give me some tips on riding. He is going to help me try to be more confident in my riding. I am also going abck through my course book that I received at my MSF class to imprint the information in my brain.

I will keep you updated on my progress. Thanks again for your help!
-Heather