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First Crash

9K views 40 replies 21 participants last post by  ChrisH35 
#1 ·
I rode 100 miles yesterday on my bike (Honda Rebel 250) with my husband riding his. I only took the BRC and touched a bike for the first time on February 1, 2014. So 2 weeks. I was having a lot of trouble stalling at intersections so I decided to practice working on stop and go clutch work going around the block since there's a couple of stop sign corners and rarely any traffic. I was doing pretty good. No stalls, although I have to go slow and steady. Need more practice to enter traffic.

Managed to work on it for an hour before I was too hot and wanted to come in for a break. Last lap around the block and here comes my husband in his van. Cool, let me ride around the block once more and I'll meet you at home. I start to turn into my drive way to pull into the garage, it's a fairly steep incline which causes some cars to bottom out. Normally I just walk it up, figured I'd been doing great will ride it up most of the way. A little too much throttle, uh oh way too close to my car, try to swerve went into the grass, lost control and down I go. Fortunately I am okay, my husband ran over to help me. I missed my car by about an inch and the only damage to my bike is some scratches on the windshield, which is brand new and the only part of the used bike that didn't have scratches. Most of the bike landed in grass and dirt, a little of the top side on the drive way. I landed on the driveway. And of course I figured I wouldn't need my jacket and gloves. I did have my helmet and jeans, but didn't hit my head. So now I have bruised elbow, shin and a little sore palm. I've actually hurt myself worse while walking around the block and tripping and falling.

So now I know how to pick up my bike, and check it out. And I know that I really should wear full gear every time I go out on my bike. And I will go back to walking my bike up the drive way and into the garage for the foreseeable future. :wink:
 
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#5 ·
LOL that's what my husband said.

Oh and he was proud of me for thinking of using the kill switch to cut the engine off after I went down, because of course it DIDN'T stall and how calmly I got up, shook myself off. He showed me how to pick it up and then let me do it myself. Pushed the bike into the garage and then we went over it from top to bottom checking to make sure it was safe.

Had to fill up the oil, some spilled out. Had to hammer the peg down, it got stuck up a little out of place and the windshield needed to be pushed back into place, it was a little bent, cleaned the dirt and grass off it but otherwise it's fine. He drove it for a bit to make sure the forks were fine, shifter and everything else was functional.

Fortunately I wasn't going fast and definitely learned to ALWAYS be prepared for a crash even just on the driveway.

I will practice some more tonight so I don't get too scared. And it won't be so hot (it's 80s here in Tampa) so I won't mind putting on my jacket and gloves.
 
#8 ·
Wow Swayde, So glad you are OK! Glad to hear you are going to go right back out there and ride some more.

Do you or your husband know what happened to make you go down? You said you came in a little too fast, would it have been better if you had made a little wider turn to be able to turn in a little slower? Just a thought, but you might try moving the car way over to one side so you have a larger area to turn into. I'm just trying to help figure this out so that you will feel less worried and can soon start riding all the way into the garage.

I hope your practice tonight builds that confidence back up. Good Luck to you!
 
#9 ·
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Sounds like you could use a lot of practice with slow speed maneuvers in the back lot of WalMart or your local church. Going up one space and down the other; going around cones or half tennis balls; stopping and starting; going real slow and keeping your balance. Those are all safety moves that will save your skin in the future.

Think about it. Do you want to practice stopping and starting in traffic or in a lot? Do you want to practice moving slowly with cars in front and behind you? Do you want to learn to make sharp, slow turns in a crowded gas station or in an open parking lot? All these maneuvers help you learn throttle, foot brake, clutch control and most important--looking in the direction you want to go.

I think the answers to my questions are pretty obvious. :thumbsup:

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#11 ·
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Sounds like you could use a lot of practice with slow speed maneuvers in the back lot of WalMart or your local church. Going up one space and down the other; going around cones or half tennis balls; stopping and starting; going real slow and keeping your balance. Those are all safety moves that will save your skin in the future.

Think about it. Do you want to practice stopping and starting in traffic or in a lot? Do you want to practice moving slowly with cars in front and behind you? Do you want to learn to make sharp, slow turns in a crowded gas station or in an open parking lot? All these maneuvers help you learn throttle, foot brake, clutch control and most important--looking in the direction you want to go.

I think the answers to my questions are pretty obvious. :thumbsup:


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I know I need more practice, that's what I was working on and doing okay on until I got home lol
 
#20 ·
once you get comfortable riding try going to an empty parking lot or area and learn slow speed riding...and practice that....gives you feel in your hands and butt (helps you tell what the bike will do). maybe use cones...and maybe even do it with an experienced rider...I am sure the other rider will help and may also learn something in the process.
 
#26 ·
When you get it home, take it out in the grass and let it drop.

There now you will be done and the fear of the first drop is out of the way.
 
#27 ·
I suppose that's one way. I'm more interested in how I'll handle myself in the situation. I have to say this though. Since I took the MSF course at the beginning of last summer, I have become a much more aware driver than I already was. Some of that also has to do with having to drive on 2 lane back roads to work when they were icy.
 
#33 ·
I am getting better at it. I found that if I am in 1st gear and stop at the end of the drive way, position my bike so it's heading straight into the garage and then slowly ease off the clutch, throttle a little and then walk it in. No problems. I do park the car further away from the driveway now in the grass so I have more room if I make a mistake so I don't feel so rushed and panic. Can still see the marks in the grass where I slid even though we've had some rains.

I've put a little over 400 miles on my bike so far, in 2 months. Definitely improving. Definitely need more practice. About to go out and ride today actually. My hubby is out there checking over the bikes making sure tire pressure is good and fluids are good. We rode around for about 50 miles yesterday.
 
#35 ·
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Swade,

I don't know how good, or much, you think 400 miles in two months is, but it's not enough. I know the weather in a lot of places isn't conducive to riding, but if you are only going 50 miles at a time, you are barely re-learning what you knew the last time. When I first got on my bike a few years ago (after not riding at all for 43 years), I was putting in 1,000 miles per week. That helped, but it was the trip I made shortly after of 4,000 miles that cemented in so much.

When you go on a trip, or long rides, you can keep improving so much faster. I know, too, that some folks have to work, but the option there might be to do a lot of chores during the week so you have all day on weekends to get the longer hours in. And it's not the miles, either, it's the hours you spend on the bike trying new (to you) stuff, and practicing over and over what you realize works.

Like if you have trouble with slow speed, then hours in the back of the parking lot going around the parking spaces is what you need, not freeway speeds. If you have trouble mastering shifting, then time in town going from light to light will help the most. In cornering, go back and forth on a curvy stretch of back road somewhere. Don't worry about a destination until you have mastered all the types of riding skills you need.

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#36 ·
Thank you for the advice. I was only riding around the block and practicing in my neighborhood for about the first month. The 2nd month I've been riding every weekend. I've done two trips of 100-150 miles each. I'm getting there =) I had to get over some fears. Riding on the back of my husband's bike when I am not riding my own (we've ridden together on his for 2500-3000 miles already in those 2 months as well) has helped to make me more comfortable riding in general as well. I had never even sat on a motorcycle until Feb. 1st this year =)
 
#38 ·
Hopefully I will be able to get some great practice in this weekend. Hubby took off Friday and Monday so we could have a 4-day weekend and get some riding done. The weather is looking gorgeous so far too. We may head down to the Keys, if we do that I will have to ride with him because I won't go on the interstate and there doesn't seem to be any other way to get there. My bike can do 70, 75 if the winds are right and the road is sloping downward. I'm a big girl, 5'8" and 230 lbs on a little Honda Rebel 250. I have to put it in 5th gear and open the throttle all the way to reach 70 and it takes time to get there. Which does not make me feel confident or safe on a long interstate trip. I could do an exit or two if I must, but wouldn't want anything more. I will get some riding in though for sure. We also redneckified my bike by adding a crate on the back so I can carry milk and a small bit of groceries so I can use it more. I don't like going by myself unless I have a clear mission to accomplish. I am a housewife, and most of my errands are within a 10 mile radius of my home.

I rarely drive more than 10 miles in a week in my car so it's going to be a slow, steady process for me. I've definitely ridden my bike more than I've driven my car the past few weeks. Heck our car 7 years old and only has 45,000 miles on it and we have driven it on out of state drives a few times (Florida-Kansas)

I never thought I would ride a motorcycle. I did this to have something to do with my husband. The class seemed like a fun thing to do together and then I was planning to just ride on the back, but I kinda like riding my own, it's easier on my back. So I am getting there =)

This whole concept of riding around just for the sake of riding around is something I need to get used to. I've only ever driven with a purpose before lol
 
#39 ·
It sounds like you are doing just fine to me. When you have the power to ride the interstate there really is not much learning you will do. There are no stop signs, no cross traffic, no traffic lights, etc. The real learning comes from the kind of riding you have been doing. It is the milk runs in the middle of the week that will get you real practice time. There you are dealing with cross traffic, traffic controls, parking lot maneuvers and so on. Any fool can open the throttle and run in a straight line for 100 miles. The only excitement on a reasonable interstate is the on and off ramps.
 
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