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Hi, Thank you, also, Li for your input -- she has not yet expressed anger at me -- don't know if that will happen in time, perhaps on a terribly frustrating day, hard to say -- but I appreciate that at least knowing it can happen will not blindside me. My friend is a physician herself, so her knowledge of what she will experience, of what is going on with her body and what it will take to recover is quite clear to her, which I believe also adds to her frustration -- she is an athlete, just ran a huge marathon -- and nothing in her life is ever sedentary. She does have family members who are staying with her at her home when she returns, at least for a few days, anyway. She lives alone, so I know we have a large group of friends that will pull together and help her out with whatever we can. I'm still quite jumpy myself, but rode my bike on Wednesday because I felt it was important. It's just really difficult to get that whole event out of my head -- I'm constantly replaying so many of the moments and images, amazing how things like this have an effect you could never imagine . . . In any case, I did want to say thanks to you both, and to everyone else who has gone through difficulties -- good luck, and lots of prayers! Motomaestra Dear Motomaestra, You are very brave and very smart to get back on your own bike as quickly as possible. I know this was a hard step and am not surprised to hear that the sequence replayed itself in your mind. I will share that as an accident survivor myself, even after 15 years, I sometimes will still be approaching a high speed tight S-curve, where I made my mistake, and relive it in terms of paying extra-strict attention to every detail of the road, my body position, etc. The fear level at first was high, but over time lessened to a simple review. It will never leave me, but I have come to terms with it. So take heart in that it's normal for the jitters to be
with you for awhile. This heightened sense of emotions can be used to
strengthen your riding focus and serve you well in the future. Lessons
learned are exactly that . . . lessons learned. No more, no less.
Mama Monday, October 2 Dear VTwin Mama, Dear Linda, Readers, Linda was just itching to contact those on the Let's
Ride page (the SIS logo and link are posted there), but we agreed that
netiquette is important. So, if you are interested in meeting sister
riders, are looking into women's riding organizations, or are interested
in starting a chapter in your area, I think you'll find that SIS is an
exciting organization well worth consideration. Sisters
in Spirit Motorcycle Association for Women.
Mama Monday, October 2 Hey Mama, I'm 5'5" and want to make sure I don't get something that's too big for me. I can't even pick the one up that I'm riding now! The 600 is great but I always feel like I need to shift to another gear once I get into 4th. What do you suggest? You've always had good answers! Thanks, Muffin in Sedley, VA Dear Muffin, 1) 750s typically have 5 gears (rather than the 4 you
have now) So, here we can see that a modification to your current bike could be made and that a change to a 750 will produce a change as well. How significant . . . well, my thought now is that since you have a good amount of riding time in, that you're a good candidate for test rides (when possible at the dealer) or renting a bigger bike you might be interested in. I did two long-distance trips on 750s and was comfortable both times. I never felt under-powered. Why not test/rent a 750 and see the difference for yourself?! Now, as to going even bigger than 750 given your weight
concerns. There are plenty of letters on that this site that note while
more weight can sound scary, when a bigger and weightier bike is
well-balanced, it's actually very easy to handle. There are other letters
that argue that if you can't pick up a bike, you should step back and give
that good consideration. The final answer lies within yourself. I'd pursue
the test/rent rides of 750s as a first step and see what the gut is then
telling you!
Mama Monday, October 2 For Road Princess who is having tipping problems, especially on backing up: Hi, in reading your letter, it seems your wheel is not straight when it starts to tip, then you try to straighten it and over it goes. The question is how to handle the bike when your wheel is turned. Mama has some great suggestions! I would like to add one more. First, either speed up or slow down. Imagine turning a very tight circle, if you are going too slow, you will fall over. If you speed up, you will not fall over, but the circle will get bigger too. So for very tight maneuvers, walk the bike. If you need a touch of power, use your friction zone, if not, back it into the garage with no power at all, just walk it. Also, when walking your bike, you may sometimes have to change your body position to maintain your center of gravity. I have a top heavy bike, so when I walk it and have to have the wheel turned, I shift my body forward, over the high center to get more control. jojo (note from Mama: good point about reviewing our body position over the bike . . . body center of gravity does have an impact!) Unfortunately, I do have something to add. Backing my bike into my garage has also led me to tip over, despite my Hyosung being the most perfectly balanced bike I've ever straddled! If you have the luxury, park your bike, unlock the door and walk through to the garage or just get the mail & put it on the steps. Tiny breaks gives huge dividends. Anyway:
I never consider it a race to put my baby away, & if I'm especially tired, I'll leave it in the driveway and put it away after dinner. If my husband's home & offers to put it away for me - fine by me. Every time you are on a bike, engine running or not, you've got to focus. Don't start planning dinner or what you need to do first now that you're home until after the bike's tucked in for the night. Jem (note from Mama: thanks for sharing your steps and adding that the "tired factor" can play a role in oopsies. I agree that once home it's easy to relax the mind and not focus on the final step. I always pull in forward into my garage, but then when I go to back out for a day's ride, I'm fresh and focused, but even then, if my mind is already on the ride coming up, I can immediately feel when my mind is not on the actual task!) Repeatedly tipping over makes me wonder if the bike is too tall for you. Can you put both feet flat on the ground when you're sitting on the bike? If not, every time you stop, you are out of balance. If that is the case, you need to look into adjusting the height of your bike or get some higher heeled boots that allow you to put both feet on the ground. If you CAN flat-foot the bike, it is going to be a matter of slowing down and practicing. Good luck! Li in Florida (note from Mama: I hadn't considered that there might be a slight tippy-toe factor, so thanks for reviewing that!) I read a great and helpful
hint on this web site last spring from a woman who said she always keeps
her stand down (which would mean the bike has to be in neutral) and ever
so slightly favors that side while maneuvering . . . I do that all the
time know when I back my bike out of the garage and get turned around to
face down the driveway . . . which starts to slope down immediately from
the garage floor. It has saved me a few times when I have been a bit over
zealous. Monday, October 2 Hi VTwin Mama, By the way, I know that a Sportster is not the easiest bike to ride, but it's not impossible! I only weigh 100lbs and the only time it feels heavy is when I'm trying to park the bike. Many times I have been on your website and cringed after reading the recommendations (to buy a Fat Boy or Softail) because I ended up buying my Sportster before I even took a rider course. And, after I took the rider course, I even tipped the bike over twice. I considered trading the bike in for a Softail or Fat Boy but I just didn't have the heart to do it (maybe it was because I had already invested $8K and wasn't about to just throw it away). So, with a lot of determination and practice (on an old '81 Honda CMT200), I learned to practice honing the skills before taking up the Sportster. And, my husband said, "If you can ride the Sportster, you can ride any Harley Davidson bike." So, here I am . . . I'm riding my Sportster and having a blast. Would I trade my bike in now? Not yet. I'm having too much fun. Joji in Idaho Dear Joji, Monday, October 2 Dear VTwin Mama, Dear Donna, Monday, October 2 Dear VTwin Mama, Dear fmdw37, First, hop on to this ScootWorks page to see a lowering link that will drop you a maximum of 3". That's exciting! Then you could make up the other inch by either shaving something out of the seat or getting a riding boot with some more heel or adding an internal lift piece. For further consideration, I would head to this specific
KLR650 forum, where you can further explore if the lowering question
has been posted yet, and if not, post and get input from riders of the
same bike.
Mama Tuesday, October 3 Dear VTwin Mama, This is what was posted on my WOW Desert Zephyrs forum about my experience . . . My Friends, today is the 18 month anniversary of my accident and I rode on my own for the first time since March 31, 2005. I have been thinking about this and trying to figure out how to deal with my fears and the longing I have had not being able to ride. Riding had truly become part of my soul and I was going crazy. I could barely stand to watch friends ride while I followed in my car. Last week, after following friends home from a ride to Globe, I decided enough was enough and it was time to see what I was really made of. I have been saying I wasn't going to let Fear take away something I loved. It was time to face it. I was so scared I couldn't be able to do this even though I wanted it so very badly . . . I made arrangements to borrow a Honda 650 Shadow from a friend. Betty honored me by loaning me her Baby (she's never let anyone else ride her). The main thing I've been worried about is holding a bike up with my bad legs. One leg was almost torn off and the other has ligament damage. I have to walk with a cane and use a brace to help get around, so the strength factor is an issue. I asked to use the Shadow because its a lot lighter than my former bike, a 650 V star. After a very restless and sleepless night Worm (who is the bestest riding sister anyone could ever have in my book) arrived and we made our game plan. She rode the bike to a nearby church parking lot and I followed in the truck. The time had finally come for me to try my wings. I got on it, reacquainted myself with where everything was and talked myself thru the start up. Settled myself in the seat with a determined butt wiggle, took a deep breath and a gave quick prayer to the motorcycle spirits. I eased off the front brake, slowly engaged the clutch, gave it some throttle and took off. I was amazed . . . No stalls, no jumps, no kicks . . . just a slow smooth easy start. I rode around the parking lot doing some stopping, some wide turns, practicing the look where you want to turn theory, braking and just getting a feel for the bike after being gone for so long. OMG!!! I cant tell you how if felt to be doing this on my own again. I was still scared but Damn it felt good!!! After about 15 mins I pulled up and talked to Worm about how it felt and what we would do next. We'd decided we'd ride around the neighborhood. I rode home, Worm picked up her bike and off we went. We traveled the side streets for about 10 mins and the next thing I know Im on the highway entrance rolling on the throttle and heading towards Florence 30 miles away. Side streets??? I don't want no stinkin side streets!! YEEEWWW!!!!!!! HAWWWWWW !!!!!!!! I had her up to 70 cruising down the highway and it the feeling was way beyond anything I can describe. This was the rush I had been working towards for the last 18 months, the feel of the air over me, the sound of the bike, the freedom of movement, I was back in Flight!!!! I led for a while then motioned Worm up to take the lead . . . I wanted to see if I could hold my lane, riding in formation and I did!!! We headed for a celebratory breakfast in Florence. Upon arrival Worm told me that if she hadn't been thru all of this with me she never would have known I hadn't been riding, I looked that comfortable with what I was doing. She said I looked like I had ridden yesterday. This was a major deal for me my friends.. I have dreamed and worked towards this day for a long long time. My goal, from the time I first regained coherent thoughts, was to ride again. In fact, while I was still in ICU, we guesstimated how long it would be before I would be able to try, the consensus was 12 to 18 months and I made the deadline!!!! This goal has kept me going through those deep dark nights when I thought nothing could ever be right in my world again. 7 surgeries and 18 months my dream came true!!! I could not have done it with out all the love and support I received. It still brings tears to my eyes when I think about what everyone has done for me. Thank you my friends, you are the best!!! I feel like I've finally gotten to take back a part of my life and I have some control right now. There is a down side to this . . . the riding monster is back!!!!! lol Ill have to bribe, beg and plead with Betty to borrow her Baby again!!!! I have riding limitations to deal with. I'm gonna have to get another brace for my right ankle and knee, my right leg (the one I almost lost ) wants to roll off the peg and I have to struggle to hold it in place while I ride. 60 miles was enough to start with. I'll have to build my legs and butt back up to those 350 mile days, maybe get a gel seat cushion like the one in my wheel chair to help with the pain cause I'm hurting big time even with all the pain meds I took before and after the ride. I need to figure out how to bungee my cane on to a bike and last but not least, I remember what riding with out a windshield is like . . . OUCH!!!! Bugs still sting when you get splattered in the chest at 65mph lol Once again I want to say thank you for what you and your readers have done for me. I know I can't ever pay it back but I can pay it forward. I've been told what I've done is nothing short of a miracle and I'm an inspiration, but my goal was to ride again and I was willing to do what it took to get me there. I try to look for something good out of what ever happens in our lives and if my accident and the story of it helps someone along the way in their recovery then something good has come from it. fly far fly safe everyone, Kathleen, aka BlkRaven Dear BlkRaven, I know you still have challenges in front of you, but
there is no doubt in my mind that you'll meet each one head on with the
same grit and determination you showed over the last 18 months. The
biggest of hugs to you!
Mama Tuesday, October 3 For Muffin who wants to move in cc size, but how much is enough?: Generally, a bigger engine will get you more top end, and get you there more quickly. With any vehicle, it all comes down to power-to-weight ratios. If you've got a powerful engine in a light vehicle, you're going to move very quickly. At the same time, if you have your final ratios set up for high acceleration, (big rear gear, small front) you'll out accelerate a bigger bike, but he'll pass you when you hit redline, because your gear ratios are for tractor pulling, not high speed stuff. 5 gears don't mean more speed necessarily, but they do have some influence on acceleration. So, any engine has a powerband in which it works best. If you want to take advantage of the RPMs that the engine likes the most, you build a transmission that gets your bike to work in that range as much as possible. A five-speed will allow you to stay in the "right" RPMs better than a 4-speed. You'll be able to shift into the ranges your engine likes with more precision than a 4-speed. You'll note that many bikes now are being produced with 6-speeds. That's what it's all about. Stay in the "good" RPM range and your bike will be more responsive. If there's a choice, I would always take the tranny with more gears. Hiwayman (note from Mama: ok, I think this gives us some understanding to work with!) Hi, I just wanted to pass along my input on your situation. I just moved up from a Rebel to a Honda Aero 750 and I love it! I am 5' 3" with a 26" inseam and I can flat foot this bike! The center of gravity is low and this bike is very easy to get comfortable on. I want to thank everyone who contributes to this site, because even though I have ridden bikes all my life, I still love to hear other peoples suggestions and thoughts before I make a purchase. Thanks VTwin Mama for all you do for us!! Anonymous (note from Mama: you are welcome and thank you for chiming in . . . together we all make a difference!) I don't know if this is useful or not since there may not be a dealer near her. I bought the GV250 in August, it just seemed to 'fit' me better & I'm more comfy maneuvering it in icky places. The GV250 would be an ideal learner bike. It's much easier to handle than the Rebel and doesn't redline till 1200, real power kicks in around 6-700. This means the beginner doesn't have to constantly be shifting. Oh yeah, on a flat road I'm past 60 mph at half throttle in third gear. But . . . In May my husband bought a bike after several years without. He too thought he wanted at least a 750 or larger. Then he found his Hyosung Avitar. It looks a lot like the V-Rod. His is 'only' a 650 but has 72 hp! It weighs a reasonable 485 lbs. It has the sexy cruiser raking and since you sit well into the bike, it has a low center of gravity and a lower seat. It is incredibly well balanced and that along w/the hp sold him. It's got plenty of power & he doesn't notice any difference w/me on the back even in the mountains in VA. It's belt driven & has a digital display. Runs around $6300. I can easily flat foot & drive it. The shifter & brake are easily adjusted shorter by about 2". He finds this the most comfortable and easiest to drive bike he's ever had. (He had Suzuki & BMW) I'm 5'2", a figure I find meaningless when talking bike seat heights. My best friend is 5'7". I have a short torso and she has a long torso. Both of our inseams are 29". My neighbor is 5'1" but she has a 27" inseam. Inseam length determines if you can flat foot a bike. However, if you are taller, you can more easily maneuver a larger bike. Gary is 5'10", with a 30" inseam. I want to point out that a taller person can maneuver a larger AND LONGER bike, two different things. Ape-hangers do not make for easier maneuvering b/c the closer your shoulders are to the grips, the less control you've got for slow/no speed maneuvering. Another short person issue. We got our bikes from American Road Motorcycles in Amissville, VA, about 15 miles from the Shenandoah NP Thornton Gap entrance. Lovely ride but a bit too far for you for service! Hyosung is a South Korean company; they had a relationship w/Suzuki for years, built Suzuki's engines, etc, but several years ago started to build & sell their own bikes. They've been in Australia, New Zealand & Europe for several years but only hit the US last year. The website http://www.prideinwhatyouride.com/ is an owners' forum & has lots of good info. The Avitar is on the left. But Gary's blue is much prettier! Jem (note from Mama: thanks for sharing! I agree that inseam is an important measurement in tandem with overall height. I'm adding the website you note to my Help by Mfg. and Model page!) Tuesday, October 3 For Donna who reported passing her skills test the second time around: HOORAY!!!!!! Tuesday, October 3 Dear VTwin Mama, I live in the country and have no big parking lots to practice in. At this point I just want to get the starts and stops down and get my feet off the ground! I am tall, and the bike is heavy. There are only country roads and I would have to drive somewhere to a parking lot to practice the turns in, I am obviously not ready for riding anywhere yet. Should I just concentrate on the above and when I feel like I can get the bike from point a to point b, find a parking lot? No one rides in my neighborhood, so I don't have someone that can get the bike to a lot for me. Debbie Dear Debbie, I can appreciate that out in the country you have practice challenges. I would immediately seek out every woman rider I could find. Start with my Let's Ride list and see if anyone is nearby to assist. And/or contact the closest local chapters of women's riding organizations. Introduce yourself, give them the skinny, and see if there is a mentor among them! This would be a huge help so that you're not struggling on your own. While some new riders might feel shy about this step, take a deep breath and do it. You only have everything to gain! By all means, practice begins with getting a feel for the bike's weight (rolling it forward and backward, leaning it a bit side to side) and controlled stops and starts. Definitely hop on to my Pick Up the Bike page and you'll see links where you can read up on proper methods so should an oopsie happen, you have the procedure in mind and can handle the situation on your own (you won't believe the amount of confidence this will give you!). I'm going to hazard a guess that early Sunday mornings is probably the least amount of traffic time, so that's the time to go onto the roads. Check it out in your car first. Note exact turns, hazards like deep ditches, where you could easily and safely pull over if needed (to catch your breath, or get out of the way of a car), and exactly how far the nearest parking lot is, etc. With this "map" in mind, you'll be in better position for that no/low traffic try. Ok, off you go to read up on things, check for sisters,
and do some beginning stuff!
Mama Tuesday, October 3 About wearing riding gloves not specifically designed for motorcyclists and neckwraps: Regarding gloves for small hands, be
careful what you choose if they're not intended for riding. I heard
somewhere that boys' baseball gloves were good, so I bought some. The fit
was terrific and they seemed okay until I went on a longer ride one day,
about 160 miles or so (this was April or May of '05). Vibration caused the
main seam on the palm to irritate a nerve. It caused a numb tingly raised
spot on my throttle hand that only seems to get worse. It gets better over
the winter (but doesn't completely go away), and then comes back once I
start riding again. I wear gel gloves to lessen the effect now. So look
gloves over carefully. Tuesday, October 3 Mama, I am now looking forward to upgrading and was having an extremely hard time finding the perfect bike. I tried the Softail Deluxe - way TOO WIDE. Yea, it has a low seat height, but seat height doesn't tell the whole story. I tried the Dyna Low Rider - again, heavy and too wide. I tried the Sportster 1200L - didn't feel comfortable on that one either. I tried the Honda 750s - too high again. I wanted a bike I didn't have to lower - one I could get to fit me with just getting a custom Corbin seat. Well, I went into a dealership to try the Hondas and when the sales person saw me, he said - do you have to have Honda? I said "No, I just want something that fits me and is at least a 1100." He had me sit on a Yamaha VStar 1100 Custom. Now, if you look at seat height, it is listed at 27 inches - WAY higher than the Softail or Dyna - but guess what . . . I could lift it off the stand with NO problems and both front halves of my feet touch the ground solid!!!! I can walk that puppy around with no problems at all and it feels so light! The center of gravity is very low. I was so happy I almost cried, my husband was smiling from ear to ear (same as me) - this bike is so beautiful and fits me like a glove. I can even reach the controls with no fuss. I couldn't believe how well this bike fit me - if I had gone by seat height alone, I would never have tried it. Now, I have not purchased it yet - saving that for the spring ; ) so I can't give any rider reviews but I wanted to share my experience being a short rider and prove that seat heights are really not something a person should rely on when choosing bikes to try out. Anonymous Dear Anon, Tuesday, October 3 More for Road Princess who is having tipping problems, especially on backing up: I make sure I'm looking straight ahead, head up, even if I'm turning. If I have to look back to check, I stop moving, look to gauge my room, stationary objects, etc., and then look straight ahead again before I start moving. I take it slow and easy, and stop often to look back. This practice feels SO much more stable, and I could swear I read it on your site somewhere. Linda C. (note from Mama: there are soooo many good tips that my head can't hold them all, but reviews of a point are always good!) Tuesday, October 3 Dear VTwin Mama, Dear A Little Crazy, Of course, sitting on a motorcycle provides more important clues. You need to check your reach to hand and foot controls (you don't want to be reaching, but you don't want to be cramped, and when you turn the handlebar all the way in one direction, you can still reach the controls)), solid foot to ground (at your height it shouldn't be a concern), and overall feel. You don't mention if you've got your license yet . . .
if not, sign up for Harley's
Rider Edge course (they'll start you on the 492cc Buell Blast). If you
want to proceed learning on your own, there are lots of useful books and
DVDs that can be found on my Education
Center page. Enjoy your next steps!
Mama Tuesday, October 3 Dear VTwin Mama, Dear Newbie, You're right, grabbing more throttle in a panic is not working. My best guess as to the reason this is your natural (but trainable) response is that panic tends to freeze us up. Freezing up stiffens up the body and can make us tighten our hands on those handlebar controls even more (often referred to as a deathgrip). When your right hand clamps down, you roll the throttle. So, what to do? First, sit on your motorcycle off the sidestand and lift your arms into position. Look at the angle of your right arm and hand to the control. Now look specifically at your wrist angle. Is it cocked up, level, or angled down? Cocked up means when you panic and grip tighter, your wrist will try to roll down, thus engaging more throttle you don't want. Either consciously position your wrist differently or, on most bikes, the handlebars can be loosened in their clamps and rotated a bit. Take a closer look and see if that might not be something to consider. Next is retrain time. Fire up the bike at home, sit on it, and rev the engine in neutral. Now, pull in the clutch lever (still in neutral) and rev the engine. Now, with the clutch lever pulled in, shift to first, keep the clutch pulled in, and rev the engine. Omigosh, you still aren't going one single tiny hair forward. Lesson learned. The quickest way to remove inappropriate power from the bike (of which panic throttle is definitely a member of) is to pull in the clutch lever. It removes any further power from the rear drive and you can rev all you want and not hurtle with ever gaining speed towards something icky! Train your brain to think PANIC POWER, PULL IN THE CLUTCH (or something like that!). Now let's look at the turn. My guess is that you don't have full control of your friction zone yet. This is the engage/disengage point of the clutch lever. While a full panic might warrant completely pulling in the clutch, you can modify speed also by pulling in the clutch just a portion to where the power disengages and then ease it in and out of that zone. This is called slipping the clutch. Now you can have steady throttle but choose how much of that power you want available to you. This is practice and is best done in a big empty (ditch free!) parking lot. I'm also going to suggest that you get the Ride
Like A Pro DVD. There is nothing like a visual aid and planned
practice sessions to help you map out exactly the steps to take on
practicing turns. Many women report that upon following this DVD they
confidently can handle turns within a number of practice sessions. Give
that a thought!
Mama Tuesday, October 3 Dear VTwin Mama, Dear Carol, Otherwise, now is the time to order up the free metric
parts catalogs from places like J&P
Cycles and Dennis
Kirk. For instance, in the Dennis
Kirk catalog I see this interesting page on brake pedals for your
exact motorcycle which looks like a bolt-on addition to the stock pedal
which could lift the height up. I like having print catalogs because it
allows me to look through sections (those pesky names for things then are
available!) and then hop online to see and order. Start with these ideas
and see if the solution doesn't present itself.
Mama Wednesday, October 4 From Road Princess who was having tipping problems, especially on backing up: Thanks so much, everyone, for all the wonderful tips and suggestions!! I can flat-foot my bike with no problem (Harley Sportster XL1200L -- got the Low for that reason!), but after reading what all of you said, I'm pretty sure the problem is that I'm tired and in a hurry and looking over my shoulder while moving to get straight. Unfortunately, I share a parking area, so I don't have the luxury of leaving the bike out, but I can definitely take it slower when backing in. I like the idea about the kickstand too! I'm a little surprised you all said to have the bike off when parking. I thought I remembered from my class that it was supposed to be in gear in case I need to use the engine to straighten it or something, but now that I think about it, that doesn't really make sense. I really appreciate all the help, ladies! Road Princess. (note from Mama: glad the suggestions helped you explore what you were actually doing and create a new plan!) Wednesday, October 4 For Anon who shared a perspective on seat heights and VStar 1100: To anyone looking at the Yamaha 1100 . . . Be sure to take it for a ride. I thought I would like the Yamaha VStar just sitting on it. It felt comfortable and I could reach the grips and pedals -- until I rode it. I didn't have to ride it very far to know that it wasn't a good fit. I sat on the Honda VTX 1300 Retro and knew it was the one (see picture). The bike I ended up with has 4" pull back risers, which is a must. The seat is nice and wide. It's a comfortable ride with the floorboards. The Honda is a bit heavier, but the extra weight can be welcome on a windy ride. Although it is a tad heavy, it is still easy to lift up. I'm 52 years old and have been riding for 30 years. I'm 5'4' and am easily flat footed on the Honda. I don't have much upper body strength either. Also, for anyone thinking that the 1100 or 1300 is too much for you, think again. I once thought that my Yamaha 750 was too much. I wish that I'd tried a bike over 1000cc years ago! Carole in Springfield, IL (note from Mama: thanks for adding that while sitting on a motorcycle provides useful clues, a test ride is part of the equation. Congrats on 30 years of riding!) Wednesday, October 4 Dear VTwin Mama, Dear Heidi, Wednesday, October 4 Dear VTwin Mama, I am looking for advice on what type of bike to purchase. I would like a sport bike, but nothing big or fancy. I am 5'4" and weigh about 110 lbs. Though I am not extremely physical, I can hold my own. I'm looking for something that will be good for everyday use as well as longer trips. I can drive a clutch and shift car - don't know if that matters or not. Amanda Meyers Dear Amanda, You most definitely should check into a motorcycle course. The two biggest course providers (nationally) are the MSF and Rider's Edge. MSF is a non-profit and offers two to three levels of instruction. Typically one goes for the BRC (Basic RiderCourse), but in some states, an even more basic course is offered called the NRC (Novice RiderCourse) that provides smaller classes, more orientation to the bike time, and more time allowed for the very basic operation. You will ride a 125-250cc bike. Rider's Edge is provided through Harley-Davidson dealers and the course is based on the MSF. Here you will ride the 492cc Buell Blast. You can learn to ride on your own and prior experience with a clutch car does help to some degree in that you've mastered coordination of multiple controls. You would definitely want to go to the MSF library and download some handbooks, check your state's DMV site for their handbook, and consider books and DVDs as sources of training tools. If you are not sure which would be the best leaning pathway, I offer an 18-page Learning To Ride A Motorcycle article ($3.95) on what to consider before you get started! I am in the process of penning a Buying Your First Motorcycle article as there is much to consider as well and is a frequently asked question here at VTwin Mama! A motorcycle's fit is comprised of many components, including bike cc, weight, reach to controls and ground, and pocketbook. This is the short list! While some people are perfectly happy on 250cc bikes for long distances, I think most people would agree that 600cc and above is the more normal range. Typically the more cc, the heavier the bike. Smaller sport-style bikes are geared for aggressiveness while larger ones are for cruising and touring. A recent discussion noted that four gears can feel restrictive, while five gears offers better comfort at sustained higher speeds. You sit on bikes at dealerships to check your leg reach to ground and hand/foot reach to controls. I went to WantFacts to pull up a list by choosing Motorcycles, New, Search by Feature, limited my choices to Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha, chose Sport, entered 500-900cc and limited the weight to 600lbs. The least expensive (MSRP) was the 2006 Kawasaki Ninja 650R. This has 650cc, 392 lbs, 6 gears, but has a seat height of 30.9" Seat height gets dicey . . . at 5'4" you may have a short or long leg inseam that does make a difference! Bikes can be lowered in a number of ways and on this same page you will see input from riders on bikes, their height, and any modifications made. There are a number of sport bikes listed, some with detailed reviews, including the Honda CBF600, a Kawasaki Eliminator, KLR, ZZR600, and variety of Ninjas, and the Suzuki SV 650. Even if you'll be in the market for a used bike, getting a
sense of everything can start by looking at current models. Happy learning
and shopping!
Mama Wednesday, October 4 Motorcycles: On The Road Again Travel Magazine and Turkey Creek Motorcycle Tours, a Colorado based touring company, have teamed up to present Colorados High Road Tour. This fully guided 5-day, 6-night tour runs June 30th to July 5th, 2007 beginning and ending in Denver, Colorado. Joining the tour will be Larry Gore, publisher and editor who will be photographing and reviewing the tour for the magazine.
Five days of guided riding (with chase vehicle) through Colorados mountain high country, six nights of luxury accommodations in historical hotels, quaint B& Bs and mountain lodges, includes entrance fees to parks and attractions, daily briefings/maps, 6 breakfasts and dinners at restaurants the locals have recommend, including a welcome and farewell dinner. $1,995 single occupancy and $3,055 double occupancy before November 30th. Thursday, October 5 Hi Mama, However, the days are getting shorter and I am finding myself riding at dusk and recently in the dark. It scares the crap out of me. My husband, of course, likes to ride at night. He even changed my headlight to a halogen bulb to give me more light. When riding down a very familiar road, it feels like the back end of the bike wants to slide or skid out from under me. Maybe it is because when I hit a bump unexpectedly, I may be over steering and causing it myself. I just don't know. Also I can't look through the curve since it is dark, so I wind up steering the bike through a turn. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Beginner Biker Babe Dear Beginner Biker Babe, However, I don't have any feeling that the motorcycle itself is handling any differently, which could simply be a factor that I've been riding for 26 years. Typically, when a bike feels like the rear end is sliding out, that's a function of us using our rear brake incorrectly, i.e. jabbing or pressing too hard instead of easing on it. It's possible that if you are using the front brake in a curve, which has a tendency to pull the rider down to that side, that it could feel like the rear end is kicking out. If you feel like you are adding to the sensations, my guess is that you're riding with a stiffer body that could be translating to a deathgrip on the handlebar (which hampers the bike's natural moves). Given your newness to the sport, my suggestion is that you temporarily limit your rides to make it home at the beginning of dusk. Your oneness with the bike is not yet finely tuned and adding a challenge like this could simply be to much for your senses. Why not treat night riding just like you did when you
first started on your VLX?! At dusk/dark, head to an empty parking lot and
go over the basic riding drills in the semi-dark. Then proceed to
neighborhood night rides, even pre-planning it in the car at night so you
can get a sense of things, then add more distance, curvy roads, etc. As
always, if we are not comfortable, baby steps are the best plan!
Mama Thursday, October 5 Hi Mama, Dear Jojo, Friday, October 6 Dear VTwin Mama, The reason I am writing is because I read everyday about accidents and deaths related to motorcycles, and yet I cannot find any support for friends and families who have lost their loved ones. I have nothing against motorcycles- please know that. I just feel so sad and I think there are many out there who feel the same. I was thinking of starting a website and/or support/grief group for friends and families who have lost someone to a motorcycle related injury or accident. I was wondering what you think of this idea. 99% of all the accidents I hear about happen to men and so I was wondering about your perspective as a woman in the biker community. Please know that I am just a normal, grieving sister who has lost her baby brother and I just want to talk to some others who have been through what I am going through- and maybe offer support or help to others who are grieving too. If you know of any support groups for this, I would love to know- I can't seem to find any. Thank you so much for your time.: ) Carolyn Dear Carolyn, To date I have never found an Internet site that gives everyone a place to gather. This is about to change and your timing couldn't be better. VTwin Mama sister Susan (in NJ) and I had been emailing about the very concept of what it would take to put together a site. I'm happy to report that Susan is just weeks away from launching Biker Haven, a place to rest and heal. Susan has one of the kindest hearts and her previous responses to accident survivor letters has showed her caring nature and well-thought out advice. This is not to dissuade you from launching your own effort. My suggestion, however, is that you wait to see what Susan, a motorcycle rider, will be doing. Your input as a family member would be invaluable to her efforts. I think having input from all sides will make the site an excellent resource for everyone. I just received some details from Susan: "Biker Haven is basic in its
structure at the moment, as I just want to get it up. I dont know what
the website address will be right now and will get that to you ASAP. So, there
we have the beginning details and I'll will be updating readers as more
information comes in. The link will be displayed on my Accident
Survivors page when ready.
Mama Friday, October 6 Dear VTwin Mama, I was on a four lane divided road, doing 35 mph in a 45 mph zone. On the other side of the divider a fire truck was stopped and fireman were stretching that yellow tape over the road. I'd just left a traffic light and was in the process of shifting up through the gears. You know how it is, everyone gets stupid when there's something to look at . . . everyone getting in the left lane, braking to slow down and look. I was in the right lane, carefully watching the lookie-lou's to be sure no one cut into my lane when all of a sudden the car in front of me braked. Hard. I was on the far right of my lane. I saw a bus pulled to the right side of the road, the car that braked so hard in front of me, and a line of cars on the brakes in the left lane. It's odd that I can't remember exactly what happened. But all I could focus on was the space between the lanes and I headed for that. My rear brake locked and the rear tire fish-tailed, I feathered the front brake and headed for that space between the cars. I heard a "thunk" and the next thing I know I laying in the road between the cars by the rear wheel of the car that was in front of me. I was lucky. Very lucky. I was wearing a shortie helmet that "tapped" the road on the visor, my right foot was pinned between the crash bars (which had bent toward the bike when they clipped the side of the car's bumper) and the cylinder. My windshield was sheared off at the handlebars, my right side running light was broken, and my right mirror was torn off. EMS pronounced my ok at the scene and I rode the bike very slowly to my house. What I don't get is why couldn't I stop? I wasn't going that fast. I left the rear brake locked, feathered the front brake and down shifted (I was in 2nd gear when I re-started the bike). I had a good 3 - 4 second space cushion in front of me . . . Any advice? Thanks, Lorrie Dear Lorrie, I don't think it's odd at all that the sequence of choices you made were so quick that it feels like you're not sure what happened, but actually you do remember the steps you took . . . it's just the result that wasn't to your satisfaction. You've just gotten your first taste of a rider's oneness with a bike, and you may or may not have come up just a tad short. Given that you have only been riding for 6 months, I think you did quite well, but let's review some points and think about more brain training. First, congratulations on having a good sense of how things were unfolding in front of you in terms of vehicle layout. Your brain was already calculating the "outs" if needed, and that's a very good thing! Yes, you had left a cushion of time between you and the car in front, but when that car braked hard, they instantly took away a large chunk of your cushion and there is no way to predict that a 4 second cushion should have been an 8 second cushion. That would take mind reading! Now came the choice. Brake hard to stop behind that quick stop car or maneuver to a clear spot. Your brain calculated the odds and choose the clear spot. If at that moment you and the bike were traveling straight and centered, 75% of the braking power is in the front brake. Had you eased firmly and evenly on both the front and back brake, it's possible you could have stopped in time, but it's also possible you could have been thrown over the front or to the side if you hit the car. Training: how well do you know the full power of your front brake in a straight line? You may wish to go back to an empty parking lot, mark out a stop point and a start braking point, and find out what's what. However, what you chose was the rear brake. If we think about this, we realize that in a car we only have the foot-operated brake available to us, and with a quick stop car in front of us, we naturally jam on our own foot brake. So, your jamming on the motorcycle's rear brake may have been a function of that part of your brain-train. A jam on the rear brake always sets up a rear wheel skid, so while not the correct response, what you did right at that point was not release that locked brake once the action started. Good for you! Now let's back up a step. The car brakes hard. You were in the far right part of your lane. So the clear spot was to the far left of your lane. A quick countersteer to the left would have moved you in the lane and then a quick right move into the clear spot. Was this possible without braking or down-shifting? It's hard to say. This required some precision. Here, once again, is the oneness with the bike. Training: back to the practice lot to mark out a line and countersteer around. First, aim for the left edge of the line and countersteer around left. Then aim for the middle of the line and countersteer around that left end again. Then aim at the right side of the line and countersteer to the left to clear the line. Repeat for right countersteer. So, what exactly was the bike doing in all of this? Well, it had a lot of forces on it all at once (locked brake, steer to the clear, front brake feather, and the downshift) and I don't think it's possible to map out how one force precisely affected the other forces. The rear wheel was sliding to the right (it always does, by the way) starting the pull down to the left, you were aiming left, the front brake has a tendency to pull us down further. What I do know is that your husband is right . . . you tried your best with the riding skill level available to you. You calculated the odds, choose your best option, and did your best to get there. I think if you fine-tune your braking and countersteering to the next level of understanding, you will have taken this experience and translated it into a learning lesson of the finest kind. You may wish to check into the MSF's
Experienced RiderCourse, where evasive action and quick stop moves are
worked on. This course is on your own bike. Given your experience, I think
you would enjoy increasing your knowledge and taking that next step to
becoming a fully skilled rider. Take heart . . . the lesson was hard . . .
and despite our best efforts, challenging situations test our limits and
hopefully show us where we can improve!
Mama Friday, October 6 For Beginner Biker Babe who is just getting into night riding and has concerns: BBB said something that threw up a red flag reminder to me: leaves. It's so fun to ride down a shaded street, blowing a storm of leaves behind you, but remember, during early morning and evening rides those leaves may be wet, creating a whole new traction problem. Jojo (note from Mama: a good reminder, not just on leaves, but that road surface conditions do change during the course of the day/night.) Cupped rear tire? This might also be the cause for someone who's starting to lean into the curves a little more and having the sensation of the back end starting to slide. Kevin (note from Mama: yes, you are right, I should have mentioned a double-check of tire wear/condition and proper inflation. The sensation might be more noticeable to BBB at night because she has extra concerns and is more tuned-in to every nuance of the bike.)Friday, October 6 Hi VTwin Mama, We went and watched videos of bike races for a couple of hours. Pointing out that they move their butt (first) and then their body toward the direction of the turn.When they start around the turn the bike leans what it needs to in order to make the turn (you dont try to lean the bike). She went back out on her bike, and for the first time, by just moving her butt toward the direction of the turn she had no problems turning. A real breakthrough for her. She is 52 and never figured she would even ride on the back of a motorcycle as well as own and drive one regularly. I hope this may help some of your readers. How we found your website is Elizabeth (finally a name) parked her bike out side of our garage in the dirt and it fell off the stand. Well, she couldnt pick it up by herself. She finally got the neighbor to help her. I said I would look on the Internet for the proper way to pick up a motorcycle. I cant pick one of mine up either. So we both wanted to learn. And I found your terrific site. Thank you, Steve Dear Steve, I'm equally enthused that a challenge your wife had led
you to research solutions for her benefit, as well as your own. Yahoo to
you and thank you for supporting Elizabeth's entry into the wonderful
adventure in riding. May you have many happy miles together!
Mama Friday, October 6 Dear Petra, We came back from the Black Hills Rally in August and though we flew and met the bike out there, coming back was difficult with the terrorist threat and the liquids ban (and practically everything else). We had no baggage to check in and only one carry-on, but thanks to packing up the bike, we had nothing to worry about and sent all of our banned items - good thing for zip lock bags and liquids. Anything else we accumulated we mailed home. The package arrived before the bike! The amazing thing was how much, when we unpacked, that we really were able to take with us. It was the second time ever in all my travels I have packed all the right things and was well prepared! Miracles do happen. Thanks all! Marilyn Dear Marilyn, Friday, October 6 Dear VTwin Mama, Dear Debby, While you LOL on having to speed up to stop, that's not as unusual for a new rider as you might think! Some creep so slowly to the stop and others misjudge the speed need and do in fact have to give some throttle to make it to the "line." You'll get it! On practice . . . you've got to train your brain to think
gentle front brake use when in a straight line, front and rear if the
straight stop needs more immediate power (an easing firmness, but never a
jab or hard grab) and gentle rear brake use in any curve or turn. These are
a motorcycle's basic physics of motion. Can you use just the rear brake on a
straight line stop? Yes, if it's a gentle use. The problem arises that if
you've trained yourself to do that, and a panic situation sets up, you'll
jam on the rear and start a rear wheel skid, not a pretty feeling. Just keep
working on it all.
Mama |
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