- This topic has 5 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 15 years, 11 months ago by uncle_bernie.
Advice 4 Newbie!
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June 8, 2008 at 1:46 am #1491ilurecParticipant
What a great forum! I have been reading on and off for the past month and finally joined as I have purchased my first bike; a Kaw ’08 EX650R. It came highly recommended for someone starting. So, I dove in both feet, took and MSF class (talked my wife to do the same thing) and now I am riding around the local streets to build some skills. I appreciate any advice you can give me and look forward to some great riding!
Some questions I have as I have been tooling around…
– Hands are getting tired, but I am guessing that is due to my “grip of death” that I am trying to stay conscious of…any ideas on how to conquer this or is time the answer?
– I cannot seem to get my right hand to stay on the throttle completely; it tends to move towards the outside where the end of the handlebar lives…thoughts on if this is good or bad?
– I have found that the clutch is my new best friend! There are times I seem to “hit” the throttle, but have somehow naturally used the clutch to avoid letting the power out…good, bad?
– Sending-off…I still stall my bike coming off the stop…I am typically afraid to give it too much power and seem to kill it? Ideas?Again, you have probably read/seen this a million times with other riders, but I am hoping that this is just a stage of things that I can get past so I get a bit more confidence in me on the bike.
I appreciate any advice!
June 8, 2008 at 6:59 am #7130megaspazParticipant1. tired hands – could be a couple of things. grip of death – don’t do it.
Over time, your hands will get used to it if it’s not exasperated by the second possibility which is an overly vibrating bike in which case I can only suggest going to the dealer and seeing what they suggest. Another thing that might help tired hands is a throttle lock which is simple device that locks the throttle in place. Useful for long road trips and putting the bike in “cruise control”.2. Clutch. Bad technique, imo. You should learn throttle control so you don’t use the clutch to save you from over-throttling. Doing something like this leaned into a turn could cause you to lose rear wheel grip as pulling in the clutch takes away power to the rear wheel. I’m assuming this issue is your “fix” for the last issue you talk about, stalling when you want to move from a stopped position.
3. Stalling. Assumption’s from your second point. Learn where your friction zone is. Use it to guage when you should throttle. Start of by slowly releasing the clutch until you start to move forward. Keep practicing that. When you’re familiar with that feeling, start practicing with the throttle. Slowly open the throttle evenly after you get into the friction zone. You’ll start moving a bit quicker and the pull will be slightly stronger than the friction zone pull. That’s when you can let out the clutch, but still keep opening the throttle slowly and evenly until you’re moving at a comfortable clip to upshift (assuming traffic isn’t stop and go).
Just keep in mind for issues 2 and 3, these aren’t hard, fast rules as certain situations may make these situations correct techniques. Like in slow stop and go traffic, you might need to work in the clutch to help you stop quickly as cars are moving and stopping abruptly. As it pertains to #3, very slow stop and go traffic, where you only move a little distance and you’re living in a state that doesn’t allow for lane splitting/sharing, may mean you only use the clutch and the friction zone to move along at a safe stop and go traffic pace. Either way though, moving from a stopped position, the friction zone is your friend.
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If there’s anything more important than my ego
around, I want it caught and shot now…June 8, 2008 at 9:41 pm #7140AnonymousGuestA good example of why you should learn to ride a smaller bike well, before moving on to a bigger bike…
June 12, 2008 at 3:45 am #7232SuperMotoRiderParticipantForce yourself to lightly squeeze the throttle, try gripping the gas tank with your knees. It takes some practice, good luck.
-SMR
June 12, 2008 at 2:15 pm #7250canstaettParticipantAs already said- you have to think about not getting that death grip. I went and got a palm rest for my throttle (like 13 bucks) and it helps a LOT. I’ve also found that it makes it easier to get the throttle control down because you don’t have the roll your whole hand, just rest your palm on it and press gently. Like anything else- take it out and practice beofre you get on the road with it.
Of course there are time when you can’t help the death grip- the stupid 30 mph winds we get down here that come out of nowhere and smack you from one side kind of necessitates a little bit of a death grip, at least for a newbie. But the palm rest allows you to realx your hand once it calms without having to stop and shake out the cramp.
June 13, 2008 at 5:18 am #7287uncle_bernieParticipantThe death grip is more than likely a direct result of tension. There’s a mantra in sports, especially in golf and tennis, where you’re told to be in a relaxed state of tension. In other words, your body and brain in are in high alert but not straining to be so. As you get more comfortable riding, you should find yourself in a more relaxed state…but don’t relax so much that forget to think! As far as your hand drifting on the throttle, are you using a good pair of gloves? If so, they *should* assist you in keeping a light but firm grip on the throttle.
The stalling part is probably just a matter of confidence and experience. Megaspaz is right in that you should practice a lot getting comfortable with where your friction zone is and remember, as long as you’re not rolling the throttle wide open, the bike can only go so fast in first gear. Also remember that all you movements on a bike, letting out the clutch, rolling on the throttle, or applying the brake should always be done smoothly. Practice and the confidence it provides should get you where you want to be as a rider.
~He who laughs last didn’t get the joke…
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