[Rebelnewbie]

I just bought a 2004 Honda Rebel for the purpose of learning the basics of riding before I take the BRC. Now after three lessons (my husband is my teacher) I’m beginning to wonder if I should just wait until the class. The first day out I did a lot of ‘duck walking’. I honestly was scared to death and was very nervous. The 2nd day out, I was finally able to get my feet on the pegs and drive around the parking lot…still very nervous. (I did dump the bike once each day.) My 3rd day out, yesterday, I felt like I was even more nervous, but did manage to ride with my feet up. So far, I haven’t used the foot brake and only stay in first gear. The thought of doing more makes me scared. I can go straight in first gear ok, and I can even make turns (wide ones) ok…except going right is harder for me than going left…but I am so nervous. Good grief -even writing about it right now is making me feel that way! Is there anything I can do to help get over these ‘scary/nervous’ feelings? I thought practicing before taking the class would give me a better chance, but now I’m not too sure.

[Sangria7]

The major consensus will probably be wait until the BRC/MSF.

Though I am sure your husband is a good teacher…it will never replace the BRC instruction.

Being anxious is normal, but once you get to the actual BRC just listen to the instructors and relax. You will be writing back saying how much fun you had. If you search the archives here you will find people was in the same boat as you before.

Cheers!

[briderdt]

…and I’m not one to say you shouldn’t (I did, on a much bigger bike), I’d recommend getting the first Ride Like a Pro DVD (by Palladino) and following the exercises he has on that video. Definitely get used to using the clutch, getting a feel for the friction zone, and grabbing the clutch when things start to get out of hand (rather than letting go — what many people seem to do when they panic).

[Rebelnewbie]

Thanks to everyone for their replies. I did purchase the first Ride Like a Pro DVD and have watched it a few times. My husband and I took the experienced rider course/co-rider course this past year, so I am somewhat familiar with the class (I’m sure the BRC is somewhat different though.) Now my problem, my husband thinks it will be better if I just keep practicing so I can try and get over the ‘fear’ part. I just don’t want to develop (and neither does he want me to) bad habits right off the bat. He is really very patient, but I know I just have to do whatever I’m comfortable with. I hope to be writing back after taking my class (I’m planning on taking the Riders Edge course in April) with good news!

Thanks a bunch!

[briderdt]

Maybe you should read some of the books by Hough, where he quotes the findings of the Hurt Report. Something like 60% of the reported accidents involved riders who were trained by family or friends. I’m probably mis-interpreting what you said, but I’d be really leery of depending on your husband to train you.

Even with only a couple weeks on my bike before my BRC, I’d developed habits that, while not necessarily bad (like covering the front brake with two fingers at all times), were not what are taught in the BRC. I talked with the instructors, and while they agreed that the habits I had developed were either not a bad idea, but actually ideal for the bike I already owned. So I had to reprogram myself for the class.

[Rebelnewbie]

Thanks for your input. We have the book, “Proficient Motorcycling” by David Hough, which I have been reading. It is a great book. My husband thinks I am spending too much time worrying about it and just need to relax. Easy for him to say :0) Whenever I’m doing something new, I like to read whatever I can on the subject. Maybe I’m overloading my brain with too much information! I’m also wondering if I will have problems with riding the course bikes as they will probably be Buells and not the Rebel….there I go worrying again!

Thanks again

[SantaCruzRider]

Kidding, he sounds like he’s doing his best. But IMHO, the reason why people who are taught by a friend or family member are more likely to be in an accident than those who teach themselves is because the well-meaning friend is always so helpful and ready with the next lesson.
You might be best served by spending an hour(s?) practicing finding the friction point on the clutch. Find the point, glide up to 5-8 mph, pull in the clutch and ease to a stop. Then do it again, and again until you reach the end of the lot. Now duckwalk a nice wide turn and start over. Keep doing it until it feels comfortable (and this may be spread over a few days). Then you can start adding things like feeling how the rear brake feels, doing some slow S-turn, etc…
Have fun learning and don’t be in a rush.
Lastly, you sound a bit like me with all the reading and research (my wife gives me crap all the time — “just buy it already” is a frequent comment). The study is cool if you enjoy it , but don’t let it lead to “analysis paralysis.” There’s a time for reading about traffic accident stats, bike ergonomics, etc…, and then there a time to just relax and feel how you feel on the bike and how it responds to your control.

[eon]

Normally I recommend waiting for the course before riding but it sounds to me that you have a lot of fear. It also sounds like your hubbie is doing a great job and is very patient with you so I would say stick at it. If you go to the class with a lot of fear you may end up bailing out. The trick is to be able to relax and sometimes that just takes practice. But the most important persons point of view is your own. If you would be more comfortable waiting for the class then just do that. Best of luck with whatever you choose.

[Medic]

Next time you’re going to practice, take a few shots of Jack Daniels about 10-20 minutes prior. That should loosen you up.

No?

Ok I don’t really recommend that anyway, actually it’s just plain stupid. But really, you already dumped the bike a couple times, so what’s to be nervous about now? Chances are the next time you dump it at low speed it’ll be just about like it was the last times. You’re still fine, right?
I’m no experienced rider or anything (haven’t been to BRC yet either), but I know being nervous isn’t going to help.
I say do what makes you feel better. If you want to keep practicing with your husband, go for it. If you just can’t relax and make any progress, wait for the course and tell them where you’re at with it so they know how to help you. Then practice more afterward. Maybe low speed stuff by yourself so you don’t feel like you’re under a microscope?

Good luck

[Munch]

Practice or not to practice. I did…. so I can’t say not to. However I can say this….
When I got my V500 I had my boss man ride it home for me. It gave me a chance to watch how he rode and the mechanics involved in it. For my brain it helped me. I can watch others on their bike and then hear me tell myself that its gonna be different for mine cause I have a different bike. Well after he dropped it off I waited for him to leave, geared up and went through every sighting I could of controls and mechanisms. Then I went through the start up process several times. Next step was just getting use to the clutch. MSF will do this for you to when you take it….though I didn’t know that at the time. I would let the clutch out extremely slow to get used to the point of engagement and release. Rocking back and forth for what was probably mundane. Once I felt comfortable with that I got used to the throttle, out of gear. Alot of beginners don’t realise how little the throttle has to be turned to get a response. Once you feel comfortable with that…. put it in first again (shoulda added that part with the clutching aspect but I figure it would be assumed)slowly let out the clutch and give it very lil throttle. Go about a couple of feet and start the whole process again. Your building muscle memory. I went through as far as Shut down, kickstand, dismount….then back on, start up , kick stand and clutching again. Eventually move your distance traveled a bit further each time and next thing you know your off and running. The very next most important step is to train your right hand to relax … ESPECIALLY on left hand turns. Alot of people keep the death grip on the throttle and when turning left the throttle goes away from your body, death grip on…the throttle starts to roll and ut oh…… better make sure you are in the frame of mind to remember that the clutch disengages forward motion. Not ok lets ride this bugger out. After that…its just pushing your comfort level increments at a time.

[Clay Dowling]

Not a lot, but enough to be certain that I would be able to handle the machine without being too nervous. When I went to buy the bike I was going to take a test run down a country road, but I was too nervous for that. So when I had a friend ride it home for me, I decided I needed to overcome my fear. The bike turned out to be a dream to ride, really easy, had to do something really stupid to stall it (sudden release of the clutch while stopped is really about it).

I did most of my practicing after I took the class though. They have a lot of cool stuff to teach you there that I would have had trouble learning any other way. Swerving was the thing that scared me most, and after the first time through I realized it was one of the most fun things we did.

[PhilUp]

I had none experience on a bike and took the class. During the first couple of drills, I felt like I was going to fail, but I started to get the hang of it. I think as long as you can get the concept of shifting down, you will be fine without prior practice. The MSF instructors teach you techniques as if you had never been on a bike before which I think establishes good riding habits.

[WeaponZero]

Don’t ride on public roads until after you’ve taken the BRC. Practice starting and getting it moving in a parking lot just to get good with the clutch but THAT IS IT.

There were people who failed the BRC course I was in because they had never operated a motorcycle style clutch/shift system before (and contrary to popular belief driving stick doesn’t prepare you for it) and didn’t get it down by the end of the first day of riding. Practice with that and THAT ALONE. That is it.

[bigguybbr]

This was an interesting thread. I ended up having my bike delivered a little early so that I could practice up before I took the BRC. I had a friend that didn’t make it through the first day’s riding because everyone in her class had riding experience (like riding dirt bikes or motorcycles) and she was the only one who had never sat on a bike before so her instructor didn’t let her continue through the first day because she was too far behind everyone. Being cheep I was not willing to let my $200 class end before I got my moneys worth!

So the day my bike arrived I spent most of the day on the bike practicing every article, every youtube driving instructors practice excersize, and everything that was in the MSF saftey manual that came with my bike. I even took a short back roads trip to the next town over and back.

One thing I will say above all else is resist the pressure from your friends who already ride, as they will insistantly want to come along with you for your first rides. You have enought to think about when the controls of a bike still aren’t second nature, and the rest of your attention should be focused the SEE principals (Search Evaluate Execute), and not on looking around to see where your friends are, or foolishly trying to keep up with more experienced riders.

[smokeizfire]

The MS in MSF is for motorcycle safety. The focus is on riding a motorcycle safely. Learning how to ride is 1 aspect of the experience, safety is the 2nd and most important. Take the class!!!!!

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