- This topic has 8 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 15 years, 7 months ago by CBennett.
Took the 250 around the neighborhood
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September 1, 2008 at 9:49 pm #2010CBennettParticipant
Took the Ninja 250 around the block a few times first time ever riding. didnt stall it once so thats good. Harder to steer from a stop than I thought to turn. you DO need to look into the turn. some reason i was looking straight ahead and almost hit the curb(i live on a circle) once at the stop sign turning onto the “main” road through the streets. but missed it (barely). I seem to have a problem coming out of a stop with the gas I want to keep giving it gas instead of easing off so I will have to work on that.it was “different” to say the least. Lots of things to think about all at once I guess only got to get to 3rd gear maybe 4th once and back down. Neutral is SUPER easy to find. when I was turning left from a stop and in first, id have to remember my blinker..forgot that totaly lol….and then once in the turn to quit on the gas and shift! dont know why I keep rolling on the gas…but i did..luckily in first and going like 5 mph. also have to remember to use BOTH brakes as I was (at low speed slowing at the stop sign..just using the front most of the time…bounced it a bit but for first time ever i cant complain…Thing is if I was on a 600 I MAY have actually dumped it or hit the curb the first time or when I was doing the left turn from a stop..so im SO glad ive got a 250 .
Never knew what object fixation was looking right straight ahead(or at a object like the curb lol) instead or turning your head and looking into/through the turn. and didnt understand why you had to look where you were steeing..now I do lol and luckily nothing got broken learning those lessons
So I dont know if I keep self teaching for the next 3 days till the MSP classes begin(on Friday) or if I just wait till then and use their bikes . I can see why you want to start with a lighter bike though for a noob like me even the 250 feels “top heavy” and you really feel the weight as slow speed or stops/turns..I can totaly see why people lay bikes down now like I said I may have at the least hit the curb the one time had I been on a bit more powerful of a machine! And yes I had my gear on!
September 2, 2008 at 3:19 am #11533MunchParticipantGood start…. best steps to learning is recognizing what your doing wrong and even more so …admitting that you did it wrong. Let me know how your MSF goes…. mine starts in 2 weeks, though I got nearly 1000 mile son my Vulcan already. I am looking forward to what they can teach me, always looking to learn. After this run of the courses though they have an “advanced” course that you can go back for…. that will likely be next summers adventures.
Yesterday is a memory, tomorrow is a prediction, but today…… is a Bi**h
September 2, 2008 at 3:40 am #11535BuddParticipantadjust your wrist position on the throttle. I am betting that you are bending your wrist down when you get on the bike. try and grab the throttle with a straight wrist or slightly bent upward. it will stop those accidental throttle pulls when you turn or pull in the break.
“I am the best there is at what I do, and what I do ain’t nice.”-Wolverine
September 2, 2008 at 2:58 pm #11543CBennettParticipantI will try to figure out the throttle thing today probably, And yes I also think its probably just positional. Thats a good idea though i will try slightly upward..I think a lot of it is im trying to get used to how much throttle you need to get it rolling smoothly without staling(something ive not down yet luckily is stall it). so when so much is coming so quickly that comes natualy in a car for me im having to try to force myself to do like turn signals, down shifting at the right time, make sure im actually IN first, how much throttle to give and let out point on clutch actually turning lol and looking to where I want to go not just straight ahead lol…I think sometimes I tend to give more throttle than I probably need just trying not to stall it I think : ) .
September 2, 2008 at 5:37 pm #11551CBennettParticipantyeah, I am gonna go out here in a bit and work on that, luckily I dont have the deaths grip lol just probably wrong positioning. could also just be me trying to “get going” and once i got it going just not easing off quick enough.
September 2, 2008 at 5:48 pm #11553AndrewParticipantI have been using my first 2 fingers to cover the brake which has meant I have a more relaxed grip on the throttle. That leads to doing things much more smoothly than I had. I have the 07 Ninja btw.
September 2, 2008 at 8:51 pm #11573CBennettParticipantYeah, im doing better took it out again today before the kid got home from school for a hour and rode all over in the neighborhood. It was obviously all under 40 MPH being residential neighborhoods. But I did much better turning and with the throttle only caught myself revving 2X and one was at a stop when i was trying to waive a car on but they REFUSED to go they just sat there even after I waived them on…but went to the park they have a circle fountain thingy in the middle of the lot that gave me some tight circle turning drills(both ways) I dont have any cones or anything so I just picked stuff for that. Ive not even tried a figure 8 yet(didnt think about it till i started writing this) . Also stalled it out once when I was at a stop and tried to let the UPS guy go..forgot cant waive him through when in in 1st at a stop with the clutch hand lol..but other than that it was fun even though i never went faster than 40 lol. almost did get hit by a car that decided going 30 on a street whos speed limit was 30 was just too slow for her. she passed me on the right as I was getting ready to turn(yes, i did have my signal on) luckily i heard her b4 i tired to turn. went down and filled up on gas $8.50 : ) which was great. so it was much more enjoyable this time and I was giving much less throttle on turns got so I can pull out nice and smooth. have to remember to use both brakes though ive been using the front much more than the rear…sometimes I almost forget the rear is there .
September 2, 2008 at 9:51 pm #11578AnonymousGuestjust remember – don’t try to invent your own rules – that stop sign stuff. Whoever has a stop sign, that one must stop. No matter whether it’s a mother with the child, granny or novice motorcyclist. I personally hate when somebody gives me a courtesy where I don’t have a right of way, especially on the bicycle – you never know what kind of miss communication can arise, and guess who is going to get hurt if something goes wrong, not to mention whose fault it is going to be. As for the right passing b#$%^h. One thing to learn on the bike is that people would take any opening you leave them. were you a little bit too far to the left? Make sure to claim your line as a rightful owner.
BTW, there are worse things than stalling because a clutch is released while trying to make some kind of a hand sign – stalling while trying to look important while giving a secret wave sign to fellow motorcyclist
K
September 3, 2008 at 12:40 am #11587CBennettParticipantno, they were pretty much when we both stopped at the same time..If I was there far before them I just go as I always would. If its close especialy on my bike and in PA where 1/2 the people on the road DONT know the rules of the road I make SURE to communicate..Its not one of theor deals where I was there far before them but waived them on just when we arrived at a sign at the same time.
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