The Putt-Putt Posse

[follow]

Ok Mz33,
Let me rephrase a few things, when I said mentor..they would be a rider that the club members consider experienced, they all have been in your shoes and your friends, so they know to make a little pointer in a suttle way without making you feel like your in school. beside most aren't riding educators just riders wanting to see other riders wether new or returning riders feel good on the saddle, and to succeed with thier goal. Possibly they could just stop by for a moment, not stay I wouldn't ask that of someone myself either.

Shoot just find a motorcycle cop ask him/her to stop by and give you a few pointers..I have done this before and they love to show off.

But I get what you say about practicing, I still practice quite often in parking lots and I don't like anyone around...I like to practice real tight turns, and real slow and straight line braking. I have a hard time doing these when I am being watched at rally's so I have to practice often. And yes I have dropped my bike and yes I have picked that giant Moose up...LOL. but since she has crash bars thats what she landed on. (mind you cover crash bar with pipe cover the kind you put on Hot water heater so they dont get scratched...learned that from the LEO he was cool with all his advice.)

P.S. I had one of those Mom's NOTHING was ever good enough.

[LittleRedRider]

Mz33 on your Putt-Putt Posse! All of you should be proud of yourselves and each other. Emotional baggage ain't easy to get rid of, just having the courage to try something like riding is a huge accomplishment for your friend. Give yourselves a you deserve it!
I hope you can find someone to help mentor you as Follow suggested. Have you checked with the dealerships in the area? They may have contacts for riding clubs that have members or suggestions on someone willing to come out a give you ladies some pointers.
A bunch of the miles I put on my little Rebel this summer were practice miles in a parking lot. (Dang, I wish I'd thought of Follow's suggestion for pipe wrap on the crash bars before I dropped Little Red!) (At least I had crash bars on her this time - first time I dropped her I didn't! )
Oh well, it's the trying that counts.
Keep at it ladies and keep us posted on your progress.
Sandy / LittleRedRider

[follow]

Well LittleRedRider, as I stated an LEO told me to do that, one time one saw me practicing and came over to give me pointers, so in conversation I said " I have issuse with real tight slow turns...I don't want to drop bike but I don't want to scratch it either"..he said" that is how they teach the LOE's to ride on thier scooters" I happen to be next door to Lowe's hardware store and marched my happy butt right in thier bought the stuff went out..put stuff on bike and I felt better about doing some of the riding tricks (I also like doing the cones like the police officers do) I wanted to do. He also said the only reason I was fearing some of the tricks was because I make the bike payments and he doesn't....$$$$ big difference.

[mazer]

Follow - if you guys find someone who is willing to help you out and teach you all how to do things as a group, and someone who is sensitive on their delivery - If your friend is more comfy with a woman, then go with that, just like that LEO you met, many many bikers out there went through the ropes as everyone else did and they all had fears like everyone as well.
Just because he or she is advanced in riding does not mean thye might not be carrying the same baggage as your buddy. In fact many of the cops I use to work with were from severely disfunctional families!
You need to remember too that being an LEO on a bike at work means that you might be subject to the verbal ribbing by your co-workers when you do something stupid like drop your bike in the local 4th of July parade, in front of everyone because you were checking out a cute girl!!! Saw it myself!!! - poor guy.
Your friend might be able to do a better job when class comes around, if she has had a more experienced rider helping you guys. There are sooooo many people out there who are soooooo willing to help out a fellow biker, and many of these riders are not going to be rough with a new rider, they all remember what it was like to be a new rider. Just like in medicine, watch it, then do it yourself, then teach it to someone else.
You never know, it may help. I just dont think you should rule it the idea of a more experienced rider helping you out so quickly....
Whatever you guys choose, hang in there, keep up the good work and your friend should be thankful she found a cool group of people to ride and learn with.

By the way scooters are not seen as toys in Europe, or in Asia or Africa, they are used daily and many powerful people ride them - including race car drivers!!!!

[follow]

Mazer,
I think you miss interpided or read between some other lines
I have quoted below...

Just because he or she is advanced in riding does not mean thye might not be carrying the same baggage as your buddy. In fact many of the cops I use to work with were from severely disfunctional families!

" did I ever say anyone came without baggage"

You need to remember too that being an LEO on a bike at work means that you might be subject to the verbal ribbing by your co-workers when you do something stupid like drop your bike in the local 4th of July parade, in front of everyone because you were checking out a cute girl!!! Saw it myself!!! - poor guy.

"I only said some were kind enough to offer advice"

Your friend might be able to do a better job when class comes around, if she has had a more experienced rider helping you guys. There are sooooo many people out there who are soooooo willing to help out a fellow biker, and many of these riders are not going to be rough with a new rider, they all remember what it was like to be a new rider.

"I believe I said we all have been there"

You never know, it may help. I just dont think you should rule it the idea of a more experienced rider helping you out so quickly....

" sure but they could have more to offer" and you are conradicting yourself at this point.

By the way scooters ........
"I grew up in another country I know this, I had a cool blue moped that got about 50mpg...but like MZ33 I refer to scooter as in MC
I guess you haven't been around long enough to of heard the phrase
"my scooter".......bikers refer to it as well. so do magazines.
So if I offended you it was not my intention....keep the rubber side down.

[MZ33]

Hee hee . . . my eyes are swimming from those last two posts! I'm not quite sure how much of mazer's was meant to be directed at me & my group, nor how much of Follow's was directed at mazer who may have been meaning to direct her comments to me . . .

I never thought about a LEO! Have to admit, though, that only once have I seen one here that wasn't in the midst of escort duty: usually funerals, sometimes VIPs. Taking a police course is also on my some-day list.

I will review these suggestions with my friends, although I hazard a guess that they won't feel ready for that yet. There are three experienced bikers in my neighborhood. One actually is a design engineer for MCs! But really, TMW and the Ladies Lounge are my best support group, as well as information base. Maybe I can strongly encourage them, again, to look this site up.

[follow]

Well since MY NAME was in Title I assumed it was me..perhaps I too may have read between the lines that i should not have. never the less I made my rebuttle...maybe not so elloganttly or tackful as a lady should be......but perhaps as a biker Mamma could..LOL (Non was directed at you Mz33)
Alas...I jumped and popped the clutch to fast, did a burn out now having to save face..........

[mazer]

My comments were not "directed" at or to anyone. I was simply offering some brain storming...
I know in the US - so many people dont take motorcycling seriously and think scooters are toys, so my point which probably was not made completely at the time (I had dental surgery and my thought process is still sketchy), I wanted to put out there that if you did have someone mentor you guys to feel them out for possible biases against scooters.
Im not telling you what to do. I dont know you or your buds, Im simply wishing to have some horizons opened to possibilities not otherwise thought of so I thought I would put out my ideas.
I dont flame on forums I try not to put people down and I am not into personal attacks.
My intent was to consider your friends hard won confidence, her lifelong issues or baggage while offering some out of the box thinking.
It would not be the first time my intentions were misunderstood.
No harm no foul

[MZ33]

No harm no foul

Cool!

We just went out this morning again. Things are going well, I believe, except that the weather is starting to work against us. I quite happily managed a couple of figure eights that were full lock!!
But my emergency stops need work. I am, uh, way too comfortable with rear wheel skid, believe it or not. In third gear (so around 25 mph) I was laying down rubber, released the rear brake, rode it off, skidded again, came off, then did it again. All in one stop. The tire stunk! So I have developed a bad habit in 3rd gear that could be a real problem in 5th gear, or in lesser traction. Managed to coax myself into acting a bit like an ABS brake, easing off without releasing the rear brake, then bearing down harder, easing off, etc. That eliminated the skid. Can I keep developing that, or should I just work harder at a lighter but steady touch on the rear? (Pretty sure I know the answer to this one: it's "light but steady", isn't it?)

[blues2cruise]

More front brake, less rear brake.