denise04 wrote:thanks for all your advice, classes here are pretty expensive i dont havete money, myhusband is trying to help me learn but im still afraid, i guess ure right iguess ll ust have tokeep at it. whatcauses the back wheel o lock down i surely dont want to do that. i chage the gears ok but sometimei hit the wrong gear and it jerks me bad thats 1 thing that scares me im afraid of being thrown off. hey wy nooneuses the chat room here
Since you posted in two places and this is where everbody is, I'll move over here too. It's cool!
There is a book I have that might be helpful. It's called "A Twist of the Wrist" and while it's meant for sport bikers, it has very good practical stuff too. You might find it at a used bookstore...
Is your husband a experienced rider? Just asking out of habit.
Are you riding your bike to work or places you need to go? Did you choose to ride a bike because it was cheaper than getting a car? I'm asking this because I don't understand why you are scaring yourself so bad. If you have to use your bike for transportation then try to relax a bit. Like so many things, motorcycle riding should be done when you're comfortable with yourself. The more relaxed you are the less mistakes you'll make. But remember everyone makes mistakes. So if you miss a gear or wobble through a turn, just say to yourself you'll do better on the next one. Start making a mental list of what worked in a certain situation and then talk yourself through the next time the same situation comes up.
However, no matter how scary it is now, it will get better. You'll learn to do things just by doing them over and over. It's like walking, A child falls down a lot but she gets up and try's again. It's scary at times and sometimes she just feels out of control and just ends up crying. But I bet you walk very well now. Motorcycle riding is one of those things that you'll get better at until it dawns on you that you're doing it pretty good.
However, even if you think you can't afford it, force yourself to save the money for the learning class. Use what they tell you to create a little mantra that you can repeat to yourself so you'll remember what to do when the the a similar situation comes around. Just like driving a car or riding a bike, motorcycle riding is something that becomes comfortable the more you do it. Just give yourself a chance to learn the basics. and the rest is just small stuff.
If it helps to know, expereinced riders do foolish things all the time. The difference is that they don't get down on themselves for doing it. I fianlly got my new motorcycle put together today and after adding fluids, I couldn't wait to get it out on the street. I'm not used to several differences the Honda has over my Harleys but I'm relying on my knowledge of the basics to get though the learning process. Anyway, I came back to the shop and told anyone that wasn't fast enough to get out of my way what a wunderbike she is. Then I got back on and forgot that ST1300A has bit more horsepower than my Sportster (small Harley) and proceeded to accidentally dump the clutch which put this very expensive motorcycle, which by the way is covered in expensive body work, nose toward the sky. Because I've learn the basics and my experience had taught me not to panic, I just unrolled the throttle and the nose settled down just like the lady she is. No sweat! Though the seat cover was a bit pinched.
Like I said before, find a large parking lot and just ride around, getting used to just moving with your motorcycle. If you can just learn to react to what your motorcycle is trying to tell you, the fear that you feel now will go away. And in deference to common wisdom, when experienced riders talk about fear, they're ususally not talking about the panic that you feel now but a healthy respect for the conditions that a motorcyclist meets when ever they ride on public streets. This something that you should always keep in mind. Motorcycle riding shouldn't be scary but you should be constantly aware of what is going on around you. However, don't use what I just said to frighten yourself even more. You'll gain this awareness the more you ride.
Hey everything is cool. Just don't do what feels unsafe or wrong and you'll get the idea quickly.
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