Total Motorcycle Community Forums

Hey y'all.

I need to ask those of you with experience the best way to start from a hill. I went down today at a stop sign on a hill where I had to turn. I didn't give it enough gas and choked off, and I was already leaning. I'm not sure, but I -may- have also grabbed the front brake by mistake to keep from rolling back when the engine died. Anyway, what's the best way to do this? There are tons of hills in Nashville, so I'm going to have to learn to do this in my sleep. Thank GOD I had my new jacket with tons of padding, so even though it was slo-mo, my elbow broke my fall... I also managed to get my bike back up no problem (Honda VLX600). UGH>>>>

The way that works for me is holding the bike using my rear brake, and holding the bike up with my left foot. This gives me the use of both hands to work the throttle and clutch, as the clutch starts to engage I release the brake.

slip the clutch until you get it right.

Learn how to straighten up in dodgy situations. These happen hill or no hill. Yes, learn how to slip the clutch and feather the rear brake.But moreover learn how to straighten up. Oh, and when the engine quits immediately pull in the clutch.

Sorry you went down.

Another one of those skills you have to practice practice practice. Left foot on the ground, right foot on the rear brake. Do not be scared to give a little throttle but keep it constant, feather the clutch till you feel it bite and let your brake off slowly, feed the clutch until your constant. If you stall, do not panic, take your time even if the cages behind are hooting, take no notice. Panic is you enemy, know what you are doing and take your time doing it. The more you do it the better it gets.

I even get that in my Saturn...living in the mountains and stalling has meant some smoking front tires when I gas it too much afterwards out of nervousness.

Practice on a flat surface. Plant both feet on the ground pushing back as you let the clutch out very slowly, almost lifting yourself off the seat before you lift your feet. You're training your feel for the friction zone of your bike. It gets better. And the odd thing about this sort of "muscle memory" is that it gets a lot better after you've slept on it. So even if you're still leery at the end of practicing, the next day it may be like nothing to you.

Then do it with varying amounts of handbrake applied.

Eventually you'll be a natural at trading off position-holding force between the handbrake and the clutch, while applying throttle with the thumb and palm of your braking hand.

I think we're all pretty much explaining the same move; though in different terms. In driving school, many of us are taught to handle this in our cars by putting on the parking brake, then gently accelerate and slowly release the parking brake at the same time.

Then we drive on our own and forget about the maneuver becuase it's cumbersome.

Do the same with your bike, subbing in the rear brake for the parking brake in your car.

I can't remember why, but when I first took the bike course, this move was the hardest one for me to get the hang of. I must have been back to this one instructor's station where that's all you did about 10 times. I finally got it, and didn't stall it again after that.

In Colorado, the law states that you must put both feet on the ground at stops. The instrutor for an MSF coure I took said you must use the front brake method.

^^


Anyways.. left foot down - right foot rear brake - left hand clutch - right hand gas.