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Some kind of record - dropped the bike for the 7th time

6K views 48 replies 29 participants last post by  Brockie 
#1 ·
Embarrassed, frustrating , got int to this bike to soon and I'm over my head ?

I can practice low speed maneuvers and do well, 6m circles, 4.5 x 3m slalom, emergency stops
and yet I keep running into situations where I do not switch quickly enough from regular riding to low speed riding and make mistakes

My mistakes are
stopping into slippery conditions, gravel , mud and used the front brake ... drop
panicked with target fixation looking at the curb on a u turn, grabbed the front brake - drop
I stopped without planning my exit and needed to move as I was in the way of traffic, stalled the engine when starting while turning - drop

I have not being hurt once but my bike mirrors and hand guards are all scratched

I have taken the basic class, a slow turning class, and I keep practicing

My plan is to keep practicing but I'm not sure if this goes away with time/practice or should I try something else

Maybe it is because when I drive everything I do is automatic, but when I ride the motorcycle I still have to consciously think about what I'm doing

Merry Christmas to everyone and thanks if you have any suggestions how to improve
 
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#2 ·
Hola and Seasons Greeting to you. Lots of us have had similar fall down experiences over the years. Diesel fuel, other slippery surfaces, awkward position when stopping, soft surfaces like dirt.
It's the higher speed fall overs than can do the real damage...how do I know that?
Just keep practicing and eventually the count will be so high you won't remember for sure. Isn't that a comforting thought?
 
#3 ·
Jerry Palladino has great 'How To Ride Like a Pro' videos.
Here's his "Never Again Fear Dropping Your Motorcycle".
BTW - This works for all types of motorcycles!!! (y)



Below is a link to multiple videos.
 
#5 ·
Jerry Palladino has great 'How To Ride Like a Pro' videos.
Here's his "Never Again Fear Dropping Your Motorcycle".
BTW - This works for all types of motorcycles!!! (y)



Below is a link to multiple videos.
thanks so much for your reply and reminding me of this video
 
#6 ·
what about practicing figure eights on a deserted county road? once you can do that you should be okay. If it's a problem try a smaller lighter machine. It can be fun. I like to do it regularly. https://www.ridinginthezone.com/how-to-ride-a-motorcycle-slowly/
for me the takeaway is....."When making tight turns, position your weight on the outside footpeg (the right peg for left turns) to let the motorcycle lean."
 
#7 ·
what about practicing figure eights on a deserted county road? once you can do that you should be okay. If it's a problem try a smaller lighter machine. It can be fun. I like to do it regularly. https://www.ridinginthezone.com/how-to-ride-a-motorcycle-slowly/
for me the takeaway is....."When making tight turns, position your weight on the outside footpeg (the right peg for left turns) to let the motorcycle lean."
Thanks! Nice link with many useful tips

My biggest problem is starting while turning, ie: u turn from stand still

When I do 8's I rely on the idle control of the vstrom and control the speed with the rear brake, rarely use the throttle or disengage the clutch, I use my body as counterweight and I'm able to do the 8s in 18ft diameter comfortably
 
#8 ·
All the classes help, and practice in parking lots and deserted roads helps, but you will only learn to ride by riding. And if it helps, I don't think you ever quit learning. Read everything you can find and watch all the videos. then go practice. Eventually you don't have to think about everything you need to do and you'll start really having fun. But you will learn that you can never allow your focus to wander; too many things can happen way to fast and on a motorcycle a lot of those things are very bad. That doesn't mean worry about all those bad things. It means keep your eyes up and as far forward as possible, except for when your checking for the problems that can come from behind you. Plan for what might be over the next hill or around the corner.
 
#9 ·
Nice vid. After the first few minutes all the prior training I've had comes flooding back. If only I took the time to practice what I've learned and forgotten! Doh!
The used to be a radio program on KPFK that was motorcycle oriented called Friction Zone That was back in the 80's.
 
#11 ·
"My biggest problem is starting while turning, ie: u turn from stand still "

Armando, that is a tough one, especially if your rear wheel is against a curb and the road profile is domed. Don't feel bad about a fail there. I'm guilty of not practicing and taking far too much ground for a U turn.
If you get a chance to go to a police rodeo, go. It's a hoot to watch the maneuvers those guys can do and horrifying at how many mirrors go rolling off the bikes in the fails.
My Ex Son in Law was the top gun in the LA area a few times. But he had a fair number of Oh Shits when chasing the bad guys. So it happens to us all.
 
#12 ·
Hey Armando,

Don't be discouraged by a few drops. I started riding a little over a year ago, and I also dropped my bike several times in the first few months. I broke my brake lever in one drop, clutch lever in another drop, and then scratched up one Barkbuster after they got installed... you get the picture.

You DO get better with practice, be it official "practice" in a parking lot or just riding on the street. It all adds up, and every mile under your belt will help you improve.

I am a HUGE fan of a professional riding instructor in California who has created terrific instructional videos. He is a fantastic teacher! His YouTube channel is MotoJitsu. He has videos on EVERYthing related to riding- just check his playlists.

In addition to watching his videos, something else that helped me was finally getting a good feel for the friction zone in the clutch on my V-Strom. Once I found where to hold the clutch so the bike would not stall, it was amazing how much easier the low speed maneuvers became. I was shocked. Oh- and make sure you are looking where you WANT to go. That helped me as well, especially with the left or right hand turn from a stop as you had described. Look where you want to go, and the bike will go there.

Keep the faith, and keep practicing! Don't let a few drops keep you from riding bikes. Let us know how it goes.

Merry Christmas!
 
#13 ·
You don't say how much experience you have, but you sound exactly like me when I started riding. After a few thousand miles it will get better. If you are a new rider, two things that worked for me. First, if you are uncomfortable with a maneuver, there is no shame in duckwalking the bike. So, if you know you can't do a U turn from a stop, sure you should practice it, but on the road just walk the bike around. Second, kind of counterintuitive, but hop on a highway and go somewhere. There is very little skill needed to just go straight down a highway. Putting a few hours on the bike where you are not doing anything challenging can get you more relaxed, but remember while you are getting relaxed you are not gaining skill. You will have to get back to real practicing.
 
#14 ·
As long as you learn from each mistake all will be good.

If you keep repeating the same mistakes over & over maybe a bike is not the safest form of transport for you.

After saying that Stroms are not the easiest bikes to move around on slowly, there are bikes that have a much lower centre of gravity that are much easier to live with.
 
#15 ·
It sounds like maybe you need to drill into your head - do not steer and hit the front brakes. That being said, I agree with the previous poster that vstroms are top heavy and pretty unforgiving compared to other bikes.

Be safe
 
#17 ·
Thanks so much for all the comments, really appreciate the time you took to provide suggestions

My mistakes keep evolving, I keep a list of things to remember

I do follow motojitsu and I can do his blue and brown belt but no knee dragging

Today I realized that during the u-turn from stand still I'm pulling away to slow

And yes I do go places and enjoy the rides
 
#19 ·
Don't worry, all the drops adds character to the bike. Besides, they make decent story to tell.
 
#21 ·
Sounds like you're doing all the right stuff, Armando -- engaging your brain, learning, practicing, etc. Just keep it up!

For what it's worth, I've been riding ~20 years, and last year sitting in an intersection and starting to turn left as the green light turned to yellow, I stalled, caught my pant leg on the foot peg as I tried to put my foot down, and dropped the bike. Fortunately, all the vehicles around me were stopped at that time and patiently waited for me to get back under way.
 
#38 ·
I've been riding for over 40 years and on rare occasion still have some real dumb wipeouts (usually at home in my driveway for some reason?), including the dreaded "catch my pantleg on the foot peg fall-over"...!
 
#23 ·
I had many maneuvers that made me nervous and I made mistakes. It took me several years to feel comfortable. The key word is comfortable: the opportunity for mistake is still there but your mind is more relaxed about it after years of experience. I believe by repetition of regular everyday riding over time will develop skills and more confidence to address difficult maneuvers with more calm focus. I agree about doing what's comfortable until you're ready for a challenge.
 
#24 ·
I've been out riding a couple of times, stopped multiple times paying attention to the side of the road, there always seems to be loose gravel, we took pictures, get gas, bio break,etc, payed attention to the surfaces and planned my parking, it went much better , no scary or embarrassing moments
 
#25 ·
On a bike I am always very observant of the road surface, watching for patches of gravel or anything that may break traction, or any vehicle or person that may possibly invade my safety zone. Slow riding is definitely a difficult skill to master. I keep slipping the clutch while blipping the throttle so that if the bike starts to fall inwards I can add clutch and throttle to get the bike back up.
Practice and riding is the key - until your responses become natural and automatic. Keep at it.
 
#27 ·
Embarrassed, frustrating , got int to this bike to soon and I'm over my head ?

I can practice low speed maneuvers and do well, 6m circles, 4.5 x 3m slalom, emergency stops
and yet I keep running into situations where I do not switch quickly enough from regular riding to low speed riding and make mistakes

My mistakes are
stopping into slippery conditions, gravel , mud and used the front brake ... drop
panicked with target fixation looking at the curb on a u turn, grabbed the front brake - drop
I stopped without planning my exit and needed to move as I was in the way of traffic, stalled the engine when starting while turning - drop

I have not being hurt once but my bike mirrors and hand guards are all scratched

I have taken the basic class, a slow turning class, and I keep practicing

My plan is to keep practicing but I'm not sure if this goes away with time/practice or should I try something else

Maybe it is because when I drive everything I do is automatic, but when I ride the motorcycle I still have to consciously think about what I'm doing

Merry Christmas to everyone and thanks if you have any suggestions how to improve
Embarrassed, frustrating , got int to this bike to soon and I'm over my head ?

I can practice low speed maneuvers and do well, 6m circles, 4.5 x 3m slalom, emergency stops
and yet I keep running into situations where I do not switch quickly enough from regular riding to low speed riding and make mistakes

My mistakes are
stopping into slippery conditions, gravel , mud and used the front brake ... drop
panicked with target fixation looking at the curb on a u turn, grabbed the front brake - drop
I stopped without planning my exit and needed to move as I was in the way of traffic, stalled the engine when starting while turning - drop

I have not being hurt once but my bike mirrors and hand guards are all scratched

I have taken the basic class, a slow turning class, and I keep practicing

My plan is to keep practicing but I'm not sure if this goes away with time/practice or should I try something else

Maybe it is because when I drive everything I do is automatic, but when I ride the motorcycle I still have to consciously think about what I'm doing

Merry Christmas to everyone and thanks if you have any suggestions how to improve
You need to use your clutch, using your rear brake leaned over in a slow corner will make the bike lean more. Using the front brake lightly with the wheel turned and leaned some will help stand the bike up. Another thing is are your levers easy to use. I have mine dropped so all I have to do is throw my fingers forward and lay them on the levers. Allot of levers are too high and you have to lift your fingers to get on and not a comfortable position. Plus with the levers lower it’s easier to use standing to. I’ve raced MX off and on for over 40 years. The driver license gals use to send down the riders when they couldn’t pass there riding part to show them how to do it. Good luck
 
#28 ·
A good friend of mine back in the 1980's was a riding partner of that time, And he was an alcoholic. He dropped
his bike ( Honda CB 500 ) on such a regular basis that the handlebar ends were almost pointing up in the air.
I tried to just move the bike and it was very difficult to keep upright. So I can understand why he always dropped it .
And then he was impaired too. ( not that you O.P fit this scenario) These ADV bikes can be of taller COG which
makes them easier to get off ballance in certain situations. Slower speeds in soft sand will wash the front end out.
you have to tackle this situation by standing on the pegs and keep the speed moderate. but not crazy fast.
You also have to outfit your bike for the type of riding you do the most or will encounter.
Don't just blame your riding skills, Learn to adapt by changing what you need on your bike to make it work for you.
 
#29 ·
A good friend of mine back in the 1980's was a riding partner of that time, And he was an alcoholic. He dropped
his bike ( Honda CB 500 ) on such a regular basis that the handlebar ends were almost pointing up in the air.
I tried to just move the bike and it was very difficult to keep upright. So I can understand why he always dropped it .
And then he was impaired too. ( not that you O.P fit this scenario) These ADV bikes can be of taller COG which
makes them easier to get off ballance in certain situations. Slower speeds in soft sand will wash the front end out.
you have to tackle this situation by standing on the pegs and keep the speed moderate. but not crazy fast.
You also have to outfit your bike for the type of riding you do the most or will encounter.
Don't just blame your riding skills, Learn to adapt by changing what you need on your bike to make it work for you.
Embarrassed, frustrating , got int to this bike to soon and I'm over my head ?

I can practice low speed maneuvers and do well, 6m circles, 4.5 x 3m slalom, emergency stops
and yet I keep running into situations where I do not switch quickly enough from regular riding to low speed riding and make mistakes

My mistakes are
stopping into slippery conditions, gravel , mud and used the front brake ... drop
panicked with target fixation looking at the curb on a u turn, grabbed the front brake - drop
I stopped without planning my exit and needed to move as I was in the way of traffic, stalled the engine when starting while turning - drop

I have not being hurt once but my bike mirrors and hand guards are all scratched

I have taken the basic class, a slow turning class, and I keep practicing

My plan is to keep practicing but I'm not sure if this goes away with time/practice or should I try something else

Maybe it is because when I drive everything I do is automatic, but when I ride the motorcycle I still have to consciously think about what I'm doing

Merry Christmas to everyone and thanks if you have any suggestions how to improve
Armando,
Lots of good suggestions. Make sure your bike is correct for you size and leg length. If you are on your tippy toes when your feet are off the pegs, that makes for unstable balance and footing.
 
#30 ·
@armando_m - remember, we all had to start somewhere. We are always learning and improving our skills. Sometimes even experienced riders need to be reminded to practice or improve skills.

One of the common things I read in your descriptions of your drops is front brake use. Using the front brake at low speeds requires a more sensitive touch. This is something that takes practice to master and it's an easy skill to get lazy about when you don't do low speed maneuvers much. The idea is to not 'grab' the brake lever, but to squeeze it in a progressive manner. This doesn't have to happen slowly, but doing it slowly is a good way to practice and develop muscle memory. You want to be able to control how much braking you use, not just an all at once full grab of the brakes. This allows you to more smoothly apply the brakes, even when quickly done, but also allows you to stop squeezing or let up if you realize you are applying too much brake.

Try this exercise - In a safe parking lot or open space w/o traffic, bring the bike up to 40kph and then slow to 20 kph. You want the bike to not suddenly dive as you apply the front brakes, but to progressively compress in an even manner. Try this several times, starting out with a slow process, then working up to see if you can slow down quickly, but just as smoothly as when you slow down at a slower rate.

Also remember that applying throttle will help stand up the bike. If you are in a turn and feel the bike is dropping over, apply some throttle if it is safe to do so. With practice you will be able to go thru turns and corners at a steady speed, having set the speed you desire before entering the turn. But it's always good to have solid techniques in your bag of skills.

Have a read at this and try these ideas. Riding The Pace Don't concern yourself with dragging a knee or how fast you go around a corner. Those have nothing to do with safe riding on the street. If you're not already at 80% of your ability and traction in a corner, dragging a knee is just for show. You will improve. Happy new year, I hope you have less bike drops in 2020.
 
#31 ·
Practice, practice, practice. BUT, the right kind of boring and controlled practice. I have dropped my big Trophy in a gravel parking lot when I put on the front brake. That was years ago. I knew not to use the front brake at slow speeds, but I used it. That's right, I am disagreeing with advice from riders who are likely far more proficient than I.

Also, lots of folks will try to add throttle in a tight turn and it's a bit too much and a bit too jerky and can compound the problem they're experiencing at that second. Maybe ride/feather the clutch with the engine at 2000 RPM (after your levers are adjusted as recommended above) is a better thing to practice until you get to that comfortable instictive muscle memory proficiency.

I was advised to never use the front brake at walking/parking lot speed. Front brake + turning + parking lot speed = dropped bike for most people most of the time. Or a pulled groin muscle. I have never felt the application of rear brake at parking lot speed causing the bike to fall over. Front brake? Oh yeah!

Watch those cop slalom riding videos. Yeah, they're mostly on low C of G Harleys, but they are actively riding the rear brake and not touching the front one.

When you get way more experienced with instinctual muscle memory skills, THEN you can start playing with the front brake at low speeds if you want. Until then, it will just be frustrating.

And LOOK where you want to BE AFTER the maneuver. This might be better than the usual advice (I give it, too) to look where you want to go. The difference might be the difference between looking at the curb you want to clear and looking at the spot 10 feet PAST the curb in that turn where you want to be 2 feet away from the curb. It may help you make a hard physical head turning look and that can be a big help.

Cheers,
Glenn
 
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#32 ·
Oh yeah, as above Riding the Pace is AWESOME.
 
#33 ·
At six months, your just getting started. I'm just hitting the two year mark and just getting comfortable with many of the maneuvers that often result in a drop (many on record, myself). Like you, riding was not automatic for me either and thinking my way through the maneuvers was necessary until well into my second year ( you’re mileage may vary). Keep riding!
 
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