Hi! Just bought a Honda Rebel and I now have a whopping 20 hours of riding under my belt. Thought I would check into Tribe to get some pointers, and learn a bit. My name is Jody, nice to meet you all.
Yesterday was my first real day playing on the bike.
Whenever I get sort of comfortable and relaxed, I tell myself to snap out of it, because It has been drilled into my head, that I have to be constantly diligent for cars that might not see me. Doubly so now, because I suck and don't really know what I'm doing yet... so far everybody has been pretty tolerant of my jerking and bucking along. (I don't always jerk and buck, 60% of the time I am moderately smooth) I'd love to hear what the car behind me is saying. Probably, "look at this idiot", "Can you believe this idiot?".
I'm hoping my pink gloves might buy me a little mercy with the rude drivers. I think female riders are still a bit of an oddity. People, "go look it's a chick. I'll be damn." (or maybe that's just me).
My biggest fauxpau is leaving that damn blinker on for 40 blocks....I start to notice that cars are acting funny around me and look down and see that damn blinking light is still on. Trying to train myself to #1 make turn, then #2 turn off blinker. One smooth action.
Regardless, I feel like Christopher Columbus when I take it out....so challenging, so daunting, so fun to learn something I really don't know much about. Love the challenge! I have spent many a day on the back of a bike, but never in the drivers seat. My 2008 New Years resolution was to finally learn how to ride a motorcycle. I am sick of waiting for the next boyfriend, to maybe.... have a bike that I can ride on. Time to take matters in my own hands! I went to a 3 day class with the Motorcycle Safety Foundation in Jan. 1 day in class and 2 days learning how to ride on the range at a big VA parking lot. I assure you Wilshire is nothing like the parking lot! and I need a place to carry my darn purse for Gods sake!! I cant be running around town without my essentials!!
I have also discovered I talk to myself in my full face helmet. Nobody can see my lips move and it sort of reassures me. I feel like I am having a conversation with someone on the back!! lol "Ok, now we are going to turn", "whew, made it", "Ok, just press the start button again", "everyone stalls out in the beginning", "Ok, put the nozzle in the little hole", "don't spew gas all over your bike with all these people watching". lol!
I currently have it chained to my VW bug front bumper in the back. The bike is in front of the bug. I am so afraid I will jump in the bug, throw it in reverse and have that 300 lb bike come crashing down! Yesterday, when I was getting ready for a ride, I had to back my bug out to get the bike out and I forgot to unchain it!!!! I stinking dragged the bike about 3-4 inches with me!!! Thank God it did not tip over. It sort of skidded along....I'm sure that was really great for the alignment of the bike to be dragged sideways by it's front wheel.
My landlord will drill a hole for a D ring in the cement today or tomorrow, then I can chain it up to the ground and not have another stupid incident like that again.
That's it. Hope you have a good weekend!
Jody
Yesterday was my first real day playing on the bike.
Whenever I get sort of comfortable and relaxed, I tell myself to snap out of it, because It has been drilled into my head, that I have to be constantly diligent for cars that might not see me. Doubly so now, because I suck and don't really know what I'm doing yet... so far everybody has been pretty tolerant of my jerking and bucking along. (I don't always jerk and buck, 60% of the time I am moderately smooth) I'd love to hear what the car behind me is saying. Probably, "look at this idiot", "Can you believe this idiot?".
I'm hoping my pink gloves might buy me a little mercy with the rude drivers. I think female riders are still a bit of an oddity. People, "go look it's a chick. I'll be damn." (or maybe that's just me).
My biggest fauxpau is leaving that damn blinker on for 40 blocks....I start to notice that cars are acting funny around me and look down and see that damn blinking light is still on. Trying to train myself to #1 make turn, then #2 turn off blinker. One smooth action.
Regardless, I feel like Christopher Columbus when I take it out....so challenging, so daunting, so fun to learn something I really don't know much about. Love the challenge! I have spent many a day on the back of a bike, but never in the drivers seat. My 2008 New Years resolution was to finally learn how to ride a motorcycle. I am sick of waiting for the next boyfriend, to maybe.... have a bike that I can ride on. Time to take matters in my own hands! I went to a 3 day class with the Motorcycle Safety Foundation in Jan. 1 day in class and 2 days learning how to ride on the range at a big VA parking lot. I assure you Wilshire is nothing like the parking lot! and I need a place to carry my darn purse for Gods sake!! I cant be running around town without my essentials!!
I have also discovered I talk to myself in my full face helmet. Nobody can see my lips move and it sort of reassures me. I feel like I am having a conversation with someone on the back!! lol "Ok, now we are going to turn", "whew, made it", "Ok, just press the start button again", "everyone stalls out in the beginning", "Ok, put the nozzle in the little hole", "don't spew gas all over your bike with all these people watching". lol!
I currently have it chained to my VW bug front bumper in the back. The bike is in front of the bug. I am so afraid I will jump in the bug, throw it in reverse and have that 300 lb bike come crashing down! Yesterday, when I was getting ready for a ride, I had to back my bug out to get the bike out and I forgot to unchain it!!!! I stinking dragged the bike about 3-4 inches with me!!! Thank God it did not tip over. It sort of skidded along....I'm sure that was really great for the alignment of the bike to be dragged sideways by it's front wheel.
My landlord will drill a hole for a D ring in the cement today or tomorrow, then I can chain it up to the ground and not have another stupid incident like that again.
That's it. Hope you have a good weekend!
Jody
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Los Angeles
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Re: Brandy New rider
Sun, March 30, 2008 - 8:13 PMHi Jody,
Congratulations on your new bike. I hope you enjoy it.
I want commend you not only for taking the MFS class, but also for sharing your story of almost dragging your bike from your Beetle. I really appreciate when riders share their mishaps and blunders. There's so much ego in motorcycling (mine included sometimes) that it's great when people are willing to admit their boo boos.
Here's one of mine...When I first got my BMW 650 GS, I rode to Moto GP at Laguna Seca. We stopped for gas before leaving town and while I was trying to back my bike up, my footpeg got stuck on my leathers and I tipped over in the parking lot. I broke the tip off my lever. When we arrived at Laguna, they make you park on this dirt hill. At that time, I did not have any dirt riding experience and my bike was new to me, so I found myself careening towards someone's beautiful shiny cruiser and instead of taking out that bike, I decided to dump my bike over to the other side. Of course, this was in front of 100 ppl. I felt so embarrassed, but quickly recovered when 5 people ran over to help me and then I laughed about it.
Over time, I've realized that my little blunders don't really matter as long as I or someone else doesn't get hurt and if someone says they've never tipped over their bike, I immediate think "Really?" -
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Re: Brandy New rider
Mon, March 31, 2008 - 9:32 AMNew bike = tons o' fun!
Everyone has dumped their bike even if they won't admit it. When I first started riding (1980 Honda CB-400 Hawk was my first bike) we had no garage or concrete pad to park on so we put a piece of plywood behind the bushes and drove up onto that. It worked until the day it rained. I drove up onto it, stopped and went to put the kickstand down. I missed the kickstand and jammed my foot into the wet plywood which, of course, immediately made my foot slip out from under me UNDER the bike and the still running bike fell over ON TOP of me hot pipes and all.
Fortunately, my boyfriend (now my hubby) heard me swearing through the balcony door and came running down to help me.
What did I learn from this? A) Motorcycle boots decrease ankle agility and traction in the rain. B) Slow down, you won't melt in the rain. C) Hot pipes will burn you through heavy denim jeans if you stay there long enough especially if the jeans are wet. D) When your bike falls over and lands on you, swear loudly and with as much imagination as you can...someone will come to your aid.
The most embarassing thing? I cannot for the life of me remember which way is "gas on" and which way is "reserve" for the fuel valve on my bike (1995 Vulcan 750, my current bike). I always have to look when I turn it on but it's been a long time since I ran it out of gas from making that mistake. When I first started riding, I'd always forget to even turn it on. There was usually enough gas in the carbs and gas line to get me to the end of the sidewalk before it would sputter and die....lol
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Re: Brandy New rider
Sat, April 12, 2008 - 9:49 PMCongrats, bikes are awesome!
I think we've all done stupid things, not even when you first start riding. I can remember going to ride off with the chain still around my back tyre and also getting off the bike and forgetting to put the stand down. Hmm, thankfully haven't done any of that for years though!
Hope you have a great time on your adventure.
