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2001Tuesday, May 22Dear VTwin Mama,
Dear Lisa, Did I ever tell you about the time I tried to park on a slight incline and the bike decided to take a nap on its side? At least that's how I tell the story . . . Seriously though, what a pain in the butt stopping uphill is. It's like parking downhill -- you just feel off kilter. Personally, I keep my bike in first gear on an uphill stop, with the clutch in, using the front brake to stop any slide back and my feet firmly planted on the ground. I spent time on level ground perfecting the art of letting out the clutch and releasing the front brake in a smooth, coordinated move so that both feet can "skim" the ground as I get rolling again. I'm more afraid of tipping sideways then rolling back a little! Then I used this skill on steeper hills, adjusting the speed at which I let out the clutch and brake together to keep from rolling back. Meanwhile, my feet are always available for tip over duty! Maybe the point is to try several things on level ground, then test your theory on a slight hill. Then practice, practice, practice until it becomes second nature. Then . . . move to Nebraska. I'll meet you there. – Mama Tuesday, June 5Dear VTwin Mama, [In regard to Susan who is worried about moving up to a bigger bike], I totally agree with VTwin Mama, but one important thing to remember is that when you move up in cc's you need to find the bike that fits you, not your hubby, not your friends. – Ride Safe, Barbara
Dear Barbara, Tuesday, June 12Dear VTwin Mama, So,
I decided to do the next best (or the best) thing and learn to ride again.
I love my 650 Suzuki Savage and recommend it to any beginning woman rider.
Its 350lbs wet, belt drive, front disc brakes, very forgiving on the
clutch. Well, without getting long
winded here, there are five of us women who are new riders and learning to
enjoy it more! I
did take the advice of one of your readers who talked about how she climbed
up a hill intersection using the clutch and the front hand brake while
having her feet on the ground to steady the bike....then slowly letting
out the clutch to get up the hill and letting out the brake (rolling on
the throttle). I had the
opportunity to try it this weekend and it worked!!
Dear Shar, Friday, September 14 Dear VTwin Mama, When riding in our HOG group on day, I watched one
experienced female rider ahead of me on a very steep hill. That's it!!! I
realized after she stopped, she put her right foot back up on the brake.
She held her bike in place with the foot brake, which freed up the hand
brake, so all she had to do was give it gas and ease off the foot brake at
the same time. It took some practice, but now when my husband tries to
help me, I smile and say, it's o.k., I'm fine. (By watching experienced
female riders, I realized what I was looking for). Your website is cool,
keep up the good work. – Teresa You've shown us another method for handling the stops at the top of a hill, any hill, which women riders can try for themselves. I think the main emphasis should be that every women rider needs to practice and coordinate steep hill stops on level ground first, gradually moving to inclines and trying out their new techniques to see if they "hold water." Consistency is the key here -- if you have a plan in mind exactly how you will stop and get going again, you can eliminate (for the most part) the worry (as Teresa is now demonstrating to her husband!). It's just like deciding what to do when a semi truck is approaching on a two lane highway -- most of us move to the far right of our lane and brace for the wind shock if it happens and possible flying dust, pebbles or other debris. This is just common sense to know the obstacles and challenges and meet them head on with a strong, consistent plan. So here's to Teresa's hubby who stuck by her while she found her wings on steeper inclines, to the woman she happened across who visually showed her what worked, and to Teresa for having the smarts to practice, practice, practice and prevail! – Mama Tuesday, March 5 Dear VTwin Mama, Anyway, new riders -- make sure you check the ground when you stop. I didn't and was not on level ground. Oops, down I went. We were fine, my bike and I. When you stop make sure that your kickstand is down! I forgot -- right in front of this cute cafe with a huge picture window in front -- again by gas pumps -- was so proud of pulling in. Well, the kickstand didn't go all the way down and there I was in between the bike and the pumps. I really think new riders should be aware of these things I didn't have a clue on. Thanks! – Georgia Dear Georgia, Pay attention out there. That is all. – Mama Dear
VTwin Mama, Dear
Judy, It certainly sounds like you've got the basics down on how much gas (throttle) you need to give in relation to the amount of clutch lever you are letting out -- under flat street conditions. To handle getting going again when stopped on any kind of hill sloping up, you need a couple of things. First, think back on which brake control you were using to keep your bike from sliding back down the hill. Was it the front brake? The front and rear brakes? If you had the bike stopped on the up hill with the front brake engaged, then of course your right hand is busy holding you and the bike from sliding downhill! This makes it hard to quickly transfer your right hand from holding the brake to working the throttle without experiencing a little bit of reverse sliding -- a disconcerting feeling unless you've mastered the technique of quick transfer. This is perfectly acceptable -- once you know how much extra throttle you've got to give to compensate for the back slide and necessary oomph for forward motion again, it can be done this way. However, you may find it easier to hold the bike from sliding back down a hill using only the rear brake. This frees your right hand for instant throttle use. It's best to practice this technique on a flat surface. Come to a stop using your normal front/rear brake combo. Then, if necessary, place both feet down on the ground first, then get your balance on the left foot only, and then bring your right foot up to use the rear brake to hold position. Now, release the front brake. When you have more practice, you'll be able to come to a stop and just plant your left foot, while the right foot remains on the rear brake, so you no longer need the front brake. So, on hill stops, you are basically using the front brake to slow yourself down to the stop, but using the rear brake to keep your butt from sliding back down the hill! Make sense?!?!?! Second, all at the same time, you need to let out the clutch some, give it some more gas than usual (but don't gun it!), and release the rear brake. Voila -- you are going uphill from a dead stop! Again, practicing this sequence is best done on a flat surface to master the coordination. Do not by any means think that this is a particularly difficult maneuver to learn -- it's just that there are more hand/feet things to do in the right combination, so it takes a bit of extra practice to master it. You can do it! – Mama Thursday, July 24 For Judy who is learning how to stop and get going again on an up hill slope: VTwin Mama's description works for me. There might be one other consideration to work thru -- the "car-on-your-tail" thing. I ride to work on my Magna 750 regularly and have several uphill stops in heavy traffic. At least once every trip I get a driver who wants to play bumper pool or get as close as he (yes, usually guys) can get without actual contact. There are ways of "getting his attention" but that's not my point here. My thought is that getting the stopping/ starting-on-a-hill technique down is 75% of the trick, getting use to having cars around and especially behind you while stopped on the hill (and trying to get going again) is the other 25%. A bunch of years ago, I lived and rode in San Francisco. One approach I used during practice rides for myself and others is to is have a buddy in a car follow behind. Basically all they do is stay behind you at a reasonable distance. It sharpens your awareness of how it "feels" when cars are behind you and provides "cover" till you get the technique down. Since it appears there is a very supportive hubby, think about having him "cover you from the back" during practice when you're ready. Again, start on flat roads and after you are comfortable with the hand-hand/foot-foot coordination. Then move to the hill practice. I know Judy has some great country to ride in, so pick a favorite route and go for it. Regards, – Linda and her Magna in Texas (note from Mama: how wise! I agree -- a good buddy mimicking traffic, especially someone is learning more difficult techniques to them, is an excellent way to get rid of some of the nerves.) Mama has the way of it. I had the same trouble, only mine was the same stoplight every time. I finally got to the point I could give it gas and hold the front brake at the same time (I have very long fingers) and keep the bike going. Keep practicing, it only gets easier. – Traci (note from Mama: everybody eventually has to practice to learn it -- you're 100% right!) Friday, August 1 Dear
VTwin Mama, Dear
Batman, I tend to do the same as you if I can see that the stoplight will be changing in a matter of moments (hold the bike by clutch and throttle only), but at what I perceive to be a longer stop uphill, then I stay in first, hold position with my rear brake to allow my throttle hand to be free to give it some gas. But that's just me! – Mama Tuesday, June 1 Dear
VTwin Mama, I've been riding with friends (as a passenger) for over 10 years and am glad that I finally decided to stop waiting for friends to teach me and take the MSF course. Your site has given me so many tips and ideas. It's nice to see new and experienced riders sharing their experiences and tips. I know that the best thing I can do is go out there and ride so that things become second nature to me. (I already dumped on a hill because I stalled out and instead of putting my foot on the ground, I went to put my foot back on the brake - that has taught me to put my foot on the ground and using the hand brake if that happens again). Thanks again - I'll definitely be keeping this site as one of my favorites! – Lil Me Dear
Lil Me, Wednesday, July 21 Dear
VTwin Mama, I do live in the hills and commute through a pass, and I am just starting to feel that I can manage stopping on hills. I've used several of the methods discussed, recently starting to use the rear brake as the light is changing, freeing my right hand for the throttle. I also find holding the clutch just short of the friction zone works well. As I gain confidence about rolling back a little, I am tending to use your method of giving it a little more throttle to compensate for this: key seems to be to act quickly and smoothly. I did have a situation in my early months, riding up a narrow incline toward the pass, when a guy in a SUV turned onto this side road right down the middle , looked right at me and proceeded to run me almost off the road. I swerved right to the edge, stayed upright, but killed the engine, leaving me holding up the bike on a steep hill. Also had to deal with heavy wind gusts that day, so I had to keep both feet on the ground. Ended up killing the engine two more times before I got up the hill. Bless the driver of the car behind me for her patience! Anyway, my thought is that if I ever had a rough uphill situation again, I might just pull out the choke to lower the chance of killing the engine, till I'm rolling again. Any thoughts about that idea? Thanks, – Suzanne Dear
Suzanne, Kudos to you for keeping presence of
mind in a difficult situation with the jerk! Hmmmm . . . my thought is
that if you pull out the choke, you stand a good chance of flooding the
spark plugs, especially if you try to restart the bike and forget to push
the chock back in. And once they are fouled, you’ll need to yank them or
let the bike sit till they dry out naturally. The only other option I can
suggest (if drivers around you allow it), is to let the bike slowly slide
backwards in a big U so you are facing back downhill. Not sure if this is
viable, but something to consider. Dear
VTwin Mama, I have a friend and his girl friend that ride motorcycles such as the Yamaha R1 1000 (crotch rocket of course). I’ve always found these exciting but my fear kept me away from them, even though my friend said he’d teach me. I thought I’d take the safe route and took the Alberta Safety Council’s motorcycle course where you drive 125 and 250 cc motorcycles of which I successfully completed it with flying colors on June 13, 2004. This was a 3 day course where you are on the bikes almost 8 hours a day. Then it was time to purchase a bike. I wanted a sport bike but did not like the weight on the wrists as well did not like how the feet were angled for changing gears so “yesterday” I finally settled on the 2004 GSX-750F Katana (sport touring - $8600 CAD). It weighs around 468 lbs but I’m in very good shape and weigh a muscular 200 lbs (weight lift and do Taekwondo). Like others I was a little pressured to get a bigger bike as originally I was going to get the GSX-600F Katana but was told I’d grow out of it too fast. None the less I picked it up yesterday, Thursday, July 22, 2004. It was wheeled out into the parking lot and I barely got the feel for this (twice around the block) when we head instead of the highway home (25 minutes) to downtown traffic during rush hour. A little scared but I tried to remember the course and since the course really only deals with slow speeds I did not too bad and only stalled twice at one intersection. Having my friend with me definitely helped as a buffer for traffic. So we head on the highway home and pull into my drive way. My wife was very excited as she likes the looks of these bikes and made sure I got the matching jacket, helmet and gloves. She takes my picture on and off the bike and by this time I’m feeling good. I successfully drove it at slow speeds and highways speeds and I was feeling confident. Now my driveway is on an angle upwards, like many are, and I back the bike out slowly. Gravity is doing its job but I have the front brake working and things are going good “until” I get to the curb. I brush up against curb with the clutch box and this makes me loose my balance and I drop my bike. No matter how strong I was I could not stop this. When she goes she goes and sure enough some damage occurs. The curb scratches the backside of the fender under the seat, the clutch box has a scratch, there’s a crack in the side marker light and a couple of chips on the faring. PLUS I feel like a complete idiot as my neighbors probably seen this and the traffic around me. And now my confidence has gone down. 45 Kilometers only (28 miles) and I drop my bike. Thankfully my friend who got me to ride is also a body guy and he says it’s all cosmetic and easily fixed. He plans to scan my bike’s color at work next week and have it as good as new. None the less I’m going over this in my head and it eats at me. I know I can’t do anything about it but learn from it. Now I also have the jitters of dropping it again or maybe not paying attention and getting into more serious trouble. I can only take it one step at a time and think back on what I learned and what I’m going to learn. I wish the best to “anybody” who is driving a motorcycle for the first time and want you to know the words that I read from the women who wrote in speak true for me as well. Thanks. – Dereck in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, Canada Dear
Dereck, Your words are powerful because they help us understand that ANY new rider faces many of the same challenges. And we feel the same ickies when things don't go exactly right! Chin up, motor on. And trust me that you'll find this to be an amusing story somewhere down the line in your riding experience. Take another look at the bottom of the drive. Perhaps a small section could be filled in a bit with concrete to eliminate the "dent" or something else can be planned logistically that will help. If that's not feasible, back the bike down (engine off so it doesn't scare you if you hit the throttle in neutral) to the "ick" area and have your wife stabilize you out by keeping your front end straight (she could straddle the front wheel with hands on handlebars). An extra pair of hands is always useful when learning to navigate something new. Can't think of any other ideas, but know that if you pre-plan this for your next go at it, you'll be tons more successful! – Mama Dear
VTwin Mama, Now here's the problem: I have a blind driveway, so I have to make a QUICK stop at the top of it so I can continue on left or right. It is steep and short and I start from the garage which is flat. It is about maybe 50' or so to the top from the garage. It does not end flat---it is still on the slope of the driveway at the top. Any hints on how to take the driveway. Can't be any different from a blind, uphill stop, but it got my jitters a little bit. Bike is okay, so am I--thank goodness for the SEE in the MSF course. I think I evaluated the situation okay considering I would be going downhill backwards and could have really been killed in a real life situation on the road instead of my driveway if I had stayed on the bike. I know practice, practice, practice, but being unable to pick the bike up I decided to have installed engine guards to give me some "lift potential" if I down it again (hopefully I won't, and I probably never will uphill. I am not afraid to get back on, in fact, I can't wait to get my bike back, but where can I get those mirrors to plug on tree? And, any advice on this uphill battle I have. Did I do the right thing? Should I even be questioning myself? Love this site and actually have learned a lot from it. I know I'm not alone just wish someone was close to me here in So. California. Thank you for being here!! – Kathy Hurwitz Dear
Kathy, As to the mirrors, those are simply convex outdoor mirrors . . . type that in a search engine . . . they may be available at a home improvement store, or call a local mirror company. Engine guards are a great idea and if you haven't seen it yet, check out my Pick Up the Bike page for hints on doing that with confidence. I continue to encourage riders to check in with the main women's riding organizations which can be found on the Women's Site page. Even if their meetings are held farther away from you, you gotta think that some members are going to be near your area (or willing to come out and join you for a ride!). Keep at it Kathy . . . you're learning as you're going . . . and that's how it is! – Mama For Kathy H. who has a steep driveway and then a dangerous road to get out onto: As you
know from previous postings of mine, I also have a devil of a driveway
that I have dropped my Valkyrie on. Mine is paved, downhill (with
moss for added challenge!), with a left turn onto the dirt access road
continuing down to the highway. I learned early on (after that one
time of dropping that monster), not to use the front brake leaving my
driveway or the dirt road. However, I cheat on uphill stops.
I am using that front brake in conjunction with the rear to stop already;
when I am nearly stopped and putting my feet down (both of them usually
– although I am trying to keep the right up on the brake) I keep the
front brake on until I am stable, then put my right foot back up on the
rear brake, release the front and am ready to go with clutch &
throttle, easing off on the rear brake at the same time. On pavement
this works very neatly and almost (almost!) makes me look like I know what
I’m doing! I don’t know if this will work for Kathy or not, but
worth a try for that stop & look at her blind intersection. The
mirrors she mentioned sound good, but I wouldn’t trust them – it only
takes a few seconds for a car traveling 35-40 mph to travel the length of
a block. Look and look again, then proceed with caution! By the
way, Wednesday, June 1 From Kathy H. who is battling a nasty uphill from her house and safely onto a busy road: I had such a hard time tackling my driveway. I went out and bought a smaller bike that could be beat-up and to practice on while my engine guards are being put on the 883. What a big difference. Made it up and out the driveway successfully after having a friend come over and help me out. I also ordered a 28" round convex mirror to place up there. So... needless to say, I am going to get my practice miles on and maybe just sell the Suzuki bike in a couple of months (which is still under warranty) to an MSF and have fun on the Sporty. But then again, the little Suzuki is so much fun, just might keep it to get milk at the store -- Ha! Thanks for the tips and confidence you had in me, I am finally on the road and loving it! – Kathy (note from Mama: this is excellent news! Congrats on noodling out a solution that's making sense for you. My gosh, a two-bike rider . . . does it get any better?!) Monday, June 20 Dear
VTwin Mama, I'm a newbie to motorcycling and finding myself in a bit of a fix. I've been around bikes now and again most of my adult life. Last year my husband dumped us from his big Harley and sent both of us to the ER. I'm grateful for my full face helmet and tattered leathers, but I still took 9 stitches in my left elbow and my hip hurt for months. The 3-day-old bike had $9000 worth of damage. Once the bike returned to us, freshly painted, chromed and straightened, we took a 600 mile trip. I felt like I needed to face my fears and get back on the pillion seat. At the end of the trip my arms were literally shaking and I had lost all feeling: I had been clamped onto the sissy bars for all 3 days and 600 miles! The muscles in my hands and arms were exhausted. That's when I decided I'd never get back on his bike again. I still needed to face my fears. So, in January I took the motorcycle safety course. The motorcycle (Buell Blast) I used for the course had a really stiff clutch. That darn clutch, coupled with my weak left elbow, meant that I just barely had the strength to manage the clutch for the 2 days of riding and the final skills test. Happily, I passed the class and got my endorsement. I had overcome my fear and physical limitations! I shopped for a beginner bike with a buttery clutch and ended up with a 2003 Kawi Vulcan 500. It's a very easy bike to manage (only about 495 lbs.) and very comfortable for my 5'8" frame. I took my time practicing emergency stops, left and right turns and all the skills from the course in empty parking lots and in industrial areas on quiet Sunday mornings before I took my first ride on the “mean streets” on May 1. I had a great ride, my husband on his bike and me on mine. I’ve had a couple more equally successful rides since then, although weather and travel have kept me off the bike for most of the spring. I live in rainy Oregon, on the side of a hill, with moss covered driveway that is both sideways sloped and steep. The access to my house is a series of one lane switchbacks from a four lane highway. I’ve managed to negotiate the switchbacks okay, but my current problem is getting out of the garage! I freak out when the pull of gravity takes over and I end up sort of walking my bike down the driveway. It takes a lot of energy to paddle the bike down the drive, but I haven't had the courage to just pull my feet up and ride down. I’ve managed to get the bike UP the drive, although the last time I tried this fancy move, I dropped the bike at the top of the driveway, just as I was getting ready to make a very sharp right turn in to the garage. The drive is so steep, most people don’t even like to take their cars up it! Now I’m questioning my abilities and courage. Can you help? I’ve talked it through with my husband, but his view has been to “just do it”, a popular phrase here in the home of Nike. So, here’s the question. How do I manage my fear and get up the courage to handle the driveway? How do I keep this from eroding my confidence? – Diane Dear
Diane, There are certain conditions in which ANY rider would be reluctant to call comfortable. A moss covered drive would fall into that category. Especially one that is both steep and and sloped. I would first note that a call to a company specializing in driveway construction may net suggestions on how to solve the moss problem. I'm thinking a consultation visit from the company would be at no cost to you. There is NEVER any shame in duck walking a bike when conditions call for it. Yes, eventually you'll master more skills that will allow you to keep you feet on the pegs, but safety first is ALWAYS the rule! Why think you need to be the "perfect" rider and handle this like someone with 30 years of experience?! You don't have it yet so stop that negative thinking that you should be able to do everything "perfect" right away . . . that's just not realistic. Also, just because you're not completely skilled on one maneuver does not mean that overall all you're a poor rider . . . separate out the skills and pat yourself on the back for what you've mastered and note what still needs practice. I think you might benefit by finding some other hills that are not quite so horrible to get your mojo going on handling them. Scout the area for some that are up but not curved, then start from a dead stop at the bottom, work on getting up in a controlled manner and stopping with confidence at an exact point. Then, on this straight hill, add your own left to right or right to left sweep to simulate a curvy hill. I agree in some ways that your husband's and Nike's "just do it" view is essentially what will need to happen, but why not take some interim steps first! We learn to crawl as a baby before we walk for very good reasons! Map out some steps you could take with hubby dearest rooting you on and soon you'll be navigating that difficult driveway with the confidence you seek! – Mama Dear
VTwin Mama, Dear
Ruth, If your drive is too steep for you to try these steps right off the bat, find a gentler slope to work on the baby steps until you're ready to transfer the try to the driveway. You CAN do it! – Mama Dear
VTwin Mama, A couple of weeks ago we were on a group ride going to Amish country for lunch. There were nine bikes, I was third in line. I was doing fine until we came to a road that had about a 45 degree incline, stop sign at the top, needing to make a sharp right hand turn with a blind curve to the left. I got stopped in the middle of the incline, and I don’t know what happened. I must have panicked when I could not get the motorcycle to go forward, and it kept sliding backward. There were six other bikes behind me. I stalled it a couple of times and the harder I tried to get it going the worse it got. I did manage to get it going, but when I made my turn I lost it. It came down hard and pinned my right foot underneath the bike. It happened so fast, and there was no time for any thought processes. I shattered another windshield, second one in two years. There was no blood, my foot hurt pretty badly, but I could walk. My shoulder was sore, and my finger was all black and blue from trying to hold the front brake and still use the throttle. I had just put a throttle rocker on and I don’t know if this had any thing to do with it. One of the guys thought there was an indent in the pavement that caused me to lose balance. I’d sooner think I looked down. I just read every article you have in the archives about getting started on inclines. I can’t even remember if I ever had my right foot on the rear brake or whether I was using both feet for stability. My husband picked up the bike and the guys checked it over and said it seemed ok. The windshield ended up in the weeds across the road. I got back on the bike and continued on to lunch. I figured if I didn’t get back on I might not ever again. I had lunch and we rode back, putting an additional 100 miles on it. The rest of the group continued on with the balance of the ride. I can take my lumps and bumps, but I am really concerned about being pinned underneath the bike. This is the third time I’ve been pinned on the right side. Fortunately others have been around to rescue me. I have engine guards on the bike but they are of no use if the bike falls over. I was wondering if the larger guards that come out in a half circle are strong enough to keep the bike off my foot or would they just fold up when it hits the ground, especially if the bike is moving in a forward motion?I’m not going to give up but there must be a way to guarantee a little extra safety. I had been doing pretty well until this happened. I managed to conquer the gravel thing and I have not previously had a problem with slipping the clutch and using the throttle to go up gradual hills and toward stop signs and lights. I’m taking this whole thing as another learning experience. But some more words of wisdom couldn’t hurt. Keep up the good work, I read your site every day. – Marlene Ruhl in Mt. Gilead, Ohio Dear
Marlene, There are definitely added performance pressures when riding in a group. Still, the group would have rather you take an extra minute at the hill stop to negotiate it with greater control than the ensuing bike dump. Now the whole ride was halted while you were checked over and the bike was looked over as well. This is not meant as a cut to you, but to help you understand that the panic was not necessary. Instead, at the first stall, you could have turned and noted to the rider behind you that you needed extra time. Then a smile, a couple of deep breaths, and a measured mental review of what sequence of things you needed to do. Then, and only then, restart the bike and go. I know this is easier said than done, but keep this in mind for the future. No matter what our riding experience level is, some lessons come harder than others. To your credit, you continued the ride and are now asking what possible solution sets there are. Clearly, a practice session on steeper hills stops would be in order. The role of an engine guard is to, well, guard the engine from direct ground contact when the bike "takes a nap," as I like to call it (hey, it's never pretty when the bike is laying on its side, and I find a need for humor in a yuckie situation). A wider range engine guard does three things IMHO. First, it saves a direct scrape to the engine. Second, the bike lays down at a higher angle (rather than totally flat to the ground), which helps you pick it up again with greater ease. Third, it affords you an extra second or two to get your leg/foot out of there! The engine guard is made to take the hit, and yes, I can see it possibly crumbling in a high speed crash with a deep slide, but not so much in a slower incident. I often review in my mind what I'll do in a fall over or slide crash situation. On perfectly good rides, I'll take the time to review how I'll curl that side's leg up and push away from the bike at the last moment. All of this so that when it happens my body will do what I've mentally prepared it to do. I know it works, because many years ago, I missed the second half of an "S" curve at a high speed (looked down), flew into the air past the deep side ditch (country road), landed in a field, and pushed (tossed) myself away from the bike, tucking and rolling away. All in a few seconds. It felt slow motion, but in that time I clearly remember my brain reviewing what I had already planned to do when the bike landed. My next lucid moment was me laying on the ground on my back and the bike a good ten feet away still running. It worked! Needless to say, in a true confession, I don't drink and ride any more. Can you believe I was that stupid?!?!?! Believe it . . . even VTwin Mama is not the smartest rider on the block sometimes! But enough about me! So, onward. Give all of this some thought, replace the windshield, and know that you're NOT ALONE! – Mama Friday, August 5 For Marlene who dumped her bike navigating a hill stop with sharp turn thereafter: I have dropped two bikes, once each. Having read about how experienced riders drop bikes all the time (& that there are really two types of motorcyclists – those that have dropped their bikes and those that are going to); I thought I wouldn’t (of course), but when I did the first time I stepped off easily as the bike was going down. This is accomplished by shifting your weight onto the outside peg and swinging your inside (underneath) foot off that peg and away from the bike – you will end up straddling the bike briefly, simply step over or hop completely over it (quickly if it is still running). At least, this is what happened the first time. The second time was on my newer, heavier bike, while going downhill. I used the front brake too much and the back wheel slewed around, dropping the bike on its left side. Mine is a Honda Valkyrie with a Gold Wing engine (those engines sit sideways in the frame in front and are protected with an engine guard). This kept the bike up off the ground far enough that, even though I completely forgot my earlier experience and rode the bike to the ground and would have been pinned on a smaller bike or one that didn’t have an engine guard, it didn’t touch me. Something to be said for the bigger bikes! Using the front brake was my downfall for both instances. I was rather surprised that you [VTwin Mama] suggested using the front brake to the reader earlier this month who needed practice going downhill in gravel. You are right, however; gravel sucks. Another time I was riding behind my husband (which sucks all by itself – but that’s another story!) when we passed a sign that said ‘pavement ends in 500 ft’. We kept going but after 5 miles of gravel we debated about turning around, but thought the pavement would start again shortly. 7 more miles of gravel were traveled before we hit pavement again. It was that gawdawful washboard stuff that was liberally covered in potholes. The springs on my old Magna were just NOT up to that! It about shook all the fillings out of my teeth! Still, loose gravel on pavement is by far and away the worst, particularly on corners! – Amy in Washington (note from Mama: thanks for sharing your "getting off the bike in a hurry" technique. Sometimes the oopsies happen so fast that there is literally no time to do something, but as noted, having battle action plans in place helps when there IS that split second of pulling/throwing the body out of harms way. As to gravel, it's use should simply be banned nationwide and then we wouldn't have to struggle with best practice techniques, because IMHO, no matter how lightly you apply brakes in gravel, and yes, there are times when you do need the brakes, gravel inherently has its own mind and makes all the "rules" go out the window faster than you say, "omigosh, what a pain in the neck!" So, I duck walk gravel in first gear, but 12 total miles in it would be one of those days where I'd demand a cold beverage at the end!) Tuesday, August 16 For Ruth who is working on her steep hill skills: Ruth, you are so not alone. I wrote in a couple of times already. I described my garage as a 'cage'. I have a steep ramp with a tight right turn as you go up. Not fun and I was so scared. There are 2 garage doors, with a post in the middle. Another 'target' I have to make sure is not my focus. I can offer a couple of things that have really helped me. First, I took a class that helped us with slow speed turns, circles and U-turns. For the slow speed turns, we practiced using the friction zone and feathering of the rear brake. No front brake. We practiced using the friction zone and rear brake going straight. Then we practiced doing U-Turns. I didn't get it at first. A lot to process. I went to a small parking lot and practiced (a friend came over and got me out of the 'cage') and I practiced turns. This was my first day on my new bike (Vstar Silverado 1100). I practiced figure 8's and circles. We rode back and I tried the ramp. The turn is pretty wicked taking the incline at a slow speed. So I took the wide door (the 'out' door, and of course let the garage attendant know I was going to do this so he could watch for cars exiting). I did it! I then practiced going down the ramp. I thought it would be worse, but I swallowed my nerves which were in my throat and waited until I was ready. I made sure I looked where I wanted to go, not at the wall of the curve. I gave it slight throttle, feathered the rear brake and had the clutch in the friction zone. Worked great. Going down was not as bad as I thought. I still have nerves going up the ramp, but much better than even a month ago. I have set the bike down twice while taking the incline. A couple of mishaps with a garage attendant who decided not to cooperate, even though I called ahead and he said he understood what I was going to do. A car was coming down as I was heading up the ramp. Peak of the ramp I put the brakes on with the wheel turned right. ugh. Yep, out of balance and had to set the bike down. I had bought Motorman's Ride Like a Pro III DVD. Great learning tool! He explains the slow speed, friction zone, head turning, feathering the rear brake extremely well. It was clicking for me. I finally 'got it'. I am doubly glad I watched it because he also show how a woman can pick up a heavy downed bike. And I had to pick it up from the right side and then straddle to get to the kickstand! It worked!! Just like he shows. 649lbs (dry weight) baby and I did it! So even though I was super ticked at the rude garage man (long story, but there are people out there who are demeaning and will do what they can to intimidate you. As Mama says, say thank you very much and don't give them a second thought!), I felt so proud of my accomplishment overcoming the situation. So even if you do have to set the bike down, best to know you can and will be able to pick it up. I even stalled her trying to handle the incline, clutch, throttle and brake. But second try I was successful. Good experience to have. It was going to happen sometime, best to learn. Now when I have trouble on an incline or scared on a decline, I tell myself 'you know how to do this girl!' and I go for it. And by the way, you might already have one, but I installed a Lindy Bar on the bike when I first got her. So 'setting' the bike down would not be the end of the world. I am new to riding and decided to put on the Lindy Bar. Plus it looks nice on the bike. Ruth, I hope this help! I am glad you wrote in. I appreciate the chance to share my experiences, the bad that actually was good!!! Sincerely, – Star Sister Sandra in Chicago (note from Mama: thanks for sharing that understanding the dynamics of slow speed riding make such a huge difference in handling steep, curving, and blind exit type of situations!) Monday, September 26 Dear VTwin Mama, Dear Kundry, Hi
VTwin Mama, Dear
Harleymama, I would start by taking a look at that left foot shift lever . . . many of them can be unbolted and repositioned so that there is more room for your foot to fit with a boot that would get you flat footed. Wouldn't that be nice?! This would be the simplest solution and provide a better overall feeling you have with the bike. Even if that proves to be a solution to your desire to be flat footed, I think you also need to look that hill challenge straight in the eye and practice a sequence of maneuvers that you can count on to get you through! Can you hold the weight of the bike with just your left foot planted on the ground, given that bike will be slightly tilted to the left (or not, if you can get better boots)? Try that first in your garage with a friend straddling the front tire and steadying the handlebar. Then plant your left foot and see how far you can lean that bike and comfortably hold the weight and what it takes to be flat footed. Does this seem doable to you? If yes, then you can approach a hill in first gear and just as you get to that stop point, extend your left foot for the plant, pull in your clutch lever to disengage the power, and use your right foot to engage the rear brake for the final stop and position hold. So, left foot holding you upright, right foot keeping you from sliding back, and hands free to re-engage the clutch and give it some throttle to get going again. Practice, practice, practice in a dedicated session till it becomes second nature. I hope this gives you some food for thought so that hill jitters can be banished! – Mama Monday, February 20 For Harleymama who is not flat footed on her bike and that's really hard on hill stops: I also am 5'1' and ride a 1200. I lowered her 2 inches with Progressive shocks front and rear. I also had a Corbin single seat made that moves me 1' forward. On top of that, I had the seat shaved down which lowers me about 3/4". I am totally flat footed. I don't know how many other bikes you have owned or ridden ( I have owned 5 other bikes , but although everyone talks about the 1200 as being "top heavy" I believe it is a state of mind). If you as rider have good control and balance, the 1200 is a joy to ride and handle. – Dorathy Biddinger (note from Mama: I'm glad you shared specific modifications) Thursday, April 27 Dear VTwin Mama, I need advice for taking off on a steep incline. I have only attempted it once and it went pretty well. That's the only way out of my fun driveway and determination is amazing when you want to ride your new bike. All help or tips would be greatly appreciated. – Distressed in NC Dear Distressed, These pages archive incoming
letters and responses and is a good place to start reading what other
riders have faced and tips and suggestions for overcoming challenges. I
encourage you to take the time to read these as I find that there is no
way my brain can remember all the excellent advice given over time!
–
Mama Thursday, May 25 Dear Petra, I've found that the other cul-de-sac (next street down in our subdivision) has a bit of a grade, so I was able to start figuring out a plan for starting/stopping on an incline. Surprisingly, starting on that uphill wasn't bad. Stopping on the downhill side threw me for a bit of a loop, though. Would it be better to stop, then roll through the intersection then turn? Or just turn from the downhill grade? I tried both, and both ideas have pros and cons. I read through the hill section, but most of that addressed starting from an uphill grade. Any ideas? I still haven't left the neighborhood yet, but I realize that I'll have to have a solution for that to get out of my neighborhood, due to the steep downhill grade at the intersection with the main road. – Lee Dear Lee, So, now a stop on a downward incline with an immediate turn at an intersection. While the roll-through seems an appealing alternative, if this lane merge was to a busy roadway (as it is out of your neighborhood), your lack of speed (just letting the weight of the bike carry you through) is not ideal. You must continue to practice to incorporate a turn with being in full control of your first gear, so that when you finish the turn, you've already got gas and full first gear engagement so that you can power up smoothly out the turn once your front wheel is straight again. So, the sequence is: check traffic, look where you want to go, little bit of steady gas, ease out the clutch, negotiate the turn as you ease out the clutch fully (your speed will continue to increase), then more gas when the wheel is straight, then back off the throttle a bit as you pull the clutch in to click into second, then clutch out, more gas, and go, go, go! Because a left turn is a more sweeping turn with more
room, I'd advocate that your first turns from a stop onto the main road be
done to the left. If you feel more confident merging with a right turn (so
that you're not crossing a lane), then make sure you start from the far
left part of your lane to give yourself maximum turn sweep capability and
avoid crossing into opposing traffic (keep your head and eyes turned to
where you wish to finish the turn!). Ok, off you go to practice! –
Mama Tuesday, July 25 Dear VTwin Mama, After five years as a passenger, I took and passed (barely) the MSF course last October, went out and bought a new 2005 Shadow VLX (I'm finding it to be a great first bike). Winter set in about 2 weeks later so only got about 50 miles on it, mostly in the school parking lot. I've put almost 500 miles on it this year , I've dropped it twice for stupid reasons, like put the kickstand down dummy, and I think its starting to come together and be fun rather than teeth gritting! I've finally moved out of the parking lot onto the quiet neighborhood streets and have even went on several 75-100 mile rides, just my husband and me on our bikes. I'm trying to noodle out yesterdays oopsie . . . after a great ride, almost a hundred miles with a few rest breaks, we were stopped at the end of a driveway on an uphill incline, no problem, but in pulling out had to make a very sharp right hand turn onto a very busy street, well the bike started to roll backwards when I let off the brake and I was afraid to give it to much throttle and fly across the street and run into the oncoming traffic. I panicked and forgot everything I've learned and couldn't make the turn, didn't drop it as I' m so flat footed on this bike, but it was a real turning mess! In looking back, I think I was using the front brake when I should have had my foot on the rear brake, and probably needed to give it more throttle and I probably wasn't looking where I wanted to go. Before I go out to practice this I just want to make sure I have the right idea. You ladies have been a real source of inspiration to me, I am so happy to be part of the sisterhood. Is there any way you can set up a page that archives the daily reflections? Some of them really hit home and I would like to go back and reread them. Thanks for all your help – Diane in upstate New York Dear Diane, Let's remember that power can be controlled in two ways . . . the amount of throttle we offer up to the "get going" Gods and the use of the clutch friction zone. So, at the hill stop, with your foot on the rear brake so you don't roll back and the clutch lever pulled in, give the bike a bit of steady gas. Then ease out the clutch lever to where it engages the power and ease off the brake. If you have enough steady throttle level, the additional amount that you let out the clutch lever will propel you forward more and then you can add a bit more gas as needed. If you feel a bit too much "rocket forward" motion, it's the clutch lever you can use to control that, and yes, the rear brake helps. As you already know the benefits of parking lot practice, if possible, find yourself a hill that is relatively quiet, even without the incorporated turn. You want to get your start from a stop hill skill under control and this does take practice to work the combinations. If you think you're still looking down, go do a practice session with hubby in attendance and have him yell out every time he sees you looking down, especially in U-turn drills. Harsh . . . not really . . . it's easy to fool ourselves that we're not doing it, and a helper to point it out will make you more cognizant of the frequency you lapse into the habit. Now, you're not the only new rider who has come up to a situation where panic sets in. Especially on the road. That's why I advocate sitting at your kitchen table or on the bike in the garage and going through the steps like a mantra. Then, when faced with it in real life, your brain is pre-programmed with the steps and there's less chance that the situation around you will be stronger than the voice in your head. Call me crazy (heck, talking to ourselves in more stressful situations is a time-honored tradition!) but it works! Ok, off you go for more practice! By the by, the daily Reflection is just me searching for good quotes, so I never kept a log. However, based on your observation, I have started the Reflection Collection page! I'm trying to find all the ones I've already used and now will add each day's quote as I go along! Thanks for letting me know that it's something you would like to use as inspiration! – Mama Hello Mama, The experienced rider that I ride with was teaching me how to ride with a pack (meaning I had to stop riding in the middle of the my lane). I was ok for the most part, but we were on this street that has an obvious slant to the outside lanes. I immediately had the feeling that I was going to fall, so I decided to move back into the center of the lane (against the slant). No matter what I was doing (or thought I was doing) I could not get the bike back into the center of the lane because I couldn't simply drift over. I finally eased off the throttle and changed lanes when I found a more level section of the road. Has this happened to anyone else or is this just my "lane anxiety"? This has happened to me on the streets as well as the expressway . . . I just feel more in control of the bike riding the hump rather than in the tire grooves or on the incline. Has anyone
fell off their bike from hitting the incline wrong or trying to ride out
of a tire groove? Maybe some reassurances will help me out. Thanks, Dear Karvacious, One of the rules of group riding is the group always maintain a staggered position, with enough room between riders so that if any rider must move from their position, due to an object on the ground in their section of the lane, or any other reason, the rider can temporarily shift without running into the person behind them. The stagger positioning however must remain tight enough so that cars are not tempted to break into the formation in a passing maneuver or any other idiotic thing that comes into their head. When a rider begins working on being comfortable riding in just half the lane, certain skills must be developed more fully. So, given that you had to reduce speed and wait for a more level road section to move over tells me that you are not in full command of leaning and countersteering. These are skills you MUST master in order to proceed. It's time for a practice session. Get to a traffic and distraction free area. Get into second gear in a straight line and try two things. One, bring your knees in and loosely grip the sides of the bike equally, then press one knee into the bike and see how the bike wants to move in the direction you are pressing. It doesn't take much to do this, so easy does it! Two, loosen up your knees, and do the same thing, only this time, press your hand on the handlebar to one side and see how the bike wants to move in that direction. This is countersteering. If and when you are comfortable with these techniques in the center of the lane, let's look at the slant. Whether you realized it or not, you were using some sort of minimal lean or handlebar pressure to stay on course on the incline. Otherwise, you and the motorcycle would have flown off the road. Moving off the incline, at the speed you were traveling, would require that you give the bike a more forceful press on that side of the handlebar to command the bike to move. At higher speeds, you can't steer the bike (twist the handlebar) off line, you have to countersteer (press the handlebar to move the bike off its present course). Is lane anxiety part of the equation? Absolutely! Learning to work with only half the lane brings in a new set of jitters, but the solution is to continue to practice your techniques in the center of the lane and incorporate some half-lane work. You have to understand the exact handling characteristics of your motorcycle so that these techniques are at your command at all times. There is no substitute to practice. In all of this, it is absolutely imperative that your eyes are focused ahead of you. When your head is pointed at, and your eyes are looking at, what is ahead of you, and you use the lean/press techniques, the motorcycle will go to where you are looking! If you look down at the road immediately under your feet or just a few feet ahead, you are inadvertently setting up your "bike commands" to go there. Uck! Never look down! This will set up a feeling of falling quicker than you can "oh no." Ok, there is nothing pretty about getting your tire stuck in a road groove. I'm not sure I can explain it adequately. My technique is to jerk the handlebar to one side with just enough jerk to get the front tire over the lip of the groove. Then, I'm in immediate command of my bike to countersteer the bike back into a straight line. So, if I want to move off the groove to the left, I jerk left and upon clearing the groove, immediately countersteer right. Each of these movements is small . . . just enough to handle the situation. At no time do I have a death grip on the handlebar as this makes it impossible for the front end to wiggle where it needs to go. If I find myself in a grouping of road grooves, I stay in the one I'm in, slow down and look ahead to see where a break or opening will allow me to get clear. Whew! I'm hoping these reviews help you noodle out your next practice sessions. I know that these things might not feel completely natural right now, but with practice you will soon be going down the road with confidence! – Mama Friday, August 11 For Karvacious who is working on skills to handle road slopes when riding the half lane: At first I had problems riding on the outside of the road. Whenever I rode with hubby I would always want to go down the middle when he was leading. I began concentrating on keeping my eyes on the road ahead, at the horizon, in the part of the lane where I was wanting to ride. I found that when I did that I automatically stayed in that part of the lane. It is totally true that you go where you eyes are looking. When I look at the middle of the road, that is where I ride. When I look on the edge of the road, that is where I ride. I could never tell any difference in how the road was slanting, except when stopping. With my short legs, I can only touch on the left on most roads because of the slant, so I learned to keep my balance with my left foot, and put my right foot on the pegs. Then I can keep my foot on the brake when stopped on a hill! I really love it now that riding is not so much effort. Keep practicing! You will get there! – Linwebs (note from Mama: thanks for strengthening the importance of looking where we wish to go . . . it really does make a difference!) Friday, September 15 Dear VTwin Mama, Dear Kat, More on looking where we wish to go: most riders have an
easier time with an up slope. I think this is because the slope more
naturally positions our head and eyes level. On a down slope, it's easy to
get sloppy with our head position, and especially our eyes, which are
naturally drawn to the road slope right in front of us. Fight it! Look
through the curve. And remember, I always say that knees snugged into a
bike's body offers true "oneness" that makes the whole feel of
the countersteer more in control! –
Mama Dear
VTwin Mama, Dear
Barbara, But I'll summarize here: when stopping, make sure the motorcycle is pointed straight forward no matter what "next" thing you need to do (i.e. a turn through the intersection). Then understand your feet-to-ground realities (i.e. can both feet be planted firmly on the ground, can you hold the weight of the bike with just one foot firmly on the ground). You want to stop on the hill in first gear with the clutch lever pulled in. You hold your position on the incline (i.e. so you don't roll back) with either the rear brake (if you can hold the weight with the left foot on the ground) or the front brake (if you need both feet on the ground). Then release the brake and at the same time you must smoothly let out the clutch with some throttle (a bit more throttle than a level stop to overcome the incline). Dropping a bike is chiefly about the bike position and where you are looking. No need to look at the ground . . . you know it's there . . . so eyes and head look forward. Keep that handlebar steady as you take off (if you've got a handlebar wobble, you might want to go back to a level practice zone and get that take off from start consistently steady before going back to hill practice). Don't be discouraged if hills take awhile to conquer . . . just keep working at it and you'll get it. I'm hoping my thoughts and the previous letters help you visualize the best combination to be confident on hill stops! – Mama Wednesday, February 28 For Barbara who is working on handling hill stops: I just wanted to add something about stopping on
inclines that helped me get over the hump (no pun intended). I liked the
idea of having one foot down and one on the brake pedal, and did that for
a while. But some of the roads we ride are curved so that it's higher in
the center and lower on the sides to facilitate water run off. I almost
went over several times and it freaked me out, so I quit doing that and
had to find another way. Dear
VTwin Mama, Dear
Scared, I must admit that I'm not clear on the curb in your driveway as most driveways are graded as relatively smooth slopes or straight shots (although some can be quite steep) from the connecting road. There really isn't anything in your approach technique that can be modified to accommodate this bump and I know you don't want to keep scraping the bottom of the bike. Can a small bridging plank be laid down at one far side of the driveway, wide enough for you to run the bike up and over? This wouldn't interfere with the car then, but give you a graded ramp for the bike. You could even get a small bag of dry cement at a hardware store and mix some up to build a more permanent grade. If you would like to send a picture of this hurdle, maybe I and the readers can noodle some other ideas out! – Mama Wednesday, April 25 For Scared to get into driveway who has a 4" curb to navigate: Our driveway doesn't have a curb, and I'm not sure if I can describe it correctly, but it slopes down toward the cul-de-sac. The pavement at the end of the driveway then slopes UP, creating a drainage gully around the cul-de-sac. Because you're approaching the driveway going slightly downhill and then have to hit it going uphill, our cars have problems with scraping the front end. We placed a row of stepping stones at the end of the driveway to bridge the gap. And they're not that bad to ride over with the bikes. I just slow way down until I'm actually on the stones, then accelerate up the driveway. That might be a cheap solution. But if there's an actual curb there, I'm not sure if it will work. – Kat (note from Mama: it's another idea and one that may open up the search for solutions!) Tuesday, July 10 Dear VTwin Mama, I have read many of the articles regarding stopping and starting on hills and inclines, but I have not been able to find any information on going down hills. I am never sure what gear I should be in. (I know of course this all depends on the slope of the hill). My question is, if you start moving too fast down a hill, is it okay to shift to a lower gear while going down the hill? I got surprised by a sudden hill a couple of weeks ago, and being unprepared for it, my bike started to pick up speed. I tried not to panic and lightly feathered my back brake to slow me down so I could take a sharp right curve at the bottom. It worked, but I'd like to know if there's a specific technique or rule of thumb for riding down hills. I'm petrified that I'm going to lock up the back brake. As long as I just feather it, will that keep it from locking up? Any information you might have on going down hills would be greatly appreciated. – Rainssportster Dear
Rainssportster, Locking a rear brake is not fun, but let's get rid of that fear. Feathering good. Jamming in panic not good. Trust me, if it starts to lock you'll feel that rear slide out. It's best not to release then, but to use your countersteer techniques to keep things upright. Does your motorcycle have a tachometer that shows the redline area? The next time you're out on an empty stretch of road, click into 2nd gear and keep giving it gas but don't shift to 3rd. Watch that tach climb and listen to the engine reaching the end of it's natural gear ratio realities. You'll be begging to shift, but really listen to what it sounds like. Even without a tach, the lesson here is to listen to the engine . . . it'll sound strained but it really can handle a wide speed range in any gear (it's just not efficient or recommended!). Now, on a downhill when you're picking up speed you don't want; yes, you can shift down. The only caveat is that when you do this, slowly let that clutch lever out to the beginning of the engagement point and you'll feel the engine slowing down the motorcycle. If it feels hugely abrupt you need to bleed off some speed with the brakes (in a straight line, the front brake or combination is good, if you're in a curve, rear brake only). Example: I rode a friend's '86 BMW K75 and the smartest thing I did was to spend 1,000 miles learning the exact handling of this bike before going on a road trip with it. The most important thing I learned is that the down shifting from 3rd to 2nd was so fast that it almost threw me over the handlebars! So, I was going about 45mph in 3rd, downshifted and just let that clutch lever out in one motion. Wham, the engine slowed the bike down and thank goodness I managed to hang on! The gearing ratio on this bike was different than the one I normally rode. If I had let that clutch out to just the start of the engagement I would have felt that I was going to have an abrupt change. Lesson learned and I practiced more! So, go back to a really big empty lot and learn your bike's downshifting characteristics. It'll come in handy but easy does it as you work on this! – Mama Tuesday, July 31 Dear VTwin Mama, Dear
Mary Beth, Friday, January 4 Dear VTwin Mama, Dear
Barbara Let's talk about gearing a bit. Each bike made has a certain amount of gears, typically 5, but early ones only had 4, and newer ones may have 6. Each gear within the "set" has a different gear ratio (the number of revolutions or "revs" or times it turns in relation to the next piece in the system). The lower gears are designed to turn more times, thus providing more torque, or "oomph," so that you can get the weight of the bike moving forward, while the higher gears provide less torque (the bike is already moving) but more speed range. So, that's why we shift ... so that the gear we choose gives us the right amount of oomph and speed to move forward as we move down the road. So think of each gear as operating within a range of speed, i.e. you wouldn't want to be cruising at 45mph in 1st gear ... yes, you could do it, but you're running the bike at the top end of that gear ratio and pushing that gear's ability to give you a smooth ride. One would shift to 2nd or even 3rd for a smooth, unstrained gear use. The answer to your question then is about the speed you're going uphill or downhill and its steepness grade. Let's imagine that we're going to go up and then down a fairly steep hill. We approach smoothly at 45mph in 3rd gear. Now we head up the hill and notice that when we give the throttle some gas to keep moving forward, it seems to want to bog down ... shift down to 2nd and the throttle is once again very responsive ... but it's really that we've shifted to a gear that is designed for more torque ... which is what we need to get that weight up the steep hill. Now we're at the top of the hill and still in 2nd and ready to begin the descent. Gravity is going to help move that weight, so if we stay in 2nd, we'll be in a gear ratio is no longer appropriate for a smooth, relaxed 45mph. Time to shift to 3rd. Why might we want to stay in 2nd? Let's imagine there is a sharp turn at the bottom of our hill ... we want a lot of control at the touch of our throttle and we'd like the engine (the gear we're in) to continue to help us brake the bike going down so we don't approach that turn with a lot of speed, sloppy throttle, or having to jam on the brakes to regain speed control. Gears naturally wear over time, but you've really got to abuse the system to do major damage in a short amount of time. If you have a tachometer along side your speedometer, you'll notice that you've got a red colored area ... keep out of it ... you're pushing the system to the extreme. If you don't have a tach, you'll learn over time to listen to the sound range of your gears, shift when you've come to the end of a gear's range, gauge the throttle responsiveness, and decide when you want to use a light application of the brakes instead of shifting. Some motorcycles now incorporate rev limiters. It is a device that detects when you would hit the red line area of your tachometer ... the danger zone, and automatically remove some power so you can't overdo the gear. Some people like it, others don't. Red line a lot and yes, eventually you'll prematurely wear or blow the engine. I'm hoping this overview will help you explore your shifting and handling of the bike with greater confidence ... experienced riders just know what gear to be in because they've put a lot of road miles on and have been in just about every combination of road conditions ... that can make it hard to accurately describe what they actually do in a given situation because instincts take over and then use all the possible combinations to take care of business. You to, one day, with continue practice, will join that group! – Mama Wednesday, July 2 Dear VTwin Mama, I don't have any other questions ... I just wanted to thank you. I was getting frustrated and he was frustrated and I was almost ready to sell the bike and go back to riding on the back of his Harley until I read all the letters and information on the subject of hills you have posted. What a life saver!!! Thanks again, – Candace Dear Candace, A big round of thanks goes to the many readers, who upon reading my replies, then chime in with their first-hand accounts and tips. Like your husband, sometimes I find myself with too many years of riding to "get back" to explaining some things. Sometimes it's just a matter of the words! I'll say something one way, other readers will chime in, and between the various wordings, another person picks up the understanding they are seeking. Yahoo to you and many happy road miles in your future with hubby dearest! – Mama Thursday, August 21 Dear VTwin Mama, I have a choice once off the hills to go right (curvy highway, many blind curves and straighter after about 10 miles-BUT pull-over areas so you can go slower, pull over frequently. Cars are more wary due to 15-30 mph curves and many side streets, or go left and the BIG highway, straight, pull overs galore but highly used, more aggressive drivers and since I'm the only one in the county that ever pulls over (LOL) people tend to panic if they see me as they think they will be trapped at 30-45 mph, Limit is 55, usually speed is 65-70mph except the many elderly which is part of why people are so fearful of being trapped. They usually are, for many, many miles. For hours. I go right. Scary as the curves are very sharp, blind, often crossed over by 'cages' and construction guys having a few. Although it seems like trial by fire since I'm having to do so much freaky stuff, (gravel collects at the lower intersections naturally) and seems so much nicer to learn in flat, regular city slow streets with lights and/or stop signs at least. On the other hand a co-worker rides a HD 883 low, mine is a HD 1200 low, she can't do hills even though she ridden to the Redwood run! So as scary as it is, and as hindering as it seems, I guess it's not that bad. It all adds up eventually. I just try to stay within my limits and try to expand them as I get comfortable and have the tools to manage the next step without mishap. Oh yeah-NEVER use the inclined down side to put your foot down as the stabilizer when stopped unless your bike is very light and small and you are strong and long legged enough. I also ride a bike and had to translate brake information and the idea of the difference between 20lbs and 563 lbs. Thanks again for all you're doing. TTFN, – Trish Dear Trish, Wednesday, June 3 Dear VTwin Mama, Dear Barbara, So, the first thing to ascertain is whether you can come to a stop on a level surface and simply hold the weight of the bike with your left foot. In your driveway, get on the bike, take it off the side stand, both feet on the ground and then lean the bike to the left to see what that leg can support. If you're slightly on tippy toes when you are centered on the bike, you may want to consider a boot with more heel/sole or shaving a bit out of the seat to lower your butt and get those feet firm on the ground. With your left leg planted firmly, how much can you lean? Enough to hold the bike and keep that right foot on the rear brake? With the rear brake controlling the backslide on an incline (yup, it has enough grab to hold it) ... then your hands are free to coordinate the forward movement with clutch and throttle and you can ease off the back brake as you begin your creep up the incline. Yup, it does take practice. Remember, don't look down ... you know where the foot controls are and what the ground looks like ... head and eyes looking exactly where you want to go. – Mama Hello VTwin Mama, I have problems (lots of problems) on hills. If I have to stop on a grade, I get all messed up when pulling out. Can't feel my clutch, can't get the hand brake and throttle controlled. I have dropped my bike twice due to this, and it seems like I can't control it until I am straight. I haven't ventured off from my home area (back roads) because of this. I love riding and I want to ride it more and further, but am very afraid of hurting someone or making a scene with other cars. I NEED help or I just need to sell my bike... – Marsha, Newbie in Tennessee Dear Marsha, Hills are a pill when you're starting out, so fear not, there is no reason to sell up. You're right ... one can have the clutch friction zone and throttle under control on a flat grade but then struggle with an incline. So, a lot of it is how to coordinate our clutch and throttle while handling the brakes so we don't slide backward. On a flat grade I want you to practice this: your left foot planted on the ground and your right foot lightly pressed on the rear brake. Now get some clutch engagement with throttle and feel how you can get the bike to want to move forward but it can't because you've got the rear brake holding it in place. Find the balance point where you can then slowly remove the back brake pressure and smoothly move forward with your controlled clutch/throttle combo. Essentially this is exactly what you need on a hill stop. The rear brake will hold you in place and then you remove that pressure because you have the clutch/throttle at the ready to "take over" the hill grade. Once you've got a feel for that, head out on an early Sunday morning (least amount of traffic usually) and find yourself a parking lot with a gentle hill stop. That could be a shopping center, small business, etc. Just choose something without added problem like deep ditches to either side. Then practice. I'm betting you'll have it under control in no time! – Mama Greetings from wild wonderful WV. I had written a few years ago, about my 1981 Hondamatic with Tow-Pac trike conversion. After riding it for several years, I have moved up to a Suzuki Boulevard trike and am really happy with it. I thought maybe Marsha would like to consider the EFM Auto Clutch - I had it installed on my Suzuki and can't say enough great things about it. It has really made riding more carefree for me; we have our share of hills in WV too. I have never stalled with it. It is really great in traffic too. If she goes on the EFM Auto Clutch site, she can get more info on it. I had to have the original clutch mailed to the business, and they re-worked it and mailed it back in just a few days. Hope this offers one more option to people out there who are having trouble with a clutch. I love your site, and check it every day. Ride safely, everyone! – Jo in WV (note from Mama: thank you so much for offering an alternative solution!) I loved Jo's suggestion to try the EFM auto clutch. I was surprised so many men and women have problems with the clutch lever (including my wife). One question, though, how does it respond to downshifts at speed? Best regards, – Andy S. (note from Mama: good point ... let's see if Jo writes back with her first-hand knowledge for guidance.) Monday, August 31 Regarding downshifting with the EFM auto-clutch ... it has been flawless. Whether upshifting or downshifting with this clutch, you have to keep the rpm's up. In other words, what I do, is blip the throttle quickly, let off, and immediately shift into the gear I want. I was told by the manufacturer, and by the mechanic who installed it for me, to be sure and keep the rpm's up. I will also say that I was lucky to have an excellent motorcycle mechanic nearby . Even he thought , in the beginning, that it might tend to free-wheel down hills, but I have not had that experience. It holds back more than I thought it would. I guess the reason I went to the auto clutch is that my old Hondamatic spoiled me. Also, since I'm not getting any younger, I wanted something that would help extend the years that I can ride. And I can't imagine riding without it now. Even if I eventually go to something bigger than my Boulevard, I still plan to have the auto-clutch installed. Hope this info helps. Like I said, make sure you have someone knowledgeable do the installation and test-ride it to see if any adjustments are needed. Happy riding! Be safe - it's a jungle out there! – Jo in WV (note from Mama: thanks for the follow-up!)
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