Epic noob questions. Yay!

[watsyurface]

Hello ladies and gentlemen, I have only been riding for about a month so I'd like to ask a few questions I am sure you will laugh at

First off, what do you do in traffic? I do not mean slow moving traffic, but stop and go, like when leaving my school. What I have been doing is attempting to put both feet up (its very sloppy, but practice makes perfect!) and using the clutch and some throttle to go a few feet, then put both feet down when stopping.

Second, When riding the bike, say going about 40 in whatever gear, and say i was off the throttle for whatever reason(maybe engine braking), i slowly roll on the throttle, but the bike still has a bit of a lag and/or shudder...is this the bike? or am i doing something wrong?

Third, how do you wave(to incoming motorcyclists) when sitting in traffic/at a light(i hold the clutch in and stay in first)? The other day i used my right hand but it honestly felt a little awkward...


Thanks for the help! I can't think of anything else now but im sure it will come up so I'll be sure to post

[MistahT]

Originally Posted by watsyurface

Hello ladies and gentlemen, I have only been riding for about a month so I'd like to ask a few questions I am sure you will laugh at

First off, what do you do in traffic? I do not mean slow moving traffic, but stop and go, like when leaving my school. What I have been doing is attempting to put both feet up (its very sloppy, but practice makes perfect!) and using the clutch and some throttle to go a few feet, then put both feet down when stopping.

Second, When riding the bike, say going about 40 in whatever gear, and say i was off the throttle for whatever reason(maybe engine braking), i slowly roll on the throttle, but the bike still has a bit of a lag and/or shudder...is this the bike? or am i doing something wrong?

Third, how do you wave(to incoming motorcyclists) when sitting in traffic/at a light(i hold the clutch in and stay in first)? The other day i used my right hand but it honestly felt a little awkward...


Thanks for the help! I can't think of anything else now but im sure it will come up so I'll be sure to post

Maybe not the Bible truth, but here's what I do.

1. For close stop and go traveling 10 feet at a time, I just leave my feet down. Longer than that, leave the bike in first, keep my right foot up, put my left foot down to stop.

2. Could be carbs. My current dd bike is fuel injected and I'll never go back. My old carb bike was nicer about that when the revs were higher.

3. Head nod works fine if you're hand is on the clutch. Either that or I'll raise my first and middle finger together on my right hand. Usually get a positive response as long as they know it's not only my middle finger.

[Chicagobob]

For stop-and-go, I bring my feet up quickly and keep them up as long as possible, slipping the clutch to advance slowly.

For roll-on acceleration, a downshift (one or two gears) is usually required, especially with a 250.

I agree with the finger wave, if my clutch hand is occupied. I live in an area with 2- and 3-minute traffic light cycles, so I usually put it in neutral when I hit a red.

[himynameisjoe]

1. I tend to have my left foot down and right foot on the rear brake. I prefer to use the rear when I'm already stopped, or if I'm slowing down and almost stopped and there seems to be gravel or dirt on the road. You don't want a front end skid...

2. as bob said, since it's a 250, try shifting down a gear and then accelerating. Maybe even 2 depending on how high of a gear you're in. The power band of our little 250's tend to be at the 8k mark. So anything before that is going to be rather sluggish.

3. Once again as everyone else has said, hold the clutch with you're pinky and ring and give them a 2 finger wave gesture. Or if the stoplight allows it, put it in neutral. You'll eventually learn which stoplights in your area are long enough that shifting to neutral is a benefit and not a nuisance.

[Xer0-]

Originally Posted by himynameisjoe

1. I tend to have my left foot down and right foot on the rear brake. I prefer to use the rear when I'm already stopped, or if I'm slowing down and almost stopped and there seems to be gravel or dirt on the road. You don't want a front end skid...

2. as bob said, since it's a 250, try shifting down a gear and then accelerating. Maybe even 2 depending on how high of a gear you're in. The power band of our little 250's tend to be at the 8k mark. So anything before that is going to be rather sluggish.

3. Once again as everyone else has said, hold the clutch with you're pinky and ring and give them a 2 finger wave gesture. Or if the stoplight allows it, put it in neutral. You'll eventually learn which stoplights in your area are long enough that shifting to neutral is a benefit and not a nuisance.

I agree with 1&2 but number 3 it's a lot safer to be in gear at a light. if you are going to shift to neutral, I at least wait till there is a car stopped behind me as sort of a shield. There has been quite a few occasions that i was glad i was still in gear at a light.

[himynameisjoe]

Originally Posted by Xer0-

I agree with 1&2 but number 3 it's a lot safer to be in gear at a light. if you are going to shift to neutral, I at least wait till there is a car stopped behind me as sort of a shield. There has been quite a few occasions that i was glad i was still in gear at a light.

You just have to be way more alert. I don't do it very frequently honestly. But if I've been ridding a while, it's nice to relax for a second. I don't usually stay in neutral the whole stop light though. Just enough to kind of stand up a bit and readjust and relax my hand.

[alex.s]

Originally Posted by watsyurface

Hello ladies and gentlemen, I have only been riding for about a month so I'd like to ask a few questions I am sure you will laugh at

First off, what do you do in traffic? I do not mean slow moving traffic, but stop and go, like when leaving my school. What I have been doing is attempting to put both feet up (its very sloppy, but practice makes perfect!) and using the clutch and some throttle to go a few feet, then put both feet down when stopping.

Second, When riding the bike, say going about 40 in whatever gear, and say i was off the throttle for whatever reason(maybe engine braking), i slowly roll on the throttle, but the bike still has a bit of a lag and/or shudder...is this the bike? or am i doing something wrong?

Third, how do you wave(to incoming motorcyclists) when sitting in traffic/at a light(i hold the clutch in and stay in first)? The other day i used my right hand but it honestly felt a little awkward...


Thanks for the help! I can't think of anything else now but im sure it will come up so I'll be sure to post

1. i'm in california so i lane split most of the time. if i can't lane split i'll usually leave one foot down and just kinda pick it up a little as i pull forward. i generally don't have more than one foot on the ground at any time unless i'm getting off.

2. practice makes perfect. its hard to really grasp the amount of throttle control precision that can be achieved but i can say what i once thought was "smooth" when i was a new rider, was in fact horribly jerky and not really smooth at all. "smooth" on a motorcycle is a really hard concept to fully understand. watching "smooth riders", it's very hard to see what they are doing and how they are doing it. but like you said, practice makes perfect.

3. by far the easiest answer: don't. if you are at a traffic light, your attention should be on everything. don't check out some bike that you like. don't stare at the cute girl. don't wave to jonny's friends' mom. don't laugh at the funny bumper sticker. i'm obviously taking my point to an extreme but it's to communicate a point. your attention should be on what is going on around you, not socializing. the easiest way to get killed on a motorcycle is to stop paying attention. if you are sitting at a red light and there is nobody around you and you have been scanning everything for the last 30 seconds and some weird guy on a gsxr1300 is like seriously waving both his arms screaming at you trying to get your attention, a polite head nod is more than enough to be courteous.

[Mr.E]

1. In stop and go if its a slightly longer distance I pick my feet up because duck waddling feels weird. After sometime I've come to be really good at slow speeds, almost to a stop. But be careful as always. Dont go too slow or you can tip lol. I've cought myself about to lose balance more then a few times. Especially when I was new.

2. If you were going to slow for the gear, then I agree with everyone else. Try bumping it down a gear and see. If you're in say 6th gear and are only doing 30 it's going to catch on sluggish. But if you mean you're going 40, lay off the throttle for one second to get back on and it jolts, it could be the carbs. My bike was temperamental before I shimmed the carbs. Now she's smoother to ride in first gear (especially for that stop and go traffic) and I dont get much of a kick. But, with that said, it's also rider error. I still jolt back on the the throttle a little time from time. The longer you ride, the smoother you get.

3. I agree, stay in gear when at a red and watch behind you. I've gotten into the habit of waiting till the car behind me stops, and while they approach I flash my brake lights to catch their attention. Once they stopped if you till have time then kick it into N if you want. As for acknowledging other bikers, I often head nod in situations like that. A right hand isnt that. They'll understand since you're at a stop. Often though, I dont waive at a stop unless they do first.

[Motofool]

Nobody should make fun of your questions: we all have been in your current stage.

Originally Posted by watsyurface

First off, what do you do in traffic? I do not mean slow moving traffic, but stop and go, like when leaving my school. What I have been doing is attempting to put both feet up (its very sloppy, but practice makes perfect!) and using the clutch and some throttle to go a few feet, then put both feet down when stopping.

One foot down is enough, unless you are a very short person.
At low speeds, we balance by steering: practice that, you can move really slow and still keep perfect balance.
As balance at low speeds improve, you will be able to put your feet down after the bike has completely stopped, and pulling it up as soon as the bike starts rolling.
Read this:
http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=121203

Originally Posted by watsyurface

Second, When riding the bike, say going about 40 in whatever gear, and say i was off the throttle for whatever reason(maybe engine braking), i slowly roll on the throttle, but the bike still has a bit of a lag and/or shudder...is this the bike? or am i doing something wrong?

There is some play between the rear sprocket and the rear wheel, which can be reduced.
Keeping high gears while the bike' speed is decreasing forces the engine to rotate so slowly that it starts jerking; if so, downshifting ahead of time is the solution.

Originally Posted by watsyurface

Third, how do you wave(to incoming motorcyclists) when sitting in traffic/at a light(i hold the clutch in and stay in first)? The other day i used my right hand but it honestly felt a little awkward...

If you are still feeling uncomfortable with balance at low speeds, simply don't wave back, many riders don't bother to return my salutation, especially Harley's riders.

[csmith12]

The secret sauce to keeping balance while going really really slow in stop and go traffic is; lightly drag the rear brake, keep the rpms up while slipping the clutch (2500 or so rmps will do the job) and attention to steering. The more relaxed you are, the easier it is.

The friction zone is your best friend.

[BlueHairSar]

Originally Posted by alex.s

1. i'm in california so i lane split most of the time. if i can't lane split i'll usually leave one foot down and just kinda pick it up a little as i pull forward. i generally don't have more than one foot on the ground at any time unless i'm getting off.

2. practice makes perfect. its hard to really grasp the amount of throttle control precision that can be achieved but i can say what i once thought was "smooth" when i was a new rider, was in fact horribly jerky and not really smooth at all. "smooth" on a motorcycle is a really hard concept to fully understand. watching "smooth riders", it's very hard to see what they are doing and how they are doing it. but like you said, practice makes perfect.

3. by far the easiest answer: don't. if you are at a traffic light, your attention should be on everything. don't check out some bike that you like. don't stare at the cute girl. don't wave to jonny's friends' mom. don't laugh at the funny bumper sticker. i'm obviously taking my point to an extreme but it's to communicate a point. your attention should be on what is going on around you, not socializing. the easiest way to get killed on a motorcycle is to stop paying attention. if you are sitting at a red light and there is nobody around you and you have been scanning everything for the last 30 seconds and some weird guy on a gsxr1300 is like seriously waving both his arms screaming at you trying to get your attention, a polite head nod is more than enough to be courteous.

2 - your throttle does have a little wiggle room before it actually engages. Usually you want that wiggle room to be 1 - 3mm. It's possible that you've got a little extra room, so when you roll off, it takes a little more to roll on before it engages. That could be the issue on it's own, or perhaps compounded that that extra time causes you to slow down even more, making you want to downshift like the other suggested.

3- head nod works too.

[watsyurface]

Thanks a lot glad to know that its all just experience based from now on!

[Havok]

Originally Posted by watsyurface

Hello ladies and gentlemen, I have only been riding for about a month so I'd like to ask a few questions I am sure you will laugh at

First off, what do you do in traffic? I do not mean slow moving traffic, but stop and go, like when leaving my school. What I have been doing is attempting to put both feet up (its very sloppy, but practice makes perfect!) and using the clutch and some throttle to go a few feet, then put both feet down when stopping.

What ever works, ill keep one foot down, two feet down and drag them, both on the pegs and back down at stop its random, what ever works for you go for it.

Second, When riding the bike, say going about 40 in whatever gear, and say i was off the throttle for whatever reason(maybe engine braking), i slowly roll on the throttle, but the bike still has a bit of a lag and/or shudder...is this the bike? or am i doing something wrong?

you are most likely out of the power band, the bike has **** for pull below 7k or so, so if you back off the throttle and it goes below that it will lag till it gets back up in revs. Just keep an eye on your revs and keep them above 7k at all times and you will be good.

Third, how do you wave(to incoming motorcyclists) when sitting in traffic/at a light(i hold the clutch in and stay in first)? The other day i used my right hand but it honestly felt a little awkward...

head nod or a peace sign with your throttle hand. As a new rider the last thing you need to worry about is waving.
Thanks for the help! I can't think of anything else now but im sure it will come up so I'll be sure to post

[ally99]

Originally Posted by watsyurface

Hello ladies and gentlemen, I have only been riding for about a month so I'd like to ask a few questions I am sure you will laugh at

Hey Mike! No questions are stupid! We all have to start as noobs! Some of us stay that way. I like to call myself "Permanoob". lol!

Originally Posted by watsyurface

First off, what do you do in traffic? I do not mean slow moving traffic, but stop and go, like when leaving my school. What I have been doing is attempting to put both feet up (its very sloppy, but practice makes perfect!) and using the clutch and some throttle to go a few feet, then put both feet down when stopping.

There is no one right way here. Just do what feels comfortable. I use my rear brake, so I keep my right foot on the brake and only place my left one on the ground when I stop. Using the rear brake, (though it's a source of battle between riders at all levels) really helped me smooth out what used to be jerky stops.

Originally Posted by watsyurface

Second, When riding the bike, say going about 40 in whatever gear, and say i was off the throttle for whatever reason(maybe engine braking), i slowly roll on the throttle, but the bike still has a bit of a lag and/or shudder...is this the bike? or am i doing something wrong?

Hmm, the lag and shudder may be due to the bike being low in the RPM range...depends on which gear you're in. Maybe someone else can answer this question better than I can.

Originally Posted by watsyurface

Third, how do you wave(to incoming motorcyclists) when sitting in traffic/at a light(i hold the clutch in and stay in first)? The other day i used my right hand but it honestly felt a little awkward...

A nod works well here and is acceptable. Other riders know your hand is on the clutch if you're stopped.

[Bones85]

At really slow speeds, keep the clutch in the friction zone and use the rear brake.

http://youtu.be/v-BDrAxjAFI

[massacremasses]

just yell HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!! really loud if someone waves...


I do that all the time...

[alex.s]

Originally Posted by massacremasses

just yell HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!! really loud if someone waves...


I do that all the time...

[massacremasses]

Originally Posted by alex.s