Some tips please

[sze5003]

So i finally got my bike running after cleaning the carbs and playing with the idle screw to get it to idle without the choke.

So I get all my gear on and people are watching I guess I get on the bike all geared up to go down the street. Now I haven't ridden since my class in late may. I didn't realize how sensitive the break and other controls are on these ninjas compared to the trainer bikes.

I meant to shift up and I panicked, felt like I was going too fast and out of hesitation I grabbed the front break. I was going downhill so tire locked up and I fell. Turn signal came off on the right side, I put it back on and it works fine. Some scratches on my right fairings upper and one lower, just paint came off.

I was fine, didn't feel anything at all thank god for all gear. I'm just pissed because I felt so humiliated. My friend was making a joke to my gf's dad, "I bet you 10 bucks he falls five feet up the street"

[Motofool]

Originally Posted by sze5003

.......Now I haven't ridden since my class in late may. I didn't realize how sensitive the break and other controls are on these ninjas compared to the trainer bikes.

I meant to shift up and I panicked, felt like I was going too fast and out of hesitation I grabbed the front break. I was going downhill so tire locked up and I fell. ...........

When the bike has not been used for a while, the brakes tend to grab more suddenly than normal.

It seems that the bike was ahead of your mind; it should be the other way around,..........always.

Practice more braking and becoming less vulnerable to distractions.

It is good that damage was so little.

[sze5003]

Originally Posted by Motofool

When the bike has not been used for a while, the brakes tend to grab more suddenly than normal.

It seems that the bike was ahead of your mind; it should be the other way around,..........always.

Practice more braking and becoming less vulnerable to distractions.

It is good that damage was so little.

Yeh I just get nervous. Was like that even in the class. Deff need to go to a parking lot and get used to the bike. The throttle is fine just the plastic piece next to it needs pushed in more. I believe that my bike may be lighter than the aiOli at the class. I just hope I can feel less neevouse.
Posted via Mobile Device

[Alex]

Originally Posted by sze5003

My friend was making a joke to my gf's dad, "I bet you 10 bucks he falls five feet up the street"

Did her dad pay up?

[sze5003]

Originally Posted by Alex

Did her dad pay up?

No he never took the bet. I can't wait until I can ptaftice on it. My gf is pissed I've spent weekends to get this thing running.
Posted via Mobile Device

[csmith12]

Bummer about dropping under those circumstances but welcome to the labor of love that are bikes.

[sze5003]

Yeh it sucks kinda upset me. Does anyone know how i can get the plastic tiece on the end of the throttle to move toward the grip more? The grip won't move towards the plastic piece on the end since it didn't move when I was pushing it over. The throttle works fine.
Posted via Mobile Device

[NDspd]

Ouch man...when away from riding for more than a few weeks. Warm yourself back into riding, most of the muscle memory you had before tends to slide back a little as time goes on. Usually a quick 10 minute self refresher course should do the trick. Hopefully doing that should get you back up to speed before jumping back into the grove.

Hope the fall doesn't discourage you from riding.

[Stingray1000]

Originally Posted by NDspd

muscle memory

LOL

[alex.s]

too bad they didnt get it on video

[R1Chronicles]

Spend a couple days, couple weeks, couple months (depending how much time you have each day) in an out of the way place and learn hard braking. It's usually in the second or third hour of each session that the body starts learning and naturally taking over.

What I mean by hard braking, the rear end going light almost lifting, and the front forks fully compressed (close to a brakie). Slowly take your speeds up in the brake training until your comfortable hard braking at the fsatest speed you plan to travel.

Spend time on this, it's a life safer.

At a later stage learn to use compression braking in combination with your front/back break, plus it's kewl hearing the back tire chirp ...

If you have access to a dirt bike (awesome way to train), set a figure eight and scream into each corner as fast as you can (working up slowly). Your now doing to things, braking and thinking about what to do after your done hard braking, the corner in front of you. This will also help you get used to front wheel slipage (man i miss my dirt bike). This was part of an exercise I always included in my practice sessions when I was racing dirt bikes.

When it's hard to open the fingers from the grips, you know your done for the night and if you can't open them, slide them off slowly ... lol ... they will recover.

Last thing, I ride Yami's so might not want to listen to me .... _

[Motofool]

Outstanding post !!

[sze5003]

Thanks for all advice, really. I'm not scared of getting back on. I was just too tense and nervous I suppose. I was like that in the class too. Once the nervousness goes away and you feel comfy you don't end up grabbing controls out of fear.

I have little time after work, especially since the gf is complaining the past 3 weekends I have been taking the bike apart and putting it back so I could get it running without the choke since the previous owner let it sit for 9 months.

Tomorrow I plan on going out after work to a parking lot and practicing slowly. I need to remember not to cover the brake with my right hand incase I have a panick frenzy like I did that day.

I'm glad I didn't damage anything, throttle works the same, only it seems a little laggy when you first start it up, that is probably due to me taking out the carbs and having a tough time trying to reconnect the cables in the dark.

I will have a buddy take my bike and I will take my car until we get to a lot. I plan on keeping the bike at his house until I move to my new apartment as it looks much safer to keep a bike there than the one I am currently residing.

I wish the roads in philly were less intimidating. To get anywhere in the suburbs here you have to take this boulevard that has a total of six lanes going one way and 3 going another. Scared to **** of that thing and that is most likely what will make me make sudden dumb movements like before.

[Motofool]

Just take it easy, Salim.

If you have another way of transportation and a girlfriend, what is the rush and nervousness about?

During the first months of riding, the new rider is the greatest danger to himself.
She/he is developing skills that are non-natural, and that development takes time, more for some, less for others.
After the rider learns the basic skills, immediately becomes overconfident, speeds up and lowers the guard.

It always takes a dangerous or complicated situation to trigger one or more survival reactions and to make that rider wake up to the realm that her/his basic skills are less than enough to survive in traffic, and that the need for education continues.

It is desirable that that unavoidable complicated situation happens to that new rider in the best possible environment; hence, try to avoid heavy traffic during the first weeks, if possible.

There is a time for everything in life, and learning to ride motorcycles is no exception; it just takes practice and time for the new rider to become one with her/his machine.

If you have not done so already, try reading these books:
"Proficient motorcycling"
"A twist of the wrist 2"

There are real limits and there are limits that your inexperienced eye and mind perceive as real.
This is a typical accident of beginner motorcyclists, a panic or survival reaction (SR) on a turn that the bike can perfectly run, but that the rider evaluates as "impossible to make":

"Rider is riding slightly over his head or close to his perceived limit
He sees the corner tightening up a little so it fires up his "in too fast" SR
He target locks on the barrier (the thing he is worried about hitting)
He tenses up on the bars, so he can no longer steer effectively
As a result of either the stiff arms or the tendency to "go where we look" (or both) he causes the bike to start to run wide
He chops the throttle and grabs the brake, which makes the bike stand up and run wide even more
He hits loose dirt and gravel on the shoulder while hard on the brakes and locks up the front wheel.

At almost any point if he could have looked up the road at where he wanted to go, he could almost certainly have saved it. Seeing that he had enough room to get it turned would have allowed him to get control of the other SRs that were going off like fireworks (stiff on bars, steering errors, braking errors, off the gas...), steer the bike and get through the turn."

[sze5003]

That is a great bit of information. I'm more upset I put scratches on my bike which yes I bought used, but now it has 2 other scratches on the right side. Oh well I guess touch up paint can fix it..Need to find the color for kawasaki green.

At least I know what it feels like to fall off the thing. What you described is what happened to me except I was in a straight line. Somehow my mind was racing, it was over 100 degrees, full gear, cars going down this street every 30 sec or so. I knew what I wanted to do was shift up, to reach the stop sign and slow down, go around the block.

I remember hearing the whine of 1st gear, pulling in clutch and then I guess I forgot or got confused about the left foot. I stupidly let go of throttle and grabbed the break as soon as I did that I heard the tires and I was like Oh crap!

Those reflexes with confusion can cause so many problems.

[Ptdoughnut]

Originally Posted by sze5003

That is a great bit of information. I'm more upset I put scratches on my bike which yes I bought used, but now it has 2 other scratches on the right side. Oh well I guess touch up paint can fix it..Need to find the color for kawasaki green.

I have a factory defect on my right fairing, I was going to compare the colour between Ford Mustang "gotta have it green" and the Fiesta green... Since the touch up paint is cheap $10 a stick around here (give or take a bit) but you could also check chevy for the green they have on their camaro? Good luck with the paint sticks!

[sze5003]

I bet I can order it on ebay or online, shouldn't be a big deal. The scratches are not even an inch at the most, but they are somewhat noticable.

[Ptdoughnut]

Originally Posted by sze5003

I bet I can order it on ebay or online, shouldn't be a big deal. The scratches are not even an inch at the most, but they are somewhat noticable.

Sorry i forgot to mention kawasaki doesn't make paint sticks. You may be able to find a company that does Paint To Match.

[sze5003]

Color rite website has it as kawasaki new lime green 777 its 15 bucks for a 1/2 ounce stick. I'm looking elsewhere unless its really necessary.