Thinking back... new rider mistakes

[eastern5]

Thinking back many years ago of the mistakes I had made while owning a motorcycle.

So one of my first motorcycle, a 2000 Katana equipped with a center stand. Looking at the motorcycle on the center stand, the only solution I can think of to get it off the center stand was to hop on the bike and rock it forward. Well instant failure for me! Broken my right mirror.

I also struggled to get the motorcycle on the center stand, so that hour in my life was a complete fail. Super funny thinking back.

 

[exskibum]

Mostly, I can't think back that far, but it seems that you don't have to be a new rider to make stupid mistakes. Fortunately, most of the soil my pants, nearly killed myself stuff is pretty far back, though.

 

[RossKean]

That's how I usually take my bike off the center stand. Never been an issue for me!

 

[Old Guy]

That's how I usually take my bike off the center stand. Never been an issue for me!

Same here. Have I been doing it wrong all this time?

There were so many for me. Nobody taught me to ride past showing me how things worked -- "This is the clutch, this is the gas, ........". I had to figure the execution out by myself. My biggest problem in the first few days was judging cornering speed. I wasn't told about countersteering in the how-things-work phase of my instruction, so I blew a few corners before figuring out to push down on the inside bar. I went for years thinking that pushing down was how it was done. It only worked because I was pushing down .. and forward

 

[Geezer]

The earliest mistake that I can remember is trying to make a u-turn while going up hill, with a pillion. We got about half way through the u-turn and toppled over to the downhill side. I don't remember any harm to the machine or the pillion, but my ego took a pretty good hit.

 

[TripperMike]

I've learned to laugh at my bone headed mistakes. Not a year goes by when I don't get several good chuckles in. But the laughing is usually preceded by "Ahhhh shit, what a doofus!"

 

[1maxman]

My most embarrassing bone head was coming to a traffic light and forgetting I had my thick tread hiking boots on instead of my usual riding boots and my foot getting stuck on the left peg and toppling over. I didn't get hurt nor did the bike and all I could do was lay there and laugh. Not only was it embarrassing, but nobody stopped to help get the bike off my leg until another "biker" stopped, Ya people just drove around me.

 

[Uncle Hud]

Never mind my stories of youthful ignorance.

(And if we're making a wish list of new features for board software, I vote for "ability to delete a post once I realize how dumb it is.")

 

[airboss]

Guess my first mistake was getting a motorcycle. Sunk a lot of $$$$$ into Motorcycles since then.

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and had a TON of Fun doing it.

 

[Bungie]

Guess my first mistake was getting a motorcycle. Sunk a lot of $$$$$ into Motorcycles since then.

and had a TON of Fun doing it.

Sure beats investing in siding or something doesn't it!

Reminds me of the poster.. "I've spent a lot of money on booze, women and motorcycles... the rest I just wasted"

Anyway, boneheaded move... shit, I could right a book. But the one that kept recurring was wearing lace up boots. Ya, don't do that.

 

[Gbjbany]

Besides the too fast into corners bit, Mine was my first trip up into Tahoe on my own, stopped at a store for food and parked in a very downhill spot (front downhill) in between two cars - Man i struggled and eventually someone helped push me back out of the spot

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As i parked it i thought - oh crap how am i going to get this thing out ! too late !

 

[stealth1]

Anyway, boneheaded move... shit, I could right a book. But the one that kept recurring was wearing lace up boots. Ya, don't do that.

Never knew that was a mistake. Just always tuck the bow down inside the boot when you tie it.