I took the Ride Like a Pro class a couple of months ago. The course teaches low speed maneuvers such as making very tight radius turns at low speeds. During the class one guy dropped his bike 2times and another guy dropped his 3 times! Have you ever dropped your bike in a low speed turn? My biggest fear of dropping my bike is on my gravel driveway which is long and sloped. Any tips for riding in gravel?

A few years ago I saw a CL ad for HD. The ad said the bike was in excellent condition and 'has never been dropped'. So I go look at the bike. I hadn't ridden in years so was a little nervous and I didn't want to get out on the highway.....so I decided to ride around in his yard on the grass. Big mistake! The grass was slick and as I turned I dropped it. It was very embarrassing. I apologized profusely but told the guy I thought the bike was too big for me and left. My brother said I should call him back and low ball him and say,"Well, the bike has been dropped....."

 

That's why some people will not allow a test ride without cash in hand first.

That could have ended badly for you, such as him dropping you harder than you dropped his bike.

The rule in gravel is very very slow, no front brake, no sudden turns or moves, etc.

 

I've dropped plenty of bikes prior to this one. This is my first cruiser and I'm surprised at how well it handles at low speed. First time I rode one, I rode it down a gravel hill to get to the river we were swimming in. The bike handled it like a pro.

 

It happens sooner or later

 

I am taking the Ride Like a Pro class in Houston next week for the purpose of improving low speed handling on my big ole Ultra Limited. I have been riding since the sixth grade and riding H-D bikes for about the last 6 years.
On one of my previous bikes about 4 or 5 years ago (98 Electra Glide), I made the mistake of doing a slow u-turn up a gravel driveway off of a state highway. My wife was riding with me. Bike went down, wife gracefully exited. A couple of other riders came by about the same time and helped me right it.
Driving in gravel is no fun on these big bikes.

 

In a few minutes there will be a whole host of people coming in here bragging about how they've "never dropped a bike and never will", how they're simply too smart, too good and too skillful to ever drop a bike.


I can't say I'm one of them.

 

In the Ride Like a Pro class the instructor used the bike drops to show how to right the bike by yourself. Very helpful as I'd of not thought to lift it they way he showed us.


The low speed maneuver is basically riding the foot brake and riding the clutch. So you keep the rpms up with the throttle and you use you clutch to regulate your speed. It's a good course and I enjoyed it!

 

I dropped a Kawi Nomad I used to have, but it was one of the most unbalanced bikes I've ever ridden. Haven't dropped the HD yet, thankfully.

So how did you like the class?

 

I enjoyed the class. I think there were 5 of us in the class. The instructor would talk, then demonstrate then we'd each take turns doing the maneuver. The part I enjoyed the most is riding in a circle. They had cones set up in an 18' diameter - the width of a standard 2 lane road. You had to ride circles inside the cones. It was tough! You have to turn your head/body to make the tight circles.....and it's doesn't feel natural as you are not really looking where you are heading....you are heading where you are looking. Not sure that makes any sense but basically you need to look to where you want to go....which in this case, is far back to your left. Anyway, it was neat to learn the effect of head/body movement on the bike.

 

There are 2 kinds of bikes in the world. Those that have never been dropped and those that are gonna be dropped. Anybody who has never dropped a bike probably hasn't ridden a lot.