Dropped Bike
Club Member
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,542
Likes: 2
From: Central IL.
Ride safe all!
Road Warrior
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 1,556
Likes: 19
From: Oz
the vids look good....check out this kid...makes me look like a beginner...--> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yz2XWi2YzbY
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 4,109
Likes: 9
From: Connecticut
Your doing the best thing, Getting back on the bike and trying to better your weak points. If I am going really slow with a passenger I tend to just walk the bike with my feet down. I would rather look stupid than dump a bike. Remember, everyone is a beginner at one time. Riding a bike, especially a heavy harley takes practice. My wifes Dad got a new bike and said take your wife for a ride, and I said I wouldn't ride a bike that I have never rode before 2 up.
Be Safe
Be Safe
Road Captain
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 519
Likes: 4
From: USA
When the wife and I are on the RK, if I am in a parking lot that is risky, I just have her hop off. Its not a lack of experience that I have her do it, just dont like taking chances. I was backing into a parking spot last year and put my foot down on a broken glass bottle, there goes the foot. I was somehow able to slowly let the RK down till it was resting on the guards, was able to pick it up by myself. The only thing that got really nicked was my pride.
Tourer
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 321
Likes: 1
From: Carol Stream, IL
everybody said something but the truth of the matter is no matter how much you watch riding like a pro is not going to teach you how to ride... it is only going to affect you riding ability... you have to have full control of the bike yourself in all situations before trying to take on a passenger... for some that means riding alone for 1000 - 3000 miles whatever it takes... sometimes a strong gust of wind can bring you down if you are not experienced and have a passenger who is not used to riding ... your errors just multiply when you have equally inexperienced rider and passenger...
For safety reasons start riding on the back roads, move to more open roads and highways at different speeds... put more miles under your belt... start the routine again with a passenger with back roads, open roads and highways...Ride safe!!!
For safety reasons start riding on the back roads, move to more open roads and highways at different speeds... put more miles under your belt... start the routine again with a passenger with back roads, open roads and highways...Ride safe!!!
Road Captain
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 726
Likes: 3
From: Pacific Northwest
There are only two types of riders - those that have been down and those that are going to go down.
Road Warrior
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,372
Likes: 1
From: Louisville, CO
My first bike was a 1200 Sportster and I found it to be top-heavy. I dropped it 3 times. The worst was when I was making a U-turn and I put on that dad-blasted front brake everyone's been mentioning. Kiss of death. Went down like someone yanked the bike out from under me. Since then I've had a Streetbob and just got a Heritage and haven't (knock on wood) dropped a bike since the Sportster. I know I could stand to look at the Ride Like A Pro video again. By the way, I never ride with a passenger. My wife won't and I don't feel comfortable yet and I have about 8,000 miles under my belt.
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Road Master
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 1,086
Likes: 2
lol. Anyway, if you take some of the advice already given in this thread, you should be riding like a pro in no time. It is good that you are already practicing slow maneuvers. That should give you a better basis to start with the next time this may happen. Learning the feel of the bike as a basis will help you better compensate for passenger mistakes. Not saying that it was the wife...just a possibility. Anyway, watch the videos, and keep practicing. Many people just hit the road and never practice where they should. That is typically what lands people into trouble. Get out of practice, and you lose your abilities. I will admit, it is a lot more fun to just hit the open road, but when situations come up (such as you mentioned) it is a reminder that we all need to keep up the practice on those maneuvers.