Gettin' Closer
Banned
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,387
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Bill, took my MSF classes at the local Community College. Then I spent the first 2 weeks after I got it home getting to know every street in my neighborhood. That first tank of gas lasted a month. My salesman rode mine home for me and then gave me some pointers. Get your confidence and make your riding area larger. The 800 mg. ibuprofen works good for me too. Look forward to meeting you.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 2,264
Likes: 0
From: Ft. Lickerder, Florida
Wow, I jumped in on the last page of this and it scared the living hell out of me!! All I understood is that you had taken a spill and was really concerned you had taken a bed next to dave 
If ya look back (other than monetary) this is a good thing to happen, it sets you back and makes you realize what youre dealing with. Common phrase, There are riders who have fallen, and riders who will. Understandably taking the class with a small engine and taking home a bike with 4x the power can confuse your brain. I'll give ya the benifit of the doubt on that aspect, now rest up and get back in the saddle -slowly- this time
After reading what happened I was most concerned how the ol lady was gonna tell you how youre gonne keep the bike right at the dealer! Good to hear she's a good woman afterall.
If ya look back (other than monetary) this is a good thing to happen, it sets you back and makes you realize what youre dealing with. Common phrase, There are riders who have fallen, and riders who will. Understandably taking the class with a small engine and taking home a bike with 4x the power can confuse your brain. I'll give ya the benifit of the doubt on that aspect, now rest up and get back in the saddle -slowly- this time
After reading what happened I was most concerned how the ol lady was gonna tell you how youre gonne keep the bike right at the dealer! Good to hear she's a good woman afterall.
Thanks Phil.
Nope, she's mildly upset with me because I bought the bike in the first place - after initially telling her I wouldn't buy one after a good friend of our got killed on one a few years ago.
When I called her Friday at her parents the first thing I told her was "I'm ok". So far she hasn't read me the riot act. Just keeps calling me a few times a day to see how I'm doing. She's due back home in just over a week, so we'll see what happens then. I'm not too worried - after knowing her for 26 years as of today I'm certain she might still maybe be ok with the whole situation.
I'm man enough to publicly admit I was scared s#itless I was going to have an issue just getting on it and not dumping it on the road. That was one of the reasons I out the engine guard on it. i I never envisioned putting it in a ditch.
Mistakes:
1. I obviously got on the throttle too much from a dead stop. It felt like it was stuck to me and when I started moving it to give the engine gas the engine reacted ALOT differently than what I was expecting. I had already gone about 2 blocks from a dead stop at the dealer before I got to the corner and had done OK up to that point.
2. I was intending to make a right hand turn but evidentially I was pointed at about a 1 o'clock angle vice a 3o'clock one when i started moving.
3. By the time I realized i had screwed up and was in trouble it was too late to do anything but try to hit the brakes and not hit anyone or get hit myself,
4. I don't think I've been so embarrassed or felt so stupid in my life.
5. Other than being really sore nothing's broke. However, I do have one heck of a bruise in my groin area from hitting something or having the bike end up on top of me. If I'd been hit one more inch to the left of the bruise I'd likely be on Testosterone for the rest of my life!
One they get it repaired it ain't leaving my street for awhile.
Thanks everyone. Bill
Nope, she's mildly upset with me because I bought the bike in the first place - after initially telling her I wouldn't buy one after a good friend of our got killed on one a few years ago.
When I called her Friday at her parents the first thing I told her was "I'm ok". So far she hasn't read me the riot act. Just keeps calling me a few times a day to see how I'm doing. She's due back home in just over a week, so we'll see what happens then. I'm not too worried - after knowing her for 26 years as of today I'm certain she might still maybe be ok with the whole situation.
I'm man enough to publicly admit I was scared s#itless I was going to have an issue just getting on it and not dumping it on the road. That was one of the reasons I out the engine guard on it. i I never envisioned putting it in a ditch.
Mistakes:
1. I obviously got on the throttle too much from a dead stop. It felt like it was stuck to me and when I started moving it to give the engine gas the engine reacted ALOT differently than what I was expecting. I had already gone about 2 blocks from a dead stop at the dealer before I got to the corner and had done OK up to that point.
2. I was intending to make a right hand turn but evidentially I was pointed at about a 1 o'clock angle vice a 3o'clock one when i started moving.
3. By the time I realized i had screwed up and was in trouble it was too late to do anything but try to hit the brakes and not hit anyone or get hit myself,
4. I don't think I've been so embarrassed or felt so stupid in my life.
5. Other than being really sore nothing's broke. However, I do have one heck of a bruise in my groin area from hitting something or having the bike end up on top of me. If I'd been hit one more inch to the left of the bruise I'd likely be on Testosterone for the rest of my life!
One they get it repaired it ain't leaving my street for awhile.
Thanks everyone. Bill
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 3,514
Likes: 0
From: Hollyweird,FL
Yo Bill
I got ya bet in the feeling stupid dept.....
I went to Bike Week 07, on my brand new Low Rider ....thought I was the chit...wellllllllll...got to Destination Daytona and was looking for a parking space with 2 of my friends...ok let me set the scene here...DD's parking lot is HUGE...I mean they have shuttles it's so big.....and it was full...looked like an ocean of chrome and paint...my 2 buddies find a space to park, but it's behind 2 rows of bikes and I'm gonna have to thread between them...I come up to the opening between bikes and feel like I'm coming in a little hot, not wanting to hit another bike I attempted to slow down while turning....made the biggest stupid move you can pull...I grabbed the front brake and in a half a heart beat I was on the ground. To everyone's credit nobody laughed...not where I could see them anyway....a couple of the 10,000 or so people that saw me dump it ran over and got it off me...yeah my pride was hurting, embarrassed..but fortunately minimal damge to the scoot...my right foot wasn't so lucky....broke it in 3 places....Harleys are heavy....
I got no real good advice for ya....maybe practice starting from a dead stop going forward over and over till you get the feel of how much throttle your giving it and where your clutch starts to engage....it will come to ya practice practice practice then practice some more...don't be scared of the bike...respect it yes...it can and will hurt you...but YOUR in control...maybe just set on it with the kickstand up and feel the weight and balance before your crank her up..the main thing on a bike is to be smooth with your actions..it can be frustrating but don't get bummed , if you want it bad enough the skills will come to you...and the rewards in having your kness in the breeze with your riding buds is unmeasurable
I got ya bet in the feeling stupid dept.....
I went to Bike Week 07, on my brand new Low Rider ....thought I was the chit...wellllllllll...got to Destination Daytona and was looking for a parking space with 2 of my friends...ok let me set the scene here...DD's parking lot is HUGE...I mean they have shuttles it's so big.....and it was full...looked like an ocean of chrome and paint...my 2 buddies find a space to park, but it's behind 2 rows of bikes and I'm gonna have to thread between them...I come up to the opening between bikes and feel like I'm coming in a little hot, not wanting to hit another bike I attempted to slow down while turning....made the biggest stupid move you can pull...I grabbed the front brake and in a half a heart beat I was on the ground. To everyone's credit nobody laughed...not where I could see them anyway....a couple of the 10,000 or so people that saw me dump it ran over and got it off me...yeah my pride was hurting, embarrassed..but fortunately minimal damge to the scoot...my right foot wasn't so lucky....broke it in 3 places....Harleys are heavy....
I got no real good advice for ya....maybe practice starting from a dead stop going forward over and over till you get the feel of how much throttle your giving it and where your clutch starts to engage....it will come to ya practice practice practice then practice some more...don't be scared of the bike...respect it yes...it can and will hurt you...but YOUR in control...maybe just set on it with the kickstand up and feel the weight and balance before your crank her up..the main thing on a bike is to be smooth with your actions..it can be frustrating but don't get bummed , if you want it bad enough the skills will come to you...and the rewards in having your kness in the breeze with your riding buds is unmeasurable
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 2,551
Likes: 22
From: Jacksonville Beach, FL.
I pricticed in the parking lot at Adamecs. I went around the building three times before I could turn it around to load on the trailer. The first time I started to move, this is what I looked like 
. It was torquey...
Alot more than the Yamaha 500 I had back in the 80's. It was also top heavy, not to mention heavier.
Anyway, by the end of summer, you will be
. It was torquey...Alot more than the Yamaha 500 I had back in the 80's. It was also top heavy, not to mention heavier.
Anyway, by the end of summer, you will be
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 2,264
Likes: 0
From: Ft. Lickerder, Florida
Of all the people that have been riding, they may not admit it, but they have dropped their own doing the same thing. Slow movements are tricky, the people don;t laugh because they have been there before. It's just gonna happen. But not to me, i aint never dropped my bike! heh yeah, right.
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Ouch! :0 Guess I'll keep an eye on my front brake use when I'm creeping.
Thought I had me a seat in a basic rider class here tomorrow, but it didn't work out.
As soon as I can get it here to the house I'm going to take it nice and slow trying to "Learn" the bike, before I go out and pull what I did on Friday.
And, I took another look at my helmet this afternoon and it seems I banged it on the front (where my chin has been swollen for a few days), and in the back. Guess I smacked my head around and didn't realize it. So, any advice from anyone on justification to replace a helmet? My insurance agent told me to take pics of the helmet and send them to the adjustor. But that was before I had looked at it and found the scuff marks on the back. Any advice on that? I spend $250 on a HD Modular helmet when I got my gear.
I'm not as sore as I was yesterday, but I still can't go out running or doing a lot of yard work right now.
Bill
Thought I had me a seat in a basic rider class here tomorrow, but it didn't work out.
As soon as I can get it here to the house I'm going to take it nice and slow trying to "Learn" the bike, before I go out and pull what I did on Friday.
And, I took another look at my helmet this afternoon and it seems I banged it on the front (where my chin has been swollen for a few days), and in the back. Guess I smacked my head around and didn't realize it. So, any advice from anyone on justification to replace a helmet? My insurance agent told me to take pics of the helmet and send them to the adjustor. But that was before I had looked at it and found the scuff marks on the back. Any advice on that? I spend $250 on a HD Modular helmet when I got my gear.
I'm not as sore as I was yesterday, but I still can't go out running or doing a lot of yard work right now.
Bill
Yo Bill
I got ya bet in the feeling stupid dept.....
I went to Bike Week 07, on my brand new Low Rider ....thought I was the chit...wellllllllll...got to Destination Daytona and was looking for a parking space with 2 of my friends...ok let me set the scene here...DD's parking lot is HUGE...I mean they have shuttles it's so big.....and it was full...looked like an ocean of chrome and paint...my 2 buddies find a space to park, but it's behind 2 rows of bikes and I'm gonna have to thread between them...I come up to the opening between bikes and feel like I'm coming in a little hot, not wanting to hit another bike I attempted to slow down while turning....made the biggest stupid move you can pull...I grabbed the front brake and in a half a heart beat I was on the ground. To everyone's credit nobody laughed...not where I could see them anyway....a couple of the 10,000 or so people that saw me dump it ran over and got it off me...yeah my pride was hurting, embarrassed..but fortunately minimal damge to the scoot...my right foot wasn't so lucky....broke it in 3 places....Harleys are heavy....
I got no real good advice for ya....maybe practice starting from a dead stop going forward over and over till you get the feel of how much throttle your giving it and where your clutch starts to engage....it will come to ya practice practice practice then practice some more...don't be scared of the bike...respect it yes...it can and will hurt you...but YOUR in control...maybe just set on it with the kickstand up and feel the weight and balance before your crank her up..the main thing on a bike is to be smooth with your actions..it can be frustrating but don't get bummed , if you want it bad enough the skills will come to you...and the rewards in having your kness in the breeze with your riding buds is unmeasurable
I got ya bet in the feeling stupid dept.....
I went to Bike Week 07, on my brand new Low Rider ....thought I was the chit...wellllllllll...got to Destination Daytona and was looking for a parking space with 2 of my friends...ok let me set the scene here...DD's parking lot is HUGE...I mean they have shuttles it's so big.....and it was full...looked like an ocean of chrome and paint...my 2 buddies find a space to park, but it's behind 2 rows of bikes and I'm gonna have to thread between them...I come up to the opening between bikes and feel like I'm coming in a little hot, not wanting to hit another bike I attempted to slow down while turning....made the biggest stupid move you can pull...I grabbed the front brake and in a half a heart beat I was on the ground. To everyone's credit nobody laughed...not where I could see them anyway....a couple of the 10,000 or so people that saw me dump it ran over and got it off me...yeah my pride was hurting, embarrassed..but fortunately minimal damge to the scoot...my right foot wasn't so lucky....broke it in 3 places....Harleys are heavy....
I got no real good advice for ya....maybe practice starting from a dead stop going forward over and over till you get the feel of how much throttle your giving it and where your clutch starts to engage....it will come to ya practice practice practice then practice some more...don't be scared of the bike...respect it yes...it can and will hurt you...but YOUR in control...maybe just set on it with the kickstand up and feel the weight and balance before your crank her up..the main thing on a bike is to be smooth with your actions..it can be frustrating but don't get bummed , if you want it bad enough the skills will come to you...and the rewards in having your kness in the breeze with your riding buds is unmeasurable
Of all the people that have been riding, they may not admit it, but they have dropped their own doing the same thing. Slow movements are tricky, the people don;t laugh because they have been there before. It's just gonna happen. But not to me, i aint never dropped my bike! heh yeah, right.
