My first road experience!
On April 15/16 I attended and passed my MSF course. I then obtained the "M" endorsement on my license. So I am officially a motorcycle rider.
I moved the Bandit 10 feet and decided it was not the bike for me. So after all the hard work and time that BusaWhipped spent making the bike work for me, he returned it to stock and we began to look for a "cruiser" type bike.
We found a 2002 Honda Shadow on May 21 in VA, where we were visiting family. Luckily we had the trailer with us, so we bought the bike and trailered it home.
Dennis began to work with me and to get me to practice my skills that I learned in the MSF course.
I practiced these skills at a local park where they have paved trails and parking areas along the way for vehicles.
On June 4, we left for the Eureka Springs, AR M&G. I was excited to go, not only to see old friends and meet new ones, but I would be riding a little bit too.
Friday Dennis took me out for a short ride from Point West resort to the Gas station and back. Probably 10 miles round trip. Not far, but some curvy-hilly road.
Well I looked my bike over before getting on it. Turned my gas on, I thought, put the bike in neutral and started it up. Pulled up to the end of the drive and turned onto the road. Did good for about 1/2 mile then the bike started "rattling" and then sputtering. So I pull over and discovered, I had turned the gas "off" instead of "on". OK. So I started it up, checked my mirrors to make sure no one was coming and started to pull out off the shoulder. Bike stuttered and stalled. I am on a hill. Great haven't practice this yet. But I drive a manual shift car so I just need concentrate, do with my hands what I normally do with my feet. It took a couple more times, but I managed to get it going. All the while Dennis was being very patient. So I am listening for the engine to whine up so I could shift. I think I was up around 20 mph and I thought maybe I should shift now. So I shifted into 2nd. The bike began to buck a little. So I gave it more gas and it eventually it smoothed out. I am coming up on a turn and I kept telling myself, look through the turn not in front of the bike or at the side of the road. Woohooo, I made it through the turn. Mean time, I am gathering up speed, I think I was up to about 35mph. So I think man, I think I need to shift to 3rd. So I do and it was smooth. Great!!! this is easy. I am now getting up to about 45 mph. My visor was up on my helmet (I have claustrophobic issues) and the wind was really starting to whistle through the helmet. Now I see a sign 20mph turn coming up. OK, lets slow down and start the down shift to 2nd. Made the turn just fine. Picked up speed again and shifted into 3rd. Now we are coming up to the gas station on the left at the top of the hill. I start slowing down by backing off the throttle and using the rear break. Turned on my left signal. I am also keeping an eye for traffic turning onto 187 as we are at the intersection of 62 and 187 and it is a "blind" area. Woods to the right on 62 and down hill to the left on 62. So you really don't see anybody until they are turning onto 187 unless you are all the way to the stop sign at the top of the hill, which is just past the gas station. I realized I was going a little too fast, so I down shifted quickly and started breaking more as I was going up the little hill to the gas pumps. I ended up stopping short. So I down shifted to 1st and let it pull me up to the pump. We filled up and headed back to point west.
Going back down the small hill to get back on to 187 was a little scary, but I looked to my left to make sure no one was coming and I made the right turn and kept on going.
Coming back was great. I began to relax a little watching my speed. Kept talking to myself and going over the things I was taught in MSF course. We make it back to Point West. I put my turn signal on to make the left and down shift to 2nd. I figure 1st might not be enough to get me across the road in case of a surprise car speeding the other way.
I make the turn at a low speed and then all of sudden like some slow motion bad movie, I am on the bike and it wobbles a bit, so I panic and hit the break and go to stick my foot out. Me and the bike just fall over!!! It is still running, so I reach up with my left foot and hit the off switch. Dennis jumps off his bike and runs over. Next thing I know Captain and Boaz are coming down the driveway from where they had been working on Caps bike, they looked concerned (scared) and wanted to make sure I was OK. Cap later said, I gave him a heart attack. I hope not. Anyway, we get the bike back up right. Gas was pouring out of it. I guess through the carborator. Cause I got back on it and tried to start it and it wouldn't start. So Boaz and Cap got behind the bike and pushed me back across the parking lot. I wish someone had got a picture of that. It would have been funny, but it would have also shown what a great group of people the "Hayabusa.org" group is.
Well anyway. That was my first road trip. I say it was successful. I wasn't upset that I dropped the bike, I didn't get hurt, it is all part of the learning experience.
Afterwards a lot of people offered great advice and told me of their first/many times of drops. I really appreciated that and I really appreciated all the advice and tips I got for riding. Thank YOU!!!
I would have got back on it to ride some more, but was having other medical issues that made it uncomfortable for me to ride. So no, I was not scared away from the bike.
The bike is fine. Bent the break pedal a little. Dennis drove it shortly afterwards and it ran fine. So no biggie!! I am a better rider for it.
I have decided the bike is a she and her name is "*****"!
I moved the Bandit 10 feet and decided it was not the bike for me. So after all the hard work and time that BusaWhipped spent making the bike work for me, he returned it to stock and we began to look for a "cruiser" type bike.
We found a 2002 Honda Shadow on May 21 in VA, where we were visiting family. Luckily we had the trailer with us, so we bought the bike and trailered it home.
Dennis began to work with me and to get me to practice my skills that I learned in the MSF course.
I practiced these skills at a local park where they have paved trails and parking areas along the way for vehicles.
On June 4, we left for the Eureka Springs, AR M&G. I was excited to go, not only to see old friends and meet new ones, but I would be riding a little bit too.
Friday Dennis took me out for a short ride from Point West resort to the Gas station and back. Probably 10 miles round trip. Not far, but some curvy-hilly road.
Well I looked my bike over before getting on it. Turned my gas on, I thought, put the bike in neutral and started it up. Pulled up to the end of the drive and turned onto the road. Did good for about 1/2 mile then the bike started "rattling" and then sputtering. So I pull over and discovered, I had turned the gas "off" instead of "on". OK. So I started it up, checked my mirrors to make sure no one was coming and started to pull out off the shoulder. Bike stuttered and stalled. I am on a hill. Great haven't practice this yet. But I drive a manual shift car so I just need concentrate, do with my hands what I normally do with my feet. It took a couple more times, but I managed to get it going. All the while Dennis was being very patient. So I am listening for the engine to whine up so I could shift. I think I was up around 20 mph and I thought maybe I should shift now. So I shifted into 2nd. The bike began to buck a little. So I gave it more gas and it eventually it smoothed out. I am coming up on a turn and I kept telling myself, look through the turn not in front of the bike or at the side of the road. Woohooo, I made it through the turn. Mean time, I am gathering up speed, I think I was up to about 35mph. So I think man, I think I need to shift to 3rd. So I do and it was smooth. Great!!! this is easy. I am now getting up to about 45 mph. My visor was up on my helmet (I have claustrophobic issues) and the wind was really starting to whistle through the helmet. Now I see a sign 20mph turn coming up. OK, lets slow down and start the down shift to 2nd. Made the turn just fine. Picked up speed again and shifted into 3rd. Now we are coming up to the gas station on the left at the top of the hill. I start slowing down by backing off the throttle and using the rear break. Turned on my left signal. I am also keeping an eye for traffic turning onto 187 as we are at the intersection of 62 and 187 and it is a "blind" area. Woods to the right on 62 and down hill to the left on 62. So you really don't see anybody until they are turning onto 187 unless you are all the way to the stop sign at the top of the hill, which is just past the gas station. I realized I was going a little too fast, so I down shifted quickly and started breaking more as I was going up the little hill to the gas pumps. I ended up stopping short. So I down shifted to 1st and let it pull me up to the pump. We filled up and headed back to point west.
Going back down the small hill to get back on to 187 was a little scary, but I looked to my left to make sure no one was coming and I made the right turn and kept on going.
Coming back was great. I began to relax a little watching my speed. Kept talking to myself and going over the things I was taught in MSF course. We make it back to Point West. I put my turn signal on to make the left and down shift to 2nd. I figure 1st might not be enough to get me across the road in case of a surprise car speeding the other way.
I make the turn at a low speed and then all of sudden like some slow motion bad movie, I am on the bike and it wobbles a bit, so I panic and hit the break and go to stick my foot out. Me and the bike just fall over!!! It is still running, so I reach up with my left foot and hit the off switch. Dennis jumps off his bike and runs over. Next thing I know Captain and Boaz are coming down the driveway from where they had been working on Caps bike, they looked concerned (scared) and wanted to make sure I was OK. Cap later said, I gave him a heart attack. I hope not. Anyway, we get the bike back up right. Gas was pouring out of it. I guess through the carborator. Cause I got back on it and tried to start it and it wouldn't start. So Boaz and Cap got behind the bike and pushed me back across the parking lot. I wish someone had got a picture of that. It would have been funny, but it would have also shown what a great group of people the "Hayabusa.org" group is.
Well anyway. That was my first road trip. I say it was successful. I wasn't upset that I dropped the bike, I didn't get hurt, it is all part of the learning experience.
Afterwards a lot of people offered great advice and told me of their first/many times of drops. I really appreciated that and I really appreciated all the advice and tips I got for riding. Thank YOU!!!
I would have got back on it to ride some more, but was having other medical issues that made it uncomfortable for me to ride. So no, I was not scared away from the bike.
The bike is fine. Bent the break pedal a little. Dennis drove it shortly afterwards and it ran fine. So no biggie!! I am a better rider for it.
I have decided the bike is a she and her name is "*****"!
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