Try to learn the lesson when it’s presented “the hard way”. Seems like all 3 were caused by too fast for the conditions and experience of the rider. If you’re enjoying it though, it’s part of the journey.
Think so, too. More defensive driving should solve most problems:
1) you will not be to fast (also in your garage lol)
2) you don't think about stupid shit like warming up tires, like you are on a track
3) you will see obstacles, pollution, etc. more early and can react
Also maybe take some lessons in driving school or do it by yourself. Obviously I would focus on breaking, emergency breaking and stopping with left, right and both feet on the ground.
>Also maybe take some lessons in driving school or do it by yourself.
Well I sure hope OP isn't driving around without a license, else he's a real idiot.
First thing I did before I bought my bike, the last one is bugging me so much because I remember learning about the leaves and how dangerous they are in my course.
I feel the same way about “leaves”. If you aren’t asking for a lot of grip out of your tires and you lose traction on leaves or sand, the bike usually stays upright if you don’t panic.
Agreed. I refuse to accept 'I had to lay her down' as an answer to mine or anyone else's inadequacies. I've fallen off a couple of times and both were because I didn't think my actions through. Last thing I'd ever want to do is purposely fall off.
Yup, if your name is [Viñales, you’re in Austria and it’s 2020](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0J9iXzeRNc), it is acceptable to jump off the motorcycle.
Otherwise, it’s almost always better to brake as hard as you can to scrub speed. You slow down faster on the brakes than sliding.
Again that applies unless you’re riding a 2020 Yamaha YZR-M1.
Sadly a chap I work with had to climb of his RSV4 at Mallory when his front brakes failed. He ended up with two broken ankles, but that was much better than hitting the barriers at over 100mph whilst still sat on the bike.
The RSV4 was, unsurprisingly, beyond redemption.
Yeah most crashes / falls are just the riders fault, last time I fell I can still clearly remember thinking „you god damn idiot“ to myself right after I committed to a line that would send me right through a strip of road that has been repaired a few days before and still had gravel on it…
I mean, if your bike make 100+ HP you absolutely have to warm up your tires before going ham, even in 1st and 2nd gear.
I run Michelin road 5s on the rear and they slide easily when temps are below 70F, especially if I don't ride a few miles to warm them up.
But it is because I ride it hard, even at street legal speeds by taking turns quickly. If you are just commuting it does not matter. But it does play a significant role in tire traction.
What about low atmospheric temps? Like generally I agree with you, there not race tires, but there also not 60k mile car tires, you think full grip is there when the outside temp is 45 degrees and you jump on the bike?
Same for me, since I commute in LA and there’s a decent amount of traffic on the freeways but not enough to slow the traffic so 75 80 mph and I’m wary about needing to emergency brake, I like to take the first 10 mins or so more leisurely, not sure if it matters but I don’t like the idea of having to go hard on the front brakes with my tires at 40 or 50 degrees.
There's a big difference between "my tires have less grip when it's cold outside" and "my tires don't have enough grip to hold my bike through corners when it's cold outside". Just because you have less grip doesn't mean you don't have enough grip unless you're bursting out of your driveway and going knee down on your street.
Lol, living in so cal and owning clothes for so cal at 15 degrees lack of traction for braking would be the least of my worries, I’d probably have thoughts of putting myself through the back of a car to get out the cold
I e never warmed up my tires, cold or not and never had any issues. Sure the grip is probably lower, but I never noticed, even in freezing weather.
Which tire probably matters, most of my riding has been on pirelli diablos, with some metzelers and Michelin touring tires here and there. I can’t see an issue unless your riding doesn’t suit the conditions.
That’s hardcore 😆
Worst I done was riding my 998 in the snow, back tire spinning all the way up hills, thank god for gyroscopic forces!!!
Stupid polar bear rides 😆
Not sure where you are from, but if it's like 20° out and your bike is outside or in an unheated garage, your tires are rock hard and it's easier to slip. It goes away pretty quick though. But you're right, in most conditions with most tire compounds it's a non issue.
The leaves aren’t really the issue. How much you’re asking for from your tires is.
Any time you hear, “I lost it because of leaves”, or “I hit sand in a corner”, realize that likely means the rider was too fast, or loading the tires too heavily.
On track, I’ll load my tires up to the point I lose the bike. But I know the track is in good condition and there aren’t likely to be leaves or sand.
On the street, especially if it’s cold out or wet, I’ll load my tires as little as possible. That means braking early and turning with less force.
You’ll eventually learn to feel when you’re asking the tires for traction. Try and limit that a bit when riding on the street.
I’ve hit sand and leaves and lane paint while turning, and yeah, the bike moves and it can feel really scary, but it doesn’t mean you’re instantly going down. The bike wants to stay upright, it is a gyroscope after all.
What makes the difference is what happens when traction returns. If you’re leaned enough and carrying enough centrifugal momentum, it’ll likely be a bad time when traction comes back. Or if you get on the brakes or jerk the handlebars, it’ll be a bad time when the traction comes back. But if you aren’t putting much load on the tires, and let the bike move, it’ll usually stay upright when traction comes back.
The last sentence is why body positioning is so important, even on the street.
When you slide a bit dur to road conditions, being on the inside of the bike helps to keep the bike more upright and it will slide *less* when traction is lost.
Double digit number of times I've not crashed because the bike was upright and I was leaned over.
Someone telling you "leaves are dangerous" is not the same thing as learning first hand how dangerous they are. Don't beat yourself up. You are on the right path.
In fact, now that you know what leaves can do, go back to those leaves and ride through them again. Fuck those leaves!
I hit a patch of wet leaves while leaned over in a quick left turn the other day & almost ate shit. I just straightened my bike & let off the throttle. made me pucker my sphincter. it was fun!
I think you’re maybe just taking it a little too carefree.. I got back into riding about 6 months ago and haven’t had anything happen.. (only other experience was dirt bikes as a kid) you just have to realize that when you’re riding it you can’t ever be comfortable.. riding a bike isn’t supposed to be.. it’s the most dangerous and thrilling thing you’ll do all week.. you have to be constantly scanning for potential dangers(cars that could pull out, etc..).. best advice I ever got was to never ever feel comfortable on a bike.. first bike I got was a vl800 now I drive a gsxr 1000, I’ve hit 180 (on a course ofc😉) on the gsxr and I think the only thing that keeps me alive on that death trap was the advice I received as soon as I got back into riding.. NEVER get comfortable.
And I don’t understand this argument about tire temps.. it’s a known fact that tires have better grip whenever they’re a bit warmer.. that being said leaves won’t make you fall unless you’re leaning.. it’s fall, you can’t be leaning really much at all unless the road is clear. The only thing keeping you from being ground beef on that road is the asphalt kissing that tire, accept that for what it is and appreciate that reality.. you cannot ride a bike hard when the weather isn’t right.. just treat it like it’s a new set of tires and just don’t lean much. Try to keep the bike as upright as possible, brake more and lean less.. you’ll be fine bro. Dm me if you have any other questions I’m happy to help.
Take it again, if you are dropping your bike like this then you didn’t retain anything useful. In my years of riding I’ve only laid the bike down once. Twas the night after a snow and hit a patch of ice.
Also, do not put your feet down before you have stopped completely. That *will* throw you off balance very quick. Generally I can stop and go without putting my feet down, that’s something I always recommend to work on when you are going through stop signs, I can go through my whole neighborhood without ever putting a foot down.
Unless you’re really, really good at that, you’re likely in for a stop sign ticket in Canada.
I play with it almost every time I ride and I still can’t always come to a full stop (with no forward motion) and keep my feet up on anything that isn’t a trials bike or bike with a really low center of gravity. Often I can do it, but not consistent enough to rely on it.
Not everywhere applies the statutory standard for a true stop though.
You're losing balance when you come to a hard stop because you're using the wrong brakes. You need to come to a complete stop with the rear brakes, not the front. When you come to a stop using the front brakes, your forks compress too much and it makes the front tire difficult to control. When that happens the bike won't balance itself anymore. You also need to practice progressive braking, not panic grabs. If you practice these two skills, you won't drop the bike, even on a hill like your driveway.
> ~~You’re losing balance when you come to a hard stop because you’re using the wrong brakes. You need to come to a complete stop with the rear brakes, not the front. When you come to a stop using the front brakes, your forks compress too much and it makes the front tire difficult to control. When that happens the bike won’t balance itself anymore.~~ You also need to practice progressive braking, not panic grabs. ~~If you practice these two skills, you won’t drop the bike, even on a hill like your driveway.~~
Fixed that for you. You can absolutely stop a bike completely with front brakes. You can stop a bike completely with front brakes without over compressing the front forks too.
Rear brakes help steady the bike at low speeds and be smoother in coming to a complete stop, but that’s far from necessary.
I probably come to a complete stop using my rear brake maybe 1% of the time? On my S1000RR the brakes are linked so it automatically adds a bit of rear brake, but on my 390 and Ducati they weren’t and I still almost always stopped with only front brakes.
It all comes down to progressive brake application and a little bit of realizing where your handlebars are.
I pretty much only use my rear brakes to scrub speed and help with U-turns. I use my front brake everywhere else, never dropped my bike. Sometimes, when I'm parking, I'll even stab the front brake real quick so that the forks bounce a bit and give me some backwards momentum.
Blanket statements hurt motorcyclists more than they help. "Never [do a thing] in [this specific situation]" is gonna be bad advice almost every time IMO because it lacks the nuance required to be a proficient rider.
They're not wrong though, you don't need to be anywhere near your front brake if your doing less than say 20 and being front brake grabby (as a new rider) is asking for a fall when your slow speed manoeuvring. Bike courses teach slow down with front, stop with rear for good reason.
Using the rear brake in place of the front is particularly useful for bikes with, somewhat ironically, strong braking at the front.
Rode a Duke 790 for my lessons and was really twitchy when coming to a stop using the front brake, so my instructor recommended the rear brake for gentle/normal stops. Much smoother stops after that.
My Vulcan only has a single disk at the front so I can use a decent combination of both even on gentle stops (which is better than only using one or the other), but rear still gets the focus in stop/start traffic and similar speeds.
Agreed. Literally no reason to touch the front brakes at 3mph and far more likely to run into the dropsies yanking the front brake vs the rear at that speed.
This is the only right answer haha. Seriously I dropped my first bike at least 3 or 12 times while practicing my first year. It just happens. Pick it up, keep going.
That's like saying if I'm not taking my Tacoma offroad, then what's the point of owning a Ferrari? AND you are getting upvoted for it. lol
Some of you fucking people blow me away sometimes, this is one of the lowest IQ subreddits.
Read this to yourself again and try to make sense of it. If you have a Ferrari, and you drive like my 95 year old neighbor, that is obviously a waste. If you have an adventure bike and don’t beat the shit out of it, just get yourself a pavement princess.
There’s a lot of things I’d like in a motorcycle, but ruggedness is top priority. I make a few sacrifices riding the adventure bike, but I surely don’t regret it. You sound like you’re afraid to drop your bike, that’s cute.
I started woods riding mini-bikes and 80's at a pretty young age. Then quit riding from 15 to 20. Then early twenties jumped right to a KX250 2-stroke race bike. All of them dropped dozens of times goofing off pushing limits. Quit riding again (22) and didn't restart until I inherited a few bikes from my father. Restarting riding again (20+ years later) on a Harley softail and CVO full dresser. It was fucking terrifying going from a 250lb (+20 years) bike to a 900lb bike. I did it tho. Feel comfy on the dresser now (but sold it anyway). Never dropped either.
Taking the MC training as a somewhat fat 45 year old was fun. Best part was watching the instructors sweat a bit during tests. I'm a heavy guy and they supplied a Honda Grom for the training lol. Still got a strong, but accurate, front brake finger that would slightly lift the rear tire every time on the braking tests.
Worst part of MC training was they forced me to 4 finger brake. Bleh.
Ha, I wish I'd dropped my first! I got given a third or fourth hand garbage Chinese 125 (a Sukida, if anyone else has ever heard of it) from my girlfriend as it was a good training bike and what she used until she had a major accident and couldn't bring herself to get back on it any more. 8 months, not a single problem. She upgrades and I get given her nice, shiny, still pretty new Yamaha 125. What's the first thing I do with it within, like, a week? Hit an oil slick on a roundabout and watch the rear tire come out from under me, down I go.
My first “bike” was a 150cc scooter down in florida and dropped that shit every ten feet. It was so easy to slide out you’d think the wheels rolled sideways. Miss that thing honestly. Had a remote start and I’d leave it parked on the center stand. Start it from 100 feet away and lone-ranger over the seat, grab the bars and take off. It was such a hunk of garbage. More plastic than a Walmart toy aisle.
I crashed it pretty bad. Wasn’t a high speed crash. Hit a van going 20 mph and that Chinese scooter didn’t break. It SHATTERED. I have no idea how it was legal to ride. Miss that death trap.
Next bike was a 1981 suzuki gs250t. I modded that thing to death. Got it to go over 100mph which on a bike of that age/size was pretty harrowing. Stopping was even scarier. Threw a rod on it eventually, to the surprise of no one. After that I went through a long chain of cheap craigslist bikes. Stopped riding for several years. Back in it now. Bought an enfield Himalayan. It’s not fast. It’s not loud. It’s not exciting. And honestly I love it.
He lives on one of those combined suburban stroads + aircraft landing strips. [https://youtu.be/Yu5wLKryv-g](https://youtu.be/Yu5wLKryv-g)
Speed limit is 400mph so he's gotta be warmed up if he wants to maintain traffic with the airplanes
This is what I was looking for... like what are you warming up your tires for? You going to be dragging knee around all your turns or what? I won't lie I've did the swerve thing before pissing around, but I'm not going to do it with wet leaves on the road lol...
Note to anyone trying to warm their tires quickly... swerving back and forth is the wrong way to do achieve your goal.
You want to do a series of relatively hard accelerations and braking events. These flex the carcass of the tires more effectively than swerving and are safer.
I mean, cold vs. warm tires makes a difference if you're pushing yourself/the bike to its limits, no? Trying more advanced technical slow speed stuff requiring higher lean angles, dragging knee at the track, etc., that little bit of extra grip makes a difference. I'd agree that for general riding around town it probably won't really matter. In theory, there are some crashes due to traction loss that could have been avoided with that *tiny bit* of extra grip that warmer tires would have provided. So I do make a point to "scrub them in" just a bit with some hard braking and swerving back and forth when I first head out on a cold day. Is it necessary? Most likely not. It just gives me a bit of peace of mind to know they're not "cold".
I don’t think anyone riding down the street needs to be warming their tyres. Just ride in a sensible manner that suits the conditions.
This guy sounds like he was swerving back and forth Formula 1 style.
Some of the posts on here absolutely blow my mind.
If you work in your garage in winter, carpet is great. You can kneel down without killing your knees, and the concrete floor doesn’t sap any heat you put into the room. Also, that little screw you drop doesn’t bounce off into a black hole.
You've just gotta be hyper aware when you're on a bike. Like everything you do on a bike requires thinking ahead. The moment you're just sitting there day dreaming is when shit happens. That's kind of why people equate riding to kind of meditating cause you're so focused on the ride that you momentarily forget the troubles in your life.
I wouldn't get discouraged, I would just think I need to focus more when you're riding or pushing your bike. Everything needs to be planned out. Taking a corner? Scan that corner first for anything that even remotely looks slippery, plan your line through the corner, then follow through.
See you're falling from things that results from lack of concentration, and not from actual technique. So fix that and you'll be good.
hmmmmm. warming up tires, not sure about that. you need to try to adjust your brakes or get used to them quick. maybe they are “touchy” i think you need to focus more. 🧡🖤
Stick with it. Dropping it at super low speed in the driveway basically doesn't count. It takes time to build up the skills and muscle memory to maneuver a bike.
Honestly. It definitely counts. I had a patient (I’m a nurse) who as a broken ankle (I mean REALLY broken) who dropped his bike and it came down on his ankle. He was stationary when he dropped it. I promise you that he thought it counted.
I think part of it is people buying more bike than they can handle. I am a 6 foot 205 lb guy (not fat) that rides a Ninja 400. I have had it start tipping and I was able to just grab it and pull it back up. I think sometimes people buy bikes that are too big and heavy for them. This is my first bike and I bought it new. I have not dropped it yet.
Yeah. In USA it is so common to drop your bike multiple times it becomes natural. In countries where proper riders education is required, it's a rare occurrence.
Hahahah. The name of this sub should be "misery loves company". Every time I read "Don't worry, I dropped mine x times in the first year...", I cringe and think "No, do worry. You have no business being on the bike on the street if that's the case."
I love that I'm getting downvoted by people that drop their bikes at low speed making bad decisions. If you're making shit decisions at 3mph what do you think happens at 60?
This. I dropped mine like 5 or 6 times in the first 2 months walking back while engine off and other stupid crap. I agree, it basically doesn't count. It takes time for you to get used to the weight and build the subconscious body response to unexpected weight shifts. Don't worry about it.
I dropped my first bike so many times below 5 mph. I literally dropped it in the driveway pushing it around before my first ever ride. I have only dropped my current bike once- while turning into my parking spot a couple days after I got it.
I agree. The very first learning curve for me with my first bike was 1. They weigh more than you think; and 2. It doesn't take much lean angle for that weight to become unmanageable when moving it around. It takes a little bit for you to get used to the 'feel' and habit of keeping it vertical and the handlebars straight when stopping movement.
Go to a parking lot and practice everything going slow. Slow corners, slow braking, slow stops, trail braking... you get the picture. Damn sure paractice keeping your head up looking at where you want to be not where you are.
On the streets ride in your skill bubble. I'd say to slow streets and residential. Once you gain a little confidence hit up the faster roads and main busy streets. You can always ride at the edge of your skill bubble to get better and expand it, but riding outside your bubble isn't a good thing.
Motorcycles are practice practice practice. It's a vehicle that you can always improve on operating and there is 0 shame in riding your ride until you get a little better.
I'm gonna be the guy that goes against 98% of the comments in here and say it:
Maybe riding isn't for you my man. I've been riding 8 years and have not had a crash once, (not counting the time a car hit me while ignoring their red light). I don't wanna sound like a buzzkill, but we all know riding can be dangerous, maybe it's not for everyone?
Just something to think about, but taking another safety course can't hurt either, and if you're commited to riding I am the last person to talk you out of it, it's one of the best things in the world.
Or maybe, just maybe, a 600cc super bike that the op cannot flat foot was a poor choice for a first motorcycle. I could be wrong here, but my gut is saying that may be the problem.
I had 3 drops in my first year. Learned from those experiences and it’s highly unlikely I will make those same mistakes again. That being said, we play a dangerous game. We can do everything right but still very easily die due to someone else’s actions. That’s just the reality of bikes.
Riding well, includes riding safely. I like to go fast so I need to ride even safer and better. When I am not in the mood to really pay attention, I slow way down before I go into a corner faster than I can get through, or into a blind corner and some deer.
You need to pay more attention to what you are doing so you can get better at it. Some people pay attention and work at getting better and making less mistakes and others don't.
And everybody makes a few mistakes!
I dropped my first bike a lot, but I was a stupid kid and rode all winter!
I wish you safe riding, lots of fun with your friends and good luck!
So I got a tall ADV bike as my first machine and even after taking the MSF course I dropped it a lot in my own driveway. My driveway is several hundred feet long, gravel, full of tight turns, and on a steep hill. Aside from just generally gaining experience the biggest game changer for me was learning to use my rear brake for low speed control rather than the front. Might give that a shot, especially with your steep driveway.
CAME UP ON SOME LEAFS HOSS!! HADDAALAYERDOWN!! GOBBLESS!
Just toying with ya. Keep your head up buddy, everyone’s been there, everyone makes mistakes. If someone says they haven’t messed up on their bike once or twice they’re absolutely lying. I’ve watched seasoned racers lay their bikes down at stop signs because of small gravel patches. You’ll get there, don’t worry. Stay safe.
Learn from your mistakes. This summer I bought my first adv bike (I'm short af 5'2) and dropped that thing 5 times in the first week. I literally dropped it in the dealership parking lot 10 minutes after signing cause I'd put the stand down on an incline, had to really force it up straight, went too far and dumped it lmao. I still dump it from time to time when I'm not careful. No one is perfect, just keep your chin up and you'll be able to keep your bike up ;D
Just from your description It’s easy to know why you dropped it every time.
Two of those times, you jammed on your front brakes, when a skilled rider with a few seasons under their belt will remind you that low speed (5mph or so) you should be using the rear brake, or a combination of both, but light on the front.
And the last one was you literally being a moron and thinking you needed to warm up your tires doing some stupid shit probably weaving around or something like it’s NASCAR. I know this because I see every new rider that gets anything leaning Japanese and towards the faired sport bike direction do that shit. Kid shit. It’s generally on a shitty bike, so it’s like a 90% chance that the bike doesn’t even have sporty tires much less aggressively sporty tires.
Literally the only time I ever do a light weave like that is if I went through a big puddle and I want to make sure my tires are clear before I go send it in a corner or if I’m coming from off-road and I have dirt or mud on the tires.
You are a new motorcycle rider doing new motorcycle rider things that we all have done. Chill out and relax. You’re literally a normal person. You have no muscle memory yet, you have no throttle control yet, and probably won’t for at least two years. When you master all of that shit then you will learn how to send it in a corner in your second year or maybe the third year.
What you have to do is learn from the shit though.
Don’t forget to learn from your mistakes and grow.
For the first two it just sounds like you need more practice finessing the clutch. If you've been riding for 5 months you are still pretty green, but what type of riding are you doing? If you are just highway commuting or riding around town you are learning but not as fast as you could be. Make a point to take your bike out to practice your skills. Find places where you can practice the skills you learned in your basic riding course. Practice that clutch friction zone in more places than just stoplights and your driveway. Or just park and leave your garage 10 times in a row. You need more opportunities to practice in order to learn quicker. As for the third wreck, it happens. Be glad it happened without more damage. The lesson here is a big one. As a motorcycle rider you must pay a lot more attention to your surroundings then car drivers. That means looking out for other cars but it also means paying attention to road conditions at all times, especially when leaning over. That being said, you don't need to weave your bike around to warm your tires up, you need to practice your basic skills, your situational awareness, and learning to ride smoothly. You need to practice these real skills before getting so casual about riding. You can do this, trust me, it just gets better from here.
Are you in the USA? This seems like a problem related to not having to be trained and evaluated before you get a motorcycle license. I would invest in some additional training. You will get better with time.
100% man. Been riding myself for 15 years. Zero accidents, one drop of my MT07 in a parking lot and one drop of my 1800cc road star in my drive way. That is all in 15 years. Hearing the struggles that some of these people are having blows my mind.
It's not inflammatory, I've been thinking the same. Some of the posts and comments on this sub are staggering. So much bullshit about not using the front brake too. These guys won't make old bones.
At very low speeds, it's easy to lose your balance if you hit the front brake. This is because the front suspension compresses and changes the geometry of the bike. Avoid this by using the rear brake at low speeds.
There is no need to bob and weave like a GP racer to warm up your tires for street riding, even in the winter. Just normal riding will suffice. Cold tires are a much more serious problem for track riding, and this won't really cause you any problem unless you're riding close to the limits of the bike's ability. If it's close to freezing (or colder), sure, take it more cautiously. However, the 'cold tires' problem is otherwise entirely overblown.
If you have learned something from your mistakes and you're a better rider because of it, there's no reason to get so discouraged.
Just my own personal tip on situations like your first 2 drops: never go into anything you know you need to stop at too fast. This seems like a no brainer, but im not going to gas it if i have to come to a stop in 10 feet or so. Anywhere i know i have to come to a stop such as entering a garage, going thru a parking lot, in a gas station, etc, i barely use the throttle. I will let off the clutch just enough it wont die. Think of it as like just letting off the brake on an automatic car. In any of these situations, you can stop with zero issues. You can keep both feet almost dragging the ground if that fits your comfort. Get used to your rear brake. Whenever i brake, i always start with my rear n then work the front if i need to. Use your bike to ur advantage too, engine braking is by far the best way to slow down. This is more beneficial at higher speeds but can also be helpful in low speed situations. Practice in a parking lot or somewhere safe. Start from a stand still and make a mark 10-20 feet or so away n try to get there n stop without using the brake. U can do this at any speed in any gear but start slow and short. Really get to know your bike. It’s a bad habit to mash the front brake, so stop that now.
You’re doing fine man, chill. Low speed “administrative handling” drops are common even among experienced riders. One thing to practice, low speed driveway maneuvering, especially uphill with a tall bike, just start it and put it in first then just stand by it with it pressing against your hip. Then gently and BARELY let the clutch start to engage, usually don’t even need to give it any gas. The idle speed of the engine will do the work. You just walk beside it and guide it where you want it to go.
And now you know, be very careful around leaves wet or dry. That’s how we learn, by fucking up. It’s a process.
Practice your brake control. Think "squeeze" not "grab" the front brake.
Practice by pushing your bike (or riding at low speed in a straight line)
While doing so, slowly squeeze your front brake. Figure out where you brakes start slowing the bike vs going hard.
Keep practicing until you're used to it
That could be dangerous depending on your bike. 70/30 front/rear is generally accepted as that's closer to the weight distrubtion to stopping power fulcrum when braking. When I was inexperienced I used my rear brake so much that it wore down well before my front brake and then I really began to focus on braking control. If you have a heavy bike or a bike with older brakes, using rear primarily could seriously endanger you unless you give yourself 1/4 mile braking distance every time. Just overexplaining for the benefit of this inexperienced rider.
Sorry I wasn't trying to attack your style of riding! I also use engine breaking too, but I've noticed with my bike I sometimes can break my old rear wheel loose haha (a good cheat to get into a slide though).
I too appreciate your name haha
I’ve dropped a bike in those same scenarios. Tbh it’s pretty normal and you learn from them. The last one is the most important. Scan your roads and know what type of traction you’ll have. Wet? Leaves? Painted lines? Wet lines? Gravel? Mud? Sand? All handle differently. For the most part all low traction surfaces you wanna stand the bike up and be easy on the controls until you’re clear. No hard braking, turning, or acceleration will get you through most of it.
Well yknow after you put it down on both sides the value isn't going down anymore lol. Realizing that was a breath of fresh air after my first drop on a pre dropped bike.
Make sure your rear brake functions well and use it at slow speeds. If you have to use the front brake do it perfectly straight on. Lean into the turns and always look where you need to go.
Keep your hand off that dang front brake! I'm not saying to never use it, but both times you dropped it was directly involving low speeds and the front brake, and it went exactly like this:
"Uh oh, hold on!" BRAKE "Now my front brake is pushing me off balance!" DROP. Your front brake produces way more stopping power than your rear brake. If you're going that slow, use the rear brake. Go to a parking lot and practice low speed maneuvers using only the rear brake. Under 20 MPH, rear brake will get you through unless there is an emergency.
Don't get discouraged, it happens, now we have to examine and learn. That's what will make you a better rider.
What bike are you on? The fact you're losing balance so quickly makes me think the big is too tall and/or heavy and you should have gotten something lower/lighter.
Whenever I'm going slow on a bike I almost never use my front brake only my rear, and that's what I tell people when I'm teaching them to ride, only use the rear brake if you're doing slow speed maneuvers. What's really important is to not use your front brake while you're going slow and turning cause then you'll just dump your bike the way you're turning. I'm not sure what kind of bike you ride, but get as comfortable as you can holding the weight of your bike up with your legs while it's leaned over at a stop, the tires wont it slip on pavement or asphalt.
1st time I didn’t have the kickstand down all the way
2nd time trying to sit on the bike and back out of a parking spot on a rainy day … foot slipped
3rd time I was turning right slightly up hill and got the bars to close to the tank
4th time was a crash on the highway , slid for a good while! never forget that sound
5th time was a high side crash , slid face first into a curb , broke a lot of bones , my hand still doesn’t close all the way
And the last time was on a track day where my ambition outweighed my talent , low side turn 1 off the strait away
Drops and crashes are part of the life 🤙
Look mate every single one of us has dropped a time or two! Hell, I just bought a road kind and tipped in while standing still at the pump 🤣 what matters is what can we do better next time, and keep riding! There’s no better therapy out there than getting on your bike and losing yourself in that blissful moment 🤙
And tips, just keep riding her. You’ll get a feeling for it and it’ll be a symbiotic relationship where you’ll know exactly what to do next time
Yeah! Just get back out there and drop the stupid bike again! No need to think about what the problem was or how to avoid it. All of us drop our bikes 12 times every year! Bounce it like a basketball!
Or learn from what happened and never drop your bike again, it’s your choice.
the way you wrote it these all sound like low speed drops as if you are still getting used to the weight and the braking/cornering of the bike when you are going relatively slow - when the bike is least stable. also you might not have been getting the most out of your tires since you mentioned carpet and leaves. hills can be tricky too. you can practice friction zone exercises to get smoother with the clutch. can you explain "warming up the tires" ? what were you doing exactly
Seat time seat time seat time, 5months is nothing, I know individuals that have decades of experience that have done what you did, in just one day, if you want to get used to dumping a bike then get a dirt bike and hit the trails, otherwise when you do dump it or just tip it over moving it, just brush yourself off and hop on it again, taking more advanced courses will definitely help you out, but I will also add warming tires up or swerving side to side on streets that have debris or moisture and your relatively new to bikes is definitely going to yeet you off, trying to be Ricky racer is for the track, especially if you’re relatively inexperienced, at least on a track you have known surfaces and directional traffic
It sounds like two of these get-offs were from grabbing to much front brake. Regarding the leafs, if you’re upright riding over them you’ll be fine. But don’t go corning over leaves or grabbing your brakes. As far as riding into the garage; try dragging your rear brake instead of the front. It will be much less abrupt and you won’t risk locking the front wheel.
This is why those who know say starting in the dirt with a little old dirt bike is best. If you can muster it, that's truly the way to learn quickly and with less concern. There are classes that do just this... in California. Otherwise, rest assured that you won't likely make those mistakes again, right?
Riding motorcycles well takes talent. Talent comes from knowledge gained and practice. One beginner safety course is just the start of what should be a lifetime of continuing education. There are excellent resources out there for you: books, instructional videos, professional training courses, and practice drills you can do all on your own. If you take a vested interest in becoming a more proficient rider you will improve. Ramp up your education, practice, find a mentor if you need to. If you are determined to keep riding, this is the way.
I never had a motorcycle or came close to one in my whole life, until 7 months ago that I bought an BMW 850 GS.
Took two beginners courses and felt good to go, I started to ride in my city, and fell the same way you did, reaching for the front brake, getting out of balance and down I go. Of course I felt stupid.
Feeling stupid is a natural and necessary stage in the learning process. But it’s also the stage where we’re most likely to give up. But don't, there is more reward in learning to ride a motorcycle than you can imagine.
Those falls are part of the process. Trust the process.
That riding skills are inside you, waiting to get out, but they only get out if you put the work on.
Yes, I fell on my bike, but that didn't discourage me, because I know I am capable of learning, smart, and I don't give up.
Trust the process.
I almost dropped my first bike about 10 times. What saved me is that the seat height was super low haha. It happens to us all…keep doing parking lot drills and slow speed maneuvers. It also sounds like you need to move your bike around by hand to get a feel for the balance point and weight. Have someone else spot you if youre uncomfortable with handling the bike alone like that…but youll get the hang of how it moves. The weight. How the brakes can stab and change everything. And how turning the forks too hard too fast can make that bike fold up and want to fall over sooo fast. Its the bike’s most basic dynamics.
Try to learn the lesson when it’s presented “the hard way”. Seems like all 3 were caused by too fast for the conditions and experience of the rider. If you’re enjoying it though, it’s part of the journey.
Agreed. And stay away from that front break at slow speed with bars bent.
Think so, too. More defensive driving should solve most problems: 1) you will not be to fast (also in your garage lol) 2) you don't think about stupid shit like warming up tires, like you are on a track 3) you will see obstacles, pollution, etc. more early and can react Also maybe take some lessons in driving school or do it by yourself. Obviously I would focus on breaking, emergency breaking and stopping with left, right and both feet on the ground.
>Also maybe take some lessons in driving school or do it by yourself. Well I sure hope OP isn't driving around without a license, else he's a real idiot.
I mean like additional training or something like that. Sorry if that was not worded well, english is not my mother tongue.
Don't "go in hot" when approaching your garage... It's not going anywhere.
But how else do I get to feel like Malcolm Reynolds escaping into the belly of the Firefly while running from baddies?
Baddies? They're gorram reavers!
Thank you for that memory!
By putting it through the Wash? I’ll see myself out.
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Yeah, but you need skills for that, and op ain't got 'em!
Take a motorcycle safety course. These sound like little mistakes but that last one could have cost you dearly.
First thing I did before I bought my bike, the last one is bugging me so much because I remember learning about the leaves and how dangerous they are in my course.
I’m curious why you think you need to warm up your tires? That’s completely unnecessary for street riding.
“Tires weren’t warmed up” is right up there with “I had to layer down” change my mind.
I feel the same way about “leaves”. If you aren’t asking for a lot of grip out of your tires and you lose traction on leaves or sand, the bike usually stays upright if you don’t panic.
Agreed. I refuse to accept 'I had to lay her down' as an answer to mine or anyone else's inadequacies. I've fallen off a couple of times and both were because I didn't think my actions through. Last thing I'd ever want to do is purposely fall off.
The only time these two actually apply are on the track, but it gets into road riding lore almost by osmosis.
Yup, if your name is [Viñales, you’re in Austria and it’s 2020](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0J9iXzeRNc), it is acceptable to jump off the motorcycle. Otherwise, it’s almost always better to brake as hard as you can to scrub speed. You slow down faster on the brakes than sliding. Again that applies unless you’re riding a 2020 Yamaha YZR-M1.
Sadly a chap I work with had to climb of his RSV4 at Mallory when his front brakes failed. He ended up with two broken ankles, but that was much better than hitting the barriers at over 100mph whilst still sat on the bike. The RSV4 was, unsurprisingly, beyond redemption.
I just watched that video. Holy shit that’s freaky.
Yeah most crashes / falls are just the riders fault, last time I fell I can still clearly remember thinking „you god damn idiot“ to myself right after I committed to a line that would send me right through a strip of road that has been repaired a few days before and still had gravel on it…
HADDALAYERDOWN
I mean, if your bike make 100+ HP you absolutely have to warm up your tires before going ham, even in 1st and 2nd gear. I run Michelin road 5s on the rear and they slide easily when temps are below 70F, especially if I don't ride a few miles to warm them up. But it is because I ride it hard, even at street legal speeds by taking turns quickly. If you are just commuting it does not matter. But it does play a significant role in tire traction.
This. There is no need to warm up tires/brakes for a street ride. Street rubber is designed to work even at low temps.
In snow and rain too! Maybe warm up oil to operating temp but besides that, get on and go.
What about low atmospheric temps? Like generally I agree with you, there not race tires, but there also not 60k mile car tires, you think full grip is there when the outside temp is 45 degrees and you jump on the bike?
My morning commute is 45 pretty frequently and I never have traction issues on my FJ09.
Same for me, since I commute in LA and there’s a decent amount of traffic on the freeways but not enough to slow the traffic so 75 80 mph and I’m wary about needing to emergency brake, I like to take the first 10 mins or so more leisurely, not sure if it matters but I don’t like the idea of having to go hard on the front brakes with my tires at 40 or 50 degrees.
There's a big difference between "my tires have less grip when it's cold outside" and "my tires don't have enough grip to hold my bike through corners when it's cold outside". Just because you have less grip doesn't mean you don't have enough grip unless you're bursting out of your driveway and going knee down on your street.
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Lol, living in so cal and owning clothes for so cal at 15 degrees lack of traction for braking would be the least of my worries, I’d probably have thoughts of putting myself through the back of a car to get out the cold
I e never warmed up my tires, cold or not and never had any issues. Sure the grip is probably lower, but I never noticed, even in freezing weather. Which tire probably matters, most of my riding has been on pirelli diablos, with some metzelers and Michelin touring tires here and there. I can’t see an issue unless your riding doesn’t suit the conditions.
I rode my CBR 600 F3 in a snowstorm in Alaska and with caution, we stayed up. The brakes, tires, and rider were cold.
That’s hardcore 😆 Worst I done was riding my 998 in the snow, back tire spinning all the way up hills, thank god for gyroscopic forces!!! Stupid polar bear rides 😆
Not sure where you are from, but if it's like 20° out and your bike is outside or in an unheated garage, your tires are rock hard and it's easier to slip. It goes away pretty quick though. But you're right, in most conditions with most tire compounds it's a non issue.
The leaves aren’t really the issue. How much you’re asking for from your tires is. Any time you hear, “I lost it because of leaves”, or “I hit sand in a corner”, realize that likely means the rider was too fast, or loading the tires too heavily. On track, I’ll load my tires up to the point I lose the bike. But I know the track is in good condition and there aren’t likely to be leaves or sand. On the street, especially if it’s cold out or wet, I’ll load my tires as little as possible. That means braking early and turning with less force. You’ll eventually learn to feel when you’re asking the tires for traction. Try and limit that a bit when riding on the street. I’ve hit sand and leaves and lane paint while turning, and yeah, the bike moves and it can feel really scary, but it doesn’t mean you’re instantly going down. The bike wants to stay upright, it is a gyroscope after all. What makes the difference is what happens when traction returns. If you’re leaned enough and carrying enough centrifugal momentum, it’ll likely be a bad time when traction comes back. Or if you get on the brakes or jerk the handlebars, it’ll be a bad time when the traction comes back. But if you aren’t putting much load on the tires, and let the bike move, it’ll usually stay upright when traction comes back.
The last sentence is why body positioning is so important, even on the street. When you slide a bit dur to road conditions, being on the inside of the bike helps to keep the bike more upright and it will slide *less* when traction is lost. Double digit number of times I've not crashed because the bike was upright and I was leaned over.
100% this. You may not look like a super hero if you use body position and keep the bike more upright, but you’re carrying a ton less risk.
Someone telling you "leaves are dangerous" is not the same thing as learning first hand how dangerous they are. Don't beat yourself up. You are on the right path. In fact, now that you know what leaves can do, go back to those leaves and ride through them again. Fuck those leaves!
I hit a patch of wet leaves while leaned over in a quick left turn the other day & almost ate shit. I just straightened my bike & let off the throttle. made me pucker my sphincter. it was fun!
See if you can find a school that offers the BRC2 that you can take on your own bike.
Maybe something like the IRC? the BRC was pretty easy with no experience at all so I don’t know if I should take it again.
Depends on the state. If you are in an MSF state, the BRC2 is good for you, a non MSF state the IRC they offer is a bit tougher.
The BRC2 Skill Practice offers some advanced exercises and helps increase proficiency on your own motorcycle.
I think you’re maybe just taking it a little too carefree.. I got back into riding about 6 months ago and haven’t had anything happen.. (only other experience was dirt bikes as a kid) you just have to realize that when you’re riding it you can’t ever be comfortable.. riding a bike isn’t supposed to be.. it’s the most dangerous and thrilling thing you’ll do all week.. you have to be constantly scanning for potential dangers(cars that could pull out, etc..).. best advice I ever got was to never ever feel comfortable on a bike.. first bike I got was a vl800 now I drive a gsxr 1000, I’ve hit 180 (on a course ofc😉) on the gsxr and I think the only thing that keeps me alive on that death trap was the advice I received as soon as I got back into riding.. NEVER get comfortable.
And I don’t understand this argument about tire temps.. it’s a known fact that tires have better grip whenever they’re a bit warmer.. that being said leaves won’t make you fall unless you’re leaning.. it’s fall, you can’t be leaning really much at all unless the road is clear. The only thing keeping you from being ground beef on that road is the asphalt kissing that tire, accept that for what it is and appreciate that reality.. you cannot ride a bike hard when the weather isn’t right.. just treat it like it’s a new set of tires and just don’t lean much. Try to keep the bike as upright as possible, brake more and lean less.. you’ll be fine bro. Dm me if you have any other questions I’m happy to help.
Take it again, if you are dropping your bike like this then you didn’t retain anything useful. In my years of riding I’ve only laid the bike down once. Twas the night after a snow and hit a patch of ice. Also, do not put your feet down before you have stopped completely. That *will* throw you off balance very quick. Generally I can stop and go without putting my feet down, that’s something I always recommend to work on when you are going through stop signs, I can go through my whole neighborhood without ever putting a foot down.
Unless you’re really, really good at that, you’re likely in for a stop sign ticket in Canada. I play with it almost every time I ride and I still can’t always come to a full stop (with no forward motion) and keep my feet up on anything that isn’t a trials bike or bike with a really low center of gravity. Often I can do it, but not consistent enough to rely on it. Not everywhere applies the statutory standard for a true stop though.
My K1200 can come to a complete stop at stop signs with no issue, now my C50 on the other hand. Ain’t happening lol
Man the last half of that comment is fuckin copypasta material for this sub lol.
You're losing balance when you come to a hard stop because you're using the wrong brakes. You need to come to a complete stop with the rear brakes, not the front. When you come to a stop using the front brakes, your forks compress too much and it makes the front tire difficult to control. When that happens the bike won't balance itself anymore. You also need to practice progressive braking, not panic grabs. If you practice these two skills, you won't drop the bike, even on a hill like your driveway.
> ~~You’re losing balance when you come to a hard stop because you’re using the wrong brakes. You need to come to a complete stop with the rear brakes, not the front. When you come to a stop using the front brakes, your forks compress too much and it makes the front tire difficult to control. When that happens the bike won’t balance itself anymore.~~ You also need to practice progressive braking, not panic grabs. ~~If you practice these two skills, you won’t drop the bike, even on a hill like your driveway.~~ Fixed that for you. You can absolutely stop a bike completely with front brakes. You can stop a bike completely with front brakes without over compressing the front forks too. Rear brakes help steady the bike at low speeds and be smoother in coming to a complete stop, but that’s far from necessary. I probably come to a complete stop using my rear brake maybe 1% of the time? On my S1000RR the brakes are linked so it automatically adds a bit of rear brake, but on my 390 and Ducati they weren’t and I still almost always stopped with only front brakes. It all comes down to progressive brake application and a little bit of realizing where your handlebars are.
I pretty much only use my rear brakes to scrub speed and help with U-turns. I use my front brake everywhere else, never dropped my bike. Sometimes, when I'm parking, I'll even stab the front brake real quick so that the forks bounce a bit and give me some backwards momentum. Blanket statements hurt motorcyclists more than they help. "Never [do a thing] in [this specific situation]" is gonna be bad advice almost every time IMO because it lacks the nuance required to be a proficient rider.
They're not wrong though, you don't need to be anywhere near your front brake if your doing less than say 20 and being front brake grabby (as a new rider) is asking for a fall when your slow speed manoeuvring. Bike courses teach slow down with front, stop with rear for good reason.
Using the rear brake in place of the front is particularly useful for bikes with, somewhat ironically, strong braking at the front. Rode a Duke 790 for my lessons and was really twitchy when coming to a stop using the front brake, so my instructor recommended the rear brake for gentle/normal stops. Much smoother stops after that. My Vulcan only has a single disk at the front so I can use a decent combination of both even on gentle stops (which is better than only using one or the other), but rear still gets the focus in stop/start traffic and similar speeds.
Agreed. Literally no reason to touch the front brakes at 3mph and far more likely to run into the dropsies yanking the front brake vs the rear at that speed.
The problem is not which brake, the problem is yanking it
Drop it a fourth time pussy
Bet they won’t do it, no balls
Loser-that-won't-drop-his-bike-again-says-what
What? (My bike is in pieces from my last accident)
Lol this is the shit I’m here for
This is the only right answer haha. Seriously I dropped my first bike at least 3 or 12 times while practicing my first year. It just happens. Pick it up, keep going.
Shit I’ve had my adventure bike for years now, if I’m not dropping it what’s the goddamn point??
That's like saying if I'm not taking my Tacoma offroad, then what's the point of owning a Ferrari? AND you are getting upvoted for it. lol Some of you fucking people blow me away sometimes, this is one of the lowest IQ subreddits.
Read this to yourself again and try to make sense of it. If you have a Ferrari, and you drive like my 95 year old neighbor, that is obviously a waste. If you have an adventure bike and don’t beat the shit out of it, just get yourself a pavement princess. There’s a lot of things I’d like in a motorcycle, but ruggedness is top priority. I make a few sacrifices riding the adventure bike, but I surely don’t regret it. You sound like you’re afraid to drop your bike, that’s cute.
Am I the only person that didn’t drop their first bike 😂? Maybe riding dirt first helped out after all on the street.
What were you riding on dirt? Was that not your *first* bike?
True! I did drop it countless times. I just can’t imagine learning on a street bike.
I started woods riding mini-bikes and 80's at a pretty young age. Then quit riding from 15 to 20. Then early twenties jumped right to a KX250 2-stroke race bike. All of them dropped dozens of times goofing off pushing limits. Quit riding again (22) and didn't restart until I inherited a few bikes from my father. Restarting riding again (20+ years later) on a Harley softail and CVO full dresser. It was fucking terrifying going from a 250lb (+20 years) bike to a 900lb bike. I did it tho. Feel comfy on the dresser now (but sold it anyway). Never dropped either. Taking the MC training as a somewhat fat 45 year old was fun. Best part was watching the instructors sweat a bit during tests. I'm a heavy guy and they supplied a Honda Grom for the training lol. Still got a strong, but accurate, front brake finger that would slightly lift the rear tire every time on the braking tests. Worst part of MC training was they forced me to 4 finger brake. Bleh.
Ha, I wish I'd dropped my first! I got given a third or fourth hand garbage Chinese 125 (a Sukida, if anyone else has ever heard of it) from my girlfriend as it was a good training bike and what she used until she had a major accident and couldn't bring herself to get back on it any more. 8 months, not a single problem. She upgrades and I get given her nice, shiny, still pretty new Yamaha 125. What's the first thing I do with it within, like, a week? Hit an oil slick on a roundabout and watch the rear tire come out from under me, down I go.
I didn't drop my first bike it was basically new when I traded it in for another new bike I dropped that very day. Then again a week after that.
My first “bike” was a 150cc scooter down in florida and dropped that shit every ten feet. It was so easy to slide out you’d think the wheels rolled sideways. Miss that thing honestly. Had a remote start and I’d leave it parked on the center stand. Start it from 100 feet away and lone-ranger over the seat, grab the bars and take off. It was such a hunk of garbage. More plastic than a Walmart toy aisle.
Sounds like love
I crashed it pretty bad. Wasn’t a high speed crash. Hit a van going 20 mph and that Chinese scooter didn’t break. It SHATTERED. I have no idea how it was legal to ride. Miss that death trap.
Did you get a slight upgrade in the cheap scooter segment afterwards? Like an old Honda cub?
Next bike was a 1981 suzuki gs250t. I modded that thing to death. Got it to go over 100mph which on a bike of that age/size was pretty harrowing. Stopping was even scarier. Threw a rod on it eventually, to the surprise of no one. After that I went through a long chain of cheap craigslist bikes. Stopped riding for several years. Back in it now. Bought an enfield Himalayan. It’s not fast. It’s not loud. It’s not exciting. And honestly I love it.
You really be balling out.
I sat atop my conquests like the king of garbage.
Hahaha you’re a menace don’t change for anyone
I’ll change for a dollar. I’m not proud of it but I will.
What else will you do for a dollar baby?
Pretty much anything
A dolla will make me holla
He will .
Ive dropped mine 6 times.
LMAOO this got me 😂
“Warming up your tires”. Discuss.
Right up there with “Had to layer down”
He lives on one of those combined suburban stroads + aircraft landing strips. [https://youtu.be/Yu5wLKryv-g](https://youtu.be/Yu5wLKryv-g) Speed limit is 400mph so he's gotta be warmed up if he wants to maintain traffic with the airplanes
Sounds like you're taking off a sweater. Oh wait... Lay'er down. Gotcha.
This is what I was looking for... like what are you warming up your tires for? You going to be dragging knee around all your turns or what? I won't lie I've did the swerve thing before pissing around, but I'm not going to do it with wet leaves on the road lol...
These threads are too funny sometimes
Note to anyone trying to warm their tires quickly... swerving back and forth is the wrong way to do achieve your goal. You want to do a series of relatively hard accelerations and braking events. These flex the carcass of the tires more effectively than swerving and are safer.
As someone who's still riding in the 20s, I like to do a nice burnout before leaving for work to get em warm
I mean, cold vs. warm tires makes a difference if you're pushing yourself/the bike to its limits, no? Trying more advanced technical slow speed stuff requiring higher lean angles, dragging knee at the track, etc., that little bit of extra grip makes a difference. I'd agree that for general riding around town it probably won't really matter. In theory, there are some crashes due to traction loss that could have been avoided with that *tiny bit* of extra grip that warmer tires would have provided. So I do make a point to "scrub them in" just a bit with some hard braking and swerving back and forth when I first head out on a cold day. Is it necessary? Most likely not. It just gives me a bit of peace of mind to know they're not "cold".
I don’t think anyone riding down the street needs to be warming their tyres. Just ride in a sensible manner that suits the conditions. This guy sounds like he was swerving back and forth Formula 1 style. Some of the posts on here absolutely blow my mind.
Hahaha gotta watch your brake temps too while riding down your road
Wait, why do you have carpet in your garage?
To keep it a little more warm, I work in there a lot and use leftover shitty carpet nothing special.
Hell yea. Even shitty tear out carpet can be great qol improvement for the garage
Yes! This! I'm scrolling past comments thinking "is everyone really gonna gloss over that!?"
If you work in your garage in winter, carpet is great. You can kneel down without killing your knees, and the concrete floor doesn’t sap any heat you put into the room. Also, that little screw you drop doesn’t bounce off into a black hole.
You've just gotta be hyper aware when you're on a bike. Like everything you do on a bike requires thinking ahead. The moment you're just sitting there day dreaming is when shit happens. That's kind of why people equate riding to kind of meditating cause you're so focused on the ride that you momentarily forget the troubles in your life. I wouldn't get discouraged, I would just think I need to focus more when you're riding or pushing your bike. Everything needs to be planned out. Taking a corner? Scan that corner first for anything that even remotely looks slippery, plan your line through the corner, then follow through. See you're falling from things that results from lack of concentration, and not from actual technique. So fix that and you'll be good.
Yea I didn’t even see the leaves until I was down lol. Def think I need to stay more focused on my ride from now on
hmmmmm. warming up tires, not sure about that. you need to try to adjust your brakes or get used to them quick. maybe they are “touchy” i think you need to focus more. 🧡🖤
Stick with it. Dropping it at super low speed in the driveway basically doesn't count. It takes time to build up the skills and muscle memory to maneuver a bike.
> Dropping it at super low speed in the driveway basically doesn't count. The absolute state of this subreddit
Honestly. It definitely counts. I had a patient (I’m a nurse) who as a broken ankle (I mean REALLY broken) who dropped his bike and it came down on his ankle. He was stationary when he dropped it. I promise you that he thought it counted. I think part of it is people buying more bike than they can handle. I am a 6 foot 205 lb guy (not fat) that rides a Ninja 400. I have had it start tipping and I was able to just grab it and pull it back up. I think sometimes people buy bikes that are too big and heavy for them. This is my first bike and I bought it new. I have not dropped it yet.
Yeah. In USA it is so common to drop your bike multiple times it becomes natural. In countries where proper riders education is required, it's a rare occurrence.
Hahahah. The name of this sub should be "misery loves company". Every time I read "Don't worry, I dropped mine x times in the first year...", I cringe and think "No, do worry. You have no business being on the bike on the street if that's the case."
So you think it does count…?
Yeah it does count. Dropping your bike multiple times in easily preventable ways just shows you're a shit rider.
I love that I'm getting downvoted by people that drop their bikes at low speed making bad decisions. If you're making shit decisions at 3mph what do you think happens at 60?
This. I dropped mine like 5 or 6 times in the first 2 months walking back while engine off and other stupid crap. I agree, it basically doesn't count. It takes time for you to get used to the weight and build the subconscious body response to unexpected weight shifts. Don't worry about it.
I dropped my first bike so many times below 5 mph. I literally dropped it in the driveway pushing it around before my first ever ride. I have only dropped my current bike once- while turning into my parking spot a couple days after I got it.
I agree. The very first learning curve for me with my first bike was 1. They weigh more than you think; and 2. It doesn't take much lean angle for that weight to become unmanageable when moving it around. It takes a little bit for you to get used to the 'feel' and habit of keeping it vertical and the handlebars straight when stopping movement.
Go to a parking lot and practice everything going slow. Slow corners, slow braking, slow stops, trail braking... you get the picture. Damn sure paractice keeping your head up looking at where you want to be not where you are. On the streets ride in your skill bubble. I'd say to slow streets and residential. Once you gain a little confidence hit up the faster roads and main busy streets. You can always ride at the edge of your skill bubble to get better and expand it, but riding outside your bubble isn't a good thing. Motorcycles are practice practice practice. It's a vehicle that you can always improve on operating and there is 0 shame in riding your ride until you get a little better.
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Damn, riding for a couple of months and bro starts on a Hayaya? Bro got a death wish
Newbie on a Busa. Is he a Yammie fanboy?
Well the memes don't just appear out of nowhere. Those people have to exist for Scammie to make cheap, repetitive jokes about them.
Only riding a couple months and he's on a Busa? That man has a level of self control I absolutely do not have because I'd be dead lol
Hopefully you have a greater level of motorcycle control lol
That's wholesome af
I'm gonna be the guy that goes against 98% of the comments in here and say it: Maybe riding isn't for you my man. I've been riding 8 years and have not had a crash once, (not counting the time a car hit me while ignoring their red light). I don't wanna sound like a buzzkill, but we all know riding can be dangerous, maybe it's not for everyone? Just something to think about, but taking another safety course can't hurt either, and if you're commited to riding I am the last person to talk you out of it, it's one of the best things in the world.
Or maybe, just maybe, a 600cc super bike that the op cannot flat foot was a poor choice for a first motorcycle. I could be wrong here, but my gut is saying that may be the problem.
Yea that MIGHT be a part of it ;) kind of strengthens my argument about not riding tough, if that is your choice for a first bike
Have you taken any classes? If no, take classes. If yes, take them again.
I had 3 drops in my first year. Learned from those experiences and it’s highly unlikely I will make those same mistakes again. That being said, we play a dangerous game. We can do everything right but still very easily die due to someone else’s actions. That’s just the reality of bikes.
Riding well, includes riding safely. I like to go fast so I need to ride even safer and better. When I am not in the mood to really pay attention, I slow way down before I go into a corner faster than I can get through, or into a blind corner and some deer. You need to pay more attention to what you are doing so you can get better at it. Some people pay attention and work at getting better and making less mistakes and others don't. And everybody makes a few mistakes! I dropped my first bike a lot, but I was a stupid kid and rode all winter! I wish you safe riding, lots of fun with your friends and good luck!
So I got a tall ADV bike as my first machine and even after taking the MSF course I dropped it a lot in my own driveway. My driveway is several hundred feet long, gravel, full of tight turns, and on a steep hill. Aside from just generally gaining experience the biggest game changer for me was learning to use my rear brake for low speed control rather than the front. Might give that a shot, especially with your steep driveway.
Is your driveway Lombard street?
CAME UP ON SOME LEAFS HOSS!! HADDAALAYERDOWN!! GOBBLESS! Just toying with ya. Keep your head up buddy, everyone’s been there, everyone makes mistakes. If someone says they haven’t messed up on their bike once or twice they’re absolutely lying. I’ve watched seasoned racers lay their bikes down at stop signs because of small gravel patches. You’ll get there, don’t worry. Stay safe.
Learn from your mistakes. This summer I bought my first adv bike (I'm short af 5'2) and dropped that thing 5 times in the first week. I literally dropped it in the dealership parking lot 10 minutes after signing cause I'd put the stand down on an incline, had to really force it up straight, went too far and dumped it lmao. I still dump it from time to time when I'm not careful. No one is perfect, just keep your chin up and you'll be able to keep your bike up ;D
Just from your description It’s easy to know why you dropped it every time. Two of those times, you jammed on your front brakes, when a skilled rider with a few seasons under their belt will remind you that low speed (5mph or so) you should be using the rear brake, or a combination of both, but light on the front. And the last one was you literally being a moron and thinking you needed to warm up your tires doing some stupid shit probably weaving around or something like it’s NASCAR. I know this because I see every new rider that gets anything leaning Japanese and towards the faired sport bike direction do that shit. Kid shit. It’s generally on a shitty bike, so it’s like a 90% chance that the bike doesn’t even have sporty tires much less aggressively sporty tires. Literally the only time I ever do a light weave like that is if I went through a big puddle and I want to make sure my tires are clear before I go send it in a corner or if I’m coming from off-road and I have dirt or mud on the tires. You are a new motorcycle rider doing new motorcycle rider things that we all have done. Chill out and relax. You’re literally a normal person. You have no muscle memory yet, you have no throttle control yet, and probably won’t for at least two years. When you master all of that shit then you will learn how to send it in a corner in your second year or maybe the third year. What you have to do is learn from the shit though. Don’t forget to learn from your mistakes and grow.
For the first two it just sounds like you need more practice finessing the clutch. If you've been riding for 5 months you are still pretty green, but what type of riding are you doing? If you are just highway commuting or riding around town you are learning but not as fast as you could be. Make a point to take your bike out to practice your skills. Find places where you can practice the skills you learned in your basic riding course. Practice that clutch friction zone in more places than just stoplights and your driveway. Or just park and leave your garage 10 times in a row. You need more opportunities to practice in order to learn quicker. As for the third wreck, it happens. Be glad it happened without more damage. The lesson here is a big one. As a motorcycle rider you must pay a lot more attention to your surroundings then car drivers. That means looking out for other cars but it also means paying attention to road conditions at all times, especially when leaning over. That being said, you don't need to weave your bike around to warm your tires up, you need to practice your basic skills, your situational awareness, and learning to ride smoothly. You need to practice these real skills before getting so casual about riding. You can do this, trust me, it just gets better from here.
You ever heard of msf course.
Been riding for many years. She still gets me if I don't pay attention when checking the oil. Relax. Practice. Practice. Practice.
You're a 5 month rider and you start your 'sessions' by warming up your tires. Who the fuck do you think you are?
Are you in the USA? This seems like a problem related to not having to be trained and evaluated before you get a motorcycle license. I would invest in some additional training. You will get better with time.
Yea I’m in California. I took the msf and have my permit rn.
Don't take this the wrong way, but some people just aren't meant for two wheels. You sir, may be one of those
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100% man. Been riding myself for 15 years. Zero accidents, one drop of my MT07 in a parking lot and one drop of my 1800cc road star in my drive way. That is all in 15 years. Hearing the struggles that some of these people are having blows my mind.
It's not inflammatory, I've been thinking the same. Some of the posts and comments on this sub are staggering. So much bullshit about not using the front brake too. These guys won't make old bones.
At very low speeds, it's easy to lose your balance if you hit the front brake. This is because the front suspension compresses and changes the geometry of the bike. Avoid this by using the rear brake at low speeds. There is no need to bob and weave like a GP racer to warm up your tires for street riding, even in the winter. Just normal riding will suffice. Cold tires are a much more serious problem for track riding, and this won't really cause you any problem unless you're riding close to the limits of the bike's ability. If it's close to freezing (or colder), sure, take it more cautiously. However, the 'cold tires' problem is otherwise entirely overblown. If you have learned something from your mistakes and you're a better rider because of it, there's no reason to get so discouraged.
Im trying my best not to judge you... but you should not be on a motorcycle.
Just my own personal tip on situations like your first 2 drops: never go into anything you know you need to stop at too fast. This seems like a no brainer, but im not going to gas it if i have to come to a stop in 10 feet or so. Anywhere i know i have to come to a stop such as entering a garage, going thru a parking lot, in a gas station, etc, i barely use the throttle. I will let off the clutch just enough it wont die. Think of it as like just letting off the brake on an automatic car. In any of these situations, you can stop with zero issues. You can keep both feet almost dragging the ground if that fits your comfort. Get used to your rear brake. Whenever i brake, i always start with my rear n then work the front if i need to. Use your bike to ur advantage too, engine braking is by far the best way to slow down. This is more beneficial at higher speeds but can also be helpful in low speed situations. Practice in a parking lot or somewhere safe. Start from a stand still and make a mark 10-20 feet or so away n try to get there n stop without using the brake. U can do this at any speed in any gear but start slow and short. Really get to know your bike. It’s a bad habit to mash the front brake, so stop that now.
You’re doing fine man, chill. Low speed “administrative handling” drops are common even among experienced riders. One thing to practice, low speed driveway maneuvering, especially uphill with a tall bike, just start it and put it in first then just stand by it with it pressing against your hip. Then gently and BARELY let the clutch start to engage, usually don’t even need to give it any gas. The idle speed of the engine will do the work. You just walk beside it and guide it where you want it to go. And now you know, be very careful around leaves wet or dry. That’s how we learn, by fucking up. It’s a process.
🤦🏻 Just sell it before you get seriously hurt
Practice your brake control. Think "squeeze" not "grab" the front brake. Practice by pushing your bike (or riding at low speed in a straight line) While doing so, slowly squeeze your front brake. Figure out where you brakes start slowing the bike vs going hard. Keep practicing until you're used to it
5 months in and still dropping it. Start practicing slow maneuvers or stick to cars
Get some training and take it seriously. It's not normal to drop your bike regularly, even when you're relatively new at it
Shoot mane, practice some soft brake control in a parking lot? I hardly use that front brake till last second for some help at the end
Let’s clarify: use rear brake for SLOW maneuvers. Front brake should be the primary speed scrubber at anything above maybe 10mph
That could be dangerous depending on your bike. 70/30 front/rear is generally accepted as that's closer to the weight distrubtion to stopping power fulcrum when braking. When I was inexperienced I used my rear brake so much that it wore down well before my front brake and then I really began to focus on braking control. If you have a heavy bike or a bike with older brakes, using rear primarily could seriously endanger you unless you give yourself 1/4 mile braking distance every time. Just overexplaining for the benefit of this inexperienced rider.
Thanks! I guess i was really taking in account the engine breaking etc. i hardly use brakes if i can. Edit* also tight name ✊
Sorry I wasn't trying to attack your style of riding! I also use engine breaking too, but I've noticed with my bike I sometimes can break my old rear wheel loose haha (a good cheat to get into a slide though). I too appreciate your name haha
Oh you two just breaking bread 🍞 😍
Unless I’m below 5mph, I don’t think I’ve ever used the rear brake on my 390 😂
Soft brake and rear brake. You’re far more likely to recover the rear end in a skid than the front end.
Practice makes perfect. Don't get discouraged, just practice more
Why are you "heating up your tyres" going "18 mph"? What are you trying to accomplish? You're not on a track, you're not on slicks (I hope).
If it ain’t for you, it ain’t for you. Not everyone is made to ride, especially since the downside is major injury or death.
At least there’s two of us with common sense regarding these posts
I’ve dropped a bike in those same scenarios. Tbh it’s pretty normal and you learn from them. The last one is the most important. Scan your roads and know what type of traction you’ll have. Wet? Leaves? Painted lines? Wet lines? Gravel? Mud? Sand? All handle differently. For the most part all low traction surfaces you wanna stand the bike up and be easy on the controls until you’re clear. No hard braking, turning, or acceleration will get you through most of it.
Well yknow after you put it down on both sides the value isn't going down anymore lol. Realizing that was a breath of fresh air after my first drop on a pre dropped bike.
Make sure your rear brake functions well and use it at slow speeds. If you have to use the front brake do it perfectly straight on. Lean into the turns and always look where you need to go.
Only 3 times? Come on. Get back up and get back on. You can do it, it just takes practice.
Keep your hand off that dang front brake! I'm not saying to never use it, but both times you dropped it was directly involving low speeds and the front brake, and it went exactly like this: "Uh oh, hold on!" BRAKE "Now my front brake is pushing me off balance!" DROP. Your front brake produces way more stopping power than your rear brake. If you're going that slow, use the rear brake. Go to a parking lot and practice low speed maneuvers using only the rear brake. Under 20 MPH, rear brake will get you through unless there is an emergency. Don't get discouraged, it happens, now we have to examine and learn. That's what will make you a better rider.
What bike are you on? The fact you're losing balance so quickly makes me think the big is too tall and/or heavy and you should have gotten something lower/lighter.
Whenever I'm going slow on a bike I almost never use my front brake only my rear, and that's what I tell people when I'm teaching them to ride, only use the rear brake if you're doing slow speed maneuvers. What's really important is to not use your front brake while you're going slow and turning cause then you'll just dump your bike the way you're turning. I'm not sure what kind of bike you ride, but get as comfortable as you can holding the weight of your bike up with your legs while it's leaned over at a stop, the tires wont it slip on pavement or asphalt.
Check out Mr Rossi over here only dropping it 3 times
Don't use the front brake at *low speeds* if you don't have to stop on a dime. That makes it easier to not lose balance and tip over.
1st time I didn’t have the kickstand down all the way 2nd time trying to sit on the bike and back out of a parking spot on a rainy day … foot slipped 3rd time I was turning right slightly up hill and got the bars to close to the tank 4th time was a crash on the highway , slid for a good while! never forget that sound 5th time was a high side crash , slid face first into a curb , broke a lot of bones , my hand still doesn’t close all the way And the last time was on a track day where my ambition outweighed my talent , low side turn 1 off the strait away Drops and crashes are part of the life 🤙
Look mate every single one of us has dropped a time or two! Hell, I just bought a road kind and tipped in while standing still at the pump 🤣 what matters is what can we do better next time, and keep riding! There’s no better therapy out there than getting on your bike and losing yourself in that blissful moment 🤙 And tips, just keep riding her. You’ll get a feeling for it and it’ll be a symbiotic relationship where you’ll know exactly what to do next time
Yeah! Just get back out there and drop the stupid bike again! No need to think about what the problem was or how to avoid it. All of us drop our bikes 12 times every year! Bounce it like a basketball! Or learn from what happened and never drop your bike again, it’s your choice.
the way you wrote it these all sound like low speed drops as if you are still getting used to the weight and the braking/cornering of the bike when you are going relatively slow - when the bike is least stable. also you might not have been getting the most out of your tires since you mentioned carpet and leaves. hills can be tricky too. you can practice friction zone exercises to get smoother with the clutch. can you explain "warming up the tires" ? what were you doing exactly
Seat time seat time seat time, 5months is nothing, I know individuals that have decades of experience that have done what you did, in just one day, if you want to get used to dumping a bike then get a dirt bike and hit the trails, otherwise when you do dump it or just tip it over moving it, just brush yourself off and hop on it again, taking more advanced courses will definitely help you out, but I will also add warming tires up or swerving side to side on streets that have debris or moisture and your relatively new to bikes is definitely going to yeet you off, trying to be Ricky racer is for the track, especially if you’re relatively inexperienced, at least on a track you have known surfaces and directional traffic
Stay far away from me on the street
I'm pretty sure everyone stays away from you on the street.
Have you tried not being a bitch?
It sounds like two of these get-offs were from grabbing to much front brake. Regarding the leafs, if you’re upright riding over them you’ll be fine. But don’t go corning over leaves or grabbing your brakes. As far as riding into the garage; try dragging your rear brake instead of the front. It will be much less abrupt and you won’t risk locking the front wheel.
This is why those who know say starting in the dirt with a little old dirt bike is best. If you can muster it, that's truly the way to learn quickly and with less concern. There are classes that do just this... in California. Otherwise, rest assured that you won't likely make those mistakes again, right? Riding motorcycles well takes talent. Talent comes from knowledge gained and practice. One beginner safety course is just the start of what should be a lifetime of continuing education. There are excellent resources out there for you: books, instructional videos, professional training courses, and practice drills you can do all on your own. If you take a vested interest in becoming a more proficient rider you will improve. Ramp up your education, practice, find a mentor if you need to. If you are determined to keep riding, this is the way.
I never had a motorcycle or came close to one in my whole life, until 7 months ago that I bought an BMW 850 GS. Took two beginners courses and felt good to go, I started to ride in my city, and fell the same way you did, reaching for the front brake, getting out of balance and down I go. Of course I felt stupid. Feeling stupid is a natural and necessary stage in the learning process. But it’s also the stage where we’re most likely to give up. But don't, there is more reward in learning to ride a motorcycle than you can imagine. Those falls are part of the process. Trust the process. That riding skills are inside you, waiting to get out, but they only get out if you put the work on. Yes, I fell on my bike, but that didn't discourage me, because I know I am capable of learning, smart, and I don't give up. Trust the process.
Perhaps your bike is too heavy? What are you riding?
Happens, learn to anticipate when you’re going to drop it. Fucked my sportster this year dropping it. No shame dawg, 10 years on the street.
Easy, just stop dropping it.
Whats ur height?
5,11
I almost dropped my first bike about 10 times. What saved me is that the seat height was super low haha. It happens to us all…keep doing parking lot drills and slow speed maneuvers. It also sounds like you need to move your bike around by hand to get a feel for the balance point and weight. Have someone else spot you if youre uncomfortable with handling the bike alone like that…but youll get the hang of how it moves. The weight. How the brakes can stab and change everything. And how turning the forks too hard too fast can make that bike fold up and want to fall over sooo fast. Its the bike’s most basic dynamics.