Sad, sad day...

:cry: I went today to take my cycle test and sat back and watched while 2 brand new yamahas and a beautiful harley were dropped (different times, different people) :cry: ... Just goes to show ya... Just because you can... Doesn't mean you should...

 

So, why do people buy new bikes without any riding experience? I got my test on an old 200cc ish yamaha.

 

Physics lesson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgxpyvHfP2c

 

Who wants to start with a beater bike and end up buying 2? I can see this happening, part of the learning curve for some. They were over confident and didn't think they needed one of those rider training courses...oh did they pass?

 

Thankfully, no. it used to be that the abate reps would keep trying until someone passed... This guy fails anyone that drops a bike, regardless of how well they did on all else... As far as I see it, that's a beautiful thing...

 

Not long ago I saw what I assume was a father and son in a parking lot. The son on the dad's Shadow VTX all chromed out, very nice looking bike custom paint as well until, the son dropped it doing figure 8. I could see the horror on dad's face.

My wife wants to learn to ride I said fine, schedule your self for the MSF course, you can learn the basics there and drop their bike(s) all day long. Well up until you take your test to get your license. However, they way they ran it here in Va, is you can drop your bike before and after a particular skill test just not during. No one dropped it in my class but out of my class of 15 five did not pass. two of them failed the skills test, two failed the written exam and one was asked to leave the first day because she was too unsafe. She could not get the concept of clutch throttle down. She would rev the motor and kick it in to gear, clutch what clutch... I had never seen a 250CC crusier style bike do a wheelie until that day.

Bottom line a fool and their money...

 

When I took the class there was one gal there who "thought she was all that.." and was annoyingly outspoken. When we were doing the walk up and back to get the feel for the clutch this girl gunned it, and instead of pulling the clutch back in, she let go, flew off the back of the bike, and sent that thing motoring down the lot. Needless to say, they expelled her from the class. One other gal gave up but everyone else from group of 10 did well and passed. Amen for the MSF course!

 

LOL that is funny. yeah the people who talk the most at things like the MSF classes are usually the ones who have the least clue, or will listen the least. The woman in my class who had the clutch control problems had her rev and wheelie and then crash during the 'power walking' exercise on the first day on the range.

I am sure MSF instructors have some amazing and scary stories.

 

This is becoming quite an amusing thread...... "I had never seen a 250CC crusier style bike do a wheelie until that day." Looks like this kind of class would be a good place to hang around with a video camera, send it to funniest home videos.....

 

people need to respect a motorcycle.... until you do, there will always be "funny videos" i used to do stupid things on my bike.... until i realized that the day you treat your bike like a cheap stripper, is the day your bike tells you to go get bent! learn the bike, respect the bike, and RIDE!!!!

 

So, um... Are you saying that we need to learn the cheap stripper, respect the cheap stripper and then... And only then... Ride?

 

Lol no. I'm saying the people that fall off don't respect the bike. Its the newbies who think the open road is a right... and not an earned privilage. I'm almost willing to say that everyone on this fourm in one way or another has earned their right to ride

 

It really has nothing to do with respect or not respecting the bike, sometimes new riders make mistakes, they don't understand how something works and mess up... It is funny to some people.

The concept of throttle and clutch control is pretty foriegn to some people. Most people drive automatic cars and NEVER learn how to drive a standard transmission car. They are clueless about shifting gears or listening to a motor for when to shift. They just know stomp and go. Then they want a motorcycle. They have no frame of refernce for using a clutch. they make many mistakes however, usually in a car you bunny hop it and stall, on a bike you stall or it takes off like a bat out of hell. You hold on or you don't...

 

Lol no. I'm saying the people that fall off don't respect the bike. Its the newbies who think the open road is a right... and not an earned privilage. I'm almost willing to say that everyone on this fourm in one way or another has earned their right to ride

 

Lol no. I'm saying the people that fall off don't respect the bike. Its the newbies who think the open road is a right... and not an earned privilage. I'm almost willing to say that everyone on this fourm in one way or another has earned their right to ride

 

I was replying to the people with the all that attitudes at the testing. Experienced riders make mistakes.I agree with you

 

One of the things that I noticed a lot of people having issues with was the whole "push left, lean left, go left"... Although not intuitive by any means.... It also doesn't work that way when going slow (like slaloming cones @ 5mph...) So having that on the written test really screwed some people up.

 

Too right, when I teach people how to ride, I never ever mention the whole lean left push left thing. It always throws them off because it's more misleading than helpful.

 

The whole push left, lean left go left makes since to me, more or less it is how you ride a bicycle and 'fast' speeds. In fact a lot of stuff I do on a bicycle translated over to a motorcycle. The fact is is called counter steering is confusing though, because what are you countering? I mean you push left lean left you go left.. To me counter would me I push left lean left and go right... More like a boat..

 

Yeah I had to learn that real quick on a nice open bend. Got into oncoming traffic on a curve after a gnarly wind blew across the road. It never made sense to me until I tried it and now its actually more fun and a lot safer for me to ride. B.T.W. I passed my road test with my XJ750...weaving through cones and tight turns are not its strong point. This bike definitely made me a better rider.