Oops. I fell down

[pilothawk]

While I am waiting on my new tires to get here I decided to go try some of the techniques in "Ride Like a Pro V". Well I certainly found out that I am nowhere near as good hauling this big gen1 around as I am an XR400! I also found out the hard way that I needed the first thing taught in the video....how to get your bike back upright! One of the things that is stressed in the video is to practice in a controlled setting so you don't have to learn things the hard way, in an uncontrolled setting! I'm glad my spill happened in a parking lot, and not on the road! I scraped up a bag protector and ended up with a stubbed middle toe, but other than that me and the bike are both ok.

 

The little women in those videos sure make things look easy. It is amazing at how agile they are on these huge bikes! The one thing they have done to get their skills to where they are is to practice. I obviously have a lot more practice to do before I can even get close to their skill level, and before I let my wife on the back of the bike. I will also plan on practicing the skills taught in the video with her on the back. I've already got 4 fused vertebrae from being foolish. I don't want to add any more battle scars to my collection or start a collection for her!

 

I'm glad that I've found this site, everyone has been very helpful. I will follow and learn from others, and help out when I can. The internet is such an amazing place, and I hope I will eventually get to meet many of you in person

 

Also, now that I've had a chance to read more....I'm not sure if I really need a crotch rocket with suitcases, so I'll ride my mkII very reserved, and as much in control as I can get her. I appreciate all the camaraderie that I've observed at VR!

Edited September 2, 2008 by pilothawk

[VTirelli]

Welcome to the ooopsies club.

[Guest tx2sturgis]

Hey dont beat yourself up over this. I havent seen the vids you are talking about, but from the website, it looks like the gals are all riding Harleys...which, as it turns out, are much easier to ride slowly than the Ventures, 1st or 2nd gens.

 

I have both the 2007 Venture and a 2000 electraglide, and you see a LOT more women riding the HD's than the Ventures..Harley makes a bike that is easy to ride...I mean a lot easier to ride slowly than the top heavy Ventures. This has to do with steering, weight, seat height, clutch and brake management, and overall ergos.

 

After I get off the Venture, and ride the Harley, its like, hey, this HD is small! Likewise, when I jump off the HD after riding it for awhile, the Venture seems BIG.

 

Its all in what you get used to, so take it easy and get comfy with the handling at walking speeds.

 

 

 

[GigaWhiskey]

So. is it $5 to Don's VR.org fund?

[Ozark]

It's now official. If you've dropped a Venture, you're definitely part of this club. I think it is an unwritten requirement for membership. Happpens to all of us. Let us know when you get all of the "Ride Like a Pro" demonstration mastered. Welcome aboard.

[KiteSquid]

In RLAP they show the easiest way to pick a bike up. GREAT stuff in that DVD!!!!!!!

 

 

Every time I watch RLAP I see how well a practiced rider can handle most any bike and I KNOW that I need to practice more.

 

 

I am going to go get a bunch of tennis balls and cut them in half to use as cheep cones...

[Bvinson]

In one of his earlier DVD's his does the coures on a Rasberry & Tan 2nd Gen. Makes it look just as easy as the Harleys.

[bongobobny]

Yah! I have to take the wife along with me to help pick it up because it is just too heavy to do it myself...

[Seaking]

Yah! I have to take the wife along with me to help pick it up because it is just too heavy to do it myself...

 

I dropped my first bike ever with the 06 Midnight.. after 38 yrs of riding that was the first time I had ever dropped a bike. I was taking my daughter to her grad night (she wanted to ride in style on daddy's bike) and wouldn't you know it.. at the top of a steep hill they put a new stop sign and the bike was high spotted when I came to the stop.. oops, feet dangling and nothing but hollow below them.. oh crap..

 

So I calmly told my daughter "We're going down" as the bike leaned over.. way over and she simply stepped off the bike. This was in the middle of the intersection (3 way stop) and there's my daughter in her grad gown over her leather jacket and helmet, while her old man, less than 2 weeks out from major upper/lower jaw surgery now had to figure out how to get this beast back up as I had never practiced it yet.. Ergh.. But simply put, ya stick your hip into the passenger hangon bars and hands on the grips and push up with your legs and voila, the bike is up. Needless to say this is very difficult to do when on a steep incline though.. egads!! Motorists at the intersection were very nice about the situation, wanting to help out and were patient enough for my daughter to hop back up on the bike once we got it started again.. (thanks guys!)

 

But everyone needs to take their bikes out on soft grassy area and 'drop' their bikes so that can practice getting it up on their own.. Better to do the figuring out in your own time and comfort zone than to look silly in front of a crowd. Luckily for me I had practiced on other bikes, just not on the Venture..

 

Remember, lift with the LEGS, not the back

[gibvel]

Yah! I have to take the wife along with me to help pick it up because it is just too heavy to do it myself...

 

 

May be as good a time as any to post this site up again:

 

http://www.pinkribbonrides.com/dropped.html

It's all technique and, yes it does work with the Venture.

 

Just don't forget to put the kickstand down if you're lifting from the right side.

[jkt69]

I have "almost' dumped a couple of times. What I have found is very crucial in avoiding a drop are a couple of things:

 

1) Always put both feet down when coming to a stop. You might can 1 foot a cruiser, but watch out for this 900lb hunk of top heavy metal, one slip is all it takes. (also, I have found do not ride with sneakers one, not enough grip, too slippery).

 

2) It is practically impossible for the bike to go over as long as you keep power to the rear wheel> when practicing U-turns for example just keep the power to the wheel, no coasting.

 

3) A sure fire to drop is playing around with that front brake....stay away from it.

 

4) Look where you want to go, never look down (that is very un-natural to do, but it does help the bike to turn), keep the power to the rear wheel and lay off the front brake...if you can do all of that, then you reduce the chances of a drop considerably.

 

Okay, watch me dump it this weekend now