1st day on 500cc.....dropped

[mapex]

More training today and went from the 125cc to the 500cc-the
moring went very well, stopped at where we go for u-turns
and nailed them right away..........lunch i was also happy with my
handling of it maybe a little-better watch myself here-but
it was pretty good.

After lunch we get told to go out to the the pad and practice
u-turns between the 2 lines and i was pretty happy with that.

Then the instructor set some cones up app 2m less width
and we had to ride up and a u-turn then down though
a small slalom, 2m less than the road we did them on in
the morning.

Up i go............dropped it and broke the clutch lever, up
again dropped it broke an indicator. The 2 m less in width
......dunno how to describe it....zapped my confidence.

Out onto the road and i was fine, good observation, position
ect.....went to the street we were at in the morning...u turn.
Foot down, dropped it and banged my balls off the tank...
F--- IT i shouted............back to driving and i was ok.
.
2m width at the cones...ruined my day
____________________
www.soundclick.com/foursticks

[unspec]

I'm assuming you're on a GS500/ER-5/CB500 type of naked twin.

They all have great turning circles. So basically, don't worry about it.

It really is all in your head. I posted this the other day, it was the approach I used when I did my direct access in 2007.

Basically it really clicked when I just trusted the bike. Grip the tank with your knees to relax your arms and follow the tips in your other U-turn thread.

And it will click, I dropped the 500 once doing the U turns and had countless foot-down moments but it did work out after I got it sorted in my head.

[NexusDragon]

I dropped my CBF600 at the end of day 1. After plenty of riding we headed for a private car park on a sloped bit of land. We continued to do hill-starts and sloped u-turns for the next 35 minutes to get used to the difference in clutch and brake control.

Just as we were about to head back to the shop I jumped on the bike, started it up and did an angled start. Bars at full lock I stalled the bike on an uphill start and it rolled back and immediately dropped to the ground.

Only damage was a snapped brake lever. Using one finger to brake with certainly felt strange! My instructor was fine about it, afterall it was day one and it had been a long day at that. A perfect example of what fatigue/cold and cockiness can do to your judgement. Best advice, if you feel your going to go down at a low speed, try to dismount the bike as it falls to one side. This prevents you from getting trapped under the bike and crushing your ankle/leg, possibly on a hot engine.


As for your U-turns, my instructor explained to me that your perception of the bike falling is all in your head and to imagine it this way: The wheels on your bike are rounded, so when you put the bike into full lock the front will begin to lean in due to the curve on the tyres. It almost feels like the bike is going to keel over, but if you give it the right amount of throttle and clutch control the momentum will drive the bike round perfectly. It FEELS like your going to fall, but its the same principle as leaning into a corner, just at a very low speed. Let the bike do the work for you!
____________________
DAS Passed 19th April 08. 07' YBR125 > Yamaha FZ6 S2 '08 > 1998 YZF600R ThunderCat

[cyberglass]

[mapex]

I'm going in later today and thinking P.O.S.I.T.I.V.E. i mean
yesterday morning my control on the U turn was good and
at lunchtime it was the same up to the cones went out, then
bang.....it was like the devil coming and grabbing it away
from me.....positive.....let you know later how i go.
____________________
www.soundclick.com/foursticks

[NexusDragon]

Stay calm and relax. Stress is your enemy, it can do all kinds of things to your judgement and mistakes come tumbling down on you one after the other. Try not to get worked up if you cant do something, as it will only make it more difficult. My instructor used to wind me up deliberately this way. Once I came to realise what he was doing my riding became smoother and I began to think for myself.

You'll soon be riding for yourself in front of an examiner so keep an open mind.
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DAS Passed 19th April 08. 07' YBR125 > Yamaha FZ6 S2 '08 > 1998 YZF600R ThunderCat

[Neorion]

I dropped the Er5 on the 2nd day during a U-turn I didnt say a word just got up got the bike as my instructor came towards me, waved him off and nailed another u-turn shouted F$%K!!

Then had a smoke.

In your head mate it's strange but true.

Relax and you will be fine.

I passed with 2 minors kakked myself until the U-turn was over and then relaxed and forget the tester was there
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VFR FI 2000- Shiney Red Thing
"some things man was never meant to know, for everything else there's Google"

[Leejf]

u-turns were my nightmare too!
tip my instructor gave me was to steer into the curb first after you have pulled away and then turn the bars right quickly turning ur head to look over ur shoulder and 'not look at the curb' but some point in the far distance down the road
this worked a treat for me!
____________________
Lee
'heated grips are a god send!!'