Bike too heavy for me to manage

[loubelle]

Hello , me again !
I have been out on my bike and managed to ride it ok but just think it is so heavy to manage when starting off or parking up.
Do you ever get used to this or would I be better off selling it and getting something I feel more comfortable with ?
Obviously I know it is personal choice but just wondering what you all think in general .
Thanks for listening - again

SORRY SHOULD HAVE SAID BIKE IS A YAMAHA XJ6 DIVERSION

[CaNsA]

Nice one for going out on the bike chick.
Kudos for braving it

Chill out, relax up.

If you are tense getting on/ riding/ getting off the bike you will find it difficult.

you will get used to it, its all about balance.

Try not to over think about it, just do it. You know how and its not that much different than the 125.

Do you feel safer on the road, riding the XJ6 than the 125?

[MaybeGuy]

my pet hate is people who cant handle basic things on their own bikes.

i once saw some stupid fat bitch woman with a cruiser trying to park, and had to get her (goldwing) husband to park it for her. i was like WHAT THE FUCK.
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Blue_SV650S wrote: it was a sh1te wheelie, but it proves that he can get it up in 3rd and can do angles. In summery, mattsprattuk is a gobby little sh1tebag, dopehead tw4t, but sadly for all of us, he probably isn't THAT full of sh1te!!
Kickstart wrote: Hi I tend to agree with Matt. All the best Keith

[panrider_uk]

You'll get used to it the more you use it.

When you're parking use the engine to move you forward and allow the road's camber to help you move backwards.

Mark
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Current bikes: Honda ST1100 Pan European. Moto Guzzi V85 TT Travel

[Teflon-Mike]

Depends. Some bikes are more cumbersome than others. XJ isn't exactly the most well balenced bike, or the lightest, but its not the worst either.

Some of it may come with technique and familiarity, but depending on the bike and on how you fit it, may always be a tad cumbersome.

I have a VF1000. 517lb 'dry' weight, closer to 600lb, or THREE CG125's juiced up, ready to ride with paniers attached, with a high centre of gravity and near dirt bike tall seat height! THAT is 'cumbersome'. When I was riding it every-day, I was a fit, athletic, 15 stone, 6'2" bloke, and experienced rider... it was STILL fucking cumbersome!

You learn what works and what doesn't, and you dont put yourself or the bike in situations where you are going to struggle, unless you have to or have them forced on you.

What matters is how combersome it is from the saddle, and under power, and if that works for you, thats whats most important.

With the VF, for example, being tall and top heavy, a lot easier to guide it into spaces under its own power, and I found I could manouver it pretty well, 'foot-up' like a trials bike at slow speed.

Far easier making the bike work for you, under ITS power then trying to shove it about with leg power!

So, parking on cambered road, you dont ride in forwards, you pull up parallel, and back it in, footinig from teh saddle, letting gravity pull it backwards, so that when you come to get out that park space, you drive out under the engines power, letting IT pull you up-hill, rather than trying to drag it up the ramp with your legs!

Snowie's 125 Cruiser thing, on teh other hand, JUST and bludy cumbersome, curtecy of chopperised forks, and wide bars, but there, low seat, and wide bars, trying to foot the thing from the saddle, like trying to pedal a excercyle upside down! So, get of, walk it.

Stuff like that, Its knowing your bike, and a a bit of 'technique'.

Should come with a little time getting to know the bike.

But ultimately, yeah. Had a mate who for YEARS percevered with a Honda CX500 'silver-wing'. Over weight, over dressed 'maggot', with stepped 'king & queen' saddle and big wind-jammer fairing.

He struggled every time he brought it home, putting it on the centre stand in the garage, so his missus could still get to the freezer. He spent HUNDREDS on main dealer servicing, becouse he didn't want his missus seeing him struggling with it hefting it about to change the spark-plugs in the garage! And insisted that he couldn't get rid of it, becouse his wife wouldn't let him have a bigger bike!

In teh end, took him to a dealers and got him a test ride on a GPz900! Nearly twice the capacity of the Silver-wing... rode round (with ralesman following) to his house, to show his missus.
She came out and looked at it..... asked "So what are you showing me this for Kev?
He said, "'Well, I was thinking of buying it..." very tentatively.
She looked at him, looked at the bike, said "So can you put it on the stand then?" He did.
"See!" she said, "Been telling you for YEARS you ought to get a smaller bike you can actually handle. Go on then" and walked back to the kitchen!

Sometimes no matter how ahard you try, bike just wont suit, and you can still struggle with it, and may have to re-think, and look for something different. BUT, its not necesserily the size or weight or style of bike, JUST the way its balenced on the kerb, and how that fits your physique.

Percevere, give it a chance, see if it comes and if you can live with it, or work around it. You'll probably 'get it' soon enough.
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My Webby'Tef's-tQ, loads of stuff about my bikes, my Land-Rovers, and the stuff I do with them!
Current Bikes:'Honda VF1000F' ;'CB750F2N' ;'CB125TD ( 6 3 of em!)'; 'Montesa Cota 248'. Learner FAQ's:= 'U want to Ride a Motorbike! Where Do U start?'

[Ingah]

Just felt it was worth saying that it took me, a 15 stone and not weak guy, 18 months to feel comfortable dealing the weight of my CB500, a "mere" 210kg.
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-- Ingah

[Teflon-Mike]

[CaNsA]

Cos im not out on the bike as much atm im not as balanced on the cbr600f @ 206kg it feels alot heavier.

Before the snow set in, it felt so light. But thats cos i was riding it every day.

[MinhDinh]

In terms of parking, I always angle my bike facing the road or exit. I can push my bike backwards, and it is pretty light, but I try to use common sense.

There isn't much else you can do but cycle and strengthen your legs!
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Hit the G spot.

[Dazbo666]

[yen_powell]

It's definitely practice (plus the good point above re using gravity and the engine to help with parking).

If you go to most bike shops you will see some weedy pathetic creature moving full dress goldwings about with no worries, because he's had to do it day in day out and paid for all previous breakages.

If you do get into a position where you are sitting on the bike and can't push it backwards, put the side stand down, get off and pull it backwards with your left hand on the handlebar and your right hand on the rear grab rail. Keep the bike lent very slightly towards you and keep the sidestand down if you want a bit of extra security.
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Blackmail is a nasty word........but not as nasty as phlegm!
XT1200Z and a DR350 in bits

[pinkyfloyd]

[Polarbear]

[MinhDinh]

Part of the mod 1 is to push the bike backwards from one box to another in a semi circle. Practice this over and over and you soon learn it's not about strength but technique.
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Hit the G spot.

[Rogerborg]

Counterpoint: biking is a pleasure activity. If you're not enjoying your bike at low speed, you're tainting the experience, and we're not on a rehearsal here. The last thing you want to do is to lose confidence by dropping the bike or getting to a state where you have to force yourself to get on it.

With my stubby Scotch pins and a driveway obstacle course to negotiate morning and evening, I would not enjoy hauling a 200kg+ bike in and out of the garage, so I don't have one. "End of", as we like to rap round here. Heck, today I took the 125 just for larks, and had an absolute blast.

So I'd suggest that you hit some showrooms and try some other bikes to see if you can find something that might make you happier.
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[supZ]

as others have said its all about practice (i.e. confidence) one of the girls in the office had a CBR600FX and thought that was too heavy for her to handle. mainly due to the fact she couldnt touch the ground fully.

now im not much taller than her, i had a CBR600FW before and couldnt flat foot on that, cant on the blade either but it doesnt bother me. i can get my toes down on both sides or just stick my foot out and wait til it hits the floor. doesnt bother me yet with her it becomes an issue as shes scared she wont be able to hold it.

its confidence, im not worried about sticking my foot out but she is and it becomes an issue because of that. half the problem was she barely rode it as she was too scared to drive it off their gravel drive and always got her other half to do it and as such she never got the confidence to manage herself.

i ride all the time and have gotten used to my bike/s and how they handle/feel so throwing it around doesnt bother me, was funny when i got the blade though.. it felt like a toy compared to my old steelie! (blades about 30kg lighter)

in short, just keep at it and you'll get used to it. if you cant touch the floor on your divvie then it'll be a factor as you'll be worried about that and you wont feel in control. lowering, another bike or just getting on with it and 'manning up' are your options there, heh

good luck and happy riding!
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CBR954RR - Daily toy
CBR600RR - Trackbike

[Bendy]

Ride it every day for 2 weeks then re-consider the question.

And use your brain, not your strength.

[pinkyfloyd]

[Paxovasa]

It does get better with the more time you spend on the bike.

Is the bike a little tall for you?
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Suzuki GSF600 K3 (in the fastest colour, black).

[Polarbear]

My wife had the same problem with her 07 bandit. She was terrified of dropping it and cause of that ended up dropping it on the drive onto next doors car.

We sold that and got her an old VFR750. Its old, so she isn't so worried about damaging it and has no trouble manoeuvering it.

What I am saying is that in her case it was all in the mind, a fear of damaging a new bike.
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Victory Cross Country American tractor.

[maria383]

Just keep riding it and you will get used to it. When I first got my 400 I was really worried about dropping it. I'm certainly not the biggest person in the world. However I soon got used to it and now I've got a 600 and feel completely comfortable on it!

My advise would be, man up and you'll be fine
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Happiness is realising you have another gear left

[ollieholt]

Confidence is key to all aspects of riding. If you are not confident your on the road to an upset. Take it to a car park, mooch around at low speed using the back brake and clutch etc. Then push it around for a bit. If you find you can't gain confidence it may be time to get a lower lighter bike. The lower the centre of gravity the easier it will be to manoeuvre.
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< This? Well this is just a day brightner.

[Paivi]

[Polarbear]

However confident you are, if you are a small woman you're going to struggle moving something like a 1000 around on some surfaces. Doesn't mean you shouldn't ride one though.
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Victory Cross Country American tractor.

[Bendy]