Day 1 of MSF: my thoughts on my day | GTAMotorcycle.com

Day 1 of MSF: my thoughts on my day

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highflyer

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I wanted a two-wheeler to make my commute a bit more convenient as I currently take the bus. It's not like the bus takes a long time, but if I miss it, it just takes too long to wait for another one. Plus, my own vehicle gives me the freedom to go when I want, where I want.

Anyway, after the first day, here are my thoughts. By the way, at the end, we did a traffic scenario. Up to 2nd gear was allowed. We had to do all the signalling, should checks, turning with speed, braking, etc. so it was quite realistic, hence it conjured up some of my thoughts.

1. My wrists hurt like hell! Ok fine, I did pick out a sports bike (CBR 125), but if I was going down this route anyway, I don't think it'll be good. As I am a pianist and I value that much more than a motorcycling (which to me is simply a means of getting from point A to B), I will gladly give up the latter.

2. The controls require too much thought for a point A to B vehicle. Sure, it eventually becomes second nature, but it is still more complicated than gas and brake in a car.

3. Stopping and going is not smooth and even dangerous when I'm riding. The nervousness kicks in all the time and I mess up my controls. I don't think I will be confident riding on the road.

4. Precision is key. I can't get a good for the friction zone and I keep stalling whenever I want to go. Although I did figure out what works for me (gently push with left foot, then release clutch a bit more while giving it a bit of throttle at the same time), the precision of how much to give and take is too much for me. Worst is, sometimes I may not feel the acceleration (clutch not released enough), then I give it too much throttle. When I remember to release the clutch a bit more, I accelerate hard and think, "s*** I'm gonna die in the real world".

My conclusion at the end of the day is, I *might* get a scooter, and that's a big maybe. More than likely, I'll go back to a car when I can justify the costs.


*Day 2 Update*
Today went a lot smoother. Instead of stalling 20-40% of the time yesterday, today it only went down to 1% maybe? I did a lot of practicing while waiting in line for my turn to complete the exercises. I feel like I'm getting the hang of slow release of the clutch. Everything was actually a lot more transitional. I still have to think about it a lot, but upshifting, for example, is pretty much engrained in me. Downshifting to stop is still a bit tricky; coordinating release of clutch, multiple taps down to first gear, and slowly braking was a bit much for me (I tend to overbrake a bit).

Anyway, I got the M2 referral letter, getting only 7 points in the process (5 for not stopping in the box because I touched the line, and 2 for going a bit slower through some turns).

I'm definitely a lot more confident right now, but I'm still on the fence about this whole motorcycling thing as a means of commute...
 
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It seems hard at first...but honestly the second day lets you refine some of the skills you learned. As for the wrist hurting, thats probably because youre on the clutch a LOT since youre in a parking lot doing tons of stop and go..on the road its less of an issue. Also, you might be gripping the handle bars too tightly, I still tend to do that... its instinctive as a new rider.
 
It's only been one day, give it some time. The fatigue will not be a factor after about a week, the controls will be like second nature. The CBR 125 has such little power that you will stall easier than with a 600CC as low speeds however with the lighter bike you will gain a higher level of skill in cornering than most . As for the CBR 125 being a sports bike, no comment :l
 
All four of those get worked out within the first week of riding. If your posture is proper, then your wrists will stop hurting after you've adapted. Numbers 2, 3, and 4 all require muscle memory... it is normal that you are frustrated and overwhelmed at the start. When every decently experienced motorcyclist is out for a ride, they never have to consciously think about changing gears, or stopping and starting (or anything like that) unless there are extenuating circumstances... that would be maddening.

It would be a shame if you cut your time short on a bike because of 4 issues that aren't even real issues.

As for your starting from a stop, I found a lot of the riders in my course felt there was some sort of time-crunch in letting the clutch out. It isn't a race, and it isn't one smooth quick action in the beginning. Let the clutch out until you hit the friction zone, and then very slowly (almost hold it there) let it out from that point. Everyone was so rushed to let the clutch out that they'd stall.

It might also help to think of the throttle & clutch as a garden hose & nozzle, respectively.. the throttle is crude, and gives you large volume. The clutch is there to refine that flow. Use the clutch to take a larger amounts of throttle and turn it into something useful. Try building your revs up to a higher amount, (4k? whatever) and then slowly letting out the clutch.. you can still crawl at those revs, using the clutch

EDIT: You really hurt my feelings by referring to motorcycling as "simply a means of getting from point A to B." :sad5:
 
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1. Use your core muscles on your body rather than wrists.
2. The main reason some people ride motorcycles is because it is quite a challenge in an awesome way. Just like those driving manual transmission cars.. We like "complications". I like the freedom to have independent controls of rear and front brakes. I would rather go home and sleep instead of driving an auto transmission car to have fun.
3. No comments. You will probably find yourself improved tomorrow morning.
4. On a CBR 125, unless you rev upto 10k+ and dump the clutch 100%, you will be safe. If stalling, you need more gas input. Rev higher (4k -5k) before anything, and work with clutch. You will eventually get a feeling for the friction zone.

If, for example, the chapter of "friction zone" passed by too fast for you, talk to your instructor, and ask if you can practice on the side some more. Otherwise, you will have troubles both in test, and in the rest of the course.

tricky said:
EDIT: You really hurt my feelings by referring to motorcycling as "simply a means of getting from point A to B." :sad5:
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LOL !!
I mostly ride without the pre-declaration of "B".
 
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highflyer said:
My conclusion at the end of the day is, I *might* get a scooter, and that's a big maybe. More than likely, I'll go back to a car when I can justify the costs.
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Hey man ridings not for everyone. If you dont feel comfortable doing it better to find out now then after buying a bike. Have fun with day 2, you really have nothing to lose. Bonus points for wheelies.
 
I am a motorcycle rider...and I need to learn the piano. The piano learning is just so that I can learn to enjoy music whenever I want to. So far it's day one... here are my thoughts...

1. My fingers hurt way too much. So many rhymes and jingles and stuff My fingers can't keep up
2. My brains hurting from remembering all these figures and letters that have to be played in sequence

......OP you get my drift???

It's your first day.... I can't learn to play piano the first day and then crib about it....

Just like a piano, learning to ride a motorcycle takes time....the more you get involved , the better it gets ;)
 
whetaus-tr said:
1. Use your core muscles on your body rather than wrists.
2. The main reason some people ride motorcycles is because it is quite a challenge in an awesome way. Just like those driving manual transmission cars.. We like "complications". I like the freedom to have independent controls of rear and front brakes. I would rather go home and sleep instead of driving an auto transmission car to have fun.
3. No comments. You will probably find yourself improved tomorrow morning.
4. On a CBR 125, unless you rev upto 10k+ and dump the clutch 100%, you will be safe. If stalling, you need more gas input. Rev higher (4k -5k) before anything, and work with clutch. You will eventually get a feeling for the friction zone.

If, for example, the chapter of "friction zone" passed by too fast for you, talk to your instructor, and ask if you can practice on the side some more. Otherwise, you will have troubles both in test, and in the rest of the course.

LOL !!
I mostly ride without the pre-declaration of "B".
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Thanks for the sig quote, buddy :D gimme a shout if you wanna go riding someday, I share a similar philosophy
 
BTW thanks for the comments guys. I'm quite surprised at the level of support that people on this forum give (with some exceptions of course).

Yes, I know it's too soon to make any solid conclusions after only one day, but I am unlikely to invest in a bike if it doesn't go well tomorrow, which means I'll never be a motorcycle rider (it actually saddens me a bit). Whatever the outcome is, at least I'll be able to cross an item off my to-do list! I think I'll always remember the motorcycling community as an awesome gang :D
 
Unfortunately, I feel the same way. I'm trying to have an easy means of moving from place to place, not pick up an awesome hobby!
 
highflyer said:
Unfortunately, I feel the same way. I'm trying to have an easy means of moving from place to place, not pick up an awesome hobby!
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Yeah it's kind of a hobby for hooligans. If you're commuting in the city a 200cc scooter is the absolute best mode of transport, can literally steer with your feet, but past that for fun is the only real reason to be on two wheels.

Not a picture of me, but my idea of a fun day riding a bike --->
wheelie_aprilia_tuono_v4r.jpg
 
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Oh man this thread gave me a good laugh. Good on ya for trying somthing new.
 
Don't be discouraged after just the first day. When I took the course earlier this year, at the midpoint of the first day I was literally thinking: what should I do with all this gear I bought? Sell it or just throw it away? I definitely felt I wasn't going to be able to learn how to ride a motorcycle. I was stalling repeatedly, couldn't maneuver at slow speeds, and overall just wasn't getting it. But you definitely internalize the lessons after a while if you reflect on what you're having trouble with. As tricky mentioned, letting the clutch out too fast is a common mistake, especially if you don't know how to drive a manual transmission (I didn't). The clutch is not an on/off switch, let it out smoothly while adding more power as you pick up speed. Generally the clutch won't be fully engaged until you're already moving at a decent running speed (about 15 km/h). And don't be afraid to give it a bit more power, I usually bring the revs up to about 5k before letting the clutch out when starting.
On the second day you might find that the lessons from day one have been assimilated, and handling the bike at speeds above 25 km/h is much easier than slow speed maneuvering (but you should keep practicing that too). For me, the second day was much more fun than the first, even though it ended with me failing the test. I went back and re-did the test and passed. Since then I bought an '08 CBR125. My first day riding on the street (the neighborhoods around my house) was frustrating, just like the first day in the course: I stalled repeatedly, and the constant re-starting drained the battery, until the bike wouldn't start anymore. But actually the reason was simple: the friction zone on my bike is much closer to the fully-in clutch position than on the bikes I used at the course, where you could let the clutch out almost all the way before the bike started moving. Once I figured that out, avoiding stalls was much, much easier. And my subsequent rides have been much better.
I'm still learning, probably slower than most other people. I've only had time for one 30 minute ride per week since I bought my bike, so I haven't yet started using the bike for commuting, which is why I bought one. I was probably one of the slowest learners in my class, but hey, everyone learns at a different speed. I'm just saying, don't get discouraged after just day one. You might have more trouble picking up the basics than some others, but I think there's two kinds of people out there: those that can learn to ride a motorcycle, and those that already know how... it's not beyond most people's ability to learn. That said, if you decide to go the scooter route, that's a great decision as well.

Good luck,

Al
 
Learning to play the piano is complicated. Learning to ride a bike is not. Playing the piano isn't dangerous, whereas riding a bike can be. If you don't think you want to ride because it's too difficult to learn, you're wrong. If you're co-ordinated enough to play the piano, you're co-ordinated enough to master the controls on a bike. Give it time and you'll get it like everyone else. But if you don't want to learn to ride because you think it's too dangerous, then stay off. Be honest with yourself.
 
I took my course last month, I'm pretty sure my thumb was sprained holding in the Hyosung clutch all day (since the thing refuses to go into neutral unless it was off). I was VERY intimidated on the bike, felt probably similar to what you are feeling.

On day 2, when they taught more exercise and gave more practice time, I spent most of my time on task that I didn't feel comfortable doing. Also helped that I "lined up" for exercise that had the shorter line, so I get more riding time rather than sitting there waiting inline. I would say the extra riding time definitely helped a lot making feel less intimidated, and I think that definitely helped me passed the course.

I bought my first bike last weekend and put on 200km on it since then. I spent probably a good hour or two on slow side streets getting used to the bike, doing some slow speed corners, 1st gear starts from stop signs, etc. Took a little time to get more comfortable before hitting the major streets, even then, I still wasn't fully confident since I found myself spending too much time focusing on certain things and not spending enough attention on others. It takes time and practice to be good at it, riding the bike is a new learning process for me, a first since driving a car on the road by myself when I was 17.

You're not going to be an ace rider after 12 hours of class, it's a new skill you're learning, but if you don't see yourself enjoying it, don't force yourself.
 
If you don't fall in love with motorcycling after you learn how to ride, it may not be for you. Not everyone takes to it after the reality sets in.
 
RetroGrouch said:
If you don't fall in love with motorcycling after you learn how to ride, it may not be for you. Not everyone takes to it after the reality sets in.
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I'd go with that. It's not a good reasoning in my mind as a sole alternative to taking the bus. On the other hand, I'm one of those people that came into at the right time for me, though later in life and I freekin' LOVE IT.
The only thing that surprises me is that even though he's a keyboard player, OP struggles to coordinate two hands operating a clutch and throttle or using some sensitivity on the controls. (That's why I stuck to viola in school, lol)

A friend of mine had to quit very soon into it because his diabetes messed up any feeling in the feet on the controls and his sense of balance was off.

Anyway, you went about it the right way, taking a proper course. And you'll probably remember the drills much longer than you think, which ever way you decide to go.
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