My first trip with my learners was FUN! But it was not perfect. This is what went wrong:
1. I shifted to neutral twice trying to go to second gear.
2. I rode the center line, instead of center of lane.
3. I speed through the community. (50 in 35)
4. I misjudged the nose of the bike and did not back off when someone wanted my lane.
All and all not bad. . I do have one question. Apparently there was a big accident and we ended up sitting in traffic. My righthand started to cramp because of the clutch. My husband had already adjusted the clutch to bring it closer but apparently not close enough. Is there anything I can do to make that better?
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2008 Premier Spyder GS #1927, purple LED lights on license plate, handle bar risers.
You'll get the feel for neutral v. second, and on the downshift neutral v. first gear.
Riding too close to the center line can get you in trouble. Curb that quick!
A visit with Officer Friendly will cure you of the speeding. You'll also get a better feel for how fast you're going, and which gear you need to not shift out of in different speed zones. Pay attention to how fast you're going when you shift up.
Give other drivers plenty of room - more until you learn where the nose really is. Tailgating is especially bad when you're on the outside of a vehicle, like a motorcycle or a Spyder. Any number of things can go wrong.
If you wind up stopped in traffic, you can shift into neutral and let go of the clutch. That will save your left hand some strain. Just remember to shift back into first before you try to take off again!
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CONSUMER WARNING: Use of this Spyder may cause smiling, happiness, urge to ride, excessive wind in the face, desire to call in sick to work, or even extended vacations. Some riders have experienced double-takes, pointing, sudden camera flash, kids waving, and conversations with total strangers. Several instances of unplanned roadside visits with police officers have been reported, though are not common. If you experience any of these symptoms, contact your Spyder forum to discuss.
Thank you for the feedback. My husband order blue tooth communicators so he can guide me when I make mistakes. I have never driven a motorcycle so I have lots of adjustments to make.
I love the feeling of being free. I guess I just just rushed going out on a major roadway. I will do better tomorrow.
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2008 Premier Spyder GS #1927, purple LED lights on license plate, handle bar risers.
Having ridden both motorcycles and now my RSS I would suggest going to a large parking lot that may have internal roads to practice on. You can simulate riding in traffic, merging, passing,ect. Use of cones will help to improve gaging distance and road positioning....Saddle time will bring all this together as well...Good luck .....
We thought of the parking lot but in northern Virginia if there is a parking lot it is full of cars. We are going to take a look at the community parking lot tomorrow to see if that is an option.
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2008 Premier Spyder GS #1927, purple LED lights on license plate, handle bar risers.
In my area I have a State Campus that is empty on the w/e and by 6pm,so I was able to practice all my manuevers until it became 2nd nature..Perhaps a local college ? Have fun and are you taking the MC BSC course?
It's the Basic Skills Course that once you complete and pass the field test on a motorcycle you have your MC license..In NY we have to have that to drive the spyder....
In Oklahoma the motorcycle course is offered to teach you how to ride and when you pass the test at the end, you get a certificate to take to the department of motor vehicles so you won't have to take the driving portion of your test, just the written, to get the M classification on your license. You have to have the M to drive a Spyder here.
I'm glad you are signed up for a course; it will make it much easier.
As far as the bluetooth, that may be helpful, unless you've got everything you can handle right now and adding a voice in your head would be too much. Something to think about.
Parking lots are a huge help. Little mistakes won't get you killed there. Soda cans are a good replacement for cones if you don't have those available.
Keep practicing, its worth it!
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CONSUMER WARNING: Use of this Spyder may cause smiling, happiness, urge to ride, excessive wind in the face, desire to call in sick to work, or even extended vacations. Some riders have experienced double-takes, pointing, sudden camera flash, kids waving, and conversations with total strangers. Several instances of unplanned roadside visits with police officers have been reported, though are not common. If you experience any of these symptoms, contact your Spyder forum to discuss.
My First Real Ride
. I do have one question. Apparently there was a big accident and we ended up sitting in traffic. My righthand started to cramp because of the clutch. My husband had already adjusted the clutch to bring it closer but apparently not close enough. Is there anything I can do to make that better?
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