New to the world of Scooters..Hello from Nampa, ID

[satellitehead]

I got a lightly used Tank touring 250cc the other day and now that i am all legal I have been driving it around. Having never had a motorcycle/scooter of my own and only riding solo on dirt bikes once or twice I can already tell there is some kinda of technique i need to master. I watch other cyclists and there ride looks more fluid..hmm anyone understand that? Oh well i only commute about 10 miles a day on it and all on back roads. I am sure what ever i need to learn will come in time. I just wanted to say hello and what a wonderful forum you all have here. I visit it every day and read many of the threads. I have a few questions about the Tank that i have but i will start those threads up in the correct sections. Thanks again for the forum. Happy Scooting.

[royshodg]

Welcome to the forum. Have only had mine since June and had never been on one before. i too discovered it takes a little different technique and gained a whole new respect for motorcycle riders. don't think I'm coordinated enough to master shifting gears in addition to the other stuff. ride mine to work about 10 miles. Decided to take it out just to ride and try different things for turns etc. and found out i still have some things to learn but am getting better at it. good luck keep us posted. Roy

[rerun2]

satellitehead

There is a definite learning curve with getting the feel for riding on two wheels. I suggest finding an empty parking lot for a practice area, and mentally laying out a course to follow, you can use lamp posts as 'markers' as if there were a crossing street there you want to turn and go down... coke cans make dandy little pylons as well. Empty parking lots... Church parking lots during he week, most have very very few cars during week days, and none after 5:30 pm or so... abandoned shopping centers are kool, make sure you are not in a dangerous part of town!

Mini riding tips; without a bunch of mumbo jumbo 'tech talk'... experienced riders look smooth and fluid because they are, riding is almost instinctive once a few fundmentals are learned.

1) practice with your bike!!! the most important thing you need to learn is not how to go, but how to STOP, safely... run up in speed little by little, and apply the brakes separately and together, and experiment with braking sequences so you have a second hand nature of how the machine will react to your control input. The front brake will provide 70-80% of your total stopping power, learn it completely! Probably the most common reason for a ridr going down is caused by misuse of the front brake. It is natural to squeeze that lever as tight as you can when you sense trouble, big no-no, the bike stops, you don't, you keep going and that forces the bike to go down. Practice brake application in straight lines of travel...

2) do not brake in a turn, you should enter a turn already slowed to a speed that the turn can be made safely without using the brake. If you MUST brake in a turn you enter to fast, use the back brake, hit that first then add front brake in a steady progression, sounds complicated, but will happen naturally if you have practiced enough to know what to expect. If you find you are actually adding some power in the turn, you are where you want to be.

3) Making turns, do not think of turning the handlebars, you do that when you 'walk' your bike out of a parking space or turn it around, you don't need the engine power in these manuvers for the most part.

Some teach 'leaning into the turn'. I don't like that way of thinking, yes your body and bike will lean in turns, but you don't need to concentrate on 'leaning'... same results, better way to do it... if you want to go left, PRESS the left hand downward on that side of the handlebar, press down on the right side to go right... super simple, and you don't have to think about too much/too little 'lean'. Pressure needed to negotiate a turn comes almost automatically even when first practicing this way of thinking your self through the manuver. Getting a feel of how much or how little pressing is needed just happens, don't need to think about it after the first few time you practice it. Lean and 'counter steer' are all taken care of.

4) MOST important, LOOK where you want to go, you WILL go to the spot your vision is fixed on, you cannot help but do this! If you enter a turn and stare at a point halfway through it, guess what is going to happen? Yep, you will smack into whatever you are looking at. You are always thinking ahead of the action, plan that upcoming turn, reduce speed before you enter the turn, Press down and start entering the turn, you are looking at the point you want the bike and you to be when the turn is completed. Smooth as silk you will adjust your speed, pressure on the bar (lean) and find you are in love with the activity, you and the machine are in concert.

It all takes some practice, confidence comes in time, hope this helps some.

[jemco]

i'm brand new. was thinking about buying more than 3 to sell & maybe keep one.
i need all the advice that i can muster.