I just got my first motorcycle yesterday. It‘s a 500cc so it‘s medium-sized, but I can‘t seem to move it by myself without dropping it! It weighs almost 400lbs and I weigh 160 or so; what the hell am I doing wrong? Is there a secret for balancing a bike while not on it and not have it tip over to the right (where the kick stand isn‘t)?Thanks in advance.
I believe this problem is moving the bike, for example, in a garage with the engine off. Stand by the left of the machine, hold the bars with the fingers of the right hand on the brake lever, lift the bike to near vertical and knock up the stand, at the same time turn your body to face the direction of the bike, leaning the weight on your thigh, the bike is only just off the vertical leaning towards you. The most difficult point is overcoming the inertia of the bike, once it is moving it is easier, lean forward letting your weight begin the movement, then start driving with your legs – keep your arms bent – once they straighten you lose some degree of control, so keep close to the machine and walk it round. The brake can be used progressively to slow you do not grab at it. I can think of two very good reasons to apply the rear brake at a stop. One, if you are hit from behind while stationary, and have the front brake applied the car will lift the rear wheel as the bike rotates around the front axle – if the rear brake is applied the tendency is for the bike to be pushed forwards – this relies on the dopey idiot behind you traveling at a reasonable speed, but should reduce the chance of serious injury. Two, for a novice especially, the rear brake allows you to perform a hill start without having to coordinate the fingers and palm of the right hand to juggle the brake and throttle. While doing slow speed manouevring a degree of rear brake can also be useful for a novice – drag the rear brake to avoid overusing the clutch.
There's a reason why many people suggest starting with a 250. Until one has developed the proper technique, one often has to resort to body english, or brute force, to get things done and if the bike is too heavy the bike (and gravity) will win the contest. The proper technique for getting on a bike is to grasp the handlebars, hold the front brake on, lean the bike SLIGHTLY to the left, and swing your leg over. If you have trouble doing that, you can leave the bike on its side-stand while holding the brake and getting astride. Either way, only once you're astride do you bring the bike upright. Once on the bike, the correct ready position, in other words your position at a standstill, is with both hands on the grips (NOT covering the front brake or clutch lever), your left foot on the ground, and your right foot holding the rear brake. You should ALWAYS come to a stop in this position, leaning the bike to the left as you stop. Otherwise, you are forced to release the rear brake before you have stopped (bad idea) so that you can catch the bike before it falls to the right. (Next lesson: If you're astride a bike, you use the motor to move it. You do NOT paddle with your feet to move it. EVER. That's SO gauche.)
