Riding tips for a new girlie rider.

Hi everyone, I was wondering if any one can give me any advice on learning how to handle my sv650 better.

I have been riding all of 7 days, so maybe about 30 hours of riding and I'm feel really good about how its going apart from a few issues.
This is my first big bike since passing a few months ago so I have had no experience on bikes apart from the direct access and my little sv. I am a car driver and very confident and aware so my problems do not lie there.

My problems is with my clutch control on roundabouts, esp if they are bumpy. My hand seems knock the throttle open sometimes and scaring me silly and makes me look like a numpty if I get pulled forward because of the jolting. Darn rutts and holes!
I try to be light with my wrist action (oo, err) and try to not panic and shut off the throttle too quick as that seems to throw me some times too.

I have talked to my OH and he says that it will get easier in time. I do get loads of advice but I thought maybe you guys could offer some advice too.

Other than that I am having so much fun with this little bike. So easy to handle, having fun leaning it over on the twisties and escaping the line of cars at a red light.

Hope you can help.

Denise

Counter-steering and transferring the weight of your upper body in corners is the most useful stuff I've learned and made a huge difference from barely being able to ride the bike to being able to thrash it fast and have loads of fun, confidently and safely.

[L3nny]

Try and hold the clutch on the biting point so it doesn't matter if you over rev. Like when you were learning how to do your U turn for the test.

I've had my bike 3 months and there are still times when I scare myself or make the odd mistake but I am a lot better than whan I first got it, I found a lot of it was nerves, when I relax I find I can control the bike a lot better.

Also try taking an advanced course, I did one that the local council ran and it was invaluable.

Don't worry it'll come soon.

What L3nny said. Thats what I sometimes do when I go round a roundabout (if I don't straightline it)

Oh and I forgot, completely relax your upper body and arms, it makes a huge difference.

Consider doing your IAM, I'm doing that its good!

Originally Posted by FooFighterDen

My problems is with my clutch control on roundabouts, esp if they are bumpy. My hand seems knock the throttle open sometimes and scaring me silly and makes me look like a numpty if I get pulled forward because of the jolting. Darn rutts and holes!
Denise

What is your problem with clutch control? is it just at roundabouts or any junctions?

If you are using the clutch while going around corners, then DONT! you will have less control of the bike than otherwise. keep revs up over 3500 and the bike wont judder, this is about 6mph in 1st gear so its easy enough to do!

As for your hand jerking the throttle, relax, rigid is bad. also try grip the tank with your legs, you will find it instantly takes alot of weight off your arms alowing you to hold the handle bars less tightly which should result in less undesired jerkyness.

HTH


EDIT: congrats on passing your test and welcome to the site

Mr Pencil is correct! Winner.

Cant really add more tbh. HTH

practice practice practice

It's taken me about 4 years until I ride anywhere like I think I should do. However I was a late developer (didn't do my test until I was 44) so maybe I just slower at learning things now

[Red Herring]

As has already been said try and relax your grip on the bars, just use the bars for control, not for support. You shouldn't be slipping the clutch at all once riding, not unless it's a very slow U turn, or just pulling away/stopping. When you are on a roundabout try and look "through" the roundabout to where you want to go rather than looking at the road a few feet in front of you. Sure, you need to be aware of the road surface but if you stare at a hole you are sure to hit it so try and look beyond to where you want to go. If you do need to ride over a bumpy surface and use the clutch at the same time try and hold the clutch lever with just your first two fingers. This should leave your ring and little finger to still grip the bar (especially if you slide your hand out slightly so the little finger is around the bar end weight) but make sure your clutch is adjusted so you can actually completely slip it without trapping your fingers behind the lever. You can do the same thing with the throttle hand, by gripping the bar end weight with your little finger it stops the throttle jerking so much. Above all just keep practicing, and enjoying it!

I think the sv's throttle can be really snatchy, I'v done the same thing as you many times-but I'm getting better with time. =+1 for relaxing your grip though, I also chew gum to stop me grinding my teeth!

Are you trying to go round the roundabout in 1st gear? This will make any throttle input incredibly sensitive. Stick it in second gear (or a gear higher to what you are currently riding in) and this will help to smooth any input until you get more used to it. As you get more confident / proficient you can then kick it down into a lower gear.