Hey dudes, can I get your help with motorcycles again? :)

[Monky]

Take a Motorcycle Safety Course.

It will be the best few bucks you've ever spent. Plus you'll get a discount on your insurance so the class will pay for itself !!!!!!

+948938459384..

Seriously... low speed maneuvers is where most noobs eat shit, well that and trying to be a bad ass. Start of every season I hit this church parking lot by me and run through the concrete dividers.

[patrick0685]

Take a Motorcycle Safety Course.

It will be the best few bucks you've ever spent. Plus you'll get a discount on your insurance so the class will pay for itself !!!!!!

this

[K31Fan]

Take a Motorcycle Safety Course.

Been there. Done that. Passed with flying colors (not that it means much). Good advice though, I'd tell a new rider to take a MSF course too.
Yes, I know, I'm breaking all the rules of being a kid and actually attempting to be responsible....go figure.

Nah, I'm just trying to find some general tips and tricks. Like, do you steer with the handlebars or do you just lean? Do you stop far enough short of the sign to get some speed for the turn? How do you go about turning on gravel? And will the motorcycle fall over if I lean to steer?

........

I get the feeling this is one of those things I'm going to have to learn from personal experience. I just would really rather not high five the road again. Oh well, Cest La Vi.

*note to self* WEAR GLOVES THIS TIME DUMBASS!

[clublights]

Been there. Done that. Passed with flying colors (not that it means much). Good advice though, I'd tell a new rider to take a MSF course too.
Yes, I know, I'm breaking all the rules of being a kid and actually attempting to be responsible....go figure.

Nah, I'm just trying to find some general tips and tricks. Like, do you steer with the handlebars or do you just lean? Do you stop far enough short of the sign to get some speed for the turn? How do you go about turning on gravel? And will the motorcycle fall over if I lean to steer?

........

I get the feeling this is one of those things I'm going to have to learn from personal experience. I just would really rather not high five the road again. Oh well, Cest La Vi.

*note to self* WEAR GLOVES THIS TIME DUMBASS!

Sorry I assumed with some of the questions you had not taken a MSF class yet. I suggest it EVERY new rider as it has saved my bacon a few times since I took it ( got in direct scenarios that the class went over and dealt with them "correctly" because of the class, Also handled one WRONG... and led to a screw in my shoulder for 8 weeks when I "knew" better)

countersteering is done at "speed" in low speed ( parking lot type speeds) you turn the bars the bike goes that way. at higher speeds countersteer ( push on the inside bar) the bike goes the direction you intend.

Depending on where and when and at what speed you hit the gravel dictates how you handle it. at low speeds( again parking lot) I'd drop my feet to the deck.. drag them like nuts turn the bars as little as I could and get the bike where I wanted/needed.... at higher speeds I'd counter steer as LITTLE as I could to make the corner ( trying to go thru straight as possible ) then lean hard and fast as soon as the tires cleared the gravel if needed.

ALL stop signs should be treated with a COMPLETE stop. on a bike that means stop .. feet ( well one foot ) down to the ground.. a 2 count then start to move.

I know I'm being VERY basic and kinda jerkish on the answers here but the situations your asking your not expanding enough on to let me give more wide answers.

In my opinion Countersteering starts AROUND 10MPH+ ... below that you have to point the wheel where you want... above that you push on the inside bar and the bike "falls" into the turn and goes the way you meant.

Hell again . not trying to be a jerk... but if you Motorcycle Course instructor didn't teach you all of this .. you got JACKED on your course and had a really shitty instructor. [My only major accident..2 days after finishing my course with a 100% on the written and 1.. ONE point deduction on my riding test.. the EXACT cause of my accident was the EXACT same thing I got the point deduction on the riding test for.. I had ( still kinda have.. I smack myself around in my head for it every time) a bad habit of watching only a few yards in front of my front tire in turns rather then looking father ahead to deal with whats coming seconds away rather then milliseconds away... a wreaked bike and a massive scar are my reminder]

I'm not a teacher so typing this out is really hard to explain.. I could hop on my bike and show you a CRAPLOAD better.

Maybe someone else is a better teacher then I on this board.
(I'd hope so... I'm a HORRIBLE teacher. )

ATGATT

ALL THE GEAR ALL THE TIME!!!!

I'm not perfect about this myself .. but gloves, brain bucket , proper jacket, proper pants, and good footwear can mean the difference between life and death. or at the LEAST the difference between having fingers/toes and typing with a pencil in your mouth.
Don't "dress out" for how you think you can ride.... dress out for how bad it's going to hurt when the jackass in the BMW SUV lane changes into you at 65 MPH because he/she was busying texting.
I'm an excellant rider. I've dragged knees at 100mph in corners. I've gone at speeds that would land me in jail if I got caught. I'm no Gran Prix Racer... but I damn well don't trust ANY car out there. Not even cops. ( I had a very near miss with a cop car one day.) Ride... and dress.. like EVERY Cager ( slang for car's, truck's and SUV's) are TRYING to kill you. Trust me .. they are.

[K31Fan]

Sorry I assumed with some of the questions you had not taken a MSF class yet. I suggest it EVERY new rider as it has saved my bacon a few times since I took it ( got in direct scenarios that the class went over and dealt with them "correctly" because of the class, Also handled one WRONG... and led to a screw in my shoulder for 8 weeks when I "knew" better)

countersteering is done at "speed" in low speed ( parking lot type speeds) you turn the bars the bike goes that way. at higher speeds countersteer ( push on the inside bar) the bike goes the direction you intend.

Depending on where and when and at what speed you hit the gravel dictates how you handle it. at low speeds( again parking lot) I'd drop my feet to the deck.. drag them like nuts turn the bars as little as I could and get the bike where I wanted/needed.... at higher speeds I'd counter steer as LITTLE as I could to make the corner ( trying to go thru straight as possible ) then lean hard and fast as soon as the tires cleared the gravel if needed.

ALL stop signs should be treated with a COMPLETE stop. on a bike that means stop .. feet ( well one foot ) down to the ground.. a 2 count then start to move.

I know I'm being VERY basic and kinda jerkish on the answers here but the situations your asking your not expanding enough on to let me give more wide answers.

In my opinion Countersteering starts AROUND 10MPH+ ... below that you have to point the wheel where you want... above that you push on the inside bar and the bike "falls" into the turn and goes the way you meant.

Hell again . not trying to be a jerk... but if you Motorcycle Course instructor didn't teach you all of this .. you got JACKED on your course and had a really shitty instructor. [My only major accident..2 days after finishing my course with a 100% on the written and 1.. ONE point deduction on my riding test.. the EXACT cause of my accident was the EXACT same thing I got the point deduction on the riding test for.. I had ( still kinda have.. I smack myself around in my head for it every time) a bad habit of watching only a few yards in front of my front tire in turns rather then looking father ahead to deal with whats coming seconds away rather then milliseconds away... a wreaked bike and a massive scar are my reminder]

I'm not a teacher so typing this out is really hard to explain.. I could hop on my bike and show you a CRAPLOAD better.

Maybe someone else is a better teacher then I on this board.
(I'd hope so... I'm a HORRIBLE teacher. )

ATGATT

ALL THE GEAR ALL THE TIME!!!!

I'm not perfect about this myself .. but gloves, brain bucket , proper jacket, proper pants, and good footwear can mean the difference between life and death. or at the LEAST the difference between having fingers/toes and typing with a pencil in your mouth.
Don't "dress out" for how you think you can ride.... dress out for how bad it's going to hurt when the jackass in the BMW SUV lane changes into you at 65 MPH because he/she was busying texting.
I'm an excellant rider. I've dragged knees at 100mph in corners. I've gone at speeds that would land me in jail if I got caught. I'm no Gran Prix Racer... but I damn well don't trust ANY car out there. Not even cops. ( I had a very near miss with a cop car one day.) Ride... and dress.. like EVERY Cager ( slang for car's, truck's and SUV's) are TRYING to kill you. Trust me .. they are.

Firstly, thanks for the detailed answer, it was good advice - especially about the gravel turns and stops.

I think I'm having the same problem you had; namely, the issue I screwed up on my test is the one coming back to bite me in the a$$. I wore mirrored shades for the test portion so the instructor couldn't see if my eyes were glued to the immediate pavement in front of me for balance. I believe that's my problem; now I need to concentrate on keeping my eyes up, and letting the bike balance itself.

And definitely ATGATT! When I'm in Denver on Thursday I'm going to stop by Grand Prix motorsports. I've been borrowing a helmet for immediate riding, but I really do need to get my own.

So it looks warm enough out there... and a little too quiet. I think I'm off to church to practice!