First day on my new bike

Hello everyone. I am soooooo happy to see a girls only posting site so now I can spill the beans and you can all feel for me rather than laugh like the guys would. I just took the motorcycle rider course and bought a honda cbr 600 f4i. Took it out in a parking lot with my boyfriend and tryed the ol' quick stop taught in class. My wheel was slightly turned in to the left and the bike fell right over.

Well you think that was bad, my honey fixed the mirror by drilling a hole in it and reattached it. Then we went for a ride on the road. I was SOOOOOOOOO nervous!!! But I did great. We took a wrong road and had to turn around. He took me in some sand and rocks. I tryed to back up the bike and DUMPED IT again. Good thing I have stunt cages, however; the mirror _ well thats shot to shit... So if anyone has a set of mirrors lying around let me know. Two times in one day. I was so discouraged. Any words of encouragment? I did manage to put 100 miles on the bike today, but I realized that trying things you did in class on a little 250 is not the same as a 600. Just when I thought going to the gym was paying off-that bike tossed me and their was NO way I was saving it from falling. Stunt cages are the best. Plastics still look great, and the mirror - well thats a different story. Have a great weekend ladies....
Hollie

I just test drove my new bike today. Getting a '94 600F2 (upgrading from a Ninja ex500). I was actually terrified but the ride was GREAT! I love how it feels - was so smooth and stable compared the kawi. Felt very secure on it. Can't wait to pick it up tomorrow!

It's been dumped at least once and has the scars showing, so it's gonna need some touch up (or a lot of) paint.

I'd never thought of stunt cages, which hubby just showed me in a catalog what they were . He also showed me roll bars and so I'm thinking about those since they are less intrusive.

i know this is a girl post only but i just wanted to let you know
that theres not a person male or female thats rode for a while and hasnt dropped a bike
and you get alot of respect for getting back on especially in the same day and riding a hundred miles
i wish i could get my wife to ride with me
have fun riding and dont let little stuff like that discourage you

yay i feel for ya!! i layed the bike over the first time too...:) but the b/f came to the rescue and i did great the rest of the night :) what a rush..im excited to get to the point where i can go out on the road and ride with him :) rather than ride behind him (though being a passenger is fun) more fun when you get the thrill of it yourself :)

as for words of encouragement..dont give up just yet...part of learning is making mistakes...and at least you are making them at low speeds...my b/f thought i was gonna quit since i layed it down right off the bat...but i knew that was just stupid and saddled back up and did great. :)

Don't give up!!! Thats all I have to say about that. I was the Queen of stop and drops for the longest time, but i (think) I finally outgrew it. lol
Good for you getting back on and going on, you will get the hang of it. I just upgraded to an f4i from a GS500F. It sure is a world of diff.
Good going!! Stay safe out there.

Good for you getting right back on. We have all been there, done that. Your cages sound like a great idea and keep your plastics from getting beat up, so you've got one up on most of us right there. I wish I would have thought of that years ago when I started. (well, maybe they didn't even make 'em yet??) LOL! Yeah, i've been on 2 wheels for 17 years.

Keep on keepin on, it only gets better!

Hello & Welcome!!

Yeah boys can be dumb. When I had my 250, I heard much crap from then. But in all, everyone loses their footing and drops the bike. It's because we're not used to it yet. I dropped the 250 on an incline, caught it and was sore from doing so. I only scratched the mirror. As for the F4i, I dropped it on both sides once way in the beginning of riding it b/c I felt too short to hold it up. I put minor scratches in both fairings that I got fixed, due to some @$$face driver cutting me off and making me crash last year. Well, anyway I bought some bigger boots and got used to the feel and leaning it to one side. Now I no longer use the bigger boots and am fine on the bike. Be safe girl...and tell the boys you'll pop them one if they don't knock it off! Be safe!

My boyfriend always tell me one thing... There are two kinds of riders, ones that have gone down and ones that will be going down soon. It happens! Like everyone else, I am glad you got back on there. Hell, I remember just the other day when I fell over on DThompson's bike, I felt like an idiot. But, he made me get up and do it again.

It sucks that some of the guys think its cool or macho to pick on us. Just prove to them that you are just as macho as them! Maybe that will shut them up...

Worry not Hollie, everyone's dumped their bike, after all, we're riding something that won't stand up on it's own!

I can remember once when I was still on my Yamaha Seca, rode up to another gal on the same bike - and we BOTH had the exact same scuffed up spots on our fairings and mirrors. I broke the brake lever off on that bike before I was done with it....:'o

And have really gotten only support from other riders, male or female....again on the Seca, tipped over at a stop light and the guy in the car behind me jumped out and helped me pick it up. Men universally say geez I wish my wife would ride. So keep up the good work, practice lots! The world would be a better place if everyone rode motorcycles.

-Susan
'04CBR600F4i

Thanks for all your great words of encouragement. I took my bike out yesterday with my boyfriend and he said I need to work on turning and quick stops, going straight he said I had no problems.

The first day I took the bike out and guess what, IT STAYED STRAIGHT UP AND DOWN. I didn't dump it. LOL!!! Crash bars are the best thing in the world and I would suggest everyone have them.

New rider or not, they save your plastics. My boyfriend told me yesterday that one of his greatest joys is riding with me. That pushes me even harder to keep it up.

Thanks again girls...
P.S. if anyone has a spare stock mirror for the left hand side for an CBR F4I, I am willing to pay for it. Let me know...

PM Gary (CBR_racin123) I know he's got a set. Don't know if he'll sell just one, but probably. Tell him RCKT sent you.

I tell you what i have rode dirt bikes and 4wheeleres all my life then got my 87 hurricane this past january, well in april i went and took my temps test to start riding. well my b/f said it just like a dirt bike, (please) i dont think it is. well anyways i went to the store and came back and we was sitting outside sitting on our bikes and he was giving me advice on riding. well here my bike was still in the making process had a few things needed fixed from the last person that had it and wrecked. well come to find out my kickstand was slightly bent and we always wandered why it sat straight up and the right. well like i said i was sitting on it and went to stretch and BOOM!!!! i dislocated my bad shoulder. just had surgery on it in nov. of 04 and just after the dislocation recently had to get another one. boy did i feel stupid and was so pissed when i fell seeing my shoulder pop out and knowing i aint gonna be riding this year. but i am tryin to get back into it with all the therapy its going good and just cruisin around town. tryin to take it easy.so dont feel bad at all. I WASNT EVEN MOVING.......LOL

Having ridden a dirt bike - esp as a kid, is a wonderful advantage for you, you'll pick up street riding much faster than otherwise. Altho o'course the bikes are really heavy and the suspension isn't the same ... :^0.

Good luck, hope your shoulder heals up soon.
-Susan
'04CBR600F4i
'04CRF250X - dirt!

Hey girl never get discouraged dropping the bike or making a mistake that is how we learn my course instructor said no matter how long you have been riding for you will still never be perfect you will always make a mistake somewhere down the road you will never totally master bike riding because you will make a mistake. So never beat yorself up about it just get back on and ride for the love of riding.

Riding was real easy and natural for me.  But damn, stopping just sucked.  I was too short and didn't have the strength in my legs to hold the thing up.  My husband is like, i see smaller women then you holding them up.  I told him up his .  Say the least, i started serious ( for a girl) strenght training and it is like night and day.  I feel sooo much better stopping because i can actually  feel like i am not going to topple from too much weight.  Keep trying.  I am still nervous about quick stops but i am getting better.  Youl'll do great!  By the way, 2005 CBR600RR, bought mirrors on EBAY.  good deal too.  Same as you, laying it down when stopping.  Good Luck!

New to Forum but not riding. Glad to see there is a female only post area also. Also very glad to see another woman join the still too small ranks of female riders.

You should never worry about dumps or even crashes, they happen. Some your own fault and some others. I have been riding now for over 30 years and I have had my fair share. Started at 10 with an old Indian dirt bike. When I was 13 my father arranged for me to motorcross in the amateur races, you can image the male hassling (late 70s) I was taking and I didn't care. There is nothing like flying threw the air on a motocycle. Fell quite a bit when I was doing that.

As for the street, Have been in 4 mishaps plus a few tips. One crash as a passenger with my father, two crashes on my own and the latest was last year caused by a male. I wasn't even moving, caused $3000 damage to my three month old ST. Happened on the Chicago Ride for Kids. This guy on a ST new like mine came up beside me we exchanged pleasantries, he then lost his balance, panicked, let the clutch out and cranked the throttle. He started doing dougnuts beside me, at least two. By the end of the second he hit my front wheel and pitched me over. His rear wheel skidded across the whole left side of my bike. Probably would have taken my foot off if I was trying to keep it upright. Found out later this guy had just picked up this new ST the day before.

The lesson, one should never be on a large group ride on a bike they are not familar with. I had over 2000 mile on mine already.

Keep the rubber side down