Damn bike, why doesn't it like to stay on its wheels around the corners???? So I had my first meet with the pavement trying to go around a corner. Hubby says I'm not leaning. I am going to get it!!!!!!

 

Oh boy...

Teresa, I was one of the guys earlier on this thread that made the argument for you to learn the fundamentals of riding on a smaller, lighter, more manageable first motorcycle (like a Honda 250 Rebel). Are you possibly giving this some more serious thought now?

If you're dropping your Sportster going around a simple corner, it tells me that you are severely lacking in the most basic skills of motorcycle handling. I would suggest some professional instruction on a smaller, lighter bike to hone those basic skills before you hurt yourself or someone else by just winging it solo on that Sporty.

Everybody here admires your fighting spirit, but there's a fine line between supreme confidence and foolishness when it comes to riding motorcycles, and that Harley is not very forgiving. Please use your head here.

 

Theresa, I hate to dampen your enthusiasm but I somewhat agree with the above statement. I have been looking forward to your progress. Maybe you need to retake the safety class again? Plus picking up a cheap starter bike will build your confidence.

Once the mechanics of riding becomes second nature you can then venture out. It's the process of riding that has to become habit, almost without thought, before you can safely ride the roads with the traffic and other hazards you'll encounter.

I'm pulling for you. Good luck.

 

I'm not sure what to say about this. You're obviously bound and determined to learn to ride your sporty. Determination is good but don't take it to the extreme. Bikes can be fixed or replaced. You on the other hand...

Take a step back for a minute. Lets say a good friend of yours, one you really care about, wants to learn to ride. They failed the MSF class but keep trying to ride their bike. They dropped it going around a corner.

What would you tell him/her?

Everyone has their own path. We have to respect that. I don't know what it's like to be in your shoes. I know a lot of people on here make statements, but you have to do it when it's right for you. It don't think it's right to force that. It's impossible for us to know...There's a lot of soul searching you have to do.

 

I thought I learned how to ride motorcycles on mini bikes and small jap bikes in the mid 1960s but when I really think about it, me and my buddies used to ride our ten speeds flat out all over town at all hours of the day and night before I ever threw a leg over anything with an engine on it. THAT'S where I got my basic riding skills - leaning, countersteering and all. Adding engine power was just icing on the cake. Have you thought about buying a mountain bike to learn the basic cycling skills? I still ride mine.

 

best post yet. i rode dirt bikes for like 10 yrs then bought a harley dyna wide glide and figured it would be a piece of cake. getting used to that thing was a scary time even with all the dirt experience.

dont let someone talk you into something stupid. these things are alot more difficult to handle than the bike i had to use at the safety course. a mistake on a bike with the ergonomics of a harley can cost you dearly and not just financially.

take baby steps and take that course as many times as it takes. i had a blast, met some great people, and best of all gained a ton of confidence.

 

Slow speed maneuver in a corner? Were you using the front brake? Typically, if it/you went down in a corner, "not leaning" shouldn't be the issue. If it were the issue, you'd probably have a bit of road rash. At slow speeds, you turn the handlebars. After that, counter steering comes into play. It's those slow speed maneuvers with the handlebar turned and applying the front brake that'll dump a bike. Physics. I believe this was touched on by an earlier post.
I'm not a professional riding coach, but I've witnessed the front brake/slow speed dump more than once.
You gotta take the course again anyway, so get to it.

 

Like a lot of people on this thread, I was lucky to start riding when I was in my early teens. I've ridden a lot of bikes from 125cc to 106ci. If you're too nervous and not letting the bike lean to turn then riding your new scoot isn't helping. Not to mention, sporty's are a little top heavy which doesn't help if you're scared to let the bike lean. I agree with what most said-go take the rider course again. Drop someone else's bike and get comfortable! Then your's won't be in the shop every other week!

 

Teresa,
About this time last year, I too had failed the MSF course and was trying to learn to ride my Sportster 883XL. My Sportster sat in the garage intimidating me. I thought about getting a cheaper, smaller bike to practice on too. But this would be the bike I would be riding, so I might as well practice on it. Was I going to drop it? Probably. Scratch it, dent it,- Most likely.
What I did do to help me was buy a book- Proficient Motorcycling- and read it. I had my husband take me to a huge church parking lot where I practiced the friction zone, starting and stopping, and basic maneuvers. After a couple of weeks, I could get to the parking lot by myself. It was only through our neighborhood. I spent every night practicing these simple things over and over all summer long. Towards the end of the summer I practiced in the neighborhood, then to some streets with little traffic. Gradually getting better.
I never really felt comfortable or confident on the Sportster and even thought about selling it until I started looking at some other bikes. I traded that one in for a Softail Slim and the difference is amazing. The way it feels and handles. The Sportster in my opinion is very hard to ride especially for a beginner.If I were you I would keep trying to learn those basics, but definitely in a parking lot. Work your way up from there, until you can ride in traffic. Don't worry about the bike while your learning, you can fix it. Once your comfortable, you can get a softail- like many others have mentioned. And you will love it.

 

find an empty parking lot and redo everything you did at the course and relax a bit with just you and hubby no one else around, practice that friction zone and power walk it as long as it takes, ease the clutch sqeeze the breaks take your time you will get it