Riding Day 3 - Home stretch!

Woohoo last day!  This day was fun too!  Here are some cool things we did:

Run over 2x4s - lift your butt off the seat and dook dook!
Stopping while in a curve
U-turns in a tiny box
Pausing, then go!
Driving on a straight line super slowly

Hey look it's me riding over a giant piece of wood!

Yes there is a skills test at the end!  If you're a crazy person like me, you're going to feel, "Holy shit a test!!" and then the immense pressure comes.  Another thing that helped me was advice from Lion_Lady on twowheelfemales.com.  She said to think of the test as a RECITAL.  You're just showing the ridercoaches what you've learned.  It was amazing how much those words helped!  I mean, the course can't expect you to be perfect after a few hours of riding, right??  Besides, you get to practice right before the "recital".  Pretty much the only way you'll fail is if you fall off your bike.

You're tested on:

U-turns - Fail if you put your foot down!

Quick stops

Cornering - Pretty lax on this.  As long as you don't fall off you'll get points.

Swerves

After doing the skills drill, the coach will either direct you to the back of the line to repeat it, or direct you to an area to mean that you did it fine and are done.  I am proud to say that I didn't have to repeat any part of the test and Coach John said my U-turn was perfect!!!  When I got the okay that I was done with the test and started heading towards the staging area, I don't know what happened, but my hand slipped and I rolled on the throttle and started jerking forward just like the first day!!!  I ran over a shrub and hit the magical red emergency button to kill the engine.  I was like, "What the hell was that???"  This time I was less panicked and not so shaken up about it.  I think I was just excited to have passed the test...

Everyone passed the course!!!  My classmates were great.  No one dropped the bike at all during the course, which I hear is common and no one failed.  We exchanged emails in hopes to meet up again and go for a ride together.

My completion card!

In case you're interested, there is a series of 5 you tube videos from this guy that explains what he was tested on for the riding skills part.  It may vary place to place, but I'm pretty sure I was tested on the same stuff.

You Tube Video - MSF course riding skills test

Next step:  Get my license!!!  You'd figure that I would make a trip to the DMV asap to get it, but I procrastinated.  It is required to take the M1 written test AND the written driving test.  Booo!!  A month after taking the MSF, I sucked it up, studied the handbooks, stood in a long line, and took both tests.  Thank god I studied.  The questions were NOT common sense.  I passed on my first try!  Yessss!!!  I am now a licensed motorcycle rider!  My BF and I celebrated the best way I know how:  FOOD!  Went to La Fondue in Saratoga, CA.

Me posing with my paper license!  Excited to see M1 next to my name =)

Now I gotta practice, practice, practice!!

Posted 2/24/11

Riding Day 2

Because of how the first day ended, you can imagine my increased anxiety at the start of the second day.  My BF and I went to brunch at one my favorite places, but it was so hard to enjoy it.  I think I just looked stressed...and he could feel that.  He was a huge comfort though.  I really can't emphasize enough the need for positive folks during this process.  Taking the course with a buddy would be ideal (and super fun!), but having cheerleaders when you get home is awesome too.

To my surprise, I actually started having fun this day!!!  One of the first exercises was to learn to switch from 2nd gear to 3rd and back to 2nd.  We got to go "fast"!!  Fast meaning like 20 mph.  I can't believe how much of a thrill it was to just keep riding and riding at that speed!  Woooo!!!!  Already feeling better.  If you have a bike, does it tell you what gear you're in?  Have you ever forgotten??  What happens?

No gear indicator!

I lost my buddy this day =(.  It just wasn't her day to be riding.  She didn't feel comfortable and panicked during one of the drills and ended up stopping in the middle of it.  After a quick chat with the ridercoach, I saw her leaving the site.  Oh nooo!!  Sucks.  Classmates and I were talking about her during break and this guy said to me, "Yesterday she was doing better than you, but today you're doing better than her!"  In my head I was like, "What the hell??  You asshole!  We're not competing here!!"  But my non-confrontational self just sarcastically said, "Thanks..."  That jerk!

So I can't remember what we learned on the second day...huge blur.  My guesses would be:

Cornering - going through a curve safely
Using turn signals
Switching gears
Stopping quickly
Crap...it was 4 hours of stuff...can't...recall...

One thing I was getting hugely better at was getting a feel for the friction zone.  I really should've gotten this down after the first day, but it was hard for me.  I was able to go from sitting still to first gear lot more smoothly.  Before I would be jerking forward awkwardly.  Even my classmates said that I was getting the hang of it!  It was nice for them to see my progression, but also slightly embarrassing for them to notice my struggles.

The second day ended waaay better than the first.  I wasn't dreading the next session and I was one step closer to becoming a rider.  Woot!

Last day of the MSF course to come!

My First Ride!

Okay not really, but the first time moving forward on a bike!

Since I kicked ass in the classroom, I was nervous/excited to get on the bike.  When I saw the row of bikes on display, I thought "holy crap they're small!!"  The wheels looked so tiny compared to my BF's Yamaha R6.  They're all 250s.

250 bikes - Honda Nighthawk, Honda Rebel, and some kind of dirtbike.

Before coming to class, you need to make sure you have:  leather gloves, boots that  support your ankle, helmet, and every part of your skin covered except your neck.  The only thing the class can provide is a helmet.  If you don't have these things, yoooouuurrrr OUT!  Yes this course is strict on attendance, being on time, and safety gear.

I used these hiking boots during the class.  I call them Big Berthas!

Other tips:  bring snacks and water (4 hours of riding is tiring!), and pee beforehand so you have less distractions.  String cheese and trail mix were my snack of choice!

When it came for us to start, the ridercoaches told us to pick a bike and stand next to it.  Everyone was scurrying and I ran to a red Honda nighthawk.

Me and the 250 Nighthawk I learned on.

This bike was wonderfully light, easy to maneuver, and comfy-ish to sit on.  However, it sucked because it lacked power which means that you have to give it gas and work the clutch to get it to move and all that was too much to coordinate.  Think of it this way, in an automatic car, you take your foot off your break and it starts to move forward.  With this lower powered bike, you have to give it gas, slowly release the clutch and if you release the clutch too fast or not give it enough gas, it'll stall.  So touchy!  I probably stalled the bike at least 20 times on the first day, seriously.  The ridercoaches were incredibly patient with me even though I kept making the same mistakes.  They broke down things for me and gave advice in a way that made me want to keep trying!  I can be a quitter sometimes =/

One thing (there were many) that got me through the course is: Don't give a f**k about what your classmates think.  Normally I would be like, "Oh my god they see me sucking!" or "Ahhh I'm the worst one here!" or "Ayeee I'm sorry for going too slow in front of you!"  Amazingly, I was able to block those thoughts out.  We were all on different levels, no one got annoyed if you stalled in front of them or went slow, and everyone was cool and supportive (except  for one jerk).  Since I was able to focus on my skills and confidence, it became a less stressful and more productive learning environment!

We covered a ton in the 3 riding days!  Each day was about 4 hours, so 12 hours of riding practice.  Speaking from someone that learns best by taking half baby steps, they go at a good pace.  For those that learn faster than that, didn't hear any complaints about going too slow.  They tell you the correct form, the buttons to push to start it, do this, then this, find this, press that...They make no assumptions that people know what to do next.  They break it down into simple do-able steps, which is great.

Here are some of the things you learn in the beginning, mostly uber basics:

Move the bike back and forth in neutral
Leaning it side to side - great way to feel for stability and weight of the bike
Feeling that friction zone - get really good at this before the 2nd day
Moving forward in 1st gear - woohoo my first ride!
Weaving between straight cones
Weaving between staggered cones - much more challenging!
And more!  Just can't remember...

The good news is after the first day, you learn everything you need to know about super basic riding:  accelerating, breaking, and turning.  The two other days are just more advanced skills and stuff to keep you safe.

I made a buddy in class!  She was on the same skill level as me and we had similar struggles.  We would check in with each other during breaks.

So how did I feel after the first day?  Physically exhausted.  My hand ached from squeezing the clutch so much and my back hurt too!  And emotionally...freaked out.  There was one bit of advice from the forum that was repeated over and over that I didn't follow:  have fun.  I was putting so much pressure on myself to understand the skills and get it right that I forgot to have fun.  Booo on me!!  Near the end of the first day, I was riding the bike on the way to home position, when my right hand slipped, rolled on the throttle and I jolted forward a couple of times!  In my panic mode, I remembered my safety net, the Emergency cut off switch, and pressed it and the bike stopped.  The combination of the speed and the engine revving was horrifying to me.  I was trembling and freaked because I lost control of the bike.  What a shitty way to end the day!  That feeling carried through the night and on to the next day.

You saved my ass big red button!

Went and met up with my BF, told him my horror story (it really is much bigger in your head than real life huh?) and got some hot cocoa.  Needed some rest.  Getting ready for Day 2 the next day...

Day 2 post soon to come!

School is cool

The first of the 4 (or 3 depending) parts of the MSF is always the classroom portion.  Not to toot my own horn, but I breezed through the class (honk, honk!).  It's 5 hours of reading the course manual, discussion about the rules of the road, and watching videos.  Yes there is a written test at the end.  No worries though, everyone in class kicked ass at it.  As long as you're not sleeping and you have common sense, you'll pass.  By the way, if a dog comes running towards you while on your bike, you're not supposed to kick it.  That was on the test.  Haha!

In case you're REALLY curious of what to expect, here's a You Tube link from a guy that explains the classroom stuff.  I watched all 5 of his videos before taking the course.  Not necessary, but still interesting.  You Tube - MSF course classroom

Big Bertha posing with the course handbook.

One of the most important things I've learned about riding.  Two months after the course, I still say it in my head!

I was pleasantly surprised when about half of my classmates were women.  To some, riding can still be viewed as a boys' hobby, but hooray for more female motorcyclists!  Everyone had completely different riding experiences:  some just needed a refresher, others rode dirt bikes, a couple have only ridden as a passenger...but we were pretty much all on the same level when it came to riding knowledge!

Tip Time!
Get to class early.  If you are 30 seconds late, you will arrive to a closed door.  They are really strict about it.  They lock the doors and it's sad when you hear the late comers knocking!  Also, bring food.  You'll need it to keep yourself focused - it's a damn long day!

Next post:  First riding class!!

posted 2/15/11

I wanted to poop my pants!

Now that I have your attention, let me talk about the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) course.  My goal with this post is to inform MSF virgins about what to expect with the course itself and to share my roller coaster of emotions during the experience.

My experience with it can be summed up in one word:  intense.  I would think of a word more intense than "intense" but it would explode.  It was intense physically but more so emotionally.  I challenged my body to foreign concepts (my hand asked me what the hell a "clutch" is).  I challenged my bravery to levels never explored before.  If you read my first post, I never really did adventurous anythings before.

Gah I was dreading the MSF course!!  I would dream (more like nightmare) that I would fall off my bike, it'd run over me, leaving my crushed skull in a pool of my mushed up bloody guts.  Nice image huh?  Okay maybe my daydreams weren't that graphic, but my anxiety about taking the course was so high, it might as well have been.  The loud engine, huge machine I was straddling, the speed, and vulnerability was a lot to handle.  (I got over it of course!)

The only experience I had with riding was in the back a handful of times and walk around while sitting on the bike, that's it.  Good thing that the course is designed for people who have never touched a bike before!

If you're looking for a group to learn from, I strongly recommend Bike Smart.  High reviews on Yelp and high reviews from Liezl =)  Instructors know how to tell you what you're doing wrong without shaming you.  They say things in a very positive and empowering way - the best kind of teachers out there!!

Here's a link that shows what kinds of exercises you'll be learning:
Intro to Bike Smart safety course

Don't want to overwhelm folks with too much info, so I'll post about the classroom part and riding part later.  See you soon!!

Posted 2/13/11

New Rider Needs New Gear!

Okay so after I finished the MSF course I had NO gear.  First thing to get:  HELMET!!  A common theme you'll see in my blog is that I don't f*** around with my safety, so I was in the market to get a helmet that was super safe but also affordable.

I started my online research and became so overwhelmed!  I had a ton of questions like:  is more expensive mean safer?  Are certain brands better than others?  What features are important and which are just "extra" but unnecessary?  Etc.  After reading a trillion articles (many which contradicted each other grrr!), I found this awesome site.  I recently searched for it, but gave up after an hour of googling with no success =(  Pretty much, it took a bunch of helmets and answered my question of "is more expensive mean better?"  Anywho, the conclusion was that the Scorpion 400 exo was an excellent buy.  DOT and Snell approved and under $200.  Did I mention that it was damn cute?  Fits the style I'm looking for in my gear:  cool and not overly feminine.  I can be badass in flowers and butterflies right???

The flowers are a pretty iridescent purple-y green in the sun.

Even the inside is cool!

TIP TIME!!
When buying a helmet, try it on in the store first.  I tried on medium and it was squishing the hell out of my head!!!  The manager said it's supposed to fit really snug at first, but your helmet will contour to your head eventually.  If didn't consult anyone, I would've gotten a large and it would've gotten too loose, and therefore useless.  If you go to Cycle Gear in San Jose, ask for the manager Mike.  He was so helpful and went out of his way to make sure I was happy with my purchase  =)

I'll post about gear as soon as I get them.  Next on my list:  jacket!!

posted 2/12/11