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hello all so i bought my KLX 250 and I thought i was going to love it (first time on a bike btw) although i got the hang of the clutch and gearing within 10 mins, I was falling a lot in the trails. I am def not used to twist throttle and thats making me nervous, also felt like i was going to fall on every turn.
when I tense up, i also hit the throttle more, but quickly realize to let go and hit the brakes.
now i am having mixed feeling if I should have bought one at all. Also, at the same time, it was kind of fun and I have an itch to go out there again and try, but also scared and nervous. So it was like as yesterday I hated it, but today im mixed about it.
is this a phase everyone went through? or am I just going through a learning curb? Is this normal or what should I do. I am def. not confident to hit the streets, so I am going to stay around some easy trails and maybe hit empty streets around the trails if I am not scared or gain confidence to do that
Learning to ride on 2 wheels in the dirt involves a lot of falling better known as "dirt donk".
Start on easier trails or side roads, ease into it. You have a learning curve but it will come together for you. Your plan is the right one, definitely stay out of traffic!
Heck, start on dirt roads vs trails. If you're along the Front Range in CO (I think you said CO last time), hit up https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Switzerland_Trail ~ I seem to remember it being an easy ride.
But yes, everyone goes through a learning curve. What *might* be best is to get on ADVrider, the Rockies Regional, and ask for help. There are some seriously good riders on there, a couple who have published riding manuals/videos and Lots who are more than happy to help a new rider. They will give you fast answers to things you're doing wrong and don't even know it's wrong, body-part saving information in cases, so you don't have to unlearn bad habits and relearn good ones.
When off road, sit as far forward as you can and, of course, stand when you feel the need. Get your weight well forward and you'll be amazed at the difference it makes. (old timers like me used to call it 'the attack position')
hello all so i bought my KLX 250 and I thought i was going to love it (first time on a bike btw) although i got the hang of the clutch and gearing within 10 mins, I was falling a lot in the trails. I am def not used to twist throttle and thats making me nervous, also felt like i was going to fall on every turn.
when I tense up, i also hit the throttle more, but quickly realize to let go and hit the brakes.
now i am having mixed feeling if I should have bought one at all. Also, at the same time, it was kind of fun and I have an itch to go out there again and try, but also scared and nervous. So it was like as yesterday I hated it, but today im mixed about it.
is this a phase everyone went through? or am I just going through a learning curb? Is this normal or what should I do. I am def. not confident to hit the streets, so I am going to stay around some easy trails and maybe hit empty streets around the trails if I am not scared or gain confidence to do that
Stop. Park it.
Find some instruction. You'll save a lot of pain, and trial and error. You can teach yourself, most do. I taught myself street riding, after my cousins Dean and Dennis shoved me down the street. Dummies that that they were, letting a 14 y.o. go on a 100 cc bike. Lucky I lived. But that wasn't too clever.
I didn't learn very well, and rode like a not-to-clever person for several years, on the street. Repeat: I didn't know how to brake properly, or do anything else the right way. I know we're talking dirt in your example, but bear with me.
Then I went to track school, years later, and all that crap went out the window. Six...years....later. God knows how many slides down the road (maybe four minor street scraps, because I'm not entirely dumb). Half dozen track days later, under professional instruction, I'm turning moderately fast lap times. They simply un-taught me all my bad habits.
Two seasons later, I'm racing, in northern California (AFM). Two seasons after that, had a professional (Expert) -level license with reciprocity to AMA. I was pretty fast and won some amateur-level prizes in 750 Production in-particular, on my GSX-R, though there were many guys faster and my name wasn't up there in shining lights. Oh well. Still, I came a long way ....once I had professional instruction over the course of a couple years and couple thousand hours in the saddle.
If you don't go to a dirt riding school, or find a non-goofball to instruct you, you're probably wasting a lot of time and you'll fall on your ass repeatedly. I learned to ride dirt *very* late, in my 30s in 2004 (I'd been riding street 17 years at that point, my racing years seven year behind me at that point). Dirt is not street, I had to unlearn some things and learn to continually slide the front, for example, plus learn when it's OK to toss it down and crash. That came in handy some years later on big BMWs in Africa, I must say.
I took semi-pro instruction to learn how to ride dirt, from a guy and gal team who had many thousands of hours on Observed Trials bikes with tons of torque, plus CR Honda two strokes and Kawi four strokes. They loaned me the latter and I almost bought one, a 330cc as I recall, though woods riding (what we do here in NW WA State) never really turned me on. Out the woods "light makes right" just about every time, vs. horsepower.
Take some instruction, from someone, soon as you can.
Find some instruction. You'll save a lot of pain, and trial and error. You can teach yourself, most do. I taught myself street riding, after my cousins Dean and Dennis shoved me down the street. Dummies that that they were, letting a 14 y.o. go on a 100 cc bike. Lucky I lived. But that wasn't too clever.
I didn't learn very well, and rode like a not-to-clever person for several years, on the street. Repeat: I didn't know how to brake properly, or do anything else the right way. I know we're talking dirt in your example, but bear with me.
Then I went to track school, years later, and all that crap went out the window. Six...years....later. God knows how many slides down the road (maybe four minor street scraps, because I'm not entirely dumb). Half dozen track days later, under professional instruction, I'm turning moderately fast lap times. They simply un-taught me all my bad habits.
Two seasons later, I'm racing, in northern California (AFM). Two seasons after that, had a professional (Expert) -level license with reciprocity to AMA. I was pretty fast and won some amateur-level prizes in 750 Production in-particular, on my GSX-R, though there were many guys faster and my name wasn't up there in shining lights. Oh well. Still, I came a long way ....once I had professional instruction over the course of a couple years and couple thousand hours in the saddle.
If you don't go to a dirt riding school, or find a non-goofball to instruct you, you're probably wasting a lot of time and you'll fall on your ass repeatedly. I learned to ride dirt *very* late, in my 30s in 2004 (I'd been riding street 17 years at that point, my racing years seven year behind me at that point). Dirt is not street, I had to unlearn some things and learn to continually slide the front, for example, plus learn when it's OK to toss it down and crash. That came in handy some years later on big BMWs in Africa, I must say.
I took semi-pro instruction to learn how to ride dirt, from a guy and gal team who had many thousands of hours on Observed Trials bikes with tons of torque, plus CR Honda two strokes and Kawi four strokes. They loaned me the latter and I almost bought one, a 330cc as I recall, though woods riding (what we do here in NW WA State) never really turned me on. Out the woods "light makes right" just about every time, vs. horsepower.
Take some instruction, from someone, soon as you can.
thanks for your tip. So I am taking a lot of advice and started riding some easy trails on dirt. I also have confidence now to drive around the neighborhood. I dont have confidence to drive on the street yet though. eventually I will take my MSF course hopefully very soon. (waiting list)
getting the hang of the clutch and now almost everyday I have an urge to ride my bike, so I think im hooked regardless ha ha. I am a very defensive driver, so that might be on the plus side for me (never been in a wreck in my car bc im very cautious wise and always act like a car wont see me)
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