People like you are who my channel is for. Let me know what exactly is challenging. If I haven't covered that yet, I'll add those elements to my list of future videos.
This is so helpful. I wished I had came across your channel before I went for my first lesson. I fell so many times on a cb125 due to my short inseam and I kept falling off when I’m stopping the bike. Broke a toenail and had so many bruises and had to take a break from lesson now. 😭
Thank you so much. I am going to buy my first motorcycle and I'm rookie. tonight, I went to a motorcycle shop, and I found that I'm too short for my favorite bike. It was disappointing. but after watching your videos, I've found that it is not necessary to have two-foot feet on the ground. Thank you again.
Just found you channel Lana. So glad I did Retuned to biking after a 20+ year gap I’m 5”2 with 28” inseam so I got a Honda Rebel as I could flat foot it and it gave me the confidence I needed to get back into biking. I now have a Honda Hornet and and a MT07. Neither are classed as tall bikes but they are to me. I’ve had them both lowered which helps, but I’m on my toes with them (especially the MT07) I’ve dropped my Hornet twice due to stopping on hilly junctions and just not getting the feet down right. Your videos are just what I need right now. I’m in Scotland so we’ve a lot of hills 😂 and your tips are great. Just watched your first 3 videos on this series tonight and I’ll be out practicing on my bikes and possibly my hubby’s Tracer 9GT which kinda frightens me 🥴 I have seen other videos about short rider tips but yours really explain everything and make me want to practice I am already pretty good at the slow approach, use it all the time to hopefully not have to stop. Looking forward to seeing the rest of this series and watching your others too. Thanks for doing this, just wish I’d seen it a year ago
Hi Karen, thank you for sharing your story. I'm happy you find this material helpful and encouraging. Please continue training. As short riders, we just have to train more, but everything is possible. It's fantastic that you have a variety of bikes to play with. This is a great advantage. People forget that even if they successfully lower their personal bike, this would not get them ready for enjoying a trip on a rental bike.
Hi Lana! Thank you so much for this. My husband and I took a training course last year... In a big, flat empty parking lot in the States. We got a bike a couple of months ago, but we are now in the mountains of Ecuador. As soon as we leave the garage, we're on steep hills and winding roads. Paved parking lots are not a thing here. I've been practicing in the neighborhood, but have no confidence stopping and am realizing that I'm too short to use the tactics other riders show. So, I'm very happy to have found your channel! I'm 5'5" and reach the ground only on my very tip toes. I'm trying to figure out if I should just push through and go through the exercises you're sharing in this playlist. Or, get a shorter bike to gain more experience/confidence and then move up to something bigger/heavier. Thoughts? Thanks again!
Great question. How well do you ride? If you are still learning to ride, and managing all controls still is an active challenge, the shorter bike where you can flat-foot would be a safer choice. Once you reach a point where you don't need to think about mechanics of riding, you can switch to a taller bike. Just to give you a reference point, I switched to my 1250GS 2 years ago. And like you, I can only reach the ground with very tips of my toes.
Thank you! We lowered the rear suspension, so I'm much closer and only need to do a slight lean and feel much more comfortable landing on one foot that way. I'm going to keep practicing starting/stopping in the neighborhood for a few more days. If I don't have the confidence to head outside the gates after that, we'll buy a shorter bike.
in my opinion, any bike in any big city traffic is tiring. Unless you have DCT and you are not going to suffer from the heat generated by the engine. As for stopping and going, I consider all stops as training opportunities. See "Stopping with one foot" and "Slow race" episodes. Once you practice those, they become fun, not stress.
Hi, thank you for your video. But I feel my problem is not much the hight of the bike, rather the weight… I have wanted a motorcycle for almost 20 years now, I finally bought it( 3 months ago) but I am loosing hope I will ever be able to become a good driver. I keep falling! And not driving, but basically standing! I have to make very tight turns in parking lots, so of course low speed, almost no speed, and as soon as the bike is a tiny out of balance bam, there it goes on the ground, smashing clutch or break. I am desperate! When I practice in an empty parking lot no problem but as soon as there are people or cars I fall. The bike itself is 160kg, it’s not that heavy, and I touch the floor with both feet, but cannot hold it up anyway! Any suggestions?
Hi Carotina, I'm sorry you are struggling. Please don't get disappointed, your problems are not unique for new riders. Slow speed balance is not a trivial skill. Since you haven't been riding long, you need time and significant mental effort to manage it. Once you get the additional pressure of real life situations like cars around you, your brain simply runs out of processing capacity. The solution for that is not to despair and keep practicing. Your goal is to automate your riding skills more, and the only way to achieve that is time. You said that you practice in empty parking lots, so you're already doing the right thing. Keep going. As for specific exercises, I can recommend my video called "Slow Race" where I show my approach to learning slow speed balance. You will see there that you need to develop good clutch control and good balance - again, these are not trivial and will take time and patience. In addition, you can train your brain to keep static balance by just sitting on the bike, lifting your feet off the ground and trying to stay vertical for as long as possible (your first attempts will be 1-2 seconds, and that's fine). I think you are a very smart person trying to tackle too many challenges at once. I recommend to take them gradually, one at a time and build from the fundamentals up. You can follow up my videos as they are posted. Make sure to master skills described there and do all the homework. In between, remember to get some relaxing rides with friends. This is why you got the bike - to have fun, right? You took on the challenge of mastering one of the most difficult skills of motorcycle riding - slow speed balance, most people stay away from it. Don't stop, keep practicing, and it will start paying back.
A challenge that I've been running into is when my bike is facing north and south some of the roads I ride on there will be an angle from east to west how do I balance on an incline
@@LanaOnWheels first of all thank you for reply, i am thinking to get bmw 1250 gs, but my height is 5'5, due to that i get discouraged to buy this. MY QUESTION IS THAT LET SAY I AM STANDING STILL ON ONE SIDE OF ROAD AND I WANT TO TURN BIKE, BUT ROAD IS NARROW SO I HAVE TO TAKE MOTORCYCLE BACKWARDS TO MAKE COMPLETE TURN, How can i take backwards if i am on the motorcycle.?
@Vandit m, you are asking a question that is very important for a short rider. Bottom line is - it is all doable. If you are on a flat surface and you need to walk the bike back, dismount and walk it back as needed. My preference is to use an engine for any maneuver. So flat or incline, I dismount, use 3+ point turning technique to turn the bike and ride away. See this video from Jocelin Snow on other techniques for turning bikes th-cam.com/video/w8ttsyjNeEw/w-d-xo.html
Ridiculous and irresponsible advise that will eventually get someone hurt or lead to a tragic end. In the real world pot holes, hills and uneven highways make this Technic dangerous; especially to newbies. Select a bike that fits you is the safest way to ride.
You're making a very strong statement here. If you want to make it in a responsible way (which you clearly prefer), it's not enough to just say "it's a bad advice". You need to explain why well developed skills would not help a shorter rider in the real world. And before you do that, please note that in my other videos I specifically talk about dealing with those same situations that concern you so much.
Just found my new favorite channel
Your videos has encouraged me to keep trying. Everyone was telling me to quit. Thank you.
People like you are who my channel is for. Let me know what exactly is challenging. If I haven't covered that yet, I'll add those elements to my list of future videos.
This is so helpful. I wished I had came across your channel before I went for my first lesson. I fell so many times on a cb125 due to my short inseam and I kept falling off when I’m stopping the bike. Broke a toenail and had so many bruises and had to take a break from lesson now. 😭
It sounds like you're going through the things that many short rider goes through. I'm so sorry. Take your time to heal!
Thank you so much. I am going to buy my first motorcycle and I'm rookie. tonight, I went to a motorcycle shop, and I found that I'm too short for my favorite bike. It was disappointing. but after watching your videos, I've found that it is not necessary to have two-foot feet on the ground.
Thank you again.
This is very helpful for a new, short rider. I will be trying this when I next get a chance to ride.
Lana, thank you for your videos and lessons. I am a new rider and get many insights from you. Salamat from Manila.
I so like your videos!
You know explain very well with a lot of calmness
Great advice and video.
yes u are true biker lady .love from nepal
Looks like a great exercise.
@@mannyechaluce3814 That is great, but I do not think I will be doing that on my Harley any time soon. 🙂
Tres bonne video,merci.
Thankyou!
Perfect ❤channel! Thank you 🎉
Thank you! You give me a hope and make me to keep learning for the bikes i really what to have! =) 2 moto-season, 158 cm height =))))
Just found you channel Lana. So glad I did
Retuned to biking after a 20+ year gap
I’m 5”2 with 28” inseam so I got a Honda Rebel as I could flat foot it and it gave me the confidence I needed to get back into biking.
I now have a Honda Hornet and and a MT07. Neither are classed as tall bikes but they are to me. I’ve had them both lowered which helps, but I’m on my toes with them (especially the MT07)
I’ve dropped my Hornet twice due to stopping on hilly junctions and just not getting the feet down right.
Your videos are just what I need right now. I’m in Scotland so we’ve a lot of hills 😂 and your tips are great. Just watched your first 3 videos on this series tonight and I’ll be out practicing on my bikes and possibly my hubby’s Tracer 9GT which kinda frightens me 🥴
I have seen other videos about short rider tips but yours really explain everything and make me want to practice
I am already pretty good at the slow approach, use it all the time to hopefully not have to stop.
Looking forward to seeing the rest of this series and watching your others too.
Thanks for doing this, just wish I’d seen it a year ago
Hi Karen, thank you for sharing your story. I'm happy you find this material helpful and encouraging. Please continue training. As short riders, we just have to train more, but everything is possible. It's fantastic that you have a variety of bikes to play with. This is a great advantage. People forget that even if they successfully lower their personal bike, this would not get them ready for enjoying a trip on a rental bike.
Hi Lana! Thank you so much for this. My husband and I took a training course last year... In a big, flat empty parking lot in the States. We got a bike a couple of months ago, but we are now in the mountains of Ecuador. As soon as we leave the garage, we're on steep hills and winding roads. Paved parking lots are not a thing here. I've been practicing in the neighborhood, but have no confidence stopping and am realizing that I'm too short to use the tactics other riders show. So, I'm very happy to have found your channel! I'm 5'5" and reach the ground only on my very tip toes. I'm trying to figure out if I should just push through and go through the exercises you're sharing in this playlist. Or, get a shorter bike to gain more experience/confidence and then move up to something bigger/heavier. Thoughts?
Thanks again!
Great question. How well do you ride? If you are still learning to ride, and managing all controls still is an active challenge, the shorter bike where you can flat-foot would be a safer choice. Once you reach a point where you don't need to think about mechanics of riding, you can switch to a taller bike. Just to give you a reference point, I switched to my 1250GS 2 years ago. And like you, I can only reach the ground with very tips of my toes.
Thank you! We lowered the rear suspension, so I'm much closer and only need to do a slight lean and feel much more comfortable landing on one foot that way. I'm going to keep practicing starting/stopping in the neighborhood for a few more days. If I don't have the confidence to head outside the gates after that, we'll buy a shorter bike.
What about pot holes heavy traffic less time like India???
I want to get a bigger bike. But im small. I also live in Atlanta, wouldn’t it be tiring doing this when traffic start off and on.
in my opinion, any bike in any big city traffic is tiring. Unless you have DCT and you are not going to suffer from the heat generated by the engine. As for stopping and going, I consider all stops as training opportunities. See "Stopping with one foot" and "Slow race" episodes. Once you practice those, they become fun, not stress.
Hi, thank you for your video. But I feel my problem is not much the hight of the bike, rather the weight… I have wanted a motorcycle for almost 20 years now, I finally bought it( 3 months ago) but I am loosing hope I will ever be able to become a good driver. I keep falling! And not driving, but basically standing! I have to make very tight turns in parking lots, so of course low speed, almost no speed, and as soon as the bike is a tiny out of balance bam, there it goes on the ground, smashing clutch or break. I am desperate! When I practice in an empty parking lot no problem but as soon as there are people or cars I fall. The bike itself is 160kg, it’s not that heavy, and I touch the floor with both feet, but cannot hold it up anyway! Any suggestions?
Hi Carotina, I'm sorry you are struggling. Please don't get disappointed, your problems are not unique for new riders. Slow speed balance is not a trivial skill. Since you haven't been riding long, you need time and significant mental effort to manage it. Once you get the additional pressure of real life situations like cars around you, your brain simply runs out of processing capacity. The solution for that is not to despair and keep practicing. Your goal is to automate your riding skills more, and the only way to achieve that is time. You said that you practice in empty parking lots, so you're already doing the right thing. Keep going.
As for specific exercises, I can recommend my video called "Slow Race" where I show my approach to learning slow speed balance. You will see there that you need to develop good clutch control and good balance - again, these are not trivial and will take time and patience. In addition, you can train your brain to keep static balance by just sitting on the bike, lifting your feet off the ground and trying to stay vertical for as long as possible (your first attempts will be 1-2 seconds, and that's fine).
I think you are a very smart person trying to tackle too many challenges at once. I recommend to take them gradually, one at a time and build from the fundamentals up. You can follow up my videos as they are posted. Make sure to master skills described there and do all the homework. In between, remember to get some relaxing rides with friends. This is why you got the bike - to have fun, right? You took on the challenge of mastering one of the most difficult skills of motorcycle riding - slow speed balance, most people stay away from it. Don't stop, keep practicing, and it will start paying back.
That red bike behind you, which one is that??
2016 aprilia tuono v4 1100 factory
Slava Ukrania!
Hi Lana! What about going up slope, and the bike stalls which I uncontrollably falls.
I have had that bad experience.
Any tips ?
The next video in the series might give you some good ideas. th-cam.com/video/etqqzJ06R90/w-d-xo.html
A challenge that I've been running into is when my bike is facing north and south some of the roads I ride on there will be an angle from east to west how do I balance on an incline
when you say "balance on an incline" do you mean while riding or when stopping?
@LanaOnWheels stopped. I would be traveling One Direction and The inclined would be the opposite direction
I typically use the higher side to put a foot down. if the slope is high enough, it makes it very easy to reach to the ground.
@@LanaOnWheels thank you I appreciate the help.
How tall are you?
Thanks for your video.
I'm 5'7''
@@LanaOnWheels Muchas gracias.
@@LanaOnWheels What is your inseam length? Thanks!
Wonderful video. Thanks!
What brand and style is your riding suit?
Held Carese Evo. You can see a full review here: th-cam.com/video/MYTFHuam8Rw/w-d-xo.htmlsi=i_Yl9XpPEGE6ukTt
Nice piece of content.....S.F.A.
Hi how to take reverse in 1250 gs? While we need to take tight u turn
Hi Vandit, please clarify your question. It's not clear what scenario you are asking about.
@@LanaOnWheels first of all thank you for reply, i am thinking to get bmw 1250 gs, but my height is 5'5, due to that i get discouraged to buy this. MY QUESTION IS THAT LET SAY I AM STANDING STILL ON ONE SIDE OF ROAD AND I WANT TO TURN BIKE, BUT ROAD IS NARROW SO I HAVE TO TAKE MOTORCYCLE BACKWARDS TO MAKE COMPLETE TURN, How can i take backwards if i am on the motorcycle.?
My leg inseam length is about 31 inches.
@Vandit m, you are asking a question that is very important for a short rider. Bottom line is - it is all doable.
If you are on a flat surface and you need to walk the bike back, dismount and walk it back as needed. My preference is to use an engine for any maneuver. So flat or incline, I dismount, use 3+ point turning technique to turn the bike and ride away.
See this video from Jocelin Snow on other techniques for turning bikes th-cam.com/video/w8ttsyjNeEw/w-d-xo.html
@@LanaOnWheels thank you very much for answer.
That's all well and good, but I have to mention the pressure and chaffing on the genital area. 😮
yaralı.
Ridiculous and irresponsible advise that will eventually get someone hurt or lead to a tragic end. In the real world pot holes, hills and uneven highways make this Technic dangerous; especially to newbies. Select a bike that fits you is the safest way to ride.
You're making a very strong statement here. If you want to make it in a responsible way (which you clearly prefer), it's not enough to just say "it's a bad advice". You need to explain why well developed skills would not help a shorter rider in the real world. And before you do that, please note that in my other videos I specifically talk about dealing with those same situations that concern you so much.