Update and question

[Psychybikey]

A good session again today, this time I probably did 7 miles - ok, still not far, but more than last week and this time I managed not to do anything dangerous and I didn't stall or panic. I even felt quite confident about doing an emergency stop when I saw a dog strolling across the road ahead but luckily I didn't have to. I deliberately went where there was a bit more traffic, too, to get a bit braver.

I'm thinking that realistically, I won't get enough practice to do my full test until at least next spring. I'm thinking of the end of May because my husband is away that week so I can take the week off, and not actually tell him what day(s) I'll be doing it.

I know part of the Mod 1 is managing your bike stand and I'm really struggling with that. I'm pretty strong and very few things beat me but so far I haven't been able to rock the bike onto its stand. I do also have a side-stand which is brilliant in practical terms, but will the examiner expect me to use the 'official' stand that came with the bike? If so I may need to increase my gym sessions

[NeilM]

No side stand during mod 1 is fine. What I used.

[mailee66]

yes side stand is fine. I was worried about this too being a 7 stone weakling. I had more problems moving the bike from one bay to the other until my tutor showed me how to use my weight.....or lack of it. Oh I should also state that putting a big bike on the centre stand is all about technique and not pure muscle. I can now easily put my 240 kilos of bike on it's centre stand with ease.

[fq-craigus]

With the right technique you dont need to be dwane johnson to do it. The side stand is all you will need for mod 1.

As for manouvering the bike and long as you get the bike upright take it easy and no sharp movements almost anyone can manouver any bike

[littlecat]

I have never been able to centre stand any bike , I use a sidestand ( or paddock stands if I need to bike off the floor)

for manouvering the bike when you off it...make sure its leaning towards you , preferably leaning on your hip ( or in my case my chest , lol)

[Psychybikey]

Well my hip is certainly sturdy enough to lean anything on...

[Guest]

I know of a woman in her late 60s 5'6 riding an R1150GS - a bike that weighs almost a quarter tonne. Ive seen her pick it up off the ground unaided. this.. just like putting a bike onto its centre stand is all about technique. nothing more.

[littlecat]

which is all very well if you have a wingspan that allows you to grab the front and back at the same time..... I cant

[Guest]

'wingspan' has nothing to do with using the centre stand.. as for lifting the bike. the distance between the handlebar and the lift-handle on a GS is 3 feet. if your hands are less than 3 feet apart then you might have problems - but there are always answers to these problems.

for instance.. add a 'lift handle'

http://i.imgur.com/ElJTGcUl.jpg

This woman even managed to lift her bike single handed.. when she came off it in the Australian outback and broke her arm in the process. she splinted her arm. got the bike upright and then rode it the almost 200 miles to a hospital where she had it reset and then took some time off her RTW while it healed.. plaster came off and she was on her way again.

[Psychybikey]

Good for her. I expect she had to practice the technique (like judo?) a bit at home first, though. I regularly lift weights that other people find heavy, and they are not heavy at all, just cumbersome, and it is all about the way you do it, and I know it's the same with the bike stand. I doubt if the Mod 1 examiner will allow the use of the foot peg! However, I intend to get it right, if only for my own satisfaction.

[mailee66]

I was shown to put foot on the centre stand and press it to the floor and then feel that the stand it touching both sides. Crouch down slighly holding the bike by the bars and somewhere under/behind the seat, straighten up placing all of your weight on the peg of the centre stand leaning slightly backwards and the bike will rock onto the stand quite easily. HTH.