The original post was about as a learning aid, came about as i have the balancing skills of a weeble and somebody mentioned maybe i shud put stabilisers on a bike to help me lol, but i can honestlly say that i would probably have a go at using them if it helps to get my confidence level and balancing skills higher and nope am not scared to admit to it either so those who want to laugh away ............... i have broad shoulders and a fat ass and a good sense of humour
If you want to learn to ride a bike Jackie then have a go. I never thought it would be something I could do but I proved myself wrong.
I don't know how bad your balance problems are but most training school's 125 bikes will have crashbars on so if you topple off, it's not really that big a deal although not great for your confidence until you become a master at it - like me!
"somebody mentioned maybe i shud put stabilisers on a bike to help me lol, but i can honestlly say that i would probably have a go at using them if it helps to get my confidence level and balancing skills higher and nope am not scared to admit to it either so those who want to laugh away"
And that puts the point across perfectly. As a learning aid, if the use of stabilisers during your first attempt or two on a bike were to offer you the confidence to give riding a go, then I'd be all in favour of them.
Good post BJ.
I remember the Sidewinder, cw!!! Think it was a way to ride a bike without a certain test, yep. (too busy to Google it right now)
Wasn't it sort of spring loaded so you could still lean the bike round corners?
I am still intrigued by the idea of these Panther QD stabilisers - wonder if they will be at the NEC...
That's a real neat sidecar Rk!
I don't know if it is the same manufacturer but the one I was thinking of is more of a plastic tray (and not capable of carrying anybody) and I think was outlawed as it was designed specifically to exploit a legal loophole:
Another Jaymic design and development project was the "Sidewinder"; a leaning motorcycle sidecar that helped learner riders when the laws were changed in the UK to reduce the maximum capacity that a learner could ride to 125cc. This meant that learner riders with 250cc motorcycles would have to sell the 250cc bikes and buy a 125cc instead, unless their motorcycle was fitted with a sidecar. The patented Sidewinder would allow the motorcycle to lean into the corners and provide a normal ride feel.
well Id just like to say good for you too BJ..........you never know what you can do until you try and if all these riding "aids" and "additions" help, then good for them too............if you have the determination and it's something you want to do then just go for it! I'm testament to that.........wrong side of 40, lacking in size, weight and probably strength too in what was and probably still is a male dominated world when I started learning to ride a bike almost 4 years ago now. I got little allowances or help with any of it, in fact Im sure I got it even harder just to make sure I was serious about it and really did "have the balls" as my instructor put it but I battled on. Most of the bikes I rode too big/high/heavy for me yet never dropped a single one (touching wood as I say that now lol!)was even told I was a good little rider by an instructor that rarely gave praise just expected results lol! I'd never even been on a bike before, although ridden some pretty big spirited horses and pushbikes all my life..............instead I spent a whole lifetime believing people who told me I could never handle a big bike and would kill myself and probably other people too. I decided that life is too short and unless I tried to ride those lovely big bikes Id always admired yet stayed away from so long I would never really know if I could do it or not..........and guess what, Im out there now with the rest of them and loving it..........never looked back in fact just wished Id done it sooner lol! Only person stopping you is "you" so get out there girl, use whatever you need to to help you along the way ..............develop your own style and do it in your own time despite what others say, you know what is right for you but always just enjoy it.....................check out the new campaign that I started a thread for too BJ..............get a free 1 hour taster lesson just to start you on your way.................it's all there waiting for you..............dont let it pass you by now
I remember the Sidewinder as well. Basically at the time you could ride any capacity bike (I believe) on L-plates if it was classed as a sidecar outfit rather than a motorcycle.
And yes as TC suggests, it was simply a tray that was hinged onto the side of the bike thus allowing you to still lean the bike in the normal fashion.
Indeed one of my friends had one on his 250 Superdream and had bolted a topbox onto the tray lol! Funny thing was that as an outfit he was also able to carry passengers, except they used to always complain about their legs getting trapped between the bike and this topbox whenever he went round left handers.
However, I only ever actually saw a handful of them on the road and was never tempted myself at all.
No offence to anyone, disabled or otherwise, intended. Disability hadn't entered my head when I posted. Which makes a change, cos it's usually on my mind pretty much 24/7.
As a (fully able-bodied) learner, I personally wouldn't choose to use them because I think they'd be more of a hindrance. You'd get the hang of doing a U-turn without having to bother about your balance, then have to learn how to do it all over again without the stabilisers. What's the point of that? I'd rather not waste the time/energy and just get the hang of it the way I need to, to get through the test and onto the road.
Why should you get any allowances or help BH? Being female, over 40, lacking in size, weight and strength isn't generally considered a disability! Personally speaking, I'd find it pretty offensive if I was given any "special" treatment, just because of those reasons!
....wrong end of stick there WB re. "special treatement" for us ladies learning to ride a bike.............didnt ask for or want any and held my own with the rest of them, no matter how big, old or what sex lmao!!! My Bike School said themselves, they really should have had a least one bike with a lower seat for us vertically challenged ppl..........men and ladies! Unfortunately tho, my school didnt have them hence, I could barely reach the floor - not great for learners trying to gain confidence and skills and definately a disadvantage before you start lol! Would any of us choose to learn on a bike that we cant reach the floor on never mind can barely manoeuvre it so heavy?...........I doubt it very much lol!!!
i had a side winder on my superdream when i was about 19,didnt add any stability bike handled just the same, it was very easy to forget it was there and not leavr enough space, had a few near misses!
Sorry - I didn't mean to insinuate that you had expected special treatment BH... I was just asking why you (or anyone else for that matter) would think it should be any different, prompted by your phrase "I got little allowances or help".
We're spoiled for choice down here with riding schools, so theoretically, if I found one that didn't cater for short people and expected me to ride something I couldn't get a foot down with, I'd give my money to another school with a suitable bike available
I'm not taking the direct access route anyway, so that aspect doesn't really apply so much for me. Hell, I'm not taking any route at the moment! But when I do, I'll only be riding bikes I can get my foot down with, when I'm at a standstill. Don't really see the point in making it any harder on myself by riding something I have to hang off the seat from!
no wories WB...........not that much of a choice of local M/C training schools near me so went with nearest that I knew! had to take the rough with the smooth but did it just the same! Treated it as a challenge which I rose to rather than an obstacle that I fell at lmao!...depends how much you want it tho uh lol!?
Firstly, I am of the opinion and it is only my opinion that if anything assists disabled or abled riders improve their riding techniques etc..then I am all for it...
I consider myself very very lucky having such long legs (33" inner leg) together with size and strength...to manage any bike...Although I have these advantages...I have been fortunate to have been given fantastic riding tuition...so that I hardly ever have to put my feet down...personally I like to keep my feet up as long as possible as I feel much safer balanced on my bike...its only when I come to a complete stop I have to put one foot down...as the other is always covering my brake...I must admit when I took my first pillion and when I rode the 1200bandit and gsx1400 I rode with extra caution and made sure I felt my foot/feet were firmly on the ground... I can appreciate how difficult this must be for riders with shorter legs or have any disability..so if this device can help them...I am totally behind it.
My sister does have to tiptoe..but shes got it down to a fine art... she has a fantastic sense of balance...and she rides bikes that suit her physically and her riding abilities...shes far far too fast for me on her Duke or Gixxer LOL...
I still don't see how stabilisers are that much of a benefit to a short person learning to ride a bike.
You won't be allowed to do the test with stabilisers. So how does it help? Anyone can do a U-turn if they don't have to bother about balancing. So you're going to have to do it without the stabilisers sooner or later.
I can buy the disabled argument - that's fair enough. But if all you have going against you, so far as riding ability is concerned, is your height?!
All I could see stabilisers doing for me personally, is to make me lazy and not bother learning how to keep my balance. Seems a bit pointless.
As does riding a bike, which you've got to slide off the seat of in order to get a foot on the ground when at a standstill. Why put yourself through that? I wouldn't drive a car if I had to perch on the very edge of the seat in order to change gears by tiptoe, so why would I ride a bike like that? Aside from the potential safety aspects, it's got to be really hard work and bloomin' uncomfortable to have to slide of and on again at every set of traffic lights! Easy life for me, every time
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