starting from a complete stop

[tharp]

I need some advise.  My biggest problem with learning to ride is taking off from a dead stop at a stop light or stop sign.  I continually stall the bike trying to make left and right turns from a stop.  I even do it just going straight from a dead stop.  Any advise?  Perhaps its just nerves with traffic behind me ....

[sblandin68]

My advise to you would be take a motorcycle riders safety course. Can't stress it enough!!

[tharp]

I just took the course.  we covered friction zone, but we didn't go over making turns right after a dead stop

[Diderich]

There are some things from the course that you can practice before you take it.  Go to a parking lot and put both feet on the ground.  Rock back onto your heels (pushing the bike backwards 6-12 inches).  Then slowly let the clutch out and creep forward (about 12-18 inches) until you are on your toes.  Then push back again and start over...do this about a million times.

Then, you can practice going back and forth in the parking lot using just the clutch.  Keep your feet on the ground and ease the clutch out.  Don't give it any gas.  As the bike starts to move forward, let it.  Keep your feet on the ground though and just "walk" with the bike.  I'm not sure the bike has enough torque to let out on the clutch all the way or not, but it should I'm sure.

Smooth starts are all in the clutch.  The right hand just controls how fast you do it.

Hope this helps.

[Casimir]

As others said, practice! There is a lot going on in a turn from a stop, practicing in a parking lot will reduce some of the worries (traffic, going wide) and allow you to concentrate.

Practice the clutch work like Diderich suggested, and practice slow turns, then combine the two.  

Repetition will teach you the feel of things and you'll stop stalling.

The GS500 tends to be cold blooded, so make sure it's warmed up when you practice this. That makes it less likely to stall.

[Zarathustra]

i remember back whn i started on the gs and i would constantly rack my nuts on the tank cause i was stalling it.  that was no fun.  you jsut have to get used to the clutch of teh gs.  trying giving it some throttle as you come off the clutch, i rev mine to around 4k.  just make sure you're not dropping the clutch outt oo quickly.

[JasonB]

I didnt have this problem cause I have a manual car so using a clutch is the same on any vehicle just gotta find the friction zone and then its easy.
Best things to try are just starting and stopping over and over in a parking lot to learn the clutch then start the turning, leave it in 1st around the turn then shift to 2nd and turn off your turn signal.

[Casimir]

...shift to 2nd and turn off your turn signal.

It's that damn turn signal that gets me.    I drive around like an old man with my blinker on. No wonder no one will wave at me.   :x

I wonder if I could get JeffD to whip us up an automatic turn signal canceller?

[JasonB]

I wonder if I could get JeffD to whip us up an automatic turn signal canceller?

They are out there! I see them listed for the cruise style bikes all the time. I dont think it would be hard to adapt it to a GS.

[pantablo]

I just took the course.  we covered friction zone, but we didn't go over making turns right after a dead stop

That should have been covered, it was in mine. Try slightly leaning the bike in the direction you are turning...ever so slightly-too much and you'll lose balance, just push the bike over a bit under you with both feet on floor, turn the handlebars then gas it (high revs at first until you are accustomed to where it catches) and let out the clutch slowly. As you roll forward let out more clutch to keep it from falling over.

Practice in parking lots a lot.

good luck.

[JBix]

My advice: (copying here) PRACTICE.  You need to learn the friction zone of your bike, learn to feel when it's going to stall, so you can recover by pulling the clutch in a little or giving it more gas.  One more thing you can do, if you don't have time to practice, is give it more gas.  As they should have tought you in MSF, you can give it all the gas you want, but the clutch controls how fast you go.  So if you're stalling it, give it more gas, but don't let the clutch out quicker.  Sometimes people hear the engine and think they have to dump the clutch.  DONT do that.  It would really do you some good to practice low speed turning though.   Lean ever so slightly, slight counterbalance using your body (should come naturally as your body doesn't like to fall), and look where you wanna go.  All the while releasing the clutch and rolling on the gas.  Nothing to it.  Now get out there and practice, Practice, PRACTICE!

[Rich500]

Rev the shaZam! out of it and drop the clutch. Problem solved... and a wheelie is the bonus!  
Im just bein an ass

[yamahonkawazuki]

yeah, dont feel bad, practice. on my driveway, part gravel, rest concretegravel goes down, concrete at 90 deg. turn goes up. ive got to slow waaaay down turn and slip the clutch to get up it. cause ive no stopping room at the end. just tach it up a little, and slowly let out clutch untin you start to move. and give it more gas less clutch to accelerate after the turn. like they said, practice. good luck

[SlavDaddy]

Hey, being a baby to the sport myself, I can understand your plight. If you are like me, you never owned a manual tranny until you bought this bike, and your idea of starting is start off with no power, and then increase it (mybe even idle for a millisecond between clutching out and throttling to make sure you won't over-rev and bust your ass...). The thing is that what works is exactly the opposite. Give the bike a few extra RPMs, but keep that clutch moving out slowly. Use the friction zone to control when you start moving rather than engine speed, and you can start off without stalling the bike ( ). Try it going straight in a large parking lot a few times, until you are comfortable with higher revs at low speeds using the friction zone to control speed, then turning from a stop is simple. Finish your 90 degree turns from dead stop at slow speeds (where turning the handle bars makes your bike go in the same direction you are turning the bars) until you are comfortable with going faster and turning. I think the hardest part is waking up early enough to practice at those big parking lots before the traffic hits the street! Anyway, I hope I am not giving too little too late and being the tool here. Good luck!

[glenn9171]

15 tooth front sprocket!  Lots less clutch slipping from a take-off.