So here I go on a Friday afternoon, riding my bike to work for the first time....I didn't expect to end up at an "uphill" position at a Red Light so I freaked out.  I put the bike in neutral and held on tight to the front brake...once the light turned green I put it in first and I suppose I must've let go of the clutch too quick or something because I pulled back on the throttle and I went from 0 to 40mph in a snap!  The force pulled my body back and the only thing that kept me from flying back was that I held on to the grips real tight....
What is the correct way of handling an "uphill" position after coming to a stop?

While you're waiting on the hill you should have:

- clutch in
- hand brake in
- foot brake in
- first gear engaged

When the light changes to green you should:

1) release the hand brake
2) feed some throttle and slowly release the clutch until you feel the bike start to shift weight
3) slowly release the foot brake and release the clutch more, while feeding more throttle

The trick is to hold yourself on the hill with the foot brake until the last possible moment. Practice makes perfect. Good luck!

On up-hill starts...I hold the front brake with one finger, both feet on the ground and slowly let out the clutch until I feel it start to engage. Then I can release the front brake and the bike stays still. Just let out a little clutch and give some gas to move. I never use the rear brake when starting up a hill.

Thanks for all the info.  I swear I got so freaked out that on my way home after work I was stalling at every light. :dunno:

I'm just the opposite, I use the rear brake to hold the bike and don't use the front at all, and I avoid using the front because it's so much more powerful than the rear and have stalled. Just reving the engine up and easing out the clutch while letting go of the rear brake. Adding more throttle and clutch to overpower the brake.

it depends on the hill, but suually use the rear brake as I let out the clutch I let out the brake

According to the MSF, foot (rear) brake should be used on hill starts.  Do exactly what Lee said.  In my experience this works a lot better because its difficult to give it some throttle when the same hand is holding the front brake in.  The exceptions would be a really steep hill that requires more braking power(front) or when you can't balance the bike with just your left foot on the ground.

Try a few things and see what works best for you. I use the front brake like dgyver does. And don't worry about stalling! I used to stall all the time when I first started riding, especially if I was nervous. You're a beginner on a beginner bike. It looks REALLY dumb when somebody on some big, expensive bike makes beginner mistakes like that.

I remember the first time I accidently gave the bike too much throttle. It was quite a surprise. I really had to hold on tight. Then I wanted more and really started getting the revs up there on purpose so I could feel that burst.

Laura

i do uphill starts by "preloading" the clutch before the light even changes... i engage 1st gear and slowly release the clutch untill i feel the bike trying to pull against the brake. i then pull back in just a touch, and when the light turns green i release the brake (front or rear whichever) at the same rate that i release the clutch while throttling up just a tad... takes a bit of practice to understand what i'm talking about, but once you get the hand of it, you can actually hold the bike in place by feathering the clutch and throttle with no brake at all... (although i'm sure this isn't good for the clutch plates)
try finding a steep driveway or hill out of traffic and just practice, there are many ways of doing uphill starts, so find the one that's comfortable for you without the pressure of some jerk in a cage behind you. it will become very natural after practicing it a bit, soon you won't even think about it

Yea me too   ... Not even the GS... the damn eli 1000... this dude in a minivan in front of me takes off from a stop sign, and I proceed to run it...  yea I had only been waiting there like 20 mins while the duuuuude was deciding which way the steering turns or some crap like that and he floors it out of the line and I rev up and gun it too  :mrgreen: ... and he goes 3 feet and stops... yes the damn minivan accelerated fro 0 to .01 mph in 3 feet, and my eli went from 0 to 60 in 3 feet... and I am on that dirt that no one drives on in intersections... and dammit I braked and locked and slid but didn't go down ... would have sucked lying under the damn minivan... which in all probablility would have backed up over me  :x ... to make sure he stopped at the stop sign...
Cool.
Srinath.

I do what Lee suggests: foot on rear brake technique. I tried using the front brake ... and kept stalling out. Lucky for me, I get lots of practice on my driveway.   I usually pull up on my driveway, stop, put it in neutral, fish out the remote garage door opener, *click*, shift back into first with foot on rear brake, throttle on/clutch out slowly until I feel it catch, release brake, then ride into the garage.

-Kel

The problem with using the front brake only is that your right hand is trying to do two things at once. Trying to slowly release the hand brake with your finger(s) while modulating enough throttle not to stall with the rest of your hand is much harder than splitting the task up and letting your right foot release the brake.

I'm guessing if you're already having enough trouble mastering hill-starts, trying to do a hill-start with the dual-action right hand technique will not yield very fast results.

Thanks Laura for the moral support about stalling, believe me, riding around as a beginner sucks, especially if I'm riding with my boyfriend and his friends.     I felt like a fool, but I didn't let that stop me from riding on....I love my bike and feel I get when I'm on it.  Thanks to everyone else for their tips....believe me, I never want to encounter that position again if I'm not mentally/physically prepared.

Im origionally from Harlingen and am thus pretty familiar with the Brownsville area as well.  Just wondering where you were having the problem, cause if i remember right, there are no hills anywhere in the RGV. :dunno:

I usually sit in neutral with rear brake engaged, when I know the light is about to change I find the biting point of the clutch, give it some throttle and let go of the rear brake...and off I go.

CFR, I don't know if you know this but there's a lot of construction going on over here so there are a lot of uneven streets.  When I said "uphill" (notice the quotes around the word) I meant to say in an area that was at an incline.   Sorry if you misunderstood.

I have been using the front brake for uphill starts since I started riding dirt bikes (probably longer than a lot have been alive here) since there are many times that I had to start on uneven ground and could have my left foot on the ground.

So in the transformation to street bikes, it was more natural. When I started more aggressive street riding and later track riding, having to blip the throttle while under heavy braking was required. Especially on my TLR, as are all big bore twins, since it can easily lock the rear wheel when down shifting even with a slipper clutch. Knowing how to operate the brake and the throttle at the same time made this easier. This riding style is not for everyone.

Quote from: LauraIt looks REALLY dumb when somebody on some big, expensive bike makes beginner mistakes like that.

Actually, if someone on a bigger bike made that mistake, they'd either look really cool doing a 12 o'clock wheelie on the way away from the line, or loop it in the middle of the intersection.