I live in a fairly small, remote town, and going out of town, is highway 231N. It's a little four-lane highway that isn't very busy, and it's about 20 miles until the next town. Highway 24E is the eight-lane monster that scares me, so maybe I'll just stick with 231... It's on the way to the stealership, anyway...

Here's a couple of things to remember when you're leaving a stop... (And, you may have been told this in your MSF course.) When you accelerate, the bike wants to go straight... The harder you accelerate the harder it is to lean and turn. It may sound crazy but the throttle can be your friend when you feel a little wobbly... (Just don't over-do it!) Try it next time you're leaning into a turn... Enter the turn slowly and feel the bike try to straighten up and go straight as you power up...
Also, don't worry about wear and tear on the clutch... "Ride" it when you leave a standing start... You'll find that when you need to ad power off the line, by pulling in and letting out the clutch you'll have a lot more control of the pah you want to take...
But, like the others have said... get out in a big parking lot and practice, practice, practice...
And, one last thing... (this is a lesson I never though I would need but it's strangely true...)
DON'T LOOK AT ANYTHING YOU DON'T WANT TO DRIVE INTO!
Believe it or not, your arms will steer the bike where ever your eyes look...
Sorry this is all so long, but you just can't summarize some of this stuff!
Take your time and get comfortable with your bike and you'll be alright!

This definitely helps. Thank you. I know about looking where I want to go. The only time I glance around at the scenery is when I'm on a nice straightaway.

I read your post about three times, and giving it more juice off the line and using the clutch to control things sounds better than what I've been doing. I've been starting out straight and giving it enough gas to get moving, and then slowing down to round the corner. I think this is definitely the crux of my problem. I fully intend on going out to a big parking lot and practicing, tomorrow. Thank you!

Next time you are on 231, just keep heading north about 450 miles and you can visit me. I am two blocks off 231.

Awesome! 450 miles... My dad was born in Gary, Indiana.

45 miles north of me. Its a different town now than your dad would remember. Pretty much boarded up anymore. At least the down town area is.

Yeah... I heard that it had turned into a real shithole.... So far, I've only been riding for a week, but I'm sure long road trips are in my future.

RoadieFF wrote:
...You really need to get into a MSF course and/or practice a bit on a smaller bike. The Road* can be a bear at low speed if your not used to it....

Amen to that... a Road Star for a first bike... hummmm. I see more and more folks getting big harleys, or other bikes, for a first bike and then listen to their stories of misery about a wreck they had. A friend's 50 something neighbor with a lot of disposable cash bought a softail... had it customized to the teeth, and was showing it off in his garage the day I was there; later heard him tell how he run off the road into a ditch while tryng to turn at an intersection... yikes.

One thing I learned (almost the hard way), is while riding on the interstate (or any multipule lane roads) keep your eyes glued to your mirrors! I live about an hour south of Atlanta, GA, and the drivers up there will KILL YOU when they venture to the south! They're used to doing 90 everywhere they go (people around here maintain a safe speed most of the time). If you're doing 70 and they're comming up behind you doing 100, they may not get over into a passing lane quick enough. I've nearly been clipped twice recently (both times the drivers had Dekalb county tags, that's Atlanta).

Sorry if that offends any Atlanta drivers, but it's the truth! The only other place I know of that's worse is WASHINGTON freakin' DC~! ...I hate that place...

Here is a link to a site by Jerry the Motorman Palladino. He's an ex motor cop and put together a great (at least I think so) video on handling large bikes. It goes through basic technique and sets up a few practice courses. Its a great watch and instructional video. I plug it back in every once in awhile just for review. IMHO its worth the couple of bucks for if nothing else than review on a rainy day.
http://www.ridelikeapro.com/


enjoy