Protecting bike from drops while practicing low speed drills

[Popeye_5591]

Are highway bars and oem side bags enough to prevent damage if I drop my bike while practicing low speed maneuvers. Any recommendations to improving my odds of not scratching or denting the bike? It is a stock Silverado with highway bars. My worry of messing up my bike hinders my low speed improvement.

[Lug Nut]

realistically just engine crash bar. Also be very prepared to pull your clutch cover, pull every single friction and steel out, measure inspect and likely replace everything. So get ready for about $250 worth of clutch steals, friction discs, new oil and filter, and gasket. Plus a couple hours of work. Several people on here and other forums I am on go to a parking lot and practice low speed maneuvers like the videos show you in the variety of experts out there try to sell you their course or their videos. Totally worth doing if you want to but you're correct that dropping is a realistic issue as well as completely trashing your clutch.

[Shores]

If you haven't already, check out the video called "Ride Like a Pro".

[brianmac]

find a field with "hard pan" or just stiff dirt with grass, so if she tips its dirt. . turn up your idle speed to a comforable level where u dont need to use the throttle to take off.(BTW, many stunt riders have multiple throttle controls at various locations on the bike, with presets also. this way all u need is mostltly rear brake and clutch, practice lock to lock turns in both directions,then figure 8's .. turn your head in the direction your bike is going to go.if she feels like shell spill, turm out of it. after a while u will lose fear of a spill as confidence builds. then take her to the road.
i hang my feet off back of floorboards, (single shifter), my heels are my "curb feelers" or lean angle sensors.
i found that the floor boards hold bike up at slow speed drop??????????????

[Popeye_5591]

Got it. Shores, I currently practice in an open parking lot using "Ride like a pro" cone configurations. I just find myself not pushing enough because of fear of dropping the bike. Not fear of getting hurt, but fear of hurting the bike. I'm not to worried about the clutch. Ill put a new one in when it goes. that's worth the price of being a better rider with low speed practice. I just hooked up with a group of retired motorcycle cops that practice low sped twice a month. I know its gonna push my limits so i want to have my bike as ready as possible. They told me to slice a garden hose long ways and zip tie it around my crash bars so they wont scuff if drop it. They have big Harleys and when they drop them over they don't seem to drop very far. My road star has never been on its side like that. I don't know what will happen but it seem like its inevitable if I'm going to practice with these guys. I might just have to lay my bike down in the garage to see what will hit and what needs protection.

[Brad_G]

That garden hose trick is a good suggestion. Do you have any bags on the rear? I dropped mine a couple years ago. Hit a muddy spot while making a U turn. Luckily it was at my home. Didn't hurt the bike really although it may have slightly scratched the bottom of my hard bags. My broken ankle took a little longer to heal.

[Lug Nut]

Got it. Shores, I currently practice in an open parking lot using "Ride like a pro" cone configurations. I just find myself not pushing enough because of fear of dropping the bike. Not fear of getting hurt, but fear of hurting the bike. I'm not to worried about the clutch. Ill put a new one in when it goes. that's worth the price of being a better rider with low speed practice. I just hooked up with a group of retired motorcycle cops that practice low sped twice a month. I know its gonna push my limits so i want to have my bike as ready as possible. They told me to slice a garden hose long ways and zip tie it around my crash bars so they wont scuff if drop it. They have big Harleys and when they drop them over they don't seem to drop very far. My road star has never been on its side like that. I don't know what will happen but it seem like its inevitable if I'm going to practice with these guys. I might just have to lay my bike down in the garage to see what will hit and what needs protection.

garden hose on crash bar, remove windshield and bags, you could end up damaging clutch or brake lever but that's not a biggie, maybe even garden hose on the edge of floorboards. Floor boards do do a good job of keeping the bike from tipping over too far if you don't have crash bars.

[Shotround]

first thing i did after installing the linby bars was to scuff it up backing out of the garage.....do they have chrome colored garden hoses? maybe black or flame patterned hoses.

[roadiemort]

https://www.amazon.ca/Universal-Rubber-Protector-Motorcycle-Kawasaki/dp/B091723DQ3/ref=sr_1_16?gclid=CjwKCAiAjPyfBhBMEiwAB2CCIiWgt7qRmDXn3PSa9Xwup5Io5kHIxbZ-eVR9I7yNiADAFCPEOL4j4hoCtv8QAvD_BwE&hvadid=621829975129&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9000817&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=b&hvrand=6241122879288458674&hvtargid=kwd-374641475644&hydadcr=27258_14565297&keywords=crash+bar+protector&qid=1677719292&sr=8-16

[6door7r]

Put some foam pipe insulation on your crash bar if you don't want to scuff it up. Take your saddlebags off if you have them and don't want to worry about scratching them. I've scratched the very bottom of them before on a drop while practicing.
The clutch is a weak spot but don't let that stop you. Just don't go for hours at a time and take breaks to let it cool off.

Here I am 2up in the 18ft circle of the snowman and the keyhole. This was in Pooler, GA with Robert Simmons from Be The Boss of Your Motorcycle.

Full disclosure, I likely burned out my clutch that day. However, this wasn't the first time I had done cone courses or slow speed exercises on my bike either.

P.S. notice the STAR leather jackets

[6door7r]

Are you practicing with Butch?

[brianmac]

the RS is not a good choice for doing traffic cop manoovers

[roadiemort]

Yup, our wheelbase is 3 inches longer than HD.

[rrps18admnrsc]

That's what makes it a better bike to practice than the HD.
Nail it on a Roadstar & everything else you'll ride will be cake.

[brianmac]

Yes nail it on a RS and an HD is a cakewalk, I think rake and trail difference has a lot to do with it.

[Mr. Miyagi]

I rode to Kerrville this weekend and tried to get off the bike without putting the kickstand down. I was laying in the parking lot laughing about getting slammed to the ground. Gotta think about such things, I normally have a routine of what I need to do when I get off the bike but I was distracted and tired after the long ride and the light was bad and I was whatever...

[roadiemort]

Ya, I think we have all done that once lol.

[SbTx_Rider]

You were not far from me, Kerrville is northwest of me and about 1 hour away.

[Mr. Miyagi]

The organization that I ride with usually have our state yearly convention there. I am out in the state often and it isn't unusual for me to take a 500 mile ride to attend one of our functions.

[NCB]

Are highway bars and oem side bags enough to prevent damage if I drop my bike while practicing low speed maneuvers. Any recommendations to improving my odds of not scratching or denting the bike? It is a stock Silverado with highway bars. My worry of messing up my bike hinders my low speed improvement.

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