Do you have 100% confidence in your motorcycle?

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Do you have 100% confidence in your motorcycle?

Written by Chesca Miles
I remember when I first learned to ride a motorcycle, every time I used to pull up to a set of traffic lights, or go to pull away, I used to get a sudden rush of worry that I might drop my bike. I was always trying to gear myself up to come to a stop. I know that a lot of people go through this, or something similar at the early stages or riding, but it doesn’t have to stay that way. I see women all the time doing this exact thing.
There is nothing wrong with being cautious and having anticipation, in fact, it's a very important thing to have being a motorcycle rider, but, wouldn’t you feel so much more comfortable with more confidence in your machine? Yes, you would. That way, you can focus more of that anticipation on the road and not on the thought of dropping your bike!
I know how difficult it is to overcome the fears of riding a motorcycle as a female; we tend to worry and fear about what may happen. We can remove this fear, or indeed reduce it by making correct changes to our motorcycles to suit our riding. Gaining confidence in your machine takes time and modifications – But don’t worry, it’s nothing you can’t handle ladies!
So, not to change the look of your bike, what is there that you can do to feel much more confident when riding? Well here are a few tips to help, in case you didn’t know!
Cut your seat down – I’m 5’9 but even I still sometimes choose to cut the seat down on my bikes. It’s not too everyone’s taste, but if you want to feel your feet flat on the floor at every stop, I suggest you do this modification. You will be able to take a rather large chunk out of the seat without it affecting the bike itself. This modification isn’t just about lowering yourself to reach the floor easier; it is also about lowering yourself into the bike more. I personally feel more ‘one’ with my bike after this mod.
Adjust the suspension - This is another modification you can make to lower your bike. There are several ways this can be done. Have a look within your motorcycle manual and search the web for tips on just how to do it! You can also buy an aftermarket adjustable part of which you can gain at least up to 4 inches in riding height by adjusting the rear suspension without it affecting the way the suspension works! Here’s a link for an example - Lowering Links Example
Adjust your levers – Your clutch and brake levers will be in a standard position when you buy your motorcycle. They were not however, put in that position for you. So, don’t be afraid to adjust the levers to suit your riding position. This will make your riding experience a lot more comfortable. You can also adjust your handle bars by bringing them closer or moving them further away.
Apply an easy clutch – Sometimes you can gain strain from the repetitiveness of pulling the clutch in. This can all change if you applyan ‘easy clutch’. I use one for my stunt bike, and as you can imagine, I pull my clutch in much more often than on the road and I barely receive any strain any more. Here is an example - Easy Clutch Example
Tyre Pressures – I would suggest adjusting your tyre pressures to around 30 psi on both the front and rear. This is a very good tyrepressure to have to allow you to feel more comfortable and in control. Harder tyre pressures will make the bike want to lean and react more during riding.
These are just a few things you can do to your motorcycle to make your riding experience a much better one.
For more tips, updates and to hear some 'stunt' related chit chat, Take a look at the Stunt Starz blog.