Bonneville America Forums Forums Off Topic Discussion Forums Lounge Clutch walk?

The weather is FINALLY getting warm enough to RIDE. (I'm practicing Dwight-speak here ) Several times in the last few days I have seen a similar scene. A bike pulls up to a 4 way stop. He, or she, eases the bike into the intersection, revving the engine, feathering the clutch, and half walking - half hopping with the bike, trying to keep it upright as they try to steer into a lefthand turn. Meanwhile, all the rushhour traffic is impatiently waiting for the bike to clear the intersection so they can bolt home from their stressful workday. Anyway, the rider is either super-rusty from a loooong winter, or they are brand new to riding. In either case, it makes me wince every time I see it.

I have tried to come up with a name for this phenomenon. The best phrase I can come up with is the 'clutch walk'. Can anyone relate? Who knows? It has been a long winter. Maybe that will be me in a few days when I pull the ol' Speedy out for the first time this season.

Cody

Know what you mean...I saw alot of the "Peddle Riders" at Bike Week in Daytona. It is nerve racking to watch this phenomonine....

Tom.

Now that's a sight to behold - A 250 lb. Hog Daddy on his gleaming new ride, new vest, fancy chains, and all that harley mechandise, in full pose - And he runs over his foot in front of his 'gang'.
The habit gets broken pretty fast after that.

Duck Walk is what the MSF instructor calls it.

The Fred Flintstone?

I work with a women that bought a Harley Dyna Low Rider. She took the MSA course in NH and passed. However, she sold it after a year because she was afraid to turn left. I'm not sure why this happens to some people, it seems to affect both men and women. As far as the clutch walking, I think they just need practice.

I believe the term is 'paddling'. It certainly invokes a sense that you're witnessing a novice rider in action.

Another is the tendency for a self taught novice to lock up the rear tire coming to a stop. I felt embarassed for the guy on a road king, appropriately attired to be on a hd, as he came to a red light and way before he got to the stop line, locked up his rear tire for a very long way, making a heck of a racket. I guess he could have known what he was doing... but I don't think so.

Isn't that how you're SUPPOSED to do it!?!?!?!?!

The newbie paddle. Stay far away, they'll run over you. Happened to a friend last summer.

Hello I am a novice, (group says hello novice)I will admit to a small amount of foot drag, sometimes, especially when trying to get on base going bumper to bumper, but left turns are not a problem. I took the MSF course, "clutch walking" is the first hands on training we got, so, it is easy to revert to it. Maybe, these others are reverting more often because, unlike a Speedmaster, a big hog is not an easy machine to maneuver at slow speeds. That is my novice opinion.

Wendell

P.S. Black ones rock

I guess I am novice too. (Hi Wendell!) This is my first street bike I have owned. I am taking the MSF course this weekend. But I guess I don't understand the problems with left turns. They don't seem any different than rights to me.

P.S. Green ones are better!

I concur Wendell. Motorycycle riding is a "skill" ....it takes some time for a beginner to become skilled at slow speed tight turns and maneuvering. And even if you rode for many years and then lay off for a few years you will lose the skillset. I am trying to force myself into large empty parking lot and spending 45 minutes at a time practicing slow to medium speed tight turns, concentrating on using my head as a gyro and looking high to the horizon and keeping the head horizontal just like the attitude indicator in an airplane, I still find myself occasionally forcusing on a spot on the ground when turing tight and slow and inevitably when I do that I need to put my foot down cause the bike wants to "go" where I am looking. Takes time to build confidence.

Okay, as a slightly more advance novice than you, I have to correct you, everyone knows the black ones are better. You can search this very site, and find the scientific evidence to support that (I know, because, I'm the one that posted it). Black ones are the best ones!!

I see quite a few of the "bikers" leaving the local Harley dealer after buying their latest fringed goodie walking their Hogs around the corner of the shop driveway. It's a strange world we ride through is it not?

Ok, just a guess here; If your reach to the throttle is stretched at hard left turn, normal turns (at speed) would not be a problem, but slow ones from a stop, which require you to turn the bars to steer, would result in a restricted ability to control the trottle (because you are now stretching and basically just trying to hold on). If you can't use the clutch/throttle to keep you up, you gotta use your feet.

Remember, slow turns require both steering with the front wheel and throttle/clutch to maintain an upright position. Anything up above what, 15Mph, and you counter-steer (you push and lean instead of pull and steer). If you lose accurate control of the throttle, it is difficult to do slow turns and turnarounds. I notice the same thing, only on right hand turns, when the throttle gets the closest to you and the angle of your wrist to the throttle restricts your effective movement of the throttle.

A friend taught me this a long, long time ago. I can do 360 degree turns inside a single lane without putting my foot down once, on a good day, but only if I do them to the left

For those just learning, try this.. go out to a parking lot somewhere. From a slow roll, about 5-10Mph or so, go into a decreasing radius left turn.. at the moment you feel like the bike is going to go over, and when you would normally stick a foot down, give it a little juice. The bikes tendancy will be straighten up, pulling you back into a normal riding position. Do this over and over again at different speeds and turn radii until you are comfortable with it. Heck, try a few going to the right as well After a while, you will learn how to keep the bike balanced just by going faster or slower in a turn, and once you get used to letting the bike keep itself balanced, you can do slow small radius turns using just your cluch/throttle to keep you upright, not your feet

Cheers,
Brad

Hey Brad, Those are some great drills.

Soren

Hello I am a novice too, Hello Wendell, Hello Pex. I have only been riding for 32 years now. I still at times do the whatever walk you want to call it. Maybe I am at times just a bit lazy to have to balance the bike on it’s two wheels.

I find it extra funny to see people on full size Harleys do this. They have so much rotating mass in the engines that they almost stand up by themselves with the engine idling. This is why it is very hard to beat a hog in a slow race.

Why walk when you have a clutch, throttle and a back brake?

Set the revs, slip the clutch and use the back brake to control the speed......