The pains of a learning curve.....

I expect my question shows my complete in-experience and the answer is "just get used to it - practice and practice some more" ...but having just bought a Silverwing (my first bike), I'm finding the throttle really touchy and sensitive .  I'm "bliping" all over the place. Is this common to the throttle and is there a way to discover a smooth technique? Because right now I ease onto the gas and suddenly it takes off so I back off immediately and ease on again but with less ease.  Get the picture? She ain't pretty.  Probably just my learning curve but thought I'd ask about this.  Is this a common characteristic and are there ways to mechanically correct this on the bike .... or am I the problem?
Thanks !
Mike

Is it new or used ?.If new.. you'll use to it.If used ...let a mec to check the hole centrifigual clutch .Sometimes wear conditions turn clutch to a"sudden"behavior.

micbusathens wrote:

Is it new or used ?.If new.. you'll use to it.If used ...let a mec to check the hole centrifigual clutch .Sometimes wear conditions turn clutch to a"sudden"behavior.

Used with 11,500kms on her. In really well cared for great shape.

Thanks for the advise.
Mike

Mike from NS wrote:

 Probably just my learning curve but thought I'd ask about this.  Is this a common characteristic and are there ways to mechanically correct this on the bike .... or am I the problem?
Thanks !
Mike

Hi Mike, Could be one, the other, or both. Since you are a new rider - guessing it is you. I started riding two years ago - first with 50cc scooter, then 200cc scooter, then SWing. It took me about 10,000 miles to get riding OK - now at 40,000 miles I am a bit better than OK but still learning. Best thing to do is ride every chance you get AND work on your slow speed riding in a parking lot (after/before it gets busy of course). If you have any trepidations or feel uncomfortable doing any riding manuevers on your bike - then that is what you need to work on. I had most of my difficulty with slow speed stuff and learning counter steering. Parking lot practice (a lot of it) will take care of the slow speed stuff - and with countersteering you just need to do it (i.e., don't body lean the SWing above 20mph). The way to tell if you are doing countersteering correctly is as follows. Go down a multilane freeway (with no one near by), place your left hand in your lap, then push on the right bar to get move your SWing quickly into the lane to your right - don't body lean. Then pull on right bar to move quickly into the left lane. If you can't do this, or feel awkward doing this, or have any fear about doing this - then your countersteering needs work! Another way to assess if your are countersteering is to corner on twisties at speed limit plus 5mph - if you feel like you are going to slide off the road, you feel like your Swing is not in control, or you can not hold to the center of your lane (i.e., you need to wander on the whole lane) -then you need to work on countersteering as most roads can be cornered at the speed limit (plus a bit) without any of the foregoing happening. Keep riding - you will only get better!

Some times it helps to hold the left (rear) brake ON while you're increasing the RPMs as you are initially taking off. Then ease off on the brake as you continue accellerating to speed. In that way you are kind of using the brake to cause some clutch slip and the initial clutch grab won't seem as dramatic. HTH

Above all, RELAX

Tim

Sometimes... to a havy traffic... you will realise that you use both throttle and brakes at the same time.So don't feel quilty to act so.This happens to all scooter riders in order to eliminate somehow this blipping effect.

Hey there, Mike. I think you and the bike are both contributing to this. The Swing has a very sensitive throttle. I could choke my 750 ACE, and it won't respond in the way the Swing does. Your new rider technique is understandable: you need to educate your wrist: it takes a very steady and fine movement to roll on smoothly. And it takes practice. As stated by others, use your rear brake to smoothe things out in the beginning: the Swing rear brake lever is handy for that.
And hang in there: when you finally get it, you'll wonder how you got it.... It just grows on you, but you have to let it do that. Practice, but not to the point of frustration. When you are not on the bike: just imagine how you'll do it. That's how I passed my test,, believe it or not.

Mike, I got the "picture" about 40 years ago in an apartment parking lot with a bunch of little bas...... Uh precious little darlings watching and laughing from the sidelines.   Now I can get it right most of the time. You might try putting the bike on the center stand and practice revving the engine and releasing the throttle to see f it releases smoothly. As for Dimonds idea of practicing on a multilane empty freeway, I'm still looking for one of those.  

Thanks for all the comments and encouragement. I like the idea of revving on the center stand for practice. This should give me the feel of the wrist action. As for freeways ... well, thanks Diamond for the suggestion but I'm sticking to out of the way back roads at slower speeds for right now. Later on the freeways will get some action and I will recall your counter steering suggestions.. I swim by a method called Total Immersion and they preach "don't practice struggle" and this is what I read here in the comment of not practicing to the point of frustration.
In brief ... my in-experience is to blame and is the problem ... the cure is practice. Thanks !
Mike

Guess what? you have a scooter on steroids.
 Get used to it, because there is nothing like it anywhere. 
And with minor modifications, you can smoke most Harley's and keep up to  G/W.Up to around 80 mph. Both costing twice as much or more. 

 I know that I will be spanked for that last remark, but it is true. So help me G, and I have not had my martini yet so there. :lol!:

Mike, I am new to the Swing too. Just got mine 2 weeks ago. Racked up over 1000 km already. I went for a short ride this afternoon, and took a road I normally don't. It is chip sealed and not very even. I found the bike surging on every crack, and the cracks were everywhere. Got me thinking about your problem. I don't think it's you at all. The front suspension on the Swing is at fault. I think an upgrade ( a few are mentioned here) would smoothe things out considerably, and stop the jerkiness that causes the surging. I am not upgrading yet, but until I do, I am avoiding roads with uneven surface if possible.

Thanks for this cotetoi!  That helps and adds thought to my problem. 1000km in within a couple of weeks ?  You have been busy !  Good point about the chip sealed surfaces and their uneven state.  My concern on those is the loose surface the excess creates.  I did 47 kms the other day reaching 91kph ..wohoo ...   My first real experience on it, or any bike for that matter.  My problem with the blipping is likely 85% my inexperience and 15% more inexperience.  I was finding the stopping smoother but starting out was seldom pretty.  I need to relax my wrist more and learn to be gentle with the twisting.  Someone suggested keeping gentle control with the back brake and this will help. And I need a lot of slow circle and figure 8 practice.  Be careful on the roads passing Moncton ..... I've found them pretty bad and with potholes that will swallow you, bike, and pretty well anything else that comes close.  
Mike:)