Julia...the Vrod is a very powerful motorcycle to learn on, not that it can't be done, but extra care needs to be taken. On the other hand, it is well balanced, has excellent brakes, and is not quite as heavy as some other Harleys. Ideally, you should be practicing on something like the smaller Honda since you are a novice, but if that's not an option, you have to use what you have.
Starting on a hill...when you roll to a stop on an uphill grade, you should do so with your front brake in order to hold your position with both feet on the pavement. In this particular situation, it is a good idea to use two fingers on the brake lever instead of all of them. Your index finger and your "bird" finger are best...this is also referred to as "covering the controls". This allows your thumb, ring finger, and pinky to remain on the throttle and have some gripping ability and control of the throttle position. When rolling off again, you will need to practice rolling on the throttle, releasing the clutch slowly while releasing the brake lever with your two fingers, all at the same time. On the V, roll on the throttle to at least 2,000 RPM, or better, 2500, then begin slowly releasing the clutch and brake at the same time. Once you begin moving forward, you can release the brake fully, make sure you're in control, then continue to roll on the throttle with the clutch fully released.
Curves or turns...two different things. For 90 degree turns like you would do in neighborhoods or city environments when not having to come to a complete stop, coasting through the first half of the turn then slowly adding throttle coming out will work well...I'm talking speeds of less than 25 mph here. In traffic, or when in situations where you THINK you might need the clutch and brake levers, you should again "cover the controls" with two fingers so you are ready to take action if necessary. With a little practice you can learn quickly to operate the throttle with two fingers resting on the brake lever, other than when you're ready to really grab a handfull of throttle...right now you don't need to be thinking about that. If you are going into curves where you might want to slow a bit, but maintain a more or less constant speed, you should always attempt to have the bike "set up" for the curve before you get there. By that I mean you should have already done your braking or downshifting, so the bike has "settled" on the suspension before you enter the curve, then halfway through, you should begin adding a bit of throttle to help bring the bike through the curve smoothly. Smooth is the whole key here...the last thing you want to do, if possible, is make dramatic changes in braking or throttle in the middle of a curve...small things are OK, but large changes upset the stability of the machine, and you want a stable bike going through a turn. Keep your head and eyes level with the horizon, look where you want to go, and you'll go there. Your body may lean with the bike through a curve, but your head/eyes MUST stay level with the horizon.
Just ease around areas you are familiar with...practice releasing brake/clutch and rolling on throttle at the same time on slight inclines, then steeper ones as you become more comfortable. Never use the rear brake to hold yourself in position while stopped, regardless of the situation. Always use the front brake. Always use the front and rear brakes together when practicing stops....70% or more of your stopping power comes from front braking. The Vrod has good brakes with good feel, so you should be fine. Doing most of these things, you will probably never get out of second gear, and can probably remain in first with the V.
As you get more speed up, countersteering comes into play...did they discuss that with you at all, or have you read about that?
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Topic: Newbie Rider Fails Motorcycle Class Riding Test (Read 10588 times)