Alrightey! Just came back from my prac lesson. So how was it, you ask? One word. Traumatising! I swear siaa! Orientation was okay. Learnt how to put the bike on and off it's main stand. Walaooo, it was freaking heavy larh. But, soon, I discovered the correct method to do it. =]
Then came the real lesson part. We had to mount the bike, start the engine and practise to pull clutch fully, open throttle abit, release clutch abit to feel the 'biting point'. That's when you feel that your bike is starting to move. Then open throttle abit more while maintaining half-clutch and nearing the target, pull clutch fully and close throttle at the same time. Then, pull brake lever.
Sounds easy? F**KING NO LA! Like that only, I fell with the bike like 10 times, most of the time on the left side. The instructor had to keep helping me lift up the bike to upright position. Haha! So after the rest managed to move off to the other parts of the lesson, I was left with another guy, Matthew, doing the same thing over and over again. He was abit better than me because he didn't even fall once!
Finally, I managed to be allowed to push the bike to the small circuit to apply the techniques and do abit of cornering. There alone, my engine stalled approx. 14 times and again, I kept falling with the bike, about another 10 times? What's worst, there was once when I accidently release the clutch fully and the bike accelerated really fast, flew and hit the kerb. Then, I was thrown off the machine twice. For one of them, I broke the fall on my palms and my head hit the road. Thanx to the pair of gloves, elbow&knee guards and the helmet that I was wearing. Had I not worn those stuff, I prolly would have had brain heamorrhage there and then.
Okay, exaggerating abit about the heamorrhage part. But really, it seemed really easy to control the different parts of the bike using your fingers (to control clutch lever and front break lever on the handle) and toes (to control gear shift pedal and rear brake switch). It's nothing much like riding on a bicycle. Firstly, the bicycle is freaking light, it's easier to control the speed of the bicycle and the break isn't as complex. I don't know..
And don't trust people who say it's okay if you don't have long legs. I mean, you can still do it, with or without much difficulty, but having long legs is a real advantage because you can easily drop your feet on the ground when in stationary position without the other leg hanging on the other side. Get what I mean? And of course, when both your feet can (comfortably) touch the ground, you feel less scared and are actually more confident. I think that was my weakest link. I thought I was too scared to accelerate and thus causing engine to stall many times. And because I was scared too, I always, pull the break lever immediately and harshly, causing the bike to jerk violently and me to lose my balance. Hence, the falls.
Towards the end of the lesson, I managed to have more control over the bike and I stopped falling with it. I learnt that the throttle grip is VERY sensitive and I don't need to open throttle so much to make the bike move. By then, I was already tensed up and the instructor went up to me and said, "Don't look so stressed, smile abit la.." There was a time when I think he thought I needed a break. He put on his helmet, mount the bike and asked to be his pillion rider. We rode around the small circuit twice and at the same time showed me how to control that thing.
11.45am: He ordered me and Matthew (remember him?) to park the bike and go back to the information counter. I sat down feeling a sense of defeat. If I cannot even get through prac1, then how was I to proceed and get a bike licence? The rest who were there with me during the orientation, including Adam, this angmoh guy I made friends with, came back soon after. Adam and Matthew asked if I was okay. I know that they prolly really cared, but a small part of me felt insulted and I felt inferior.
The verdict was that I did not pass my prac lesson1. The instructor turned to me, returned my student booklet and said I needed to improve abit more. Tell you all a secret hor, Matthew failed too. HAHA! Okay, so bad. After that I went to the office to book another prac lesson for next week.
So there, my first experience in riding! I cannot say it went smoothly because it wasn't, both technically and literally. But, I'm gonna try it again next Monday with more confidence and hope to clear lesson 1! =]
I don't know if I'm feeling sad right now. Maybe last night and this morning I told myself that I was scared too many times. Sigh, mind over matter babe! I forgot...
Right now, I'm left with a bruised left palm and little red spots on the left one. Okay lar, I'm gonna finish my administrative work already. Maybe I shud stick to office work. I don't really know...
PS: Pardon the technical terms.... I don't really know how to explain otherwise... =\
