when you were a Newbie, did you kick your bike?

[C14Blair]

OK, i'm in my second week of ownership, and still kicking my bike.

I drive the bike every day, and guess i haven't quite figured out how to get on or off the bike without kicking it.

When i swing my leg over the back, i hit the saddlebags, and when i try to swing it over the front, i hit the seat.

I'm sure i'll figure it out.

Hopefully i'm not the only one who has done this.

[blkbird]

You aren't the first and you won't be the last.  Try putting your left foot on the left peg then swinging your right over the bags. 

[corpssgt]

Keep it on the centerstand and stand on the peg before swinging your leg over.  I am 6'2 but had a 5'8 guy show me the trick because he saw me kick the bag on a bike with much lower bags.  You never want to be the guy in the group with the top of your bag all beat up.

[Tactical_Mik]

I am about 5'7" with about a 27 or 28" inseam, all of my scratches on the bags are from the three times my SO got on the rear seat.  Being flexable, remembering how high the bags are and making a conscious effort to kick your adversary in the face will help out everytime.    Of course I don't wish anyone harm but it is what I think everytime I get on the machine.  Being short and festively plumb, my friends get a chuckle about how high I can kick.

Or you can try to stand on the left peg and get on.  That should give you a little height advantage.  That is how I do it when the bike is on the center stand.

[curly]

Yeah we all do i ,did it. Like the rest have said I mount it like a horse. Left foot on the peg and swing on in.

[VirginiaJim]

I catch it every now and then.  Before I put on the protective film I could easily remove the scuffs.  With the film, they are a devil to get off.  Anyone know of any secrets to get scuffs off the protective film?

[Colt45]

Yeah, mount it like a horse.  Not everybody has long legs and If I get lazy, I'll still sometimes drag my foot on the bag. 

[tjhess74]

i kick it, but for a totally different reason...

seriously though, it takes some getting used to, then youll get the hang of it.

[BBAR]

Also like a horse when the bags are on!

[DrMike]

Try "mounting" the bike from the right (high side when on the kick stand).  Try lifting your left leg like you're going to give a kung fu kick in the face - straight out and slightly up - and you won't scratch your bag (saddle bag ) again.  If you can't lift up that high than perhaps a scooter is in your future

[BJ_CT]

I catch it every now and then.  Before I put on the protective film I could easily remove the scuffs.  With the film, they are a devil to get off.  Anyone know of any secrets to get scuffs off the protective film?

Same.  Someday I'm gonna try a heat gun on the film scuffs but probably will need to occassionally replace the plastic.  Way better than repainting the bags.

The bike is tall and the bags are just about as high as they could put them.  There is no good solution except for getting longer legs and not looking at the scuff marks (kinda like that lawn that needs mowed on a +10 perfect day).  By the way, my SO could get on but had trouble getting off.  Wont' ride any more on this bike.

[POKEY]

I stretch and do jumping jacks before I mount, seems to work pretty well for me.

[makz58]

When I picked my bike up from the dealer and he was going through all the bikes features etc. I noticed how high the bags were and thought how the he$$ am I going to get on this thing without beating up the bags. Well when he was finished his spiel he said and if you don't want to scuff up your bags getting on mount it like a horse on the side stand and he demonstrated how to keep your upper torso cemtered over the bars and if the bike is running do not kick it into gear with your toe. So far so good the only scuff I have was dismounting after a long ride and my tired old muscles were siezed up some.

[Leo]

Grab the handle bars, squeeze the front brake lean forward as you swing your leg over.  Those few extra degrees will give you more clearance.  If you do it smoothly, you will not look like you are doing something silly either.  btw, my passenger kicks my saddle bag every time, no matter how much instruction I give her.  Some things are just that way.   Good Luck

[Bergmen]

Silly me, I thought you were talking about starting method.

When I first started riding there weren't any new fangled gizmos like electric starting.

First bikes (in order) were kick, kick, electric, kick, electric after that.

Dan

[COGnosticator]

When I get on my bike I take my right foot in my right hand and bring it up in front of me and ease it across the seat to the other side.  Never have kicked the bags or the bike that way.  But I am 6' and have a 32" inseam so I guess that helps

[JSharp]

Silly me, I thought you were talking about starting method.

When I first started riding there weren't any new fangled gizmos like electric starting.

First bikes (in order) were kick, kick, electric, kick, electric after that.

Dan

I thought the same when I saw the topic. I was going to mention how I used to be able to start my Z1 with my hand. That was always popular with my Harley rider friends after watching them kick on their bikes for 10 minutes. 

[lgmichael]

For some reason when I first read this I thought he asked "did you spank it?" and I thought, now that is a heckuva personal question for a forum like this, regardless of how excited one might be after purchasing this awesome bike.

[C14Blair]

thx, i think i got it figured out.

i'm just lifting my leg over the seat now.

[srtchallenger]

Is that what all those marks are from? It still runs the same. Maybe I should put the bags on after I sit down. Or maybe I'll just keep kicking it until I am ready for a new bike to kick.