Motorcycle Safety & Driveability: New Rider!!, gravel surfaces, honda aero

Question
I am a very new rider, I am 48 years young, I am 5'5" and weigh 120lbs, went to the class, passed, now I just bought a Honda Aero, I had problems in class and still have problems with U-Turns, or turning in tight places.  I haven't ridden on the street yet.  I have 5 acre's of property that I practice on.  I have a gravel road which I have been practicing on as well. I get to the end of the road want to turn around and have to stop the bike and walk it around the U-Turn.  Any pointers. Also What is the best way to pick up a bike has has fallen over, had this happen today, ended up straining my back getting it back up. Thanks

Answer
Don't make the mistake of expecting too much of yourself. It is great that you took the BRC and passed, but that's only the beginning. It will take months--years--to get good at riding a larger street bike. And low speed turning maneuvers like U-turns are the hardest of all.

I'm not sure a gravel road is the best place to practice. You should find a nice, flat, smooth paved parking lot on which to practice tight turns. Unless, I guess, you're going to only be riding on gravel surfaces.

Don't get discouraged. Rather, enjoy the learning process. Mental barriers and motorcycling go hand in hand. The joy of overcoming those barriers and getting up to a higher level of riding makes it all worth it. Enjoy the learning curve...you only get to be a newbie once!

Here is a link to a Web page that describes how to pick up a fallen motorcycle: http://tinyurl.com/b3ye4

I also recommend you buy and read my book, "How to Ride a Motorcycle; A Rider's Guide to Strategy, Safety, and Skill Development." I wrote it with BRC graduates in mind.

Good luck and have fun!

Pat