Starting out from stand still?

Im having trouble figuring out how to start from a stand still SMOOTHLY.  I either give a little too much gas and jerk just a little when im starting(its not a bad jerk, its just that im getting tired of it) or not enough gas and stall.  Any suggestions?  

Sounds like you are letting the clutch out too quickly.

Find a parking lot to practice.  What you need to get a feel for is the friction zone of your clutch and where it begins to engage.  With both feet on the ground, bring the revs up to say 2k rpm.  Put it in 1st gear and slowly ease the clutch out until the bike starts to move.  Pull the clutch in.  We aren't looking to ride yet.  Just getting a feel for things.    Do this several times, maybe 10....  As you get a feel for it, you can start dropping the revs.  The revs aren't too important to leaving from a stop smoothly, they are more for how quickly you need to get started.  Normally on the street, you might leave from a stop at upto 3k rpm on your 250 probably less...  In a hurry, leave at 5 or 6k rpm.  Drag racing try 10k rpm.  You'll also be releasing the clutch lever quicker as you go for a quicker 'launch'.  These numbers vary by bike (10k on my 10R will just smoke the tire ), but they should give you a place to start as your skills get better.  


Chris  

All of the above. Another thing to do is to put both feet on the ground and "walk" the bike with the clutch. The idle should be enough to do this. It will give you a good indication of where the friction zone is and how to use it. Once you get this the rest comes easier.

 

Piggy back on geof...

The famous friction zone is the point at which the clutch begins to engage when letting out the clutch lever.

This is one of the first things they teach you in the MSF course.  Just let it idle, no throttle at all.  Then let out the clutch a few millimeters at a time and you'll eventually feel the bike start to pull forward gently.  When it does, you're entering the friction zone...now pull the clutch in again.  Repeat this a few times and you'll get the perfect touch for it.

What does this have to do with a smooth start at a stoplight? Everything.  Only you'll be using a little throttle when on the street.  Practice makes perfect.  

I'm with cycleweb and geof. What I did to practice on my 600 was to get the bike moving without touching the throttle AT ALL. Practice it on your street or a parking lot. The clutch should be able to get the bike moving without any gas. that is the perfect way to find the friction point of a clutch.

Works in cars too, but who needs 4 wheels anymore?  

automobile clutches work the exact same, if you know how to drive a manual car, its a bit like that i always refer to it as 'pull' - letting the clutch into the friction zone pulls ya forward :P