Hey guys! So i tend to dive 100% into something when I pick it up so hopefully you guys don't mind if i journal a bit as I learn to ride. I am hoping to learn from myself here and hopefully learn through you guys. I am putting on a lot of miles quick and don't want to gloss over my learning curve.

Quick Bio:
Bicycle racer(counter-steering comes pretty easy to me). I also broke my hip racing so I have a healthy fear:D
Took MSF course February 2015 with no experience. Bought ninja 300SE march 1st.

My bike has ~8500 miles on it. Dealer did the service at 7600. I purchased rear stand and did my first oil change at 8k. Super easy!

Ok so ~1000 miles in one month...talk about a learning curve. I stay off the highway for now and honestly I wonder what is safer sometimes. Commuting home in traffic is interesting:D

Quick notes as I catch up to today:

Gear- perf leather astar with zip together mesh overpants(with padding). cortech waterproof boots and held gaunlet gloves. agv skyline helmet(with sunglass visor). ATGATT and I have religiously stuck to this. Even if it is 5 minutes up the road with my backpack to get food. This gear is COLD!! Really makes me wonder how guys justify no gear in the heat. Under 55F and I have to use my bicycle knowledge and layer like hell with some wind gear. I have been up to 85F and it is not bad unless stuck at a light forever(again though really not bad).

I am finally comfortable going 60mph but I also need to practice my braking drills at speed. This is on my to do list.

I am still a little jerky with the throttle especially at holding speeds around 20-24mph. 20mph is the speed in my subdivision and so I typically roll in third with the throttle barely on as it is a little quieter than running in 2nd at 6k. In traffic at that speed, to be smooth, i tend to play with the clutch a little bit. Hesitant about forming this habit as when the clutch is in I can't get out of sticky situations. No real jerkyness at other speeds but I am sure pretty much everybody is better than me.

Downshifting- easy if I am stopping and brake than clutch in at 4k and downshift but that is because I don't need to revmatch at that point. I am figuring out the bike a bit better and rev matching is becoming a bit easier but again I am sure this will be easier with time and miles.

Holding speed- Since I tend to be on backroads and speed limits vary i.e. my commute I see 20,30,35,40,45,50,55 :) . I actually watch the revs a bit more as it is easier and I have figured out at about what speed I am at by my revs. That being said, I am a bit fearful about watching my instrument cluster a bit too much and not the road. Hasn't been an issue yet and hopefully with experience I look at it less and less but still...
Same goes for turn signals, what a nightmare in full sun and getting them to turn off while not looking at the instrument panel is going to take time :) at 1000miles I am still struggling with that.

Ear plugs- I have been wearing them recently but not when I first started. I was a bit slower when I started 5mph under speed limit unless traffic. Now that speeds have picked up a bit I am using ear plugs. Real nice as I can hear myself think but I am still getting used to not hearing the engine as much.

Riding in congested traffic, I am currently at a higher rpm range to optimize power band and tend to ride with my middle finger on the front brake to help reduce reaction time. I have considered some adjustable levers as the middle finger is the only one I can comfortably cover my levers with. I am also trying to use the rear brake a bit more in congestion just to keep my rear light on for small speed adjustments. My bicycling background does seem to really help with being seen etc. I also grasped all of motofools picture diagrams on where to be in traffic and seem to be doing good so far.


I am sure I forgot a ton of stuff but really want to get this off the ground

4/1/15-

So i had major numbness and sore arms after the MSF course and first couple of days on the ninja. Once I focused on relaxing and squeezing my legs around the tank things have gotten a lot better!

Yesterday, I was looking at some diagrams and even with the upright position of the ninja, it seemed that best wrist angle and weight was done by leaning slightly forward. Great news for me actually as I am more comfortable in an aggressive stance from bicycle racing.

Commuted this morning, again staying relaxed but with a slight lean so that my head was pretty much over windshield and I had to look down quite a bit to see dash. I am 6'1" so tall as it is.

Wow! Major improvement in handling! I can dodge potholes and countersteer a bit quicker and really like the new position. That being said, my arms look a bit goofy tucked under my chest because of my height. I really want to get some clipons(woodcraft) to go with my adjustable lever idea but I am trying to keep things as stock as possible for as long as possible.

Cool... sounds like you've got your priorities straight re learning and safety.

A few things:

1) Yeah, relax. Move around on the bike. You should know this from your bike racing. You don't ever sit in just one position mile after mile, right?

2) Do not use the clutch to moderate speed. Bad habit, bad technique.

3) Don't be afraid of the highway. In many ways it is safer than back roads... no crossing traffic, more predictable behavior. Your bike is perfectly capable of going, and breaking, the speed limit. It will behave about like an economy car in terms of acceleration, so plan appropriately.

4) The party starts at about 9,000 rpm.... :D Seriously, these bikes love to rev and the power delivery is smoother at high rpm.

5) Just wait 'til summer... that gear will be plenty warm. Handy tip: use the tried-and-true swamp cooler method. Chances are you have a wicking base layer. Wet it before putting it on... evaporation will keep you nice and cool in the worst heat for quite a while. Naturally, this means carrying your work shirt in a pack, rather than wearing it. Easily done.

Cool... sounds like you've got your priorities straight re learning and safety.

A few things:

1) Yeah, relax. Move around on the bike. You should know this from your bike racing. You don't ever sit in just one position mile after mile, right?

2) Do not use the clutch to moderate speed. Bad habit, bad technique.

3) Don't be afraid of the highway. In many ways it is safer than back roads... no crossing traffic, more predictable behavior. Your bike is perfectly capable of going, and breaking, the speed limit. It will behave about like an economy car in terms of acceleration, so plan appropriately.

4) The party starts at about 9,000 rpm.... :D Seriously, these bikes love to rev and the power delivery is smoother at high rpm.

5) Just wait 'til summer... that gear will be plenty warm. Handy tip: use the tried-and-true swamp cooler method. Chances are you have a wicking base layer. Wet it before putting it on... evaporation will keep you nice and cool in the worst heat for quite a while. Naturally, this means carrying your work shirt in a pack, rather than wearing it. Easily done.

1) good call! I will work on moving around as the situation dictates.
2) Ok, no clutch modulation above 6mph:D I will just hope I get a bit more smooth around 15-22mph in 2nd gear with time.
3) I do plan on getting on the highway at some point. Barring the bosses approval
4) Yes, I have been a bit surprised when passing a few cars. I instinctively downshift to pass but it is amazing how fast I end up going with a little throttle at 9k...must be careful.

5) good notes thanks!!! my bicycling spandex knowledge is a bit inept in warm weather:rotflmao:

Looks like you are to a good start with taking a MSF course.
A few suggestions:
Avoid staring at your instruments for long periods of time, you need to be looking out for hazards and threats all the time. Learn your moto's shift points by sound and feel rather than obsessing about the RPM. With experience lots of us develop a "speed sense" so that just looking at scenery passing by you know your speed within 5 mph.
Take a quick peek at your gauges only when there are no threats ( cars, intersections, etc.) around. I routinely will press the cancel switch for my turn signals without looking at the gauges just in case I forgot after using them.
You are thinking and asking good questions, relax and enjoy your riding:thumbup:

About gas jerkiness:
You could adjust the slack in the throttle cables to be close to zero for all positions of the handle bar.
Same for the sprocket cushion.
Try keeping index and middle fingers
on the brake so your wrist is more stable and smooth having that point of reference.

Learn all you can as fast as you can in the safer possible places.
Look for tips and books in the Riding Skills section.
Stay alert and curious !!!

Like Andy said, even though my opinion differs. i keep the RPMS ABOVE 6 or 7k at all times, theres just no power otherwise. do not be afriad to keep it at 9 or 10k rpm for miles on end, its fine. Its also way more fun.

Not that i have anything against my neighbors, but 6k rpm in your neighborhood shouldnt be anything to worry about. My ducati with termis or N1k running to 5 or 6k is a much different story, and even then i gotta do what i gotta do. Now unless its 5am or something then i see your point.

Lastly, dont worry MUCH about needing to rev match on a downshift. You have a slipper clutch. Dont drop 2 gears at 10k rpm and drop the clutch, but normal downshifting should be fine.

I dont typically look at my gauges anyway, at least not often enough for me to say wow i look at gauges too much. after a while you just kind of know by the sound of the bike

Looks like you are to a good start with taking a MSF course.
A few suggestions:
Avoid staring at your instruments for long periods of time, you need to be looking out for hazards and threats all the time. Learn your moto's shift points by sound and feel rather than obsessing about the RPM. With experience lots of us develop a "speed sense" so that just looking at scenery passing by you know your speed within 5 mph.
Take a quick peek at your gauges only when there are no threats ( cars, intersections, etc.) around. I routinely will press the cancel switch for my turn signals without looking at the gauges just in case I forgot after using them.
You are thinking and asking good questions, relax and enjoy your riding:thumbup:
Ok, this is going to sound really stupid but you really made my ride home fantastic! I had totally forgotten from the MSF course that their was a cancel switch:doh: instead I was just trying to flick it in the other direction,hince my troubles.
Man, that is so much easier and I was signalling like a pro :) Seriously kudos man! Again, this journal is already helping :D.

About gas jerkiness:
You could adjust the slack in the throttle cables to be close to zero for all positions of the handle bar.
Same for the sprocket cushion.
Try keeping index and middle fingers
on the brake so your wrist is more stable and smooth having that point of reference.

Learn all you can as fast as you can in the safer possible places.
Look for tips and books in the Riding Skills section.
Stay alert and curious !!!
Thanks Motofool . So, I actually was a bit smoother if I was trying to get both fingers over the brake rather than one. Not sure why but I think having more of the grip wrapped around my palm allowed me to hold it better. Love the riding skills section and actually practiced a bit looking at a plane of view in front of me rather than drifting my eyes back and forth a bunch.

Going to hold off on tinkering with the cables as of now but I would love to get this thing off from the previous owner. Can i simply unbolt this guy?
Hopefully image attached :D

Like Andy said, even though my opinion differs. i keep the RPMS ABOVE 6 or 7k at all times, theres just no power otherwise. do not be afriad to keep it at 9 or 10k rpm for miles on end, its fine. Its also way more fun.

Not that i have anything against my neighbors, but 6k rpm in your neighborhood shouldnt be anything to worry about. My ducati with termis or N1k running to 5 or 6k is a much different story, and even then i gotta do what i gotta do. Now unless its 5am or something then i see your point.

Lastly, dont worry MUCH about needing to rev match on a downshift. You have a slipper clutch. Dont drop 2 gears at 10k rpm and drop the clutch, but normal downshifting should be fine.

I dont typically look at my gauges anyway, at least not often enough for me to say wow i look at gauges too much. after a while you just kind of know by the sound of the bike

Thanks! Yes, I was trying a bit more yesterday to just "be with the traffic" or slightly in front of it. I did keep the revs higher and enjoyed it! Caught myself off guard once in 2nd gear doing ~30 and downshifted because i thought I was in 3rd:doh::rotflmao: Good ole slipper.





Ride home yesterday was good and most notes are in the comments above from it. It was a bit hotter yesterday and with all the stop and go I guess this whole perf leather bit can get hot. I was also able to avoid an accident yesterday which I felt pretty good about. Speed limit was 55mph and congested for 2 lane road. We were cresting a hill and I was at a safe following distance. Car 4 or 5 up most have signaled late to turn left over hill and had to stop due to traffic. Car in front of me had to veer right and brake hard. I had seen the brake lights initially so had a light press on front brake thinking it was just slowing. Looked for excape route and had planned on shooting to the left between oncoming traffic and car that veered right but managed to smoothly squeeze front and rear brake and stopped well in advance ~ a car length. I had recalled no cars behind me but I didnt stop and look in my rear after the fact to see if I was going to get creamed:doh:

Edit: No ride today. Highwinds and storm predicted.

Keeping the bike safe from my small kids in my garage is still a learning curve but I try to always put it on the rearstand and away from their bicycles.

Welcome and good to see that you are going about this in a safe and rational manner. Also, don't neglect the low speed stuff as that's usually the hardest thing for most riders. When going slow, dragging the rear brake a bit will help a lot in keeping the bike stable for example. Also THIS is where modulation of the clutch becomes important to control speed.

That thing on the throttle there from the previous owner is a throttle lock and is a mechanical cruise control. I'm assuming the previous owner did some long range riding and if you plan on doing any long duration riding, that will come in handy.

I ride with my first two fingers of both hands covering the levers and it's saved me many times around here where drivers tend to do crazy and unpredictable things.

Bicycle racer(counter-steering comes pretty easy to me). I also broke my hip racing so I have a healthy fear:D
What did you race? Road I'm assuming since you were countersteering? I myself crashed big time in a CAT4 race years ago. I know the feeling!



This gear is COLD!! Really makes me wonder how guys justify no gear in the heat. Under 55F and I have to use my bicycle knowledge and layer like hell with some wind gear.
Irrelevant. 55 degrees on a bicycle and 55 degrees on a motorcycle are 2 complete worlds. On a motorcycle, you better close up those perforations somehow.

On a bicycle, you can be wearing short and a long sleeve jersey and you'll be hot. Remember, we sweat like pigs on a bicycle....especially if we're riding hard. And that's with a cruising speed of 18mph on the flats? Not much wind at unless you're riding into a headwind.

What did you race? Road I'm assuming since you were countersteering? I myself crashed big time in a CAT4 race years ago. I know the feeling!



Irrelevant. 55 degrees on a bicycle and 55 degrees on a motorcycle are 2 complete worlds. On a motorcycle, you better close up those perforations somehow.

On a bicycle, you can be wearing short and a long sleeve jersey and you'll be hot. Remember, we sweat like pigs on a bicycle....especially if we're riding hard. And that's with a cruising speed of 18mph on the flats? Not much wind at unless you're riding into a headwind.

Yeah, Road racing and crit races Cat3 but some good ole wrecks working my way up.

Yeah, layering has been a bit of a challenge without all of that sweat moving the legs. I do find a wind breaker under the perf leather has worked well and I also have thrown on a winter coat over the jacket which worked out. I am sure I will struggle with this more come november.

I can almost guarantee though that I will need heated grips. My hands are a weak point even when i was cycling.

You still ride/race?

Yeah, Road racing and crit races Cat3 but some good ole wrecks working my way up.

Yeah, layering has been a bit of a challenge without all of that sweat moving the legs. I do find a wind breaker under the perf leather has worked well and I also have thrown on a winter coat over the jacket which worked out. I am sure I will struggle with this more come november.

I can almost guarantee though that I will need heated grips. My hands are a weak point even when i was cycling.

You still ride/race?

No, I don't race anymore. Too much damage to my knees from hill climbing interval trainings. I switched over to bicycle commuting. So, I just race other commuters who don't know we were racing :D

Here's a thread on bicycles. A lot of us here ride. (https://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=106275&page=37&highlight=bicycle).

As for the cold/wind, unless looks are more important for you, you can always get these guards.

http://image.space.rakuten.co.jp/d/strg/ctrl/9/f0372b7ef2203d2060d5ddca8e06530033d7c6e4.49.2.9.2.jpeg

Gloves go a long way. I have Alpinestars Drystar gloves. They aren't too big or bulky. But they do offer much better rain/cold protection than your average gauntlets. I've worn them down to the 40s riding locally and my fingers aren't cold.

........ I would love to get this thing off from the previous owner. Can i simply unbolt this guy?
Hopefully image attached :D
........

That looks like a "cruise control" for the throttle.
I don't know, but it seems that you could remove everything.

In my previous post I did not realize that you have a 300 cc, which has fuel injection.
There is a certain natural delay in the response of this system to wrist twist's inputs, compared to carburetors.

So, call it a blessing or call it a curse but it is a bit rare for me to get out on the weekends vince the "commuting" title. Beautiful weather all weekend but I was only able to get a short 28mile stint today on one of my favorite "bicycling" routes which involved quite a few twisties.

I am a bit bummed, keep in mind I am very hard on myself. I went out today and went through quite a few turns. Speed limit 45 so I was in second gear and usually above 10K rpm. One thing that I was thinking about today is that counter steering again for me is not really a big deal but I didn't ever really have to lean off the bike too much unless I was racing in rain. That being said, I find myself fighting the urge to "fall into" the turn with my body weight. I did focus on keeping one side of my butt cheek off the bike while turning in that direction but found my upper body wanting to counter balance the turn a bit.

I was also pretty tense. I noticed in the sharper turns that I was gripping the bars fairly hard.

Quibble number 2 is that I also really underestimate my breaking in traffic and turns. I constantly am going into a turn to slow or stopping at a red light WAY to early. Again, I would rather be this way than the opposite but this is a good documentation of where I am at now in my progression. As I down shift and brake, I find that I will almost always have to increase my speed to get to the stopped car in front of me as I underestimate how much force my brakes really have.

On a good note, I have always been good about laying on the throttle in a turn and maybe this helps from my auto-x days. I do feel a lot better once I know that my speed is acceptable even as I roll on the throttle through the turn and can feel the stability.

Turn signals are great! Shifting well and feeling confident-again a self check as I feel this might be a comfortable stage where I am comfortable on a bike but haven't yet practiced hard braking at 40+mph and hopefully don't get myself into traffic situations I can't handle.

Ordered twist of the wrist 2 for the second time. I think I cheaper out the first time and got some copy for cheap that will take a couple months to get here.

Finally, with me being home bound and playing with the kids, they did help me wash the bike!

Pics for you Motofool

No, I don't race anymore. Too much damage to my knees from hill climbing interval trainings. I switched over to bicycle commuting. So, I just race other commuters who don't know we were racing :D

Here's a thread on bicycles. A lot of us here ride. (https://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=106275&page=37&highlight=bicycle).

As for the cold/wind, unless looks are more important for you, you can always get these guards.

http://image.space.rakuten.co.jp/d/strg/ctrl/9/f0372b7ef2203d2060d5ddca8e06530033d7c6e4.49.2.9.2.jpeg

Gloves go a long way. I have Alpinestars Drystar gloves. They aren't too big or bulky. But they do offer much better rain/cold protection than your average gauntlets. I've worn them down to the 40s riding locally and my fingers aren't cold.

Hit me up on questions RE bike commuting if you ever want it. I commuted 34miles one way for a few years off and on.

........Speed limit 45 so I was in second gear and usually above 10K rpm. One thing that I was thinking about today is that counter steering again for me is not really a big deal but I didn't ever really have to lean off the bike too much unless I was racing in rain. That being said, I find myself fighting the urge to "fall into" the turn with my body weight. I did focus on keeping one side of my butt cheek off the bike while turning in that direction but found my upper body wanting to counter balance the turn a bit.

I was also pretty tense. I noticed in the sharper turns that I was gripping the bars fairly hard..........

Pics for you Motofool

Above 10K rpm's at 45 mph is not the best combination for street riding; between 6K and 8K is more than adequate.
High rpm's induce excessive fuel consumption, wear of the engine and vibrations.
Leave those for when you need max torque/speed at your rear wheel.

There is absolutely no need for hanging off while riding in public roads, as your bike will not reach even 30 degrees of lean angle.

Rather, focus on riding with your eyes way ahead of the bike: your brain will register slower speeds and the bike will just follow the lines that your eyes draw a few seconds ahead.

While you are looking as far ahead as possible and eventually glancing at the mirrors (only when over a straight section of road), firmly anchor your knees and feet to the bike, keep your butt in line with the seat, support your upper body with the muscles of your torso and back, relax your arms and hold the handle bar as softly and relaxed as if each handle was a toothpaste tube.

Good looking bike !!!

Above 10K rpm's at 45 mph is not the best combination for street riding; between 6K and 8K is more than adequate.
High rpm's induce excessive fuel consumption, wear of the engine and vibrations.
Leave those for when you need max torque/speed at your rear wheel.

There is absolutely no need for hanging off while riding in public roads, as your bike will not reach even 30 degrees of lean angle.

Rather, focus on riding with your eyes way ahead of the bike: your brain will register slower speeds and the bike will just follow the lines that your eyes draw a few seconds ahead.

While you are looking as far ahead as possible and eventually glancing at the mirrors (only when over a straight section of road), firmly anchor your knees and feet to the bike, keep your butt in line with the seat, support your upper body with the muscles of your torso and back, relax your arms and hold the handle bar as softly and relaxed as if each handle was a toothpaste tube.

Good looking bike !!!

Thanks Motofool. I was actually hanging in second gear more or less to keep things simple. I knew I couldn't really speed in the straights above the speed limit and the turns are really sharp so I was dropping down to 25-30mph for them. Eventually, I do plan on 3rd for straights and downshifting but I was working my way into it :D

So, I guess, I wasn't really hanging off but I did shift my weight and butt from one side to the other. Even if that is a bad idea, I still find my upper body trying to counterbalance the turn which is frustrating. i am sure I will grasp this in time but it is a nice mental note and document for where I am now.

Squeezing with the legs:doh: I knew that...hmm I wonder if my brain was simply processing to many other variables and I simply forgot this one. I need to let go of the idea that I need to hold onto the handlebars so I dont fall in this turn:D I am sure that is what my subconscious was thinking.


So you wouldn't ever move a butt cheek to one side or the other on nice twisty/canyon road? Not needed? Unsafe?

Commuting in! Caught in the rain.

So, desperate to get out today and it got caught in some small drizzle with a 20% chance on the way home. No real biggie actually and I have been caught out in it before but I did notice a few things.


Firstly, the rain was infrequent enough that it was that danger zone where you really should pull over and wait for the oil/coolant to get removed. All that being said, it never really rained "enough" to where that slippery surface was going to go away. I was very thankfull that I stayed out of the middle of the road, Goodness! I have heard that oil/coolant etc leaks there but man in this rain it was pretty visible and obvious. I lost track of all of the oil/coolant/AC spills that I avoided.

Secondly, I wasn't really going fast enough to shake my head left or right to remove water droplets. Stuck in traffic, I found myself using my held gloves rubber wiper for my helmet which I have used in the fog before. Not bad but again, rain at low speeds for helmet vision really sucks...havent figured out an ideal solution yet...rain-x?

I know summer is coming but man- I am going to need some waterproof pants/leather pants sooner rather than later.

Only one incident this morning and I focused on being smooth and keeping my space as I commuted in with no issues and it was nice to see from just about everybody that I was given space.

Had a comercial van pull out from the side street and go to the far left lane immediately.I had my eye on him originally and was already as far over in the left lane and noticeable as possible. Not really a big deal, I veered a little around him and honked my horn as he got back in his lane.

Just didn't see me :) no sweat

So you wouldn't ever move a butt cheek to one side or the other on nice twisty/canyon road? Not needed? Unsafe?

Not really needed, but fun. What moving off the seat does is allow the bike to stand up straighter, which does three things. Namely, it allows the suspension to work better, it gives you a greater reserve of traction, and it gives you more ground clearance before hard parts start dragging. At street pace -- or even spirited canyon carving pace -- you're nowhere near the limits of any of these. Or you'd darned well better not be... this is stuff for the track.

(What I mean by "reserve of traction" is that traction is a limited resource. You use it to brake, corner and accelerate. Use all of it for cornering, and none is left to brake or accelerate. Touch the brakes at the limit of traction and bingo... skid. You'll find this in Twist of the Wrist II. PS: Get the video too.)

Personally I like to practice moving around because I also ride on the track and I never get any other chance to get those skills burned into muscle memory. But do I need to? Nope. I do have to say that it feels pretty silly riding around a corner at 15 mph behind a school bus with one cheek off the seat, but whatever.

Current thinking is that it's not only about your butt... it's about your whole body. Watch the MotoGP races this weekend and go to school... look very carefully at body positions. Yes they're moving their butts off the seat, but also their whole torso. You will actually see the smaller guys get their outside foot entirely off the peg from time to time. Freaks me out, that.

Think more about leading with your chin and your chest. Move your shoulders. You go where you look. Stay loose... that's another benefit of getting used to moving around on the seat: you can't really do it if you're tense and stiff.

Thanks Motofool..........

So, I guess, I wasn't really hanging off but I did shift my weight and butt from one side to the other. Even if that is a bad idea, I still find my upper body trying to counterbalance the turn which is frustrating. i am sure I will grasp this in time but it is a nice mental note and document for where I am now.
............ I need to let go of the idea that I need to hold onto the handlebars so I dont fall in this turn:D .........

So you wouldn't ever move a butt cheek to one side or the other on nice twisty/canyon road? Not needed? Unsafe?

It is not a bad idea, but I recommend you working on creating more important habits first.
Learn emergency stops and swerves, both over a curve and over a straight, first; then learn to be smooth on your control inputs; then learn the feeling of your engine, transmission and tires.
There is always time to learn to go faster; sadly, you may need to stop or to swerve faster before you have a chance to become proficient at it.

Your head and upper body are heavier than your butt.
If the idea of keeping your body aligned with the bike does not appeal to you, try leaning your upper body and head only towards the interior of the turn, followed by a push forward on the handle of the same side.

That creates a good habit that could save your life when an emergency happens.
Please, read and practice this:
https://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=114372

You cannot fall from the bike while leaned because combined force formed by gravity plus centripetal accelerations is pulling down in an angle and the bike and you are aligned and in balance with that force.
Think of the handle bar as a hand rest, not as a grabbing bar.

Move a butt cheek to one side? ............ I am never in a hurry and I am too old for those fancy techniques. :)
I have wasted much time in my long life; hence, saving a few minutes from point A to B does not make sense anymore.
Flowing like water through a nice twisty/canyon road, while watching the picture, is way more important to me.

Not really needed, but fun. What moving off the seat does is allow the bike to stand up straighter, which does three things. Namely, it allows the suspension to work better, it gives you a greater reserve of traction, and it gives you more ground clearance before hard parts start dragging. At street pace -- or even spirited canyon carving pace -- you're nowhere near the limits of any of these. Or you'd darned well better not be... this is stuff for the track.

(What I mean by "reserve of traction" is that traction is a limited resource. You use it to brake, corner and accelerate. Use all of it for cornering, and none is left to brake or accelerate. Touch the brakes at the limit of traction and bingo... skid. You'll find this in Twist of the Wrist II. PS: Get the video too.)

Personally I like to practice moving around because I also ride on the track and I never get any other chance to get those skills burned into muscle memory. But do I need to? Nope. I do have to say that it feels pretty silly riding around a corner at 15 mph behind a school bus with one cheek off the seat, but whatever.

Current thinking is that it's not only about your butt... it's about your whole body. Watch the MotoGP races this weekend and go to school... look very carefully at body positions. Yes they're moving their butts off the seat, but also their whole torso. You will actually see the smaller guys get their outside foot entirely off the peg from time to time. Freaks me out, that.

Think more about leading with your chin and your chest. Move your shoulders. You go where you look. Stay loose... that's another benefit of getting used to moving around on the seat: you can't really do it if you're tense and stiff.
Yea, I was watching a few old clips of motoGP and saw them taking a foot of the peg. Now it looks like a need to get the motoGP subscription to watch it. Twist of the Wrist actually arrived yesterday :D:D
One thing that I had a question on actually was answered( i kind of searched for it in the book).

On my ride home yesterday, I was shifting my butt back untill I hit the rear seat and I found that I was able to rest my legs better and also my arms because I was able to "drive" my legs into the tank better and use the legs better. Now at cruising speed it felt a little weird so like you said, I will probably need to shift my weight around to dictate what I am doing etc.
Weird though as MSF always had me hugging the tank and in close.

It is not a bad idea, but I recommend you working on creating more important habits first.
Learn emergency stops and swerves, both over a curve and over a straight, first; then learn to be smooth on your control inputs; then learn the feeling of your engine, transmission and tires.
There is always time to learn to go faster; sadly, you may need to stop or to swerve faster before you have a chance to become proficient at it.

Your head and upper body are heavier than your butt.
If the idea of keeping your body aligned with the bike does not appeal to you, try leaning your upper body and head only towards the interior of the turn, followed by a push forward on the handle of the same side.

That creates a good habit that could save your life when an emergency happens.
Please, read and practice this:
https://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=114372

You cannot fall from the bike while leaned because combined force formed by gravity plus centripetal accelerations is pulling down in an angle and the bike and you are aligned and in balance with that force.
Think of the handle bar as a hand rest, not as a grabbing bar.

Move a butt cheek to one side? ............ I am never in a hurry and I am too old for those fancy techniques. :)
I have wasted much time in my long life; hence, saving a few minutes from point A to B does not make sense anymore.
Flowing like water through a nice twisty/canyon road, while watching the picture, is way more important to me.


Thanks Motofool! You actually gave me a good mental/headcheck. I really am diving in too fast mentally. MotoGP,twist of the wrist etc. all good things but I went out last weekend to dive through turns when I should be practicing emergency braking and swerving. I did look into the experienced riders course this morning through MSF and at $105 bucks its really a good deal. Looks like they want 6 months experience though? Granted by the time the class starts in april I will probably have will over 2000miles but only 3 months riding so I may just ignore the whole 6 month experience bit.

I have lots of potholes and man covers that I can work on- looking into my escape route with chest and head and than countersteering to avoid them! Hopefully I don't get pulled over by the po po like some of the others :D:D

No riding today:( weather is decent but kiddos to pickup

edit: more books to pick up it seems- Proficient motorcycling-David Hough

TOTW is fundamentally about the track, but with skills that definitely do translate. About riding fast.

Proficient Motorcycling is for the street... covers survival strategies, etc. Right where you are now. Definitely get a copy.


By the way, one of the things that bugs me about TOTW 2 is Code's love of Lists of Things. The main one is survival reactions, which he assigns numbers to, then refers to throughout the book by number as if you're going to freakin' remember them. Sheesh.

Here's a handy cheat sheet for you. I actually typed the thing up and made a laminated bookmark so I wouldn't have to go hunting

Survival Reactions

1. Rolling off the gas.

2. Tightening on the bars.

3. Narrowed and frantically hunting field of view.

4. Fixed attention (aka target fixation).

5. Steering in the direction of the fixed attention.

6. No steering (frozen on the bars) or ineffective (not quick enough or too early) steering

7. Braking errors (both over- and under-braking)

TOTW is fundamentally about the track, but with skills that definitely do translate. About riding fast.

Proficient Motorcycling is for the street... covers survival strategies, etc. Right where you are now. Definitely get a copy.


By the way, one of the things that bugs me about TOTW 2 is Code's love of Lists of Things. The main one is survival reactions, which he assigns numbers to, then refers to throughout the book by number as if you're going to freakin' remember them. Sheesh.

Here's a handy cheat sheet for you. I actually typed the thing up and made a laminated bookmark so I wouldn't have to go hunting

Survival Reactions

1. Rolling off the gas.

2. Tightening on the bars.

3. Narrowed and frantically hunting field of view.

4. Fixed attention (aka target fixation).

5. Steering in the direction of the fixed attention.

6. No steering (frozen on the bars) or ineffective (not quick enough or too early) steering

7. Braking errors (both over- and under-braking)

Sweet! Thanks for the list and that is a good idea. I will print that and laminate it here at work to take home :)

Ordered Proficient Motorcycling

I am also looking at ed bargy school as it is close and looks to be about $400
http://edbargy.com/Racing-School.htm
I may try and do one of the later dates though as I think I need a bit more riding time.
than again, riding up to ohio and doing an event in csmith12 area seems neat too.

I do eventually want to track a bit but I need to watch myself on jumping into things too quickly. Street safety first as I am a commuter:D

csmith12 area seems neat too.

Yep! These roads bring in riders from many miles/states around. You can pick your poison too. Want tight twisties? 3-5 miles from my house. Want long fast sweepers? 11 miles from my house. Want to see some covered bridges? About 15 miles away. How bout a long medium skill ride that follows the river and goes through little river towns with easier twisties in between? Get your bag ready for a solid day of riding and a long rest stop in Rabbit Hash KY, we will pet the Mayor. Yea, I said pet. :rotflmao: I literally have to go over the river and through the woods to get to gramma's house.

Worth a stop if you are in the area anytime.

Keep up the good work, I have been watching this thread since the day you started it. :thumbup:

Ordered Proficient Motorcycling


It was one of my favorite books on motorcycling. Very basic....but the way the author (David Hough or something like that) puts it together made it an easy read.

/100% honesty...

I have no clue why I feel the need to link this vid here, but I do...

Ovd3KGu6BgU

........... I have lots of potholes and man covers that I can work on- looking into my escape route with chest and head and than countersteering to avoid them! Hopefully I don't get pulled over by the po po like some of the others :D:D
......
edit: more books to pick up it seems- Proficient motorcycling-David Hough

Whenever possible, choose a parking lot away from traffic for braking and swerving practices.
No traffic because there is always a chance of falling and all your concentration can be used for learning the maneuvers.

David Hough did also write this article about the importance of getting smarter about riding on public roads:
https://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=121405

Another good book for street survival, which also contains a more current translation of the results of the Hurt report, is "Ride hard, ride smart" by Pat Hahn.

https://198.50.222.41/forums/showthread.php?t=205589

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_findings_in_the_Hurt_Report

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurt_Report

:crazyloco:

Whenever possible, choose a parking lot away from traffic for braking and swerving practices.
No traffic because there is always a chance of falling and all your concentration can be used for learning the maneuvers.

David Hough did also write this article about the importance of getting smarter about riding on public roads:
https://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=121405

Another good book for street survival, which also contains a more current translation of the results of the Hurt report, is "Ride hard, ride smart" by Pat Hahn.

https://198.50.222.41/forums/showthread.php?t=205589

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_findings_in_the_Hurt_Report

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurt_Report

:crazyloco:

Looks like these books were recommended as well-

"About the books: "... and More Proficient Motorcycling along with Nick Ienatsch's Sport Riding Techniques: How To Develop Real World Skills for Speed, Safety, and Confidence on the Street and Track are must haves for all street riders. " "Ride hard, ride smart" by Pat Hahn.

Time to find them on amazon:D

Your second link there doesn't seem to work for me. The one right before the hurt reports.

Yep! These roads bring in riders from many miles/states around. You can pick your poison too. Want tight twisties? 3-5 miles from my house. Want long fast sweepers? 11 miles from my house. Want to see some covered bridges? About 15 miles away. How bout a long medium skill ride that follows the river and goes through little river towns with easier twisties in between? Get your bag ready for a solid day of riding and a long rest stop in Rabbit Hash KY, we will pet the Mayor. Yea, I said pet. :rotflmao: I literally have to go over the river and through the woods to get to gramma's house.

Worth a stop if you are in the area anytime.

Keep up the good work, I have been watching this thread since the day you started it. :thumbup:
I made a mental note to stop through some time:D One of my daughters goes to Shriners in Cinci for burn treatment quite a bit.

/100% honesty...

I have no clue why I feel the need to link this vid here, but I do...

Ovd3KGu6BgU

I really appreciate the video! Being the research guy that I am I had the information but I did not realize that the helmet was still good if dropped from your bike seat. MSF course had always stayed dropped once no matter what and not good. Makes me a little less paranoid.

My helmet did feel a bit tight even for these standards when I first got it but now after some miles, it feels just right. I will stay mindful though of helmet movement at high speeds though if it happens and take note. Right now I can shake my head without movement from the helmet.



More thoughts soon to come guys- Been reading and digesting more information than I can handle :) No ride today

So it has been a somewhat slow workday and I thought I would share some of my thoughts as I progress through this journey at this exact stage of my adventure:

Firstly, figuring out where to better hone my skills in person post MSF is a CHALLENGE. Since csmith12 had recommended the experienced riders course and than some track school events as the order of progress let me explain my dilemma.

The MSF course was good for me but not great. Let me explain:

Friction zone- drive car manual albeit not the same this wouldn't have been to hard to figure out solo. I am going to lump general operation of the bike into this I.e. shifting, stopping etc.

Things like look where your going, don't drink and drive and counter-steering where things I already knew.

Things I learned. So hitting a dead possum or going over a wood plank in the road. Butt off seat and blip throttle. Nice trick that I learned.

It rained during my MSF on the test day. Instructors had prepped for this and we basically did a majority of the riding on day one and also arrived super early day 2 to finish up and than did class work. This was great in the sense of my knowing that if I only used my front brake in the rain that my back end would fishtail :D ask me how I know. However some of the stuff like TCLOC wasn't really ground into us right away as we were racing against time with the weather from the start. So bike first/lessons later.

Not really knocking the MSF course and I am REALLY glad that i did it and feel much more confident on the bike but I would't say it was a "game-changer"

OK, that was a bit long winded for me really just to say what more will be different in the advanced class in a parking lot at 30mph. I imagine some swerve techiniques,heavy braking and maybe some oil/slick tarmac conditions with maybe some trail braking technique.

I just wonder if I spent that time on a few weekends in a parking lot near me practicing the things that I am reading and learning online? Granted at $105 bucks I will probably still take the course but I also don't want to pick up bad habits from instructors. Like keeping my fingers off the brakes when riding.

Just spewing my mental game with such a light work day:D

Secondly- let's say I take the advanced riders course in May. Now what track rider program do I go to? I could fly to cali($$), I could drive to mid-ohio but locally looking at some of the schools. in the southeast, they want at least a year of riding experience and some have even suggested several track events before attending the school. Most places however do seem to have some form of coaching help and I just need to contact the track venue or showup and look into the C class.

I know, I am diving way in over my head at this point given that this kind of thing won't really happen tell end of summer hopefully but it is fun to look into. I am also sure that once I meet a few of the local riders and as the sun keeps coming out that word of mouth might be a bit more insightful but again just scanning the internet for newbie riders first track school can be a bit daunting.


Ride in to work tomorrow I hope and some swerving and braking skills this weekend!

I took my BRC2 course last year. It was pretty much useless for me as everything they taught was already taught in the BRC course. To make matters worse, we had a horrible student:instructor ratio. I believe the max is 6 students to 1 instructor? Well, we had exactly that amount. So, only one instructor. And it didn't help that he was almost 70 years old. Being older, he was physically slower. And he had to set up the course throughout the day by himself without anyone helping.

And to make matters worse, we had two cocky people in class....both of whom dropped their bikes. One was a kid in the military that came in class with a gixxer 750 and asked the instructor "if I gave you $20 bux, could you just sign the piece of paper so I can show my CO that I took this class?"
6N91PtGQUwM

The other guy is a hipster from Brooklyn that rides a Vstrom 650 who claims he rides 25,000 miles a year across the country.
ntoTy9eP-iM



So, if you were to take an more advanced course, don't take the BRC2 class.

With that said.....I signed up for the ARC course for next week. But they just called me telling me that they had to cancel because they couldn't get two instructors. They were only able to get one instructor. So, I'm rescheduled for a June ARC class.

Interesting thing....a huge rat ran out onto the road while on my commute:
xRPplAT7_cs

I don't remember recommending the ERC (experienced rider course) but hey... I am human hahahahaha! I teach the MSF, so out of completeness I would put the ERC in the training progression lineup just the same. Thing is though... post MSF, you could and should swap them around any way that best fits your needs. Like me for example, straight from MSF to track. Some kids are too young for the MSF so they take straight from the dirt to the track with nothing in between, and so on and so forth. The MSF is a basic course to get you riding on public roads with an acceptable level of safety within the confines of the laws, speed limits and common road courtesies. Even the ERC contains the many of the same drills as the BRC, but a few that are different.

After the BRC (MSF), you must take stock in yourself and your goals. Pick a training path that will enable those goals. That path may not include the ERC. it may take you to the track with or without Total Control in between. I also think you might have the wrong idea about Novice track days vs track schools vs a race school. As I have posted many times before, a track day is an educational experience first, everything else is bonus. Even though it's very frowned upon, Mid-Ohio has taught at least one rider clutch control in the paddock. As a coach there, I have ridden at less than street speeds on the track because that was the rider's skill level at the time. It's NOT a problem at all, it's what we are there for. :)

A track day = Control riders watch all riders and offer help when only needed or asked. I think of these days as (practice what you know on your own)
A track school = Coaches set goals and provide instruction/drills to riders throughout the day, evaluation and help is always there when you need it
A race school = Coaches expect you to fully know how to ride and control yourself and the bike in close quarters with other riders. You will be evaluated to safely race the bike on track without the supervision of control riders/coaches. Rule infractions/questions/concerns are handled adhoc as they come up by race control.

Honestly though, a years worth of experience riding is about perfect. There is a quote in a movie that states something to this effect. "I have been riding for 20yrs and I really have had 1 year of experience 19 times."

Like you, when I first started looking into getting additional training, I thought there was a huge gap in between the BRC/ERC and track riding. But after coaching at the track, I realized there isn't. What is missing though, is a "common folk" affordable stepping stone between the BRC and a full on track day. Let's face it, $300-$400 for 2 hours/training of riding is pretty steep for the blue collar worker, not to mention gear requirements. And let's not forget, to many... the time and place to ride fast is not on the street. Which would explain why there isn't many training centers that will train you to do just that.

Besides... it's of no matter anyway. You did the BRC :thumbup:, your very next step could be at the track if you feel it will work for you. Just sign up for STT Novice school, come with me to Mid-Ohio and do their school, or go straight to the top with CSS. All novice level track school should be fully expecting you to not be going out there to set lap records, lean your bike over very far or touch a knee down. After all, you're a novice... and you're there to become less of a novice. :clapping:

I absolutely love it when people want to learn as much as they can. So big thumbs up on wanting to go for more training. Two big thumbs up for wanting to experience the track.

Having said that, consider pacing yourself just a bit. Right now you're in that hyper-alert, analyze-every-detail, every-ride-is-memorable stage. Awash in input. Everything matters, all the time. It's all fresh.

Are you ready to pile more on top of that? The track will teach you things you can never learn on the street. (I've been riding since 1987, and on my first track day I braked harder and leaned over further than I ever have in my life.) It's a huge rush of new input that's hard to keep straight -- even if you've got nearly a quarter century of riding behind you and are totally comfortable on the bike.

Here's how a new rider describes an incident:

"This morning I was on my commute, riding along a four-lane side road at 35 mph in the left lane, avoiding the dropped oil in the center of the lane and scanning four seconds ahead The weather was clear and dry. I was following the car ahead of me about eight car-lengths back, and there was no one behind me. A UPS truck pulled out of a parking lot on the right and cut straight over to the left lane. Fortunately I was able to brake in time to avoid hitting him, without locking my rear wheel."

Here's how a veteran rider describes the same incident:

"Yeah, a UPS guy tried to kill me this morning. Pulled out of a driveway and cut me off. Moron."

:D

Here's my point. Right now you've got a million things flying through your head all the time and there may not be enough capacity to really get the most from advanced instruction. Eventually you're going to slow down the research and analysis. It's inevitable... you'll have read the books, watched the videos, ridden in all kinds of conditions, had more close calls, met more people... and you'll be thinking differently. Focusing more on the fine points instead of the basics. You'll have more mental bandwidth at your disposal.

There's something to be said for just going out and getting some quality seat time. Learning to walk before you run. Etc. etc.

If you're truly ready, definitely go for it! But I'd suggest doing an objective self-assessment about where you are in your progression first.

cadd- appreciate the insight and from browsing the web I do tend to see quite a bit of the same stories.Granted, the internet is a bit bias as most people post with complaints just like trying to find out which motorcycle is the most reliable:D

csmith12 and adouglas - You guys are both %100 dead on here. csmith12 you had recommended the http://www.totalcontroltraining.net/HTML/Schedule.html#April in your test me thread but NOT the ERC. This is what I get with information overload.

Self evaluation does tell me to slow down and much like a brand new rider at the MSF course I am only taking in probably 20% of what I am reading because it is just too much to process. adouglas, your evaluation of that incident is hilarious and so true:rotflmao: Again, dead on with my evaluation- analysis paralysis, thanks.

So I am slowing down a bit and taking it all in. I plan to re-read all of this anyway. Again, thanks for breaking down the track day scenario's and you are right I had kind of in visioned turning at 90+mph but it is good to know the breakdown of track schools as you have it written! That is pretty hard to find(at least for a beginner) via online.

"Besides... it's of no matter anyway. You did the BRC , your very next step could be at the track if you feel it will work for you. Just sign up for STT Novice school, come with me to Mid-Ohio and do their school, or go straight to the top with CSS. All novice level track school should be fully expecting you to not be going out there to set lap records, lean your bike over very far or touch a knee down. After all, you're a novice... and you're there to become less of a novice. "
I need to drill this concept in!




Commute in today in the rain! Pretty excited actually as I had prepped for the rain and had a normal rain jacket over my leathers. Pant's are still an issue but I had a change of clothes in my backpack and the rain was hard enough that I wasn't too worried about residual oils etc being on the ground. I still road clear of the middle though. I also found out that my held gloves are actually good in the rain. The wiper on the index finger works alot better if you are swiping from left to right and not top to bottom:doh::doh:
Focused on being relaxed and smooth breaking and throttle. I am getting a bit better at being relaxed and holding the bars like toothpaste. I noticed on the downhill sections that I am now further back in the seat with my knees more vertically into the forks which allows for less weight on the wrists which is awesome!!

Thanks all

The party starts at about 9,000 rpm.... :D Seriously, these bikes love to rev and the power delivery is smoother at high rpm.

That's true, but I'd like to add that the ninja 300 does have a good amount of low end-mid range power compared to the N250. I love the feeling I get going WOT at around 6k, the bike just pulls you. Fun fun fun little bike.

............Commute in today in the rain!............
Focused on being relaxed and smooth breaking and throttle. I am getting a bit better at being relaxed and holding the bars like toothpaste. I noticed on the downhill sections that I am now further back in the seat with my knees more vertically into the forks which allows for less weight on the wrists which is awesome!!

Thanks all

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

the clutch is only for stopping.

For body positioning in turns, as another n00b, I found that "kissing the mirror" does everything I need to do at once, organically and effortlessly. It just happens to help to gently countersteer, gently roll on throttle during the turn, relax the elbows, hold the bike with your knees, move you body slightly toward the turn, and look into the turn, all at once.

Try it.

Proficient motorcycling arrived and at a good week too! Am I the only one getting flooded with storms all week:mad::mad:

So friday, I took the long, scenic, twisty route home. I really like this route and it only adds about 20 minutes but I have about 10 miles of chaos traffic to go through to get there. I have gotten used to riding in traffic while covering the brake/clutch levers. Still keeping my eye out for adjustable levers but for now I am staying stock still for as long as possible.

For the scenic roads I had to goals:
Relax and push chest, head and eyes in direction of turn or in other words where I wanted to go. I really had an incredibly enjoyable time. I actually had to watch myself a bit more with speed. I have done this route before and been 5 to 10 miles an hour under the speed limit but as I relaxed on friday and just naturally rolled on the gas I found myself going quite a bit faster. Still not something I would get pulled over for but it was obvious that I was improving!!

I ended up not getting a chance at all to go out this weekend and practice braking and with the wet conditions this week it may get pushed off even further.

Finding myself looking at some rain suits! I would have rode today but for case had T-storms and wouldn't you know it it was basically light drizzle…GRRR

Interesting thing....a huge rat ran out onto the road while on my commute:
xRPplAT7_cs

Ok, I know I commented a bit on this craziness but a bit more… Do you think you would have gone down if you ran over that dog? We were instructed in MSF to change pace i.e. decrease speed and then accelerate if a dog is coming at you. However, I get a lot of dogs if on country roads and I know some of them like you have seen just come out of nowhere.

I believe the rule is, if you can eat it in one sitting, you can run it over without much fuss. Any bigger and your chances of going down go up respectively to the size of what you hit.

As far as the MSF and dogs go, your goal is to break the dog's intercept point via speed changes. Chasing dogs are a hunting animal, break that point your chances of avoidance goes way up. I will trade ya anytime, my neighbor has 6 dogs, 4 of which give chase. Then literally 1 mile down the road, is another who loves to get in front my front wheel, then proceed to walk casually. :(

Proficient motorcycling arrived...........
For the scenic roads I had to goals:
Relax and push chest, head and eyes in direction of turn or in other words where I wanted to go. I really had an incredibly enjoyable time............. and just naturally rolled on the gas I found myself going quite a bit faster. Still not something I would get pulled over for but it was obvious that I was improving!!


:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

Regarding dogs:
http://www.soundrider.com/archive/safety-skills/booby_traps.aspx

my rule of thumb, downshift and engine brake to simultaneously increase noise (scare dog a bit) and decrease speed (confuse dog as they end up in front of you) before going around the pup

the bigger thing in my experience is that my mind is easily distracted and I have actually crashed before as a result of being distracted by a barking dog in combination with gravel and excessive speed for the conditions (would not have been anywhere near excessive w/o gravel)

Goodness csmith12 that sounds like an awful situation. I must admit that part of me as a bicycle rider finds enjoyment in the fact that more than one "people group" suffer from this dog affliction. I have a beautiful bicycle route that is pretty hilly but involves a few mutt/pitbulls and more often than not I avoid a small section of the route because of the dogs. I have had a racing buddy go down real hard and end up in the hospital because of playful dogs and I have also gone down while being chased by several pit bull mutts.

Motofool- GREAT article and if you don't mind, I am going to share this with my cycling buddies. I am often looking for posture of dogs when bicycling and whether I need to dismount or carry on with speed. I have talked to several owners and the police on several occasions. In my county, there is a dog lease policy that warrants police attention but I often travel to other counties without lease policies and basically have been told by authorities "good luck."



Ok, Ok. So i wasn't going to post as I really don't want to be a post whore but this book is really good and challenging. A couple of things:

0-6 months riding in traffic is almost the highest risk, go figure. However, according to the Hurt report in the period of 25-36 months of riding you are actually at more of a risk than when you first started simply do to "cockiness". This is pretty sobering and totally believable. Yes, I am in a super aware state of mind right now but I am becoming more and more comfortable on a bike and it is a bit scary knowing and easily understanding that I can be at even more of a risk at 25 months. All that being said, 48+ months and your golden :)

Ok, my second point goes along with my journaling and progression. I scored a 41 on the first chapter quiz. Basically, had I scored an 80 or higher than I would have had an indication of doing a lot of the right things!! 80 people..damn…80?? Anyway, it is telling. Yes, I am learning and yes I am growing but motorcycling is a major risk. I lost 5 points for not practicing quick stops, I don't know cross edge traps and I lost 5 for constantly riding in traffic. I also can't list twenty common surface hazards. Than again, there are a lot of things that I do right and this test basically says that if you are over 40 than you are ok but man I am close and it is a telling fact given that I would be ok in saying that I am learning and growing just about as fast and appropriate as possible. I gained a lot of points for ATGATT and MSF and not drinking.

anyways…food for thought

chemist, you should ask csmith about owls :rolleyes:

also, damn I fit the cockiness to a T. I haven't had any close calls in so long that I'm getting comfortable...on the bright side no close calls in a while :D

Ok, I know I commented a bit on this craziness but a bit more… Do you think you would have gone down if you ran over that dog? We were instructed in MSF to change pace i.e. decrease speed and then accelerate if a dog is coming at you. However, I get a lot of dogs if on country roads and I know some of them like you have seen just come out of nowhere.

I don't think I would've gone down had I ran it over. But poor guy would be in a world of hurt.

I think the MSF instructions for dogs was meant for you to see the dog coming and had a few seconds to react. I just found the unedited video. I think I had less than 1 second to react. I didn't see the dog until he was off the sidewalk (at the 0:03 second mark of this video). I'm always looking ahead, never occurred to me I had to keep an eye open for stuff that goes on in the sidewalk. But it was a good learning experience....as I am more receptive of my surrounds now (including the sidewalk).

I paused the video at 0:03. And by the time my front tire reached the dog, it was the beginning of 0:04.

nBhOY5Ur978

I got pepper spray in my saddle bag just for the chasing dogs. Strangely enough, no dog chased my motorcycle since I've got the spray. They KNOW!

By the time you open your saddlebag, reach in with your clumsy gloves, pull it out, click the safety off with your dexterous gloves on, aim the can, calculate the rate of speed you're traveling vs the wind speed, then pressing the button.....you'll probably end up with an visor full of mace. :p

Yeah, but, as I said, it works from within the saddlebags!

James Bond setup?! :)

More like Jedi Knight.

So several of my co-workers actually ride. Still nothing like Europe but on a really nice day you will see 4+ bikes in the lot. That and the key big wigs ride which is important. All that being said, I still deal with the motorcycles will kill you and you have a family crap. Nothing unusual but for some reason I get hell when I ride in on crappy days/rainy days. Had my bosses boss(who rides) jokingly let me know that it was foolish to ride yesterday and he values me at the company etc etc.

/end rant

Anyway, ride report- Light drizzle in the am. Again, wiping from left to right and not up to down is a major game changer with the held glovers- they are awesome!
I slipped up and did not perform TCLOCS yesterday morning. Really bummed. I doubled checked when I got to work and later in the evening checked tires. ~1psi low but not bad. Still, I should have mentally checked myself as I was running a bit late. Granted 1psi low in rain was probably ideal but not happy about my slip up.

No real issues yesterday. Certainly obvious that my braking is not as good in the rain but I mentally use a bit more rear when I know i will be in slippery conditions and leave a lot of space.

Since I was on a tight schedule I left work a bit early and decided that I would try the "superslab" for a few exits since I knew I wouldn't have traffic.Pretty smooth sailing, wind turbulence wasn't really different at 55 vs 75mph(unless I got behind a semi...WOW). All that being said, I could tell that if any emergency situation had happened I would be flaring my SRs and I really need to get out this week and practice braking at different speeds. It was nice being relaxed though as I hit a small divot at 70mph and goodness I can't imagine what that would have felt like had I had a tight grip. Anyways, I had my fill for a few exits and got back off, not ready(well at least safely). I am confident I could take my whole commute via highway and probably be fine but I am going to get some more practice first. Ohh and you really have to commit to countersteering at that speed :) a little tug here and there doesn't work as well.

Eventually, I think I have routed a GREAT route with about 5-7 miles of highway that takes me to the Natchez trace(beautiful scenic back roads all the way home for the remaining miles.

So, I have been reading through a bunch of information again and taking it all in, exciting stuff!! Ended up in a bit of a T-storm this morning. Nothing to crazy but it was a little un-nerving having lighting going off around my area. The basic weather site had totally missed the T-storm. What does everyone recommend for weather sites? I have downloaded weather underground for my iphone and really like it. Seems accurate and has a ton of information. All that being said, it was fairly light rain and the way home was just cloudy. During my ride in I focused on remaining slow to stops as I didn't want my feet down during the T-storm. When I did stop, I had my heels planted on the ground as I have metal toe sliders towards my toes. Good idea? screw it your crazy for riding in T-storms or ehh you won't get struck?

Secondly, I do have a nice bathroom to store clothes at the office and since I wasn't really prepared for wet weather, I let my stinky leathers dry in there. Seriously guys, wet leather sucks. I need to buy a leather treatment for the jacket but what are you guys using for odor with this stuff? febreze? baking soda packets? Their has to be a trick for the work place with wet leather?

No real road issues today which is good as I have yet to practice my emergency braking. Hoping to this weekend. Still trying out new commuting routes. This go around, I took a slightly longer route with less traffic and higher speeds 55mph but still not a "highway." I was actually able to get home a bit quicker and really enjoyed not being in stop and go traffic. This route also felt much safer and I was also able to ride at a non-highway speed that wouldn't induce my SRs !! Really excited about this new route as I progress.

earplugs are still a pain for me. I have had them in for about 50% of my rides and had them in today. I am trying out different ones as we have several disposable types at my workplace. Found myself once stopped at a light with the throttle still slightly going:doh: Just can't hear as well but I need to get used to it!

I should actually be getting close to 1500-1700 miles. Only saying that as it is amazing that people recommend 600cc bikes as early as 1k miles. Not saying I couldn't do it but I still have A LOT to learn. really excited I started on this bike

Found myself once stopped at a light with the throttle still slightly going:doh: Just can't hear as well but I need to get used to it!

Here is a secret... hearing that you still had the throttle applied at a stop is a symptom and catching yourself making a different mistake that has nothing to do with hearing. What do you think it is?

Here is a secret... hearing that you still had the throttle applied at a stop is a symptom and catching yourself making a different mistake that has nothing to do with hearing. What do you think it is?

Hmm, that is a good point. OK, well I am not rev matching when decelerating to brake for a light so I am going to eliminate that option. Now, I still tend to brake for stop lights like I am a mac truck, in other words I almost always stop quicker than anticipated and than I have to apply a little bit of throttle to close that distance. That being said, I am going to go with the worst offender here and say that I am still being a little tense. I do still constantly have to remind myself to relax. I bet that at this point in time I was being to stiff and had a lock on the throttle with my arms and upper body pinning it into a little bit of gas.?

I do also have that cruise control aftermarket feature that I fear gets in the way from time to time. I have removed the cable once to look at it as I noticed if I let go of the throttle it does not always snap back in place. This does happen from time to time in that I let go and it is very sluggish in snapping back to close but I will go ahead and admit that I was probably just a bit to tense at this stop.

I am going to go with the worst offender here and say that I am still being a little tense. I do still constantly have to remind myself to relax. I bet that at this point in time I was being to stiff and had a lock on the throttle with my arms and upper body pinning it into a little bit of gas.?


Bingo! :clapping:

........... I am still being a little tense. I do still constantly have to remind myself to relax.........

It is normal at the beginning.
Remember breathing deeply and slowly and looking far away rather than close ahead of your front tire.
Those two things will help you relax.

It is normal at the beginning.
Remember breathing deeply and slowly and looking far away rather than close ahead of your front tire.
Those two things will help you relax.

:thumbup:

I do also have that cruise control aftermarket feature that I fear gets in the way from time to time..

'Cruise control' (especially those kind) have NO place on a motorcycle.
The throttle must snap fully closed quickly.

Get rid of it.

I slipped up and did not perform TCLOCS yesterday morning. Really bummed. I doubled checked when I got to work and later in the evening checked tires. ~1psi low but not bad. Still, I should have mentally checked myself as I was running a bit late. Granted 1psi low in rain was probably ideal but not happy about my slip up.

This made me smile. Good for you for keeping safety in mind but it's really not necessary to go all OCD on stuff like this. Personally I give the bike a once-over maybe every week or so, if I'm riding every day.

Quick question: Do you do TCLOCS on your car every time you drive?

If not, why not? What makes the bike different? (Aside from having a kickstand and a chain.... :D )

Ok, I know I commented a bit on this craziness but a bit more… Do you think you would have gone down if you ran over that dog? We were instructed in MSF to change pace i.e. decrease speed and then accelerate if a dog is coming at you. However, I get a lot of dogs if on country roads and I know some of them like you have seen just come out of nowhere.I wonder what MSF would recommend in this (http://rideapart.com/articles/watch-rhino-chase-scooter-yes-rhino) case :)

I wonder what MSF would recommend in this (http://rideapart.com/articles/watch-rhino-chase-scooter-yes-rhino) case :)

I believe the rule for that one is sing the state farm jingle lol

Bingo! :clapping:
:doh:I am such a newbie :) all good though...glad I figured it out with some help!
It is normal at the beginning.
Remember breathing deeply and slowly and looking far away rather than close ahead of your front tire.
Those two things will help you relax.
Thanks motofool! I was also singing a bit this morning:D Pretty calm enjoyable ride this morning. Also helps that the weather cooperated today.
'Cruise control' (especially those kind) have NO place on a motorcycle.
The throttle must snap fully closed quickly.

Get rid of it.
Doing so tonight! Eventually getting some heated grips and was going to wait but I am going to go ahead and remove it as it looks like a philllips screwdriver is all I will need.
This made me smile. Good for you for keeping safety in mind but it's really not necessary to go all OCD on stuff like this. Personally I give the bike a once-over maybe every week or so, if I'm riding every day.

Quick question: Do you do TCLOCS on your car every time you drive?

If not, why not? What makes the bike different? (Aside from having a kickstand and a chain.... :D )
Yea, I don't do all of the TCLOCS every morning and in that case I had just rushed out the door without even looking at the bike. In hindsight I was probably fine. It has taken me a couple of weeks to figure out what kind of a change to expect in tire pressure etc. I do typically reinflate tires now just once a week but I do try and check for nails/debris before I head home from work. I also check the floor of my garage for any leaks and I check turn signals but other than that I check levels when I inflate my tires.
I wonder what MSF would recommend in this (http://rideapart.com/articles/watch-rhino-chase-scooter-yes-rhino) case :)

Oh goodness. That would suck

OP, don't listen to adouglas, do your TCLOCS check daily. It's a good habit. Here's how I do my TCLOCS in under 1 minute. (https://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=222357)



Quick question: Do you do TCLOCS on your car every time you drive?

If not, why not? What makes the bike different? (Aside from having a kickstand and a chain.... :D )

I look at my car tires each and every time I get in my car. I don't go out of the way to look at all 4 tires. But as I'm approaching my car, I can glance and see at least 2 tires.

What makes the bike different? I hope you were joking.
Lights - if one of my brake light bulb blew out I still have 2 that are working.
Oil. The dummy light turns on if I'm low
If my brake fluid is low, dummy light turns on
If I get a flat tire, I still have 3 more.
If my turn signals aren't working, dummy light turns on
If one of my brake caliper fails, I still have three. If all 4 fail at the same time, I have the hand brake. If that's not fast enough, I can slam the car in Park. If I drive a manual, I'll just shift it in 1st and pop the clutch.

And more importantly, if any of those don't work, I am surrounded by a highly engineered 4,000lbs cage that will crumple and absorb a tremendous amount of energy before my 8 air bags deploy.

So yeah.....it doesn't take more than 2 minutes to do a TCLOCS check. I make it part of my daily routine.

I think you missed my point... I was trying to put TCLOCS in a real-world perspective. We do not routinely do TCLOCS-like checks on our cars, but new riders do it on their bikes all the time. We tend to treat cars like appliances... they're expected to perform every time as a matter of course.

Idiot lights and "spares" don't count as checking. They're a fallback. The bike has an oil light but TCLOCS means check the oil, not rely on the light. Same with tires and all the rest.

The automotive equivalent of a proper TCLOCS check as taught by MSF would include getting eyeballs on every light (or at least confirming by reflection against garage doors, other cars, etc.), visually confirming that all four tires are correctly inflated, doing a conscious function check of brakes, clutch, throttle and steering (lock to lock) before driving off, and visually checking the oil, brake reservoir and coolant. Chain and sidestand do not apply.

I understand adouglass. But you also have to realize why a TCLOCS check on a car isn't as important as one on a bike. If everything fails at the same time in a car, you're still somewhat protected inside a full cage with deployable airbags in case of an accident.

If one brake light fails, you have two left. If both brake lights fail, you still have the center one working. But on a bike....I know 99% of the time, the bike will functional properly. And for the 1% of the time that it doesn't, you'd probably realize it 50ft down the block when something feels off.

But I just feel safer to do my 1 minute check. You can say I'm wasting my time....perhaps I am. But for me personally, it makes me feel more comfortable.

Appreciate the insight guys on TCLOCS. Currently I am still checking most everything with tire pressure done weekly. I don't check oil but once a week but lights/turn signals and brake fluid along with a casual glance at tires daily is about my routine.

So, I went out and practiced braking!!! finally! I did one trail run at 20mph and than I did about 7 attempts at 30mph. I would have liked a bit more practice but a it was a beautiful day which equates to not many vacant lots. I ended up practicing on some backroads that I knew nobody but cyclists would be on. My first couple of attempts were decent but I was a little heavy on the rear brake surprisingly. The cruiser bike that we were on at the MSF course had pretty shoddy "feel" with the rear brake and you really had to press on it. I learned I am applying a little more rear brake than I thought. I lost traction on the first two attempts in the rear but nothing crazy. Honestly, I only lost traction in the rear to the point of "hmm that was cool."

I was a bit nervous for obvious reasons as I knew I would be braking hard so my body was relaxed but I could tell my nerves were spiked. I probably could have clinched the front a bit tighter and plan to improve but initially I gave a good have a second of soft braking before I clamped down on the front brake. All that being said, I came to a stop pretty dang quick. I had no way of video/recording the event but given the 30-40feet average in the other thread going right now I feel confident that I am in that range. I had a few sessions were I got as close to a stop sign as comfortably possible doing ~30mph and emergency braked always landing well short of the sign.

This practice REALLY helped and I noticed major improvements! I also took off that bloody cruise control mod that was on my bike and the throttle feels a bit better but I am presuming that is a placebo effect.

For new riders that stumble across this thread or are reading it now...seriously, this stuff was awesome! It took me all of 20 minutes maybe and I plan to do it much more often. That and I feel a lot more comfortable at 30mph. Next go around, I will try and increase my speed a bit as I gain confidence!!

This also boosts my quiz score from the first few chapters in Hough's book. I will have to retake that quiz soon:D

On weekends, I usually go to a nearby school for a vacant parking lot.

I still practice braking drills. I found a dirt/gravel/pebble road with little to no traffic. After checking my mirrors, I clamp down on the brakes at 30mph. Lucky for me, I have abs. So when it kicks in, I know I effed up.

I still practice braking drills. I found a dirt/gravel/pebble road with little to no traffic. After checking my mirrors, I clamp down on the brakes at 30mph. Lucky for me, I have abs. So when it kicks in, I know I effed up.

Don't you find the gravel/pebble road a bit hairy for traction/grip while practicing? My next bike will have abs:D I think

Don't you find the gravel/pebble road a bit hairy for traction/grip while practicing? My next bike will have abs:D I think

Yes. Butt clenching at times. But I rather practice intentionally than to be caught off guard if I somehow end up on a gravel road with no way out.

After I accidentally rode on the gravel rode, I wanted to sign up for a dirt bike course. (https://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?p=1007970#post1007970)..hoping the things I'll learn will transfer back over to street riding.

cadd, you need a road trip to KY when the spring rains are over. We can go back in the woods on 4wheelers to get you used to the feeling of sliding without the added risk of 2 wheels. When you are game, you can get on the pw80 and feel those same slides. When you are ready... :) you can get on the yz125 and throw a rooster tail as long as stones will allow you to twist the throttle.

Just lemme know...

I would give you a thumbs up. But I can't. KY is too far for me!!!! But if I'm every passing through KY for some reason, I'll definitely look you up!

Updates-

Picked up some cable lube per this thread https://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=225231&highlight=cable

I should do that this weekend for the first time which should be fun! I have had a grunge brush and chain lube for a while (came natural with owning a bicycle).

I am racking up the miles. Should be pretty close to 9k now. I have noticed that I can "flick" the bike a bit better and more naturally now. Sitting further back on the seat at speed also really helps the handling of the bike.

I have had a few incidents but again nothing to write home about. I do wonder what these incidents would be like though if I was not so involved in being sade and learning. Statistically speaking albeit a bit morbid, I am curious on my crashing odds.

I had one incident at night where two lanes merge from a fork of roughly 40 degrees. I had the right away but of course presume everyone is out to kill me. I am in the habit now of flicking my high beams on at night at intersections and side alleys where I think I might have issues of not being seen. This was one such case. I saw the car coming and sensed he had no idea that I was there, flicked on the high beams and I didn't see any change of pace from this vehicle. I bled a bit of speed with the front brake and made sure I was far to the right as we merged so that if he slammed on his brakes realizing I was there that I would be able to punch it through safely. He didn't see me, i scrubbed speed and avoided incident…MEH

Had a few other cars pull out from the left or right over the past few days way to close but again, keeping my brakes covered it was a non issue and what I would describe as annoying.

I have a small section of roadway on the way home that is pretty sketchy with 4 lanes and several cars that turn out of alleys and also have to stop traffic as they signal to turn left and wait for a brake in traffic. I typically just stay visible and slow with covered levers. no issue thus far.

Had a bit of soreness today as I tried to ride home almost 24/7 as far back on the seat as possible:rotflmao::rotflmao: It works great for general at speed cruising but stop and go traffic it is an annoyance. So I am figuring out a good distance to sit at between the tank and the rear cowl. That and I probably just need to vary my position given the circumstance.

Had low 40 degree temp this morning and wore a balaclava. Had some issues with sweat forming on the inside of my helmet. Stopped at a gas station to wipe out the inside but it was pretty bad for the first couple minutes of riding. Other than that no real issue.

Deep breaths after heavy traffic really help me relax and get back into staying light on the grips.

thanks guys!

As a quick note- I put a dab of peppermint oil on my neck before my commute this morning and LOVED it! I know oils are all the rage now and they are WAY over hyped but I do believe a few of the oils help with some minor issues.

Anyway, I love the smell, its relaxing, and if you believe any of the benefits its a win win. I am contemplating using it a bit more. Thoughts?

..........
So, I went out and practiced braking!!! finally! I did one trail run at 20mph and than I did about 7 attempts at 30mph. I would have liked a bit more practice but a it was a beautiful day which equates to not many vacant lots. I ended up practicing on some backroads that I knew nobody but cyclists would be on. My first couple of attempts were decent but I was a little heavy on the rear brake surprisingly. The cruiser bike that we were on at the MSF course had pretty shoddy "feel" with the rear brake and you really had to press on it. I learned I am applying a little more rear brake than I thought. I lost traction on the first two attempts in the rear but nothing crazy. Honestly, I only lost traction in the rear to the point of "hmm that was cool."

I was a bit nervous for obvious reasons as I knew I would be braking hard so my body was relaxed but I could tell my nerves were spiked. I probably could have clinched the front a bit tighter and plan to improve but initially I gave a good have a second of soft braking before I clamped down on the front brake. All that being said, I came to a stop pretty dang quick. I had no way of video/recording the event but given the 30-40feet average in the other thread going right now I feel confident that I am in that range. I had a few sessions were I got as close to a stop sign as comfortably possible doing ~30mph and emergency braked always landing well short of the sign.............

I recommend keep practicing emergency braking but only at low speeds.
The reason is that any mistake at higher than 20 mph would be costly an discouraging.

The deceleration and the forces that you experience, and ideally become familiar with (so you don't find them unusual or surprising in a way that is unsettling when the real moment arrives), are exactly the same coming to a stop from 20 mph or 100 mph.

The main thing is keeping record of and trying to reduce your stopping distance while keeping the bike and contact patches controlled.

Use the rear brake first to safely transfer weight forward and increase the capability of the front contact patch.
The rear brake has maximum capability when the bike is rolling with no deceleration; hence, you can be heavy on it initially while light on the front brake (front pads touching and dragging disc and heating up for reaching maximum performance next).
After that initial moment, easy the pressure on the rear lever before it starts skidding and increase it on the front lever, not instantaneously but assertively and quickly, more as the forks sink down.

You will make the front tire skid while you perfect the technique and shorten the stopping distances, that is normal.
Nevertheless, practicing reducing some pressure immediately but only enough to allow the wheel roll and keep steering capability is of absolute importance, especially when emergency stopping on sand or wet pavement (even more for painted and steel surfaces).

If you have some time, please read these and all its links:
https://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=147774

http://www.msgroup.org/Articles.aspx?Cat=2

The goal is to learn to "feel" what your front contact patch is feeling in terms of vertical and horizontal (sideways and rearward) loads and limits.
After you have developed and mastered that important sixth sense, the goal will be to keep your vision far away looking for a escape route while you keep perfect balance of the bike using your body weight and minute steering and cleanly and automatically execute the best deceleration that you, your tires and your machine can achieve for that specific pavement conditions.

You may still hit that car turning left in front of you, but the amount of kinetic energy that you dissipate through proper braking may make all the difference regarding damage and trauma.

Knowing that you are learning quickly makes me very happy. :)
Ride safely and stay curious !!!

M3MfLcJLaCs

You may still hit that car turning left in front of you, but the amount of kinetic energy that you dissipate through proper braking may make all the difference regarding damage and trauma.

^^^ :thumbup:

Notice the report says "left turn" and cager (unit 2) cited for "failure to yield"
http://i57.tinypic.com/2rwvtk4.jpg

My friends bike (unit 1)
http://i60.tinypic.com/2ent5ph.jpg

Sorry Chris, by mistake I down voted your last post.
Big fingers, little phone and not enough coffee.
Maybe Alex could fix it for me?

lol no problem, it happens

Maybe in these cases of left turnings, we can get parachutes. hahahaha

Thanks guys! I still set out a goal to practice emergency braking on the weekends. Unfortunately I have been a bit swamped lately. All that being said though the weather is amazing and I have had some great commutes!!

Motofool thanks again for those links and I will look through them soon enough.

Just a few notes for now. Bummed a bit that I lost some detail in my posts as I really have been swamped but I would like to highlight a few points/questions that I have noticed over the last week.

Do you switch lanes to pass other motorcycles when they are aware of your presence? I am assuming yes as that is the legal as well as not riding side by side. I have noticed at stop lights that some bikers dont pull up next to you and some do?

I am still tense when in heavy traffic:doh: real bummer but i can also say that I am 100% more relaxed than a few weeks ago and experience is helping me relax too. My rides into work are amazing so currently just dealing with staying relaxed and calm in heavy traffic.

Also regarding heavy traffic, I have noticed some bikers will take the third lane over and cut in. What I mean by this is we have scenarios where a three lane one way section of road develops and that far right third lane eventually becomes a turn lane. Obviously in heavy traffic you can easily maneuver on a bike to the far right lane and scoot up, put on turn signal and pop back in to the flow of traffic pretty easily. That being said, it is legal(well I think it is) I have done it in my car many...many...many times but I am afraid that I might cause some road rage down the road especially if I am traveling at the same time as these other cars day in and out.


Another scenario, two lane road. one lane for each direction. You have to turn left and cross traffic to get to destination and therefore stop traffic behind you. My mindset was to place the motorcycle in the middle of the lane so that cars can't as easily get past me. My thought was if i am too far to the left I might get clipped. Far right side is just stupid :)


Finally, I am actually comfortable with my ass all the way back towards the rear cowl for extended periods!!

In CT at least lane sharing between motorcycle is legal, so if im with my group of friends (we all have bluetooth) its no big deal to pass each other in the same lane since we know whats going on. Ive only passed 1 other bike in the same lane as myself, a harley rider who was riding a bit washy and there were no legal passing spots around. I dont really recommend it, but check the tennessee law at least.

When turning left i try to be respectful and i go pretty far in the left side of the lane so cars can pass me. I know how annoyed i get when that happens to me. I dont cross the yellow line or anything.

When turning left i try to be respectful and i go pretty far in the left side of the lane so cars can pass me. I know how annoyed i get when that happens to me. I dont cross the yellow line or anything.

Same here. I stop at the intersection so that my left foot is almost touching the double yellow. This gives cars behind me plenty of space to pass me.

.........
Motofool thanks again for those links and I will look through them soon enough.
You are welcome :)
Don't rush on the street, don't rush learning and learn things correctly the first time.


Do you switch lanes to pass other motorcycles when they are aware of your presence? I am assuming yes as that is the legal as well as not riding side by side. I have noticed at stop lights that some bikers don't pull up next to you and some do?
Yes, I always use and protect the whole width of the lane that my bike occupies.
I try other bikes like any other four-wheel vehicle: the farther from me the better.
For stop lights and non-moving situations, it is not dangerous; but as soon as we start moving, I put some distance from any bike or car quickly.
As you may know, I find group riding especially unsafe.


I am still tense when in heavy traffic:doh: real bummer but i can also say that I am 100% more relaxed than a few weeks ago and experience is helping me relax too. My rides into work are amazing so currently just dealing with staying relaxed and calm in heavy traffic.
It is just normal, as you feel more vulnerable than when driving your car.
The perception of high speed (of your bike as well as of the cars surrounding you) becomes a "mental reality" of lack of space and time to react to so many sources of danger.
As your eyes jump from one car to another, your brain becomes overwhelmed and disoriented.

The feeling of control induced by lower speed (more space and time to react) and broad vision calms you down.
Try keeping your main sight forward and far ahead, while watching every other vehicle only with your peripheral view and quick regular glances to your mirrors.

Proper vision while riding takes time and practice to develop.
"Twist of the Wrist 2" dedicates four chapters to vision education alone.
Copied from there:
"While riding, every decision you make is governed by the amount of space you .........think, believe or feel you have.........How (the rider) can see enough space to stay calm?"

The technique is about consciously keeping a wide screen vision (fear and anxiety tend to narrow your field of sight) while constantly scanning that wide field with your awareness rather than with your eyes (which is a quicker and safer way).
That tells you where you are respect to your always changing surroundings.

Next you need to learn to immediately and fluidly react to that information: you need to know and seek your safest location for that instant and you need to develop the skill of moving quickly from that location to the next safest location (dictated by traffic and conditions for the next second).

That is a combination of awareness, riding strategy and agility skills, which are your three first lines of defense (before the riding gear has to be used).
Agility skills are what you have been practicing in that parking lot, those that allow you to quickly, assertively and safely change direction and speed of your machine.


Also regarding heavy traffic, I have noticed some bikers will take the third lane over and cut in. What I mean by this is we have scenarios where a three lane one way section of road develops and that far right third lane eventually becomes a turn lane. Obviously in heavy traffic you can easily maneuver on a bike to the far right lane and scoot up, put on turn signal and pop back in to the flow of traffic pretty easily. That being said, it is legal(well I think it is) I have done it in my car many...many...many times but I am afraid that I might cause some road rage down the road especially if I am traveling at the same time as these other cars day in and out.
Tray staying in your lane (ahead or behind, never next to cars that can sweep you while making a sudden change of lanes) and changing lanes slowly (so others have time to correct mistakes).

Short-cuts in traffic are not for motorcycles: a rider that develops that bad habit, sooner or latter will find a short-cut to the hospital.
Develop good habits while you are most vulnerable in traffic (around your first six months of street riding); later on, after you have develop solid skills, you can decide what risks are worth to be taken.

Those bikers that you have seen have chosen the associated risks, probably based on their skills and experiences.
Personally, I choose my risks based on the lack of skills and common sense of the riders that share the road with me, rather than on my proficiency.


Another scenario, two lane road. one lane for each direction. You have to turn left and cross traffic to get to destination and therefore stop traffic behind you. My mindset was to place the motorcycle in the middle of the lane so that cars can't as easily get past me. My thought was if i am too far to the left I might get clipped. Far right side is just stupid :)

Avoid that situation at all costs !!!
Go around and make a U-turn, go around the block, find a traffic light to do it, etc.
That is an accident very likely to happen, about which you have zero control once you put yourself in that traffic situation.

In the rare case that you have no alternative, slow down or speed up so you find the proper time to turn while still rolling on the center of your lane.

Many times is better deal with oncoming traffic than blindly hoping that the cars following you will see you and react on time while you are a sitting duck in the middle of where nobody expects a bike to be stopped.

You are welcome :)
Don't rush on the street, don't rush learning and learn things correctly the first time.
I know I know:D but I REALLY appreciate the reminder. Sometimes i feel like a kid in a candy store that can't buy anything. Sound wisdom my friend but I constantly have to remind myself of this

Yes, I always use and protect the whole width of the lane that my bike occupies.
I try other bikes like any other four-wheel vehicle: the farther from me the better.
For stop lights and non-moving situations, it is not dangerous; but as soon as we start moving, I put some distance from any bike or car quickly.
As you may know, I find group riding especially unsafe.
Good to know! i will do the same. I am unfamiliar with your group ride story but my current logic is to avoid them like the plague so I will just continue to do so.

It is just normal, as you feel more vulnerable than when driving your car.
The perception of high speed (of your bike as well as of the cars surrounding you) becomes a "mental reality" of lack of space and time to react to so many sources of danger.
As your eyes jump from one car to another, your brain becomes overwhelmed and disoriented.

The feeling of control induced by lower speed (more space and time to react) and broad vision calms you down.
Try keeping your main sight forward and far ahead, while watching every other vehicle only with your peripheral view and quick regular glances to your mirrors.
Thanks motofool. I do think this is unrelated to speed and more related to traffic. Same rules apply though as it sounds. It makes sense that my vision is screwing me up and I do need to work on viewing a " broad vision with peripherals" that makes a lot of sense in light of this subject. This will be my main focus on my ride home today!!
Proper vision while riding takes time and practice to develop.
"Twist of the Wrist 2" dedicates four chapters to vision education alone.
Copied from there:
"While riding, every decision you make is governed by the amount of space you .........think, believe or feel you have.........How (the rider) can see enough space to stay calm?"

The technique is about consciously keeping a wide screen vision (fear and anxiety tend to narrow your field of sight) while constantly scanning that wide field with your awareness rather than with your eyes (which is a quicker and safer way).
That tells you where you are respect to your always changing surroundings.
Perfect !! again good insight
Next you need to learn to immediately and fluidly react to that information: you need to know and seek your safest location for that instant and you need to develop the skill of moving quickly from that location to the next safest location (dictated by traffic and conditions for the next second).
I think I am decent at this...minus the whole "immediately" bit:D. So my own assessment tells me to hone in on awareness and agility . Not ignoring strategy but this will help me break the information down into my weakest points
That is a combination of awareness, riding strategy and agility skills, which are your three first lines of defense (before the riding gear has to be used).
Agility skills are what you have been practicing in that parking lot, those that allow you to quickly, assertively and safely change direction and speed of your machine.


Tray staying in your lane (ahead or behind, never next to cars that can sweep you while making a sudden change of lanes) and changing lanes slowly (so others have time to correct mistakes).

Short-cuts in traffic are not for motorcycles: a rider that develops that bad habit, sooner or latter will find a short-cut to the hospital.
Develop good habits while you are most vulnerable in traffic (around your first six months of street riding); later on, after you have develop solid skills, you can decide what risks are worth to be taken.

Those bikers that you have seen have chosen the associated risks, probably based on their skills and experiences.
Personally, I choose my risks based on the lack of skills and common sense of the riders that share the road with me, rather than on my proficiency.

Noted motofool. I will continue to chill in traffic:cool:
Avoid that situation at all costs !!!
Go around and make a U-turn, go around the block, find a traffic light to do it, etc.
That is an accident very likely to happen, about which you have zero control once you put yourself in that traffic situation.

In the rare case that you have no alternative, slow down or speed up so you find the proper time to turn while still rolling on the center of your lane.

Many times is better deal with oncoming traffic than blindly hoping that the cars following you will see you and react on time while you are a sitting duck in the middle of where nobody expects a bike to be stopped.

hmm. Good point on simply avoiding it as I really wasn't sure how you guys were going to respond to this one. That scenario is how you enter my subdivision but I can always go down the road or enter from the backway!!!


my comments in bold...hopefully not to hard to read

RE: earplugs. So i have finally gotten to a point where I can't stand riding without earplugs!!:D That being said, I have been using disposable earplugs from work that are readily available. i would like to try some nicer/fancier earplugs that would not snag as easily when putting on a helmet and in theory be a bit better feeling/protection.


While on protection, I have noticed a few things about my alpinestar textile pants that I really don't like. When I initially poured through the research of what gear to get i INSISTED on having a connecting pant/jacket combo. So, I got my perf leather astar jacket and found some textile astar pants that zip into them. However, when zipped in, the knee pad/protection while in the riding position is above my knee? Now when I am standing they are fine but I really don't like this design and have been a bit leary about the protection anyway. With all that being said, I have had many more cold days than warm days and my commute into work will always be colder and I could in theory sweat like a dog on the way home. I am thinking of getting some perf. leather(a-star missile pants).

My concern is that i could no longer wear sweat pants underneath the leathers when it is cold. I could probably get some thermals and use my cycling wind protection gear under the leather pants and be fine though. My main concern would be in the cooler months wearing perf. leather. Are there non perf. leather astar pants out there? is it asinine to want non perf leather for the summer?

Should I look at "riding jeans" and screw the theory of a connected system?

Yes, there is non perf A* leathers that should zip to your jacket. But really though, as time goes on, you may end up with at least 2 sets of gear (hot vs. cold) and maybe even a wet set.

Having different sets that connect or go over offers you options on those iffy days or where it's not really hot, and not really cold... just mild, like today :).

On cold days I wear 100% wool underarmor under my leathers, pants and/or shirt - it's paper thin, unobtrusive, and very warm.

.......... Should I look at "riding jeans" and screw the theory of a connected system?

Blasphemy !!! :eek:

http://www.sportrider.com/motorcycle-riding-gear-what-to-wear-when?dom=sri&loc=rightrail&lnk=motorcycle-riding-gear-what-to-wear-when

figured I would give an update and let everyone know at the same time that I am still happily chugging away at the motorcycle miles:D

On gear: Planning on three outfits. Summer perf. leather, rain suit and winter wardrobe(which I am still figuring out). I have admittedly been a bit disappointed with A-stars. My nice leather perf jacket takes some delicate zipper work with the zipping the jacket together and has been known to come undone from the bottom up which is certainly a safety issue:eek: Probably will go dainase or aerostich racer crafter for winter commute.


I have now done two oil changes and am sitting on 11.1k miles. Have everything lined up for my 11.4k service and will be switching to stainless steel brake lines simply due to the fact that my rubber brake lines will probably need replaced. I am also changing all fluids. I figured that changing everything out will still cost me less than taking it in.

Finally found my gear hot:D Really though is is not bad at all. I rode in leathers all last week with a heat index over 100. On the way in to work I take back roads and around 3-4 o'clock in the dead of the heat I take some ice and dump it down my jacket and take the highway home(perfect!!!).

Only 1 incident to date! I was coming up to an intersection with a red light and was slowing to a stop. I had a line of cars backed up in the turn lane and I always stay to the far right in this situation as to avoid somebody changing there mind and going straight. Sure enough, I had a car jump out of the turn lane right into me but I was pretty aware of the situation and knew that no cars were to my right and swerved into the next lane over, honked my horn, stopped at the light and chilled! Really surprised at how calm I was and I am sure that the lady was more freaked than I was.

Anyway, smooth sailing! Really enjoying this journey. I have been contemplating a 600cc but want to wait until winter and I want to get a track day in on the 300 first.

Just feeling a little "unseen" today. Not sure if it is because I am one of the few motorcycles on the road in this heat or everyone is just in a hurry to move or what…

Had two or three cars today almost come out at me today. Interestingly enough, all right hand turns. I was in the right hand lane for these moments and normally I stay in the left lane( middle of the road, more visible etc.). I still try and zig zag left and right when I see left hand turners but I am just venting a little bit. No real close calls but I had to grab the brakes today ALOT more than normal.

In all honesty, I had a moment today where a car was sticking out into the road to turn right and I was prepared to stop. Car of course only saw me after a second glance and had to slam on the brakes. Now I knew from my surroundings that I was 90% certain I was the only one around. I veered into the left lane without looking(rather than grabbing a fistful of brake). I was pretty confident in this move but I am beating myself up for moving over into unforeseen circumstances as I was no 100% on surrounding situation.

........Now I knew from my surroundings that I was 90% certain I was the only one around...........

When you are the only vehicle, drivers have more difficulty seeing you against the background.
Their first glance is for detecting threads, big things moving; once the brain makes a check mark on that, the command to merge follows (as you have been seen but not computed).

Use you high beam during the day.

Updates! No wrecks!

Still trucking along and I will at 14,700miles i have had less "close encounters" by taking the interstate home and backstreets in to work than any other route. I still make it a habit to not sit in anyones blind spot but have had 1 incident where a car tried to come into my lane as I was passing. A simply honk of the horn and staying on the opposite edge of the lane prevented any fluctuation in my heartbeat.

I am officially looking at upgrading. yamaha r6 and gsxr 600. I won't deny any accusations for upgrading merely for sound and passing power. I would like to say that I have tracked the 300 but family has taken precedence in my time allocation.

I am still concerned with my growing lack of fear while on the bike. I don't want to come off sounding crazy but I want my journal to reflect that I can ABSOLUTELY see how people end up in wrecks after riding for 6000-7000 miles. I am not doing anything more than I used to really but I am simply much more relaxed and a little bit more lazy. Hopefully this journal will continue with a zero wreck policy and my awareness will remain high and alert!

I have some heated gear on the way that I am planning to use in the hopes that I can commute down into the 30s. Hopefully I will continue to put on miles until it ices/snows.

It's getting easier because you now have some experience and skill, the lack of fear is because you haven't set a harder goal for yourself and working toward it.

Happy for you though, glad to see your all shiny side up and enjoying the ride. :)

Thanks for the update!

Moved to a gsxr 600.

https://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?p=1064510#post1064510

that being said, the 300 was perfectly fine for my needs. I am happy I switched and wouldn't change it but I do think that the 300 would have been totally fine for several 10k more miles. I also could have used some track experience before switching.


This is my final installment in this thread. I will continue to practice emergency braking with the new steed and keep you guys posted. I don't think this was the optimal track to take for maximum safety and skill improvement but if that was the main point, none of us would be riding bikes. I am still likely to be overtaken in the twisties by a skilled veteran but that is fine with me until I get some track time. I have come to the mindset that fast paced canyon riding just isn't for me…just too dangerous. Ill take it to the track.