First group ride

Chuffmonkey · September 4th, 2011, 09:37 PM

I went on my first group (and long) ride today. There were 6 of us in all. We took a twisty ride up East Canyon in Utah, to Morgan. Then back down again, and through emigration canyon. Very pretty scenery and some cool bends.

My MSF instructor took the lead on his Triumph Tiger (we have a mutual friend), then me on my ninja, another guy on his new Triumph Triple Speed (that bike is insane), another noob on a Ninja 500, then a HD (with his radio blaring), and finally Chuck from Wheelnerds.com on his Buell.

Having the MSF dude there certainly added some rigor to the ride - a lot of hand signals; though I appreciated the fact that he pointed out a lot of hazards - reduced the stress.

My bike had 290 miles on it before today (from generally tooling around in The Salt Lake area), so I'm still on my break in. That went completely out of the window today - hit 75 on the freeway, and 10,000 rpm in various gears. Aah well.

There were a few things I noticed today. First off, I was not prepared for the amount of wind buffeting I experienced. I'm going to have to get better at tucking down lower so the air flow goes over my head.

On the way up the canyon the ride was slow as we got stuck behind a truck towing jet skis, but there are some tight bends that were fun. Except the first thing my friend says when we stop for a break is that I need to turn my head more. As I watched for this after the break I think that I was nervous through the bends, more intent on watching the road surface and where I was in relation to the verge or the center line, than looking through the corner.

Finally - the lean. On some of the bends I felt as if I was leaning so far over that I would be able to touch the road with my hand. When we got off we (me and the other noob) were told that we were hardly leaning, and need to lean a lot more. Apparently perception and reality are a world apart. The thing I'm not doing is shifting my weight over the side of the bike - I'm staying in line with the bikes lean. A lot more practice is required.

Anyway, I put 160 miles on the bike today and had a blast. Looking forwards to the next ride

Alex · September 4th, 2011, 09:44 PM

That doesn't sound so bad! I saw the unhappy face icon on the thread, and thought I was about to read about a crash on your first group ride. I wouldn't worry about trying to lean more and more. The lean angle will come. Focus instead on putting the bike where you want it to be, choosing good lines through corners, managing your speed carefully, and keeping the stress level manageable. As a new rider, you're processing a whole bunch of information that over time will become second nature and require less conscious thought. But until then, everything seems more complicated, faster, and harder than it will ultimately prove to be. Good job on finishing your first group ride on two wheels, and I hope you have thousands more.

Chuffmonkey · September 4th, 2011, 09:53 PM

I'm not sure where the angry face came from, unless I fat fingered something on my IPad. Thanks for the pep talk though - and I'm sure experience will help a lot.

actionace · September 4th, 2011, 10:07 PM

Congrats! Awesome that you had your MSF Instructor leading. Really helps to have a good smart rider helping you along. It helped me tons and I continue to try to pass it along to friends who are interested in listening

AeroXtasy · September 4th, 2011, 10:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chuffmonkey

Anyway, I put 160 miles on the bike today and had a blast. Looking forwards to the next ride

You had fun and are learning. I'd call that pretty successful.

Shaol1n Monk · September 5th, 2011, 12:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chuffmonkey

There were a few things I noticed today. First off, I was not prepared for the amount of wind buffeting I experienced. I'm going to have to get better at tucking down lower so the air flow goes over my head.

you can also invest in an aftermarket windscreen. u can spend $70+ on a zero gravity double bubble, or about $25 on a chinese replica from ebay. they both will do the same thing. i went w the cheap windscreen and its great, even sitting up a bit the wind is redirected over my head.

congrats on the first group ride! theres a bunch of good videos on youtube and this site for learning lean angles and body position for cornering. search superbike school or keith code. i also heghly recommend keith codes twist of the wrist 2 dvd, i learned alot form it and will still go back and watch again to learn more.

Mocha Man · September 5th, 2011, 08:05 PM

Wow that was a lot of criticism your friends gave you for one of your first rides... just take it easy at first

EsrTek · September 5th, 2011, 08:18 PM

Glad you had a good group ride, Glad to see your exp wasn't like mine....and to have a MSF Instructor to give guidance would be good.
as a noob also and being on 3 GR's now... I won't go anymore, at least till I'm a lot better on the bike.
I find the more experienced ppl are just to fast, esp on my last group ride.
I find myself trying to follow them more, and just adding to my worries by me worrying I am holding up the group.

Glad to see my exp isn't always the case w/ groups.

JeffM · September 14th, 2011, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chuffmonkey

Except the first thing my friend says when we stop for a break is that I need to turn my head more. As I watched for this after the break I think that I was nervous through the bends, more intent on watching the road surface and where I was in relation to the verge or the center line, than looking through the corner.

Good advice. Remember to keep eyes up and scanning. Looking at the road for more than a quick glance is a no-no. Looking at the road will make your feel as if you are going too fast. Looking ahead slows down your perception of speed.

Quote:

Finally - the lean. On some of the bends I felt as if I was leaning so far over that I would be able to touch the road with my hand. When we got off we (me and the other noob) were told that we were hardly leaning, and need to lean a lot more. Apparently perception and reality are a world apart. The thing I'm not doing is shifting my weight over the side of the bike - I'm staying in line with the bikes lean. A lot more practice is required.

Leaning takes some getting used to. I wouldn't worry too much about hanging off a ton. Just pointing your chin toward the direction of your turn, while looking through the turn, is a good first step. Moving your upper body to the inside of the turn is a good idea too. However, moving your butt off the seat can set you up to develop the bad habit of crossing up your body on the bike. Crossing up is when your butt is off the seat and your upper body is centered or, in extreme cases, on the wrong side of the tank.

Just my

Jeff

"A" · September 14th, 2011, 05:07 PM

At 75 mph, you're likely to experience significant wind buffering on most bikes, I hope you had earplugs on.

Chuffmonkey · September 14th, 2011, 05:32 PM

Hey Jeff, I also live in Sandy, off 94th and 23rd. I'll be looking out for you out there.

Chuffmonkey · September 14th, 2011, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by "A"

At 75 mph, you're likely to experience significant wind buffering on most bikes, I hope you had earplugs on.

It was my first ride with ear plugs and I'll never ride without them now. I also took another freeway ride and tucked down a lot more - a world of difference, though still looking at double bubbles

lv250 · September 14th, 2011, 06:45 PM

Congrats on getting your license and taking the class. Welcome to the a new adventure in life riding. Be easy on your self it is a learning experience.

I am not a big fan of large group rides. I find one or two people is enjoyable. I agree with stay focused learn what you can from experienced riders but ride your ride at your pace never theirs. So do what you feel is comfortable. Seat time will get you better every time. If speeds are to much slow down. Remember you will make mistakes and the Ninja 250 will let you and get you back out of them as well. It is a great bike for any level rider.

You will get use to wind. Here in Vegas Valley we get winds all the time. Ride fast feels better. But a good windscreen helps I have two zero gravity. One DB and one touring. Depends on where I am going as to which I place on.

Again be safe, have fun, enjoy and ride how you feel and listen to the advice but take it at your level.

JeffM · September 15th, 2011, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chuffmonkey

Hey Jeff, I also live in Sandy, off 94th and 23rd. I'll be looking out for you out there.

Howdy neighbor.

September 4th, 2011, 09:37 PM	#1
Chuffmonkey ninjette.org member Name: Alex Location: Salt Lake City Join Date: Aug 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2012 Triumph Street Triple R, 2011 250R SE (sold 5/8/13) Posts: 128	First group ride I went on my first group (and long) ride today. There were 6 of us in all. We took a twisty ride up East Canyon in Utah, to Morgan. Then back down again, and through emigration canyon. Very pretty scenery and some cool bends. My MSF instructor took the lead on his Triumph Tiger (we have a mutual friend), then me on my ninja, another guy on his new Triumph Triple Speed (that bike is insane), another noob on a Ninja 500, then a HD (with his radio blaring), and finally Chuck from Wheelnerds.com on his Buell. Having the MSF dude there certainly added some rigor to the ride - a lot of hand signals; though I appreciated the fact that he pointed out a lot of hazards - reduced the stress. My bike had 290 miles on it before today (from generally tooling around in The Salt Lake area), so I'm still on my break in. That went completely out of the window today - hit 75 on the freeway, and 10,000 rpm in various gears. Aah well. There were a few things I noticed today. First off, I was not prepared for the amount of wind buffeting I experienced. I'm going to have to get better at tucking down lower so the air flow goes over my head. On the way up the canyon the ride was slow as we got stuck behind a truck towing jet skis, but there are some tight bends that were fun. Except the first thing my friend says when we stop for a break is that I need to turn my head more. As I watched for this after the break I think that I was nervous through the bends, more intent on watching the road surface and where I was in relation to the verge or the center line, than looking through the corner. Finally - the lean. On some of the bends I felt as if I was leaning so far over that I would be able to touch the road with my hand. When we got off we (me and the other noob) were told that we were hardly leaning, and need to lean a lot more. Apparently perception and reality are a world apart. The thing I'm not doing is shifting my weight over the side of the bike - I'm staying in line with the bikes lean. A lot more practice is required. Anyway, I put 160 miles on the bike today and had a blast. Looking forwards to the next ride

September 4th, 2011, 09:44 PM	#2
Alex ninjette.org dude Name: 1 guess :-) Location: SF Bay Area Join Date: Jun 2008 Motorcycle(s): '13 Ninja 300 (white, the fastest color!), '13 R1200RT, '14 CRF250L, '12 TT-R125LE Posts: Too much. Blog Entries: 7	That doesn't sound so bad! I saw the unhappy face icon on the thread, and thought I was about to read about a crash on your first group ride. I wouldn't worry about trying to lean more and more. The lean angle will come. Focus instead on putting the bike where you want it to be, choosing good lines through corners, managing your speed carefully, and keeping the stress level manageable. As a new rider, you're processing a whole bunch of information that over time will become second nature and require less conscious thought. But until then, everything seems more complicated, faster, and harder than it will ultimately prove to be. Good job on finishing your first group ride on two wheels, and I hope you have thousands more. __________________________________________________ Montgomery Street Motorcycle Club / cal24.com / crf250l.org / ninjette.org ninjette.org Terms of Service Shopping for motorcycle parts or equipment? Come here first. The friendliest Ninja 250R/300/400 forum on the internet! (especially Unregistered)

September 14th, 2011, 06:45 PM	#13
lv250 ninjette.org member Name: CJ Location: Las Vegas NV Join Date: Sep 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2009 Ninja 250R, 2009 CRF230L, 1998 Honda VT1100c, 1974 Honda XL100, 07 Yamaha Wolverine 350, 06 ArticCat 250 Posts: 43	GR Congrats on getting your license and taking the class. Welcome to the a new adventure in life riding. Be easy on your self it is a learning experience. I am not a big fan of large group rides. I find one or two people is enjoyable. I agree with stay focused learn what you can from experienced riders but ride your ride at your pace never theirs. So do what you feel is comfortable. Seat time will get you better every time. If speeds are to much slow down. Remember you will make mistakes and the Ninja 250 will let you and get you back out of them as well. It is a great bike for any level rider. You will get use to wind. Here in Vegas Valley we get winds all the time. Ride fast feels better. But a good windscreen helps I have two zero gravity. One DB and one touring. Depends on where I am going as to which I place on. Again be safe, have fun, enjoy and ride how you feel and listen to the advice but take it at your level.

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September 4th, 2011, 09:53 PM	#3
Chuffmonkey ninjette.org member Name: Alex Location: Salt Lake City Join Date: Aug 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2012 Triumph Street Triple R, 2011 250R SE (sold 5/8/13) Posts: 128	I'm not sure where the angry face came from, unless I fat fingered something on my IPad. Thanks for the pep talk though - and I'm sure experience will help a lot.

September 4th, 2011, 10:07 PM	#4
actionace MotoGP Junkie Name: Ace Location: San Diego, CA Join Date: Jul 2009 Motorcycle(s): 250 Ninja Posts: 40	Congrats! Awesome that you had your MSF Instructor leading. Really helps to have a good smart rider helping you along. It helped me tons and I continue to try to pass it along to friends who are interested in listening

September 5th, 2011, 08:05 PM	#7
Mocha Man Blue Shell magnet Name: Nolan Location: Northwest Washington Join Date: Aug 2011 Motorcycle(s): 1997 Ninja 250 Posts: 816	Wow that was a lot of criticism your friends gave you for one of your first rides... just take it easy at first

September 5th, 2011, 08:18 PM	#8
EsrTek ninjette.org certified postwhore Name: Eric Location: Murfreesboro, TN Join Date: Jun 2011 Motorcycle(s): '13 300 Posts: A lot.	Glad you had a good group ride, Glad to see your exp wasn't like mine....and to have a MSF Instructor to give guidance would be good. as a noob also and being on 3 GR's now... I won't go anymore, at least till I'm a lot better on the bike. I find the more experienced ppl are just to fast, esp on my last group ride. I find myself trying to follow them more, and just adding to my worries by me worrying I am holding up the group. Glad to see my exp isn't always the case w/ groups.

September 14th, 2011, 05:07 PM	#10
"A" vampire Name: A Location: IT Join Date: Feb 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2 many 2 list Posts: A lot.	At 75 mph, you're likely to experience significant wind buffering on most bikes, I hope you had earplugs on.

September 14th, 2011, 05:32 PM	#11
Chuffmonkey ninjette.org member Name: Alex Location: Salt Lake City Join Date: Aug 2011 Motorcycle(s): 2012 Triumph Street Triple R, 2011 250R SE (sold 5/8/13) Posts: 128	Hey Jeff, I also live in Sandy, off 94th and 23rd. I'll be looking out for you out there.