Class... Class??!! What Riding Skill Have You Worked on Today?

[kkim]

With the host of new riders we've had on the forum lately and all the talk of what to do while learning to ride and how to do it, it got me thinking of my own riding and what I've been doing lately to learn and improve when out riding.

For me, it's been brake control. I've been riding some really nasty trails on the dirt bikes and have been learning the hard way how to feather/feel the brakes on loose, off camber, downhill, single track trails.

What does riding a dirt bike have with in common with the ninja?? Everything. With dirt bikes, the loose dirt you ride is the same as when you lose traction with a street bike, so in the dirt you are put into limited traction situations constantly which you normally do not encounter when on a street bike unless in emergency situations and fortunately the consequences are not as severe as on the street. You pick the bike up, brush off the dirt, compose yourself and are humbled by the fact you've just ridden over your experience level right before crashing. It all takes practice to gain experience to become a better rider. Does any of this sound familiar to those that have crashed their street bikes?

So, what have I learned?

1. With brakes, setup is crucial. Adjust the controls to fit your hands and feet correctly so you feel comfortable with their placement and amount you need to move the lever to start their engagement. Spend the time to set them up in the garage while sitting on the bike, loosening the perches and move them in/out, up/down so they are in the perfect position for you while you are in your normal riding position. Once you have them set, take the bike out and see if what you've come up with in the garage translates while riding. You may have to fine tune your control positions that only actual riding will reveal.

2. After you have the controls set, work on getting to know what the bike feels like while braking at different pressures at the controls. You want to be able to make the controls an extension of your mind so when you think "slow down" the bike reacts to your input seamlessly. The brakes become an extension of your thoughts and you should be able to "feel" the bike/tires through your controls. That's when you know you've got the controls setup properly.

3. Check your tire pressures. The tires are your only interface between the bike and ground. Too much pressure will make the bike skid easier, too little will mask the feedback you get through the bike/controls. The recommended pressures are fine to start out with, but there are ways to fine tune once you start to work on nuances. Main thing is to check your tire pressures so you know what they are.

4. Last... "practice, practice, practice". I can't count how many times those words have come up lately on the forum and until I sat down this morning to write this post, I hadn't realized I needed to take my own advice and brush up on my own skills to become a better rider than what I am currently. You need to practice till you become "one" with your bike and every input you make through the controls, be it brakes, throttle, body positioning, peg weighting, reflect what you are thinking.

Learn, also, that riding conditions change and your input has to vary accordingly. What was once a corner you could rail through when it was dry, spells disaster if there is a light mist of water on the surface which limits traction in that very same corner. Read the terrain/scan ahead and recognize the difference to be able to see it before you enter the corner.

I've been riding dirt bikes for over 40 years... I thought I had this thing wired. A few sessions back in the dirt proved to me how much I still need to learn to become that better rider that I want/need to be for the type of riding I will be doing. We all need to keep current with our skills, no matter what our age, skill level or number of miles under our belts.

So, what have you done recently to improve your riding skills and what have you learned from it that you can share with us to make us all better riders?

[Blackwidow]

great thread! thanks Kim

[luoyuejia]

Enlightening to a new one like me

[Rosie]

Great thread!!

[kkim]

Thanks... appreciate the feedback, but the purpose of the thread was to get people to share what they have learned today with others.

I know some of you were out there today working on your skills ... share what you've learned or what problems you've encountered along the way so we can collectively learn/help with skills that you are building/learning.

[Rosie]

Originally Posted by kkim

I know some of you were out there today working on your skills ... share what you've learned or what problems you've encountered along the way so we can collectively learn/help with skills that you are building/learning.

Not yet.. I will be out practicing once I get out of work later tonight, and I will definitely post here my comments on new skills learned!

[00NissanNinja]

I've been working on my upshifts and downshifts. Sometimes I think when I upshift I don't hit it hard enough and it pops out of gear (maybe adjust the shift lever down some more but it doesn't happen that often). I also have been practicing quick braking without locking the fronts (thanks to that little episode I had with a cager). I think I'm finally getting used to giving it a lot of brake with a nice controlled grab of the brake lever. Just need to get this down to instinct in all situations so making progress.

[CC Cowboy]

I didn't ride today. I was going to but it rained this morning when I was about to leave. I went to the gym and then the beach instead.

I did ride last night. A short ride to get gas (maybe 10 miles). I worked on acceleration a few times, a couple shiftless (clutchless when not under the influence) shifts, keeping the front wheel down, and not getting any tickets.

[kkim]

Originally Posted by CC Cowboy

I didn't ride today. I was going to but it rained this morning when I was about to leave. i went to the gym and then the beach instead.

I did ride last night. A short ride to get gas (maybe 10 miles). I worked on acceleration a few times, a couple shiftless shifts, keeping the front wheel down, and not getting any tickets.

lol... I'm sure you spent a good amount of time bending elbows, too, eh?

[alex.s]

Originally Posted by CC Cowboy

a couple shiftless shifts

Hmm... wuts that? missing the gear?

[ally99]

Well, I took my Lil' Ninj out yesterday and practiced U-turns and figure-8s in a parking lot. I've found my main problem is transitioning to do these in real-world situations. I have mastered them in a parking lot, but when you are riding along at a spirited pace and you all of a sudden have to do a tight U-turn, it's a tough transition.
I've also been practicing stopping w/ only one foot down to prepare myself for riding my bigger, taller Ninja 650 more often in the future. I can't flat foot that baby, so one-foot-down stops need to be 100% comfortable for me to feel relaxed on the "Big Ninj".
On a slightly different note, I've been practicing balance on my pedal bike by riding no-handed! Does that count? lol!

[CC Cowboy]

Originally Posted by alex.s

Hmm... wuts that? missing the gear?

That's clutchless shifting after a few beers.

Thanks for the reprimand.

[eddiekay]

I've been trying for years and practicing occassionally but I still can't sit at a dead stop for more than maybe 10 seconds. Every light i stop at is a chance to practice that one. I also have a 1 x 4 x 12' board I lay in the street, that one's pretty easy but, I still flip the board every so often.
No practial application for either skill but...it's a personal best thing

[spooph]

I haven't particularly practiced anything, but I do tend to focus on balancing at stop lights/sign, and carrying my speed through corners. 90 degree merge lanes still get me, because you don't have to stop for it. I can only do about 32mph through them, and I can feel the ninja has plenty of lean to go.

I'm getting concerned though, it seems I'm getting scared of something, riding slower on a day-to-day basis.... Not sure what it is. I'm going to rebuild my over-due forks and see if that doesn't re-inspire confidence....

[Rosie]

Ok.. so today I practiced my U-turns in a bunch of neighborhood cul-de-sacs.. did some emergency stops in an empty parking lot using mostly my front break (surprise.. it actually works! ), and finally I practiced canceling the turn signals right after the turn.
I did pretty good! I did 35 mph tops since it was mostly residential areas, except for one road we took where the limit was 45 and I did 40. Going slower helps me focus on my controls and how to use them. I'm getting better!

I have one question for the experts: when you leave right after a complete stop (such as a red light or a stop sign) and you have to make a turn, do you upshift to second before or after completing your turn?

[Bols]

I try not to shift/brake during a turn, because then its very easy to upset the bike. If you have to do it for some reason, be sure to be really smooth with the clutch for gearing/light on the brakes.

If i have to stop at an intersection and im going to turn right or left, i usually wait with shifting up to 2nd until the bike is coming upright again and im accelerating out of the turn.

[dubojr1]

I love your comparison of dirt bikes to street and I truly believe the same idea's. I feel as if I am a better street rider due to my experience on a dirt bike. The skills gained by riding in loose dirt has definitely saved me a few times on the street. It's almost as if it is second nature to regain control in emergency situations on the street due to the experiences learned on dirt.

Braking for cornering is what I'm working on right now. When I first got the the Ninja I noticed how much braking power is allowed with the rear brake. The rear braking power on my super sport bikes is never been as much as what the little ninja has. Due to that I have formed a habit of braking more so with the rear and blipping the throttle to match engine RPM with the gearing. It has really worked well for me and I love the smoothness it provides me preparing for turns. I have realized due to other threads that for maximum performance it's really time to work on throttle control combined with front and rear braking control. The habit I formed is making the transition difficult but I'm sure I'll get it. There are some good video's on technique in other threads for those interested.

Happy riding!

[ally99]

Originally Posted by Rosie

I did pretty good!
I have one question for the experts: when you leave right after a complete stop (such as a red light or a stop sign) and you have to make a turn, do you upshift to second before or after completing your turn?

Yay for you!! :-) Glad things are going well!
You ask great questions! I learned to ride a year and a half ago, and I didn't even know how to operate a manual transmission in a cage! I had MANY of the same questions you are having, and to be honest, I didn't ask a lot of them. I'm glad you feel comfortable asking! Most of these questions, you will answer for yourself w/ experience b/c what's right for one rider may not be right for another, however, I'll tell you how to do it to give you some ideas. If it's a quickie turn (ie: a right or left turn on a normal, 2-lane road), I'm in 1st and I'll upshift when I straighten the bike up. However, if it's one of those longer turns (ie: a 4-lane+ road and I'm in the outside lane), 1st gear isn't always enough before you find yourself in mid-turn at the rev limiter. I do not like to upshift while turning, especially if there is traffic behind me b/c occasionally I hit false neutrals and the person behind me expects me to be accelerating the entire time. It just don't like that feeling, so I avoid it. If I'm at one of those longer turns from a stop, I actually start accelerating in 2nd. You just have to give it a little more throttle up front. Next time you're practicing in the parking lot, get a feel for how it feels to stop and start from 2nd.
Good luck! The fact that you're doing U-turns (one of the hardest techniques on 2-wheels, IMHO) is awesome!! :-)

[Rosie]

Originally Posted by ally99

If it's a quickie turn (ie: a right or left turn on a normal, 2-lane road), I'm in 1st and I'll upshift when I straighten the bike up. However, if it's one of those longer turns (ie: a 4-lane+ road and I'm in the outside lane), 1st gear isn't always enough before you find yourself in mid-turn at the rev limiter. I do not like to upshift while turning, especially if there is traffic behind me b/c occasionally I hit false neutrals and the person behind me expects me to be accelerating the entire time. It just don't like that feeling, so I avoid it. If I'm at one of those longer turns from a stop, I actually start accelerating in 2nd. You just have to give it a little more throttle up front. Next time you're practicing in the parking lot, get a feel for how it feels to stop and start from 2nd.
Good luck! The fact that you're doing U-turns (one of the hardest techniques on 2-wheels, IMHO) is awesome!! :-)

Good point!! I didn't even think of those turns into 4+ lane roads!! I just thought I could take it in 1st all the way through the turn and THEN upshift to 2nd once I'm straight up again, but you're right, on longer turns it may not be that easy. I'm going to start practicing upshifting to 2nd before I start leaning into a turn, in case I need to

I will be asking a lot of questions because I really want to make sure I am learning how to do things correctly from the very beginning. I don't want to be stuck into some bad habits just because I learned the wrong way

U-turns are quite difficult (in my MSF class I couldn't manage to stay between the lines ), but I'm doing much better now! I find it easier to stay in second gear during U-turns and work with the clutch in order not to stall the bike in case RPM's fall too low.

[Flashmonkey]

Turns. I'm always looking to improve my turning ability. Not just to get more speed or to get lower or whatever through the turns, but to be more consistent with them.

I commute to work on my bike so I pretty much ride every day, and traverse the same streets....so I usually see the same turns day in and day out. Every day those turns are different...despite being the same exact corner, or sweeping right-hander, or tight, decreasing left-hander, each time I attack that turn it feels different and requires adjustment on my part to execute properly.

I've discovered that there are a number of factors that makes things different when it comes to riding on the same roads day in and day out:

1. Fatigue. After work or in the morning, my level of fatigue varies, and so does my riding. Leaning into corners when you're fresh and well rested is easy, but doing so after 4 hours of sleep, or after a long day at work, or while holding in a ridiculous amount of pee () changes the conditions drastically.

2. Condition of the bike. Those of you with newer bikes may or may not have this issue, but with an 18 year old clunker like mine, the ambient air temperature plays a huge roll in how responsive she is to my inputs (like a woman...sorta). On hot, humid days she is an absolute PIG. Throttle response is brutal, the brakes are sluggish, the frame gets red hot, and the transmission gets kinda 'wishy washy'. Cooler days are different and ideal. Adjusting how much braking input and throttle input I have to put in before and during a turn has to be adjusted on the fly. This is especially difficult when you're trying not to piss yourself.....

3. Condition of the road. It's shocking how much crap can build up over night. Rocks, pebbles, stones, sand, grass clippings...dead birds. Oh yea, I've probably seen it all and have run it over mid-turn. Having the front wheel wobble on you because you ran over a pebble isn't the greatest feeling in the world. Especially when a bunch of cute girls are watching you as you try and show off to them.

Well I guess most of this stuff applies to general 'dynamic riding'...and not just turns...but let's face it, turns are the difficult part. I guess the take home message from my post would be: go to the washroom before you set out on a 40 minute ride home. Oh and don't be an idiot in front of cute girls at a bus stop.

[Blackwidow]

pulling my bike out from the parking spot i had it in gear, and pushed the bike without holding in the clutch. (didn't know i wasn't suppose to do that). Well when i started up the bike, it backfired. lesson learned, do not push the bike forward while in gear without the clutch engaged.

[dubojr1]

Don't think that has anything to do with it backfiring. Backfiring has happened to others and myself. No resolution to my knowledge.

[Blackwidow]

Originally Posted by dubojr1

Backfiring has happened to others and myself.

its called farting. lol again, dry humor.

[Rosie]

Originally Posted by Blackwidow

its called farting. lol again, dry humor.

[demp]

Originally Posted by Blackwidow

pulling my bike out from the parking spot i had it in gear, and pushed the bike without holding in the clutch. (didn't know i wasn't suppose to do that). Well when i started up the bike, it backfired. lesson learned, do not push the bike forward while in gear without the clutch engaged.

I so gotta try that , Never tried bump starting the bike before

edit - i see thats not quite what you mean

[Alex]

No worries on the backfiring, it'll happen from time to time.

http://www.ninjette.org/wiki/My_Bike_Backfires

[CC Cowboy]

Originally Posted by Blackwidow

its called farting. lol again, dry humor.

Paulette, he was talking about the bike! You better hope it's dry!

[Blackwidow]

Originally Posted by CC Cowboy

Paulette, he was talking about the bike! You better hope it's dry!

LOL i know, just trying to be funny. sheeesh.

if it wasn't dry, it would have been called sharting...ewww...

ok i'll stop high jacking this thread.

[ally99]

Originally Posted by Rosie

I will be asking a lot of questions because I really want to make sure I am learning how to do things correctly from the very beginning. I don't want to be stuck into some bad habits just because I learned the wrong way

Awesome! Just take online advice with a grain of salt. If you read something questionable or that something dramatic that you want to try, talk to your hubby first. You'll hear a lot of bad disinfo online (albeit a lot of good advice as well!).

[Rosie]

Originally Posted by ally99

Awesome! Just take online advice with a grain of salt. If you read something questionable or that something dramatic that you want to try, talk to your hubby first. You'll hear a lot of bad disinfo online (albeit a lot of good advice as well!).

I always ask my hubby's advice too, but you guys have also given me a lot of good info

[Bols]

I'm practicing throttleblip-downshifting while braking, talk about coordination work Only learned the normal shift and let clutch out easy method at the driving school, so this is new to me. But i think the blip method will be better once i get the hang of it. Getting there tho, just need to work abit on the timing and making it quicker and smoother

What kind of method do you people use for downshifting?

[FrugalNinja250]

If I'm downshifting to adjust to a new speed, make a turn, or any other scenario where I'm likely to either maintain a constant speed or accelerate I use throttle matching. If I'm coming to a complete stop I downshift through the gears with the clutch held and no throttle, but I time the shifts so that each gear is appropriate for the speed at that moment. That took lots of practice to get OK at it and I'm still working on it.

I don't shift into first until I'm almost at a complete stop, mainly because shifting into first at high speeds seems to be a lot harder on the transmission (louder clunks) and because I don't want to abuse the neutral finder mechanism.

It's a lot different shifting a sequential transmission than a car where you can pick any gear at any time.

[spooph]

concerning turning from a dead stop: I will accelerate as much as I can in 1st, then shift to 2nd, and then dip the bike into the turn. Sometimes there is very little time to do this, and I shift at say 4,000rpm, and it seems to work for me just fine.

Concerning shifting: I try and shift proportionally quick to the engine's speed. You can get away with shifting slower and still smooth if the engine is spinning slower (4,000rpm), but to stay smooth, without "lurch", you have to be freakin quick at the higher RPM's... I still botch high-end shifts, and I still find false neutrals, at least once, on every ride I take.... I think it has to do with the shifter being to high (and it can't be adjusted down anymore), so it's time to design a new shifter peg... all in good time.

Concerning the bike responding to ambient temp: Oh yea. On a hot morning and pull out thinking something is wrong with the bike due to the lack of power. On a nice cool/cold morning, she's got all kinds of power....

[kkim]

Originally Posted by spooph

I think it has to do with the shifter being to high (and it can't be adjusted down anymore), so it's time to design a new shifter peg... all in good time.

the shifter can be moved on the transmission splined output shaft to get the shifter into any position you want.

[Blackwidow]

yes i did, it was very hard to push. i did hear clicking noise, but i didn't think much of it....at the time

[Cuongism]

I think it has to do with the shifter being to high (and it can't be adjusted down anymore), so it's time to design a new shifter peg... all in good time.

The shifter should be able to be adjusted to any position (I even had it where my left foot were perpendicular to the ground to see how it felt). Twisting the rod will fine tune the position and is only good for a couple of inches. You can reposition the rod itself though. I can take pics and put up a diy if you'd like.

[Flow]

Originally Posted by kkim

You pick the bike up, brush off the dirt, compose yourself and are humbled by the fact you've just ridden over your experience level right before crashing.

One of the things I love about dirtbikes, provided you don't land on your leg wrong or something and tear your ligaments and cartilage in your knee.

Originally Posted by kkim

Check your tire pressures.

I learned this the hard way on my DRZ125L. I had just taken it out to ride it around for a while. The tire was really low on air and I didn't notice. On the first turn (in my yard!), the bike skipped and I messed up my wrist. Still can't rotate it fully anymore. I'll never be able to forget that lesson.

[gogoKawi]

Not really a skill, but I've been working on my flexibility. I never realized how inflexible I was until recently. My hope is that it will make hanging off the bike easier and not feel like I'm forcing it.

[ScorpionNinja]

Originally Posted by Rosie

I have one question for the experts: when you leave right after a complete stop (such as a red light or a stop sign) and you have to make a turn, do you upshift to second before or after completing your turn?

I just ride out 1st gear, then complete the turn, then shift into 2nd.

[Rosie]

Originally Posted by ScorpionNinja

I just ride out 1st gear, then complete the turn, then shift into 2nd.

I did both today.. on some longer turns I upshifted to second before the turn, some shorter ones I turned on 1st and shifted to 2nd then. I'm getting better at it

Lesson learned today.. never assume cars coming the opposite way on a narrow road are going to stay on the right hand side and out of your way
I was preparing to exit the parking lot I always practice my U-turns and quick stops on, and in order to get out I have to go through a rather narrow road with a right curve that leads to a street light. So.. as I was preparing to lean into my right curve, this big azz SUV pops out from the other direction taking up the entire road! I promptly squeezed the front break and stepped on the rear and came to a complete stop.. without locking my tires! Whoo hoo!! I gave a dirty look to the chick driving the SUV who didn't even bother looking back at me... /@{"@//\ !!!