JudyG from North Florida

[JudyG]

Hi everyone

I bought a 2007 Silver (red flames)Ninja 250 last Friday. The last bike (a GPZ 550) I owned/rode was 30 years ago. I thought I would have better muscle/brain remembrance and could ride better, but it is a lot like I have never been on a bike before.

Saturday and Sunday my husband and I gave the 250 a complete check/change of bodily fluids and carb cleaning, adjustments and cleaning/wax job. I had my maiden voyage Monday. It is a lot of fun, and a bit scary in places.

My husband rides a silver/grey Yamaha FJR1300, so it looks like his bike has a baby motorcycle as I follow him on the 250.

Due to a knee injury the 250 was the heaviest bike I could handle without causing knee pain. My husband was concerned that I wouldn't be able to stay up with his and his friends larger bikes, but the 250 has been gutsy and put his basic fears to rest. Albeit his acceleration capabilities and top speed far exceeds what my little 250 will ever be capable of. I know i'm not ready for Freeway speeds for a while, since 20 mph side wind gusts at 60 have me white knuckling it.

I'll be glad when muscle memory allows me to relax more as I ride. The Ninja 250 is a great little bike.

(Please note I'm not getting any automated emails, so I likely won't get any other messages from this site going forward, which means no notifications or private messages, or replies to my posts, etc. Please don't be offended if you don't see/get a reply. I'm not sure this will even post to this forum)

[Flying]

Welcome to the board! Hope that bike treats you well despite the injury.

[ForceofWill]

Welcome aboard Judy! Grats on the new bike. Ever look into an MSF course as a refresher for your skills?

[JudyG]

Thanks Matt for the welcome.

So far the 250 has been very forgiving, and as long as I don't get in too far over my head or hit by a car I expect it will be a long and fun union. I'm glad to be back on a motorcycle.

[NevadaWolf]

Welcome Judy!! Looking forward to reading your outings on the bike. i'd love to see a picture of the two bikes together since they have similar colors.

[JudyG]

Hi Tom thanks for the welcome

I should see what is available in this neck of the woods. In the mean time I'm working on slow tightish turns, smooth stop and goes and riding at rural highway speeds.

[JudyG]

Hi Teri thanks for the welcome

I may have attached 2 photos. One of me on my bike at start of maiden voyage on Monday and one of the 2 bikes in the garage. Not a great picture against the back drop of the car, and the angle doesn't show the size difference really well.

[komohana]

aloha judy!
welcome to the forum

can relate to the 'white knuckle' winds!
got called into work a weekend ago and kept getting pushed around by what I found out later to be 54 mph winds
have been riding for years but stiff cross winds on the 250 DOES make it...interesting

glad to have you with us

[NevadaWolf]

Eh, I know the size of an FJR, a friend had one that i got to go riding with so I know the feeling of putting behind one.

Cute pics! Bike is looking very hot!

[dcj13]

Welcome Judy! Good looking bike. It's smart not getting the automated e-mails!

[JudyG]

Thanks for the welcome Steve

At this time I surely would not have ridden in 54 MPH wind ... dang you are brave!

Do you find the bike leans into or away from the wind?

[JudyG]

Hi Dave thanks for the welcome ...it isn't a choice for me on the e-mails. It seems I can't message or contact anyone through this site other than the forums. I can't receive any automated e-mail, so it took me several days to find an e-mail address for Alex to let him know I didn't receive the e-mail to finish the registration.

[KJohnson21]

[JohnnyBravo]

I know about white knuckle rides, I still have them now and then, not as often as when I was still in the murder capital of Florida. Had some 40+mph gusts the other day, rode right through them... 2mph gusts used to make me bout mess myself

Welcome to the family

[deadsquirrel]

Welcome Judy!

I can relate to holding back on freeways at first. �� It took me a little while to ride the freeways at first, once you get there though, it's no trouble at all!
It's also helpful to have someone to chase. ��

[JudyG]

My Ninjette being Silver and Grey in color is named Cloud. She is the silver lining, is beautiful, but can be a bit scary at times.

[csmith12]

Welcome Judy!

Happy safe riding!

[LittleRedNinjette]

to the family!

I am another that can relate to the high winds issue, got caught in some wicked ones on I95 when i was still very new. Now i handled them better then my boyfriend.

[JudyG]

Do you find your bike leans into the gust automatically or leans away and goes with the wind?

[LittleRedNinjette]

Well, the gust tends to push me in its path so i would say the bike feels like it wants to lean in the direction the wind is going. If the wind is hitting me on the right i feel the bike is leaning (or just being pushed) to the left. Thus i lean into the wind a bit to counteract it.

If i know the wind is coming at me from right to left i'll ride a bit the the right of the lane to have room to correct myself when i get hit. Dont know if thats the "correct" way to handle it but it works well for me.

[NevadaWolf]

The bike itself doesn't lean automatically against the wind, the wind will push the bike in the direction the wind is blowing. You, as the rider working to maintain balance, will lean against the wind to counter the force and keep the bike upright.

I am sure there is some scientific explanation involving center of mass or some such sciencey thing but that is for someone else smarter than me to cover.

[250rr]

Welcome, my friend.

[JudyG]

Thanks for your help

I agree it has to do with center of mass of the bike. I was so white knuckling on my maiden voyage in the wind and automatically trying to counter acting the gust that I didn't notice if the bike has a high center of mass and so as the wind hits it sideways that the tires were being pushed more than the tank so it automatically leaned into the wind some, or like an older gold wing that has a lower center of mass and so the top of the bike is pushed away in the direction of the wind. I agree the whole bike is being moved in the direction of the gust, but is the top of the bike is trying to either lean in, lean away from or I guess could be neutral towards the wind source?

I feel foolish needing to ask but I just didn't notice and of course no wind last 2 days to go and ride in it again. Hubby is incredulous that I didn't notice lol Oh well.

[allanoue]

Judy

I never had the pregen but the newgen and 300 are away

[NevadaWolf]

Paging @Motofool for the sciencey bits!

[Alex]

The bike is always going to be pushed in the direction the wind is blowing. The almost unconscious movements riders put into the bars and pegs to help steer the bike to keep it straight, will cause the bike to lean into the wind while it is going straight down the road. I.E. the bike isn't doing it automatically because of the wind, but the rider's inputs are causing it to act in a way that seems almost automatic.

CG matters a bit, but effective sail area is probably more of a factor. More sail area means the wind can push the bike over farther for the same given amount of wind. Weight matters as well. A heavier bike will provide more resistance/inertia to being blown around from the side, especially in gusty conditions. Given more constant winds, it will still lean over the same average distance as a lighter bike; more related to that sail area.

[JudyG]

Oh Al

Lucky you with a 300!

Thanks everyone for the kind and thoughtful welcomes!

I will join you in welcoming new people when I get over the extreme nooby feeling or at least feel comfortable riding my bike. I don't know if there is an unspoken protocol that you have to be a member for some length of time before one can be on the welcoming committee, but all of you have been wonderful and I appreciated it. It is a nice way to get people to feel comfortable talking. Great idea! Thanks

[JudyG]

Thanks Alex

that helps

[NevadaWolf]

This makes you a member of the community. Period, end of story.



When I was a new member, it was great having the "old timers" saying Hi, but it was also great knowing there were new folks like me just getting onto their bikes and feeling things out. Everyone here has something to contribute, feel free to share what you know.

[LittleRedNinjette]

[JudyG]

Thanks!

[Motofool]

Originally Posted by NevadaWolf

Paging @Motofool for the sciencey bits!

Here you are:

http://www.soundrider.com/archive/sa.../dang_wind.htm

"The most difficult situation is with strong gusting winds. Suddenly a gust slams into the bike, pushing it off on a tangent towards the shoulder or into the opposing lane. What's needed to counteract gusts is to get the bike leaned over quickly into the wind. And the way to lean a bike quickly is to countersteer forcefully, the same tactic as you'd use to initiate a quick swerve around a pothole. If the gust increases, just push a little harder, but be prepared to push hard on the other grip to straighten up again as the gust passes.
If you practice countersteering every time you ride, you'll lean the bike into sudden wind gusts without having to think about it."

Welcome to Ninjette.org, Judy !!!

I advise against riding in winds with forces like the ones we have had this last days in Florida.

You just don't have yet the skill needed to do it safely in traffic (which doesn't mean that you will not gain it with more miles and practice).

Due to the greater inertia of your husband's bike, he may believe that you are feeling the same effects while riding the Ninjette, but that is not case: lighter bikes get pushed around more.

[NevadaWolf]

See? @Motofool is our science guy. Doesn't quite rhyme like Bill Nye, but you learn just as much.

[JudyG]

Thank you Motofool that was a great information! Now to start practicing counter steering...so easy on a bicycle... a bit mentally harder on something with power to control. I realize now that I forgot counter steering is the missing link I need to work on to get this noob riding with ease again.

30-40 years ago as both a pilot and a motorcyclist up in Washington state Cascades I learned early on that getthereitis would get me killed and that I would rather be home safe wishing I was somewhere else than in trouble wishing I had stayed home.

It still surprises me that what once was so natural seems to have taken a leave of absence from my muscle memory 30 years later when I sat on a motorcycle again. I think part of it is this is the first motorcycle I have ever ridden that the cowl didn't move and some part of my brain is missing the front wheel data that I can't see anymore. ( My first bike was a Honda XL250 dual purpose, that took me all over Washington, then a GPZ 550 that took me all over Calif)

Thank you NevadaWolf

[JudyG]

I have a NOOB question

How do I get my 500x500 pixel .jpg picture to show in my profile on the left when I post?

I have a picture that says it is my profile picture, but doesn't show. If I try to upload it again I get the message:

Upload of file failed


thanks for any help

[Motofool]

You are welcome, Judy

Leaning your head and upper body slightly off the center line of the bike toward the side onto which you want to turn, while smoothly (but firmly) pushing the hand grip of that side and looking deep into the turn (instead of down to your handlebar or close road), will greatly help you regaining the counter-steering habit.

Originally Posted by JudyG

Upload of file failed

Look for User CP on the top horizontal bar of this page.
Then, look for Edit avatar

Note: The maximum size of your custom image is 150 by 150 pixels or 293.0 KB (whichever is smaller).

[JudyG]

Thanks Motofool

I just found the help forum and read what Alex told someone. I didn't realize that an avatar included photographs I thought they were just animations or drawings.

Ah, the fun of being a noob lol

[Motofool]

Originally Posted by JudyG

.............Ah, the fun of being a noob lol

Innocence has been and always will be the most precious of all the possible states of our minds.

The best rides involve a mind that is 100% alert and absolutely free of thoughts, worries and contradictions.

Ride much and ride well, Judy !!!

[NevadaWolf]

Originally Posted by Motofool

The best rides involve a mind that is 100% alert and absolutely free of thoughts, worries and contradictions.

Being honest, while I do ride being aware of my situation, I usually have a running commentary about it going on in my head. Living half a second in the past and my brain just keeps up the monologue of what I am seeing, from traffic to terrain, and making comments about the comments. An endless stream of thought that I usually need music to tone down.

Once though, I hit a very familiar curvy road and as I turned up onto it, I suddenly felt odd. My brain was quiet. I knew the corners and acknowledged them but let them go from my mind as soon as I was beyond them. Traffic, debris, watching the road ahead, I was aware of it but it was no longer important once I rode past.

Completely in the zone, five minutes of meditation up that mountain road. Me, my bike, and a moment of finding the Tao.

[JudyG]

Motofool and NevadaWolf Thank you ...you both said it very well

Now I just need riding time! ...

Too bad we have a storm moving across N. Florida ... and has been raining all day.