| Author |
Message |
    
Iamarchangel
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 14, 2010 - 01:11 pm: | 
|
The difference is you don't usually get hurt if you can't play your horn well.
This is my main point right here.
I have no intention of slagging the OP and I hope it didn't sound like I was.
He's showed he can ride, so cool. There are other bikes out there that are perhaps more comfortable for him to ride, that he feels more relaxed with.
Me, I feel this is the wrong area of my life to develop my perseverance. Ten years of guitar lessons and still won't perform in public is a different thing.
Obviously, this is a Buell forum and we want to endorse the brand but it's not a religion. Close, but no.
Anyway, sorry that I may have caused some upset. You are getting a lot of good advice here and I'm benefitting from it too.} |
Crackhead
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 14, 2010 - 02:33 pm: |
|
if you have any experience with bicycles, the tube bikes are close to touring bicycle geometry and the XB are closer to race bike geometry. I am wondering if you are siting to far back, loading the rear wheel and making the front tire to light.
What does your tire profile look like? The center could be flat and the quick transition to the side profile could be messing with you. |
Gunut75
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 14, 2010 - 04:23 pm: |
|
He's showed he can ride, so cool.
Ummmm "He" .......is a "SHE"! Careful Iamarchangel, Char is coming to get you!!!! She's bringin' Little Z for backup!
Just havin fun. No offense to anyone. |
Iamarchangel
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 14, 2010 - 08:25 pm: |
|
Charlotte, I am sorry for making that assumption. I really should know better. |
Gunut75
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 15, 2010 - 07:54 am: |
|
I think I'm going book shopping today. Do they have these books at the big chain stores like Barnes and Noble? I'll find out. I've been reading a lot of Stephen K as of late. Under the Dome is great. Time to change the pace. Char, are you hiding or riding? |
Glitch
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 15, 2010 - 08:17 am: |
|
The Pace |
Jandj_davis
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 15, 2010 - 10:26 am: |
|
I came from riding an 83 Honda CB550sc Nighthawk to riding an XB9R. The first year was aweful. I couldn't figure out how to give the bike inputs that it responded to. So, I did some expirementing. I found that the bike LOVES body inputs in addition to bar inputs. The same cannot be said of the Suzuki SV650, which would much rather have the rider sit upright and counter-steer. So, maybe try that?
For specific body inputs, I followed the advice I got from the MCN video online. rather than pushing your butt out of line to try to get you weight over, push your head/shoulders to the inside of the turn. I can lean WAY further with more confidence if I move my body a little bit vs. just trying to input to the bars. I realize that you are on a 9S, but the 9S that I rode asked for the same inputs, with turn-in being much smoother if I was moving my body to the inside of the turn. Again, nothing drastic, just feel the bike and listen to what it is telling you.
Another thing that makes a HUGE difference in handling is to relax. For the first year that I rode this bike, I pretty much locked my elbows out of nervous tension every time I had to take a corner. This made the bike VERY hard to understand, and made me consider selling. However, I took the time a few times and MADE myself relax through some turns. It worked wonders!
I still have TONS to learn, and still have a hard time trusting the front tire most of the time (suspension setup?). But, I've learned a lot just listening to the bike. Believe me, vehicles of any kind give very clear feedback when they are unhappy. You just have to learn to speak the language. |
Gunut75
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 15, 2010 - 10:26 am: |
|
Good read Glitch. |
Rpm4x4
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 15, 2010 - 11:34 am: |
|
I have a local road with little traffic and some nice corners that I will go up and down multiple times just working on my comfort level and position. Are you running the same brand tire as you were on the M2? Tires play a big roll in comfort level for me. |
Whatever
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 15, 2010 - 10:51 pm: |
|
I am 5'4" and 'ahemmm' around 140 lbs... and I will tell you what Archie, if every woman had your attitude about learning to ride there would be no women riders...
Yamaha 750 SECA, I taught myself to ride it... and must have dropped it doing small maneuvers in parking lots a dozen times... in the 5 years I owned it...
Buell M2L... that took me a year to learn how to ride completely comfortably, but now it is just fine... maybe dropped it six times... in 8 years... again, doing tight maneuvers in parking lots
Piglet... I have had for roughly 4 months and 5K miles and I have not dropped it yet...
If I quit everything I was not immediately good at I would be sitting on the couch eating potato chips all day... it is all a matter of personal preference... some people just take for granted they are built like gorillas and can ride anything they like... hope to give you just a little perspective...
Oh and Glitch... I am comin FOR YOU!!! 
BTW, in 15 years of riding I have never had an accident... knock on wood... |
Whatever
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 15, 2010 - 10:57 pm: |
|
Oh... except for that trackday... and that WAS NOT MY FAULT!!!  |
Strato9r
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 15, 2010 - 11:17 pm: |
|
Good point raised by James; wear patterns, especially on the front tire, can make things feel pretty twitchy. I really like the Pirelli tire profile, but I've got quite a bit of wear on the sides of the front tire, and a narrow flat spot up the center, and the bike feels pretty creepy on fast transitions, but fine once it's leaned over. Beyond that, "Total Control" is an awesome resource. I found an empty parking lot at an abandoned dairy, swept it clean, and spent about three hours a night for a couple of weeks practicing circles and figure eights until it became effortless. Funny thing was, one night I noticed a cop parked outside the lot, so I decided to split, and explain to the guy what I was doing. He was really decent about it, and made an obligatory mention that it was technically private property, then told me he wished more riders made the effort to work on their skills. He also gave me a few pointers, like using the rear brake and getting up on the pegs for slow speed turns. Turns out he has an older, air cooled GSXR 750 and really knows how to handle it. |
Iamarchangel
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 15, 2010 - 11:42 pm: |
|
Whatever: I'm sorry I gave you the impression that I was trying to discourage you from riding. That was not my intention, nor was I trying to discourage you as a woman. Obviously, I was not aware of that until later in the discussion.
Your original posts made it sound worse than what the last post described. From the former, I was trying to suggest that a different bike might be a better idea. It was not giving up riding completely.
Going back to one of my earlier post then, and supported by JandJ, I liked the MCN lessons and used them to develop my skills (such as they are).
All the best. |
Ochoa0042
| | Posted on Thursday, September 16, 2010 - 12:12 am: |
|
my tips
setup your body for the turn; then move the bike to your center as you progress the corner
making tight turns, counter balance. I usually forget to do this and have to stick a leg out when busting a U-turn
when braking; have even pressure in the handlebars from your arms/sholders
be defensive, always have an exit
a bike is thin, if you get cut off share the lane and dont panic |
Catalan42
| | Posted on Thursday, September 16, 2010 - 12:35 am: |
|
I have found Total Control by Lee Parks to be much better than Twist of the Wrist by Code (don't like that one at all!).
I had to re-learn to ride after about 30 years of not riding either bicycles or motorcycles. Started on a Sportster doing lots of circles in nearby cul-de-sacs. Some right, some left, make it take only 3/4 of the space when you get more comfortable with it. Do a figure 8 when you get really comfortable with it.
I don't find tires to make a big difference at lower speeds (Dunlop, Michelin, whatever). Put in 34 front & 36 rear PSI like the MOM says (check yours). Set the suspension like the MOM says for your weight (also no big deal at low speeds). Just practice. A bicycle might help here, but with all your tuber miles might make that needless.
Don't worry about all the "race" stuff you hear/read. You just need time to get used to the different geometry of the XB vs M2/Yamaha/etc.
After a couple of months blasting around on my XB12s, I felt like an alien (clumsy/no reflexes) when I tried to get back on the Sportster. I put it up for sale right away as I couldn't tolerate the sluggish turning, lack of brakes, etc. I never noticed all that racking up 20K miles in 2 years.......(until I got on the Lightning).
(Message edited by catalan42 on September 16, 2010) |
Catalan42
| | Posted on Thursday, September 16, 2010 - 12:42 am: |
|
P.S. Take advantage of your clutch at low speeds! You don't always have to be in gear at 3K+ RPM. When learning to get comfortable on a new bike in tighter turns (cul-de-sac or smaller), I find it much easier to coast a lot (clutch squeezed fully in), then use bits of the "friction zone" when needed to keep the speed up.
Taking away the engine aspect (surging, lugging, coughing, etc) makes the turning/balance side of things much easier to concentrate on. |
Whatever
| | Posted on Thursday, September 16, 2010 - 06:40 am: |
|
No prob Archie.
People are much nicer on the XB Board.
All good advice.
My bike isn't so skinny anymore I got the hard bags and put some reflectors on it!
|
Glitch
| | Posted on Thursday, September 16, 2010 - 07:12 am: |
|
Oh and Glitch... I am comin FOR YOU!!!
Bring it!  |
Gunut75
| | Posted on Thursday, September 16, 2010 - 08:03 am: |
|
Man those bags are big. I gotta see em in person. I wanna know how they mount up too. I did 25 miles yesterday with 50 lbs worth of steel parts in my backpack. SCREW THAT! Time for some luggage! The ride back felt so light. A true core strengthening exercise.  |
Sifo
| | Posted on Thursday, September 16, 2010 - 11:10 am: |
|
People are much nicer on the XB Board.
Lot's of the same folks, different topics.
P.S. Take advantage of your clutch at low speeds! You don't always have to be in gear at 3K+ RPM. When learning to get comfortable on a new bike in tighter turns (cul-de-sac or smaller), I find it much easier to coast a lot (clutch squeezed fully in), then use bits of the "friction zone" when needed to keep the speed up.
Taking away the engine aspect (surging, lugging, coughing, etc) makes the turning/balance side of things much easier to concentrate on.
Good tips at slow speeds. You can also manage speed by dragging the REAR brake. Did I mention to use the REAR. Yes, REAR brake.
Lee Parks has a good section on line selection too. Nothing messes up a good turn like turning in too early (except for not looking into the turn, in which case you will almost certainly turn in too early). He talks about turning in on the late side, and you can see much more of the turn that way. Being able to see farther into the turn gives the /i{perception} of going slower, letting your mind work better. When that light bulb went on for me it made a big difference. If I ever get the chance, I'll be attending a class of his in person.
One last thing. Many accidents happen on group rides when new riders are introduced into the group. It's great to be able to watch the rider in front of you taking a line, but be very careful not to get suckered into a corner faster than you can handle. The roads in the TN, NC, GA area are great riding, but they also bite when you aren't within your riding ability. And you never know when the rider that you have been following all day without digging you in too deep suddenly decides to wick it up for a few corners. It's not intentional, but watch out for it because it can sucker you in over your head. Be warned though, when you get back home, suddenly all those fun roads in WI have somehow been changed to straight roads. |
Whatever
| | Posted on Thursday, September 16, 2010 - 08:22 pm: |
|
be very careful not to get suckered into a corner faster than you can handle
That is exactly what happened at Road America on my M2... I was doing great and hanging off the bike in the carousel... and then that pesky head coach waved me to follow him into a corner close and whooooooops... at least I just went straight off the track into the gravel... it was so surreal, i relaxed completely and just flew straight into the gravel... didn't get hurt, nothing, was doing around 80 mph too...
I think at BTF I could be riding alone a bit, but that is ok too...
(Message edited by Whatever on September 16, 2010) |
Ft_bstrd
| | Posted on Thursday, September 16, 2010 - 09:34 pm: |
|
When you are riding with others DO NOT look at the person in front of you.
Look past the person you are following and follow your own line through the turns. Look at the person in front of you with your peripheral vision.
This will prevent you from getting sucked into someone else's line and blowing through a turn. Even a few miles an hour difference can be the difference between making it and not.
You'll find that your reaction time is increased because you are looking at what is coming rather than just scanning the patch of asphalt between you and the person in front of you. Additionally, you won't be surprised by stuff in the road. |
Glitch
| | Posted on Thursday, September 16, 2010 - 09:46 pm: |
|
I think at BTF I could be riding alone a bit, but that is ok too...
After lunch on Saturday (when I'm done eatin') I'm going to go on a relaxed ride, you're more than welcome to join me. |
Catalan42
| | Posted on Friday, September 17, 2010 - 05:44 am: |
|
I have found that following another rider can be quite distracting, as opposed to helping (my first instinct!). I have found myself paying too much attention to what they did instead of what I want to do.  I guess my brain can't think about 2 things as well as one.
Now I just ignore them as much as possible and concentrate on the road. That "bothersome insect" is still up there someplace, but you are focused on the road, your speed, etc. |
Firebolt32
| | Posted on Friday, September 17, 2010 - 11:00 pm: |
|
dropped it doing small maneuvers in parking lots a dozen times
That's it...making a change from a different profile bike can mess with your head. Get a bike similar to the XB that you don't mind dropping. Take it to a parking lot and ride the hell out of it.
I roasted through a tire at 1 Kish because of all the parking lot fun I had when I first got my 9R. |
Whatever
| | Posted on Saturday, September 18, 2010 - 01:38 am: |
|
I got in some good riding today... lots of great roads around here... and did some 8s in the culdesac... if I drop Piglet tho I might cry...  |
Billybob
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 21, 2010 - 01:42 am: |
|
i had a 98 m2 i now have a06 eb9 cityx I wish I had got a lighting long or a tt the extra 2inches wheel base and a little mre trail and rake would help take out some of the senitivty out of the bike either one handles better than the m2, |
S1wmike
| | Posted on Thursday, September 23, 2010 - 01:04 pm: |
|
Char
I have several bike in the garage ranging from a tuber to XB to a Ducati to a Vrod to a vintage Triumph and CB900F Honda. Every time I jump on a different bike it takes me a little while to re acclimate myself to the bike unique characteristics. but it all comes back before too long. Just keep on riding and the more you ride the more the bike will start to feel natural .
Mike |
Whatever
| | Posted on Thursday, September 23, 2010 - 08:36 pm: |
|
Got the Lee Parks book... the guy looks like a total nut bag, but I think I can actually read this book... the Advanced Rider MSF manual sucks arse and put me to sleep...  |
|
