| Author |
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Babired
| | Posted on Thursday, January 21, 2010 - 10:32 am: | 
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the Blast is a tank |
Myzen
| | Posted on Thursday, January 21, 2010 - 10:49 am: |
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we recently had our year end audit by our Regional Director for RE. He told us that by the time the fleet of Blasts have been exhausted HD will be introducing a HD branded training bike. He would not give any more specifics.
As far as crashes. I learned the hard way (as an instructor) to make sure the students were doing quick stops, not "panic" stops. We had a few people get injured in EX14 stopping quickly in a curve. Many people were locking their front brakes with the bars turned causing momentum to do its thing.
During the audit, the Regional pointed out that in EX1 if you get them to properly squeeze instead of grab it will eliminate 80% of the braking crashes.
Had one "holy crap" moment this past summer where a student came haulin butt down range in the eval for the quick stop. He grabbed a whole lotta front brake and up the back wheel went up about 2 ft in the air and his butt another 6 inches off the seat. He ended up coming down without moving forward an inch. It scared the crap out of me, the other RC as well as the student. We passed him because it wasn't an "intentional unsafe act". |
Fltwistygirl
| | Posted on Thursday, January 21, 2010 - 10:51 am: |
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Teach RE and MSF so had to chime in. I see about the same number of crashes in both curriculums, and I think the percentage of students successfully completing the course is about the same also.
<<<most of the crashes are instructor induced>>>
Really?!!! Many of the crashes I've witnessed in RE have been due to the unendorsed "experienced" road sofa pilot finally realizing there's a front brake on motorcycles, but not listening to the instructor's suggestion of "try keeping your hand wrapped around the throttle instead of covering the front brake when you are turning the motorcycle"
<<<if the instructor rushes thru the first 3 exercises>>>
+1 on that!  Moving to the more complex stuff before you've got the fundamentals down is just askin' for trouble. Same difference as a 4th grader not learning multiplication tables before moving on to multiplying and dividing fractions: Gotta crawl before you walk! B.
(Message edited by fltwistygirl on January 21, 2010)
(Message edited by fltwistygirl on January 21, 2010) |
Babired
| | Posted on Thursday, January 21, 2010 - 10:56 am: |
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I had that happen too One year I was teaching RE and had a female student who was just beginning to grasp the clutch throttle control on the Blast and in the clutch control lanes pop a good 2 foot wheelie. then regain control but I was afraid for more of those temporary loss of control moments and counseled her out. I didn't want her doing that near any of the other students at the end of a line or staging area |
Wolfridgerider
| | Posted on Thursday, January 21, 2010 - 10:56 am: |
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The front break lever is not a finger rest... smack their fingers with a yard stick when they go by...
They will get the point... LOL
just kidding...
use a road book |
Babired
| | Posted on Thursday, January 21, 2010 - 10:58 am: |
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yeah CHIEF said that I didn't like the thought of him saying it
crashes are instructor induced |
Elsinore74
| | Posted on Thursday, January 21, 2010 - 11:01 am: |
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Teaching the "experienced" in any endeavor is a lot tougher than a newbie with an open mind and positive attitude.
Handy site: http://www.smsa.org/ "Links of interest page." is a good place to start.
Thanks to all of you who teach rider safety, by the way. |
Firebolt020283
| | Posted on Thursday, January 21, 2010 - 11:11 am: |
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I got in trouble a lot when I was in the BRC class because I would use 2 fingers as instead to my whole hand to grab the brake even though I would make my braking points. Why is that such a big deal as to how many fingers you use to stop with in that course? |
Wolfridgerider
| | Posted on Thursday, January 21, 2010 - 11:22 am: |
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GRAB??? .... squeeeeeeeeeze
We want you to get in the habit of using both brakes FULLY and effectively so when the $hit hits the fan its automatic.... |
Fltwistygirl
| | Posted on Thursday, January 21, 2010 - 11:28 am: |
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Firebolt-
Did you used to ride a dirtbike or motoX? |
Babired
| | Posted on Thursday, January 21, 2010 - 11:29 am: |
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Why 4 fingers instead of 2
On a Buell 1 finger is good but have you ever rode a road king before you need all 4 fingers to stop that one.
When I teach class I coach 4 fingers too for muscle memory in your hand and when the test happens if you use 2 and blow it, when another examiner comes out, they usually blame that |
Firebolt020283
| | Posted on Thursday, January 21, 2010 - 11:30 am: |
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and yet as I was growing up my dad always told me to use 2 fingers and said it was so you don't grab too much brake. I managed by the end of the class to get out of the habit long enough to pass the class but as soon as I got back on my bike I was doing it again. |
Firebolt020283
| | Posted on Thursday, January 21, 2010 - 11:32 am: |
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Fltwistygirl yes I did for a little while but once I got good on them the front brakes went bye bye along with the knobby tires |
Babired
| | Posted on Thursday, January 21, 2010 - 11:38 am: |
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I'll throw a monkey wrench in the path for ya all Teaching Total Control since this past year, and we teach 2 fingers on the front brake and on the throttle at the same time = trail braking |
Fltwistygirl
| | Posted on Thursday, January 21, 2010 - 11:40 am: |
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I can spot a fellow dirtbiker immediately by the 2 fingered braking. It was a bad habit I had when I got into streetbiking and took alot of crap for it until I reformed.
2 finger braking on dirt is what you do. Its ok. On a streetbike, not so much. 4 fingers is the way to go. |
Fltwistygirl
| | Posted on Thursday, January 21, 2010 - 11:42 am: |
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Babired-
I guess I should have clarified, 4 fingers for a BRC level graduate.
In 3 wheel world, that 2 finger braking/on the throttle technique is known as drifting.
B. |
Crackhead
| | Posted on Thursday, January 21, 2010 - 11:44 am: |
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I was using 2 fingers for the brake as well.
But the instructor told me that if i plan on riding a HD you must use all 4 fingers. He thought Buell = HD brakes.
The clutch on the rebel was so f d up that i was rev matching for the shifts.
When the instructor saw what i was doing he yelled at me to use the clutch. I told him to try it and he relized that it was way out of adjustment and it had the wrong lever on it . |
Babired
| | Posted on Thursday, January 21, 2010 - 11:46 am: |
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cool I never rode a 3 wheeler except for the Can Am spyder
I rode a fully loaded Road King going to the Memphis CIW with a passenger. I tried to brake like I was on the Buell and realized I needed all 4 to get it to slow down and man it took a while to get it slowed down! |
Fltwistygirl
| | Posted on Thursday, January 21, 2010 - 11:52 am: |
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Ahh, the Spyder. Fun machine but the only thing a spyder has in common with a trike is the number of wheels. Drifting on a Spyder is pretty near impossible as it is engineered to protect the rider from him (or her) self. If a wheel starts to lift, it will shut itself down. |
Drkside79
| | Posted on Thursday, January 21, 2010 - 12:46 pm: |
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I have a friend who has been riding for about 3 years and wants to sign up for a rider class this year. We were both taught to ride by my father so we didn't take the beg class. Should he and perhaps we go back and take it or go to the next step up the wrung (intermediate) |
Firebolt020283
| | Posted on Thursday, January 21, 2010 - 01:08 pm: |
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take the beginners class you will be surprised how much you will learn in that class yes parts will make you feel dumb like when they tell you where the start button is but other parts will teach you a thing or two. |
Babired
| | Posted on Thursday, January 21, 2010 - 01:36 pm: |
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Drkside79 I would ask him how comfortable he is operating a bike. The first exercise in the waiver class is weaving with one hand, the one hand part is optional for the student. If you tell him this and he seems to be uptight about it then maybe it would be good for him to go thru the BRC. K |
Nobuell
| | Posted on Thursday, January 21, 2010 - 01:43 pm: |
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When I purchased my Buell in July of 2008, I had not ridden for 15 years and no longer had my MC endorsement. In indiana, you will have to take a class to get the MC endorsement. I have ridden and raced motorcycles since I was 4 years old so I did not see the 15 year hiatus as a problem as I had over 200K of riding previously. My Buell came with a Free Riders edge course from Calumet HD. So I took the course. Even though I had ridden for many years, I learned or re-learned important riding techniques. I did not learn much from the bike control standpoint due to my racing years but the street riding techniques have been very valuable.
I was very impressed with the course. The instructors were first rate and the classroom was well thought out. The course went from Monday through Sunday and we rode every day at least 3 hours on the weekdays and 5-6 hours on the weekend days.
I was apprehensive about the course since I had ridden for many years but I am very glad I went through with it.
I recommend the course to many riders I know. |
