| Author | Message | ||
     Glitch |
If I start doing that (minus the fire!), watch out! We'll be watchin ... BuellToberFest ain't too far off. | ||
| Babired |
Kristi, keep practicing whenever you can before your class. The camel back is a really good idea I teach with one on my back all of the time. After your class you need to get on the road during morning hours when nobody is out with a mentor for short rides. Every ride keep adding the miles on. After about a year of riding on the road come back to the parking lot with your bike and your confidence will soar. Staying on the parking lot for most of your first year is like  K | ||
| Ulywife |
I'll keep you posted Kathy. Thanks for the words of encouragement. I have a friend who is also just starting out, so I think we'll be doing some back road riding together. I'm sure Carlos will be along with us in the beginning. He'll be able to offer constructive riding tips as we learn. Would rather be bored than in over my head right now. Just got word that my new low seat was shipped out today!! | ||
| Xb9er |
kristi, sweet burn out! Keep up the good work. | ||
| Babired |
Carlos is a must or any other C-3 rider down there to help you and your friend. Push yourself out of the comfort zone slowly, if you do the achievements will be so much sweeter. I've been doing a lot of that by becoming a Total Control instructor, during class all I wanted to do was throw up in my helmet, now I'm pinching myself because I really did it! I still have throw up moments when I teach a real Total Control class now and probably will into the next year  Tomorrow I'm taking Total Control Level 2 on my ULY as a student. I wonder what they are going to make me do, if I'm going to drop my bike or not... its throw up time again!  K | ||
| Ulywife |
No puking allowed! You'll do great. I think the only thing I'm concerned about for my class is the type of bikes they'll have for me to ride. Unlike you, I have no inseam. My feet dangle like a child's would on the Uly...hell, I can't even reach to hold up the M2! sweet burn out! I didn't even know I could do that!!! Now if Glitch could just make me a bit taller! | ||
| Jlnance |
all I wanted to do was throw up in my helmet That describes my Riders Edge experience. I'm so glad I took that class. | ||
| Jlnance |
Tomorrow I want to play with just the rear brake for a few stops to really get a feel for how much is there. I kept feeling like I was going past the stopping point and then would grab too much front brake. While I never felt that I was going to drop the bike, it would nose dive when I grabbed too much front brake. You posted that a week ago, so I suspect you have a better feel for it. For myself, I find my braking problems almost always come from using too much rear brake. A lot of people suggest never using it at all. The MSF classes teach you to use both the front and the back, so that is what I have always done, but I may switch to front only. Locking up the rear tire on a motorcycle will cause it to slide around. What is even worse is that releasing a locked rear tire can cause the bike to throw you off, though I've never had that happen to me. When ever I get scared I always stomp on the rear brake, which locks it up and then I'm sliding around unable to steer. It's bad. The front brake works much better. It can stop the bike faster, and if it locks up, you can just release it. It does dive if you grab it, but the solution to that is to apply it progressively. It takes practice to get good at it, and of course I don't practice enough. But you are. | ||
| Fast1075 |
Rear brakes are for display purposes only...the ol' lock up the rear brake and forget about the front has gotten almost as many people killed as getting fixated and not using countersteer to miss an object. (Message edited by fast1075 on June 12, 2009) | ||
| Hughlysses |
You absolutely don't want to rely on ONLY rear braking, but it has its uses. Also remember that a rear wheel slide will sometimes cause a crash; a front wheel slide will almost ALWAYS cause a crash. I try to practice "taper" braking as described here: http://www.msgroup.org/Tip.aspx?Num=030&Set= Approaching a normal stop, you start out all front brake, gradually add some rear, then as you slow you gradually let off the front, and come to a stop using only the rear brake. The reason for this is you are very likely to encounter a slick surface at a stop sign or traffic light- oil, anti-freeze, wet painted line, plastic bottle, etc. If the front wheel locks just as you're stopping, you ARE gonna dump the bike. | ||
| Fast1075 |
Well put Hugh!!! and quite right an well spoken. I had the image stuck in my head of a rear tire skid mark that stops at the paint marks where a bike and rider slid under a cage. Makes me want to build a "chopper" with no front brake.....NOT!!!!! | ||
| Babired |
Fast have you ever tried Trail braking into a curve? Kristi when you are taking the class you will have to try a confidence builder exercise its called Limited space maneuvers it is an area with 2 U-turns. Going into this one you can use trail-braking with the rear brake to control your speed. What it does for you is give you more stability if you apply the throttle right. Hi-siding : your motorcycle is bends the front forks from the rest of the bike once you lock up the rear wheel you have lost traction with it and it will slide, if you release it, it will want to follow behind the front tire, which is pointing straight, and the wheel begins to turn again, resulting in throwing you off! When I coach MC safety I tell them a slow progressive squeeze on the front brake Just like Jlance says. If I have a student who grabs the front brake I ask them to SLOW down on it! In the class I am attending tomorrow I will be trail-braking into fast parking lot curves and circles this will help the steering input, because weight transfers to the front, giving me better turning ability, it will stabilize the suspension for maximum traction and ground clearence. I will learn more about this tomorrow! K | ||
| Ulywife |
Kathy - how did class go? Thanks to everyone who has posted about braking. It's a lot to take in and remember, but I'll do my best! | ||
| Babired |
Total control level 2 was awesome we did clutchless up shifting, rev down shifting, quick stops from 30 MPH will less on the rear brake more on the front until we were getting the back tire off the ground, this I never did with the ULY but have with the XB9XS and X1. Ususally when I do them my feet comes off of the pegs because I'm crowding the tank. This time I was more controlled. Trail braking in curves 6 times with front brakes while applying throttle, then with the rear, then a combination of both. At the end of class they set up a series of turns on the whole parking lot, a smile was plastered on my face because on the Buells you can really kick a@#^ on courses like this. My muscles are sore! When I bought the ULY I never thought I would be riding it like I am now I think I have done more on the ULY than I have on the other Buell I have rode. Its amazing. The Rev downshifting exercise was the hardest for me too much going on at one time, and they made me think while doing the riding practice. K | ||
| Ulywife |
Sounds like you had a great time this weekend. My low seat came in today...thanks Fast1075! It rained tonight and had a birthday party...tomorrow I have to work. If the weather holds Carlos will meet me after work in the parking lot!! | ||
| Fast1075 |
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| Babired |
I was wiped out yesterday My head is so big right now from last weekend. Keep going Kristi when you are in class and you have questions about anything or before class just ask okay K | ||
| Ulywife |
Got a chance to ride again last night. Seems as though I have a strong side...it's left, my right hand turns suck! Got to get lots of practice in. Worked on figure 8's last night. Carlos said take 6 spots....I think I got it in 6 - 8 spots. More practice this weekend! Thanks Kathy! I may be calling you. Wished you lived closer! | ||
| Froggy |
Ive noticed that I am faster in left turns that right. Not sure if its because of the crown in the road or something else. I need to do a track day and find out. | ||
| Ulywife |
Well I've passed my MSF course. A few funny things happened this weekend. Friday night we were asked to introduce ourselves, tell why we were there and how much experience we had on motorcycles. When I told them that I was a custodian on a motorcycle forum but didn't ride one of the instructors chucked and said "that's classic"! Turns out he just sold a Blast that he had purchased for his daughter but as it turned out she was not interested in riding. One question I found kinda funny was "what is the best source of information about your motorcycle"...their answer was owner's manual...my answer, BadWeB! Good thing it wasn't a test question! Class was a lot of fun. Many of the exercises Carlos had already worked with me so it was something familiar. The dreaded "box" sucked! The best I did the box was on the evaluation, so that was good. I was riding a Suzuki GZ250. It was a nice little bike, but I found out quickly that I'm not a fan of forward controls. I passed the MSF written with 100% and the skills evaluation with only 8 points deducted...three for a foot down on the box and 5 for slowing down/not accelerating enough in the 135 degree turn. I was happy! Now all I have to do is take the state test tomorrow and get my MC endorsement. Last night after class I asked Carlos if he wanted to go for an "illegal" ride. Of course he said yes. I went to get the Blast out of the barn. Once I got it out and sat on it I was amazed at how heavy and tall the Blast felt. Until MSF I had nothing to compare it to! I put the low seat on and Carlos and I rode around town for about an hour. It was so much fun! At one point I felt like we were really crusing...looked down, I'm doing 30! Boy is it different riding solo versus behind Carlos. We did lots of street to street riding to practice turning and braking. We did get down a nice back road and managed to get up to 50 mph. The sun was setting and I need to get to work so we headed home. Can't wait to get out and ride again! | ||
| F_skinner |
 Good deal Kristi. I think the whole time I rode in NC growing up I did not have a license. I am glad you did it the right way and took the course. I went through an advanced rider course about 10 years (or maybe 15 years) ago and discovered I had a lot of bad habits that I may not have if I had the proper training to begin with. I look forward to riding with you some day. Frank | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
Congrats!! it sounds like you are having fun!! | ||
| Fast1075 |
Woooo Hoooo!!! | ||
| Froggy |
Accelerate hard to about 35mph in first gear, and do a hard clutch-less shift into 2nd and watch the front end come up. DAMHIK  | ||
| Xb9ser |
Congrats Kristi!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! | ||
| Court |
Kristi: Congratulations . . . that is really neat and the work, practice and al those circles in parking lots will pay off. This is GREAT news. Court | ||
| Bubo |
good job, glad to hear it. there is no better feeling then the wind in your hair and bugs in your teeth.  | ||
| S1wmike |
Kristi Congrats!!!!!!!!!!!! I'll have to head South and go on a ride with you and Carlos this summer | ||
| Ulywife |
Thanks everyone! I'm working nights this week and then heading to Cincinnati for a week, so it will be mid July before I can ride again. Paul, our instructor, rides an Aprilia. He passed me Sunday morning. I told him he rides a lot like Buell riders. He loves the curves and spends every spring break at the Dragon. He loves the Uly and wants to come out and ride with us one weekend. | ||
| Babired |
AWESOME!  |
