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Bdutro
| | Posted on Friday, March 14, 2008 - 04:08 pm: | 
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Hwyranger : If only all the Chippers had your attitude. I hope you're a senior member that will be training others in the future. |
Lost_in_ohio
| | Posted on Friday, March 14, 2008 - 08:15 pm: |
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I have asked before but I will ask again.
What drills do you use to practice low speed maneuvering |
Hwyranger
| | Posted on Friday, March 14, 2008 - 08:52 pm: |
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basic drills are figure 8's and u-turns.
Stay in first gear in the friction zone. Try to go lock to lock on the forks in your figure 8's feeding power to the bike through the clutch, no braking allowed. As you get comfortable with the friction zone, try to bring the figure 8's tighter. U-turns and figure 8's can be done within the width of one parking stall (on an XBs or ulysses). If you pull the clutch too far in, out of the friction zone, the bike will drop...let it out of the friction zone and the bike stands up and lurches wide of your intended turn. The friction zone on the clutch is only about 1/8 of an inch. I started out on these drills on a beat up, piece of s&%t kawi kz1000P. The XB bikes would be a dream to practice on.
It's all about head and eye placement, and smooth clutch/throttle during slow work.
Once you get good with the figure 8's and u-turns, there are a few cone patterns which apply these concepts, all require first gear, friction zone, no braking allowed, forks turned lock to lock. PAIN IN THE ASS when you're first attempting them.
Any monkey can be taught to ride really fast in a straight line. The real control comes from mastering the clutch. |
Baggermike
| | Posted on Friday, March 14, 2008 - 09:14 pm: |
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Hwyranger I got ride like a pro and this guy is suppose to teach police how to ride the bikes slow in the clutch friction zone but does say to apply the rear break to,
so you are in the friction zone of the clutch which is between fully out and fully in,
you use the throttle to keep the rpms up and use the rear brake and clutch to control the bike and if you get into trouble just let the clutch out and take off,
I thought I was getting something different and was surprised at what I got but found it useful,
he also says to practice stopping at the highest speed you travel,
I am not saying you are wrong just saying that this dvd I got said to use the rear brake and do not touch the front brake or you will go down.
Mike |
Hwyranger
| | Posted on Friday, March 14, 2008 - 09:43 pm: |
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the no brake rule is just what my department requires. if you can control your speed with clutch/throttle only then you are REALLY in control. Other departments allow using the rear brake, but that is a crutch and allows you to slip all the way out of the friction zone without having the bike jump or increase speed so much you cant make the pattern. (my department is REALLY picky about who makes it as a motor officer. you have to make it through the patterns with no brakes, using only clutch throttle control in order to pass) If you want to use the rear brake, by all means do it, you just wont be able to lean the bike over as much in the patterns. |
Court
| | Posted on Friday, March 14, 2008 - 10:01 pm: |
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I used to, as I familiarized myself with new test vehicles, go through a protocol of slow speed maneuvers.
I'd start to the left and progressively tighten the turn until I could hold it hard against the lock. This, on a tube frame Buell (for me) required light dragging of the rear brake.
Then same drill to the right.
Finally "flip flops", full left-full right-full left- full right.
You can tell a great deal about a bike (or at least I can) by doing this. I always wanted to know what full throttle and full braking would do as well.
I'd used a parking lot and go down the center line between spaces. This provided me with something line "markers (the perpendicular lines) every 15 feet or so.
My goal was to learn, at various speeds, how close to where I **thought** I could stop I could actually stop.
Another, strictly personal, drill I use (I started this when I was doing a lot of flying late at night) is to sit on the bike, and operate all the controls in various sequences . . including emergency drills, with my eyes closed.
I suppose this is less important now . . . but I used to practice going from normal to reserve. I knew, at the first burp, where my left hand had to hit 2" above my knee and go straight in toward the motor to land directly on the petcock. Sounds stupid but I was going through 4 and 5 tanks a day, day after day and you could bet yer bottom dollar that I always found reserve on the Santa Monica Freeway of the LIE in rush hour traffic.
I, again I concede it's old fashion, am a huge fan of reading and understanding the owners manual before I operate the bike.
As a pilot I had a lot of silly drills but I realized that running my own business put me in an odd position. If I was leaving Hartsfield after a contentious meeting I knew the moment I started filing my flight plan that I needed to change hats, stop being a contractor and become a pilot under I'd taxied to a stop in Topeka.
There are few substitutes for practice, knowledge and knowing your vehicle.
Strictly personal opinion. . . . |
Lost_in_ohio
| | Posted on Saturday, March 15, 2008 - 08:08 pm: |
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thx for the response. I practice in the lot, emergency stop and figure eights and such but I use the brake. When it finally warms up, I will work the lot with out the brake. |
No_rice
| | Posted on Saturday, March 15, 2008 - 09:23 pm: |
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yep, fun factor! mile #2! today.
 |
Bigdog_tim
| | Posted on Saturday, March 15, 2008 - 10:22 pm: |
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I got mine back from the dealer after her break in service. I will save the expletives for the end of the post.
The weather in Seattle today is well - Seattle. Lots of showers.
I let her idle at the dealership to the 151 degrees she likes (to be warm and ready to go).
I pulled out of the dealership onto the side road - mindful that even though the engine was warm, the tires were not.
On the side road (with my son following in my Jeep), I decided to "aggressively" roll on in second. Two things happened: first - I heard the airflow through those big throttle bodies (wow - it is almost sexy) and second: the front wheel decided to go skyward.
After recovering (and I STILL have that damn grin on my face), I worked my way to HWY 405. Traffic ALWAYS sucks - and at that particular ramp, there is construction right now (so worse than normal).
Puttering onto the highway, I finally eye an opening to merge. I am in 2nd gear - but need to goose it a bit to squeeze into the opening.
I hear the air intake again - and it literally makes my hair stand up.
I get off of HWY405 onto HWY 90 - and find a stretch of road to really hear her sing. I look down - am doing 140!
Ok - I really love this machine. If I could ONLY have one - this would be it. Thank you BMC - you did good.
Ok - here comes the expletives: OMG - what a FRIGGING AWESOME RIDE! HOLY CRAP - I am faster than ever before! This is EVERYTHING I love about my XB - but with power like I previously only dreamed about.  |
Dalton_gang
| | Posted on Saturday, March 15, 2008 - 11:53 pm: |
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Amen and Hallelujah brothers No Rice and Bigdog |
Tijuanajack
| | Posted on Sunday, March 16, 2008 - 11:39 pm: |
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I rode with a bunch of foreign sport bikes today ranging from 600s to 1300s. I spent a majority of the ride getting the feel of the 1125r as I had the first service done yesterday. So after I got the feel of my bike at 120 cornering I decided to really open it up and was blowing by the smaller bikes and right on the bigger ones. It was my first time riding with this group and some of the guys were leary of a buell but were liking it as soon as they sat on it at one of the stops. They also notices that I didn't have to clutch it to bring the front wheel of the ground and did it in 2 gears with ease. Well, 1125r is a lot better than the XB12R I had before. |
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