Riding tips

Does anyone know of any good sources for literature or tips for the begining rider? I've read the section in the xjcd. But still looking for more. I'm planning on taking the safety course as soon as I can find an opening, boy those classes sure are popular.

 

Hang out here and see -

There is soo much information to pass along that it's really difficult to get it all into one post.

I'll try to explain one thing in a round about way. I got my first licence when I was ~13 - Tractor licence. Before that I'd driven quite a bit because in a rural community at harvest time anyone that can drive does. I drove trucks and tractors - I remember taking a load of grain to the elevators before I was 13. I got my car licence when I turned 16. I had that for a few years and then went and got my bike licence ( 18 - wasn't living at home anymore!)

Before I got my bike licence I thought I was a good defensive driver. I stopped where I was supposed to, merged how I was supposed to and looked up the road for strange things.

After getting my bike licence I've become a completely new driver. Thousands of times more defensive. The thing is in a car you get this feeling of security. If something does go wrong you have a chance of walking away. Having that in the back of your mind means that when you see a car thinking of merging perhaps you don't do anything more than note their presence - if you even bothered to notice them.

On a bike you can't ride like that at all. You've got to watch for merging traffic ( the all too frequent accident - someone joins your road from the right - crossing your path and you T-bone them...). You've got to watch out for cars switching lanes and not seeing you. You've got to watch out for left turners [ you're approaching an intersection and a car coming from the opposite way turns left infront of you - this can happen easily if the left turn lane next to you is stopped but you're in the straight lane - they *don't* see you and go leaving you VERY little room to get out of the bad spot].

You can be rear ended ( cars not expecting you to stop, not seeing you at night ( your tail light blends into the car infront of you)...

Accidents with animals are a whole lot more dangerous. Slippery roads aren't as fun. Gravel in turns catching you by surprise. Stopping mid turn isn't as natural.

In general - everything on a motorcycle is different and probably more difficult.

So why do we do it? Interaction with the environment. When it rains you can feel it. When you go through a valley it gets cooler. You can smell the flowers you pass - the farm spreading fertilizer. Every biker you pass is a brother WAVE TO THEM. When you go through a twisty road your whole body is glued to the bike and you become this manmachine... it's heaven.

I digress - the most important thing to do as a biker - be aware. Not just a little, not just some of the time, all of the time.

Learning to ride a bike takes time and practice. Don't rush off and try and do more than you can safely do. It's important to learn how to do things right. You'll feel better and you'll ride better... you'll probably also live longer.

Practicing emergancy stops could one day save your life - it is important that you spend the time learning what the bike can do... it's generally more than you could imagine but you won't know that until you try it. Empty parking lots and older riders will be your friend after you've done the course.

There's a start.

Woot.

 

Thanks Woot.

 

I remember the day I got up on my bike...

First thing was first, getting it to go without stalling....

Then a quick trip around the parking lot in 1st.

Then I got some balls. Took it out on a straight road. Went through the gears to 50MPH and got scared as the wind was pulling me off the bike... lol

After a few days putting around the country block I was ready for a real ride.

Then you start getting addictiec to it...

Then you start to notice all the idiotic "4 wheelers" aka CAR drivers.

98% of your brain power needs to be devoted to watching and anticipating your surroundings. The other 2% needs to be the "doing" part...

Be safe get a schnell rated helmet or a good one...

 

I missed the gear topic and that's an important one... full gear doesn't have to be uncomfortable. Infact it's proven that in extreme heat a properly vented full jacket will be COOLER than wearing a t-shirt.

Full gear isn't as expensive as it used to be either - some of the cheaper brands like joe rockets ballastic gear - offer some great features at a reasonable price. If you have the money to spend on something better go for it. I can tell you though that the Joe Rocket gear I tested worked fine at a bit over 60mph

I walked away from an accident that if I had of not being wearing any gear that I would have had imobilizing road rash from... instead I got up and pushed the bike home.

 

My recomendation would be Proficient Motorcycling and More Proficient Motorcycling by David L. Hough. I'm brand new to motorcycles at 48, and I picked up these two books from Amazon.com prior to getting my bike. I sure am glad I did. Hough covers the topics the guys cover here and more.

 

Another one - this is an older post by me on a different board.

woot
Wed Sep 22 15:18:15 2004
Why are you breaking hard again?



Down shifting and breaking comes with practice - even when I was stopping hard following Wes I was down shifting, and it was almost to an emergancy stop situation...

Part of my smooth stop incorperates blipping the throttle and shifting down - this is why I use 2 fingers on the front brake, so the rest of my hand (palm and thumb) can blip the throttle. This means the rear tire doesn't lock, buck, or skip as I decelerate, and I'm always in a gear that leaves me plenty of power to accelerate quickly if need be.

For a beginner I'd recommend approaching stop lights at an appropriate speed to their ability. If they can't shift down and brake at the same time, it's time for them to practice. It is also important that they leave extra following room to make a mistake in and be able to recover safely. This means leaving the 3 seconds and not approaching a light at 50mph.

Sometimes you do have to stop with all the breaking power you think you have. That's not the mistake. The mistake is always putting yourself in that situation by not planning ahead. What happens when something goes wrong and you're already using 100% of your braking power?

Food for thought anyhow,
woot.

 

Here is a link to another one:

http://forums.ninja250.org/viewtopic.php?p=376736

and another one

http://forums.ninja250.org/viewtopic.php?p=375244

 

WOOT is right on the money with all his comments here.
Im guessing this is your first ride on the XJ and it should be a good learining experience, because of the good power and bad braking ability of the XJ (meaning that when you do get a bike that can brake, you will be ready).

As Woot said, everyone is trying to kill you when you are on your bike. l dont know how many times l've come to a complete stop because l've 'thought' the cage didn't see (and they haven't).

 

Jazzmoose is right, Proficient Motorcycling is a great book. Also check out the website for the Motorcycle Saftey Foundation, they have a lot of good reads on their site.

Ed Z.

 

WOW!! Thanks for all the replies.
Rode some as a teen, I'm 49 now. It will be my first ride in a long while.
Didn't think much about safety back then. I've alway's thought of myself as a good defensive driver. But I know there must be alot of things to watch for on a bike that you don't think about in the safety of your vehicle.
Just trying as best I can to be prepared.
I'll be riding mostly back and forth to work till I get the hang of it again.

So whats with xj's having poor brakes, this is the first that I've heard this.

 

i have to agree with all posts on this one! I think the #1 thing to be while riding is AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS!!!!! i can't preach about much else,(i slack in gear dept. :cry: ) but i do pay attention to EVERYTHING around me. cars,bikes,kids,trees,grass,...you get the picture. People chose not to see motorcycles,ever..(wish everyone had to ride a bike before they get reg car lic.) so that makes our job that much more important. paying attention will keep us alive more than knowing the speed limit..But then again your not a new kid with a crotch rocket either :evil: and your well on your way by just wanting to be informed. Hey whats that saying.....knowledge is power....

 

I started riding 3-wheelers when I was 12. It belonged to a friend of mine and he was nice enough to teach me the gears, throttle and braking. We were wild on bicycles, and rode daily on trails through the trees, across creeks, etc., needless to say, I learned very quickly how to avoid obstacles.

When I was about 14, I rode my cousins Rupp 80 which was my first experience going over the handlebars with a locked up front brake (got the barbed-wire scars as a war wound-my first and only on a bike). The brakes had needed maintenence , but he was riding it anyway.

When I was 16 I rode a friends Honda 350 to a swimming hole on weekends throughout the summer. That was the end of bike riding - when I was 16 as I bought my first car.

Got married when I was 20 and wanted a bike of my own, the wife said no-way. Bummer, it's the "having kids" thing that made her so adamant. Anyhow, finally in 1982 I bought a 1978 Honda Hawk 400 and tooled around on it, but with no internet and no ebay the part needed to make it run was $900. Sold it to get my money back. Not until 3 years ago (I'm 45 now) did I get a bike that ran - my XJ - my first real bike.

The first thing that impressed me was the lack of front braking power. Some folks are happy with the SS lines and single rotor, but I went with a 750 front end and dual discs and now I can say that I'm happy. I feel that now we're talking the 60-40/75-25 front/rear braking distribution most of us would like. The front brakes are weak on the 81 XJ650, you can count on it.

Even though I knew how to ride a bike, I took the Motorcycle Safety Course taught here in Ohio. The bonus is not only do you get to learn from some great instructers, you get your license once you pass the riding exam.

Then find a really big parking lot and get to know your bike. Do slow turns, figure-eights - as small and tight as you can, u-turns - the same.

Read everything on this site Master Strategy Group. It contains just about everything pertaining to motorcycle safety and the science surrounding motorcycles.

The other important thing is to learn how to "wiggle" the bike around obstacles using the steering and your body weight. It is the quickest way to avoid an obstacle and continue in a straight line.

Oh, and one more thing. Why is it that most new motorcyclists manage to hit the very thing they are trying to avoid? They forget how to steer a motorcycle. Remember that steering a motorcycle above 10mph is different than below 10mph. Most of the seasoned riders let there brains do the work (as long as they're not impaired), where newbies try to think too much. The practical application is called "counter-steering", the science is called gyroscopic precession. Play with it, feel it, learn it. Try it without shifting your body weight, try it while shifting your body weight.

Learn how to be "one" with your motorcycle.

One more thing. Being a safe and alert automobile driver goes a long way to being a safe and alert motorcylist.

Ride on...

 

Love that website link, otter...I think I stayed up all night reading it the day before I got my bike!