What did you do today...

Message

Mon Jun 01, 2009 5:17 pm

I made it through the first day of motorcycle drills....it was a very tiring day. Working on an unfamiliar bike with a very stiff clutch ...my left hand is aching.

I also have a huge lump and bruise on my leg from "learning" to prevent a student from falling when the front brake is on with the wheel turned....

I made it through the day though. I hope it will be a better day tomorrow.

Mon Jun 01, 2009 7:53 pm

apparently i put 150 miles on my ninja today cruising around town and just learning the feel of it. filled it up last night before i parked it and went to bed, tonight the trip odometer read 142 but i was still on the other side of town.

apparently spending 3 hours just cruising around repeating the proper techniques from MSF to myself as i made my way around town adds up to quite a few miles...and then a couple hours cruising this evening just because the cooler air in the evening makes for a lot more enjoyable riding.

the good thing is that i'm really learning where my personal comfort level is in the RPM range. if i go too high, it likes to start pulling pretty good for such a small bike and too low and i'm getting passed by everything in sight and have a pair of headlights growing alarmingly large in the mirrors. also getting a LOT better at not having to repeat "Where you look is where you go" in my helmet. i'm sure if someone could hear me they'd think i was certifiably insane.

anyway, i think it's time for bed now. tomorrow gonna take a nice relaxing tour of the local backroads after the morning rush hour traffic calms down.

Ninja Geoff · Mon Jun 01, 2009 9:44 pm

I found out how easily 929RR's get to and maintain 100+ mph. Oh boy do I want a faster bike now.

jstark47 · Tue Jun 02, 2009 5:32 am

ceemes wrote:Just got back from the 2nd annual Ride For Dad.......In the meantime, I did run into this one ugly bugger.

I've seen that face before.....

blues2cruise wrote:I also have a huge lump and bruise on my leg from "learning" to prevent a student from falling when the front brake is on with the wheel turned....

How are you preventing a bike from falling? If a bike wants to lay down and nap, generally there's no way I'm gonna stop it.....

#1905 Unread post by **MZ33** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 5:48 am

I also have a huge lump and bruise on my leg from "learning" to prevent a student from falling when the front brake is on with the wheel turned....

Jeez, that's awfully nice of you, Blues, but maybe they should learn from experience instead of from beating up the instructor!

Tue Jun 02, 2009 5:30 pm

jstark47 wrote:
ceemes wrote:Just got back from the 2nd annual Ride For Dad.......In the meantime, I did run into this one ugly bugger.
I've seen that face before.....

blues2cruise wrote:I also have a huge lump and bruise on my leg from "learning" to prevent a student from falling when the front brake is on with the wheel turned....
How are you preventing a bike from falling? If a bike wants to lay down and nap, generally there's no way I'm gonna stop it.....

This was for a walking no power exercise. We are learning to be instructors. Basically it is to show the student what will happen if you put on the front brake while the front wheel is turned. I was not prepared the first time so when the other classmate pulled the brake it came over because I had not been clear with my instruction and he jumped the gun with the brake...
I should have been closer to him in the proper position.....basically to provide counter balance....(that's the easiest way to explain it)

Tue Jun 02, 2009 5:32 pm

MZ33 wrote:
I also have a huge lump and bruise on my leg from "learning" to prevent a student from falling when the front brake is on with the wheel turned....
Jeez, that's awfully nice of you, Blues, but maybe they should learn from experience instead of from beating up the instructor!

Read the post above.....

This was part of the exercise we were required to do as part of the instructor program. Once I knew what I did wrong, the other times were fine.

Tue Jun 02, 2009 7:33 pm

i rode 215 miles on the little 250 today and determined that the stock seat just isn't soft enough for my big butt.

i also got some really good practice with cross-winds and buffeting. went from tucson up to kearney and back along AZ77 and 177. lots of places where the rock was just blown away to make room for a road along the way, so i'd go from having a strong headwind to having a strong cross-wind and being that it goes through mining country i got to experience some pretty decent buffeting. also got some good practice with long, sweeping corners and adjusting lane positioning while already leaning the bike around a curve.

and the burritoes at Cassandra's Cafe in Mammoth aren't that good. they're big, but not very good.

big lesson: little reactions can have a big impact. ride the bike, don't fight the bike.

#1909 Unread post by **Wrider** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 8:30 pm

Signed a lease on my new place. Now lets just hope this job is more permanent!

#1910 Unread post by **dr_bar** » Wed Jun 03, 2009 5:13 am

Wrider wrote:Signed a lease on my new place. Now lets just hope this job is more permanent!

Good luck with this new job, at least your wrenching...