Pretty soon you'll be wanting 150 hp........blues2cruise wrote:I am bad. I was showing off. Oh the shame of it.
The Blog of Blues
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blues2cruise
- Moderator
- Posts: 10184
- Joined: Fri Apr 22, 2005 4:28 pm
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- Years Riding: 16
- My Motorcycle: 2017 Africa Twin 1000cc
- Location: Vancouver, British Columbia
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blues2cruise
- Moderator
- Posts: 10184
- Joined: Fri Apr 22, 2005 4:28 pm
- Sex: Female
- Years Riding: 16
- My Motorcycle: 2017 Africa Twin 1000cc
- Location: Vancouver, British Columbia
The Instructor Course Week Two
WEEK TWO of the Motorcycle Instructor Course.
It did not start off well. The HD special edition guy did not show up. So, the three of us and the instructor carried on and proceeded to go to the lot where we would be spending the whole week.
We got busy setting up cones and putting into practice the theory we learned in class.
Unfortunately we had a sudden heat wave. It was so hot standing out there on the tarmac.
We all took turns playing instructor and student. Our instructor would give us a task of an error so that the “instructor” trainee could catch it and correct it.
We did work hard, but sometimes the instructor would get sidetracked and we’d be standing around waiting. Although we were all enjoying the course, the end of the day could not come soon enough. We wanted to get on our bikes and go for a ride to get refreshed.
One day after class the three of us did go for a “group” ride and went for a bite to eat before calling it a day.
We did almost every exercise in the book.
I never did so many locked steering turn circles in my whole riding career …I finally had to stop. I told the “instructor” trainee that I was getting dizzy and had to stop….He then realized that he went a bit overboard….
We had the whole lot where we were working coned off. Amazingly enough, people still wandered through without any regard for the motorcycles being ridden around. And they weren’t even on cell phones. Are people really that dumb?
It was so flipping hot I was struggling. After class I went home and shed my gear….I got back on the bike and went for a ride wearing just jeans and a windbreaker…(and as always my helmet, boots and gloves). I went to a Wal-Mart…the only place that was open…to buy a couple of long sleeved light weight t-shirts. I needed the long sleeves to protect from the sun…It was cooling off a bit by the time I rode home so it was very refreshing after the hot sticky day.
We had a day that we did not go to the parking lot. We all met in Sidney where we would spend the day riding around there taking turns to be students and instructors.
I was late getting there. I had even left early enough to get there early….however….there was a crash on the highway and no traffic could get through. I was in the passing lane and could not get into the other lane. Another biker made it up beside me in the other lane, so I gestured to ask if I could go ahead of him so I could get to the shoulder. He nodded yes and held his space so I could go in front of him to get out of the traffic. I pulled off onto the shoulder to make a phone call. The other biker then decided to do the same thing. I called the school and left a message about what happened and why I was late.
As usual, there is always going to be the impatient people who drive on the paved shoulder to get ahead of everyone. Too bad, so sad……my bike was parked on the shoulder….a red car was driving quite hastily along the shoulder making a bee line for my bike….I stood back….the driver finally saw the bike parked there and had a tough time getting merged back into traffic. There is always a certain amount of resentment for this kind of behaviour, so other cars tend to close up the gap….
I finally got to the meeting place where all the lesson bikes had been trailered. I got to ride the Buell on the road….It was somewhat better at speed than just riding around the parking lot. I still had trouble with shifting though because the shifter peg was so small and the gap could barely fit the toe of the boot. We rode a bit and then went for an iced coffee in the shade. I went to the dollar store to buy a bandana to cover my neck. I was getting multi coloured from so much sun. By the time the day ended we were all exhausted. Aside from working hard, it had been a scorching hot day. We were all glad when the day was over and got to ride home.
Day five was to be the “test day”. We were given some assignments for the next day. We had to prepare a route and then ride that route with our “students”… I spent a couple of hours after class riding around, writing down street names, timing it, making sure I got all the required elements and the correct amount of time into my course. I rode it twice to make sure it was good.
I went home and had a bite to eat and then sat down at the table to work on my other assignments. We had to do 4 exercises in one hour. The first one was simple. I allowed only 10 minutes for it. The next two was still quite easy so I allowed 15 minutes each for them. Number 4 was allotted 20 minutes because it was more complex. .
So-o-o-….the next morning, our instructor decided to make us do only three exercises. Of course he took the easy one away, but then said we had 45 minutes only. I had planned on 50 minutes.
He gave us some basic rules and also said if he made a throat slicing gesture that meant the test was over and that it was game over. He said if he did that it meant he saw a dangerous action.
I drew the last number…I had to wait until the other 2 did their practicum before my turn came.
Finally it was my turn…I set up my cones for the test I had to do and then asked the other two to bring their bikes o the starting point.
It was so windy there that it was difficult to use my notes. I put my helmet down beside the bike and my gloves on the top of the tank to try to do something with my notes. I finally just gave them to one of the others and decided to just go by memory and what I know.
After I did my explanations, I got on the bike and proceeded to start the engine.
The instructor gave me the throat slicing sign and told me to cut it and that this test was now over.
I looked up wide eyed and in shock. I though I had been doing ok so far. He then asked me if I knew why he had stopped the test. I was blank for a moment and then I realized I was feeling the wind blowing my hair around.
I had started the motorcycle without wearing my helmet and gloves. That was a no-no.
I said nothing. I’m sure my face registered what I had done. I then just collected my stuff and walked away. I remember him saying that if he called a stop to a test there would be no arguing about it. So, I kept silent and walked into the trailer to put my reflective vest away…..
I did not hear him speak to me. I know the other two students were in shock also.
I started to cry. I don’t know what upset me worse….the money for the course going down the drain or the fact that I had tried so hard and was doing well and flubbed it or that I had been wanting to do this for so long and failed….regardless….I was crying.
The instructor had hurried into the trailer to talk to me. He told me that I had not heard him say that there was time to do a second try.
Well…he had never said anything about a second try before….he suggested we all take a break and then start over. I needed time to collect myself. The other two really felt for me. I had worn my helmet and gloves faithfully all week. I got sidetracked because of the strong winds and trying to deal with not losing all my paperwork….I simply forgot…
After a quick break I was able to start over. I aced the first two, but ran out of time on the third one. I still scored well, but lost a couple of marks because of “poor time management”….
In all fairness….if I had been allowed the time I had originally planned, I would have done ok.
OK…the hard part was over….
We were now supposed to go on our ride….however, we were running out of time…one of the students needed to leave early to catch a ferry, but the instructor kept getting sidetracked so we lost some time (in all fairness, our instructor also worked very hard that week)….even though we had started earlier in the morning. Instead of us riding the route he quizzed us and made us use the parking lot to demonstrate what we would have done on the road. He also took all our notes so that he could see we had really put thought into it… I was somewhat disappointed, because I had put so much effort into my assignment. However, I was not about to complain.
We got given our certificates. I asked if we could take a picture of the event, so I got out my camera and we traded places to get the photos of the award and handshake.
I was dressed up for the occasion. I was in my new $10.00 long sleeved t-shirt
He hammed it up for the picture. He does not like having his picture taken, so I truly appreciated that he let me get this shot of him.
It was a very satisfying moment.
I stayed over at my friends a couple of more days so we could catch up before I came home.
Ever since I learned to ride, it had been a goal of mine to get licensed to instruct. After so many trials and tribulations, the crash, the pain, the naysayers….. It felt so good to finally achieve it.
It did not start off well. The HD special edition guy did not show up. So, the three of us and the instructor carried on and proceeded to go to the lot where we would be spending the whole week.
We got busy setting up cones and putting into practice the theory we learned in class.
Unfortunately we had a sudden heat wave. It was so hot standing out there on the tarmac.
We all took turns playing instructor and student. Our instructor would give us a task of an error so that the “instructor” trainee could catch it and correct it.
We did work hard, but sometimes the instructor would get sidetracked and we’d be standing around waiting. Although we were all enjoying the course, the end of the day could not come soon enough. We wanted to get on our bikes and go for a ride to get refreshed.
One day after class the three of us did go for a “group” ride and went for a bite to eat before calling it a day.
We did almost every exercise in the book.
I never did so many locked steering turn circles in my whole riding career …I finally had to stop. I told the “instructor” trainee that I was getting dizzy and had to stop….He then realized that he went a bit overboard….
We had the whole lot where we were working coned off. Amazingly enough, people still wandered through without any regard for the motorcycles being ridden around. And they weren’t even on cell phones. Are people really that dumb?
It was so flipping hot I was struggling. After class I went home and shed my gear….I got back on the bike and went for a ride wearing just jeans and a windbreaker…(and as always my helmet, boots and gloves). I went to a Wal-Mart…the only place that was open…to buy a couple of long sleeved light weight t-shirts. I needed the long sleeves to protect from the sun…It was cooling off a bit by the time I rode home so it was very refreshing after the hot sticky day.
We had a day that we did not go to the parking lot. We all met in Sidney where we would spend the day riding around there taking turns to be students and instructors.
I was late getting there. I had even left early enough to get there early….however….there was a crash on the highway and no traffic could get through. I was in the passing lane and could not get into the other lane. Another biker made it up beside me in the other lane, so I gestured to ask if I could go ahead of him so I could get to the shoulder. He nodded yes and held his space so I could go in front of him to get out of the traffic. I pulled off onto the shoulder to make a phone call. The other biker then decided to do the same thing. I called the school and left a message about what happened and why I was late.
As usual, there is always going to be the impatient people who drive on the paved shoulder to get ahead of everyone. Too bad, so sad……my bike was parked on the shoulder….a red car was driving quite hastily along the shoulder making a bee line for my bike….I stood back….the driver finally saw the bike parked there and had a tough time getting merged back into traffic. There is always a certain amount of resentment for this kind of behaviour, so other cars tend to close up the gap….
I finally got to the meeting place where all the lesson bikes had been trailered. I got to ride the Buell on the road….It was somewhat better at speed than just riding around the parking lot. I still had trouble with shifting though because the shifter peg was so small and the gap could barely fit the toe of the boot. We rode a bit and then went for an iced coffee in the shade. I went to the dollar store to buy a bandana to cover my neck. I was getting multi coloured from so much sun. By the time the day ended we were all exhausted. Aside from working hard, it had been a scorching hot day. We were all glad when the day was over and got to ride home.
Day five was to be the “test day”. We were given some assignments for the next day. We had to prepare a route and then ride that route with our “students”… I spent a couple of hours after class riding around, writing down street names, timing it, making sure I got all the required elements and the correct amount of time into my course. I rode it twice to make sure it was good.
I went home and had a bite to eat and then sat down at the table to work on my other assignments. We had to do 4 exercises in one hour. The first one was simple. I allowed only 10 minutes for it. The next two was still quite easy so I allowed 15 minutes each for them. Number 4 was allotted 20 minutes because it was more complex. .
So-o-o-….the next morning, our instructor decided to make us do only three exercises. Of course he took the easy one away, but then said we had 45 minutes only. I had planned on 50 minutes.
He gave us some basic rules and also said if he made a throat slicing gesture that meant the test was over and that it was game over. He said if he did that it meant he saw a dangerous action.
I drew the last number…I had to wait until the other 2 did their practicum before my turn came.
Finally it was my turn…I set up my cones for the test I had to do and then asked the other two to bring their bikes o the starting point.
It was so windy there that it was difficult to use my notes. I put my helmet down beside the bike and my gloves on the top of the tank to try to do something with my notes. I finally just gave them to one of the others and decided to just go by memory and what I know.
After I did my explanations, I got on the bike and proceeded to start the engine.
The instructor gave me the throat slicing sign and told me to cut it and that this test was now over.
I looked up wide eyed and in shock. I though I had been doing ok so far. He then asked me if I knew why he had stopped the test. I was blank for a moment and then I realized I was feeling the wind blowing my hair around.
I had started the motorcycle without wearing my helmet and gloves. That was a no-no.
I said nothing. I’m sure my face registered what I had done. I then just collected my stuff and walked away. I remember him saying that if he called a stop to a test there would be no arguing about it. So, I kept silent and walked into the trailer to put my reflective vest away…..
I did not hear him speak to me. I know the other two students were in shock also.
I started to cry. I don’t know what upset me worse….the money for the course going down the drain or the fact that I had tried so hard and was doing well and flubbed it or that I had been wanting to do this for so long and failed….regardless….I was crying.
The instructor had hurried into the trailer to talk to me. He told me that I had not heard him say that there was time to do a second try.
Well…he had never said anything about a second try before….he suggested we all take a break and then start over. I needed time to collect myself. The other two really felt for me. I had worn my helmet and gloves faithfully all week. I got sidetracked because of the strong winds and trying to deal with not losing all my paperwork….I simply forgot…
After a quick break I was able to start over. I aced the first two, but ran out of time on the third one. I still scored well, but lost a couple of marks because of “poor time management”….
In all fairness….if I had been allowed the time I had originally planned, I would have done ok.
OK…the hard part was over….
We were now supposed to go on our ride….however, we were running out of time…one of the students needed to leave early to catch a ferry, but the instructor kept getting sidetracked so we lost some time (in all fairness, our instructor also worked very hard that week)….even though we had started earlier in the morning. Instead of us riding the route he quizzed us and made us use the parking lot to demonstrate what we would have done on the road. He also took all our notes so that he could see we had really put thought into it… I was somewhat disappointed, because I had put so much effort into my assignment. However, I was not about to complain.
We got given our certificates. I asked if we could take a picture of the event, so I got out my camera and we traded places to get the photos of the award and handshake.
I was dressed up for the occasion.
I was in my new $10.00 long sleeved t-shirtHe hammed it up for the picture. He does not like having his picture taken, so I truly appreciated that he let me get this shot of him.
It was a very satisfying moment.
I stayed over at my friends a couple of more days so we could catch up before I came home.
Ever since I learned to ride, it had been a goal of mine to get licensed to instruct. After so many trials and tribulations, the crash, the pain, the naysayers….. It felt so good to finally achieve it.
-
blues2cruise
- Moderator
- Posts: 10184
- Joined: Fri Apr 22, 2005 4:28 pm
- Sex: Female
- Years Riding: 16
- My Motorcycle: 2017 Africa Twin 1000cc
- Location: Vancouver, British Columbia
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Blondes on Bikes ....that was what we called ourselves today. (Since everyone else jammed out or was a NO SHOW , that left three of who all just happen to be blonde.
We met at the Chevron Station and fuelled our bikes. Arnaud, a TMW member from France came by wish us well and take a few photos.
(I met up with Arnaud and his wife last night for a coffee and a chat). They were in Vancouver for a couple of days. Il est tres charmant.
We waited until 10am before getting out gear on and having a quick check on procedure for the ride before leaving the station. It was 10:10am when we left.
It was a gorgeous day. The roads were in great shape and we had a nice first leg of our journey to Britannia for the designated coffee stop.
We took a quick record shot outside Galileo's. It is a local, independent coffee shop. The owner roasts all his own beans there. The whole wheat walnut cranberry scone was good, too.
I buy a pound of beans to bring home whenever I get an opportunity to go past there.
Here are the other 2 riders outside Galileo's.
I should mention that the other bike and rider in the picture rode in as we were taking this picture. He took off his helmet and smiled the biggest, brightest smile you can imagine....He said this road is amazing.....I can't believe you don't have to pay to be on it.....I told him we might be paying for it after 2010.
I don't know where he was from..he had an English type accent and was riding a Kawasaki bike that I have never seen before...I'm guessing he shipped it here with him....I had seen this rider earlier when we were riding....I saw him in my rear view mirror...the first impression I got was wow...that Ruckus sure does go fast....but then when he went past, I saw that it was a sport bike of some kind, but with what looked like crash guards around the whole bike....gold in colour and well used....
After coffee we rode to Whistler. There are still a few areas under construction, but for the most part, the highway is great. We even had to put our cruisers through the paces along a gravel portion.....
After lunch, we got geared up to make the ride to Squamish, where we would fuel up for the rest of the journey back to Vancouver.
Getting ready to leave Whistler....
The only ugly part of the day was the rush hour traffic once back in Vancouver.
Next ride.....TBA...
Blondes on Bikes ....that was what we called ourselves today. (Since everyone else jammed out or was a NO SHOW , that left three of who all just happen to be blonde.
We met at the Chevron Station and fuelled our bikes. Arnaud, a TMW member from France came by wish us well and take a few photos.
(I met up with Arnaud and his wife last night for a coffee and a chat). They were in Vancouver for a couple of days. Il est tres charmant.
We waited until 10am before getting out gear on and having a quick check on procedure for the ride before leaving the station. It was 10:10am when we left.
It was a gorgeous day. The roads were in great shape and we had a nice first leg of our journey to Britannia for the designated coffee stop.
We took a quick record shot outside Galileo's. It is a local, independent coffee shop. The owner roasts all his own beans there. The whole wheat walnut cranberry scone was good, too.
I buy a pound of beans to bring home whenever I get an opportunity to go past there.
Here are the other 2 riders outside Galileo's.
I should mention that the other bike and rider in the picture rode in as we were taking this picture. He took off his helmet and smiled the biggest, brightest smile you can imagine....He said this road is amazing.....I can't believe you don't have to pay to be on it.....I told him we might be paying for it after 2010.
I don't know where he was from..he had an English type accent and was riding a Kawasaki bike that I have never seen before...I'm guessing he shipped it here with him....I had seen this rider earlier when we were riding....I saw him in my rear view mirror...the first impression I got was wow...that Ruckus sure does go fast....but then when he went past, I saw that it was a sport bike of some kind, but with what looked like crash guards around the whole bike....gold in colour and well used....
After coffee we rode to Whistler. There are still a few areas under construction, but for the most part, the highway is great. We even had to put our cruisers through the paces along a gravel portion.....
After lunch, we got geared up to make the ride to Squamish, where we would fuel up for the rest of the journey back to Vancouver.
Getting ready to leave Whistler....
The only ugly part of the day was the rush hour traffic once back in Vancouver.
Next ride.....TBA...
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High_Side
- Site Supporter - Platinum
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- Location: Calgary AB, Can
So this is the ride that Doc jammed out on?blues2cruise wrote:Thursday, September 24, 2009
Blondes on Bikes ....that was what we called ourselves today. (Since everyone else jammed out or was a NO SHOW , that left three of who all just happen to be blonde.
Right now he has to be kicking himself......I recognize the coffee shop in the picture. Great place!
Visit:
High_Side's Trips and Pics
High_Side's Trips and Pics
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dr_bar
- Site Supporter - Diamond
- Posts: 4531
- Joined: Mon May 23, 2005 4:37 am
- Real Name: Doug
- Sex: Male
- Years Riding: 44
- My Motorcycle: 2007 Yamaha Royal Star Venture
- Location: Surrey BC, Canada
Jammed out on??? I was giving the course facilitator a hard time because of the day I missed out on... Then, after the course was over, proceeded to do the same to the supervisor that scheduled me for that day...High_Side wrote:So this is the ride that Doc jammed out on?blues2cruise wrote:Thursday, September 24, 2009
Blondes on Bikes ....that was what we called ourselves today. (Since everyone else jammed out or was a NO SHOW , that left three of who all just happen to be blonde.
I recognize the coffee shop in the picture. Great place!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Four wheels move the body.
Two wheels move the soul!"
"Four wheels move the body.
Two wheels move the soul!"
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Wrider
- Site Supporter - Gold
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- Real Name: Ryan
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- My Motorcycle: 2005 Kawasaki Z750S
- Location: Colorado Springs, CO
Blues if I am seeing it right it looks like a stunted out Ninja. The bar on the back looks to be a 12 o'clock bar and I'm guessing the rest is the crash cage that most stunters put on. What makes me mainly think that though is the ProTaper dirt bars he's got on there though, most stunters do that to make it easier to control their bikes and pull up wheelies.
Have owned - 2001 Suzuki Volusia
Current bike - 2005 Kawasaki Z750S
MMI Graduation date January 9th, 2009. Factory Certifications in Suzuki and Yamaha
Current bike - 2005 Kawasaki Z750S
MMI Graduation date January 9th, 2009. Factory Certifications in Suzuki and Yamaha
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blues2cruise
- Moderator
- Posts: 10184
- Joined: Fri Apr 22, 2005 4:28 pm
- Sex: Female
- Years Riding: 16
- My Motorcycle: 2017 Africa Twin 1000cc
- Location: Vancouver, British Columbia
November 9, 2009
Where does the time go?
Hallowe'en with my sister and friends....We were about 15 adults and about 20 kids dressed up and moving en masse through the neighbourhood so the kids could go trick or treating. We were fortunate with the weather for it did not rain. Yay!
My sister was Fred Flintstone, her M-I-L was Betty Rubble and I was the clown.
And yes, there was a Barney Rubble and a Wilma, too.
Where does the time go?
Hallowe'en with my sister and friends....We were about 15 adults and about 20 kids dressed up and moving en masse through the neighbourhood so the kids could go trick or treating. We were fortunate with the weather for it did not rain. Yay!
My sister was Fred Flintstone, her M-I-L was Betty Rubble and I was the clown.
And yes, there was a Barney Rubble and a Wilma, too.
-
blues2cruise
- Moderator
- Posts: 10184
- Joined: Fri Apr 22, 2005 4:28 pm
- Sex: Female
- Years Riding: 16
- My Motorcycle: 2017 Africa Twin 1000cc
- Location: Vancouver, British Columbia
I spent all summer commuting back and forth to work by motorcycle. Rain or shine and even until the autumn when it started to get dark.
Once the rains came in combination with the dark, I put my car on the road for commuting. Safety was the number one reason.
With my job changing to working weekends and having mid week days off, I did not have many oportunities for the usual group rides.
I did manage to get out on a few week day rides though.
Hope for coffee and then Boson Bar for lunch. 3 of us did that ride. We only got rained on for about ten minutes. This is the three bikes outside the lunch stop.
I went on a ride with a group of local riders on Thanksgiving Day. It was a stat holiday so I was able to join in.
We met in North Van to do our meet and greet before heading to the Upper levels high and the Sea to Sky Highway.
2 of the group while we wait for the stragglers to arrive.
Trying to get organized.....
Outside Galileo's, our coffee stop on the way to Squamish. ( I always buy a pound of beans when I get to come here
There was not enough room outside the building for all of us, so the other half are here by the road and the mountain view.
After the coffee stop, we rode to Squamish and to the Shady Tree Pub. It seems to be a popular place and is apparently biker friendly. This is the third time I have been here with bikers.
Although this was a good day and the people in this group are great, there are the usual speed demons...
Before we left North Van...as heard by one of the riders...Quote.....The road may still be wet, so let's just take it easy. Unquote"
Cripes...three of us spent the next half hour trying to catch up. The only reason we managed to catch up was because they got slowed down by slower traffic. Once they got clear, they were gone.....
Well, I was not going to repeat the mistakes of my very ealry days....I decided to ride my own pace. I became the road captain for three of us....
We arrived at the first designated spot about 5 -ten minutes after the fast group. The 2 riders that had stayed with me said they had liked my pace. One of them had a license for only a few months. My average speed was about 5- 10 over the limit. I don't relish the idea of possible getting a ticket for going too fast. Other than that one issue, the rest of the day was so good.
[/img]
Once the rains came in combination with the dark, I put my car on the road for commuting. Safety was the number one reason.
With my job changing to working weekends and having mid week days off, I did not have many oportunities for the usual group rides.
I did manage to get out on a few week day rides though.
Hope for coffee and then Boson Bar for lunch. 3 of us did that ride. We only got rained on for about ten minutes. This is the three bikes outside the lunch stop.
I went on a ride with a group of local riders on Thanksgiving Day. It was a stat holiday so I was able to join in.
We met in North Van to do our meet and greet before heading to the Upper levels high and the Sea to Sky Highway.
2 of the group while we wait for the stragglers to arrive.
Trying to get organized.....
Outside Galileo's, our coffee stop on the way to Squamish. ( I always buy a pound of beans when I get to come here
There was not enough room outside the building for all of us, so the other half are here by the road and the mountain view.
After the coffee stop, we rode to Squamish and to the Shady Tree Pub. It seems to be a popular place and is apparently biker friendly. This is the third time I have been here with bikers.
Although this was a good day and the people in this group are great, there are the usual speed demons...
Before we left North Van...as heard by one of the riders...Quote.....The road may still be wet, so let's just take it easy. Unquote"
Cripes...three of us spent the next half hour trying to catch up. The only reason we managed to catch up was because they got slowed down by slower traffic. Once they got clear, they were gone.....
Well, I was not going to repeat the mistakes of my very ealry days....I decided to ride my own pace. I became the road captain for three of us....
We arrived at the first designated spot about 5 -ten minutes after the fast group. The 2 riders that had stayed with me said they had liked my pace. One of them had a license for only a few months. My average speed was about 5- 10 over the limit. I don't relish the idea of possible getting a ticket for going too fast. Other than that one issue, the rest of the day was so good.
[/img]