Started MSF this weekend

[blues2cruise]

You may be too tense. With practice you will get much better.

And don't be afraid to ask the instructor for input. That's why they are there.

[deedee1]

Thanks guys. I am going to practice. I will definitely put what you have told me into practice when I go out later tonight. I need to go into them saying "I can do this" instead of "Oh man not these things again I can't do them."

I will just attack em like the straight line weave.


Have a great one and ride safe
Deedee

[kellanv]

The cones were never an issue with me for some reason. My biggest issue(and still can be) is keeping my handlebars straight when coming to a stop...I think it has something to do with "track standing" when cycling around town...bad habit tho

As far as the cones...

As said before. LOOK AHEAD. Target fixation is a BIG deal on a motorcycle...I've had a couple very close calls in the real world from something similar....its amazing how much your body doesnt pay attention to your brain when your eyes are locked onto something..say lines along the edges of a road or debris etc...

What I did in that drill is opposite from what most others are telling you. I actually accelerated through those cones. When accelerating it kept the bike from feeling it was just going to "flop" over, and instead made the whole gyroscopic effect seem much stronger. After that it was just a matter of looking ahead, getting the rhythm and countersteering back and forth. Dont think of it as "turning" through the cones but rather "sliding" back and forth through them..."slide" between them dont try to go around them if that makes sense. Yes, you really are turning, but just look at it different mentally. Also you really shouldnt be afraid to lean the bike. Its how it works! As long as you dont hit the brakes too hard while leaned over you should be completely fine.

Just try to relax and look at things on the larger scale not cone by cone. Those things were actually one of my favorite parts of the whole course

Good luck!
-Kellan

[deedee1]

Thanks. I guess I still have that niggling in the back of my mind from when I went down the first time i went out. It will get better I am going to go out and try them again alter today. So I will be able to put all that you guys said to practice and hopefully be able to do them.

Will let ya know how it goes.

Have a great one and ride safe
Deedee

[Shorts]

A good way to get it down if you need to is to space the cones slightly further apart. Practice that so you get the motions correct. Then, when you're not looking, have your DH place the cones closer together (if you don't see them moved, you won't psych yourself out).

That's what I do on my exercises. We make it bigger, so I can get the hang of the manuevering. Then I change the spacing back to more test-like. For me, the 'baby steps' method works

[Wrider]

How'd it go? I also forgot one other piece of advice... It's gonna sound gay, but swing your hips, like you're trying to flirt with the guy behind you...
Wrider

[DivideOverflow]

How'd it go? I also forgot one other piece of advice... It's gonna sound gay, but swing your hips, like you're trying to flirt with the guy behind you...
Wrider

Swing your hips??? I've never heard that as advice. Push the bars, yes... but swinging your hips is probably a bad habit, as you are just "cheating" the steering mechanics into doing what you want, when all you have to do is manipulate the bars.

[deedee1]

I did a little better managed to get about halfway through before messing it up.

Swinging the hips is just like leaning the bike I am assuming. Because going through the cones you need to be able to flick the bike back and forth and if your swnging your hips your able to do it easier than just leaning or turning the bars. Is that right?

I will be practicing more tonight. Would it help to do the straight line weave first to get the feeling of how the bike leans?

Have a great one and ride safe
Deedee

[VermilionX]

good luck deed!

hope to you see you on sand canyon after you get your license.

[DivideOverflow]

I did a little better managed to get about halfway through before messing it up.

Swinging the hips is just like leaning the bike I am assuming. Because going through the cones you need to be able to flick the bike back and forth and if your swnging your hips your able to do it easier than just leaning or turning the bars. Is that right?

I will be practicing more tonight. Would it help to do the straight line weave first to get the feeling of how the bike leans?

Have a great one and ride safe
Deedee

Sorry, that isn't right. The fastest way to turn the bike is to turn the bars. It takes you much longer to move your entire body from side to side than just push on the handlebars.

Leaning doesn't actually turn the bike very much, you still turn the bars when you lean... All the "swinging" or hanging off does is shift the center of gravity, which definitely isn't that necessary for MSF cones.

I don't believe the MSF says anything about swinging your hips or leaning... in fact, in my MSF they told us that leaning is ineffective for street riding, and they didn't want to see us doing it to turn the bike.

A perfect example is the post that The Crimson Rider made in Total Motorcycle, a very good rider leaned off the bike while going in a straight line and dragged his knee... the bike didn't turn because he wasn't turning the bars.