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Posted: Mon May 05, 2008 9:52 am
by oxbow1
congrats on your endorsement bro!
a used bike though, why didn't you take out a 2nd mortgage and just get a Harley?
take your time and do things at your own pace and you'll have a good time.
don't pick up any passengers at the Rahway DMV though, as I recall it's right next to the prison.
I used to live in Iselin
Posted: Tue May 06, 2008 5:27 am
by jasper_mcc
Congratulations.
I went 10 years from passing my test (in the UK) to buying a bike.
I went for a 650 last month. I figured someone of my advanced years and maturity could handle it.
Good luck. I hope you enjoy it as much as I've been enjoying mine.
Posted: Tue May 06, 2008 8:44 am
by MZ33
Posted: Tue May 06, 2008 5:07 pm
by RhadamYgg
Many Thanks MZ33!!! I somehow missed your message the first time around.
So, I took my bike out for a ride today. Strictly inside my little development.
I took it all the way to 5th gear!!! I was cooking....
I was doing a whole 25 mph...
Ah well. I felt like I was going fast, anyway. It is, in fact the fastest I've ever ridden on a bike. My aim wasn't to go fast, but as I wound through the gears I was like - wow I must be going fast I'm in 5th gear! It turns out not so much on a Ninja 250.
2108 miles when I got the bike home when I bought it - I'm in a really small development and.... I rode it back and forth doing U-turns on one end - 2117.1 miles after my ride.
Back and forth back and forth. Not so much braking practice. It was from 11:30 PM to 12:00 AM that I was doing my practice riding.
Not bad anyway, no drops only a couple oh sh!ts and a little too grabby with the front brake.
I will say this though, with all the shifting, using my turn signals (not really required because some sections are one-way, but doing it anyway) I can't help but think about all the other crap you have to be looking out for while you are doing the motorcycle jam with both hands and both feet. Gonna be a while before I hit the streets in any real sense.
RhadamYgg
Posted: Tue May 06, 2008 5:12 pm
by RhadamYgg
jstark47 wrote:Flesher wrote:P.S. U turns are all about clutch control
I agree totally.
Flesher wrote:do NOT try U turns in second gear.
I don't agree with this. It depends on the individual bike, gear ratios, etc. In my MSF BRC instructors recommended we experiment with 2nd gear for the figure 8; it worked better for some folks. I took the course on a TW200, those things are geared
low, and I think I used 2nd.
Brackstone wrote:Dragon on Wheels wrote:What will Brackstone be riding now?
As soon as I know everyone here will be the second to know! (My fiance` is the first

)
Thought you were gung-ho for the Aprilia Shiver?
I did a bunch of U-turns tonight on my bike as I rode it for the first time.
2nd gear was king for the u-turns. 1st was too jerky and I did actually do it in 3rd, but that wasn't very fun.... (forgot what gear I was in). But I was not actually all over the clutch.
Of course, my u-turns probably weren't as small as the ones for the MSF course. We have pretty wide streets here. But some of my u-turns seemed pretty tight to me!
RhadamYgg
Posted: Tue May 06, 2008 5:14 pm
by RhadamYgg
Dragon on Wheels wrote:Congratulations!!!
What will Brackstone be riding now?
Thanks man! Took it for a ride tonight and it was fun!
I do remember the first time I had a car behind me! My mirrors were not adjusted right and I was like - "I see their lights, but where exactly are they!" So, I fixed them the first opportunity I had to pull off to the side by my house and stop.
RhadamYgg
Posted: Tue May 06, 2008 5:17 pm
by RhadamYgg
Flesher wrote:Grats! on both counts (the sale for Brack and the purchase for you!)
P.S. U turns are all about clutch control rather than throttle control, do NOT try U turns in second gear. Good luck and enjoy the journey! Take care.
Thanks! The gearing on the Ninja seems to like 2nd for u-turns. But at the moment I'm still really 'green' and I may change my mind on that over time.
RhadamYgg
Posted: Wed May 07, 2008 11:42 am
by IcyHound
I have to admit I don't do many uturns... maybe its the type of streets I ride on.
Posted: Thu May 08, 2008 7:07 am
by AsherPalm
Grats on the bike, RhadamYgg! I just got a 07 Ninja 250 as well (first bike)! I haven't taken her out yet, but plan on it for this Saturday morning. I'm really excited =-)
Posted: Thu May 08, 2008 7:21 am
by koji52
i do u-turns fine in practice...never have had to do one out on the streets though...NJ doesn't like u-turns.