Compiled and edited by Kristian #562
Updated by jake #1758, 18 May 2005
Please read the Disclaimer before
attempting any work in this FAQ.
Last Updated: 21 Feb 2007, by Winter #1935
There is no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothes - Billy Connolly.
Luck & Experience: You start with a bag full of luck
and an empty bag of experience.
The trick is to fill the bag of experience before you empty the bag of
luck.
Pilots have a saying that works just as well for
motorcyclists:
A superior pilot uses his superior judgement to avoid
having to use his superior skills.
For other things related to riding:
There are plenty opinions about how to ride your bike. This FAQ contains plenty of those hints and tips. Many riders often ask about how they can improve their riding. The most important investment you can make as a motorcycle rider is in a training course. There are courses on all sorts of things available, and in some countries you are required to complete a basic riders course before you are licensed to ride your bike. These courses are a long term investment in your safety - even if you have been riding for many decades, you can still learn from a course.
BradG 1002, N,CA '01GS
When I was commuting daily I did basically the same thing on my way out of the garage. These days I don't commute so I spend time after each ride going over the bike and focusing on all the usual suspects on these bikes. That way all I have to check when I fire up is that the tires haven't gone flat and the low fuel light isn't on.
Besides the obvious (oil, water, tires, lights) I now check these things between rides:
* - these are newly added after experiences I'd prefer not to see repeated.
Should I stay in gear or go into neutral when I'm at a stoplight? Neutral is recommened for automobiles to increase clutch life, but does it apply to motorcycles?
Switches
which are properly selected, are implemented for the purpose for which they were
designed. That is not to say that any switch won't work. Just that the RIGHT
switch will work LONGER before failing. For instance, you know the common
household AC-lightswitch? There are actually THREE kinds, marked "T", "M" and
"F". F is for fluorescent lights. M is for motors. And T is for tunsgten (incandescant)
lighting applications. Motors are essentially big inductors and draw the arc
that the switch must extinguish a lot longer (physically as well as in time).
I'm not sure of the significance of the difference between T and F.
ANYWAY... it is my understanding that the ignition switch is purpose-built to
last a Long Damned Time turning off the ignition. While the kill switch is not
so robust. Therefore, I have stopped using my kill switch as the OFF switch.
HOWEVER... the kill switch is a HECK of a lot easier and significantly cheaper
to replace than the ignition switch. Pay your
money and pick your poison. Flash 412 (CO)
On my Hondas which I owned previously, it actually stated in the Owners Handbook NOT to use the Kill switch except in an emergency as it could damage some of the electronics in the sytem. I haven't even looked in my F650 book for guidance. Has anyone? Trevor 999 UK 01 GS
The only
reason is that using the kill switch you may forget turning it back on after
killing the engine. People have been known to pull their hair (not to mention
tearing down the bike's electric system) trying to figure out why the engine
won't start afterwards...
I don't know if this is the whole truth, but that's what I've been told. (I.e.
you won't harm the bike in any way, just remember to flip the switch back to
"run").
Of course, since you should bring the ignition key with you when you leave the
bike anyway, why not just use the ignition switch?
veggie_deluxe
People have been known to pull their hair (not to
mention tearing down the bike's electric system) trying to figure out why the
engine won't start afterwards.
Unlike certain other Italian bikes (DUCATI), the kill switch on the F650 also
kills the power to the starter. On a Duc, you can crank and crank and crank and
THEN notice the kill switch is off. On an F650, nothing at all happens when you
mash the starter button with the kill switch in the OFF position, same as the
sidestand "safety" switch. Flash 412 (CO)
FWIW I just took the MSF beginning rider class two weeks ago and they teach ALWAYS using the "kill switch" as part of the startup and shut down checklist. The theory being it would come naturally in an emergency (like lying under the bike watching gas run out!). Don't know anything about "the electronics"though
While the
kill switch is not so robust. Therefore, I have stopped using my kill switch as
the OFF switch. My little plastic headlight "flasher" switch lasted about 3
months, or about 15 uses . . .
Not learning my lesson from the above experience, I do use the kill switch if
I'm pulling into the garage: it's easier to flip that switch, keeping both hands
on the bars, as I coast into the garage. Killing it just as I enter the garage
keeps the exhaust outside. Exhaust is not really THAT big a deal, but I do it
anyways . . . As for the garage door, I installed a little push-button switch on
the bike that activates the door opener. Makes for a real James Bond kind of
finish to my ride. Scott, ID #1244
The problem with using the kill switch is that it does not turn off the bike's entire ignition system, the way the main switch does. It leaves the lights on, as I recall. So if you just get into the habit of using the kill switch and forget to turn off the main switch and remove your keys (something I forget to do at home), you might run your battery flat in a few hours. Using the kill switch to turn off the bike with FI and ABS bikes may also damage their systems over a long period of time (I really don't know). I have no idea what the latest R and K-bike, linked, power brakes do when the kill switch is used. Knowing BMW, it probably shuts down the power system, leaving you without brakes. Richard #230
The switch is there should you find it necessary to stop the engine without taking your hand off of the grip or in case of a fall of any kind and for no other reason. Using it, is no different than putting the side stand down when in gear. It simply stops the engine. Personally..., I never use it. A good example of why the switch is there and when to use it would be if you were off road in a ditch, front wheel turned hard, having difficulty holding the bike from falling and you wanted to stop the engine before gently letting it down and turning off the key. Art 884
I've been riding for about twenty years, now. It
seems to me that the only hard-core advocates of NOT-using the kill switch are
older Harley and Triumph riders. In conversations past, they have all admitted
that it was their fear of a kill-switch failure. I don't blame them. With all
the electrical gremlins they face, it's not wonder they don't want to use their
kill-switches.
Upon delivery, in 1994, of the last Harley I owned, the dealer made special note
to "never" use the kill switch, only use the ignition switch. However, I never
had any problems using the kill switch on that bike. I've ridden newer Triumphs
and Moto Guzzis for many thousands of miles with no kill-switch issues. I use
the kill switch almost every time I kill the bikes and I've never had a
problem.The kill-switch thing is just an "old wives' tale"... guzzimike
The MSF safety issue is when the students pull into the staging area. The instructors are not allowed to turn their back on a running bike, so it's quicker to "Kill" the bike (then let the students find neutral, ignition and fuel tap) so the instructor can relocate to direct incoming students to their "spot". If you wait for the first new students in the staging area to find neutral and shut the bike down before moving, you get a mass traffic jam. Marty #436
I can only think of this: if the kill switch only
cuts power to the engine, but leaves things like gas pump etc. running, that
could be bad, I guess. Mine is a classic, so there's absolutely nothing that can
get messed up from doing this on my bike.
I wouldn't worry too much about it though; if the bike really could be harmed
from turning it off with the kill switch, there would probably be a huge sticker
slapped on the gas tank saying you shouldn't. (OTOH there's no sticker saying
why it would be a Bad Idea to put your mouth to the exhaust..) veggie_deluxe
by Davidhpark, #711
Most accidents statistically occur as they say in the business 5/5/5.
1. First five minutes of riding
You're not yet in the frame of mind of riding, you're slower to think and react
(SIPDE) and you're likely close to surroundings (home/office) that make you
'comfortable' reducing your awareness factor.
2. Within five miles of home or destination
An expansion of #1. When you ride near your home and are "getting there" you
reduce your awareness factor and start to think about what you need to do once
you are home. But... you are not home just yet. Safe riding stops when you are
in the driveway with the ignition switched off.
3. First 5 months of being a new rider or a rider on a new machine
When you don't know either (a) how to ride safely/well you're in the danger zone
and even if you do when riding a different/new bike you're not familiar with how
it reacts under panic or even normal situations. You make assumptions as to its
performance which may be contrary to your own safety.
As far as clothing goes, sure some people may assume that they are just
"running" around the block or somewhere close but that IMHO isn't any reason not
to gear up (at least somewhat). I have all of my stuff arranged in the garage
like Q would for Bond. I choose what I want to ride and the gear that I want
based on my feelings and needs. Leaving with anything less than I should (given
sometimes the obvious choice of less than ideal jeans instead of real pants)
would be against my better judgement.
See also: Manuals & Books FAQ
Feedback:
Long Trip Safety Suggestions.
1) Don't ride when you're tired, or drunk, or upset. (like if you have a
mechanical failure)
2) Stay away from heavy concentrations of traffic. ie cities
3) Don't ride in the rain if at all possible.
4) If you need to ride in the rain go SLOWLY.
5) Relax your grip on the handle bars. Throttle locks are unnecessary if you
keep a light grip on the throttle.
6) Don't grip the bike too tightly with your legs.
7) Don't strain to see ahead. RELAX! paul
Try: http://www.megarider.com/. There are some bits of "Dubious" info, so make your own judgement on what you read. they have a really good monthly newsletter. but not as much freely available info. J@mes NZ #848.
Falling, like counter-steering, can be learned, and should be practiced
continuously. Wrestlers learn how to fall, judokis learn how to fall, hence
bikers should also learn how to fall, lest they are living in a fool's paradise.
Being the proverbial fall-guy myself, this is what I suggest:
(1) When falling is imminent, I hold onto the handlebars come h*ll or high
water, and squeeze my legs around the bike, for I believe that I will be safest
when staying with the bike. Once motion stops, before the dust settles, I can
flip the kill switch, shut off the fuel valve, and can try to get the bugger
upright as fast as possible, before doing a body check on myself. This I
practice whenever possible.
(2) Bike preparation: My Jesse bags (2 mm aluminum and sturdy carriers) protect
my legs during a fall, so does my BMW crash bar. These two items make me believe
that I'll be saver hanging on to the bike than letting go and doing a
cross-country slide. Another trick I have learned is, never tighten the hand
grips on the handle bars. They should be only loosely attached and be able to
give during a fall. Then you can just turn them back to normal without having to
worry about broken mirrors, or broken brake/clutch levers.
(3) It is imperative that you upright the bike immediately. As soon as it lies
on the ground the battery will drain through its overflow hole, and after a few
falls you will no longer have any electrolyte in the cells, and no power. I
learned this the hard way. In Africa I thought that the battery was losing an
inordinate amount of water, and kept filling it up with distilled water. I
should have topped it up with battery acid instead. Batteries don't function
with water alone. Live and learn, or get a dry-cell battery.
Andy #982, 07-Dec-01
If you drop the bike, lift it by squatting next to it, back to the seat, one hand under the tank/seat and the other on the grab rail.
Lift by pushing with the legs, keeping the arms straight.
Once upright you bring the grab rail hand round unto the bars, then wheel away as normal. Saves your back.
I'm an owner of a 2002 F650GS and a 2003 Honda VFR800 and notice that I couldnt raise the bikes to their centerstand w/o someone assisting me. I'm a bit short, 5'5" tall (166cm) , and w/ average strength. Is there a special way or style to raise the stand? I usually use my right foot to step on the stand and use my body to lift the bike but I find it a bit difficult. Although w/ my scoot, an Italjet Dragster, I dont have any problems esp since its very light.
The seat is important--there are also other items as others have mentioned. I don't know what length of trips you have taken but assume few of any great length --You will find that as you do longer trips, you will get used to doing them--your body and even attitude will undergo some changes that will make the trips easier as you do more of them--If you've not done so already, suggest you check out www.ironbutt.com. On this site click on the Archive of Wisdom--here are the thoughts, suggestions and benefits of thousands of miles of riding by some of the most hard core long distance people---they are thoughtful, extremely helpful and one would do well to heed what is said there. Lots of luck in the planning of your future trip--the planning is one of the really fun parts of any trip!! Bill No.391 Las Vegas
Earplugs (& Helmet). The wind noise is more tiring than you think. I put an air pillow under a sheepskin (velcro'd on) that added an inch or two of height, and was (inflation) adjustable as needed (before I rebuilt the seat). Some type of throttle lock/throttle rocker. Taller windshield. None will stop the buffeting around the helmet (especially at your height), but will help relax the arms/chest/neck. Marty #436-Chicago-97 F650F.
Cold Weather Riding. I wear the following kit and find its good for minus 10 (22F ?) at 50-70 mph without resorting to battery draining kit. I save the power for the GPS and lights (the outfit has two batteries and a big alternator the F doesn't): Thermal balaclava One piece thermal under suit (sub Zero) Thermal socks Thermal undergloves Two finger plus thumb outer gloves Gericke armoured trousers and jacket "snook" type neck warmer Schuberth helmet (flip fronts have a tighter fit at the neck) Frank Thomas boots with Tote overboots for the wet. One piece over suit so keep the rest dry if it rains heavily (easier to dry). I also have a voltmeter fitted to keep an eye on what the GPS, lights etc. are using. Heated clothing is a total waste if you don't keep the heat in. Soup, pasta and Mars bars are a much better heat source from the inside. I do fancy a heated visor though. The internal heat idea needs a bit more care than the switch on the heater approach. If you get too warm through work or a change in the weather, sweat will make you freeze. Open the jacket at any stop and be prepared to take it off to keep and even temperature if you have to push the bike or say put a tent up. Keep a hat on at all times. Warm drinks work a treat but make sure you can find the zips on your riding kit! I think Steve has a charging problem. Will the battery hold 12.5 Volts off the bike for 24 hours? If not you need a new one (try a Hawker). On the bike you should have 13 or so volts with the engine turning. Any combination of heating etc. that drops this below 12.5 is starting to drain the battery. You need 12V to turn an engine, more if its cold. 11.8 is a flat battery. Andy Leeds UK #982
Using this site, http://www.srh.noaa.gov/elp/wxcalc/windchill.html, I got the following: If it is 27 degress F outside, and I am riding 75mph, the calculator says it feels like it is 4 degrees F. I was happy with that until I tried another one... http://www-wwrc.uwyo.edu/wrds/wsc/reference/chill.html Same stuff, but this one says -10 degrees F. This one, http://javascript.internet.com/calculators/wind-chill.html, also says -10. But then this one, http://observe.arc.nasa.gov/nasa/earth/wind_chill/chill_wcscript.html, says 4.
So I did some research... and found this page explaining it: http://www.weather.gov/om/windchill/index.shtml They redid it... and provided the following explanation: The current formula uses advances in science, technology, and computer modeling to provide a more accurate, understandable, and useful formula for calculating the dangers from winter winds and freezing temperatures. So now I am confused. And does simply using a wind chill calculator even make sense when trying to figure out how cold it is when riding? billmallin #1629
by Flash#412, May '01
There seems to be some general confusion and disagreement about how to ride in crosswinds: go faster, go slower, hold tighter, be looser.
Years ago, I found THE ANSWER. It worked for me when I had an R75/5 with a full Avon fairing and Enduro bags, with a backpack strapped upright to the short sissy bar, with a passenger. (Maximum crosswind profile.) And it worked for me when I had a nekkid R80G/S, solo. (Minimum crosswind profile.) I have posted it occasionally on rec.motorcycles and gotten many favorable responses. Though, some folks, with some bikes, claim it doesn't work. YMMV. (It works on an F650, too.)
When riding in a crosswind, particularly a gusting one, all you need to do is stick your knee on the upwind side out as far as you can. The drawback is that if it is cold or rainy, you tend to scoop all the weather into your crotch. The reason it works, I *think*, is that with your knee out, you are putting your bike aerodynamically off-center and must compensate to get it to go straight. Now, when a gust comes along, your knee scoops up a bunch of the breeze, pulling you INTO the wind at the same time the wind is pushing the bike away. In any case, the effect of the gust is reduced by 90% or so.
Try it. It's free. If you don't like it, or it doesn't work, stop doing it. (Disclaimer: The suggestion assumes you are a licensed motorcyclist with enough sense not to fall off. If you try this and fall off, it is your own damn fault.)
"A really good imagination is almost as good as... hmmm I dunno."- E.Foote
David Braun - Flash@DeathStar.org - F650-412 - DoD # 412 - BMWMOA #18854 - VBMW #540
We got this from http://www.deathstar.org/~flash
Made a bit of an error yesterday, I rode to Inverness in the morning and everything was fine, went to a business meeting for about 3 hours. Then I rode back, but the wind had gotten up, quite strong and gusty. I have to ride 20 miles along a firth, and the wind was howling down to the sea, and to be honest I found riding in the cross wind, very difficult. At one point it blew me onto the centre line and I found it difficult to get back, there was nothing coming in the other direction so I crossed into the other side of the road to let the traffic behind me pass and I rested a moment to get my nerve back. Felt a bit of a prat. I wouldn't mind some advice (other than look at the weather forecast) about riding in cross winds. Thanks Larry. 650GS
I don't like riding in heavy winds either, it's a lot more strenuous. One important thing is to try and stay relaxed and not get a death grip on your bike or you'll wear yourself out fast and end up making mistakes. I try to pick a good lane position depending on were the wind or gusts come from, if I do get pushed over too far by a gust sometimes it helps me to open up the throttle a little while trying to get back over into a better position. Other than that I pretty much just go with it, leaning into the wind if needed. Razz '03 black GS, Colorado
Well one standby that is often mentioned is to stick out your knee in the upwind direction. The theory is when the wind blows from that direction it will catch you knee and that pulls you into the wind counteracting the wind force elsewhere. Seems to work a bit for me. It also helps to crouch down and make your sideways profile smaller. MasterITRIT #F650-1231 -- '98 F650 Classic -- '80 Yamaha XT250 -- Rochester, NY.
I ride through a wind farm most every day in the Altamont pass in central California. What helped me a lot is a tip that Flash posted on his web site somewhere in the annals of time... Stick your knee out to whatever side the wind is coming from. I.e. if the wind is blowing from left to right, pop your left knee out and try and make as wide a triangle between your knee and the bike as possible. This has the effect (with me) of adding a nice keel to the good ship F650. Seacuke, #1214, F650GS, California, East of the Bay Area.
Lower your speed as well, the wind will still affect you, but you won't drift as far sideways. F650GS Dakar.
I'll vouch for the "knee into wind" method. I read about it on this site, and have been experimenting for the past couple of months. I've found that the higher your speed, the greater the stabilizing effect of the manoeuvre. This is fine and works well for steady winds. But gusts generally pose a greater challenge. With gusts the greater your speed, the greater the drift or tip. The knee out doesn't work so well against sudden gusts at high road speeds (say over 85mph). It does seem to work well with gusts at speeds up to about 70mph. Darkness
What they said, plus give yourself a little room to move when a gust DOES hit you. And relax just a little bit, if you can. And know that after miles/days of exposure you will begin to respond automatically, just like a pilot in a small airplane does to turbulence. Once it becomes second nature, it won't mess with your mind quite as much as it does at first! Scott #1244 -- Boise, ID. -- '02 Dakar
I recommend reading David Hough's Proficient Motorcycling. I don't recall specific gusty wind instructions but he does go into the physics of how the motorcycle works when using counter steering. Everyone does not easily understand this but counter steering is very important for all types of riding not just racing. Before I knew when the gust's got really big I got frightened held on real tight and NOT do the counter steer/lean thing but with practice it works. In addition adding the knee into the wind thing and slowing down is good. If cars are behind you pull over when it's safe and let them pass. Will in CA
I ride a windy section of freeway nearly every day. Sometimes the gusts get downright brutal. It's also the stretch in Denver where nearly every rider I know pins the throttle for the few miles where visibility is great and there are 3 lanes to work with. (225 in front of CC res for the locals) On my Honda I'd hit speeds in excess of 100MPH and the method I use to this day is to duck down over the tank and position my body more towards the side where the wind is coming from. When there's no wind my bike will lean a little bit away from the wind but when a gust hits I rarely move. This is an alternate to the knee technique- my leg starts to hurt a bit when I stick it out there for a long time (you're still creating more wind resistance on the windy side). This works at legal speeds, too. :) The key, like others have mentioned, is to stay loose and try to keep a lower profile. Practice makes perfect. Chppdlvvr 2001 F650GS, Aurora, CO.
Have not tried the knee out yet. I am sure it works. I remember my first rides in windy and gusty conditions and how stressed out I was. However, I believe that the following tips helped a lot. - Keep your knees on the tank. This way, you will NOT feel that your bike is slipping underneath you. Stay relaxed when the wind moves it and go with it. This works for wind gusts - In the MSF, they told us to lean into steady wind. It works! - Lots of riding in all kinds of weather. Relax take it easy. Be one with your bike and you will be able to go with the elements instead of fighting them. Ride Safe. Don Carnage
Flash 412 (CO) > In the MSF, they told us to lean into steady wind. It works! < That idea SUCKS for variable, gusting winds, though.
Last night coming back from LA via the Sequoia National Forest when I was headed west on hwy152 towards route 5 (North-South) there was a HIGH WIND warning. Yes this area is well known to get very high winds coming from the Pacific then over two small mountain ranges they gather speed and force finally slamming down in the valley to the east of Hwy 101 and running like a freight train over Route 5. Now, I've ridden high winds before and so I wasn't "spooked" but fighting it for any length of time can be tiring and mentally exhausting. I'm not going to give any riding "tips" here except to say that sometimes you have to be creative on what route you choose. Now, I was headed west on 152 straight toward the Pacific Ocean so the wind was head-on. I didn't notice it too much as I was sliding through it. I needed to go north to make it back home so I made a right turn on to Route 5. Then when on the on-ramp - whammo! the full force of the wind about 60 mph hit me. It was a strong fight until the next exit about 3 miles up the road when I pulled off to reassess my options. As it was night there were no clouds to read (and the sky was clear previously), I figured that the hot air from the day before was helping contribute to the strength of the wind cell combined with the Pacific ocean air stream. So, the best way to combat this was to find some cover. I decided to return 3 miles south to hwy 152 to head west over the mountains into Hollister/Gilroy and from there to catch hwy 101 northward. From my experience it is always better to ride around/cut through the storms until you let the geography help you. So I did this, riding west into the wind was much nicer than fighting it for 60 miles across the highway. On my GPS when I was turned a few degrees off of west the wind was very noticeable but I kept it pinned and just gunned it over the mountains and to hwy 101. Now I ride 'different' and don't mind going fast, riding in the wind, or what not - but what I'm offering here for you/your wife is the basics of "wind riding" which is that sometimes a longer route is a more pleasant route because it minimizes the effects of the wind. When I did the Reverse Pony Express this past November it was one whole week of storm riding from snow, blizzards, and high winds. All across Kansas there were 50-60 mph winds so there was no way around it, but in other parts of the country I could choose to snuggle some low lying hills to break up the weather. What I've found is that using the geography is the best way to ride the weather. Also it doesn't hurt to know how storms (of any kind form), where you are, and how it should run it's course - riding frequently in all kinds of weather I've come to learn some "seat of the pants" type of weather analysis and now also study some weather formation science (from books) so that as a rider I can plan a route better based on what I see/barometer readings/altitude/etc. When you know what you're facing instead of just trying to "ride" through it it makes for much better riding. It is also good to know when to stop for a break as sometimes it really is too dangerous to ride especially with wind vacuums such as are created by terrain or moving vehicles (read trucks). Hope this wind riding "tip" helps. davidhpark, #711
I have one F650 that is an off-road bike. Fully stripped and using twin PIAA driving lights for night dirt training. Had to build the front-end with cartridge emulators and heavier springs. Tried lots of different rear shocks from other bikes and nothing really worked. Finally had a Penske made three inches longer with a much heavier spring and triple dampening circuits ($750). I wanted more swingarm angle to improve traction and get more ground clearance. Had to go to a big rear sprocket to get the chain clearance over the swingarm pivot. As for riding, mostly stand-up and using the pegs to initiate turns. Body weight shifts back for braking to compensate for nose dive. Forward for acceleration and turns. Knees into the tank are sometimes more comfortable but not needed. In a sliding turn I can lift my outside leg off the peg to demonstrate all weigh is on the inside peg. For sand and deep gravel, weight goes back and throttle on. Steering with pegs in critical. Emergency throttle roll-offs better be with weight fully back or you will push the front end and do a high side. Ramey
Don't want to start the CoG thread again, but your bike is infinitely more stable with you on the pegs and not on the seat. If you can practice enough (off road is great place to get used to it) so that it becomes second nature, standing up and going over is a better option than breaking and/or swerving, especially if conditions are already compromised (as in the steel bridge.) When you get really good you can try popping a little wheelie to get the front tire up and over. When I'm riding off road and constantly battling the urge to sit and brake, I chant the mantra "Stand up or Fall Down, Sh**head" Seems to work pretty well. I've yet to fall down while standing on the pegs, and I can't begin to count the times I've fallen while seated. David#476
I ride dirt quite frequent and have found an awful lot of add ons are neat, but not always needed. I have a few ideas! Tank panniers are always on my bike and protect the signals etc from falls. Saddlebags are neat protection, as well and I almost always have them mounted (Jesse's). The disk protector is good idea ,but cautious riding will keep you from rocks that would do this damage. Not always, so this is a good one, but pricey. I'm depending on my riding skill to protect my disk! Levers are stuck out in harms way and hand protectors are the option (good one). You may even carry extra levers, if really worried a lot. Drilling the levers near the ends will keep them from breaking all the way off and unusable. Many dirt riders use the shorties levers and they are not near as likely to get personal with the ground. I like the drilling idea best. A sudden shock to end of lever usually bends at drill hole or breaks there. Beats a broken lever near the stub! First aide kit is a good idea and mine is mounted to my tank panniers. Skin is not exposed, but the worst kinds of falls can cut pretty deep and/or bruise deep and a pill (s) helps the pain. Water! Always carry it...dirt riding especially. I travel into the wilderness alone on occasion and being self sufficient is the only thing between you and help sometimes. Remembering that will keep you alive if you do what I do! Riding with another is always better! Randy748/Calif.
David H. Park #711
Rim locks do not make installing a new tire or tube any more difficult than normal is you really know how to do it.
5 psi is too low. Bib mousse used for racing emulated 10-12 psi which is correct low pressure setting, 8psi at worse/best case but not really necessary.
2 rim locks in rear and 1 in front
Weight back, gas on, let handlebars move around, keep forward momentum, change direction by shifting weight side-to-side
Knobby tires only!
check and clean/replace that air filter!
Riding in sand is technique not machine specific
Standing with weight over the back of the bike lowers the CoG and makes the front end light.
Speed is dependant on how fast you want to get somewhere
Don't go flying over the tops of dunes as you don't know where/how long the drop-off is.
If you find yourself at the bottom of a big sand bowl ride clockwise around the rim to use centrifugal force to ride the rim to the top instead of charging up the "hill"
Anybody wanting to really learn to ride sand should sign up for the Jimmy Lewis training sessions one of which will be sand training at Dumont Dunes.
See www.dhpmoto.com/jimmylewis for details.
Believe it or not pledge helps water run off your shield. On another site there was a disscusion about rain-x being to harsh and causing problems with hazing if used continously on some blands of shields. I haven't used it on my shield so I don't have any first hand experience with it over time. For people who don't have a squeege built into their gloves ski shops sell a Ski-Gee. It has a hole and you slip it over your thumb and on the other end is a squeege. I keep one on all my bikes because living in Oregon it can be sunny here and raining a couple of miles later. I have found that turning my head to the left and then the right helps clear the water away. Like you I get tired of wiping the shield off. In hard rain it some times works better to not wipe it. The water collects into bigger drops and then run off better. It is easier to see through big spread out drops than than it is to see through small mist type drops.Living in Oregon I get to ride in the rain more than I would like and this is what I have found to work the best for me.I used to try anti fog stuff but I either didn't have it with me when I wanted it or I just didn't want to stop in the rain and apply it. Your mileage my vary and this advise may only be worth what ya paid for it. Tom McCallum
I use car wax on my shields with good results. Seems to make the water bead up rather quickly and blow off. PS I use turtle wax. langlois
Rain-X works great for me. I follow the directions and apply at least two coats. Flash 412 (CO)
You need a pristine visor to start. Brand new. Treat it like very well. I would hesitate putting anything other than spit or breath on it. You want to protect the factory coating. Dirt and rubbing take their toll. I'm not sold on Rain-X. I think it was fomulated for glass which is hard to etch. I haven't tried the Pledge yet. I had the best luck with extreme cleanliness. Buffing with the cloth that comes with my wife's plastic spectacles. The other thing is to manage the humidity in the helmet by managing the crack (no snickering here you neandethals). Once the visor starts to get bad buy a new one. Its over. Even if you manage to polish and buff your way to a clear visor, the coating is probably gone. Chris in Santa Cruz, CA
Fog City Proshield on the inside of the visor will kill fogging in all but the most extreme conditions. Not much you can do for the outside. I have found the windblast off the edge of the windshield will clear the shield (depends on your windshield and comfort in standing) in light rain. And a Wee Willy to clean up afterward. Marty #436
My local bike dealer stopped selling Rain-X as it was reported over time to have made some visors brittle. I have found from experience that a scratched up visor is terrible in the rain as the drops 'collect' in the scratches. Even in slow speed town riding (which unfortunately is 99% of my biking) a clean unscratched/lightly scratched visor performs miles better. It also helps to clean the visor with a proper visor cloth as opposed to tissue. Tissue in time will also scratch up the visor. Other than that i use a Vee-Wipe which is great and I make sure my visor is fully closed to stop rain drops getting onto the inside of the visor. For anti-fogging the inside of the visor I use a light reactive fog-city insert (clear at night, yellow in low light and blue in sunlight). Buy one of these or be called stupid for the rest of your pathetic, god forsaken life. :-) Andrew C (UK)
I came across a website with lots of articles focusing on different aspects of riding. I've found it to be an excellent resource so I thought I'd share it with the board. http://www.msgroup.org/DISCUSS.asp. hk_rider
>>> I also find myself gritting my teeth during higher speeds and more difficult turns so I will try to pay attention to the teeth clenching. <<< This is something all of us have to pay attention to. To be fast, you have to be smooth, and to be smooth, you _have_ to be loose. If you're tense, you're in over your head. It takes a lot of practice to not tense up when you're going fast. Conscious relaxation is one of the most valuable skills you can develop. Work on it. Especially on relaxing the upper body. You're riding skills will improve tremendously when you can enter a corner a bit hot and not stiffen up. Bryan
As a new rider, you will find ALL of this information instructive. If you're really serious, your local librarian can probably acquire the WHOLE report. Motorcycle Accident Cause Factors and Identification of Countermeasures (aka - The Hurt Report) http://nickolson.net/hurt_sum.htm. Marty #436-Chicago-97 F650F
Incidentally, the key to going fast at a track is this: learn to brake very hard and smoothly downshift at the same time. Then keep moving your brake markers in until you're just barely trail braking to the apex. No need to be careful coming out, the 650 doesn't make enough HP to get in trouble at the exit. Alan #442 FL
by Ramey "Coach" Stroud, Cascade Endurance Center, Lyons, Oregon
Performance vs. longevity... sort of sounds like the Zen of motorcycles!
We race and tour F650's, and use them at our dual sport training center in Oregon-- we have six of them. Since '97 we have also done a lot different things with the bikes-- superTT (motard), roadracing, Alaska, Mexico, Central America, backwoods stuff, even a drag race or two. We like to run hard and go long-- usually two or three Acerbis tanks a day.
Now to the point. We have never, repeat never had n F650 mechanical failure that has left us sitting by the road in more than 100,000 miles. How, you may ask, is this possible?
Drum roll please... We spend almost as much time maintaining our bikes as we do riding them. Pain in the posterior? No, working on the bikes is as much fun as riding them-- yes, it's an acquired attitude. Changing oil every 3k, polishing as a form of inspection, stem to stern wrench checks, reading plugs, using an electrical meter as a preventive diagnostic, replacing stuff before it's worn out, etc. We take pride in having well prepared bikes.
We also take pride in how we ride. Matching road speed to engine speed is the essence of smooth shifting and clutch/transmission longevity. Braking and accelerating aggressively requires good tires and some technique.
So if you want an F650 to achieve its genetic potential, then you must do your part-- ride it well and maintain it often.
I'm currently preparing an F650 for an international around-the-world rally next year. If there is interest, I'll do an article for the web-site on what we are doing. Maybe, I might even tell you how to take the BMWMOA F650 "Function" award away from me next year.
Flash #412's take on Performance vs. Longevity
I wring the very nipples off my bike. It seems to rather enjoy it at the higher revs. It is, after all, an Italian bike, even if the engine is Teutonic. (Mine's a "classic" '98.) If it doesn't last, I'll fix it. But I figure it is so under stressed that with synthetic oil and factory change intervals, it WILL last.
When my step-father died, he had two kinds of pneumonia, congestive heart failure, diabetes, plebitis and pancreatic cancer. He came darned close to wearing out EVERYTHING at once. He was in his 80's, btw.
That's how I'd like to go. That's how I want my bike to go, too. When I am done, and when my bike is done... "No serviceable parts remained" should be our epitaphs.
Bill No.391 Las Vegas
Subject: Twisties
The October issue of the Chicago Region News---published by the Chicago Region
BMW Owners Association, has a useful article that many of us can profit from.
Its exact title is: Flatlander's Ride Guide for Twisties--by Tom Brown.
Panic is our enemy. Don't race. Don't show off. This is real life. You CAN get hurt bad. You can lose your bike, your license and, you know, other stuff. You can hurt others real bad too.
Panic is our enemy. This is a public road with unknown hazards. Don't take corners at a race-track pace. Keep some cornering and braking ability in reserve for surprise situations. Radar, gravel, road kill, hidden driveways...
Panic is our enemy. When turns start to get "blind", spread out and don't stagger. Use the whole lane.
Panic is our enemy. Enter corners on the outside of the lane (where you can see and be seen early and make adjustments in time). Stay outside until you know where the corner ends unless there's good reason not to...bad camber, tar strips, oncoming car etc. Slow your pace if this happens.
Panic is our enemy. Use a lower gear. This is not an economy run. Engine braking is the best way to adjust speed without upsetting the attitude of your bike in a turn. Enter unknown or blind turns at 1/2 to 3/4 of red- line.
Panic is our enemy. If you loose the rider in front of you, just let her/him go. The ride leader will stop and gather the whole group before each turn-off. Just follow the route and you don't have to worry about losing the group. You're not expected to see them every second. We don't mind waiting for you.
Panic is our enemy. If someone is holding you up pass carefully when there's room. Signal, flash lights and wait for the rider ahead to motion you by. Otherwise, back off and enjoy the day. Bear in mind the passee's experience level. No shame in caution. No glory in getting there first.
Panic is our enemy. Leave plenty of distance. Don't fixate on the rider in front of you. Watch the road instead. If she's/he's a good rider, that's what she's/he's doing---watching the road! Try to take a different line from her/him so you can see around her/him better. Don't assume this rider is the "perfect rider." Don't assume you're "safe" following even the perfect rider's line blindly...everyone makes mistakes or encounters surprises and you want to avoid following the leader into a hazard.
Panic is our enemy. Manage your adrenaline level. If you get "scared", slow down...There may be a good reason for it! It could be the setup on your bike is wrong for the road or load or maybe something's coming loose or it could be that oncoming cement mixer in your lane up ahead...listen to your instincts but don't let them take over. Never freeze...when you feel this starting to happen, slow down, let a couple of riders pass you if necessary. Breathe deeply a couple of times and regain your focus. You'll realize how "zoned out" you were. Survival reactions can cause muscles to freeze, eyes to fixate and put you in the ditch! You should be using your brain and not your "nerves."
Panic is our enemy. Manage your hydration level. Drink water at every stop. When you're "in the wind" your fluids leave your body quickly. If you get even mildly dehydrated, your mental ability will suffer...and you'll be prone to panic and bad judgement. Too much sugar will cause low blood sugar fatigue (sugar coma) when your body pumps massive amounts of insulin into your blood. Ask a diabetic. This is especially prevalent 20 to 60 minutes after meals on the road. Eat light or at least be aware of this issue and deal with it when you feel it...again, be present and deal with your circumstances.
Leader: Explain everything to each rider before each ride so there is no question.
The following steps were provided by SScratch #1082 (who may just be an expert at this :-P ):
David H. Park, #711, Doug 781
01-Aug-01
All this talk of oil changes and S&M has me feeling naughty. So I'm going to ask a question this motorcycling novice knows will piss off the safety dandies. Bob #752
Wheelies on any (most) bikes are a simple matter of finding the point between throttle input and clutch output. I wheelie my Dakar all the time and my Schalber Rallye wheelies even easier. I have also wheelied the stock GS (which is a piece of cake).
More Wheelie Notes from DHP:
Feedback:
Last Sunday I was at
a party and ran into a Civil Engineer who does a lot of the planning for our
town in CA. I bitched at him for a while about the number of lights that are
being built in town, then I bitched at him about the fact that the sensors
don't pick up motorcycles and I sit eternally at the lights waiting for a cage
to "free" me, or just blowing the light if the wait gets ridiculous. He said
that the key to triggering the sensors is not only the *final* trigger up by
the light, but *all* of the sensors (they start about 30-50 feet before the
actual intersection). He said that on a motorcycle the sensors will pick you
up if you are riding about 7MPH or slower. With a healthy serving of
scepticism, I tried the '7mph' method on the way home from the party, slowing
to a near stop before the first sensor of one of the notoriously bad
intersections on my route and basically idling across them. Lo and behold - by
the time I actually *got* to the intersection, the damn thing had turned green
for me! Amazing, shocking and gratifying!
I can't speak for any other towns or inductor pickup schemes, but in Tracy,
California - if you ride nice and slow over all of the sensors, they will pick
you up. No kickstand required! Seacuke #1214
I can concur with Seacuke. I was just about to buy the trigger. Glad now that I didn't. Seacuke is right about the sensors and about the gratification - "I'm somebody, the light actually changed for me!" By accident, I noticed that when I found the sensors on the road I tried to ride over all of them - It worked! Like Seacuke the light had changed for me by the time I got to the crosswalk - yeah baby! I'm a simple guy, small victories like these make my day. Colbster, CA.
You HAVE a green light trigger, most people call it a "centerstand." I stop above a sensor, touch my centerstand right down on the asphalt and lo and behold, the light changeth to green. Woo Hoo! and I'm on my way. More steel in the centerstand and it don't cut the engine out. Works every time for me. Shank NYC USA
I have one and I think it is as useless as nipples on a boar - as my dearly departed dirt-farming father used to say - edited for G-rated audiences. Stan #770
Put your sidestand down right on the inductive pickup line. Works for me 98% of the time. Yet another reason to get rid of that stupid cut-off switch. Flash #412 (CO)
I use this gadget it may not be 100% But it works for me most of the time. http://www.greenlighttrigger.com/. Tony#845 98F Louisville, Ky
There I was, the only one in the turn lane at a stop light, waiting for a green arrow to allow me to proceed. The light went through one, two, then three complete cycles without offering me a green arrow. After missing the 2nd cycle, I rolled the bike back & forth several times to see if it would trigger the sensor - no joy. Not being one to violate the law, I finally gave up and went to the next light and circled back to where I wanted to go - but I felt really silly sitting there at the light waiting & waiting. I can't remember having that problem before, but it seems that most of the time, I'm not the only one waiting at a light. Anyone else have this experience - does the F650 engine being aluminum have any bearing on the size of the magnetic field it generates (e.g. not being enough?). Bob #1248, 2001 GS
I have the same problem with many traffic lights and the "Green Light Trigger" magnet that I have stuck to the bike doesn't help. The only thing that will cause these lights to trigger is more steel or getting the traffic maintenance technicians to adjust the sensitivity of the signal detection equipment (if it can be adjusted). Unfortunately, with shrinking budgets and the talk of layoffs, the signal crews are more interested in changing lightbulbs, instead of adjusting detectors to pick up a motorcycle. What is usually needed is new equipment and different loops with more wires in them. When the signals are reconstructed they usually work fine, but the old equipment installed 20 or 30 years ago, just doesn't get the job done and there is no money to fix them. So nothing happens and you end up having to make a right turn to bypass the signal, or wait for a nice big SUV to pull up behind you. I wonder what you do when you are riding your horse and come to a signal? Richard #230: 1997 Funduro, 2002 R1150R, 2002 Yamaha YZ1, 1993 Honda CB750 - Pacifica, CA, USA
Here's the dillio on lights, given to me by a civil engineer who is one of the planners/architects for my town. On a light motorcycle like the F650, it is absolutely imperative to approach the intersection slowly. There are sensor loops buried in the road for probably the last 100 to 200 feet of roadway before the light. They are triggered by light bikes like ours, when approached at 7mph (!) or less. Hit them all, and hit them all slow, and the Keys to the Kingdom will be yours to enjoy. I've conducted many an informal field trial, and with the exception of older traffic lights in the beautiful (not) town of Pleasanton, CA, the "approach slow" method works 100% of the time. As a side bonus, by approaching the intersection so slowly, sometimes the light changes before I even get to the end of the sensor 'corridor' and I don't have to stop the bike completely! Of course, YMMV, but it really has been a boon to my riding to know this bit about the slow approach. Seacuke, #1214, F650GS, California, East of the Bay Area.
Unfortunately Seacuke, that only works for relatively new signals. State Type 90 and 170 signals will pick up bikes, because they were designed to do so, thanks to the State specifications for the signals and their equipment (detecting a Honda step-through used to be the test to insure that the signal met specifications before it would be accepted for maintenance by the public agency). Earlier signal systems were never designed to be sensitive enough to detect motorcycles. Some of them will and others will not. It depends a lot on the type of equipment, how it was maintained and how the loops were cut into the street. Pleasanton has a lot of new signals, because it has had a lot of development during the past 20 years. It just kind of depends on a lot of factors and you may just get stuck. All you can do is complain to the local public works department and see what happens. The squeaky wheel always gets the grease. If you complain long enough, the signal will eventually get fixed - assuming that it can be adjusted at all. Richard #230
I have heard that
stopping and starting your bike may trigger the sensor. Apparently the
magnetic field of the starter motor turning over may be enough. Its worth a
try. Ratso
F650GS Dakar, Queensland, Australia.
While centered over one of the triggers, push your centerstand down with your foot and hold it there for a moment. I thought this was a joke when I first read about it, but I started doing it on a particularly stubborn signal (and a few others) and so far it's worked for me every time. Razz 03 black GS, Colorado
I have tried this trick on my LT and Dakar and it has not worked for either motorcycle. BBowens
Slow way down and weave back and forth starting about 50 feet before the light. There's a light by work that some cars don't even trigger. It triggers for me every time I do this. Otherwise I blow a light after the first cycle. I've never had a problem with that (legally)- just make sure it's clear. chppdlvvr, 2001 F650GS, Aurora, CO.
Of course if you have some models of BMW motorcycles, such as the "Classic" F650, the engine stops when you deploy the side stand. Leaving you stranded in the middle of an intersection with a stalled engine. Richard #230: 1997 Funduro, 2002 R1150R, 2002 Yamaha YZ1, 1993 Honda CB750 - Pacifica, CA, USA
I disabled and
removed the sidestand lockout switch. Putting the sidestand down ON the wires
in the road rarely fails me.
Flash 412 (CO)
I use the centerstand, not the sidestand. I dunno-it's worked for me so far or it's a heckuva coincidence. *shrug Razz
Green Light Trigger
doesn't work for me either. Actually, I need to look and see if it's still
there! 20 years ago my dad got a ticket for running a light that his Yama twin
wouldn't trigger. The muni judge let him off after he agreed to write the city
a letter asking them to fix it. That same light still doesn't pick up my bike.
I'm sure this has been discussed, but what is the point of the sidestand
switch? IS it to prevent you from starting it in gear? wouldn't that be better
done with a neutral lockout? '97 F650, #1291.
Chris in Santa Fe
The *one* time I tried to use the sidestand to trigger the light, the people in the car that pulled up next to me rolled down their window to tell me that my sidestand was down. I'll run the red if I've waited two light cycles and can turn safely - I think most cops would find that reasonable. '01 F650 GS, '89 Hawk GT. Rebecca
Several types of triggers in use. Motion sensors sometimes have sensors built in that can be triggered by the flashing strobe on the top of emergency vehicles. Flashing to high several times using the high beam trigger can sometimes set these off (also illegal, I think). The loops buried in the asphalt are sensitive to chunks of IRON passing through their magnetic field. For these, find where the loop is buried (look for the large circle of tar that covers the groove the loop was put into) and put your sidestand foot (or centerstand) directly on it, thus maximizing the proximity of iron to the loop (what it lacks in size, it makes up for in proximity). I have triggered some very insensitive signals this way (unfortunately after the first sequence passed me by because I didn't do this). If this doesn't trigger it, I've waited my 2 cycles and go anyway. Marty #436-Chicago-97 F650F.
Flash #412 & Crasher #1011
December '01
High Sided! What does that mean? You don't watch bike racing then!!
When in a turn and the rear wheel slides out sideways and then grips again (usually because the rider has closed the throttle), the bike and rider are suddenly thrown vertical causing the rider to carry on over the "high side" The opposite to a "low side" where the rider falls the way they were leaning.
When you are leaning in a turn, if you fall off, you don't fall very far. If, as Crasher says, you lose and then regain traction, the bike can stand up and fall over the opposite way. People sometimes say stuff like, "It spit me off." THAT is the high side, you go OVER the bike, instead of just "down."
When travelling in a STRAIGHT LINE, you experience an unplanned dismount due to an inappropriate panic use of the rear brake.
a) Is your unplanned dismount a "high side" or a "low side"?
Answer to (a) is that it could be either, depending on (b).
b) How would you differentiate between the two?
Answer to (b) is... if you locked your rear brake and the back end came around and you did NOT release the brake, falling off the bike, behind the bike, you would have gone down on the low side, by virtue of the fact that the bike would have been leaning toward the direction from which you came. If just BEFORE this occurred, you released the brake and gained traction for an instant, and the bike suddenly rotated about the axis of the tire's contact point with the road, you'd have gone OVER the bike (high side).
It really has nothing at all to do with the SLIDE.
It's the BOUNCE before the slide.
One can go down on the low side and yet find oneself preceding the bike down the tarmac.
This sequence of events does not a highside make.
Ok, I've learned to keep my feet level on the footpegs and they don't touch the ground anymore when I turn. But the scraping sidestand irritates me. It's the loop on the sidestand that is doing the scraping. I don't have the sidestand switch disabled, so the scraping happens when riding with the sidestand "up". What does everyone else do?
Just ignore it and keep scraping? -- (might actually be ok, doesn't happen that often for me)
Take the loop off the stand? -- (I think it's useful finding the sidestand for parking)
Bend it? -- (how much? does it break off?)
Raise the clearance? -- (different rear shock? $$$?)
Feedback:
How about "Slow down"? But since THAT'S no fun -- you might try some Ricky-Racer-type body positioning. When you enter a turn, get far forward on the seat, move your shoulders forward and in (point your chin at your destination) and drop your inside knee way down. At the same time, step down HARD on the high side peg. Do this, and you will need less lean at any given entry speed. Once that subtle move is mastered, add some hanging-off. Start sliding your butt off the seat to the inside as you enter a turn. If you work up to it bit by bit, you can get used to being fully off the seat and this REALLY reduces lean angles. DakotaDakar#1198
You can bend the metal ring attached to the side stand in order to adjust it inwards or outwards. RDW #1134, Vancouver BC
I manage to scrape both left and right center stand feet on tight corners, especially when I hit a bump in the corner (which is common here in AZ, where the typical secondary streets have a concrete drainage dip running along each side). I managed to minimize the problem by tightening up the pre-load on the rear a bit. I fiddled with it for about a week, getting it comfy but stiff enough to avoid scrapes in my usual around town travels. I ride a lowered 03 GS, and I'm 178 lbs plus gear. You also may not be giving the bike enough gas around the corner. When you roll on the throttle as you start your turn, you load up the suspension and get the bike riding a bit higher, thus giving your suspension more room to move, and giving yourself some more ground clearance. To say it another way, you get maximal ground clearance for cornering when you roll on some throttle as you turn, so make sure you're doing that, too. Codewheeney
Q. Had my bike's rear tire start wobbling uncontrollably at a high speed coming down hill... what's that symptomatic of? Scared the bajeebeeze outta me! Thought the tire was gonna pop off and beat me down the hill. Any quick fix? Safe to ride into the shop? Thanks! Ty
.
Got air? Check the Tyre Pressure. Check the Rear Wheel Bearings. Check the Axle Bolts. Refer also Common Causes of Weaving
Carrying a lot of speed down a hill unloads your rear wheel. If you were also braking, which is reasonable to assume if you were carrying a lot of speed, and used some front brake, you unloaded (the weight from) the rear wheel even further. That alone will cause the rear wheel to shake. (if all the weight of your bike is on the front tire because of the hill and braking, the rear wheel is very light and will be free to move around as it pleases.) So if you don't encounter this experience again under normal riding conditions, I would think you have nothing to fix. As for slowing a bike on a hill, lightly applying the rear brake, ( on and off, on and off), and engine braking, can be useful in careful dosages. Tully, NYC, #1076
Small question; ton of answers! So many things can cause geometry of bike to change and cause wobbles, BUT here goes. Look at alignment of rear axle, spokes all good?, check swingarm for tightness at pivots, check for rear shock failure (leaking), I would take rear wheel off and inspect "everything" about it and look at swingarm with wheel off. Rear brake assembly in good tight order? Wiggle swingarm without wheel. You just get new rear tire? Check for bead set...Start in front of bike next and check all systems around suspension, steering head, etc. Randy748/Calif.
I wouldn't take anything apart but I sure would make sure that it was all put together right and that the wheel bearings are still there. Flash #412 (CO)
Q. A couple of weeks ago, going over Hwy 84 from San Gregorio to Alice's, I noticed a minor shimmy in the front wheel, that felt like a fishtail. There had been some improvements (black asphalt patches) to road surface. These may have been the cause? It was most noticeable there. My front tire was a little low (28 #, rear 33 #) and I had a little extra weight in a carryall bag clamped to the passenger seat, plus extra weight in the top case -- maybe 15-20 #'s each. This past week on Mines Road south of Livermore, with some fresh corn in the carryall bag, I adjust the dampening (black round knob, not the screw down low), and it seemed to be occurring less. No "road improvements" however. I'm wondering whether something in the front end needs some attention. Mileage 17,000. This had been a service loaner that I got it at 12,000 miles. I checked the FAQ and now wonder if wheel bearings might be culprit? Tire pressure this last weekend was 30/34, could that have been a factor? Trailwing tires. Back replaced at 12K, front at 15K. Many thanks! Chris 856
Got air? Check the Tyre Pressure. Check the Front Wheel Bearings. Check the Axle Bolts. Refer also Common Causes of Weaving
My front wheel felt wobbly, like a soft tire, when I lost my rear wheel bearing a couple weeks ago. Put the bike up on the center stand and try to wobble the rear wheel - it was real obvious. Muriel #582 in Vermont.
Richard #230, Marty #436, Noel, Iceman #975
December '01
Tank slapping refers to the wheel (and attached handlebars) swinging violently from side to side, due to a harmonic reaction to steering input or poor mechanical condition. Steering dampers were developed to prevent this problem (that can get you killed). I had a 1985 R80 that I converted to an R100RS. If the steering bearings got a bit loose and you hit a rock while leaned over, or if you took one hand off of the bars at around 40 mph to reach the reserve tap, it would result in a tank slapper. I thought I was going to die a couple of times. The front wheel left skid marks on the pavement, as the wheel turned at 45 degrees to the direction of travel, while the bike ploughed ahead. Fortunately, I was able to stop the bike without falling over, or getting hit by an oncoming car. I am now anal about steering bearing tension. (I also noted that my R80 rear shock was longer than the later R100RS bikes. I think BMW reduced the rake of the forks by lowering the rear of the bike, when they bolted the RS fairing to the single sided swingarm airheads. This would make the bike more stable.)
Tank slappers are a feedback reaction caused by something causing steering movement to be amplified rather than dampened (think here of a guitar feeding back...the note getting louder instead of dying out naturally). Like a guitar, certain notes (oscillations) tend to feedback better. So tank slappers tend to happen under certain set of conditions that amplify/feedback these oscillations (certain speed, crosswind, rain grooves, etc). Look for things that move that are moving incorrectly (steering head bearing, swingarm bearing, wheel bearing, suspension parts) or things that shouldn't move that are (loose saddlebags, trunk, fairing, cracked/bent frame).
I was following my wife when she went into a tank slapper on a highway-speed country sweeper (old /2 BMW). Not only did the handlebars get ripped out of her hands, but the rear wheel jumped up and down and side-to-side. She rode it to a stop (she said she pretended it was a horse and squeezed the tank with her knees to steer it). Tightened up the steering damper as a temporary fix. Took several years to finally track down the problem as a slightly bent frame, which reduced the trail of the leading link fork to the point of barely being stable. A replacement telescopic fork with more trail finally solved the problem.
A Tank Slapper very unlikely on f650 because of front fork rake angle, much wider than the average sport bike such as an R6 Yamaha which regularly beat up unsuspecting boy racers on a Sunday after noon. Thus the $200 steering damper often seen hanging off race replica hardware. From watching road racing such as the isle of man TT it can be seen that this usually happens when the front end leaves the ground due to a high speed bump. When the front end lands the front wheel may not be tracking straight and begins to fight to regain a straight line. Staying loose on the bars is said to be the best way to regain control. A tight grip on the bars will translate the shaking to your body and on through to the bike its self. For those who don't understand the slapper principle, think of how the shopping trolley wheel. As for Harleys, some are to heavy in the rear which make the front end bounce. membership fees in the mail.
Regarding tank slappers, I'd also make sure EVERYTHING on the chassis is tight. Engine mounts, swingarm, all fasteners. Tires are balanced, wheel bearings not worn out, just to mention a few things. I've never experienced a "high speed wobble" on my GSA, just a slight oscillation if the bars are twitched at speed. Normal, as far as I'm concerned.
Feedback:
Wobble/near slapper Just wanted to report that I experienced a high-speed, oscillating wobble that did not, but clearly had the potential to become, a tank slapper. Bike = 99 Funduro, heavily loaded, one up with Touratechs. Speed 75+ on I-75 N out of Fla. Strong side wind (15-20) off the starboard beam. Keep experiencing the trill, did the faq suggested routine of light on the bars, slowly backing down the speed. this happened several times, with one time getting really bad and scarring me; came close to a slapper. finally got to a gas station and decided to re-balance my load ... low and behold, one of the retainers on the right bag was not tight, in fact it had popped loose. Tightening it up and rebalancing the load eliminated the problem. I don't believe any one factor lead to the near-slapper; I think my left bag was too heavy, the wind was hard out of the E, and the right bag was loose. all added up a wobble. NormJ #473 Seattle
I have experienced that wobble as an effect of turbulence from large vehicles (I-80 is a GREAT place for that, especially with some of those triple-trailer rigs). Especially noticeable when you duck into/out of the wind in their "shadow". I have found little help for it other than to avoid those type vehicles. The problem with stiffening up the rear shock is that it also raises the rear of the bike, making the handling "quicker" (or more twitchy, as I like to call it). Adding a longer preload spacer in the front forks of my "Classic" raised the front end a bit (slowing the steering back down a bit) and stiffened it up as well, which helped some (some recommend just "springing" for better springs). As Flash said, be sure to check the front steering head bearing for notchiness and tightness (adjusting the tightness if notched may bring more trouble). A cupped wheel or loose baggage can also bring this on. A tall windshield and tail trunk can make it worse. Marty #436-Chicago-97 F650F
Marty #436
December '01
Do:
Don't:
A quick question about towing the bike (f650 of course) along the road. Of course being in Neutral, other then tire / chain & sprockets, is there any other concerns on towing the bike this way????? liddell
Put a few hundred miles on my GS over the weekend in the N. GA mountains and western NC. Couple of interesting things happened. One, a fellow rider seemed to be signalling me as we passed one another. He was pointing repeatedly to his helmet. Does this mean 'heads up, troopers ahead?' That's all I can figure as I saw a couple of folks being pulled over within the next 20 miles.
Regarding the hand signal... what I've always seen is left hand held flat and moving in an up and down motion (slow down, ease down) when a fellow rider wants to warn me of an incoming speed trap. Dunno what the head-pointing thing is. And I'd say to check the faq regarding better lighting. I think it's out there, but haven't done any work on my headlight situation. Seacuke, #1214, F650GS, California, East of the Bay Area.
Not really sure about the other rider pointing to his helmet and what that means. My understanding of the widely accepted signal for warning another rider of police, is to touch the palm of your hand to the top of your helmet. Often done when a rider who has radar picks up a strong signal and wants to warn a rider or riders behind. Regards & Ride Safe! Bruce Bowens -- 03 Dakar -- 99 K1200LT -- 03 CS (Wife's) -- Goodyear, AZ.
Left Turn: Left arm
straight out from body. Palm Flat. Fingers together.
Right Turn: Left arm out and elbow bent. Hand straight up. Palm flat. Fingers
together.
Stop: Left arm down to side. Palm facing rider behind. Fingers together. Flash
brake lights very rapidly.
Slow Down: Left arm down to side. Press flat palm up and down parallel to the
ground imitating a braking motion.
Need Gas: Point to tank. (Always start a ride with a full tank.)
Hungry: Pat stomach.
Ask Someone To Pass You: Left arm out at side, waving forward. Palm flat.
Fingers together.
Cop Nearby: Pat the top of your helmet.
Turn Signal Left On: Left arm out. Thumb and fingers opening and closing.
Hazard On Road: Point at the area on the road with your hand or your foot. James
j Riley
We have a system that
has worked well for us for 4 years, riding in varying conditions, and even works
with new travel companions:
Headlight ON = All OK,
Headlight OFF = slow down/stop for whatever reason (photo, pee, let's talk, bike
broke, etc...).
This is very easy to identify in your mirrors, at any speed, most distances, and
even works when communicating with cars! When we get separated in traffic, it is
reassuring to see the headlight in the rear-view mirror, and we can proceed
without less worry :-) Unfortunately, most bikes in the USA don't have the light
on/off option anymore. We purchased the switches from BMW through our dealer and
installation was easy-as! Or, some folks just make their own On/Off switch.
Anyway, this was just to give you another option. Chris & Erin Ratay
(Note: In the US they are 'always on' which does limit it a bit!)
Contributed by Flash #412
From 'The Mint' by 352087 A/c Ross
A book by the late Mr. Ross, better known as T.E. Lawrence, who later lost his life whilst riding a Brough Superior.
"16: The Road
The extravagance in which my surplus emotion expressed itself lay on the road. So long as roads were tarred blue and straight; not hedged; and empty and dry, so long I was rich. Nightly I'd run up from the hanger, upon the last stroke of work, spurring my tired feet to be nimble. The very movement refreshed them, after the day-long restraint of service. In five minutes, my bed would be down, ready for the night: in four more I was in breeches and puttees, pulling on my gauntlets as I walked over to my bike, which lived in a garage-hut, opposite. Its tyres never wanted air, its engine had a habit of starting at second kick: a good habit, for only by frantic plunges upon the starting pedal could my puny weight force the engine over the seven atmospheres of its compression.
Boanerges' first glad roar at being alive again nightly jarred the huts of Cadet College into life. 'There he goes, the noisy @#$%#$,' someone would say enviously in every flight. It is part of an airman's profession to be knowing with engines: and a thoroughbred engine is our undying satisfaction. The camp wore the virtue of my Brough like a flower in its cap. Tonight Tug and Dusty came to the step of our hut to see me off. 'Running down to Smoke, perhaps?' jeered Dusty; hitting at my regular game of London and back for tea on fine Wednesday afternoons.
Boa is a top-gear machine, as sweet in that as most single-cylinders in middle. I chug lordily past the guard-room and through the speed limit at no more than sixteen. Round the bend, past the farm, and the way straightens. Now for it. The engine's final development is fifty-two horsepower. A miracle for this docile strength waits behind one tiny lever for the pleasure of my hand.
Another bend: and I have the honour of one of England's straightest and fastest roads. The burble of my exhaust unwound like a long cord behind me. Soon my speed snapped it, and I heard only the cry of the wind which my battering ram head split and fended aside. The cry rose with my speed to a shriek: while the air's coldness streamed like two jets of iced water into my dissolving eyes. I screwed them to slits, and focused my sight two hundred yards ahead of me on the empty mosaic of the tar's gravelled undulations.
Like arrows the tiny flies pricked my cheeks; and sometimes a heavier body, some house-fly or beetle, would crash into face or lips like a spent bullet. A glance at the speedometer: seventy-eight. Boanerges is warming up. I pull the throttle right open, on the top of the slope, and we swoop flying across the dip, and up-down up-down the switchback beyond: the weighty machine launching itself like a projectile with a whirr of wheels into the air at the take-off of each rise, to land lurchingly with such a snatch of the driving chain as jerks my spine like a rictus.
Once we so fled across the evening light, with the yellow sun on my left, when a huge shadow roared just overhead. A Bristol Fighter, from Whitewash Villas, our neighbour aerodrome, was banking sharply round. I checked speed at an instant to wave: and the slipstream of my impetus snapped my arm and elbow astern, like a raised flail. The pilot pointed down the road towards Lincoln. I sat hard in the saddle, folded back my ears and went away after him, like a dog after a hare. Quickly we drew abreast, as the impulse of his dive to my level exhausted itself.
The next mile of road was rough. I braced my feet into the rests, thrust with my arms, and clenched my knees on the tank till its rubber grips goggled under my thighs. Over the first pot-hole Boanerges screamed in surprise, its mud-guard bottoming with a yawp upon the rear tyre. Through the plunges of the next ten seconds I clung on, wedging my gloved hand in the throttle lever so that no bump should close it and spoil our speed. Then the bicycle wrenched sideways into three long ruts: it swayed dizzily, wagging its tail for thirty awful yards. Out came the clutch, the engine raced freely: Boa checked and straightened his head with a shake, as a Brough should.
The bad ground was passed and on the new road our flight became birdlike. My head was blown out with air so that my ears had failed and we seemed to whirl soundlessly between the sun-gilt stubble fields. I dared, on a rise, to slow imperceptibly and glance sideways into the sky. There the Bif was, two hundred yards and more back. Play with the fellow? Why not? I slowed to ninety: signalled with my hand for him to overtake. Slowed ten more: sat up. Over he rattled. His passenger, a helmeted and goggled grin, hung out of the cock-pit to pass me the 'Up yer' RAF randy greeting.
They were hoping I was a flash in the pan, giving them best. Open went my throttle again. Boa crept level, fifty feet below: held them: sailed ahead into the clean and level country. An approaching car pulled nearly into its ditch at the sight of our race. The Bif was zooming among the trees and telegraph poles, with my scurrying spot only eighty yards ahead. I gained though, gained steadily: was perhaps five miles an hour the faster. Down went my left hand to give the engine two extra dollops of oil, for fear that something was running hot: but the overhead JAP twin, super-tuned like this one, would carry on to the moon and back, unfaltering.
We drew near the settlement. A long mile before the first houses I closed down the and coasted to the cross-roads by the hospital. Bif caught up, banked, climbed and turned for home, waving to me as long as he was in sight. Fourteen miles from camp, we are, here: and fifteen minutes since I left Tug and Dusty at the hut door.
I let in the clutch again, and eased Boanerges down the hill, along the tram lines through the dirty streets and up-hill to the aloof cathedral, where it stood in frigid perfection above the cowering close. No message of mercy in Lincoln. Our God is a jealous God: and man's very best offering will fall disdainfully short of worthiness, in the sight of Saint Hugh and his angels.
Remigius, earthy old Remigius, looks with more charity on me and Boanerges. I stabled the steel magnificence of strength and speed at his west door and went in: to find the organist practising something slow and rhythmical, like a multiplication table in notes, on the organ. The fretted, unsatisfying and unsatisfied lace-work of choir screen and spandrels drank in the main sound. Its surplus spilled thoughtfully into my ears.
By them my belly had forgotten its lunch, my eyes smarted and steamed. Out again, to sluice my head under White Hart's yard-pump. A cup of real chocolate and a muffin at the teashop: and Boa and I took the Newark road for the last hour of daylight. He ambles at forty-five and when roaring his utmost, surpasses the hundred. A skittish motor-bike with a touch of blood in it is better than all the riding animals on earth, because of its logical extension of our faculties, and the hint, the provocation, to excess conferred by its honeyed untiring smoothness. Because Boa loves me, he gives me five more miles of speed than a stranger would get from him.
At Nottingham I added sausages from my wholesaler to the bacon which I'd bought at Lincoln: bacon so nicely sliced that each rasher meant a penny. The solid pannier-bags behind the saddle took all this and at my next stop (a farm) took also a felt-hammocked box of fifteen eggs. Home by Sleaford, our squalid, purse-proud, local village. Its butcher had six penn'orth of dripping ready for me. For months I have been making my evening round a marketing, twice a week, riding a hundred miles for the joy of it and picking up the best food cheapest, over half the country side."
===================================================
"No hour of life is lost that is spent in the saddle." - Winston Churchill
by Flash 412 (CO)
While perusing my archives looking for some stuff for another thread, I chanced upon this item. This is Good Reading for newbies and experienced bikers alike...
Nick Ienatsch's article on The Pace Reprinted w/o permission as originally published in Motorcyclist, Nov 91.
Racing involves speed, concentration and commitment; the results of a mistake are usually catastrophic because there's little room for error riding at 100 percent. Performance street riding is less intense and further from the absolute limit, but because circumstances are less controlled, mistakes and over-aggressiveness can be equally catastrophic.
Plenty of road-racers have sworn off street riding. "Too dangerous, too many variables and too easy to get carried away with too much speed," track specialists claim. Adrenaline-addled racers find themselves treating the street like the track, and not surprisingly, they get burned by the police, the laws of physics and the cold, harsh realities of an environment not groomed for ten tenths riding. But as many of us know, a swift ride down a favorite road may be the finest way to spend a few free hours with a bike we love. And these few hours are best enjoyed riding at The Pace.
A year after I joined the Motorcyclist staff in 1984, Mitch Boehm was hired. Six months later, The Pace came into being, and we perfected it during the next few months of road testing and weekend fun rides. Now The Pace is part of my life--and a part of the Sunday-morning riding group I frequent. The Pace is a street technique that not only keeps street riders alive, but thoroughly entertained as well.
The Pace focuses on bike control and de-emphasizes outright speed.
Full-throttle acceleration and last minute braking aren't part of the program, effectively eliminating the two most common single-bike accident scenarios in sport riding. Cornering momentum is the name of the game, stressing strong, forceful inputs at the handlebar to place the bike correctly at the entrance of the turn and get it flicked in with little wasted time and distance. Since the throttle wasn't slammed open at the exit of the last corner, the next corner doesn't require much, if any, braking. It isn't uncommon to ride with our group and not see a brake light flash all morning.
If the brakes are required, the front lever gets squeezed smoothly, quickly and with a good deal of force to set entrance speed with minimum time. Running in on the brakes is tantamount to running off the road, a confession that you're pushing too hard and not getting your entrance speed set early enough because you stayed on the gas too long.
Running The Pace decreases your reliance on the throttle and brakes, the two easiest controls to abuse, and hones your ability to judge cornering speed, which is the most thrilling aspect of performance street riding.
Crossing the centerline at any time except during a passing maneuver is intolerable, another sign that you're pushing too hard to keep up. Even when you have a clean line of sight through a left-hand kink, stay to the right of the centerline. Staying on the right side of the centerline is much more challenging than simply straightening every slight corner, and when the whole group is committed to this intelligent practice, the temptation to cheat is eliminated through peer pressure and logic. Though street riding shouldn't be described in racing terms, you can think of your lane as the racetrack. Leaving your lane is tantamount to a crash.
Exact bike control has you using every inch of your lane if the circumstances permit it. In corners with a clear line of sight and no oncoming traffic, enter at the far outside of the corner, turn the bike relatively late in the corner to get a late apex at the far inside of your lane and accelerate out, just brushing the far outside of your lane as your bike stands up. Steer your bike forcefully but smoothly to minimize the transition time; don't hammer it down because the chassis will bobble slightly as it settles, possibly carrying you off line.
Since you haven't charged in on the brakes, you can get the throttle on early, before the apex, which balances and settles your bike for the drive out.
More often than not, circumstances do not permit the full use of your lane from yellow line to white line and back again. Blind corners, oncoming traffic and gravel on the road are a few criteria that dictate a more conservative approach, so leave yourself a three- or four-foot margin for error, especially at the left side of the lane where errant oncoming traffic could prove fatal. Simply narrow your entrance on a blind right-hander and move your apex into your lane three feet on blind left turns in order to stay free of unseen oncoming traffic hogging the centerline. Because you're running at The Pace and not flat out, your controlled entrances offer additional time to deal with unexpected gravel or other debris in your lane; the outside wheel track is usually the cleanest through a dirty corner since a car weights its outside tires most, scrubbing more dirt off the pavement in the process, so aim for that line.
The street is not a racing environment, and it takes humility, self assurance and self control to keep it that way. The leader sets the pace and monitors his mirrors for signs of raggedness in the ranks that follow, such as tucking in on straights, crossing over the yellow line and hanging off the motorcycle in corners. If the leader pulls away, he simply slows his straightaway speed slightly but continues to enjoy the corners, thus closing the ranks but missing none of the fun. The small group of three or four riders I ride with is so harmonious that the pace is identical no matter who's leading. The lead shifts occasionally with a quick hand sign, but there's never a pass for the lead with an ego on the sleeve. Make no mistake, the riding is spirited and quick--in the corners. Anyone with a right arm can hammer down the straights; it's the proficiency in the corners that makes The Pace come alive.
Following distances are relatively lengthy, with the straightaways---taken at more moderate speeds--the perfect opportunity to adjust the gaps. Keeping a good distance serves several purposes, besides being safer. Rock chips are minimized and the highway patrol won't suspect a race is in progress. The Pace's style of not hanging off in corners also reduces the appearance of pushing too hard and adds a degree of maturity and sensibility in the eyes of the public and the law. There's a definite challenge to cornering quickly while sitting sedately on your bike.
New rider indoctrination takes some time because The Pace develops very high cornering speeds and newcomers want to hammer the throttle on exits to make up for what they lose at the entrances. Our group slows drastically when a new rider joins the ranks because our technique of moderate straightaway speeds and no brakes can suck the unaware into a corner too fast, creating the most common single-bike accident. With a new rider learning The Pace behind you, tap your brake lightly well before the turn to alert him and make sure he understands there's no pressure to stay with the group.
There's plenty of ongoing communication during The Pace. A foot off the peg indicates debris on the road, and all slowing or turning intentions are signaled in advance with the left hand and arm. Turn signals are used for direction changes and passing, with a wave of the left hand to thank the cars that move right and make it easy for the motorcyclists to get past. Since you don't have a death grip on the handlebar, you left hand is also free to wave to oncoming riders, a fading courtesy that we'd like to see return. If you're getting the idea The Pace is a relaxing, non-competitive way to ride with a group, you are right.
I'd rather spend a Sunday in the mountains riding at The Pace than a Sunday at the racetrack, it is that enjoyable. Countersteering is the name of the game, a smooth forceful steering input at the handlebar relayed to the tires contact patches through a rigid sport-bike frame.
Riding at The Pace is certainly what the bike manufacturers had in mind when sport bikes evolved to the street.
But the machine isn't the most important aspect of running The Pace because you can do it on anything capable of getting through a corner.
Attitude is The Pace's most important aspect; realizing the friend ahead of you isn't a competitor, respecting his right to lead the group occasionally and giving him credit for his riding skills. You must have the maturity to limit your straightaway speeds to allow the group to stay in touch and the sense to realize that racetrack tactics such as late braking and full throttle runs to redline will alienate the public and police and possibly introduce you to the unforgiving laws of gravity. When the group arrives at the destination after running The Pace, no one feels outgunned or is left with the feeling he must prove himself on the return run. If you've got something to prove, get on a racetrack.
The racetrack measures your speed with a stopwatch and direct competition, welcoming your aggression and gritty resolve to be the best. Performance street riding's only yardstick is the amount of enjoyment gained, not lap times, finishing position or competitors beaten. The differences are huge but not always remembered by riders who haven't discovered The Pace's cornering pureness and group involvement. Hammer on the racetrack. Pace yourself on the street.
I want to read more about the Pace.............well then here is some more...
Nick Ienatsch's Pace Philosophy Reprinted w/o permission from 06/93 Sport Rider
The street is not the track - It's a
place to Pace Two weeks go a rider died when he and his bike tumbled off a cliff
paralleling our favorite road. No gravel in the lane, no oncoming car pushing
him wide, no ice. The guy screwed up. Rider error. Too much enthusiasm with too
little skill, and this fatality wasn't the first on this road this year. As with
most single-bike accidents, the rider entered the corner at a speed his brain
told him was too fast, stood the bike up and nailed the rear brake. Goodbye.
On the racetrack the rider would have tumbled into the hay bales, visited the
ambulance for a strip of gauze and headed back to the pits to straighten his
handlebars and think about his mistake. But let's get one thing perfectly clear:
the street is not the racetrack. Using it as such will shorten your riding
career and keep you from discovering the Pace. The Pace is far from street
racing - and a lot more fun.
The Pace places the motorcycle in its proper role as the controlled vehicle, not the controlling vehicle. Too many riders of sport bikes become baggage when the throttle gets twisted - the ensuing speed is so overwhelming they are carried along in the rush. The Pace ignores outright speed and can be as much fun on a Ninja 250 as on a ZX-11, emphasizing rider skill over right-wrist bravado. A fool can twist the grip, but a fool has no idea how to stop or turn. Learning to stop will save your life; learning to turn will enrich it. What feels better than banking a motorcycle over into a corner?
The mechanics of turning a motorcycle involve pushing and/or pulling on the handlebars; while this isn't new information for most sport riders, realize that the force at the handlebar affects the motorcycle's rate of turn-in. Shove hard on the bars, and the bike snaps over; gently push the bars, and the bike lazily banks in. Different corners require different techniques, but as you begin to think about lines, late entrances and late apexes, turning your bike at the exact moment and reaching he precise lean angle will require firm, forceful inputs ant the handlebars. If you take less time to turn your motorcycle, you can use that time to brake more effectively or run deeper into the corner, affording yourself more time to judge the corner and a better look at any hidden surprises. It's important to look as far into the corner as possible and remember the adage, "You go where you look."
The number-one survival skill, after mastering emergency braking, is setting your corner-entrance speed early, or as Kenny Roberts says, "Slow in, fast out." Street riders may get away with rushing into 99 out of 100 corners, but that last one will have gravel, mud or a trespassing car. Setting entrance speed early will allow you to adjust your speed and cornering line, giving you every opportunity to handle the surprise.
We've all rushed into a corner too fast and experienced not just the terror but the lack of control when trying to herd the bike into the bend. If you're fighting the brakes and trying to turn the bike, any surprise will be impossible to deal with. Setting your entrance speed early and looking into the corner allows you to determine what type of corner you're facing. Does the radius decrease? Is the turn off-camber?
Is there an embankment that may have contributed some dirt to the corner?
Racers talk constantly about late braking, yet that technique is used only to pass for position during a race, not to turn a quicker lap time. Hard braking blurs the ability to judge cornering speed accurately, and most racers who rely too heavily on the brakes find themselves passed at the corner exits because they scrubbed off too much cornering speed. Additionally, braking late often forces you to trail the brakes or turn the motorcycle while still braking. While light trail braking is an excellent and useful technique to master, understand that your front tire has only a certain amount of traction to give.
If you use a majority of the front tire's traction for braking and then ask it to provide maximum cornering traction as well, a typical low-side crash will result. Also consider that your motorcycle won't steer as well with the fork fully compressed under braking. If you're constantly fighting the motorcycle while turning, it may be because you're braking too far into the corner. All these problems can be eliminated by setting your entrance speed early, an important component of running the Pace.
Since you aren't hammering the brakes at every corner entrance, your enjoyment of pure cornering will increase tremendously. You'll relish the feeling of snapping your bike into the corner and opening the throttle as early as possible. Racers talk about getting the drive started, and that's just as important on the street. Notice how the motorcycle settles down and simply works better when the throttle is open? Use a smooth, light touch on the throttle and try to get the bike driving as soon as possible in the corner, even before the apex, the tightest point of the corner. If you find yourself on the throttle ridiculously early, it's an indication you can increase your entrance speed slightly be releasing the brakes earlier.
As you sweep past the apex, you can begin to stand the bike up out of the corner. This is best done by smoothly accelerating, which will help stand the bike up. As the rear tire comes off full lean, it puts more rubber on the road, and the forces previously used for cornering traction can be converted to acceleration traction. The throttle can be rolled open as the bike stands up.
This magazine won't tell you how fast is safe; we will tell you how to go fast safely. How fast you go is your decision, but it's one that requires reflection and commitment. High speed on an empty four-lane freeway is against the law, but it's fairly safe. Fifty-five miles per hour in a canyon may be legal, but it may also be dangerous. Get together with your friends and talk about speed. Set a reasonable maximum and stick to it. Done right, the Pace is addicting without high straightaway speeds.
The group I ride with couldn't care less about outright speed between corners; any gomer can twist a throttle. If you routinely go 100 mph, we hope you routinely practice emergency stops from that speed. Keep in mind outright speed will earn a ticket that is tough to fight and painful to pay; cruising the easy straight stuff doesn't attract as much attention from the authorities and sets your speed perfectly for the next sweeper.
Straights are the time to reset the ranks. The leader needs to set a pace that won't bunch up the followers, especially while leaving a stop sign or passing a car on a two-lane road. The leader must use the throttle hard to get around the car and give the rest of the group room to make the pass, yet he or she can't speed blindly along and earn a ticket for the whole group. With sane speeds on the straights, the gaps can be adjusted easily; the bikes should be spaced about two seconds apart for maximum visibility of surface hazards.
It's the group aspect of the Pace I enjoy most, watching the bikes in front of me click into a corner like a row of dominoes, or looking in my mirror as my friends slip through the same set of corners I just emerged from.
Because there's a leader and a set of rules to follow, the competitive aspect of sport riding is eliminated and that removes a tremendous amount of pressure from a young rider's ego - or even an old rider's ego. We've all felt the tug of racing while riding with friends or strangers, but the Pace takes that away and saves it for where it belongs: the racetrack. The racetrack is where you prove your speed and take chances to best your friends and rivals.
I've spend a considerable amount of time writing about the Pace (see Motorcyclist, Nov. '91) for several reasons, not the least of which being the fun I've had researching it (continuous and ongoing). But I have motivations that aren't so fun. I got scared a few years ago when Senator Danforth decided to save us from ourselves by trying to ban Superbikes, soon followed by insurance companies blacklisting a variety of sport bikes. I've seen Mulholland Highway shut down because riders insisted on racing (and crashing) over a short section of it. I've seen heavy police patrols on roads that riders insist on throwing themselves off of. I've heard the term "murder-cycles" a dozen times too many.
When we consider the abilities of a modern sport bike, it becomes clear that rider techniques is sorely lacking.
The Pace emphasizes intelligent, rational riding techniques that ignore racetrack heroics without sacrificing fun. The skills needed to excel on the racetrack make up the basic precepts of the Pace, excluding the mind-numbing speeds and leaving the substantially larger margin for error needed to allow for unknowns and immovable objects. Our sport faces unwanted legislation from outsiders, but a bit of throttle management from within will guarantee our future.
Nick Ienatsch Sport Rider Magazine June 1993
Spakur in Sweden #1117, '95F
Here is some info about Iceland...if you want some more info just ask some
specific questions.
Getting there and away:
You can get there either by ferry from Norway, Denmark or Scotland. See
Smyril-Line.fo for more info. Another choice is shipping your bike to Iceland
with (I think) Eimskip or Samskip and then take the plane yourself. A German
(Living in Hamburg) I met on Iceland did this and he said that it only cost him
$75 more than taking the ferry. The next time I go I probably will ship the
bike.
When to go:
The mountain roads in Iceland usually don't open until late June early July and
stay open until early September. In July the water in the rivers is generally a
little bit higher than in August. The weather on the other hand is usually a bit
warmer and brighter (=light 24 hours) in July. Icelanders usually take vacation
in July, which means that you'll have plenty of opportunity to meat them on the
camping places a.s.o. In august it is mostly Europeans travelling around
Iceland. I spent 4 weeks on Iceland this year from late July 25 to August 22
which worked out quite well, except that some mornings in late august was very
cold.
How long:
Most bikers I met (there wasn't that many travelling in Iceland) stayed between
1 and 3 weeks. Most 2 weeks.
What to visit:
Buy a guidebook and don't be afraid to take the minor mountain roads - on theses
roads it will take hours before you meet someone J.
Offroad Driving in Iceland:
The weather in Iceland is very changeable and windy. The temperature will
normally vary between +5 to +20. Expect to get some showers almost every day and
if lucky some sun. If you're near the cost, it will be windy (remember no trees
in Iceland). The Offroad roads range from gravel with hard surface to gravel
with loose surface. Gravel with hard surface usually has a lot of holes or
stones. The loose gravel is usually small stones or in the mt. Askja region
sand. Additional to this you will have river crossings ranging from nothing to a
lot. There are 2 types of rivers in Iceland glacier and nonglacier. If it has
been raining a lot both of the rivers will be high for a day or two, but if it
has been sunny the glacier rivers (sun melts glaciers) will be high in the late
afternoon and low in the early mornings. The only problem you will have is
driving in sand near the Askja region and crossing some rivers. I managed to
cross all rivers I planed to, but had occasionally to select another way than
the normal.
River crossing:
Use first gear. Never let the engine die - keep the revs up. Always try to walk
or at least check the river before crossing. Watch up for big rocks or holes. I
always sat down when I crossed so I could use my feet when I hit stones (many
times my feet got wet). The rest you'll figure out for yourself. The river
crossings was actually the most thrilling of it all J.
Don't forget that every year some motorcycles take a dive in the river. If it's
to deep go back and find another way.
My MC Clothing:
Rukka Gore-Tex Jacket/pants
Alpinestars Gore-tex boots.
Wool sweater
T-shirt (long)
Long underwear (wool)
1 pair of (hiker) socks (inner)
1 pair of (hiker) woolsocks (outer)
Bandana
Thick scarf
Gore-Tex gloves (warm)
Leather gloves (not so warm)
Extra equipment:
Sump guard
Front Lamp protection
All tools I could imagine
Spare tubes
Rain-X
Anti-Fog (a must have)
Extra fuel can (5L)
Map - Landmaelingar Island 1:500 000 of Iceland is a good map with gas stations
(very important) , camping grounds a s o marked.
Extra equipment that would have been nice to have:
Protection for the Radiator
Acerbis handguards
Bigger tank
Spare oil in case of dropping your bike in a river.
Camping gear:
Mountain tent (should hold for a snowstorm - YES! it can happen even in the
middle of summer)
Sleeping Bag (for winter use. Mine was to cold, but I spoke with some other guys
and they used sleeping bags that where rated -20 degrees Celsius)
Links:
Have fun! Spakur
by Chris & Erin Ratay
DO NOT SHIP YOUR BIKE
BY BOAT TO AUSTRALIA -- THEY HAVE THE HIGHEST PORT CHARGES IN THE WORLD!!!! We
shipped 2 bikes by sea from Malaysia to Sydney in 2000. Cost us US$450 for
crating and shipping, then another US$400 to get the bikes from the boat (out in
the Harbor) back into our hot little hands!!!!
Would recommend flying the bike with Qantas. They may require you to crate the
bike, or at least put it on a pallet (remove front wheel and strap to pallet to
lower volume weight). Write to us at
bmw@UltimateJourney.com for more info.
WHEN YOU ARRIVE IN AUSTRALIA -- You will need to pay 12.5% of the value of the
bike in duties which you will get back when the bike leaves Aus. (unless you
have a carnet, but not worth getting just for a trip to Aus)
Officially, you will also have to get a temp. permit/insurance to ride around
Aus, but Customs won't ask you for this. You can not buy insurance from a local
provider for a non-Aussie registered bike. Go to Motor Vehicle's Dept (I forget
what they are called there) and you will pay about Aus$250 for 6 months (less
for less time) liability insurance, and Aus$14 for the road permit.
Don't worry about changing your head light -- you are a temporary import, and
not required to alter your bike.
If you want to save money, wait until you get to Queensland to buy the
Insurance-Permit as it is a lot cheaper, and valid in all of Aus. If you tell
them you will always ride alone, you will only pay Aus$50 for 6 month insurance,
and no fee for the permit -- but if you get stopped before you get to
Queensland.....
SHIPPING Los Angeles to Dunedin, New Zealand = NZ$600 per bike (Less than
US$300), including ALL fees, by boat. Contact Robert Stevens:
imperialfreight@msn.com
Chris & Erin Ratay
www.UltimateJourney.com
Aleksander in Dubai 98ST
I am a very skilled 4x4 desert driver, but I don't ride the bike off-road yet,
so I'm not the best fellow to ask. Off-roading in 4x4's is extremely popular and
there's basically the whole darn desert for you to trash your vehicle in. The
entire UAE peninsula is open, and going to Oman (through the desert, or on the
road) is quite common, too. Some serious types looking for stupendous dunes go
the Empty Quarter (marked on most maps, the part where the UAE peninsula meets
the main Arabian peninsula), where you need special gear for safety and
survival. The vegetation varies from scrubland to pure sand, but is mostly
something in between. The dune height varies from 2-5 meters to more ocean-going
5-40 meters, with a few ridges of 100-300 meter dunes. Been on lots of that,
tons of fun. Needs some skill and bravado; timid folks get stuck, though I've
had my share of being perched with all 4 wheels in the air. There's also the
mountains, which are a bit spooky, since they look more like the moon than
Switzerland. They're old, so there's lots of rubble, making them good for
twisting ankles and dropping bikes, though some people still go. The UAE east
coast mountains have only fairly straight roads, peculiarity of the
Municipality. The Masandam Peninsula, which is the tip at Hormuz, is also
mountainous, and spectacular, in an arid sort of way. I plan to take the bike up
once it cools. It's an extraterritorial part of Oman, so there's a border post
and a fee (~$8) in one of the wadis. It's the only place where there's twisties;
all roads in UAE are deadly straight. To get to work, I ride 25 minutes covering
15km, and drive exclusively in straight lines (8 of them), yawn. There's 70 BMWs
on the road, though I've not met any, since it's still too hot, and all bikes
here are owned for weekend fun (except mine). The weather's cooling down now,
and by November it will be tolerable for visitors. April is starting to be too
hot for visitors. The winter is superb for being outside.
The whole country is criss-crossed with roads, which means that although you can
see only desert to the horizon, you are actually not from from a highway, and a
petrol station, so you can get the remote feeling, but safely.
For bike riding, I can only guess: the sand is frequently soft (depends on many
factors e.g. dew, rain, other traffic, angle to wind, etc) so it's low pressure
and knobbies only. You may do okay with DP tires on the tracks (which is what I
will be trying), of which there are hundreds, mostly for the farms. A little
bizarre, but the desert is littered with farms, mostly camels and goats. I have
heard there is a bike rental place, but never been able to track it down, so you
can't bank on it. Plenty of 4x4 rentals, though; you can get a LandCruiser,
which is the best 4x4 aside from a Hummer, for 600 Dirhams a day (US$164), and
plenty of other 4x4 for less (Wranglers and Cherokees are popular).
Hazards include other vehicles, camels, goats, scrub, rocks, and mostly the
locals on the asphalt from your home to your desert entry point (which is just
about anywhere you like).
Trip to South America #1
by sleddog1
Two friends and myself have just returned from a 9,500 trip on 3 2001 F650
Dakars. We rode from our homes in Massachusetts on November 2nd and finished the
ride on the 9th of Dec. in Uruguay. We flew home on the ninth and shipped our
bikes to New York to be picked up shortly. The engines were flawless as well as
the suspension. The chassis however including the wheels just plain didn't hold
up to the many Topes or speedbumps as we know them and the constant barrage of
potholes, bumps, and cracks in the road surface. Even with blue LocTite on most
of the fasteners we lost 22 screws, 1 motor mount bolt with NyLoc nut, a
complete rear fender , two chainguard /mudflap thingies , 2 expandable
saddlebags due to 4 crashes by one individual in soft sand, 2 headlights that
popped out of thier mounts, 2 spokes in the rear wheel of one bike and a heavily
dented front rim from a pothole. For the most part all of this happened in a
space of about 200 miles in the Atacama desert which virtually shook the bolts
and screws right off the bikes in front of our eyes. I had to retighten the
windshield screws 3 times in that distance. We visited 12 countries and paid
bribes in 10 of them . Some as small as a few bucks and 250.00 to get our bikes
out of Customs in Ecuador. If I had to do it again for free I would pass up
entirely Central America and start in Argentina. We had planned to go to Tierra
Del Fuego but simply ran out of time. Customs took anywhere from an hour and a
half to 12 hours in the case of Quito Ecuador which is by far the stinkiest ,
filthiest place we visited. We flew the bikes from Panama city to Quito Ecuador
to avoid Columbia. I n retrospect I think Lima Peru would have been the better
choice. We used Copa airlines who subcontracted Avianca . Avianca tore our fork
boots, one reflector, one torn seat, 6 crushed expandable saddlebags and mounts
and generally beat the h*ll out of the bikes . When we tried to show them what
had been damaged they took a totally defensive stance and denied everything. For
the riding portion of which there was plenty , I would say 75 % was boring as h*ll
and 15% had decent twisties and the remainder was excellent. Food was very good
and the gasoline excellent. We used the excellent washable oil filters and we
used the Metzeler ME 880 front and rear which are still quite usable. If you
have any questions I will be happy to answer anyone.
We decided against any carnet as we were advised it was unnecessary. It was
unnecessary. The only country that required insurance was Mexico. We got it in
Brownsville Texas at a company called Sanborns for 35.00. We were required to
get a tourist visa at each border crossing. with an entrance stamp and an exit
stamp in our passports as well as form that was supposed to cover everything
from Guatemala to Panama but did not. From Panama to Quito Ecuador the cost was
560.00 Us. dollars and the individual airfare came to 330.00 0n Copa airlines
which is actually Continental owned. The gasoline companies included Esso,
Texaco, YPV, Repsol , Agip , Shell and almost every station had Eco gas which is
high octane no lead. Approximately 4.00 us per gallon. I prepared all the bikes
identically with Acerbis Handguards. factory engine guards, Scott washable oil
filters and street Metzeler tires model ME 880 . They were totally reliable and
we still have a tons of usable front with the rears still viable as well. We
carried 1 liter fuel bottles with us that we sometimes filled but by and large
were not required. We went 232 miles on 1 tank as our furthest distance between
normal fillups. We each had about 1.5 liters left at that point. We planned this
trip for 1 and a half years but because of circumstances with the hassles in
border crossings adding a lot more time than we thought even in worse case .I
must ad that one of the members spoke fluent Spanish as he is a native of
Uruguay. I can't imagine how far we would have gotten if he hadn't been able to
communicate. Our biggest hassle by far was created by the governments of Central
and to a lesser degree South America. The way they have the system setup so that
it is required to hire a Tramidore ( Termite ) and make the system so
disorganised with the required rubber stamps, Tax stamps , Bribes, payoffs to
officials in several locations and no clear define method that for me I became
totally resentful and hateful in fact. A tramidore btw is an assistant to
supposedly speed up the process and in fact we would very occasionally find one.
For the most part however they were part of the system and really just another
hand to be fed money. One thing that we always found odd was that there were
always money changers at each border but the Aduanas or customs wanted and would
accept for the most part U.S. Dollars even though we carried their local
currency. We avoided Columbia because of it's reputation .During the 6 days it
took for us to get our bikes back from Copa/ Avianca / customs / warehouse at
45.00 per day even when closed on Sundays we took a van trip some 7 hours to the
Nabo River valley 250 Clicks from Quito. Ecuador. This trip showed a beautiful
side of Ecuador unknown in the filthy stinking city of Quito . Therefore I can
only speak of the reputation of Columbia and in fact know a couple who taught
school in Columbia and rode his K-1 all over without incident.
Trip to South America #2
by y_kiwi
I have had a different
set of experiences in Central and South America.
Bribing:
The fees at Central America frontiers are not bribes but legitimate fees with
official receipts and you can check them in places like
www.horizonsunlimited.com.
Usually a few bucks only. Although I was asked for bribes several times in
Central America I did not pay*. I have been in 13 countries on this trip, been
asked for many bribes and paid just one. All up I have been in 40 or 50
countries and only one bribe paid. Others have been in many more and never paid.
I found the tramidores in CA to be useful at the more complicated borders. The
going rate was $1 but you didn't have to use them if you had time. Those borders
are nice compared to Africa and turkey-India.
Ecuador:
Sounds like you had a bad run in Quito, Ecuador. Bummer. We (there were 3 of us)
managed to get our bikes out very easily and paid only standard fees which
frankly I cannot remember how much they were but not that much. No damage to the
bikes. We didn't use an agent as she (whom everybody recommended) wanted far too
much money. Did you talk to Ricardo Rocco? - he is a local guy that helps
motorcyclists transiting Ecuador, and knows the customs process inside out.
Damage to Bikes:
It's related to the speed - travel fast over topes/speed-bumps and any vehicle
will get wrecked. Same with potholes. After 35,000 miles I've busted one set of
fork seals and just replaced the steering bearings - I do tend to go a bit fast
though.
The only bolts I lost were from the stupid plastic chain-guard thingy en route
to Alaska - which I abandoned for a touratech model (also busted now..).
Plan to drop the bike - well at least have luggage that will bend and not break
when you fall in mud or sand - this is a common enough occurrence.
Quito:
One of my favorite cities on this trip. Very picturesque, mountains all around,
combination of west and Latin buildings, great accommodation options and a
Gringoville to chill in. Maybe we stayed in different parts of town.
Decent roads:
The pan-American is boring and generally full of trucks - especially in Central
America. To paraphrase Chris Scott's excellent Adventure Motorcycling Handbook -
"the Pan-American is useful only for riding between the interesting roads." Take
longer in each country and the really great roads appear.
These guys went really fast - perhaps they didn't realize just how bad some of
the roads are and how slow border crossings with a vehicle can be. I budget a
day for each crossing - any time less is a bonus. I also, in a strange city, in
a strange language, I target doing just one thing each day - and actually
clearing a bike from a warehouse in one day surprises me when it happens. I also
need days off, just chilling, to recover from tough roads or "over travel". If
you are reading this and are contemplating a big trip, my advice is to pad that
time budget with lots of room for rest days, bad weather days and bike broken
days. Better yet have an open time agenda and a fixed (unless you are jim rogers)
budget.
Overall:
The great thing about meeting other motorcyclists on the road and sites like
this and horizonsunlimited.com is that it shows that adventure motorcycling can
be done in different ways, with different budgets, time and money agendas, bikes
and setups of the bike. It really does not matter which bike, luggage or system
- the hardest (and easiest) thing to do is to get on the bike and leave home.
Once I decided to take this trip, it took me just two weeks to buy the bike,
luggage and set out... never looked back
Lance
*(ok I did pay once to get my bike out of Costa Rica when it was two months past
its permisso date - but legally (and I had checked and checked again) I was up
for $500 and I paid far less than that.)
Towing
This isn't supposed to be a complete FAQ on Towing a bike. Just some good advice on towing OUR bike.
Joeg #1102 -Fremont,
CA
1 Putting your foot into a hole when stopping.
2 Putting your foot down on something slippery when stopping.
3 Locking the front wheel during overenthusiastic braking.
4 Missing the driveway and sliding on the grass.
5 Not putting the kickstand down when getting off.
6 Make a turn from stop in gravel or sand at high throttle.
7 Not putting a board ('foot')under the kickstand on asphalt on a hot day.
8 Letting overenthusiastic people sit on your bike who have never been on a
bike.
9 Forgetting the bike's in gear when you jump on the kickstarter.
10 Revving the engine, releasing clutch, and putting feet on pegs when the light
turns green, but the bike's in neutral.
11 Not putting your foot down when stopping at red light.
12 Losing balance when putting it on the centerstand.
13 Take an hour ride in 30 degree weather with no gloves, stop at a stop sign
and pop the clutch when you start because you've lost feeling in your hands.
14 Putting your foot down at a toll booth on the thick layer of grease that
builds up when cars stop.
15 Using too much power when you pull out of a greasy toll booth.
16 Ignoring the sand that builds up in the spring at the side of the road (in
places where roads are sanded and salted in winter.)
17 Kicking your kickstand in a cool fashion and having it bounce back up instead
of staying down.
18 Getting off your bike while it is running and forgetting that is in gear.
19 Trying to kick start your first bike over and over because you didn't realize
that it was really out of fuel, and getting the goofy metal ring on the side of
your boot caught in the kickstarter, causing you (and the bike) to go over on
the right side.
20 Starting your brand-new electric-start trail-bike, riding around an
ornamental shrub on full left lock, throwing it to the right and accelerating to
wheelie over the curb onto the street and _then_ discovering that you hadn't
unlocked the steering-lock...
21 On same bike, getting the dual-range lever caught inside your jeans as you
come to a stop...
22 Having your boot/jeans catch the gear-lever and putting your running bike
into first gear whilst reaching for the side-stand (which is why I now
automatically pull in the clutch whenever deploying or retracting the stand.)
23 Having "green" racing linings which have much higher coefficient of friction
on the slight rust that forms on the polished drum when you've not ridden for a
few hours, and lose the front-end holding the brakes on against the throttle to
wear off the rust.
24 Having a three-cylinder two-stroke that's so smooth you think you're in
second when you're actually in first, so you spin out when the undercarriage
touches down in a tight corner passing a car and you think, "just a bit more
throttle will help here..."
25 Revving bike in impressive squidly fashion at red light, thinking it's in
neutral; dropping clutch and standing in place while bike wheelies and backflips
into intersection.
26 Having your fat-ass brother (as a pillion) lean waaay over to the side to
look at something on the ground while at a stop sign.
27 Wife gets foot caught on saddlebag while getting on before you.
28 Rebuild carbs and treat bike like it still needs full gas away from a stop.
29 Bald tires, and a smatter of rain.
30 Look at the sand at the edge of the exit ramp rather than through the turn.
31 Neither you nor your dad watching while he's backing his car up to the
woodpile to unload wood.
32 Not putting the pin that holds the center stand all the way in and then
trying to put the bike on the center stand.
33 Trying to hold the bike upright before deploying the center stand only to
find your knees are too weak from riding.
34 Park behind friend's mom's minivan figuring "If anybody goes anywhere,
they'll surely see it. 'specially since there'll be 5 of them getting into the
van.
35 After getting fuel at gas station and holding the bike level with your legs
in order to fill it completely, jumping off forgetting that your legs were
holding it upright not the kickstand.
36 Entering a DR ("decreasing radius") turn too fast. This is especially
dangerous when making a right turn where if you attempt to straighten up and
brake, you'll plow into oncoming traffic.
37 Trying to countersteer (or wheelie) your shaft driven bike? [Obviously the
person who posted this doesn't have a clue.]
38 Getting your boot/ shoelace caught on the gearshift. (I wear laceless boots
now.)
39 Attempting to kick start a cantankerous '84 CR500, whilst standing on a
picnic table bench, and she *kicks* back!
40 Getting pissed off for dropping it in the first place, yanking it vigorously
off the ground, only to have it drop to the _other_ side.
41 Pulling out the swing arm stand, and forgetting to put the sidestand down
first.
42 Backing down an inclined driveway, turning to either side with a full tank of
gas.
43 Taking the bike off the centerstand and forgetting the sidestand.
44 Riding on wet grass with street tires (Almost as bad as ice!!)
45 Riding on wet asphalt with dirt tires (Almost as bad as ice!!)
46 *Thinking* the kick stand was down when it wasn't.
47 Kick stand slowly burying itself in hot asphalt.
48 Kick stand slowly burying itself in soft ground.
49 Backing up perpendicular to a steeply sloped driveway and attempting to put
your foot down on the downhill side while on a large bike with a high seat. (By
the time your foot reaches the ground the bike is so far off center balance you
won't be able to hold it up.)
50 Backing your bike down a plank, by yourself, from the bed of a pickup truck.
Works great as long as you remember that once you start moving, stopping for any
correction is out of the question. Get two people to stand on each side of you
and the bike.
51 Losing your balance when coming to a stop because of fatigue from a long
trip. The wind and the buzz of the bike induces an unexpected case of vertigo.
Stop often and rest.
52 Riding beyond your limits while trying to keep up with someone who is
probably riding beyond their own. Always a temptation. The best riders/racers
understand and use discipline when riding.
53 Not paying attention. Always strive to anticipate what could possibly go
wrong and be planning what you're going to do when it happens, eventually it
will - and you'll be ready, instead of surprised when you're much more likely to
do something stupid and reactionary.
54 Assuming that all wet roads are created equal. They are much more slippery
when it first starts to rain - until the oil and dirt are washed away.
55 Assuming that the condition of a blind corner is the same as it was the last
time you rode it. Instead you find sticks, road kill, oil, rain wash, stones,
pot holes, garbage, etc.
56 Not understanding how to get set-up for a corner when pushing the limits. In
most cases the bike could have made the corner but the rider decided it couldn't
and while in a panic attempted to correct the situation with the brake. WRONG!
MSF course will discuss this at length.
57 Riding without all of the protective equipment because I forgot to bring it
and after all it was just this one time. Turned out to be the wrong time! I
forgot my MX boots and fell on a steeply banked corner and the foot peg
attempted to drill into the back of my right calf. On crutches for 3 weeks with
a deep bruise.
58 Using a little too much power turning the first corner after you've put on
new tires (with that nice slippery release compound on them).
59 Being too short for the bike you're riding, and coming to a stop sign.
60 Your rider hops on before you are ready.
61 Pushing your bike into the garage and letting it get leaned just a little
away from you, pulling you on top of it to the ground.
62 Pulling off both fork caps while the bike is on its centerstand.
64 Park pointing downhill, don't leave it in gear.
65 Park with sidestand facing up hill, sidestand is too long.
66 Allow friend to ride bike that has either no riding experience, or only tiny
dirt bike riding experience (they will wheelie out of control, fly straight at
the nearest object, or drop it attempting to stop suddenly.)
67 Pulling into Dairy Queen and slipping on a spilt chocolate malt.
68 Sitting on your bike on an inclined driveway talking to a very pretty girl,
forgetting where in the hell your mind is and then noticing that it's already
too close to the ground to stop.
69 Change rear-end oil on a shaft drive bike, spill 90w on tire, don't clean it
up and then make a really sharp turn out of the driveway. *Splat*
70 Parking your bike so that it stands upright with the kickstand down and then
having a slow leak in the rear tire which causes the kickstand to push the bike
over.
71 Running into a bus after a 120mph+ high speed chase where there is helicopter
pursuit and you are being taped by 5 local news stations.
72 Spending 3 hours washing and waxing your bike and then stepping back to
admire it with some buddies and then watch it fall right off its side stand
while it was warming up.
73 Pushing it over.
74 Covering it with a windsail (aka canvas cover) and letting the wind push it
over.
75 Unbolting too many components from the back so that the bike falls off the
jack.
76 Having an internally rusted CX500 center stand come apart whilst putting the
bike onto it.
77 Discovering when you stop and try to put your foot down that the kickstart
lever is up your pant leg.
78 Letting your wife drive the bike and having her stall it on an inclined
driveway while in a 45 degree angle to the incline.
79 Entering a banked freeway onramp with a stoplight at the end, and realizing a
little too late that the downside is just a _little_ steeper than you thought.
80 Whacking the throttle open on the highway when you think there's no cop
around then slowing to normal speed again only to realize that a trooper has
been trying to catch up with you for two miles and he's pissed so he decides to
run you off the road because he thinks you were trying to run away from him,
even though you explain to him that if you were trying to run that he wouldn't
have caught you then getting out of any ticjet because *@!!$#, uh I mean cop,
felt bad even though he never said "I'm sorry" . . . .but I'm not bitter.
81 While pushing your bike in an attempt to start it by compression, jumping on
side-saddle with excessive vigor.
82 Successfully compression starting your bike while running along side, only to
find out that you'd held a BIT too much throttle!
83 Deploying the centre-stand without noticing that the ground falls away on the
other side.
84 Taking the wife on a ride on your brand new, first bike in 20+ years and
making a slow, tight, turn on gravel.
85 Riding in stilettos and getting stuck on the footrest.
86 Swinging your legs too enthusiastically over the bike with tight trousers on
and kicking it over.
87 Dismounting while trying not to wet yourself (cold weather..tuh!)
88 Riding short distances side-saddle fashion.
89 Pulling off with a blood alcohol level exceeding the stated limit.
90 Reaching down to pick up your gloves/keys/glasses.
91 Paying too much attention to the tiltometer on your valkarie.
92 Dropping your dirtbike on the side of a steep hill covered in pine humus,
then while getting it righted go over the down side because it's too far of an
angle to get a foot down.
93 Trying to ride away on the side of a steep hill covered in pine humus which
is slipperier than sand.
94 Bopping down the freshly-oiled farm lane to see the neighbor kid with my
brother on the back, cautiously toeing the rear brake, feeling the rear wheel
slide as we headed straight for the barn, grabbing a panicky handful of front
brake, doing a slow highside despite dabbing mightily, sliding right up to the
barn door prone on the well-oiled bike with my brother on top of the pile, and
hearing the neighbor say "Didn't that thing used to be orange?"
95 kill the bike while leaned over trying to make a slow, sharp turn in a
parking lot.
96 Forgetting to remove the disc lock and taking off from the curb with
haste...Tends to break the front caliper, too.
97 Falling asleep.
98 Getting help from a neighbor in pushing your 750 up a steep ramp into a
moving truck. Though he might assure you that he used to ride a motorcycle, it
turns out it was a 125 in Bombay. He gets 2/3 of the way up the ramp, looks
panicked, and his knees buckle. Crunch.
99 Looking at the pretty curb to your left on a right-hand bank.
100 Trying to get a wasp or bee out of your jacket while sitting on the bike.
101 Trying to start out in a quick turn (leaning in anticipation of giving it
throttle) and stalling it out because the engine hasn't warmed yet - it's a
nice, slow drop...
102 Forgetting to put in oil after an oil change. Starting 'er up, and wondering
why the low oil pressure dummy light doesn't turn off.
103 After a brake job, forgetting to pump the lever/pedal a few times, and
taking off, wondering why there's no brakes as you're coming up on the
intersection.
104 Having a mechanical gate close on you as you're trying to ride through.
105 Hitting that patch of sand which has washed across the road on a blind bend.
106 Absentmindedly putting the bike on the kick stand and walking away before
you check to see if the driveway is level.
107 Applying your usual amount of throttle but with a passenger behind you ...
"cool ... look at that plane".
108 Pushing your bike into a crowded garage, letting it get leaned just a little
away from you, pulling you on top of it into your vintage MG.
109 Popping a wheelie while showing off for a girl, almost looping it, slamming
on the rear brake to compensate, and passing out from the bollocking several
yards later.
110 Assuming the puddle of liquid behind the convenience store was water when it
was actually used motor oil.
111 Starting bike while habitually squeezing clutch lever, standing to the left
of the bike, remembering too late that the bike is in gear. Realize too late
that the choke gives the bike enough power to drag you 30' across the parking
lot in first gear.
112 On your third ride with your first ever bike. Stop at a red light. When the
light turns green, you have to start uphill, and turn right at the same time.
Somehow that overwhelmed me.
113 Parking on a bit of an incline (slopes down right to left), having your left
foot slip a little when getting back on the bike, and slowly loosing your
balance.
114 Let your buddy ride it. And if you are really stupid let him ride it again.
115 Turning onto a busy street and in the middle of the turn you suddenly
remember that this street has trolley tracks.
116 Put armor all on your tires to make them look nice and pretty and then ride
on the white safety lane line as you take a HARD right turn at 35mph.
117 Throw a party and get together with a random girl on your bike in the garage
while extremely drunk.
118 Pull into parking and failed to ensure proper extension of the sidestand
then with near perfect execution of the Laugh-in scene where the bike topples
over onto your leg, and you're going down, pinned beneath.
119 Stop for gas, carefully shut off ignition and take key out (to unlock tank),
carefully remove helmet and set it over mirror, carefully remove gloves and
place on instruments, open jacket, step off bike ... forgetting to put sidestand
down.
120 With bike off, try to make walking U-turn in driveway. Bike doesn't have
necessary turning radius, front wheel leaves pavement and goes into soft dirt.
121 The setting: Bikes at inside end of driveway, on centerstands, facing away
from front of driveway. Backing cage into driveway ... slowly ... at about the
right point, stop ... note that cover on bike #1 is moving slightly ... notice
bike #1 ever-so-slowly roll forward off its centerstand, then sideways into bike
#2. Bike #2 stands there and takes it without falling ... but there's no way to
get it to lift #1.
122 Tweaking the front brake at a light as you JUST come to a stop with the
forks turned to either side at ALL on a top-heavy bike.
123 Jump an old dirt bike over your parents' fence (use a ramp to get enough
height). Realize on the way down that you *don't* know how to land. (I believe
this was caused by "Adolescent Invincibility Syndrome".)
124 Test-ride an Electra Glide Sport (OK, these days it would have to be a Road
King) around the old, cracked pavement in Brisbane near the Cow Palace.
125 Have a BMW with the sidestand linked to the clutch lever, so that pulling in
the clutch retracts the stand.
126 Put the bike back together after waiting months since the last crash for a
part to arrive, and don't install fuel filters. Gas tank rust clogs carburettor
float needles, overflow tubes lube rear tire, brake to avoid manhole cover in
curve, the waited-for part is broken.
127 Park next to some %$#@ on a Triumph who leaves his disc lock on, and return
to find your XV1100 with a few dents and a little note saying 'Sorry' in the
brake lever. (I left my phone number too...)
128 While riding home the day after getting your shiny new bike turn onto a dirt
road and discover that they are in the process of combing the road and your
front tire is now sliding through four inches of loose wet sand (Did I mention
it was raining). While picking up your bike be sure to grind plenty of sand into
the tank.