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Post by FightingFalcon on May 18, 2006 14:24:45 GMT -8
Hey ya'll....here are some pictures of the Kawasaki and my riding gear....the bike just got in today  First up is my riding gear....which Husky helped me on  A side shot:  Another:  My favorite picture...  Tomorrow...the riding begins Tonight I have to read the entire owner's manual.... |
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Post by dustdevil28 on May 18, 2006 16:29:44 GMT -8
bitchin!!!  |
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Post by Husky23 on May 18, 2006 17:27:11 GMT -8
Yum yum!!! OK, Im getting the itch to carve some corners again.
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Post by FightingFalcon on May 18, 2006 17:41:05 GMT -8
My first ride is tomorrow Husky - just some really local streets (aka within one block of my house)...I'll let you know how it goes.
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Post by 101ABN on May 18, 2006 17:55:49 GMT -8
Dude! Keep the shiny side up.
Whaddya feed it, Sake?
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Post by FightingFalcon on May 18, 2006 18:21:29 GMT -8
Dude! Keep the shiny side up. Whaddya feed it, Sake? I feed it pure adrenaline |
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Post by 101ABN on May 18, 2006 18:33:13 GMT -8
It's a lot of bike for a new rider and it's been awhile since your MC course.
Go eeeeeeeezy until you learn it's quirks (they all have them) and remember the threshold from "in command" to out of control shortens the more you roll on the throttle.
Ride safe.
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Post by AmericanPride on May 18, 2006 19:01:15 GMT -8
Oh God. If I hear one thing about this bike when I'm in Jersey.....  |
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Post by FightingFalcon on May 18, 2006 19:43:50 GMT -8
It's a lot of bike for a new rider and it's been awhile since your MC course. Go eeeeeeeezy until you learn it's quirks (they all have them) and remember the threshold from "in command" to out of control shortens the more you roll on the throttle. Ride safe. Thanks for the advice 101. I'm kinda suffering a double whammy cause I never drove a manual (other than at the MSF course) so I'm taking it really easy. I'm starting off in my driveway for a few hours just learning the friction zone. Once I feel comfortable with that I'll move onto this road next to my house that's just a big circle. No traffic, no stop signs, etc. Then maybe after I do all of that I'll try out.......a stop sign! ;D |
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Post by FightingFalcon on May 19, 2006 7:22:41 GMT -8
After all of that........its gonna rain all day in northern Jersey today. bleh....I'll hafta wait until tomorrow  |
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Post by 101ABN on May 19, 2006 7:45:54 GMT -8
Good call.
The checkout on wet pavement comes later.
Lightly, lightly, ever so lightly with the right foot...
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Post by FightingFalcon on May 19, 2006 10:36:58 GMT -8
First day of riding report: OK so at around noon the rain stopped so I got my gear on and decided to see what my bike was all about. The ground water had all dried up and it was turning out to be a perfect riding day. Got all my gear on and after two minutes I realized that my socks weren't adequate. So I put my BDU socks on instead and put the boots back on. Ahh....much better. I move the bike into my driveway and hop on. First thing I realize - wow this bike is a monster. It's fucking huge! I lift the kick-stand up, balance myself, grab the clutch and put it in 1st gear. *Phew* Now let's start the hard part.... Slowly let go of the clutch and rev the the throttle.....holy shit I'm moving!! First instinct....I need to put my feet down. Bad choice...I stop myself and put the kick-stand down (or so I thought) and go to lean the bike on the stand. The only thing is....the stand wasn't all the way down. *Crash* Shit! My first dropped bike! OK James....you watched the on-line video...you can pick up a bike by yourself. I get on the left side of the bike, grab the passanger seat strap with my left hand, the handlebar with my right hand and lift like I've never fucking lifted in my life. After it felt like I was going to pop my arm muscles, I manage to lift the 400 pound bike. Shit....I'm pretty damn proud of myself OK but now it's time to get serious. I inspect the bike and there's nothing wrong. No scratches or nothing, thankfully. Just a few cuts on my right arm...how I got them not sure. But it's right on my vein and they're bleeding like crazy. Dang....band-aid time. I come back determined to ride this damn thing. I go through the same drill....pull in the clutch, move it into first and start giving it some gas. This time though, I'm not a pussy and I put my feet on the pegs. I roll down my driveway to my first big test - a stop. I pull in the clutch, brake and put my left foot down. Success! I roll off again and pull into my street and go around this street next to my house, which is a big circle. After going around about 5 times I thought OK....I can try out my first stop sign. I pull out into the road, shift into 2nd gear (mmm....30 mph....) and go along my merry way. I take a right (didn't have to stop) and continue to this other circle that I know of. Before I can get there though...I totally forgot that I had to stop at a busy street. Shit....OK James....concentrate. I'm able to stop fine but when I go to start I stall....bah! Start up the bike again, move into first and I go through the intersection. I go around the circle a few times and decide to go to my friends house down the street. He's in love with cars and he was probably more excited than I was when I got my bike. As I'm turning to leave the circle, a rain drop hits my visor. Ugh....let's make this quick. I turn onto his street and pull up to his house. Damn is it starting to rain now....I show him my bike quickly but I'm like dude...I gotta get home. I hop back onto my bike and start back to my house. SHIT it is POURING now! My pants are completely soaked as I reach my house and I jump off my bike and get it into the garage. I didn't wanna get caught in the rain but I didn't think it would happen that quickly either. All in all a great fucking day....reminded me why I love motorcycles so much. Couple things I have to work on: friction zone (and will for a while), smoothly changing gears (still jerk a little) my hand placement. One of two things happened today: my gloves are really shitty or I had my hands in the wrong place. Where do you guys put your right hand? Do you keep a few fingers on the brake or do you keep your hand on the throttle until you need the brake? Same thing with the left hand - keep some fingers on the clutch or keep the whole hand on the left handlebar until necessary? My hands kinda hurt after the ride but I think it was because of my awkward hand placement. Or it could be my gloves. A fun day all in all (and the rain just stopped so in an hour or so I might be back out there). If the roads dry up, I'm gonna go back to my friends house and he'll post some pictures of me on the bike. But let's just hope the sun comes out today.... |
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Post by 101ABN on May 19, 2006 11:25:37 GMT -8
Ha-ha!
Glad there were no scratches. I wrenched hell out of my back once many years ago when I was so busy looking cool that I forgot to put the stand down at a gas station. Oh, I caught the bike, and held it off the ground...but what fucking pain! The worst part is it's really hard to look cool after you do something like that. Humbling...
Re: Hand placement
The rule is cover the clutch but not the brake. You should practice until you can grab the brake instinctively when you need it. Right hand stays on the throttle for full, precise control. You are asking your hands to do things they're not used to doing. It's kind of like playing a guitar, your hands, wrists and forearms will get used to it and the right muscles will develop do do the work.
Be sure you don't have a deathgrip on the controls. Nothing will make you tired quicker and a cramp at the wrong time can be problematic.
Good gloves are a must, though. You want the right amount of protection in the right places and your hands shouldn't feel cramped when you flex them or close your fist. You should also still get a sense of feel for the controls, even through the padding.
Husky may have another perspective on the clutch/brake coverage but he rides more aggressively than I do.
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Post by Far Rider on May 19, 2006 12:17:45 GMT -8
Hee hee!
I have been riding BMW's for years, and the old BMW twins used to have a spring loaded sidestand that would fold itself up when you took the weight off of it, the idea being that if you forgot to put the sidestand up when you took off the sidestand would put itself up rather than pole vault you ass over teakettle the first time you leaned left.
The problem was that when you tried to use the sidestand it would fold itself up anyway if there was the slightest grade present. I found this out on my first trip to the gas station, when I went to park the bike to put gas in it. The sidestand folded up, allowing the bike to fall, windshield first, into the pump, breaking the windshield and spilling gas all over the place.
This manuever was so commonplace BMW riders called it "Beem-Boom". Moral: use the center stand.
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Post by FightingFalcon on May 19, 2006 14:00:02 GMT -8
Hahaha....I'm glad I'm not the only person who has dropped their bike because of the kick-stand Round 2: I don't think the Man Upstairs wants me riding today. I drove to my friends house again and took some more pictures but it started raining again so I went home. I'm noticing some problems though - I fixed the problem with my hands (took 101's advice) but I think I'm unknowingly grabbing the clutch. A couple times on the way home I down-shifted even though I didn't want to. I keep my foot on the gear pedal and I must accidentally be down-shifting when I don't want to. I guess I should just keep my hand off the clutch... I'm still really jerky too. I really need to learn how to smoothly switch from gear to gear. The friction zone is fine (a lot easier on this bike as opposed to the bike I used for MSF) but I'm still not up/down-shifting fast enough or smooth enough. It doesn't bother me but I know that it destroys the engine. So I'm gonna practice some more on Sunday - that is, if it isn't raining! |
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