Most Important Things to Know For a Motorcycling n00b.

OK, you imply you've been around some. How about you schedule how you've spent U$20k or so on training. What courses and when?

:huh

I am of the opinion that "THE LEARNING NEVER STOPS"... and also that it would be a very rare occurrence that instruction paid for would not be worth the time and money invested.

That said, unless you are planning to go racing or competing in some form of paid motorcycle sport... I can't see where much over $1000 would be spent by the average rider.

I agree. And riding makes me a better car driver. I learn, get the habit, of situational awareness.

I know this is the noob thread, and this isn't really a noob question, but I am still a noob. So I'm going to ask

Regarding Nick Ienatsch recommendation for entering a corner with the brakes on(see http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=805304 ):


If you are on the brakes with a closed throttle going into a corner, aren't you going to have some amount of engine braking taking place, and on some bikes won't that be far more powerful than however much you'd want to be braking per Nick's recommendations?

Additionally, if you do have the throttle completely closed, how do you crack it back open mid-corner after getting off the brakes without any abrupt off/on throttle response? My DR650 is fine and I can open the throttle very smoothly from closed, but on my nephew's SV650, if you open the throttle from completely closed, it is a bit jerky.

Ive only been riding for 2 years now but Ive havent been down yet(knock on wood) but my bike has tried to kiss another bike in a row of bike(think progressive commercial) but I caught it with it just scratching a cover. Moral of the story... pick your parking and never face downhill.

Never ride faster than your angels can fly

Car drivers in the us are absolute idiots for the most part

Be easy on new tires

No question is a stupid question as long as it well intended

This should be common knowledge but atgatt especially when your first starting

Never stop learning or being willing to learn

On ground up highways (like 315 in columbus ohio at the hospital curve) SLOW DOWN!

Thanks dakez, what about the rest of my post? I was hoping you would reply

One thing i learned very early on is you cant trust your mirrors to gauge speed of someone behind you like you can in a cage.

If you are slow in right lane trying to merge into left, always assume the guy in the left is going faster then he should be.

Usually its true!

I have not read the other forum: Regarding Nick Ienatsch recommendation for entering a corner with the brakes on(see http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=805304

So I do not know what Nick has to say... But I will say that yes, I brake into a corner to load the suspension almost to the point where it is time to roll on the throttle. The transition should be smooth due to being in the right gear and at the right RPM's. I am generally leaving small amounts of rubber from either deceleration or braking at the vast majority of corners I take.

Smooth is fast/Fast is smooth.

But that's just me. Do whatever works for you.

As far as braking in corners for me its a never. I roll into the corner fairly late hit a late apex and let the throttle help push me out slowly. Thats what I do on the street. Yet to do anything on a track with corners so I cant vouch there. its somewhat like a rally turn for me with the in slow out fast deal. But this method can and has made me drift the bike. For some reason though I just hammer down and it always comes out decent where I want it to. I dont brake in corners for fear of the front sliding or high siding since I rarely use my back brake. Note I have no training and limited years even around bikes let alone riding them so dont take all my advice about performance stuff like cornering and use it at your own risk.

Have fun and stay safe. Ride within your limits

Quote:
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="dg-bbcode dg-bbcode-quote"> Originally Posted by gunnabuild1
I respectfully disagree, very few riders will have a GSA as a 2nd or even 3rd bike so if you have been riding for a few years and do regular training, by the time you get that GSA you may very well have spent a fair portion of that figure on your training.

And if you concentrate on smooth fast will eventually come all on it's own.
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OK, you imply you've been around some. How about you schedule how you've spent U$20k or so on training. What courses and when?
__________________
Your right I haven't spent a large amount of time or money on training,when I got a bike the requirements were $20 off you go.
So I took my CB250 to the local bush and rode around the tracks until I THOUGHT I knew what I was doing, back then rider training didn't exist.I didn't even know that counter steering was a thing until I was at a course more than a decade later and I was told thats what I was doing.Done a couple since because it's fun,and I always take something away.
Friends say "you've been riding 20 yrs why are you doing a course?' and the answer is pretty much because there is always something new even if it is just a new perspective.
And to be honest I haven't spent $20k on motorcycles over a lifetime.
I wouldn't want my kids to learn the way I did [or on the deathtraps I rode ] but with whats available nowadays they dont have to.
Just because I figured things out and survived doesn't mean it was the right way or the smart way.
I'll do more courses as time goes on,the kids are almost grown and I'm gradually getting more time on the bike again.
Just a matter of interest there may be a difference in the prices we pay here versus you in the US,
http://www.stayupright.com.au/qld-advanced-i-skill-development-course

Yup, especially on the street, much safer, If I am braking after I am leaned over, it is because I misjudged the corner, or have great visibility. As soon as I roll into a turn, I am maintaining or accelerating. And slow in fast out is fast even on the track. I believe Kenny Roberts espouses to this technique. It works even on the track, and track days, I know from first hand experience. a 5-10 mph higher exit speed would let my 200lbs frame, on a 550 lbs, 90 hp bike, outrun the CBRYZGSXKZ 600's on a regular basis.

So you are disagreeing with the logic that you should keep some pressure on the front brake until you can see a late apex and that the road is clear

Keep pressure, I will say yes I am disagreeing, not my style. Keep fingers on the lever at the ready is prudent. I late apex, to maximize vision, and my pitch in on most corners is not until I can see the exit, or at least feel I have enough clues to know where the exit is.

In reality in the tight twisty stuff I rarely use the brakes, I like to keep it simple and keep the revs up, that makes the throttle alone do 90% of the speed control. On the street you can ride very swiftly in the corners, without rushing blindly into corners so that you need to rely on the brakes a lot. Remember SMOOTH is fast

Question.

I can "work up" to a full lock turn on my bike by turning and slowly making it tighter over a full circle or two, but I cannot immediately just jump into making a turn that tight from moving in a straight line. This makes it difficult to execute u-turns on demand. If I want to make a u-turn on the street I almost always run wide, but if I am in a parking lot, I can usually get my turning radius down to a parking space + one half ~15'. That should be plenty tight enough for any road but I cannot seem to execute it without a good bit of warmup.

Are there any drills or tips for doing this "on command"? I always feel like I am going too fast at 8mph, even though that should be fine.

Second question.

I am under the impression that to scrub in the edges of tires, it would be wise to counterlean through a corner to push the bike down onto the edge of the tire but still have less lateral G force than you would if you were hanging off and on the edge of the tire.

Basically two riding positions, both riding on the edge of the tire:
A) Crossed up/counterleaning, e.g. .6G through the corner of radius X at 30mph
B) Hanging off, e.g. .8G through the corner of radius X at 50mph

Both let you use the edge of the tire but you are pushing the tire less when crossed up correct?


Given this assumption if correct, are you therefore less likely to lowside when crossed up and scraping pegs, than if you are hanging off and scraping pegs, given that if you're hanging off and scraping pegs, you're putting far more lateral G force on the tire than if you were sitting upright and pushing the bike down into the corner?

Beats me, but I'd suggest you play around with this stuff at the track. Pushing skills isn't a thing to do on the street where you may round a corner to find a girl scout troop crossing the road or patch of diesel or some sand. If you are pushing your limits, you won't have the ability to take evasive action.