A little perplexed and curious.

Jvheli said:

What I learned most this past year is how to hang on! Lol

I make it a practice every year to practice full effort emergency braking! It’s scary even when planned! But I figure if you don’t practice, where is the “muscle memory” when you do find yourself in an emergency?

Practice and learning from others I find most rewarding!

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Mighty Mouse said:

Anyone can go fast in a straight line. Slow work, slow work, slow work. Put up some home made cones in a parking lot and practice u-turns and figure 8's. Make them tighter and tighter and your confidence with the motorcycle will soar. Now your confidence will translate into the 'higher speed' turns and twisties on the back roads. Test yourself but never ride 'over your head'. There is always room to get better no matter how you ride.

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Mighty Mouse said:

Anyone can go fast in a straight line. Slow work, slow work, slow work. Put up some home made cones in a parking lot and practice u-turns and figure 8's. Make them tighter and tighter and your confidence with the motorcycle will soar. Now your confidence will translate into the 'higher speed' turns and twisties on the back roads. Test yourself but never ride 'over your head'. There is always room to get better no matter how you ride.

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Well said!

1olbull said:

Paul,
Riding "experience" is somewhat an ambiguous term.
A lot of riders of many years and mileage are not necessarily proficient.

Studies have shown those that have worked at improving their skill set become more proficient. Some "beginner" level riders never work to reach an "intermediate" skill level.
Few work enough to reach the "advanced" rider classification.

Sadly, most riders just ride and make no effort to improve their skill set.
For example - braking studies reveal the average rider does not exceed the braking friction value of a cage. This is terrible when considering a motor can and should out-brake a cage.
How many riders practice braking? (tire change time is always good for this).
How many riders can comfortably u-turn within a 24 foot wide, two lane roadway?
How many riders know the lean angle limits of their motors?
These things are not just worthwhile for speed or show; they are for safety when needed.

Seat time is not the criteria. One example I am familiar with is Rob @Claviger.
He has only been riding a few years, but has honed good skills from practice.
Anthony @WyldCFH was an average rider when we met in Texas a few years ago.
I don't know how long he has ridden, but my recent Texas ride with Anthony amazed me at how much he has improved. Both he and Rob were a hoot to follow and video!

I have ridden with several others who have many miles of seat time and years of ownership, but are relatively unskilled and not very proficient.
I reckon you @Paul Bryant did not get to be a good rider without pushing yourself to learn and improve = practice, practice, practice?

Motors are like guns.
Tis not what you can do in normal, controlled circumstances.
Tis what you will do when crapping your pants!

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Paul Bryant said:

Yes you are correct Bull.
I've been riding for over 53 years, that is if you include mini bikes with lawn mower Engines that I built at the age of 10.
Two accidents of note in that time.
One when I was about 20 ... chasing the Cops around the City.
Fell off, ended up in Hospital for four months with a bit of damage.
2nd accident about 6 years ago when the front wheel washed out on a corner at about 25 KPH !
People said I was going to slow ....
8 days in hospital, four severed tendons on my Left hand and a major friction burn on my left shoulder.


Yes I can do a full luck U turn on the Rocket, off camber, .... on gravel. DAMHIK.

Braking, on my 1000cc T160 Trident going up to the Waigaro pub, 15 miles up in the hills West of here, through the Gorge I would slide the bike into the corner, then when I saw the exit release the rear brake and give it full throttle.
The bike went from sliding into the corner on a molten pool of rubber to wheel spinning on a molten pool of rubber exiting.
Best time to the pub ? 15 miles, 13 minutes, and that is slowing down to the posted 50 KPH limit through the wee town of Glen Massey. (Approx. 1 mile)

Lean angles ?
People talk about touching down their ... whada ya call those screw in things on the end of the foot pegs?
I removed them the first time I rode the rocket, there is now quite a chamfer on both side footrests.
See the bottom photo for the chamfer on the R/H footrest.

Brakes and Braking;
With the Pretech six pots on the front, and a front L/H 4 pot Caliper on the rear, the braking on this bike is dramatically improved, especially when braking hard from 200+ KPH down to 100 KPH.

As I have often said .... "It's no small miracle that I am still alive" !

Oh, I am quite a conservative rider these days

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1olbull said:

Paul,
Riding "experience" is somewhat an ambiguous term.
A lot of riders of many years and mileage are not necessarily proficient.

Studies have shown those that have worked at improving their skill set become more proficient. Some "beginner" level riders never work to reach an "intermediate" skill level.
Few work enough to reach the "advanced" rider classification.

Sadly, most riders just ride and make no effort to improve their skill set.
For example - braking studies reveal the average rider does not exceed the braking friction value of a cage. This is terrible when considering a motor can and should out-brake a cage.
How many riders practice braking? (tire change time is always good for this).
How many riders can comfortably u-turn within a 24 foot wide, two lane roadway?
How many riders know the lean angle limits of their motors?
These things are not just worthwhile for speed or show; they are for safety when needed.

Seat time is not the criteria. One example I am familiar with is Rob @Claviger.
He has only been riding a few years, but has honed good skills from practice.
Anthony @WyldCFH was an average rider when we met in Texas a few years ago.
I don't know how long he has ridden, but my recent Texas ride with Anthony amazed me at how much he has improved. Both he and Rob were a hoot to follow and video!

I have ridden with several others who have many miles of seat time and years of ownership, but are relatively unskilled and not very proficient.
I reckon you @Paul Bryant did not get to be a good rider without pushing yourself to learn and improve = practice, practice, practice?

Motors are like guns.
Tis not what you can do in normal, controlled circumstances.
Tis what you will do when crapping your pants!

Click to expand...