Rocket nearly killed me

[Manic_Mechanic]

There I was happily drinking Kool Aid and now I'm researching tranny upgrades for my 05

Oh yeah and when I crashed (2011) it was my fault spinning a new tire by accidental torque overdose and slippery stock seat. 7.8 second bull ride and finally put it down in my own lane. My orthopedic surgeon loves me

Put more ice in your Kool Aid and get on craigslist personals. Plenty of "trannies" looking for uprgades.

 

[cr0ft]

Yeah, there has been a serious uptick in the amount of older riders over the past few years, people in their late middle age or beyond who want to get back to riding. The smart ones take an MSF course or local equivalent and buy a bike they have a prayer of controlling, and then buy appropriate head to toe protective leathers. The dumb ones ride in jeans, a t-shirt and a stupid half helmet that will keep the brain in but let the face get ripped off and think they can just pick up where they left off some day in their long forgotten youth.

A few decades ago old riders were maybe 1 in 10, now it's more like 1 in 3.

And since old dudes don't bounce the way kids do when they hit the ground, they also contract heavier injuries - ribcage damage, torn ligaments, broken bones etc.

I know I'm a lot more cautious these days than when I was a young whippersnapper. Back then, the very notion of crashing didn't exist, not even after I did so twice. Nowadays, taking a curve with a drop-off and a railing I'm all "ookay, we don't want to go there, so pay attention" in my head...

 

[Lostride]

Like many of us here I started out riding in Australia the day I could get a licence, 17 years and 9 months (~35 years ago). All you needed was to pass the learners permit test and off you go. I'd had a mini bike since I was about 12 and I thought I knew how to ride a bike. I rode my Honda XL 250S every day across Melbourne from Footscray to Prahran, weaving in and out of semi-trailers, riding in the wind, cold and rain with none of the modern riding gear and on semi-knobby tyres.. I never checked anything, I just put petrol in and rode. I never had a problem really.

I thought I knew how to ride.. until about 12 years ago when I took a riders course run by the Canada Safety Council (I was living in Canada then). It was a weekend course and it started out as though you had never sat on a bike before. Boy did I soon realize I knew bugger-all about riding motorcycles properly! I took the same course a few years later with some friends who were new riders and I thought another go would be good, and it was.

As @cr0ft pointed out, I would also highly recommend to all my mates out there to consider doing a course, especially if you are returning to the sport and even if you think you are a legend on 2 wheels..you will be amazed what you might learn! Confidence is important and the course helps in that area.

When I was young it seemed that there weren't any courses like today, you just learnt stuff from someone else(s) (bad habits) In my older age I have now also done 2 scuba diving courses ( Open Water Advanced Adventurer) and a First-Aid course and I think it helps a lot to see how important it is to manage the risks we take and truly understand what we are doing. I always wear (all!) my gear and don't look all that cool with high-viz bits and "proper" helmet, but to me, motorcycling is what I see and experience, not what others see (unless it is to stay out of my way!). I worked for a H-D dealer some time ago and I always thought the guy on a hopped up Dyna Sport with a full-faced helmet and full leathers looked way cooler than the weekend warriors all dolled up on their Softails...sorry, no offence to anyone with a Softail and a penchant for tassles and conchos! (I rode a lowered bored 96" FXSTC with straight pipes and drag bars for a while, I get it!)

If you rode an R3 in a clown suit you would still look cool! so us Trumpy guys are less inclined to dress up, we let the bike do the talking

Now I am loving my Rocket and it has taught me a whole new respect, because riding the R3 requires and demands respect.

Stay safe guys!

p.s I am thinking of doing a rider's course again sometime soon now I am back in Oz, can anyone out there recommend one in the Brisbane area they have done?

 

[TURBO200R4]

i am like the older drivers that rode when they were young.
drove a sporster then the rocket while on a ride with two other bikes we went into a corner the first guy crossed over the yellow lines the second guy did a perfect curve i thought i was going to fast and there were no cars in the oncoming lane so i crossed over the yellow lines.
i knew this was not smart so i tried to figure out why i did that. the answer was that i was afraid of leaning the bike over far enough to make the corner. so now i know that i will keep leaning the bike over dragging the pegs until one of the tires slide out before i cross that yellow line again.
i watch the failed videos and i think this happens to a lot of riders that hit the corners a little to fast. just a few days ago i hit the corner a little to fast i got on the front brake a little and leaned it over and made the corner. i hope this will help some one make that corner.

ps
when you are going into a corner and you get the rocket in to a lower gear (to low for the speed you are going) and you let the clutch out to fast that rear wheel will break traction and the back tire will start sliding out the only thing that will save you is pulling in the clutch.

 

[STRIPES]

i am like the older drivers that rode when they were young.
drove a sporster then the rocket while on a ride with two other bikes we went into a corner the first guy crossed over the yellow lines the second guy did a perfect curve i thought i was going to fast and there were no cars in the oncoming lane so i crossed over the yellow lines.
i knew this was not smart so i tried to figure out why i did that. the answer was that i was afraid of leaning the bike over far enough to make the corner. so now i know that i will keep leaning the bike over dragging the pegs until one of the tires slide out before i cross that yellow line again.
i watch the failed videos and i think this happens to a lot of riders that hit the corners a little to fast. just a few days ago i hit the corner a little to fast i got on the front brake a little and leaned it over and made the corner. i hope this will help some one make that corner.

ps
when you are going into a corner and you get the rocket in to a lower gear (to low for the speed you are going) and you let the clutch out to fast that rear wheel will break traction and the back tire will start sliding out the only thing that will save you is pulling in the clutch.

You are lucky you didn't high side when you pulled in the clutch!

 

[TURBO200R4]

You are lucky you didn't high side when you pulled in the clutch!

???

 

[STRIPES]

You were lucky because your rear end wasn't out too far when it the tire regained traction. Pulling in the clutch is the same thing as shutting off the throttle. See

 

[JohnnyB09T]

I actuall just went down on April 26th on the way up to RAAX. Like you don't remember what happened only one night in the hospital for me. Mine is an 09 Touring DS but all the bars took the damage and no broken bones, helmet and riding jacket took a skinning but that why i wear them. So glad to read your doing ok. Ride when you can but always be SAFE.

Johnny B09T

 

[TURBO200R4]

thanks stripes for video i will listening to that several times.

 

[cr0ft]

thanks stripes for video i will listening to that several times.

The problem is that just knowing in your head what to do will not translate to proper action when your wheel starts sliding. The only thing that works is to actually practice correcting slides, which means you have to create slides, which is ****ed dangerous. It's a dilemma. Plus, creating a slide and controlling it is still hugely easier than having a slide surprise you and then doing the right thing. Best thing to do is just avoid the situation altogether by not riding in ways that generate slide.