Getting the most from my bike.

[peter.trub]

#9099

Some real good stuff coming out here!!I recomend all riders attend a track day on a regular basis. The only negative I have found with them is that some bikers are there to go fast rather than learn. Haveing had to brake out of a corner so the guy on the Duke didnt take out myself and the guy in front of me being one example. On the plus side he recognized his mistake and apoligised for it later, I can respect that.Those moments aside I believe in the worth of track days for one simple reason. We teach ourselves to ride a bike, we learn by watching and imitating others and we learn from our mistakes. Unfortunatly the man who learns from his mistakes is taught by a fool  😀 .As has been pointed out there are many options to approach lines, speed, braking and exiting corners. Some safe and some foolish. If we dont have the knowledge to decide which one we are taking we endanger ourselves and others.I took my wife (she who rides a boulavard 650) to a track day at Taupo and we rode home on slippery roads in pouring rain and she felt SAFE. She had gained confidence in herself and her bikes ability.One word of caution, check your insurance cover before attending. Accidents are not planned, if they were they would be called an ön purpose" 😀Drove my big Mack truck over the Kaimais yesterday. Lots of bikes racing up and down the hill (some sort of Tattoo and bike show on at the Mount). Watching some of them you can see why some motorists call us temporary!!The most permanat change comes from leadership  😀

[ROBIN MOSS]

#9100

"track days"...what are they, how do we get to know what/where/when/who? -  😕

Hi Bryan.Trust you have enough info on track days. Do a google on the motor Racing circuit closest to you. The Web sites will have all the info on track days. I only advocate track days because it is a good way to get ride time without needing to worry about traffic. And the cost is minimal, in that circuit hire is exspensive but not when shared with many. You may not wish to do track days, because, many of the riders are heel bent on speed, practice, and testing and so you may find it intimidating to have bikes around you going at high speed.If this is the case then try to opt for some of the more formal training events, as mention Kiwi Biker generally carries an advert or two.If you wish you can ask me for some written info, let me know at what level you consider is your understanding, will help me to avoid boring you with a whole lot of stuff that you may already know. The stuff I have is a little segmented in that it goes step by step. I.E. Step one, practice this and once the feelling is happening introduce step two and so on.Also if you feel intimidated by any part of your riding, let me know, I can help you with understanding why it is happening and what can prevent or minimise the occurance. Easy to practice during a ride.A TIP. During a ride think about you as an extension of your bike, not your  bike being an extension of you. Imagine taking a push bike and firstly getting the bike balanced and now with some momentum propel the bike down a flight of stairs, chances are if the bike was well balanced and enough momentum was used the bike would make it, upright, to the bottom of the stairs. When a rider climbs on board they instantly, because of fear or lack of ability try to take control and crash. "So" as a rider we are just jockeys, climb on board and enjoy the ride and if we can understand the physics and position our weight accordingly the stair case becomes a formality.PS Don't try this at home. ????????RegardsLeigh.

[Anonymous]

#9101

Leigh2nd of Feb is the kick-off of the 2008 Vintage Bentley Tour of New Zealand.  30 cars from all over the world, built from 1924-1936 will be touring the southisland, and they will be doing a few laps of your track that morning before they leave.  It should be the biggest collection of "W.O." Bentleys in one place in this country for awhile!  Something like $25mil worth of cars.I can't make it, but I'm sure it will be impressive!Dave

[Anonymous]

#9102

Hi Leigh. Being an X Chch boy I would like to meet you when you are next in Auck. I will be down in Chch 29 May for 4 days for a famliy get together so could catch up then. I spent a lot of time riding on the Summit Road as well dirt tracks up to the Summit Road.Dean

[ROBIN MOSS]

#9103

Leigh2nd of Feb is the kick-off of the 2008 Vintage Bentley Tour of New Zealand.  30 cars from all over the world, built from 1924-1936 will be touring the southisland, and they will be doing a few laps of your track that morning before they leave.  It should be the biggest collection of "W.O." Bentleys in one place in this country for awhile!  Something like $25mil worth of cars.I can't make it, but I'm sure it will be impressive!Dave

Hi Dave, thanks for the Bentley info, I'm working at the Skope classic with the Can Am guys from your country (USA) as there race Craft instructor. My role is to help them to get a feeling for the track, best lines, where to place your car for those suttle manouvers that create passing opportunities etc, in truth I will propably end up being there Gopher but it is always great fun and a great weekend. There are i think 14 cars (Can-Am) from America so I will have ample opportunity to see the Bentleys. Are you a Bentley fan and I'm happy to take some photos, burn to disc and send to you. Just say the word and give me a forwarding address. I understand you are from USA.Pity you can't make it. Always a spare BedCheersLeigh

[ROBIN MOSS]

#9104

Hi Leigh. Being an X Chch boy I would like to meet you when you are next in Auck. I will be down in Chch 29 May for 4 days for a famliy get together so could catch up then. I spent a lot of time riding on the Summit Road as well dirt tracks up to the Summit Road.Dean

Hi Dean.Will send you my address and contact numbers via email, not to keen on posting them hear, have included my work web site. So when in town give me a call. Would be good to catch up.http://www.aartpulse.co.nz  CheersLeigh.

[Dave Ross]

#9105

No damage, Leigh. Some light scuff marks on the screen and the same on the tank. Nothing a GS rider should worry about.

[Anonymous]

#9106

Thanks Leigh, but I have the photos covered.My wife is the one of the tour organisers.  There will even be a TV crew travelling with them!Here's a link:  http://www.drivesouth.co.nz/news/3681/bentleys-to-tour-south-island

[Wade Cook]

#9107

An interesting discussion; I have been riding since the 60's many years as a motorcycle cop where we had been taught the “Hendon Police Method of Vehicle control” the most important idea is to maintain a set distance from the edge of the road throughout the manoeuvre in order to maintain maximum visibility at all times (there is a whole lot more to the Method than just that) and of course in practice when in pursuit you were in a position to observe and react to the action of those you were perusing.  At the same time for a number of years I club raced in Melbourne, a Yamaha RD350 (often scared the crap out of me), the rules were entirely different and I found that those who were successful had no fear or no imagination, but the important factor here is that there is no opposing traffic on a track. The main thought that occurs to me reading this thread is that there is a huge difference between riding a road that you know an love (similar to the track) you have practiced the angles of approach and departure the gear is selected etc.. And when riding a road you don't know I strongly council that caution and the ride to survive factor has to be paramount.  I have recently traded my naked R100R on a R1150RT and have found the difference huge, just over two weeks on the new bike a lot of that two up I am starting to feel that I am getting to know her attributes,  fortunately I have not had to test how forgiving she is.

[Dave Ross]

#9108

And when riding a road you don't know I strongly council that caution and the ride to survive factor has to be paramount.

I found that conditions change so quickly on NZ roads that it is near impossible to get to know a road. Ok, you'll learn the layout and the camber, but the actual surface condition will almost certainly vary, possibly even during a single day.The trouble is that good practice demands that you look ahead, through a turn, to where you want to go. However, it is also wise to keep an eye out for a change of surface condition. Ultimately this means that you should ride at a pace where you can do both.I sometimes prefer to ride on gravel for this reason. You already know that the road surface will be marginal, so it's less likely that you will get sucked in to a false sense of security. It can still happen of course. I think Danny Crane has illustrated that quite well. You cannot afford to daydream while riding a motorcycle. It demands constant concentration. This is why it is such a great stress relief as it frees your mind from everything else.

[ROBIN MOSS]

#9109

2nd of Feb is the kick-off of the 2008 Vintage Bentley Tour of New Zealand.  Hi Dave.I must just send you a quick message re the Bentleys at Ruapuna. WOW! they were fantastic.30 odd cars, some as big as trucks and doing 100 mph down the main straight. The ground shook beneath you. Most of the cars were capable of close to 100mph.The Can-am cars were also a special piece of nostalgia, especially with the close connection to Bruce McClaren. There were 3 McClarens MC6. One was not trully Can-Am in that it had a very modified Big Block Chev and reached 184mph on the Ruapuna Main Straight. Made the hairs on the back of my neck tingle.  🙄Better get some work done.Regards Leigh

[ROBIN MOSS]

#9110

An interesting discussion; I have been riding since the 60's many years as a motorcycle cop where we had been taught the "Hendon Police Method of Vehicle control"

Hi. In the sixties, Cop bikes by memory would have been Triumph Saints, or were you blessed with a different make, back then I road or owned an ex Police Bike (Saint) . We are showing our age!. I'm interested in the Hendon Police Method in that did they teach you about Countersteering. Two or three people have said on this thread that they have been taught this skill and practice it daily. I wonder about the valadility of these comments and how they were taught. Counter Steering is a skill that we all learnt when we were about 5 or 6 years old, or more exactly when we learnt to ride a push bike. As a point of interest on a motorbike (or any two wheeled vehicle) before a right hand turn (or left but opposite) can be made the steering direction must first be to the left. (Countersteering) Don't believe me, then have you ever tried to steer around a pothole and the bike just wont go around the obstacle or only just missed the blasted thing. Reason being is that the rider generally becomes tense and the bike and rider which are an inverted pedulum become trapped by physics. When the need for a quick swerve to one side suddenly arises, it is essential to know, that the handlebars must be deliberately pressed away on that side instead of being pulled. If you wish to go to the left then the first movement (counter steering) must be to the right.It appears that from this thread peoples understanding of countersteering is possibly incorrect.Trust this won't Antagonise to many people.RegardsLeigh.

[Anonymous]

#9111

Cool photos Leigh.It looks like your head is the dot on an exclamation mark!!heheGlad you enjoyed the Bentleys

[Dave Ross]

#9112

Hi Leigh,I hope you didn't mind me fixing your link on that first photo. Thanks for posting those.Alex

[Richard Kuysten]

#9113

The picture of the Bentleys takes me back a long way.  At age about 8 or 9 (early 50s) I lived in Winchester in southern England.  A close neighbour had a grown up son who was a pilot in the RAF based at Farnborough and he used to come home for the weekend occasionally in his Bentley.  Very similar to those in the pic and I remember it had the spare wheel on the running board.  The sheer size and noise are still fixed in my head and if we were lucky he would stop at the entrance to our cul de sac and let us ride on the running boards to his house  😀 I would love to have had the opportunity to see and hear those beautiful machines in action.  Thanks for the pics Leigh.Malcolm

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