Gold Course Tomorrow

[rastuscat]

I venture to call myself competent.

But I figure theres always something I can learn.

So a Ride Forever Gold course tomorrow it is for me.

I'll post up my impressions.

[F5 Dave]

I thought that read Golf course. I was wondering why I even clicked on the link. Golf is tedious.

[rastuscat]

I thought that read Golf course. I was wondering why I even clicked on the link. Golf is tedious.

A good walk spoiled.

Just sayin.

[Bonez]

Does everyone get plastic Gold medaliun and certicate after the ride is finished with some icecream afterwoulds?

[Jeeper]

Does everyone get plastic Gold medaliun and certicate after the ride is finished with some icecream afterwoulds?No ice cream, you pay for it yourself.

[caspernz]

I venture to call myself competent.

But I figure theres always something I can learn.

So a Ride Forever Gold course tomorrow it is for me.

I'll post up my impressions.

Pity the instructor who has you as a student :woohoo:

So how did you do? :innocent::scooter:

[rastuscat]

Pity the instructor who has you as a student :woohoo:

So how did you do? :innocent::scooter:

Once you think you know it all, you lose the ability to improve.

It was a really good day, riding in places I'd never been to, with guys I enjoyed meeting and riding with.

The instructor was very similar to me, and the day was reminiscent of courses I used to run. It was based on road craft, which I have always highly valued.

On the course were three other guys, and they all had big ADV bikes. An Africa Twin, a new KTM 1290, and a Triumph 1200 ADV beast. The instructor also had a matching 1200 Triumph, so I was the only one there with a road bike.

The guys with the big, tall ADV bikes really benefited from the slow speed control exercises. The instructor set up three basic police cone exercises. The ones that look really easy, but actually present challenges if you don't use the right technique. Made me feel at home, really.

My big takeaway was in analysing my own style as fed back by a different instructor.

Virtually the same syllabus was delivered, just in a different manner.

Yesterday highlighted the value of working with different instructors. Likely I'll do another Gold in 12 months, with a different instructor. Each different instructor you work with has a different background, from which you'll always pick up something you want to use.

Ironically, I'll be putting in my Cashback application tomorrow. Odd how the world turns.

[caspernz]

Once you think you know it all, you lose the ability to improve.

It was a really good day, riding in places I'd never been to, with guys I enjoyed meeting and riding with.

Wasn't taking pity on the instructor for that reason, merely the perceived pressure of taking one of the leadership guys of the R4E program out as a student.

Every day is a school day works for me.

Can only agree with rest of sentiments expressed.

[george formby]

Wasn't taking pity on the instructor for that reason, merely the perceived pressure of taking one of the leadership guys of the R4E program out as a student.

Every day is a school day works for me.

Can only agree with rest of sentiments expressed.

We did a Gold Course in similar circumstances a few years ago. A highly qualified instructor instructing and a highly qualified instructor participating for the same reason as Rastus, the benefit of the 3rd eye. (Not me, I'm shit!)

By days end the instructor was grinning like a Cheshire cat, it seems that highly competent riders make for a good day in the office for instructors.

I was absolutely knackered by the time we got home, the concentration level was intense all day. Great learning experience from a road craft and handling perspective.

Must do another one...

[rastuscat]

We did a Gold Course in similar circumstances a few years ago. A highly qualified instructor instructing and a highly qualified instructor participating for the same reason as Rastus, the benefit of the 3rd eye. (Not me, I'm shit!)

By days end the instructor was grinning like a Cheshire cat, it seems that highly competent riders make for a good day in the office for instructors.

I was absolutely knackered by the time we got home, the concentration level was intense all day. Great learning experience from a road craft and handling perspective.

Must do another one...

I can tell you, that when I was doing the full time instructor job, each day was truly knackering. It's the high concentration level required that did it.

A day as a motorbike cop is equally knackering, especially when you have the same job to do the next day.

[george formby]

I can tell you, that when I was doing the full time instructor job, each day was truly knackering. It's the high concentration level required that did it.

A day as a motorbike cop is equally knackering, especially when you have the same job to do the next day.

I have the utmost respect for professional riders. Seeing Te Federales riding round London in the depths of winter, permanent twilight, slippy wet roads, always amazed me. The bikes and riders were always filthy.

Some of the shenanigans I've seen on training courses must give instructors grey hairs.

[Navy Boy]

I did a Gold course in Blenheim this last weekend. There were 5 students and the one instructor which turned out to be a good ratio as we all got turns to lead when out on the open road. Plus we used both Queen Charlotte Drive as well as the Kenepuru Sound road which are really technical and good fun at the same time.

The slow speed exercises and emergency braking were perhaps the most beneficial bit for me. Plus we were blessed with a cracking day weather-wise which always helps.

It's funny - I rode my MV Rivale as I was keen to do the slower speed stuff on it to see how I got on. Riding the clutch and using the back brake at the same time still make me wince just a little as it doesn't feel very mechanically sensitive but I managed to get the MV turning well. Plus the front brake proved to be a little too effective when I managed to stoppie at my first attempt at the 50km/hr braking test :rolleyes: Still, that's why we do these things I guess.

[Blackbird]

The slow speed exercises and emergency braking were perhaps the most beneficial bit for me.

Exactly the same for me Lee. My previous two bikes had poor lock and I was out of practice doing slow speed manoeuvres. It was a good opportunity to do them on the Duke with others watching - nowhere to hide! Like your MV, the Duke is a bit snatchy at the bottom end so learning to use the clutch and rear brake properly was an excellent refresher. Caspernz's phrase "every day is a school day"is particularly apt. The only way is down if you don't refresh your skills, no matter who you are. :clap:

[rastuscat]

I did a Gold course in Blenheim this last weekend. There were 5 students and the one instructor which turned out to be a good ratio as we all got turns to lead when out on the open road. Plus we used both Queen Charlotte Drive as well as the Kenepuru Sound road which are really technical and good fun at the same time.

The slow speed exercises and emergency braking were perhaps the most beneficial bit for me. Plus we were blessed with a cracking day weather-wise which always helps.

It's funny - I rode my MV Rivale as I was keen to do the slower speed stuff on it to see how I got on. Riding the clutch and using the back brake at the same time still make me wince just a little as it doesn't feel very mechanically sensitive but I managed to get the MV turning well. Plus the front brake proved to be a little too effective when I managed to stoppie at my first attempt at the 50km/hr braking test :rolleyes: Still, that's why we do these things I guess.

When I learned to ride the Popo bikes we were quite hard on clutches. We used far too many revs, and far too much back brake to compensate.

When you get better at it, you become very attuned to how much clutch, how much brake, and how much throttle to use when leaning the bike at low speed.

[george formby]

Interestin. When I became more adept at slow speed handling on my TDM, watched a lot of moto gymkhana videos, I stopped using the clutch. Constant revs and modulate the rear brake for in and out of a turn.

Never stalled (thankfully), must be engine characteristics.

Pretty sure I stopped using the clutch on the 2t, too.

[Bonez]

Having hands, feet and arse at a good position goes a long way to make it easy for low speed manouvering. Front tire type/size and tire pressure as well.

[rastuscat]

Interestin. When I became more adept at slow speed handling on my TDM, watched a lot of moto gymkhana videos, I stopped using the clutch. Constant revs and modulate the rear brake for in and out of a turn.

Never stalled (thankfully), must be engine characteristics.

Pretty sure I stopped using the clutch on the 2t, too.

I'm looking forward to the Motogymkhana at the Shiny Side Up events, on my RT.

I've also watched those videos, just a couple of days ago. I'll be giving the no-clutch approach a go when I'm out on the bike next.

Old dogs, new tricks, and so on.

[george formby]

I'm looking forward to the Motogymkhana at the Shiny Side Up events, on my RT.

I've also watched those videos, just a couple of days ago. I'll be giving the no-clutch approach a go when I'm out on the bike next.

Old dogs, new tricks, and so on.


:eek5: Not using the clutch was an accident. It dawned on me one day that I wasn't using it, just covering it.

I still do full lock figure 8's when I find a quiet car park. Nothing flash, the bike basically idles around in circles quite happily.

Accelerating from one turn into the next can get interesting. Both brakes, holding a few revs, release front brake, start turn, release back brake, stand up.... Cutch if too fast or too much back brake but the bike drops like a sack of spuds with no drive and it's top heavy with a lead frame. Got to have throttle for 360's.

Be interested to hear how the BMW goes at motogymkhana, should be excellent. Dunno if my not using the clutch is a help or hindrance TBH. I would hate to hear you stalled it and cursed Mr Formby from under the bike.

[caspernz]

Riding the clutch and using the back brake at the same time still make me wince just a little as it doesn't feel very mechanically sensitive but I managed to get the MV turning well.

If memory serves correctly, your MV Rivale is a wet multiplate clutch, and those clutches will stand up to lots of slipping at lowish revs whilst riding rear brake. Once you get pretty good at it, you'll only be running engine at fast idle anyway, thus some degree of mechanical sympathy is restored.

There is one serious downside to being an instructor, the "improvement opportunities" one sees in other road users is a near endless monologue :shutup::innocent::facepalm:

[Bonez]

If memory serves correctly, your MV Rivale is a wet multiplate clutch, and those clutches will stand up to lots of slipping at lowish revs whilst riding rear brake. Once you get pretty good at it, you'll only be running engine at fast idle anyway, thus some degree of mechanical sympathy is restored.

There is one serious downside to being an instructor, the "improvement opportunities" one sees in other road users is a near endless monologue :shutup::innocent::facepalm:It's momotonous alright. Slippiing the wet clutch at walking speed in traffic is a piece of piss and wont harm the clutch at all. .\

[Gremlin]

Be interested to hear how the BMW goes at motogymkhana, should be excellent. Dunno if my not using the clutch is a help or hindrance TBH. I would hate to hear you stalled it and cursed Mr Formby from under the bike.
The boxers have very good weight distribution, and I'm guessing the RT would have a very similar lock to the GSA (excellent, best I've come across). The main difference would be the final drive ratio, with the RT one of the highest.

I do plenty of footpaths, close quarters with runners and tight turns in run courses, complete with a camera man on the back. I try to warn them to sit still as a tight turn comes up, but most of the time I can still get the bike over in full lock whatever they're doing.

To me, confidence is key, which comes through practise. Knowing how the bike will respond, how much clutch/throttle/brake to use. I actually tend not to focus on it much, and thinking time (especially in events) is on the environment around me.

[rastuscat]

The boxers have very good weight distribution, and I'm guessing the RT would have a very similar lock to the GSA (excellent, best I've come across). The main difference would be the final drive ratio, with the RT one of the highest.

I do plenty of footpaths, close quarters with runners and tight turns in run courses, complete with a camera man on the back. I try to warn them to sit still as a tight turn comes up, but most of the time I can still get the bike over in full lock whatever they're doing.

To me, confidence is key, which comes through practise. Knowing how the bike will respond, how much clutch/throttle/brake to use. I actually tend not to focus on it much, and thinking time (especially in events) is on the environment around me.

Same, actually. Mrs Cat came on the Gold course with me, and we cracked out some wicked U-turns.

Learned to ride hard with a pillion after a few years of doing the Cycle Tour of Southland, 2 up.

I'm aware the the RT LC has a wet clutch, so it's better than my previous few.

[Gremlin]

Learned to ride hard with a pillion after a few years of doing the Cycle Tour of Southland, 2 up.

I'm aware the the RT LC has a wet clutch, so it's better than my previous few.
Yep, my favourite word to describe event support, especially stage tours is "dynamic" :eek:

Ah, you have an LC (I'm starting to wonder if I seriously consider adding an LC GSA to the fleet). Clutch is improved and also access to it (common complaint of course from police forces). Instead the alternator was attached to the engine, and at one point there was a bad batch. Its easier to replace the alternator on the older model... of course :laugh: