I found one!

[arcane12]

Thanks for that! Great site. Will definately have to go explore after work...

Sounds like my next day trip might have to be to Kawhia then aye...?

Without a doubt! Once the weather clears a bit...

If you want a bit of a spoiler/teaser google maps this: 3242 Kawhia Road, Hauturu, Waikato, New Zealand

[MystikEagle]

Yay!!!

Boss gave me the day off so I am all booked in for the Pro Rider course in Taupo next sunday!!!

Hopefully I can get my rev counter all fixed before then...

[Geeen]

Awesome! I shall see you there

Not sent from an iDevice

[Maha]

Without a doubt! Once the weather clears a bit...

If you want a bit of a spoiler/teaser google maps this: 3242 Kawhia Road, Hauturu, Waikato, New Zealand

Yip, that is what I weas talking about earlier...
Thats right by that rest area eh?
This is what greeted us when we arrived late afternoon.

[ckai]

Yay!!!

Boss gave me the day off so I am all booked in for the Pro Rider course in Taupo next sunday!!!

Hopefully I can get my rev counter all fixed before then...

Awesome! I shall see you there

Not sent from an iDevice

Will see both of ya there then I'll be the one sitting on the sideline watching my bike go round without me. It was about time wifey took Sonic II out on the track and see what all the hoohaa is about

[ckai]

Yip, that is what I weas talking about earlier...
Thats right by that rest area eh?
This is what greeted us when we arrived late afternoon.

That habour always looks cool when it's glass and has some cool sun effects going on.

[Maha]

Beautiful spot, grab a bag of Fish and Chips/sit on the grass and enjoy.

[GrayWolf]

You should try to get comfortable with either foot down. But given that it's more better to have the back brake available I reckon it's a good idea to hook 1st gear before you stop, pull the clutch as usual and drop the left foot. That way you can hold the bike on the slope with the back brake, and it's easier to throttle up and take off if you're not having to worry about the front brake at the same time.

Make sense?

That sounds about what I would do
What about when facing across the slope rather than up/down?

Just a thought/question..... If you take the test, will the examiner 'ping' you for being in gear while stationary? (UK) full test you were exepcected to put the bike in neutral, then do the 'foot dance' to put it in gear ready to move. IF you could be pinged? best not to get into a bad habit from the get go.... but yeh it's more 'practical' doing it the wrong way

[GrayWolf]

Thanks for that! Great site. Will definately have to go explore after work...

Sounds like my next day trip might have to be to Kawhia then aye...?

Reading your posts, really takes a lot of us back I guess.... many ways still do look for an excuse to ride all these years later....
I love reading the enthusiasm and your thoughts on events, occurrences. I dont know the Kawhia rd, but if as described it's an 'EPIC' road with masses of bends.... my suggestion would be.. dont tackle it yet.
2 main reasons.. and if I am called a 'nana' for it... bite me!!!

1) you are still by your own admission learning lines and cornering technique, enjoyable as it might be, you may also start to develop some 'bad habits' especially if you are following other riders. Sad but true most of us have bad habits we dont realise. There are several techniques you can and should/do employ riding a series of bends.... apex, vanishing point, line of sight through the bends, etc etc.... you can/could end up losing focus after a while and start to get a bit 'ragged' as you flow through them. You dont sound like a 'Rossi wannabe' and I do know there are people who can 'ride the arse of their bikes' and do it safely and using good technique. Others are just 'point and squirt' to a bend, anchor up like crazy, tip it in, then scream off towards the next corner ........ Or you can use the 'touring' style.... flowing through the bends, with not a lot of braking, letting the motor do the work for you. This requires more thought than 'point and squirt', but maybe less than taking and using race lines/technique. get your cornering skills to a reasonable level before tackling an 'epic' ride.... OR go with a Mentor/instructor/rider who is regarded as a competent rider by older experienced riders (not one who is regarded as 'good' because he can pull epic wheelies, burnouts, drag race starts and hasnt yet realised that a throttle has more than 2 positions (tick over and redline). <---- Who mentioned Drew??

2) As mentioned above your level of concentration requirement is very high, and mental fatigue is a 'killer' for a new rider.....
I have mentioned Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's theory of 'Flow' in a post long time ago... basically it is a theory of arousal Vs anxiety

Very basic breakdown
High challenge against skill level..= anxiety
Low challenge against skill level .. -= boredom
equal challenge to skill ..= flow....
Flow is the state of engagement where the activity becomes 'timeless' and suddenly several hours can have passed, such is the enjoyment or state of 'arousal'. At your present level, most of your cognitive effort is being spent of the actual TASK or if you like, acquiring the Mastery of the task. Like walking or running, as a toddler? it took effort to balance and stand, now your cerebellum has it so strongly imprinted you dont even think about it if you want to run. You may be able to ride a bike, but already you've realised the farm isnt the same as the road. That Epic ride isnt going anywhere soon, get your skills up to a point you are not 'thinking' about what you're doing.. then go and enjoy the 'feeling of flow' when you come out of a series or miles of bends and have a shit eating grin on your face.

[Geeen]

Will see both of ya there then I'll be the one sitting on the sideline watching my bike go round without me. It was about time wifey took Sonic II out on the track and see what all the hoohaa is about

Hamilton M/C centre has a ride going down if you want to "warm the bike up" like a considerate husband.....

[ckai]

Hamilton M/C centre has a ride going down if you want to "warm the bike up" like a considerate husband.....

haha, na we're gonna trailer it down. I'm tossing up whether I throw on Mum's new bike as well so Brooke can see what that's like around a track. It still might be a bit fresh for that though.

Should be a good day to sort things out for everyone though. My first coaching session was on Taupo. Found memories of blasting around a Hyosung I learnt heaps. All new riders need to do these courses.

[Captain_Salty]

this guy has some useful vids http://www.youtube.com/user/BaltimoreGS?feature=watch

[MystikEagle]

Reading your posts, really takes a lot of us back I guess.... many ways still do look for an excuse to ride all these years later....
I love reading the enthusiasm and your thoughts on events, occurrences. I dont know the Kawhia rd, but if as described it's an 'EPIC' road with masses of bends.... my suggestion would be.. dont tackle it yet.
2 main reasons.. and if I am called a 'nana' for it... bite me!!!

1) you are still by your own admission learning lines and cornering technique, enjoyable as it might be, you may also start to develop some 'bad habits' especially if you are following other riders. Sad but true most of us have bad habits we dont realise. There are several techniques you can and should/do employ riding a series of bends.... apex, vanishing point, line of sight through the bends, etc etc.... you can/could end up losing focus after a while and start to get a bit 'ragged' as you flow through them. You dont sound like a 'Rossi wannabe' and I do know there are people who can 'ride the arse of their bikes' and do it safely and using good technique. Others are just 'point and squirt' to a bend, anchor up like crazy, tip it in, then scream off towards the next corner ........ Or you can use the 'touring' style.... flowing through the bends, with not a lot of braking, letting the motor do the work for you. This requires more thought than 'point and squirt', but maybe less than taking and using race lines/technique. get your cornering skills to a reasonable level before tackling an 'epic' ride.... OR go with a Mentor/instructor/rider who is regarded as a competent rider by older experienced riders (not one who is regarded as 'good' because he can pull epic wheelies, burnouts, drag race starts and hasnt yet realised that a throttle has more than 2 positions (tick over and redline). <---- Who mentioned Drew??

2) As mentioned above your level of concentration requirement is very high, and mental fatigue is a 'killer' for a new rider.....
I have mentioned Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's theory of 'Flow' in a post long time ago... basically it is a theory of arousal Vs anxiety

Very basic breakdown
High challenge against skill level..= anxiety
Low challenge against skill level .. -= boredom
equal challenge to skill ..= flow....
Flow is the state of engagement where the activity becomes 'timeless' and suddenly several hours can have passed, such is the enjoyment or state of 'arousal'. At your present level, most of your cognitive effort is being spent of the actual TASK or if you like, acquiring the Mastery of the task. Like walking or running, as a toddler? it took effort to balance and stand, now your cerebellum has it so strongly imprinted you dont even think about it if you want to run. You may be able to ride a bike, but already you've realised the farm isnt the same as the road. That Epic ride isnt going anywhere soon, get your skills up to a point you are not 'thinking' about what you're doing.. then go and enjoy the 'feeling of flow' when you come out of a series or miles of bends and have a shit eating grin on your face.

Thanks for that, I guess I do get a little carried away with what I think I can do sometimes. It is alot easier to sit at home and think that you can do something. You get out there and start doing it and find out the hard way that you really weren't ready.

I am doing the Pro Rider course in Taupo so that I can learn how to corner properly. That is pretty much the only reason I am going, anything else is a bonus I have a good feel for the corners but I know that I could be doing it alot better, not feeling that "flow" yet...

[MystikEagle]

Will see both of ya there then I'll be the one sitting on the sideline watching my bike go round without me. It was about time wifey took Sonic II out on the track and see what all the hoohaa is about

Awesome! Not long to go now...

[swtfa]

1) you are still by your own admission learning lines and cornering technique, enjoyable as it might be, you may also start to develop some 'bad habits' especially if you are following other riders. Sad but true most of us have bad habits we dont realise. There are several techniques you can and should/do employ riding a series of bends.... apex, vanishing point, line of sight through the bends, etc etc.... you can/could end up losing focus after a while and start to get a bit 'ragged' as you flow through them. You dont sound like a 'Rossi wannabe' and I do know there are people who can 'ride the arse of their bikes' and do it safely and using good technique. Others are just 'point and squirt' to a bend, anchor up like crazy, tip it in, then scream off towards the next corner ........ Or you can use the 'touring' style.... flowing through the bends, with not a lot of braking, letting the motor do the work for you. This requires more thought than 'point and squirt', but maybe less than taking and using race lines/technique. get your cornering skills to a reasonable level before tackling an 'epic' ride.... OR go with a Mentor/instructor/rider who is regarded as a competent rider by older experienced riders (not one who is regarded as 'good' because he can pull epic wheelies, burnouts, drag race starts and hasnt yet realised that a throttle has more than 2 positions (tick over and redline). <---- Who mentioned Drew??

2) As mentioned above your level of concentration requirement is very high, and mental fatigue is a 'killer' for a new rider.....
I have mentioned Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's theory of 'Flow' in a post long time ago... basically it is a theory of arousal Vs anxiety

Very basic breakdown
High challenge against skill level..= anxiety
Low challenge against skill level .. -= boredom
equal challenge to skill ..= flow....
Flow is the state of engagement where the activity becomes 'timeless' and suddenly several hours can have passed, such is the enjoyment or state of 'arousal'. At your present level, most of your cognitive effort is being spent of the actual TASK or if you like, acquiring the Mastery of the task. Like walking or running, as a toddler? it took effort to balance and stand, now your cerebellum has it so strongly imprinted you dont even think about it if you want to run. You may be able to ride a bike, but already you've realised the farm isnt the same as the road. That Epic ride isnt going anywhere soon, get your skills up to a point you are not 'thinking' about what you're doing.. then go and enjoy the 'feeling of flow' when you come out of a series or miles of bends and have a shit eating grin on your face.

I too, found this helpful. Thanks GrayWolf