Staying upright!

[judecatmad]

Great ride home - not windy and it was dry for once!!! Yay! Cold tho....bloody cold!

Think I'm finally getting the hang of it Might go for the restricted after all......

Might start a new thread tho about 'why cars deliberately move to block you lane splitting' *sigh*

[Drum]

Its because they're jealous JCM. Jealous and bitter.

Wasnt too bad a ride was it? Gonna be good for the next couple of days

[judecatmad]

Yeah, that'd be right - just cos I'm on the train Thursday and Friday!

[quickbuck]

and another piece of advice a friend gave me was when meeting trucks coming towards you - aim slightly towards the left side of your lane and as you are level with the truck, aim back towards the centre line - not too far, don't want to hit anything following the truck!

Good advise there, I do that subconsciously too.
It seems I do most of my riding without thinking too hard about it these days.

I guess that is the difference between riding and operating.

Also, look out for shelter belts on the side of the road, or more importantly the gaps between them, because if the wind is from the left, when you hit the gap the wind will be funneling through there at a huge rate of knots.

[apteryx_haasti]

Also, look out for shelter belts on the side of the road, or more importantly the gaps between them, because if the wind is from the left, when you hit the gap the wind will be funneling through there at a huge rate of knots.

This also applies to, for example, Petone foreshore in a Northerlie! The wind funnels down the streets towards the foreshore. So it's real nice until you go past a cross street.

Much nicer day today - looking forward to the rest of the week.

[judecatmad]

This also applies to, for example, Petone foreshore in a Northerlie! The wind funnels down the streets towards the foreshore. So it's real nice until you go past a cross street.

Much nicer day today - looking forward to the rest of the week.

I'm on the bus tomorrow We've got a work function tomorrow night. Was a choice between riding and no drinking or a 7am bus and free alcohol....ooh, the dilemma!!!

It was a close-run thing cos I'm really enjoying the good weather!

[apteryx_haasti]

I'm on the bus tomorrow We've got a work function tomorrow night. Was a choice between riding and no drinking or a 7am bus and free alcohol....ooh, the dilemma!!!

It was a close-run thing cos I'm really enjoying the good weather!

I have the same dilemma for Friday....and (perhaps sadly) I am leaning towards the bike! What has become of me?!?!?!?

[judecatmad]

LOL, there's a work function tomorrow night too and I have chosen the bike over the booze tomorrow - can't be parted from the girl for more than a day! So I had the option of 2 (TWO I say!!!) nights of free booze and I have turned one down in favour of the bike!

Typing's a bit hard at the mo cos I'm pished from tonight's function - was a great old time!!

[Drum]

Welcome to your new addiction.
Come on in, the waters fine.

[judecatmad]

Ooh, don't feel too good this morning!

Think the bike addiction is going to be much better for me! LOL

Now I just need me a full licence and a bigger bike! (oh, and the funds with which to purchase said bike *sigh*)

[quickbuck]

Just be very careful about riding while you are under the weather.
It only takes a moment for the concerntration to slip (on how ill you are feeling), and it turns to poo. The thing is you don't react as fast to recover.

Good to hear you turned down a night out to ride.
Keep that goal of a bigger bike driving you. I find the extra power makes it mush easier to ride.

[judecatmad]

Just be very careful about riding while you are under the weather.
It only takes a moment for the concerntration to slip (on how ill you are feeling), and it turns to poo. The thing is you don't react as fast to recover.

Good to hear you turned down a night out to ride.
Keep that goal of a bigger bike driving you. I find the extra power makes it mush easier to ride.

It was hard work on Friday, most definitely. Think I'll take your advice and will be a lot more picky about choosing when to ride.

I'd love a bit more power - the GN really doesn't have much get up and go. Great to learn on tho - very forgiving (needs to be!). Trouble is, when both hubby and I get our full licences, to get 2 bigger bikes is going to be pricey

Ah, well, there's always Lotto.....

[9cents]

I used to ride a mountain bike everywhere in the wind and weather as a kid and I can tell you a bicycle gets pushed a lot harder

I always found putting more weight on the pegs and less on the seat and handle bars let me stay relatively still while the bike would move beneath me and absorb the gust and then return to it's normal position.
Overall I end up with a smoother line than I do when I try and aggresively hold the bike where I want it. (Found the same thing applies to rough terrain too)

While this works for me on a pushbike I found this works for me on a motorbike too but not sure if it's the best technique to be using?

[bezajel]

Rode into work yesterday morning and didn't quite realise just how bad the wind was - it was my first time in strong wind...

Anyway, most of the ride through town was fine, but for some reason Brooklyn hill was seriously gusty. All I knew about riding in the wind was "relax", and I did other things like changed down gears (when I was blown wide in a corner), gripped the tank, countersteered - no incidents, just scary. Though it was better when I managed to get my hand off the grip to close my visor.

Most of that stuff I've now read on forums - one bit of advice seems to be keep your speed up, and give it more revs - but where I fell down (uh... literally) was where I had to slow down and stop at the lights. A gust of wind hit me from the right just as I was coming to a stop, just before putting my feet down, and I got pushed towards the left, and dropped the 'bike.

Anyway, my question is, how could I have held it up? Or was it mostly bad luck? All the advise I've read has to do with going rather than stopping. WasPhantom told me to drag my rear brake a bit while going slow, which is fine, but since I was stopping I was on both brakes, and not trying to keep going slow....

Damage to 'bike: clutch lever bent (and end broken off when Wassy tried to hammer it back into alignment for a second time); gear shift bent (back in more or less the right place now); and side stand bent (well, the little bit that sticks out of it).
Damage to me: pride, again.

[Ixion]

Long legs helps. As does a heavy bike. Neither of which is probably of much help to you. As you have identified, the transition from moving to stopped is the most unstable period of a motorcycle. And often the period when the riders attention is most distracted.

Anticipation is the only solution. Expect there to be a wind gust and be ready for it. It may help to dangle a leg early rather than feet up until a standstill (fugly, I know, but sometimes form must follow function) .

If it is any consolation you are by no means the only person this has ever happened to.