Essential reading for any new riders (and some old ones)

**HTFU** · 26th August 2007, 22:27

Even after a 20000km and a years riding I found most of the riding skills stuff on the following site very educational. Not the newbie cries of "oh my god I have found countersteering" but more to do with the road vs track riding expectations.

Not that there is much difference between how you would ride a low powered bike like the GN on the road compared to the track but I think on any bike you can make mistakes on the street that on the track most likely will not kill you. (Have a GPX now but same applies)

A good one was insuring you leave some corner lean in reserve out on the road incase you encounter oncoming obstacles and need a direction change, something that track riders don't have to worry about doing and can even put a knee down. Sounds logical but if I think about how I ride I would have to be guilty of riding some of the back roads beyond that point (not the knee but a lot of peg scraping)

Anyway a good place to pick up some riding tips.

http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/Riding_Techniques

**cbr guy** · 6th September 2007, 21:48

cool. yeah, im not trying knee down on the road agian for a while.lol

**McDuck** · 6th September 2007, 22:50

skirt.....

**McDuck** · 6th September 2007, 22:52

ok so i am not rideing yet but still........ there are empty back country roads for a reason you know...

**Machiavelli** · 10th September 2007, 16:40

Hey there, Robignevil, that is a fantastic website! Cheers

I've read a few entries on that Riding Techniques list and I'm definitely going to keep reading.

**HTFU** · 10th September 2007, 20:22

First post - Welcome aboard.

Wouldn't hurt to read most of the articles on that site I for one have benefited, brief and to the point.

Good choice of bike for a new rider (assuming you are new to riding sorry) I did over 20000km on my 2006 model in the past year and its still going really well (new owner gets it this Wednesday)

. Ventura flat bars make it a bloody comfortable and cheap touring bike.

Just be careful with those stock GN tyres they will slip in the wet if you push them ever so hard on the wet stuff. Ride them while you are running the bike in and then ditch them for some better rubber (might seem OTT but for less than $200 you can get a new gripper and safer set fitted.

I was running shinko (cheap, but good soft rubber and good tread) on the front for $80 and a duro dual purpose on the back $90 (wider and grippier and did over 12000km) I have pushed these tyres hard and no problems.

Almost lost it twice with the original rubber just cruising around a wet corner with no lean on it still wanted to slide

.

**xwhatsit** · 10th September 2007, 22:46

Originally Posted by Mcduck5n

ok so i am not rideing yet but still........ there are empty back country roads for a reason you know...

Once you start riding you might understand a bit better; he's not saying not to have a fang out on those back-roads, he's not even saying `stick to the speed limit'. The problem with public roads, though, is that you never know when you're going to come round a corner and find that a pothole has appeared since you last rode that way, right on the apex. Or that a polystyrene box has blown across the road. Or a car coming the other way is halfway across the centre-line. In all these situations it's very useful to have a few degrees of lean and grip left in reserve.

I don't think it's ever a wise idea to ride at 100%, or even 90% on the road. On a track it's OK -- no `outside interference', and even if you do fuck up, there's some nice sandtraps and rubber tyres to hit instead of a lamp-post or oncoming traffic.

**McDuck** · 10th September 2007, 22:55

Originally Posted by xerxesdaphat

Once you start riding you might understand a bit better; he's not saying not to have a fang out on those back-roads, he's not even saying `stick to the speed limit'. The problem with public roads, though, is that you never know when you're going to come round a corner and find that a pothole has appeared since you last rode that way, right on the apex. Or that a polystyrene box has blown across the road. Or a car coming the other way is halfway across the centre-line. In all these situations it's very useful to have a few degrees of lean and grip left in reserve.

I don't think it's ever a wise idea to ride at 100%, or even 90% on the road. On a track it's OK -- no `outside interference', and even if you do fuck up, there's some nice sandtraps and rubber tyres to hit instead of a lamp-post or oncoming traffic.

All very good points. All i will say to that is all of ^^^ is correct, but once in a while you find the perfect road that is about as safe to do that stuff as it can be ont he public roads.

**McDuck** · 10th September 2007, 23:15

not that i condone that..

**Lteejay** · 13th September 2007, 12:24

Looks like some good advice there - will take a longer look later.

**Machiavelli** · 20th September 2007, 13:53

Originally Posted by Robignevil

First post - Welcome aboard.

Good choice of bike for a new rider (assuming you are new to riding sorry) ... Ventura flat bars make it a bloody comfortable and cheap touring bike.

Just be careful with those stock GN tyres

Cheers for that, yes I am a new rider and I definitely will take to heart any advice from people who have experience. I need all the advice I can get! There's no point me muddling around and learning how to do it the wrong way just so that I have to unlearn it all later when somebody tells me something better.

My Father and Uncle both suggested I might want better tires, its good to have this confirmed from somebody who has ridden a GN.
I think its well worth spending the money on better tires if that's the difference between a fun time and eating asphalt.

As for keeping some lean in reserve around corners, that's a piece of advice I'm going to store alongside "slow in, fast out"... all great advice.

**NighthawkNZ:Me** · 20th September 2007, 14:16

Originally Posted by Machiavelli

As for keeping some lean in reserve around corners, that's a piece of advice I'm going to store alongside "slow in, fast out"... all great advice.

I always ride on the open road with some (lean) in reserve and have needed that reserve a few times...

the last one on my last trip when I over cooked a sharp 35k corner... and took it at 120k ... the inverse steering got me out of it... :whew: but I knew I had some in reserve to do it

**blue eyed savage** · 22nd September 2007, 22:01

thanks, man thats a helpfull site. its also good having my dad riding too. so much to learn but its all good. aslong as u love riding like me

**MidnightMike** · 24th September 2007, 17:32

Originally Posted by Machiavelli

My Father and Uncle both suggested I might want better tires, its good to have this confirmed from somebody who has ridden a GN.
I think its well worth spending the money on better tires if that's the difference between a fun time and eating asphalt.

Hey there, I had a suzuki volty previous to my current bike, same engine as the GN just a different frame etc.

I changed the front tyre to a "pirelli city demon" (pretty sure thats what it was called) and it made a huge difference to my confidence on the bike.

I would definately suggest this tyre for someone who doesnt mind spending a little more for better rubber.