Back on the road again!

**deanohit** · 8th February 2008, 16:31

Originally Posted by Sully60

And if it's a tight corner brake hard with the front, smack it down two gears, pitch it in and dump the clutch, sliiiiiddddddeeeee!

And the scary thing is, he does actually ride like this!

Or was that only when I was on the back?

Nice bike there No.1, looks like your gonna be having an AWESOME summer now, I'm sure Craig an the wee fella can keep them selves busy down in the shed!

**Number One** · 19th February 2008, 18:36

Well my gear is fab and I love it. Definately the best fitting gear I've ever had - first lot of 'ladies gear'...it really does make a difference

...Cordura is hotter, wetter and stickier than leather is in the heat though...ewwwww

Anyway, I've had a couple of epiphanies in my first few weeks of being the proud owner of a new (to me) motorcycle and thought to share something that really has made a huge and obvious difference for me as I get build my confidence and get 'Back on the road again!'.

Wind riding....after taking on the advice I find that wind riding doesn't bother me. I learned that you need to keep your upper body really relaxed cos when you stiffen up in the gusts you make your bike into even more of a sail

But of course! I get it now and after some long calm casual travels in buffeting gusts I don't worry anymore

BRAKES: I had been privately wondering whether I had actually made a mistake getting back into riding. I was feeling really distrustful of the brakes but assumed (given it had passed a warrant and all) that it was because I had just completely lost the knack and wasn't probably anything to do with the bike. I kept having moments where I'd needed to pull up fast and the bike just didn't want to stop! So growing increasingly rattled by this I then started riding around in the low gears - I mean 1st, 2nd and third - AND like everywhere! Relying on a combination of lots of engine, rear AND front braking to slow down...not nice, not fun and poor bike!

But wait - hubby rode it on the last TRTNR and deduced that it definately was worth checking things out further. He decided to service the brake calipers and far out! there was some serious gunk on the pistons, mucking up the seals and well it was no surprise that the brakes weren't feeling terribly responsive...they probably were stuck in off! So after some attention from the Sulster

the calipers were fit to eat off and then it was time to test it all out....

Magic!!!! What a HUGE difference that made

All of a sudden I could even hear the pads on the discs!!!!! AND WOW - it stops, like almost straight away! I even had the confidence to practise emergency braking...several times and it was definately emergency speed braking! AND now I am able to get around in 4th and 5th gears at no lower than 3.5 grand

SO - if you have a second hand bike or an old new one and you are feeling a bit doubtful of the brakes - CHECK YER CALIPERS THEY REALLY MATTER!!!

**BiK3RChiK** · 19th February 2008, 19:00

Originally Posted by Number One

Well my gear is fab and I love it. Definately the best fitting gear I've ever had - first lot of 'ladies gear'...it really does make a difference

...Cordura is hotter, wetter and stickier than leather is in the heat though...ewwwww

Anyway, I've had a couple of epiphanies in my first few weeks of being the proud owner of a new (to me) motorcycle and thought to share something that really has made a huge and obvious difference for me as I get build my confidence and get 'Back on the road again!'.

Wind riding....after taking on the advice I find that wind riding doesn't bother me. I learned that you need to keep your upper body really relaxed cos when you stiffen up in the gusts you make your bike into even more of a sail

But of course! I get it now and after some long calm casual travels in buffeting gusts I don't worry anymore

BRAKES: I had been privately wondering whether I had actually made a mistake getting back into riding. I was feeling really distrustful of the brakes but assumed (given it had passed a warrant and all) that it was because I had just completely lost the knack and wasn't probably anything to do with the bike. I kept having moments where I'd needed to pull up fast and the bike just didn't want to stop! So growing increasingly rattled by this I then started riding around in the low gears - I mean 1st, 2nd and third - AND like everywhere! Relying on a combination of lots of engine, rear AND front braking to slow down...not nice, not fun and poor bike!

But wait - hubby rode it on the last TRTNR and deduced that it definately was worth checking things out further. He decided to service the brake calipers and far out! there was some serious gunk on the pistons, mucking up the seals and well it was no surprise that the brakes weren't feeling terribly responsive...they probably were stuck in off! So after some attention from the Sulster

the calipers were fit to eat off and then it was time to test it all out....

Magic!!!! What a HUGE difference that made

All of a sudden I could even hear the pads on the discs!!!!! AND WOW - it stops, like almost straight away! I even had the confidence to practise emergency braking...several times and it was definately emergency speed braking! AND now I am able to get around in 4th and 5th gears at no lower than 3.5 grand

SO - if you have a second hand bike or an old new one and you are feeling a bit doubtful of the brakes - CHECK YER CALIPERS THEY REALLY MATTER!!!

Woohoo! You go girl! I'm glad you are back on a machine and lovin it! Cool about the gear too... Yeah, I find it really hot and sticky and wet too! Blech!!

**BiK3RChiK** · 19th February 2008, 19:01

Originally Posted by Number One

Well my gear is fab and I love it.
...Cordura is hotter, wetter and stickier than leather is in the heat though...ewwwww

Anyway, I've had a couple of epiphanies in my first few weeks of being the proud owner of a new (to me) motorcycle and thought to share something that really has made a huge and obvious difference for me as I get build my confidence and get 'Back on the road again!'.

Wind riding....after taking on the advice I find that wind riding doesn't bother me. I learned that you need to keep your upper body really relaxed cos when you stiffen up in the gusts you make your bike into even more of a sail

But of course! I get it now and after some long calm casual travels in buffeting gusts I don't worry anymore

BRAKES:

But wait - hubby rode it on the last TRTNR and deduced that it definately was worth checking things out further. He decided to service the brake calipers and far out! there was some serious gunk on the pistons, mucking up the seals and well it was no surprise that the brakes weren't feeling terribly responsive...they probably were stuck in off! So after some attention from the Sulster

the calipers were fit to eat off and then it was time to test it all out....

Magic!!!! What a HUGE difference that made

All of a sudden I could even hear the pads on the discs!!!!! AND WOW - it stops, like almost straight away! I even had the confidence to practise emergency braking...several times and it was definately emergency speed braking! AND now I am able to get around in 4th and 5th gears at no lower than 3.5 grand

SO - if you have a second hand bike or an old new one and you are feeling a bit doubtful of the brakes - CHECK YER CALIPERS THEY REALLY MATTER!!!

Woohoo! You go girl! I'm glad you are back on a machine and lovin it! Cool about the gear too... Yeah, I find it really hot and sticky and wet too! Blech!!

**deanohit** · 19th February 2008, 19:27

Hahaha, good to hear your looking after your lovely lady Sully, must have been a bit worrying getting on the bike and saying

"shit, that aint good!" first time you tried to haul on the brakes!

**Jaxi** · 19th February 2008, 20:43

Hey Number One, I've been following your updates in this thread, it's great to read about your confidence building up again and that you're really enjoying being on the road again....

I've been riding since I was 16, but for one reason or another have had breaks where I've not had a road bike. You would think you could just jump straight back on (my hubby can!) but it usually takes me a few rides to get used to again.

Living in the UK at the moment I don't ride much during winter (woos, I know!) But the weather has been so bright and lovely lately that I went out a couple of weekends ago. I felt nervous at first but that could have been nervousness about my navigation skills as I was heading out of London to visit a friend in Kent!! For some reason I'm not so confident riding by myself over here, I don't think I would have a problem if I was back in Wellington as I know the roads (or used to anyway!), but I am so used to riding with either my husband or brother over here that it feels a bit strange being on my own.

I got out of London ok, with my turn left here, turn right there instructions written in my map holder, then was busy looking up at the signs for the road I was meant to be on when I looked down to see the two right lanes of the road had been closed and all traffic was filtering into the left lane and was just about stopped. I had a holy shit moment but quite naturally did an emergency stop calmly looking around to see if anyone noticed that I stopped a bit quick!!

Sorry, that turned into a bit of a waffle.... but my point was, you sometimes feel like a newbie again, but instinct kicks in and you realise you haven't forgotten what you've known for years!!!!!

Cheers
J

**BiK3RChiK** · 20th February 2008, 05:06

Originally Posted by Jaxi

Hey Number One, I've been following your updates in this thread, it's great to read about your confidence building up again and that you're really enjoying being on the road again....

I've been riding since I was 16, but for one reason or another have had breaks where I've not had a road bike. You would think you could just jump straight back on (my hubby can!) but it usually takes me a few rides to get used to again.

J

Men! I reckon they are really quaking inside but don't like to show it!

Us women really show how we feel!!! Oh and we can be a little over the top on the worry meter, or at least I am!!! I'm finding being back on a bike, that the things I'm so worried about are not really an issue, thankfully...

It's cool so many chicks are riding! Might get to meet some of you someday...

Mavis

**skelstar** · 20th February 2008, 06:47

That sounds awesome S...

**Number One** · 23rd February 2008, 21:52

yum.

Much nicer on a hot day than cordura and boy did my confidence go back up again - I felt supported and protected and all good! Now that was probably also due to the fact that about 4-6 weeks ago I couldn't even get the things up over my hips so having lost a bit of excess ballast I was feeling pretty good about myself anyway....I had a great ride on my bike today. Felt really 'in charge' and confident and relaxed and I was riding better than I have been.

Then I went for a slow and awkward ride on hubbies bucket bike http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3eICwijJT4(as I will be taking a stab at that this year in an effort to learn more and get more confident with cornering) and while I was rather poor I did manage to do tight circles in second gear without any clutch slipping - oh yeah the clutch is not really required and the gear shift patter is opposite so anyway that took some getting used to but proudly I never changed down when I shoulda been changing up....wouldn't be a good look to blow the thing up the first time I get on it huh?!

THEN - I got back onto my SE and had a fab ride around to Eastbourne, gorgeous calm night, nice gentle sweepy corners and gorgeous views and no need for brakes. Gosh that bucket made me really realise how fab my bike is and I went better and faster than I have to date. Nice that almost every time I get on I improve and even better I get more and more comfortable.

Gonna book in for my restricted - convinced a guy at work to lend me his CBR250 just gotta get an L plate

**Number One** · 1st March 2008, 15:18

It's inevitable. You have to drop the bike doing something just useless when you are returning to it.

Pulled up onto the curb outside my place last night, into nuetral, swing leg off while looking down the driveway at hubby opening the gate for me (very steep gravelly driveway with big bumps in it, not yet confident to ride down it) as I stepped off the bike leant towards the road and over....I hadn't got my back tyre up onto the level with the front, so I just got off balance and ended up dropping it on the pavement.

Broke the Gear shifter and the clutch lever, however that didn't really bother me at least the fairing is still unscratched and pretty....phew! A bit of a Macgyver from hubby got me a new gear shifter and with the rough edges filed off the shortened clutch lever is waay better.

Discovered the other day through following someone else and thinking about what we were doing differently that I was WAAAY overusing the clutch. HORRIBLE and DANGEROUS - when I thought about this some more I could remember where I'd grabbed handfuls of clutch - coming into and going around corners - fast braking - yech I feel damn lucky actually with all that going on!

I think I developed this when I was having trouble with the brakes and was having to use the engine to slow down a lot, would shadow and slip the clutch alot. I think some of this is my innate fear of stalling (which I just hate to do) and also that I rode a two stroke for the first couple of years of my riding.

Anyway - I have been avoiding the clutch and once again I feel more confident, I can go really low speed in many of my gears without requiring any clutch and gawd it feels better and more controlled in corners!

The first steps to solving a problem is recognising and admitting that you have one. I recognise, admit and am taking steps to correct. Phew glad I figured that out relatively quickly

Oh and on the note of leathers - crouched too hard and fast the other day and popped my crotch! Damn

Oh well What I have found is that I have lost enough weight over the last month or so that I can get into hubbies old race one piece easily - yay! Inside me there is a slim woman screaming to get out...once day I just might let her

First bucket race tomorrow - hopefully I shall learn something really helpful and add to my confidence with cornering.

**Pussy** · 2nd March 2008, 12:32

Originally Posted by Number One

crouched too hard and fast the other day and popped my crotch! Damn

Now that's what I call a fart!....

**Number One** · 2nd March 2008, 16:23

Originally Posted by Pussy

Now that's what I call a fart!....

Nay mate. My farts are super sharp and can get through anything without effort!

SOO I just finished my very first day at the track on hubbies bucket.

MY GAWD I EFFING LOVED IT!!!!! Why have I taken so long to give this a go?

My first trip out was pretty terrible but each time I went round I got more confident and faster. I can't wait to get a babysitter for the next round so I can just play all day without any distractions.

BIG THANKS to Slingshot, FatJim and His lovely wife and especially their lovely daughter Katie who did keep Ryan very well entertained. Look out Katie, Ryan is officially in love with you

he told me ont he way home that Katie is his girlfriend

Anyway all good - buckets is an excellent way to play - definately one of the coolest things I've done, wastes 'go carting' too

**Number One** · 21st March 2008, 12:13

UPDATE:

Horrible weird clutch habit completely kicked!

SE currently in restoration from moonlighting as OB. Still OB will live on through SE in the form of much improved suspension.

GOT MY CRACKLE BACK! That Yoshie pipe of Sully's was oh so boring, I really missed that crisp, throbbing cackle which seems to give me much better down low power too - as a nana I need this more than top end grunt ok?! Just a few naughty words uttered and two new bruises but I did it 99.9% by myself

About to change the tank back over too then I will be happy but here he is in stages of being put back together.

Pic 1: SE in all his silver glory
Pic 2: The cliffhanger ride. SE frame, motor and handle bars, OB fairings, suspension, forks, wheels and exhaust
Pic 3: Almost back to normal - SE heart, body, wheels, face and voicebox.
Pic 4: OB is getting it's feet and bod back too...doesn't it look sad sitting there though

...tank to be changed over today - the rest will remain. Hate pillion seats - they're ugly!

Update: 4:35pm. Pick 5. Tank changed, wheels cleaned (mostly) ready to take for a quick gas up and pootle before settling in tonight with a Margerita! TEqiuLA!