Anyone wanna help the MD out?

[MadDuck]

OK so the story goes when I was very very very young I had a Honda 50 which (yes a step through) which I decided to put under a bus just for the hell of it. Then got a Yamy 175 for commuting to Tech in all sorts of weather and rode my brothers bikes whatever they were at the time.

I have refound my love of bikes but have to say I am struggling with the SV after the VTR 250. Zapf and Frosty have been a great help with getting the set up right for me but if anyone out there would be willing to help me one on one that would just rock. At my age I feel a tad silly rocking along to bike schools.

All responsibilty for damage would be mine. I am looking for some constructive help/cristicism about my riding and the set up of the bike. Bearing in mind I am never gonna need knee sliders. Well give me time anyways

[FROSTY:Me]

ill be happy to help ya out -hmmm methinks a bit of taupo time

[MadDuck]

nooooo Frosty settle! its is so not race track ready and you know it

[Riff Raff]

I haven't seen your riding so I can't comment, but the only way to improve is to ride, ride and ride some more. I had a long break in my riding, and started again end of 2003. For the first six months I didn't know any other riders, so all my riding was done on my own. As soon as I started meeting other bikers and going for rides with them I started noticing an improvement. KB rides are the best for improving your riding so get out on as many as you can!

[MadDuck]

yeah me trying Riff but I just cant keep up with them. I avoid rides were TS and KK going cos I wont learn anything as they gone like rockets

[sels1]

I haven't seen your riding so I can't comment, but the only way to improve is to ride, ride and ride some more. I had a long break in my riding, and started again end of 2003. For the first six months I didn't know any other riders, so all my riding was done on my own. As soon as I started meeting other bikers and going for rides with them I started noticing an improvement. KB rides are the best for improving your riding so get out on as many as you can!

Agree. Spending time in the saddle helps you feel more comfortable and confident with your bike. And following other riders around allows you to look and learn - follow the line they take into a corner etc. Leastways thats what I found when returning to riding after a 20something year gap.

[Riff Raff]

yeah me trying Riff but I just cant keep up with them. I avoid rides were TS and KK going cos I wont learn anything as they gone like rockets

Well hopefully won't be too long before I'm back on a bike - I'm always at the back, so you can stick with me and we can critique each other!

[Hitcher]

I agree with Riff Raff. Kilometres are your greatest teacher. Make yourself ride the hard stuff -- like tight, windy roads; in the wind and rain; in the dark; in the cold. If you feel uneasy, stop. Always ride at your pace, not somebody else's. Plan ahead. Stop often -- at 150km or one-and-a-half-hour intervals, max.

If you are going to practice anything in an empty carpark or quiet stretch of road, practice your braking. Start slowly and brake hard. Getting a feel for how your brakes load-up the bike and stopping hard without locking them up is always good to practice.

Something else that's fun to practice on a quiet stretch of road is weaving white lines. Don't touch the lines with the wheels of your bike. Start at about 20kmh and pick up the speed as your confidence improves. An SV650 should be able to weave comfortably at about 80kmh once you get it sorted.

Above everything else, have fun!

[crashe]

Well since I have been overtaken by you on many occassions on the last couple of rides.... and I have seen you going round the corners... in my humble opinion... you are doing great...

Are you thinking that you have gone up a bike cc rating too much too fast..?
ie: going from a 250 to a 650

[MadDuck]

Yes Zapf will attest that I ride to my current abilities BUT I am so not comfortable with the extra power the SV has and being not mechanically minded I dont understand the bike as well as I should.

Dangerous and Frosty have given me advise on the set up but I am not keen to try tweeking the bike without someone that knows what they are doing. Ok there we have it the difference between girl bikers and boy bikers :P

[MadDuck]

Well since I have been overtaken by you on many occassions on the last couple of rides.... and I have seen you going round the corners... in my humble opinion... you are doing great...

Are you thinking that you have gone up a bike cc rating too much too fast..?
ie: going from a 250 to a 650

just a mind thingy happending crashe ...sure you get it DUDE :P

[2_SL0]

Im the king of slow, I have no advice but I would say just keep going out riding and go at your own pace. Thats what I do. The rest of the bastards can wait, they shouldnt be so quick then they wouldnt have to wait so long.

[MadDuck]

Ta Judderbar but I dont think in my case its about going fast or slow. Just at the moment I have a bike that can do way more than I can give it. Seems such a waste.

I want to do it justice and am not afraid to do so but I just need some help. Cos given a chance I will ride that thing like it was made for.....ummmmm one day

[StoneChucker]

Ta Judderbar but I dont think in my case its about going fast or slow. Just at the moment I have a bike that can do way more than I can give it. Seems such a waste.

I want to do it justice and am not afraid to do so but I just need some help. Cos given a chance I will ride that thing like it was made for.....ummmmm one day

Having a bike that far exceeds your riding abilities, is in my opinion, not at all a bad thing, dare I say good? The reason I have what I do now is, I wanted something I could grow into, and never reach it's limits. Personally, I'm not sure I could ever reach the limits of todays 600cc sports bikes either. Like everyone's said, take it slow, ride often and with people where possible and only ride as fast as your comfortable with. Most of the people I ride with leave me behind on the corners, but slowly you improve until you're riding with them.

Regarding the bike setup, thats quite tricky from what I hear (on mine anyway, there are half a dozen or more adjustments you can make). Like you've already said, make sure whoever changes them knows what they're doing. I actually need to set my bike up, as I think it's set for a 60kg Japanese person, and not the typical "jolly" south african I am. (It feels very unsettled and bumpy in the corners).

Just give it time, and don't give up and you'll be surprised how fast you improve

Dave.

[MadDuck]

yeah Dave I hear ya

I have so way improved but when i go on a KB ride I feel like I have gone back 3 steps with this bike. You guys say you love to have as gals along on rides but shite if we cant ride em proper then I kinda think you lot get fed up pretty quick and I dont blame you.

The whole idea of the thread was to say ...I woulld love to have some help to learn to ride the thing proper without having to go back to bike school