North Auckland Street Skills - NASS

[MarkH]

Nice one . Looking forward to your review of the RRRS. Still yet to do it myself. Heard good things about it

As you go through various exercises there are experienced people watching what you and your bike are doing, often they notice things that you don't realise you are doing. Many useful things are covered which you can think about and try to keep in mind while you are riding.

I kinda agree with Sharry though - you would be familiar with most of what they are teaching. It couldn't hurt to do it, but you may not gain a great deal. If that doesn't put you off than I say go for it! You never know, they may teach you something that may save your life.

[zealchick]

As you go through various exercises there are experienced people watching what you and your bike are doing, often they notice things that you don't realise you are doing. Many useful things are covered which you can think about and try to keep in mind while you are riding.

I kinda agree with Sharry though - you would be familiar with most of what they are teaching. It couldn't hurt to do it, but you may not gain a great deal. If that doesn't put you off than I say go for it! You never know, they may teach you something that may save your life.

I agree its fairly basic but i got heaps out of it, they watch and pick all sorts of fine detail, how i hold my break lever, positioning on my bike, how i hold my foot over rear brake etc oh my god sooo much to remember!! as well as watching every other dickhead on the road

[MarkH]

I agree its fairly basic but i got heaps out of it, they watch and pick all sorts of fine detail, how i hold my break lever, positioning on my bike, how i hold my foot over rear brake etc oh my god sooo much to remember!! as well as watching every other dickhead on the road

Yeah, sometimes it can be worth making sure that you are doing the basics right. When I did the course I was fairly new to biking (returning after a break of more than 20 years) and I learnt quite a bit on the course as well as learning more later by taking experience and thinking back to what they had told me.

[p.dath]

I agree its fairly basic but i got heaps out of it, they watch and pick all sorts of fine detail, how i hold my break lever, positioning on my bike, how i hold my foot over rear brake etc oh my god sooo much to remember!! as well as watching every other dickhead on the road

I have to say, I'm not completely happy with the theory aspect of the course.

For example (since you mention it), they put forward the notion that there is only one way to hold your brake lever (the all fingers on or all fingers off method). There are a number of ways with pros and con's. I don't think the way they teach is wrong - but it isn't necessarily right for all bikes either. Personally (having done the course myself), I choose to use a different grip.
The "all fingers on or off" method came of earlier times when bikes had drum brakes, and you needed to excert considerable force on the brake lever to make it "work". Most bikes have disc brakes now, and two fingers can easily apply enough pressure to lock the front wheel. However a common problem with other grips is people often fail to close the throttle, and hence drive the engine against the brake (an issue you don't tend to have with all fingers on or off the brake). For me personally, I simply engage the clutch under emergency braking. Then even if I fail to close the throttle, the engine can not drive against the brake.
But I digress.

I do sympathise with them. They need to keep the course simple to understand, and teachable within a day.

[BoristheBiter]

I have to say, I'm not completely happy with the theory aspect of the course.

For example (since you mention it), they put forward the notion that there is only one way to hold your brake lever (the all fingers on or all fingers off method). There are a number of ways with pros and con's. I don't think the way they teach is wrong - but it isn't necessarily right for all bikes either. Personally (having done the course myself), I choose to use a different grip.
The "all fingers on or off" method came of earlier times when bikes had drum brakes, and you needed to excert considerable force on the brake lever to make it "work". Most bikes have disc brakes now, and two fingers can easily apply enough pressure to lock the front wheel. However a common problem with other grips is people often fail to close the throttle, and hence drive the engine against the brake (an issue you don't tend to have with all fingers on or off the brake). For me personally, I simply engage the clutch under emergency braking. Then even if I fail to close the throttle, the engine can not drive against the brake.
But I digress.

I do sympathise with them. They need to keep the course simple to understand, and teachable within a day.

Whats this brake thing your talking about?
Back to basics is also good for people who have been riding for a while and just pick up bad habits or just don't do something all the time, thats why i come up to NASS when i can to do the low speed stuff.
Also the day you stop learning is the day you die.

[p.dath]

Also the day you stop learning is the day you die.

Certainly the converse is true.

The day you die is the day you stop learning.

[Itchy_Kiwis]

Are we on for tonight? Anyone going straight to Albany?

[Qkchk:Me]

May pop down after dinner to the carpark and see what everyone is up to.

[p.dath]

Two things to consider when riding (following on from tonight).


When you were riding tonight going around a corner were you watching the bike in front and its pretty red taillight or looking through the corner? Watching another rider have an accident is a great way to have one yourself. Always look through the corner where you want to go and don't get distracted.


I would say that when following riders tonight who where wearing only black that that at 100m you were pretty much invisible apart from a small red tailight. Consider that at 100km/h it will take less than 4s to cover 100m. The number one accident is a car pulling out in front of a motorcycle claiming they did not see the motorcycle.
Now lets say you were approaching a T intersection. A driver briefly looks left but doesn't really see you at 100m. They look right for 2s, and start to pull out. They then look left again and see you 2s away and in panic stop their vehicle in the middle of the road. Since you are 2s away from the car, and it takes your reflexes 2s to start working you are fucked. You will hit the car.
What protection and safety gear you wear is completely up to you and a personal choice. But just consider how invisible a rider is wearing all black in the black of night - especially out in the country where there is no street lighting.

[Devil]

Colour at night has nothing to do with anything (nor does it in the day), poor lighting does however.
Daytime is the worst for the smidsy's.

[BoristheBiter]

Have to agree with Devil on this one.
If a car pulling out in front of you can't see the big light what you are wearing makes little difference. (expect maybe some padding)

[p.dath]

Colour at night has nothing to do with anything (nor does it in the day), poor lighting does however.
Daytime is the worst for the smidsy's.

If you read that recent study by Professor Charles Lamb from Lincoln university, he suggests that strong contrasts rather than bold colour makes you more visible.
But at night time something that reflects light makes you much more visible. It was really obvious last night. Some riders were nearly invisible in the dark. And if your not very visible to me while I am looking for you, imagine what it would be like for a car driver NOT looking for you.

Have to agree with Devil on this one.
If a car pulling out in front of you can't see the big light what you are wearing makes little difference. (expect maybe some padding)

Ahh yes, that problem. The issue with a single light is it makes judging the distance in the dark very hard. Generally our eyes need at least two points to fixate on to accurately judge how far away something is.

The problem with bikes that have two lights is they look like a car very far away (also safe for the car to pull out in front of you).

[BoristheBiter]

Ahh yes, that problem. The issue with a single light is it makes judging the distance in the dark very hard. Generally our eyes need at least two points to fixate on to accurately judge how far away something is.

The problem with bikes that have two lights is they look like a car very far away (also safe for the car to pull out in front of you).

I don't think that is the issue as i have had more cars pull out while in my car than on my bike, but come to think of it there is more during the day than at night. i think it has more to do with the driver of the car pulling out. if the driver is going to pull out it really doesn't mater what you are wearing (except protection).

[R-Soul]

If you read that recent study by Professor Charles Lamb from Lincoln university, he suggests that strong contrasts rather than bold colour makes you more visible.
But at night time something that reflects light makes you much more visible. It was really obvious last night. Some riders were nearly invisible in the dark. And if your not very visible to me while I am looking for you, imagine what it would be like for a car driver NOT looking for you.



Ahh yes, that problem. The issue with a single light is it makes judging the distance in the dark very hard. Generally our eyes need at least two points to fixate on to accurately judge how far away something is.

The problem with bikes that have two lights is they look like a car very far away (also safe for the car to pull out in front of you).

Or they look like one of the headlights of the car behind them. That is why you need reflective stuff or running lights to "frame" the headlight to put it in context as motorbike, and break the illusion that the bikes headlight belongs to the car behind the bike.

Thats why I have reflective vest and reflective helmet (with stripes for contrast). And why I want to buy those LED running lights that are available from one of the KB'rs to put around the headlight to put it in context.

[p.dath]

I don't think that is the issue as i have had more cars pull out while in my car than on my bike, but come to think of it there is more during the day than at night. i think it has more to do with the driver of the car pulling out. if the driver is going to pull out it really doesn't mater what you are wearing (except protection).

Ah yes, but you see during the day traffic congestion turns to be worse. The more congestion, the more impatient people become, and the bigger the risk they are prepared to take.

The number of cars (percentage wise) that pull out in front of bikes is much higher in the cities than in rural zones.