Learner Ride to Taupo (Saturday 11 Feb 2012)

[Rehab]

I think with staying on the same line as the person in front, should only be done if the said person has good lines

But how do you know if the person in front of you has good lines or not? At a track you can be pretty sure because they've got 'Intructor' on their nametag and know the track inside out, and if they are demonstrating they adjust to your pace, not expect you to ride theirs.

Unless you know the person well, and their experience, and what other people you trust say about their riding, you can't be sure. If they don't know the road they have to be pretty bloody good to get it right every single time without fail. I'm also sure there are some incredibly talented riders out there that couldn't teach someone to do what they do if their life depended on it.

The problem is that it's pretty difficult to know what you don't know. Passing on advice and helping people out is great if you've got the experience to do it. Telling someone to 'do what I do' is a huge call and certainly not something I would be comfortable doing. I could quite happily go the rest of my life without being woken at 2am by thoughts of the guy that died following me because I fucked up and he followed me into a wall.

Before anyone gets their knickers in a knot, this isn't aimed at anyone. I had a great time at the weekend and all concerned did a terrific job. But if being a bit of a grumpy bastard for a para or two helps someone not crash, then it's worth the pixels.

Must be time for a joke about wanking now surely

[Phreak]

.


Mmmmm sexy predator!

Lol I knew you'd like that one! Print it out, hang it on the wall at the head of your bed, and ogle it when your on top of your missus!

[Maha]

I get to take a certain green/black Suzuki out for fang (opps I mean pootle) when I can...its park alongside the pool table so for the week at least.......its mine...

[Grant`]

Lol I knew you'd like that one! Print it out, hang it on the wall at the head of your bed, and ogle it when your on top of your missus!

I already have one of those, me in full 1 piece coming around corner at taupo, blown up to slightly bigger than a3 - so way ahead of you!

[Grant`]

I get to take a certain green/black Suzuki out for fang (opps I mean pootle) when I can...its park alongside the pool table so for the week at least.......its mine...

Does mean skids au!

[The Singing Chef]

You need to be very careful at how you explain your self to people as 'Follow my lines' doesn't tell someone how to go around the corner or give them the tools, they still need to be taking into account that they still need to ride there own ride and know the fundamentals of going around a corner and this is where Maha makes it very clear on saying that these rides are to provide a safe riding environment only, not mentoring people...

My biggest cock up in riding was being self taught and thinking the fact that I hadn't had an accident made me a good rider, I had people show me lines but I still wasn't negotiating a corner properly for anything they said to matter and realistically if your taking into account the entry point, apex and exit of your corner you can negotiate a corner from anywhere in your lane and/or change your line mid corner.

Yea sorry was scattered at work, for me it was a mixture of both so having seen the theory and then going out on a ride and actually putting it into practice, so as Maha says it is not a mentored ride, how about getting a "mentor approved" sheet of paper dictating on the safest way to take a corner and have them practice it on their ride perhaps?

I would only suggest it in cases of extremely bad riding mind you, because I have heard about people running way wide and taking corners in rather interesting ways but then again that is just me.

I do think that everyone there is an adult and should be able to make their own decisions, especially for corners and passing opportunities.

[Maha]

Does mean skids au!

Woodcocks beakons then....

[The Singing Chef]

But how do you know if the person in front of you has good lines or not? At a track you can be pretty sure because they've got 'Intructor' on their nametag and know the track inside out, and if they are demonstrating they adjust to your pace, not expect you to ride theirs.

Unless you know the person well, and their experience, and what other people you trust say about their riding, you can't be sure. If they don't know the road they have to be pretty bloody good to get it right every single time without fail. I'm also sure there are some incredibly talented riders out there that couldn't teach someone to do what they do if their life depended on it.

The problem is that it's pretty difficult to know what you don't know. Passing on advice and helping people out is great if you've got the experience to do it. Telling someone to 'do what I do' is a huge call and certainly not something I would be comfortable doing. I could quite happily go the rest of my life without being woken at 2am by thoughts of the guy that died following me because I fucked up and he followed me into a wall.

Before anyone gets their knickers in a knot, this isn't aimed at anyone. I had a great time at the weekend and all concerned did a terrific job. But if being a bit of a grumpy bastard for a para or two helps someone not crash, then it's worth the pixels.

Must be time for a joke about wanking now surely

I think that having to be bloody good to ride unknown roads at a good pace with good lines is a little wrong, if you are taking the right lines and taking in all of the information in that you can, you can read every corner and adjust yourself to the speed of each, though it does get into quite an advanced technique, once you have the basics down you improve with leaps and bounds.

And you can see if somebody is riding a good line by the way they take the corner, are they completely relaxed and looking through the bend, taking (generally) one solid line through a corner and not braking half way through or being all over the place, there is a lot that gives it away.

Hmm, wanking...

[Phreak]

I reckon, if I get as many hours over the next couple of months as I did this time last year, I might look at one of these...

Definitely gotta Repsol it though!!!

Click here...

[The Singing Chef]

So anyhow, where I learnt a lot is from this site.

Now it is from someone who has done 2 - 3 police motorcycle courses, raced in a few different countries and is an instructor in the ART days held at Pukekohe. There is a fair amount of reading but it goes into detail about how to control your bike and corners etc...

www.abbiss.co.nz

[Grant`]

Woodcocks beakons then....

Just watch the ground clearance, much more than a snail height and you will be grinding pegs

[The Singing Chef]

I reckon, if I get as many hours over the next couple of months as I did this time last year, I might look at one of these...

Definitely gotta Repsol it though!!!

Click here...

Nice! I am looking at either an Sv1000 or 650, or a VTR 1000. Will see how I feel.

[Hellzie]

I think that having to be bloody good to ride unknown roads at a good pace with good lines is a little wrong, if you are taking the right lines and taking in all of the information in that you can, you can read every corner and adjust yourself to the speed of each, though it does get into quite an advanced technique, once you have the basics down you improve with leaps and bounds.

And you can see if somebody is riding a good line by the way they take the corner, are they completely relaxed and looking through the bend, taking (generally) one solid line through a corner and not braking half way through or being all over the place, there is a lot that gives it away.

Hmm, wanking...

If you're looking at the bike in front of you to follow their lines, you're not looking far enough forward to process unknowns up ahead. The rider up front will be able to adjust their line, and you'll end up riding right over the pot hole, or the possum or whatever else happens to be on the road. No point looking at bike in front as your brain can't process and make adjustments in time.

[The Singing Chef]

Just watch the ground clearance, much more than a snail height and you will be grinding pegs

Haha it is like OCD's bike which is a lowered Er6f, her husband grinds away the pegs when he rides it quite easily.

[The Singing Chef]

If you're looking at the bike in front of you to follow their lines, you're not looking far enough forward to process unknowns up ahead. The rider up front will be able to adjust their line, and you'll end up riding right over the pot hole, or the possum or whatever else happens to be on the road. No point looking at bike in front as your brain can't process and make adjustments in time.

Na you would use your peripheral vision, or should be anyway. That's what I would do with Scott since I was right behind him and if I was looking at him directly I would have come off a few times