Very bad.Originally Posted by Loki
Hmm.
Very bad.
Hardcore Biker
lol, true. But engine braking is not bad in most cases.
Course, you'll be using more fuel than necessary if you ride around in third all the time. For cruising along in a straight line you can probably change up.
As for slow speed cornering skills etc, keep practising in quiet carparks etc, but I recommend coming along to the Wed NASS for some very good advice, tips, and practise. You'll learn all about safe braking, low speed cornering, balance, etc.
You can roll start or bump start a manual bike. No problem.
Helmet is the minimum LEGALLY, but just wear the minimum you would want to wear if you were to roll off the back of a ute that was driving along the motorway at the max speed you travel.
If you'd roll off the back of a ute on the motorway wearing just teeshirt, shorts, shoes, and a helmet, then by all means ride like that, and also get your brain examined. Most sensible riders would wear at least an armoured cordura or leather jacket and some good boots that protect the ankles.
And NEVER ride without good motorcycle gloves, even a short distance. My ruined hands are evidence of the hard way to learn this lesson.
Best Frenemy you could have!
Answers as above...
Scooter boy
here's what me bike manual says about using the kill switch: "operating the kill switch when riding can cause the rear wheel to lock and thus cause a fall. do not operate the kill switch when riding."
i guess it's OK if the bike is stationary. just remember to reset the switch to run position, otherwise the engine won't start.
cheers, and ride safe.
L-Plate Rider
I got a pair of waterproof pants from the warehouse, cheap I think maybe $10 on sale but I got a pair a size bigger than what I wear, this way all I do is slip them over the top of the pants I want to keep dry and take them off when I get where i'm going, they also have an elastic waist so very easy to get on and off and elastic around the ankles which I slip over my boots so rain doesn't get in
Highway Biker
............
L-Plate Rider
Thanks guys,
I'm gonna check out NASS tonight
I'm a westie with a rusty motorbike, and a bad hair cut... what choice do I have?
The 2nd-most bad arse KBer.
. .
Then I could get a Kb Tshirt, move to Timaru and become a full time crossdressing faggot
parting of the sensory
The other posters have covered things off pretty well. The one comment I'd like to make is concerning roundabouts. Even experienced riders can have trouble with these, because they're often off-camber, and if you're going further around it than just one or two exits, it's a tighter corner than you'll experience anywhere else. The key is to look over your right shoulder, right around through the corner. You still need to quickly scan the surface of the roundabout just ahead of you (just a glance) in case there's crap or bumps to be aware of, but the key is turning your head to look through the corner, to where you want to go.
Oh - about the clutch: it's for changing gears. It's not a device for parking on hills. If you sit there using the clutch to hold you stationary, one set of plates are spinning, just grinding against the other set with enough friction to not quite propel the bike forward. In doing so, they're wearing the surfaces of both plates, and that worn material is going into your engine oil. Plus the driven plates are probably being forced sideways against the slots in the clutch basket. Eventually, the clutch basket will have little rough bits in the grooves, and the clutch will judder when you take off with a few revs up, as the tangs on the clutch plates get stuck on the rough bits.
Great, huh?
Roll starting? Do you mean "start the bike's engine by rolling the bike forward" (bump start it)? If so, the answer is "yes". It takes some practice, but what you do is this: you need to get a bit of speed up, either a hill, or run alongside the bike (on the left) pushing it. When it's going fast enough, jump on to the seat side-saddle with your butt, and let the clutch out at the same time, then pull it in again quickly and give the bike some throttle. What you're trying to do is get the engine to turn over a couple of times, so second gear is better than first. You can either put it in gear before you push it, or bang it in as you jump on - it depends on the bike. Some bikes have quite a bit of clutch drag, so pushing them in gear with the clutch lever in makes them quite hard to get rolling on the flat. Banging your butt down on the seat as you pop the clutch helps to avoid rear wheel lock up from the engine compression, although a 250 shouldn't be too bad for this (unlike a 1000cc v-twin). Jumping on side-saddle means you're ready to slide off and try again if/when the bike's engine doesn't start.
Pulling the clutch in shortly after you've popped it out does two things: it means the bike won't suddenly take off and dump you on the road, and it means the bike's not going to lose all its momentum if the engine doesn't start (and dump you on the road).
Bump starting takes a bit of practice to get right, and it's something a lot of modern motorcyclists have no experience with. It won't work with an EFI engine if the battery's flat, as the injectors require ergs from the battery in order to be primed by the fuel pump. It also won't work on a carbed bike with a VERY flat battery, as there's not enough spark to the plugs. It's probably worth practicing your technique in case you need it in an emergency, but just be careful you don't drop your bike by dropping it to the right at the moment you leap aboard.
As for your questions: there's an aphorism that goes "there are no dumb questions, only dumb answers". Asking questions shows you are willing to learn, so that's a Good Thing. Keep it up.
... and that's what I think.
Or summat.
Or maybe not...
Dunno really....
<- A new way to take a rubber!
For roundabouts, make sure you are in the right gear before you enter and go around. For a slow roundabout - 2nd on the VTR250 and 1st gear on the SV650. One less thing to worry about mid-roundabout (you don't want to have to be changing down if you have to slow down).
As others have said.... DO NOT LOOK DOWN OR IN FRONT OF YOUR FRONT WHEEL. Look through the roundabout - where you want to go.
When you look through a corner or a roundabout - you'll also find you give your mind more time to process the upcoming information... this actually makes you feel like everything is happening slower, which gives you a feeling of more control and more time to adjust and react. Looking ahead, through the corner really, really relaxes your riding.
L-Plate Rider
awesome, thanks for the answers.
and for the record, I wear leather jacket, pants, gloves, and a helmet
but I don't wear any special boots.
50% of the time they are steelcaps, the rest of the time they are office boots with big tread.
I asked that particular question because if I want to hit the town, or a classy party (the policeman's ball perhaps?) I need to know how much gear I'll have to carry/lock up at the other end, or if I can wear most of the nines and get away with the jacket, helmet and gloves.
I understand the safety risk, just not the legal aspect of what was required
Didn't make it to NASS.. was raining too hard so figured it'd be cancelled. Played soccer instead... (yeah that makes sense...)
Hmm.
The big thing about bike bikes is that they protect your ankles.
I was riding in sneakers and the only injury I got from my crash was a sprained ankle, probably could have been avoided if I were wearing bike boots.
Just a Dog
Had to add my 2c
A girlfriend once asked " Why is it you seem to prefer to race, than spend time with me ?"
The answer was simple ! "I'll prolly get bored with racing too, once i've nailed it !"
Bowls can wait !
parting of the sensory
Oh yeah - the thing about "which stand to use"; it depends on where you're parking, and how you're parking.
In some situations, the centrestand is too awkward to use, or impractical (like on a steeply sloping park). And conversely to what someone else said, sometimes parking your bike on the centrestand can lead to MORE damage if it's nudged by a car. (It's less likely to get knocked over, but when it does fall, it falls further and harder.)
With time, you'll get better at parking - looking at a park as you approach it, and working out how to position the bike best so it's stable, and easy to ride off. F'rinstance, it's just about never best to park nose first into a park except when that means the front wheel is facing uphill.
On any sort of slope, leave the bike in gear. Sometimes you will need to flick the killswitch off (or lower the sidestand, if there's a 'safety cutout' switch on it) before you park, then let the clutch out and let the bike roll forward or back to take out all the slack in the transmission, then lean it over onto the sidestand. Otherwise, the bike will roll slightly, retracting the sidestand a little, and you'll come back and wonder who knocked it over.
Here's an example: there's a shop I frequently stop at to buy my wife a bus ticket. The (parallel) park outside the shop faces downhill in the direction of travel, and the road also slopes a fair bit towards the gutter. The best way for me to park it is to do what I've just said, angle the front of the bike away from the curb slightly, and turn the bars to the right (this leans the bike less than with them to the left) Then roll it forward slightly and carefully lean it over. It's leaning a fair bit, but not too much, and there's no other way I can park here. If I use the centrestand, it's leaning too much; if I back it into the curb, the front sticks out too much as it's right next to the corner, and a left-turning car could clip it. If I don't put it in gear, it'll fall over.
You'll get the hang of it, but still have instances where you've parked the worng way round, and have to back the bike out of the park, or ride up onto the footpath to get out.
... and that's what I think.
Or summat.
Or maybe not...
Dunno really....
<- A new way to take a rubber!
On parking, I find my bikes don't lean enough if you back the rear wheel into the gutter. Therefore, I keep the bike out of the gutter slightly, in 1st and let the bike roll back (engine off of course and clutch out) until the transmission locks, then side stand down and lean over. Only risk here is your front wheel might point out a little bit, so you have to hope a truck, bus or careless driver doesn't clip your front!
I think it is more likely in wellington the wind will blow 'em over than someone causing a tip.
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