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Thanks for all the good tips. They taught us to head check in the MSF class but I was getting out of that habit because I didn'nt feel like I had a blind spot. But I will take ya'lls word for it and get back in the habit. Do you guys think that it is worth while to change tires? Are the Bridgestones that bad?

Thanks.

CT,

I don't know as I'd go so far as to say Bridgestones are
"bad". But it seems the majority, if not all people here replace them with Metzelers, Avons, Dunlops or something else when it's time. Myself, I'd run them until it's time. Metzeler and Avon seem to have the largest following

JH

Just to put my 2p in...
I rode the Bridgestones till they needed changing. I heard what people were saying and it was happening to me..the following ruts in the road and other stuff. I changed to the Metzelers. They weren't the cheapest, but I'd heard nothing bad. The difference was remarkable. I could throw the bike around corners in ways that I didn't think were possible before. OK so my riding style was better than when I first got the bike, but all the same.
Cut to 6 months later. Some prat has hit my beloved, but a very nice man has lent me an America (he still at the time of writing hasn't ridden it). The only problem, the man he's bought it from lives 100 miles away. No problem. I'll ride it back from there. Am I sure...? Course I am. But it's got those bloody Bridgestones on. I'm back to following grooves in the road. And I don't mean the ones coming from my iPod. And not throwing one round a corner.
And when I pick the shiny new one this week, that will have bloody Bridgestones on too... but they'll have to stay. I have plans for that one, and I'll be skint after buying the flaming thing anyway.

Change them...? I would when they need doing. But you'll be able to tell the difference. And wonder why you didn't before. I did.

Thanks a lot. Didn't mean to hijack the thread. I'll shut up and keep a look out for more good advice.

Never touch the front brake while the wheels aren't dead straight, even at walking speed.

Going fast not only limits your reaction times to danger, it also limits others reaction times to you . You may feel that you are not going dangerously fast - ie you will be able to stop before any perceived danger, but are you prepared to bet your life that the next guy you overtake is as clued up, alert and sober as you are? Unless the road is deserted, you must factor into your "speed appropriate to the conditions" calculations, other road users, not just whether its been raining or not.

Don't think about how good you're looking - even if you are Brad Pitt on a Bonnie! If you're not concentrating on riding, you really improve your chances of crashing.

Exercise extreme caution when pulling up in front of cinema queues, biker gatherings, dealerships, office colleagues. This is always when you will forget to put the kickstand down or something.

Excellent advice. I started always putting my foot down at a stop sign. Lot's of guys laugh me. This weekend, a guy riding in the hill country went through a stop sign and got hit by a big Mercury. It killed his passenger and he's in the hospital. No excuse for that

Quote:

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Never touch the front brake while the wheels aren't dead straight, even at walking speed.

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Gotta disagree with this one Rich. Using brakes in combination is a necessary skill to achieve the best performance. The technique of "trail braking" involves use of the front brake while in turns. Too much back brake can cause a traction loss.
In fact some times, I don't use the back brake, just the front. Of course you must always be aware of any potential traction compromising situations.

wait.... there's a back break.... I find I'm about 70/30 front to back...and for "stops" it's more af a "cross fade" from front to rear...

Wow I thought I was just riding wrong. Glad its ok to use the front again. My first dirt bike didn't have a rear brake. So I almost never use one, it has to be a conscious effort on my part to use the rear.

Use a little more back brake and a little less front in the rain. Using one gear lower than normal helps too.

it's not just save a newbie stuff we're concerned with. sometimes refreshers or reminders are good for all of us.
heavy front braking even if the wheels are straight can cause a problem too. know your bike. know your grip and how the brakes respond individually and together in all kinds of weather conditions. always good to check that before you head out OTR.

i went absolutelyairborne many years ago off a bicycle trying to avoid getting in an accident. water bottle in left hand my reflex went for the front brake(aka free hand) rather than ditching the bottle and using both brakes.

still holding onto the bike i flipped buttoverhead then crashed down hard bike on top of me. broke two ribs and got cut up pretty bad. and that was just on a bicycle.

I'm not one for slaming the front brake on either....Like mert I went over the front of a bicycle when I was younger. After that I never used the front brake. I don't use the front brake a lot now. Even when I did slam on the front brake I didn't stop in time...hence the new bike...

I took a fly over the handle bars of a bicycle once myself...hurt like hell as i recall.

Learning trail-braking on the streets can be dicey, this is why I recommended practicing in the proverbial empty parking lot. Gina, was 'slamming' on the brakes just an expression or did you just jerk the lever? Like firing a pistol, you should be smooth and squeeze the lever and steadily increase the pressure. With empty lot rain practice, it gets a lot easier. You would be suprised how hard you can use the front brake in the rain.

Tip #2

Continue to look cool, even though you just laid your bike down because you forgot to put the side stand down.

Maybe slamming is a Brit term...

Jumping on the brake cos a car was in the way...... and hoping I was gonna stop before hitting it. I didn't and that is why I have a new one....
And it was dry.

Practice full on front and rear braking Gina. Get comfortable with the process so it becomes instinctive. It helps to have someone watch you, at least until you know what the rear brake locking up feels like (you don't want this). A locked front is actually much easier to deal with. Simple sensory input-output here. Hands are much more dexterous than feet. It's much easier to judge how much brake you're applying with your fingers.
Might just save you another nasty meeting.

I find it very helpful to go to a large (empty) parking lot and practice several things. One of them is emergency stopping. Run it up in the gears and slam in both brakes and try to come to a controlled stop. The practice really does help give you a good feel for what the bike can do and gives you confidence in your ability to make a emergency stop.

Ride straight. Always. Party at the END of the day's ride.

I lifted these from a police motorcycle course:

The key to safe low speed motion is to modulate and control your speed by feathering the clutch and rear brake in unison. This allows one to travel slower than stall speed in first gear, and won't hurt a wet clutch if done in relative moderation. (This is how the cops do it)

At slow speeds, ignore the instinct to look down at the ground. NEVER look down at low speed. If you look down, you'll go down. I find this practice handy for grooved roads and bridges too. DON'T look down.

When making turns at low speed, turn your head in that direction, and the bike will follow. For very tight turns and U turns, turn your head as far as it will go, like an owl. The farther you turn your head, the tighter you can turn. It sounds weird, but it works.

NEVER use the front brake at low speeds.

It is possible for everyone who rides a motorcycle to make controlled full lock turns at 5 MPH. It just takes practice. Start by having someone stand in one place, or prop up a broom as a sighting target, and circle around, while looking at their head or broom height only. (DON'T look down!) Feather the rear brake & clutch as you go. Keep making the circle smaller, and practice in both directions. If you practice this on a hot day, make a run or two now & then to cool the engine. This is a very handy skill to have in traffic, when parking, and when making tight U turns. It should be second nature to be able to make a U turn within two parking spaces, with both feet on the pegs, in complete control, and with full confidence. EVERY production motorcycle sold in the US* is capable of this U turn in two parking spaces maneuver. A few hours with the circle exercise will get anyone there. Try it and see.

These techniques and many more are on this DVD, which is primarily devoted to low speed high proficiency riding techniques.
http://www.ridelikeapro.com/RLAP4.asp
This is a great DVD for low speed technique. Depending upon availability, it could make for a right nice stocking stuffer too. The second portion of the DVD is the actual police riding course, which requires ample & sturdy crash bars, even for the majority of skilled and highly experienced riders interested in riding it. If one can master that section, they can literally drag the pegs at 3 to 5 MPH and in full control. (I never tried that part of the course - my knees are my crash bars.)





*OK, so maybe the 14' production choppers can't U-turn that tight

The 'Ride Like a Pro Series are great! The example of his wife handling a big hog sent me to the closest high school parking lot on Sunday mornings. Circling a light pole works well if you don't forget the little feet that come out at the base.

The latest Rider mag has an interesting tidbit about a guy who took a police riding course. 'Everyone has one side they are better turning on.' I noticed that during practice and thought I was just weird(different subject). I can make tighter slow left hand circles than right circles and I'm right handed.

The Rider peice said this police dept makes it even worse by putting the tight U turns up against a brick wall so you can't shicken out and exit.

OUCH!

I've found that just a new pair of winter riding gloves has required a lot of practice with covering the front brakes.

Me & thick gloves don't get along too well either, but sometimes they're a must in the cool weather. A throttle lever helps some while covering the front brake with thick gloves. Some say you shouldn't cover the brake like that, but after a quick stop the other night to make room for Bambi, I believe I'll keep covering the brake at night whenever I remember to.

My dear old dad told me to treat all car drivers as idiots,i forgot this advice twice and got the various busted bones and bruises..

Be careful what you carry in your pocket.
I am guilty of this one too often. We use single-edge razor blades at work. I have a huge pile of them at home because I always forget to empty my pockets. I bet some of you do too. Tools or parts in a jacket pocket, backpack, or belt pouch will do some damage too.

It seems we have a lot of new riders these days. So I thought I'd bring this topic back up.

Hey Brian,

Thanks for bringing this back up. I'm a newbie and I've just gone on my first long rides after taking the MSF course and practicing a bit more in quiet residential areas and parking lots. Of course I need to work on all of my skills, but the most glaring right now are:

1. Taking a tight right hand turn from a stop sign or light in a residential area with very narrow roads. I slowly let out the clutch and seem to give to much throttle because I don't want to stall, and I've ended up making the turn way wide and ended up on the wrong side of the road. Not good. Maybe I should just release the clutch very slowly and stay off the throttle?

2. For some reason I can't get it through my head to cancel my turn signals everytime I use them. I've spent alot of time in cages and they've all done that for me. I know the answer here is to develop the habit of cancellinng them, I hope my writing it will drive it home.

3. When coming to a stop or slowing for a vehicle to turn, I am not sure whether I want to use engine braking, or Pull the cluth in and shift all the way down to first without letting it out and apply the brakes. I think I am beginning my slowing stopping processes later than I should.

Any pointers would surely be appreciated. These sites have helped me tremendously already as a beginning motorcyclist. I'm glad they're here.

Travis

Here's the link for the engine braking. I like it! But I also consider it sort of a "secondary skill", more of a preference. Not an essential skill like coming to a controlled stop outright. Get the basics down, then worry about splitting hairs.

I'll second the head turning. I also tend to turn the bike just a bit as I am coming to a stop so it's slightly less than a 90 deg turn, sorta cheating.

Habbits for the signal cancelling... Just like you said.

Get the book "Total Control" and read about counter steering. If you're turning right push on the right side of the handlebar and the bike will fall/turn to the right. It starts at a VERY slow speed. Counter intuitive but true. Get the book, well worthwhile.

The law of gravity gets us all sooner or later.Yes I have been down over the years a few times.Last time just coming to a stop.Cracked left elbow then.I try to always wear a jacket even in the summer now.Cool thing about helmets if you bump your head,they usually show a mark.New helmets are cheap compared to hospital visits.They also are warmer in the winter and dryer in the rain. In the summer they can actually keep you cooler and help keep you from getting sun burned.I've gotten hit in the head riding by rocks,trash,bugs-big bugs of all sorts,bees included,and birds.I know I have a thick head,but a helment helps.Down side to the helmet,yeah supposidly you cannot hear as good.****** my hearing is not as good anymore anyway.Helmets miss up your hair,there again I don't have much hair anymore! You have to clean the face shield of bugs.Boy that's a hassle.Better than your face or a trip to the eye doctor.Oh I have gotten a bee inside the fullface helmet going down the road.Scarry yes!! I managed not to crash or get stung.Good luck out there!!

You can make your tightest turn by feathering the clutch. Let it out a little, get going a little, pull the clutch back in a little, and turn tighter. Most riders have to use this method for their tightest of U-turns. Practice in a parking lot.
Your bike downshifts easier when the output shaft is spinning, in other words, while you're still moving. It can be harder to shift if you wait until you're stopped. I like the sound of an engine on overrun(coasting down), but serious braking should be done with the brakes, both together.

Thought of a guy at work reading some of the other comments.He's a new street rider.Bought himself a GT650R Hyosung.He let me take it out,seems like a good starter bike.He got a good deal on it brand new.He has not had it six months even yet.He told me he has 1600 miles on it now.Guess what he's thinking of getting a CBR1000 Honda now.I'd like to see the guy get more exsperence on the 650 before jumping onto the CBR1000. He's a young guy and I know he thinks faster is better,but not always.I personally think he would do better to wait a year and get some miles under his seat.

I know a lot of people in situations like that... Plus my neighbor is egging this one girl on "but an inline 4 is soooo smooooth" like she really cares how much smoother a motor is. Yeah it's also powerful enough to go right out from under her. That's a BIG step up from a little thumper.