Weekend thoughts

"AestheticsInMotion" (aestheticsinmotion) 07/08/2020 at 18:30 • Filed to: None

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I park diagonally when at home so I can get a better view of the bike when I approach it.

Heated grips are incredible. These are the kind of game-changers that could single-handedly extend someone’s riding season a few months.

I wish I had a gear indicator. I lose track of what gear I’m in fairly often.

This is the first 6 speed manual I’ve owned, and it is also the 7th manual transmission equipped vehicle *in a row* I’ve purchased.

$500 to register a $3300 bike. This is some bullshit.

Some dude on a supermoto passed me today, while holding a rock-solid super-high wheelie for a solid quarter mile. I couldn’t stop laughing. That’s a guy who’s having a good time. Honestly, supermoto guy made my day. This is the second time now I’ve seen him, and both times... He wheelies past me. First time I was on the scooter, and you better believe I popped the front up out of respect.

I have had a single code-brown moment thus far. Completely my fault. Nobody else around.

I need to keep reminding myself that I’m a new rider, because most of the time everything feels incredibly natural, to the point that you feel super confident... Up until you take that corkscrew off-ramp 40mph too fast without even realizing it, and you don’t have experience taking corners anywhere near that speed on two wheels, but you’re also too late to brake before you enter the curve, so as time seems to slow down, you are very aware of the gear you’re wearing—good job, you’re decked out!—as you try to plan out a way to hit the wall in such a way that you sustain the least injuries possible, make a mental note to try this corner again after recovering, and figure out what you did wrong the first time.... All that in a split second as you’re trying to balance throttle, brake, and bike angle, trying to translate what you know about four wheel performance driving to motorcycle, trying to remember what gear you’re in and how that will necessitate different throttle inputs, trying to keep from slamming into the wall and flying over.

We pulled through though, although I took a large part of the corkscrew wide, riding outside the lane within what felt like six inches of the wall. I really do need to figure out how far I can lean this beast, and get it feeling more comfortable. I know a good rider could have held this speed in their sleep, and I would kill to have someone like that to ride with for awhile.

Maybe supermoto wheelie guy needs a protégé... 

DucST3-Red-1Liter-Standing-By > AestheticsInMotion 07/08/2020 at 18:37

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Biggest lesson to learn is NOT to target fixate. Look through the corner, press that way, lean, and you’ll be good. Then after your comfortable, you can play with the trail brake and get more grip into the front, just go easy on the pedal at first!

Snuze: Needs another Swede > AestheticsInMotion 07/08/2020 at 18:40

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“ Maybe supermoto wheelie guy needs a protégé”

Try to flag him down sometime. I am by no means an expert but I credit all my riding skills to riding with some super badasses who taught me so much just by letting me watch and tag along. 

AestheticsInMotion > DucST3-Red-1Liter-Standing-By 07/08/2020 at 18:41

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I’ve definitely felt a huge improvement   when I’m looking further ahead around bends, but it doesn’t come natural yeti think I'll go practice that later today

fintail > AestheticsInMotion 07/08/2020 at 18:44

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Part of that document being in Comic Sans is appropriate. But hey, the price you pay for no income tax - a load of other taxes to make it even out.

I like seeing others complain about a lack of a gear indicator. Way b ack in the day, when  I first wanted to ride , I remember complaining about the lack of a gear indicator, as at the time they were rare on any bike. The replies were usually mocking, at best. I have an attention span that doesn’t make me the perfect rider, I too will lose track of gears - car spotting and trying not to be killed by the idiots here (probably worse now than then) steals from my focus.

AestheticsInMotion > Snuze: Needs another Swede 07/08/2020 at 18:45

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I’m definitely going to try to get his attention one of these days. 

CRider > AestheticsInMotion 07/08/2020 at 18:46

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Be  this guy.

Don’t be this guy.

You can lean a lot farther than you think you can. And if you find yourself going too wide, ease into the back brake.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > AestheticsInMotion 07/08/2020 at 18:46

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It's like that old adage, the car will go wherever you're looking. Applies to bikes, too.

citrus > AestheticsInMotion 07/08/2020 at 18:55

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Does that say $25 for vehicle weight? Do cars normally have to pay $250?

Also comic sans note? Ew

AestheticsInMotion > CRider 07/08/2020 at 18:57

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Bottom guy is definitely how I felt around that curve. I'm going to go practice tonight

AestheticsInMotion > citrus 07/08/2020 at 18:58

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Yep, $25. No idea on cars, maybe another local could chime in

Cash Rewards > AestheticsInMotion 07/08/2020 at 19:00

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Thats the hardest thing for me to do when I autocross, especially when it’s been a while. But it makes a huge difference. And  it’s the first thing I notice myself bringing back to regular driving. Look ahead, look through the turn.

bob and john > AestheticsInMotion 07/08/2020 at 19:06

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here is your mistake:

trying to translate what you know about four wheel performance driving to motorcycle

Imma break it down REAL quick as to what translates between a bike and a car.

dam near NOTHING.

totally different weights. totally different driving physics. totally different controls.

the only things a car and bike share are gears, looking where you want to go, and the road.

Controls, inputs, expectations, lines, everything is utterly different on a bike. you need to accept this and toss aside any connection to car driving you might have.

for me, i admit it was easier because I learned the bike first. 

VincentMalamute-Kim > AestheticsInMotion 07/08/2020 at 19:06

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I see good advice by others here. Let me add one more. Back in the day, I did something similar on a Chicagoland on-ramp. Very gradual curve so 60-70 mph was fine. Until I hit sand! and f elt the wheel slip sideways. Instinctively put my foot down like I was on a bicycle.

So don’t do that.

AestheticsInMotion > VincentMalamute-Kim 07/08/2020 at 19:15

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Oh noooooo. That sounds... Potentially painful

slipperysallylikespenguins > AestheticsInMotion 07/08/2020 at 19:22

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I would argue that wheely guy is the last person you should be learning from. Those are the guys with bad habits that look cool right up until they are a smear on the highway. There are quite a few organizations around here that host moto track days, go to them and you’ll be able to find your bike’s limits in a much more comfortable way. You can learn more in one track day than 1000 miles of street riding.

Also make sure to watch those curved onramps/offramps closely, they tend to accumulate sand/debris.

cmill189 - sans Volvo > AestheticsInMotion 07/08/2020 at 19:28

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Told ya those heated grips are awesome! Combine them with heated gloves when it's 40 degrees and it's even better. 

OhCrikeyTheRozzers > AestheticsInMotion 07/08/2020 at 19:54

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Humble suggestion —don’t force too much lean   too fast. Leaning more does not automatically mean you turn tighter and go faster if your body positioning and the other elements are incorrect, it does mean though that you have given up nearly all of your available traction for deceleration (braking or engine braking) or acceleration and are at high risk of a low side crash if you lose traction for any reason. You also can only lean so much, so if you misjudge the corner and that lean in reserve is the last option before hitting an outside wall, you’ll want to have it. Sorry to preach, but many, many motorcyclists have gotten in over their head trying to drag a knee or throw a bike over hard  on a public road—don’t be those guys.

kleeBRZ > bob and john 07/08/2020 at 20:24

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yup.....WHY!??!  learning to ride is so much fun... from teachers.  I should sign up for an advanced course soon...

kleeBRZ > OhCrikeyTheRozzers 07/08/2020 at 20:27

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THIS. leverage head/ body position so you don’t HAVE to lean.  I practiced on my bmx in my driveway with some cones.  Your melon is as heavy as a bowling ball and dramatically affects your cornering just by holding it over one side or another.

Exage03040 @ opposite-lock.com > AestheticsInMotion 07/08/2020 at 20:36

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Heavier bikes take longer for people to get comfortable in cornering , they react slower so you end up thinking it’s more of commitment. This isn’t going to be something you get good at within a season. This is continual learning and improvement.

Also be wary of riding with others: you HAVE to ride your own ride. Too many riders get suckered way out of their depth by a more experienced rider. Their 7/10ths can be your 12/10ths and you will crash trying to keep up , this is like every maxwrist video ever.

Just saddle time riding at 4 or 5 / 10ths you’ll get comfortable and get quicker without trying.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > CRider 07/08/2020 at 21:27

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I recognize the snake anywhere! Too bad they are never ever gonna open it back up. 

CRider > slipperysallylikespenguins 07/08/2020 at 22:05

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Supermoto guys are often card-carrying members of the Calamari Race Team, but they can also be highly skilled. It’s not like the average person just getting into bikes knows what a supermoto even is; it’s a motorcyclists motorcycle.

AestheticsInMotion > OhCrikeyTheRozzers 07/08/2020 at 22:49

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Not preachy at all! I really appreciate all the insight. As much as I love this bike, I wish I had something small and cheap that I could take out on the dirt and not care about banging up a bit...

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > AestheticsInMotion 07/08/2020 at 22:52

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Too bad you couldn’t keep up with decay and me when we all went up Helens that one time! Not that I’m an expert by any means.

Heated insoles, jacket liner, and pants liner, the 12v plug-in ones, will take you all the way through winter if you avoid ice and have waterproof outers. The insoles are magic.

https://www.cyclegear.com/gear/hotwired-12v-heated-inner-sole

AestheticsInMotion > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 07/08/2020 at 23:12

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I would have loved to play around on some tighter stuff when the Miata was at it’s best ! But t hose wide sweepers at Helen’s... Ha. No way. I was honestly blown away by how fast you two were getting. Now though... I get it. It’s just so easy!

One of these days I’ll have to take another 1200 for a spin around here, and finally try out sport mode. After a week with the Honda, the thought of adding another 50hp and ft/lbs is a bit terrifying 

All right. T hose soles are definitely going into the winter buy list

Decay buys too many beaters > AestheticsInMotion 07/09/2020 at 00:42

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I’d have loved to mess around in tighter stuff from the supermoto, that thing rips quick transitions like nothing else ive ridden :p 

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > AestheticsInMotion 07/09/2020 at 00:44

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Give it a year or two before trying something bigger out. You're liable to be at the point where you're overly confident for your experience level. Honestly, I still very rarely use sport mode, it's just so much more raw. It's too much for many streets with all the cracks, potholes, gravel etc. Keep it over 6-7k rpm and it'll try to throw you off with the wrong twitch of the wrist. Touring mode isn't touchy like that at all.

sn4cktimes > CRider 07/09/2020 at 02:10

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Agreed. If the pegs haven’t yet scraped you can lean further at speed. It’s actually pretty ridiculous how far even normal street tires will let you tilt before washing out. It does take a scary level of commitment or hopelessness sometimes. 

sn4cktimes > CRider 07/09/2020 at 02:11

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I ride an enduro as a daily in the summer. I really want a set of sumo wheels for it. I think it’d be a good time in the city. 

CRider > sn4cktimes 07/09/2020 at 02:29

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Yeah, assuming there’s no gravel on the road there’s no corner you can’t take at absolutely bonkers speeds on the street.  Unless you’re scraping parts off your low slung cruiser, you’ll be able to go way faster than you think is possible unless you’re an experienced track rider.

CRider > sn4cktimes 07/09/2020 at 02:30

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Su permotos are the perfect city bike. You won’t destroy your knobbies and you’ll be able to outmaneuver literally every other bike on the road.

oldmxer > AestheticsInMotion 07/09/2020 at 06:34

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i have done this myself even after 50+ years of riding, if you panic and turn the handlebars into the turn it will can cel your lean and send you that much wider, “countersteering” is putting counter intuitive pressure on the bars just enough to achieve more lean into the corner, which is a way of saying you slightly push on the right bar in a right hand turn until you get re-aimed while lightly braking, always the inside bar. you can practice this in a parking lot or some such until you get comfor table with it and it will become second nature. i had been without a street bike for quite a while and bought one last year, went down my favorite road too fast too soon and realized the natural intuition had left me and almost got in big trouble. over confidence is a killer, i learned to go in slow and slowly accelerate when you can see the exit of the turn even on a road you know because today there may be something different about it, like a truck spilling sand or liquid, of even someone mowing grass and getting it on the road etc.

Dead_Elvis, Inc. > AestheticsInMotion 07/10/2020 at 00:00

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I’m in Seattle. $25 for cars, too - renewed registration on an ‘87 Volvo 244 last week & just got my new tab s yesterday. And no, I don’t know WTF that line item really means, either.

Use of comic sans should be grounds for never using that particular licensing office again.

Dead_Elvis, Inc. > AestheticsInMotion 07/10/2020 at 00:08

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You just moved up from a scooter, IIRC. That’s a quite a jump (and the VFR is a stellar choice!).

Have you taken the MSF or Evergreen basic rider’s course? Forget wheelie-douche. Take the course. Take the Intermediate one, too. You’ve probably developed some bad habits you’re not aware of if you’ve been riding for while without any formal training, and even more likely have some gaps in your knowledge big enough to ride a Goldwing through.

https://evergreenmotorcycletraining.org/motorcycles/

AestheticsInMotion > Dead_Elvis, Inc. 07/10/2020 at 01:48

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Ha! Believe it or not, this particular DOL is home to some amazing employees. I can easily say this is my favorite government facility I've ever had to deal with in any capacity. I walked in and heard the employees arguing over who was the best Van Halen singer, while Zakk Wylde era Ozzy played in the background. And the line moved so quickly! 

AestheticsInMotion > Dead_Elvis, Inc. 07/10/2020 at 01:50

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Yes, I took that very course and loved it! I’m thinking after a few months of commuting and long weekend adventures, I’ll try to get some track leathers and get a day or two of performance-based instruction.

AestheticsInMotion > kleeBRZ 07/10/2020 at 01:51

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Today I tried leaning my head/body moreso than tipping the bike itself. Wow! Felt like a much better starting point