SafetyFirstI learned I have more learning to do.
Started out taking it off the center-stand. I didn’t know it, but I bumped it into first in doing so. Got on, and had the clutch ingaged (little habit I picked up when starting in BRC) but not all the way I guess, since when I hit the ignition it starting going forward. Clutch in all the way! That could have been bad if I hadn’t made a habit of that. Time to check for N light first!
More practice in the hospital parking lot. I noticed I find myself doing a lot of slow turns coasting with the clutch in, which probably isn’t good. More breaking practice. I still don’t do the all-at-once braking the MSF instructor kept wanting. The MOM says to focus all of your energy on braking, and deal with shifting later — I tend to agree. I still need to nip that in the bud, because I’m retaking BRC in August and they are nitpicky about that. Personally, I find 2nd gear more useful than first if I’m moving at all. First has way too much torque.
Turn signals are getting better. I’m not having to look anymore, but canceling still seems to be taking a back-burner to clutch action.
I visited my favorite hilly residential area again. I found a little one-way alley that was steep downhill, gravel everywhere, sharp left at the bottom, when uphill. I was on the brakes lightly the whole way down, coasted around the corner with the clutch in, and then hit the hill in first. At the top is a 4-way stop, which was a fun learning exercise. First time I found myself going backwards because I just stopped and didn’t bother with the friction zone (oops.) That was pretty fun to practice friction zone on, because if you frell it up, you go backwards. Never a car to be seen on it. Good incentive to get it right and hold it when you get to the top.
Still little annoyances like rough first gear starts, getting a lot better. Shifting is rough.. hearing the engine rev then bam clutch out too fast. Hopefully that will self-correct.
I got ambitious and decided to see what happens when I twist the throttle more than I have. I had it up to 40 MPH on a 35 MPH steet, and didn’t feel too scared. Cager behind me, too.
I’m finding that the gears aren’t as pronounced between 2-3-4-5 (never got to 6) as between 1-2. I found myself wondering what gear I was in, because I didn’t notice much difference. I did find myself really able to get to 35 in second quickly by opening up the throttle. I’m questioning my shifting patterns. I’d been shifting before to keep revs down and shift more. With a redline at 14000, I can’t seem to touch it being sane.
Eventually, I decided to head home. I felt like I wasn’t scared enough, and that I was setting myself up for being too brave and something bad happening.
I do need to get some motorcycle boots soon. I haven’t been living up to my name. I’ve been riding with corduroy pants (a little better than jeans) and running shoes. But I do have a Shift Backdraft jacket (it’s OK), Scorpion Exo-700 helmet (love it) and Icon Hooligan2 gloves.
Twice I found the laces getting near caught up on the rear brake pedal. I had to stop and double-tie them.
I took a look at footwear in the bike shop, but I wasn’t sure which was safer — the Alpinestars ‘sneakers’ or the Icon field armor boots. They said the Icons are more clunky, but I might just get them because I need to have boots with ankle support for the BRC.
I’m up in the air if I want to just get knee pads, or if I want to get jeans with CE pads inside of them, or what.
