- This topic has 18 replies, 10 voices, and was last updated 14 years, 8 months ago by yugen852.
BRC Blues (long)
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AuthorPosts
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July 19, 2009 at 3:40 am #3168owlieParticipant
In the interest of full disclosure, before today, I had never sat on a motorcycle. Yes, over the last several months, I have done alot of reading and watching of videos, but before today, I hadn’t even been a passenger on one.
So why does it come as a surprise to me that the first three hours of the day where filled with complete frustration and anxiety?
The heck if I know.
I guess to begin, I should say that our class was smaller than their usual classes. They will accept up to 12 students per class, and we had 8. This was very nice. It was also beneficial that they were only running one class this weekend instead of two, so we didn’t get rushed through the exercises. In fact, we were out on the range almost two hours over the allotted time. The two instructors are great. I feel like I have Jay and Silent Bob. Jay has a lot of energy, cracks a lot of not-quite-off-color jokes, and makes corny analogies that somehow actually work. Silent Bob doesn’t say alot, but when he does, it is something to pay attention to.
The day started off with us choosing bikes. Silent Bob explained about the differences between the bikes, and while he didn’t actually assign them, I felt like he would have no problem with switching people around if someone got a bike that was inappropriate for their size. The bike that I picked was blue. I couldn’t tell you much more about it than that it was blue. I’m pretty sure that it was a 250. I’m also pretty sure that I couldn’t get that thing into second gear if my life depended on it. Somehow, my feet just didn’t fit correctly with it.
I went through the first couple of exercises on it (all of the ones where you get to feel out the clutch and find the friction zone) before Silent Bob told me that he didn’t think that the bike was doing it for me and make me try out a little red 125. Okay, so remember, that I’ve never been on a bike before; one bike is much the same as the next, right? (Yes, I know that is not true, but I just didn’t realize how not true it was.)
So I spent the rest of the day stalling the bike everytime I tried to take off. You see, the little 125 that they put me on has a friction zone about 1/4in in throw. Everytime we would try a slow walk type exercises, I couldn’t figure out why I couldn’t do them, but it was because as soon as I had started pulling in the clutch, I was already well past the friction zone. GRRR. The instructors kept telling me to use the clutch to control my speed, and I was trying, but I don’t think that any of us realized until almost the end of the day that the problem was that I couldn’t find the friction zone. Jay finally figured out the problem when I stalled it right in front of him on the last exercise.
I got home and my sweetie asked me if I had given up on my goal of riding a motorcycle, but he has underestimated how this type of thing brings out the competitor in me. This isn’t a competition against the other students, or my will against the machine. It is my desire to prove to myself that I can do it. And frankly, once the motorcycle gets up to speed, it is more fun than I’ve had in years.
In the end, I didn’t lay the bike down today (somewhat to Silent Bob’s surprise, I think), and I learned quickly enough that they didn’t tell me to not come back (somewhat to my surprise after the way the first half of the day went). I honestly don’t know if I will pass the skills test tomorrow, but I also know that even if I do, I’ll retake the class once I actually have a bike. There are too many new things that I am trying to absorb, and I just don’t think that I would trust myself without someone talking me through it again.
Owlie
Edit: Name have been changed to protect the innocent. “Jay and Silent Bob” is a reference to characters in several View Askew productions.
July 19, 2009 at 3:49 am #20743eonParticipantGood luck tomorrow. Remember you are there to have fun! On my BRC I had a little trouble finding the friction zone and the 2nd helper watched me and realized the clutch lever had to be almost completely out before it started to bite. He made a quick adjustment (don’t think he was supposed to) and after that I was fine. Point is each bike is different and it may be your bikes setup is not the best. Or it could be you just need a little more time to get the hang of it. Either way don’t matter, just go there and give it your best. You can always come back again.
Good luckJuly 19, 2009 at 7:03 am #20748SafetyFirstParticipantWelcome from the BRC flunkee himself, me!
BRC is a lot to absorb. I bit the dust on the emergency braking in a curve part of the test.
You will do fine!
Don’t let failure be an option. For real.
After failing BRC, I got a bike, and I think I’m getting better everyday riding it. I never rode a day in my life before the BRC.
I’m still re-taking BRC next month. I feel that I made a lot of progress on my bike, so the class should be a piece of cake. I already passed the state test on my own, anyway, and already have a full license.
July 19, 2009 at 7:57 am #20752eternal05ParticipantNo matter how slick you are, chances are there’s something involved in motorcycling that you aren’t going to get right off the bat. I think the combination of being an automotive racing enthusiast and a bicycle racer gave me enough practice with clutches and hand levers to be instantly at home with the brake, clutch, and steering.
For me the devastatingly hard BRC control was the throttle. I had tremendous difficulty turning the handlebars and maintaining a steady throttle input, as well as just being smooth and progressive in the face of turns or, say, a bumpy road. In the end I discovered that it was largely due to the fact that I had a death grip on the bars, and once I loosened up and started squeezing with the knees instead of the hands, the throttle issue eased right up.
I also nearly failed my BRC exam because my Nighthawk 250 died half-way through the test. I had to do the U-turn figure-8 box on a brand new bike: the Kawi Eliminator 125. Needless to say, the pressure of the test, the hardest exercise for me, and a new, less powerful, dramatically different bike was a lot to deal with. This is also, for the record, why I hate the Eliminator.
My point is, if you do have moments of joy punctuated by frustration, don’t sweat it. Almost all of us did at some point, and in most cases, it’s something that’s eventually overcome with practice, technique, relaxation, etc. Keep at it, stay optimistic, and better luck on day two!
July 19, 2009 at 3:47 pm #20757MunchParticipantIf I read that right you should be able to go back free of charge in my opinion. People have got to remember that these bikes that you get on are not new…been dropped many times over and at best get an oil change, re tightening of parts and a general “does it start now?, good get it back out there” kind of look over. If he saw that the clutch wasn’t working in a correct range then that should not have gone against you.
Also …again maybe it was just my experience when I took it, however they should have taken the time to help you understand why “it didn’t fit” was it long legs, boots to tall to get under the shifter at the toe, or maybe the bike was just f’ed up.
Keep your head up, with what I read this is nothing on your side of the fault. Heck the Buell Blasts we rode I had to turn my foot in an inward pigeon toed position just to find the lil 1″ shifter lever that it had… the thing had been dropped enough throw a hook in it and I coulda swore the ground off some of it. Some how made it work though, and after all that by the time I got back on my V500… I had to relearn how to ride due to a correctly structurally sound bike.July 19, 2009 at 6:37 pm #20761lassieParticipantHi, Owlie. I feel like you do, it is not the competition with the others, nor out to prove to anyone other than myself, I’m just not a quitter and this is something I have always wanted to do, and I feel now is the time. I was not as lucky as you to be able to attend the class the next day. My instructors said they didn’t want to fail me at the riders test, and they didn’t feel I was ready for the next day. So come back when I was ready. Although I get a free redo. I’m trying to find a bike that I can ride on to practice before beginning the course again.
This morning while out to breakfast with my husband I talked to 2 female riders, both older than me. One was 70 and had taken the course when she was 61, and redid the course 3 times and completed it on the 3 time. She said she also had gotten her permit and bike after her 2nd failure and just began to ride around. She also said that Harley has the best class for women riders and it is 3 days in class and two riding. Much slower pace and probably better for those of us who have never been in the driver seat on a motorcycle or never been on one before. I didn’t ask for a price but I’m sure you can find in on the internet. I think I just may check this out, can’t hurt, other than my pocketbook.
Lassie
July 20, 2009 at 1:05 am #20770owlieParticipantWhile I understand your encouragement to not let failure be an option, I think it would probably have been counterproductive for me in this instance. Going into the second day without the stress of worrying about whether I would pass, made the whole day go more smoothly. Instead, I got to sit back and smile at all of the other people tie knots in their shirtails with worry about the exam.
July 20, 2009 at 1:06 am #20771owlieParticipantI can completely understand the problem with having to switch bikes; I can’t even imagine having to do it right before the skills test. What a nightmare! Even as early in the class as I switched bikes, I still had trouble getting used to it at the same time as I was learning the new skills.
July 20, 2009 at 1:06 am #20772owlieParticipantThe funny thing was that the part that stressed me out with the clutch on the 125 wasn’t even part of what ended up getting tested on. With the first bike, they did take the time to figure out what the problem was and that was why my bike got switched. Of course, I was already all bent out of shape once I got the second bike, so having a flaky clutch didn’t help with the relax and have fun part.
July 20, 2009 at 1:07 am #20773owlieParticipantThank you all for all of the advice, comisseration and encouragement.
Today went much better than yesterday. And, much to my HUGE surprise, I passed the skills test at the head of the class. I only got docked points on the quick stop (I took too long to stop because in my practice stops I kept locking up the rear brake). I’m the only one who got the cornering right.
One of the instructors told me during the final debrief that he kept quiet about the clutch on my bike, but that it really was difficult to get the hang of because the friction zone was so short and so close to the end of the throw. Not sure how I feel about that, but no sweat.
I have to say (and I know that this makes me an oddity) but I LOVE box turns! I could have done them all morning long. That was an absolute blast. Credit goes to Capt. Crash and the Ride Like a Pro video. Between all of the views of those videos, I was able to get it down almost at once.
Thanks again!
Owlie
July 20, 2009 at 1:24 am #20775yugen852ParticipantCongratulations! Now, what bike will you buy?
July 20, 2009 at 2:05 am #20780MunchParticipantCongrats! I wonder if a reasoning would be is to see how well you would be able to adapt from one bike and conditions to another.
No matter…. you passed!!!!!!July 20, 2009 at 3:52 am #20776JtownJJAParticipantCongratulations!! It is so exciting when you pass the class! Whether you get a bike right away, or have to wait for a while, it is still a step in a new and exciting chapter in your life. I am very happy for you!
July 20, 2009 at 1:32 pm #20793okcponyParticipantThat’s a big step in building the confidence factor. I am finding that it is helpful, although this sounds overly simple, to ride as frequently as possible. Even if it’s just 30 minutes or so every day, or every other day, your comfort level with what you’re learning, and the traffic around you, will increase each time you go out. If you have a period of days (or weeks) that you can’t ride, it seems to make that first ride out a bit more unnerving. My hubby & I got our cards laminated, went the next day to the motor vehicle dept. and took the written test, and got the M endorsement on our licenses. It really does make you feel more empowered to be LEGAL in that area!
Best wishes…Lynn in OKCJuly 20, 2009 at 4:51 pm #20804roborabbitParticipantCongrats! I’m with you on the box turns aswell, not exactly because I find them fun(they are fun tho) but more so because I find them hard(it’s suprising how much easier they are when you aren’t trying to feather a 20 year old clutch, tho)