[eon]

Sorry to hear about your Bike Ben. Hopefully you can get back on 2 wheels sooner than you hope.

I can help out on the website part a little (more of a database programmer than website guy) but I would guess it’s more about content than coding. Maybe some of the more experienced folks around here could write up some of their experiences on how they branched out in different areas of biking. Thinking about MegaSpaz and Eternal doing their track days, TrialsRider doing his thing (though he may not be able to remember back to when he started!). Links to professional bodies, where to find more information. That kind of thing. Sometimes I think the place gets a little stale with the “start on a Ninja 250” and “I’m a big guy” posts. Learing about the different areas of motorcycling and what they are like would be interesting I think.

[eon]

I had a little wake up call on Sunday there. Coming back from a weekend trip to Montana I’ve got 350 miles of rural interstate to contend with. About 50 miles in a SUV moves into my lane and I have to brake sharply to avoid getting run off the road. Horn blaring, lights flashing, made no difference. When it moved back into the inside lane a short while later I pull up alongside and glare at the driver who is completely oblivious, chatting away to their passenger. At no point did they ever know I was there.

What shook me up a little was I had no recollection of anything before the incident. First I remember is it pulling into my lane. Reflexes took over and there was never any danger of me being hit but I was being dangerously complacent. For the next 300 miles I was reading each license plate, which State is it from?, scanning the occupants, what’s the driver doing, how old are they, are they checking their mirrors, etc etc. Kept me awake and alert in an otherwise boring journey. It also meant I spotted very early on the two other drivers who would cut me up on that journey. Amazing the difference it makes when you know it is coming

[eon]

Glad you came out okay. Sometimes we all need a little reminder that we are only a mistake away from some serious injuries. In this case I feel your pain. I think once you have committed to the pass I think it’s hard to change your mind and you keep trying to make it happen until you realize it’s not going to work.

Thanks for sharing. Hopefully it will keep us all a little bit safer.

[eon]

but it does have “fly-by-wire” controls so it has computer overrides to alter the power delivery. Still not what I would call a good first bike as from the reviews it seems like a spirited bike, even in Rain mode.

But what is exotic in some locations is no big deal in others. Here in Seattle we are very lucky to have Ducati, Aprilia and Guzzi dealers all within a 5 mile radius.

[eon]

It is my belief that those who trot out the old line “you will get bored” don’t know what they are talking about. I’ve been riding for 2 years and 20,000 miles on a 500cc scooter (39hp) and even though I am now ready for more power, it would be wrong to say I am bored with what I have. For me the fun of riding is all in the corners, seeking out twisty roads to test your skill. In that situation power has nothing to do with the fun you will have.

There are many factors that influence how well or aggressive you can take a corner but horsepower is not one of them. The biggest factor is the gray matter between your ears and a lot of the things you need to do are counter intuitive and hard to learn. But that’s what makes it so fun.

The reason I am now interested in more power is to help in overtaking maneuvers. I frequently catch up guys on bikes much larger than mine but they go so slow through the corners I catch up with them and it spoils my ride. If I had more power it would help me pass them on the straights. But it would not enable me to go any faster through the corners. That is all about technique.

It is also my believe that a lot of folks main reason for riding is to do with image. And small engines, from sport bikes to cruisers, are rarely cool. But if you are actually interested in learning to ride, then a small engine is your friend.

[eon]

Everybody learns at different rates so you won’t know till you try. Your experience on the scooter will not help you here (maybe even hinder a little as you will reach for the left lever when looking for the back brake) but it will help you with everything else (roadcraft etc). Gotta say you should have taken the MSF class 7 months ago as 99% of still applies to scooters.

But at the end of the day I don’t think learning to shift is too hard (says the man still on a 500cc automatic )

[eon]

If you are riding behind someone the most important piece of advice I would give you is to focus on the road and NOT the person in front. I think that is the natural thing for us to do but it can get you into all sorts of trouble. On my first group ride I was doing exactly that when taking a right hand corner. The guy in front takes it fine but because I was looking at him (and you go where you look) I turned into the corner too soon which meant I made the corner far tighter than it really was. I drifted into the opposite lane but thankfully there were no oncoming cars but it scared the beejeebus out of me. Look at the road but be aware where other riders are.

With groups you will find different people have different expectations on what makes a good ride. Eventually you will find a group that has similar tastes to your own but you will probably have some bad experiences along the way. But I prefer small groups (no more than 6) and to ride in loose formation. Essentially you are riding solo but you can still see the person in front and behind. Others prefer to ride 1 sec apart in staggered formation and the more the merrier. For me that is just hell but each to their own.

[eon]

Strange as it may seem some guys actually enjoying sharing their passion with bikes with their significant other. Take your two (hopefully) greatest passions and combine them and the sum is greater than the parts. And a 90/10 mix sounds about perfect to me. So for some people this may be a compromise, for others it would be a benefit. Once he has some experience the world of Sport-Tourers opens up and for most people that is not exactly a compromise.

But for just now, it is time to be selfish and concentrate on learning to ride. In a year’s time he will know having a passeger is something that will add to HIS experience or not.

[eon]

I *think* he meant the wife wants to get on the back but I could be wrong. If so I certainly understand why she does not want a sportbike. But at the end of the day I agree with WZ. It’s hard to make a big compromise just for the occasional 2 up trip. But given that 2 up trips should be postponed till you actually know how to ride (you are thinking about her safety here), I would pick your first bike based on your needs alone. Once you are a competent rider you will have a better feel for what type of bike you really want and with some experience a whole new set of bikes suitable for 2up riding become good choices for you.

[eon]

LMAO. That’s the funniest thing I’ve read in a long time. Poor old dad….
Strapping a bicycle to a motorbike sounds like a painful task and probably not pleasant to ride. You would have to be dedicated to do that so I’m glad you’ve missed that wonderful experience

[eon]

Not sure I understand what you mean. At 50mph there is a lot of wind battering your head. Doesn’t matter if you are on a Harley or a silent electric scooter and that noise is all sensory input for your brain to figure out what the hell is going. Compare that to 50mph in silence. Now the only input telling your brain it’s doing 50mph and time to be scared is your vision. Eyes up and ear plugs in will help in managing these new experiences.

When I DON’T wear ear plugs it feels faster.

[eon]

I would definitely recommend ear plugs for speeds over 50mph, for lots of reasons. But in this case I know it feels faster to me when I am not wearing them. Sounds like having my head in a clothes dryer. Too much sensory input!

But I would say the main thing you can do is keep your eyes up, look at the horizon. The horizon is not moving very fast so it slows everything down. Apart from that you want to be scanning at least 12 seconds down the road anyway, looking for danger before it gets in your face. If you are focusing on the ground beneath you then it’s going to seem like you are moving at 100mph.

[eon]

I could cheat and pull one out of my library, hell I could take one from my front door if I wanted to The benefits of living in the land of volcanoes. But I am going on a long ride tomorrow past Mt. St Helens down into Oregon. Should be able to get either Rainier, St Helens or Hood at some point. So if someone else does not beat me to it I should be able to post something suitable for the flatlanders among us tomorrow night.

[eon]

As a scooter rider for the past 2 years I can confirm they can be a lot of fun. Lots of choices out there depending on what appeals to you. BUT, given you were pointed in this direction because of a weak left wrist I have to point out the back brake on a scooter is the lever on the left handlebar. Basically you have just replaced the clutch with the back brake. It’s probably a bit of a wash which one puts more strain on your wrist but in the event of an emergency and your wrist isn’t cooperating quickly enough what would you prefer to mess up, pulling in the clutch or the back brake?

Off the top of my head I’m pretty sure the Mana still has the back brake under your right foot so your left hand has almost nothing to do. I’m sure you could learn on the Mana. I haven’t looked up the specs and how much the rain mode subdues things but I’m sure it’s possible. Not the easiest choice but certainly doable I would think.

It’s hard to make a recommendation without knowing the extent of your problem. But my gut feeling is if you cannot handle a regular bike then I would think long and hard about before going for a Mana. Your left hand does more than just operate the levers, it also provides steering input. If you need to remove your hand from the bar for extended periods to rest it then that puts you at risk.

And by Suzuki GRX I take it you meant GSX-R? If so then that bike is not suitable for any beginner regardless of your condition.

[eon]

I went to film me doing tight turns for my scooter forum. Been awhile since I’ve done this and I was very rusty. Just couldn’t get it together. At first I thought I was conscious cause the camera was running. When I went out of shot to “warm up” I was fine. In shot I was hopeless. In hindsight I realize I was looking at the lines (in the box here) to see how tight I was turning and thereby messing up. I eventually got there but was far from my usual form. I later started showing off and did it while standing up. Managed a few good turns and then promptly fell on my ass. Bike and me sprawled over over the concrete, a few more scratches to add to the collection now. Thought I would at least have an interesting video to show folks. Got home to find I had been recording on a full memory card so not a single frame to show for the entire evening. Doh!!!

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