[eternal05]

Kinda nuts to see how poor the pavement is in some places, isn’t it? Especially through turn 9 (the sweeping left-hand turn at the end after the four-five parallel white/yellow stripes in the track), that road surface can be really dicey.

Looks like a lot of fun and like a great way to learn a lot. I am a bit confused to watch the lines they showed you, as those are not traditional lines around the track (obviously I’m ignoring the many corners interrupted by cone-enforced slaloms, etc.). It’s always weird to watch somebody else ride a track you’re familiar with as you’re always thinking “no, don’t go there!” What was the main focus behind the lines that they chose? I can see that there is a lot of very late apexing going on, and obviously on the road, that can be a good thing, but especially through the complex on the backside (after the back “straight”), what motive guides the path the instructors take?

So would you recommend that class at the end of the day? Do you feel more confident now?

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If you can learn (or already do) dig the looks, dual sports and supermotos are the most fun you can have in the city. IMHO, supermotos are the perfect non-touring bike for a tall guy (I’m 6’4″, so I have a bit of an idea where you’re coming from). I’m a huge fan of my DR-Z400sm (to be clear, the photo is NOT me):

Another FANTASTIC option is the 250cc Yamaha WR250x (even has fuel injection):

If you want to go on long rides (multiple hours), ditch the supermoto option. Supermoto seats are narrow and together with the single cylinder, you’re butt will be sore at the end of a hundred miles. I routinely ride mine for over an hour, but other people don’t seem to find it as easy to do.

There are still plenty of dual sports that are great for long-range touring. The downside is that they go way up in price and they’re MUCH heavier and have a lot more power and more difficult handling. That said, check out bikes like the Kawi Versys:

and the Suzuki V-Strom:

Honestly, if you can man up, I think you’ll have the most fun on the Yamaha or the Suzuki supermotos. You WILL NOT fit on the Japanese 250cc cruisers. Trust me on this. I took my MSF class on them back in the day and I didn’t fit at all. I mean, go sit on them just for kicks, but unless all your height is above your waist, there’s not much chance that you’ll make those bikes work.

Well, good luck, and let us know how things go!

[eternal05]

Just remember to bring the bike this time. Somehow. From Alaska…

…ok maybe not, but it would be cool!

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“…except for perhaps Eternal and Megaspaz, who I always think of as riding around in full leather race suits with the aero hump on the back…”

Priceless.

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What’s particularly amazing is that I don’t get faster by pushing, necessarily. It’s all about being smart, taking the right lines, keeping your vision open (i.e., looking WAY the hell down the track), and then taking baby steps. You can get dramatically faster without ever having an “oh sh$%” moment…or, well, at least without having a lot of them. I feel like I’m running the same relaxed pace I was when I was running 1:48s but I’m going over 10 seconds quicker. That’s a difference of 10 mph in average speed, and that should be enough to freak me out!

The same is true of the street. There’s no need to push yourself to go faster and faster on your favorite rides. That’s not how you become a better rider, and it’s not how you stay a living rider either. Lately I’ve been trying to learn how to cope with a sliding rear tire on asphalt. I’ve been taking my supermoto to a parking lot, leaning it farther and farther and opening the throttle more and more. I’ve also tried rudely ripping open the throttle at high lean angle. The truth is it’s very hard to get my tires to slip, and when they do, it’s only for a tiny second. I thought, especially with street tires and bumpy, dirty, and crack-filled pavement, that it’d be pretty easy to lose grip. This told me how much more grip I have than I thought, and within the same day’s ride I found it easier to commit to turns that would have scared me just an hour before.

A step at a time, using smarts instead of balls. That’s how you get better.

[eternal05]

My ol’ Ninja 250R was extremely tight for me at first. I’m 6’4″ with a 35-36″ inseam. I bought $140 adjustable footpegs (allowed me to lower the pegs) and all was well.

I would highly recommend looking at the supermoto (e.g., Suzuki DR-Z400sm, Yamaha WR250x, etc.) option as well. You can get lighter, easier to ride, and zippier bikes that will be more comfortable for somebody with your height. If you don’t dig the supermoto look, that’s totally cool and your call, but don’t overlook them otherwise.

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The best way to get slicks is to buy take-offs from a smooth racer. The tires won’t be trashed and they’ll usually only be about $150 a set. Tire warmers aren’t actually necessary. They’re a convenience so you can go out and immediately have confidence in your tires. Otherwise you just need to take two laps easy in the corners so they can come up to temp. The difference between a cold slick and a hot one is absurd. At 160 degrees, a slick turns into soft, tacky gum that just glues itself to the road.

And yes, having tons of fun. Honestly, the way you’re riding in those videos, I think you’d have a blast trying it out for yourself. I have no doubt you’d prefer being on the open road for most of your miles, but testing yourself in a closed environment every now and then can be a lot of fun.

[eternal05]

I know at least on the Bell Star you get the best seal when you use the little lever on the lower left side of the visor to pull it back and lock it into place. Shoei has a similar system on their newer helmets.

[eternal05]

Great vid. Your editing keeps things really entertaining. Even a great ride on a twisty road in beautiful country can get boring when there’s no change in perspective or video pace.

And obviously no need to say it, but we do have some killer roads out here! I’m going to have to pick your brain in the near future to find out about some of these great rides.

[eternal05]

That’s great, Weapon. Glad to hear you’re having continued success.

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…Owlie IS a girl.

[eternal05]

But I would recommend at least a shin-high boot (most motorcycle-specific boots). You have TONS of options, but the three following factors are going to decide what you get:

1) Price: If you want to save $$$, you throw out most motorcycle boots. Boots are spendy, especially the more features you get.

2) Look: If you want something that looks like a normal boot/shoe and won’t draw attention, you lose a lot of possible options.

3) Protection: The more protective a boot is, the more expensive it tends to be, and the more space-age looking it tends to be. For instance, these top-of-the-line road boots from SIDI, Alpinestars, and Dainese look like they came from the Power Rangers:

They offer the best protection you can get, however.

Somewhere out there is a balance that fits you. If price is the biggest issue for you, I’m afraid your options are rather limited. You can look at the Icon boots that WeaponZero mentioned, but I don’t know too many women who want to wear this:

[eternal05]

“[The Ninja 250R] doesn’t have the same umph as it’s larger cc siblings.”

This is true, but it’s not nearly exaggerated enough. It’s not that it doesn’t have the same oomph. You could say that the Ninja 650R (~75hp) “doesn’t have the same oomph” as the track-oriented 600cc equivalent, the ZX-6R (~120hp). But the Ninja 250R isn’t even in the same universe as those bikes. The 600cc bikes have somewhere in the neighborhood of 120hp at the crank. The Ninja 250R is rocking a solid 28hp. Like I said. Not even the same universe.

The Ninja 250R is a fantastic bike. I started on one and still have it around, despite moving on to this:

It’s “tame” if by that you mean “easy to ride,” but it’s not lame. It’s not fast by motorcycle standards, but it is fast by car standards, and you can have way more fun, especially around town, on one of these:

than you will with, say, one of these:

It’s easy to ride, responds quickly, but doesn’t punish your mistakes. It’s also more comfortable than its true sportbike cousins, and easier to cope with around town. Great bike. You’d like it.

[eternal05]

‘Nuff said.

[eternal05]

I recently ran out of tread on my track bike and bought a new set of Michelin Power Pures. These are a brand new and super-highly-acclaimed set from Michelin, and they were damn hard to get. As a reference, they run about $259 a set tax-free from Sportbike Track Gear, but naturally, I wanted to support my local economy.

Aurora Suzuki wanted to charge me somewhere in the neighborhood of $380 before tax. I needed the tires for the next day, so I almost considered it, but I checked around other places just to be sure. I called the Kawasaki dealer and asked how much they’d charge, only to find out that they didn’t have them in stock, would charge me $10/tire to order them, and then $15/tire to mount them, even off the bike. With them, the pre-tax total came out to $427. With tax, $467. I can’t afford to pay nearly $500 for tires that last me no more than 5-7 days of flogging.

Finally I called the guy who provides Michelin track-side service at most of the track days around here and he offered to sell me the tires and mount/balance them for a pre-tax total of $298. That was with no haggling at all. Now THAT I’m willing to pay. He got my business, and will get my future business as well.

So yes, some dealers do not have good prices. Obviously that’s because some of them don’t get much of a discount on their tires. The Michelin guy I ended up buying from has a very close relationship with Michelin because he is the local Michelin rep and provides support to all of the local Michelin-sponsored racers. Because of that, he gets his tires a lot cheaper than the big dealerships. But the dealerships also charge more fees and they probably try to turn a higher profit as well. In the end I think it’s just really hard to find a good deal on tires in your area.

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