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Kymco People Series – 50 / 150 / 250
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March 3, 2010 at 1:59 pm in reply to: totally new, working on getting license and looking for a bike #24752IBA270Participant
Ok, now you’ve got a bike, and it’s going to be very tempting to ride it…DON’T DO IT! You’ve got some time before you take the class, so in that time, get familiar with the bike as it sits. Read your manual cover to cover, and then read it again. If you haven’t shopped for gear yet, now is a great time to consider it. Set out a budget and begin to look for the basics. There’s a lot of great advice here, so take some time and research it.
IBA270ParticipantMunch, I get it and I’m glad you dig doing that riding style. I have no issue with it, and I understand why it’s popular. My only point is that while it’s got it’s obvious advantages, it’s got it’s disadvantages as well…In all my years of riding, I can count the number of people I will ride with on one hand. I don’t consider myself better, not by any means, and I don’t consider them “less” of a rider. I DO wonder about their judgement (did they top off the tank? Do I have to wait for them to gas/piss/take pictures/bullshit?) or if they think like I do when it comes to accident avoidance and judgement. For me, group riding doesn’t work. As I feel like I have some responsbility, I grow tired of fixing poorly maintained bikes, helping people pick up dropped bikes, waiting in hospitals for crashed riders…I don’t dig that. Maybe I’ve just had bad experiences…
But please, don’t think I’m bashing it at all. I’m not. I only bash a very few things in motorcycling; Be prepared and wear your freakin’ gear…don’t be a dumbass statistic….get some training because your uncles’ brother in law’s ex-girl friend’s lover can’t ride for shit and sure as hell has no business teaching you, and don’t EVER f’n tell me you had to “lay ‘er down” to avoid an accident….that’s like Mohomed Atta saying he had to hit the building because he didn’t know how to land…passed that? It’s all good!!!
IBA270ParticipantYou bet Eon! Look up the website and have a look around; http://www.ironbutt.com and http://www.ironbuttrally.com.
The rally came first as an 11 day event, and then morphed into the rally as it’s known today. Basically, it’s 1K/day for 11 days. A sizeable percentage attain what’s known as the 10/10ths on the rally, which is 10 consecutive 1000 miles days. FWIW, I traveled 12,463 over the 11 days in 2005. Yes, I was sore…and had funny things growing on my body at the end (yuk!). The rally is a scavenger hunt with the idea of getting the most number of points in the most efficient manner possible. Top riders will travel anywhere from 12K to 13.5K+.
The saddlesore award (1000/24 or 1500/36) is minimum requirement for entry into the IBA. Other awards include 100CCC (Coast to Coast to Coast in under 100 hours) 50CC (Coast to Coast), awards for number of National Parks visited, saddlesores within cities/states, etc….you name, there’s probably an award for it. Most importantly, and I’m sure it seems funny…is that it’s done safely. It’s hugely embarrasing to have an accident or to do something stupid in the quest for an award.
You may want to try sometime yourself! There’s plenty of people around that would be happy to help you plan and document your paperwork for you if it’s something you want to try!
IBA270ParticipantI know many, many people enjoy it and I think it’s great. It’s just not my style, and it certainly can be dangerous due to circumstances beyond the individual’s control. Off the top of my head, I can think of no less than 7 group riding incidents that I have a personal stake in. One is a fatality, and another was by a very close family friend that left him with debilitating injuries and eventually led to financial ruin. Two other incidents resulted in a serious injury to a rider’s wife, and yet another (and the last example) led to riders totally leaving the sport.
On emergencies…is there a type other than a medical? Well, ok…we’ve all had bbq that didn’t sit right…
My point simply is; there isn’t neccesarily safety in numbers, and many riders, especially new riders, get the impression that there is…
IBA270ParticipantYou may be perfectly fine! Every state is different. Texas doesn’t police that stuff much, and technically, even track day instruction is supposed to be state approved, but none are.
I’m not poo poo’n, just saying please be careful. My best friend is an attorney…but…subjegation is a bitch!
IBA270ParticipantAh yes…the question of safety. Well, it’s a great question and one that should be asked. I’m not sure if you have the last two issues of MCN, but an individual wrote into the magazine complaining about the coverage of the Iron Butt Rally as it surely must be unsafe as three people have died in the event since it’s inception. I wrote a rebutal letter that was published that refutted the original authors claims. Catch those if you can because I think the questions were intellegently posed and I hope my answers were as well!
The safety issue with the IBA and most definately the rally comes down to a very few simple principles; preparedness and personal responsibility. I think personal responsibility is an absolute; riders need to decide what their risk tolerance is, their individual limits, their level of preperation…and they need to weighed against the goal of that ride. There’s no question that you’ll read stories about “the fog” and maybe even a little bravado with speed and stories of mayhem experienced along the way. At the end of the day, EVERY rider is accountable to his/herself and their families. A pretty good comparison is to SCUBA divers (which I am a divemaster) or mountain climbers (which I did once…oh my God why did I do that?) There are varying limits of risk/reward…every diver and climber must assume those risks, but each is usually well prepared and incidents are rare.
This is true with the IBR as well. The safety record is remarkable by any measurement. In the history of the event, there has been one rally related death, which occured in this year’s addition of the rally. It was a tragic event, and our community is still realing from it. But consider that the event has taken place 12 times since it’s inception in 1984. In the modern history of the rally (’95-present) roughly 100 competitors start the rally with the average mileage around 10K over 11 days. Total mileage, per rally, is between 700K and 900K. If you take the smaller number, that’s 5.6 MILLION MILES….with one death. Yes, there have been some tragic accidents with serious injuries. It’s a small percentage that I don’t have a figure for, but again, by any measurement, that’s a pretty impressive saftety number.
For people who ride distances on a regular basis, 1000 miles in a day is not that big of a deal…an experienced and prepared rider should cover that distance in about 15 to 16 hours without much trouble. I know that sounds odd, but it really does come down to preparation and experience. Once you’ve done it, you understand what it takes and with each ride, it’s an easier ride.
Eon, it’s a good question and I appreciate you asking it. The IBA and rides certainly aren’t for everyone. It’s doesn’t mean that the riders are superior (believe me, there are some REAL knuckle heads that have a plate backer) or are any smarter. It just means they enjoy different challenges on a bike. Nothing more, nothing less.
IBA270ParticipantI need to clarify just a little…I’m not against helping people hone their skills at all! I’m only suggesting that folks be smart about it and be sure to ENCOURAGE everyone to be safe. If it were me personally, I’d politely let it be known that I don’t like to be around folks who don’t take safety seriously…
And then I’d give them the parking lot test….
“You may ride with me at anytime (provided I have a motorcycle suitable for two-up riding) in any gear (no gear if) you wish, provided you adhere to two things; 1) You must be comfortable running as fast as you can, and then dive head first into a curb, baseball style in whatever you intend to ride in. 2) I reserve the right to ask you to do perform this readiness test at anytime I think you’re improperly attired.”
I never have an argument.
IBA270ParticipantI guess I’m just paranoid because I’ve been around things like this when someone falls and then they’re forced to lawyer up by their insurance agency. Not sure how it works out there, but here it’s illegal to conduct a class that hasn’t been approved by the state. I have no idea how they decide what a “class” is, but I don’t want to be on video teaching anyone anything and have them fall and crack their skull…
I’m with you on group riding. I get asked at least once a class about group riding. As it’s part of what we instruct (and the state tests on it) I stick with what “the cards” say. When a student asks me away from the group? Oh, hell no! Don’t do it! And if you do, make sure you’re at THE BACK of the line.
I get a bang out of group riders and seperation. It’s almost like you’re traveling in a foreign country and have to be off the road by dark…and if you get lost, you’re a goner! The argument is that the group is safer together (fat chance) and can respond to an emergency should one arise…ask anybody in most groups if anyone has even the most basic of first aid or CPR training…
IBA270ParticipantThere are several places where you could go to get some course layout ideas. Lee Park’s book has some, and you might be able to find some MotorCop exercises online. The slow stuff that motorcops do is REALLY challenging if you’re not used it, but it develops great skills that apply across spectrum of riding.
And just a suggestion…why the name of beer and all that’s holy are riders allowed to participate sans a helmet? What’s worse, what’s up with the mental giant riding a course with her helmet protecting her sissy bar?!?!? That could turn embarrasement or at worst a broken collarbone into a coma or death, right there in the parking at 3MPH!
IBA270ParticipantOh, absolutely Gary…it’s 100% rider error. You’re right on body position as well, and it’s VERY typical in new riders at the track…and even in some intermediate riders. Actually, my avatar shows ME a little more upright than I should be. Ah well…it was the best picture I had!
IBA270ParticipantActually, that’s a GREAT set of training video’s…lot’s of crap NOT to do. In at least two, the rides target fixated and simply failed to make the turn. The dude in the yellow jacket decide he was going too fast, looked at the guardrail, locked the rear brake…and when right over. He’s so lucky he didn’t break his leg on the armco, it’s not even funny.
The dude on the black bike, coming from right to left on the screen, did the same thing; he stood the bike up and ran into the guardrail. Nice leathers…he looked good at least and was dressed for the crash, but clearly has no business on that road.
Mulholland is REALLY fun…at night
IBA270ParticipantEspecially the slow mo playback…it appears that a 4ft. long black streak appears on the road just before the bike goes down. Clearly, the front end washed out, but I’m not sure why. Could debris, cold pavement, over-inflated tire, cold tires…could even be that he hooked up that new, fancy radial master cylinder and couldn’t figure out how to wire the lights!
Who knows? What this DOES prove is that this crap needs to be saved for the track. Notice the bicyclist spinning past as this poor bastard is reviewing the crash damage? Literally seconds later in crashing takes out the bicyclist, and then he’s got major issues.
I’m pretty sure that’s Angel’s Crest (I could be waaay off) and it’s a fun road! Just don’t ruin someone else’s day….and another thing…make sure you hit that kill switch as soon as you get to the bike! I’m not sure if it was dead or not, but make that your first priority if you’re walking after a crash. It only takes a few seconds to starve the bottom end of oil!
February 23, 2010 at 3:33 pm in reply to: Hi from down under! Newbie looking for advice on sportsbike vs cruiser #24635IBA270ParticipantWell, the cool thing about where you live is the bike choices there! You have many more options that we do here in the US across the displacement range. You’ll also notice a lot of high displacement sportbikes sitting on dealer’s floors because (as you know) a speeding ticket is just this side of murder and just the other side of arson!
A small displacement motard might be the fit for you and the road choices you have there. Not sure what they’re called, but I’m pretty sure you can get KTM’s, Kawasaki’s (my favorite 250 motard style), Honda’s…Suzuki’s…
You’ll know more after you get some training. Most people’s riding style’s change, so dream a little now, get some training, and then take a leap on what you “envision” yourself on the most!
Good luck!
IBA270Participantand a bike that can be had pretty cheaply…Ducati M620, or a Multstrada 620. Reliably, light, FUN to ride…pretty easy to maintain, tons of aftermarket and bullet proof motors. Besides, everyone will think you’re on $15K bike!
IBA270ParticipantDefinately do your research. I can’t remember which year is the cutoff, but the early models are a little more popular with racers as they are reputed to have stonger cranks. It’s no concern at all for street riders…I’d trade fuel injection nearly any day for a crank that won’t withstand the rigors of racing!
V-strom is nothing like the SV. Ergo’s are completely different!
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