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Review of the CFMoto Glory
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ranetteParticipant
Would have to go along with everyone else here and urge you to go with high quality, traditional street wear. I live in a cool climate, but the thought of pulling on a one piece suit every time I wanted to take a ride would keep me off the bike a good portion of the time, or more dangerously it might keep me from gearing up when I did go out.
Personally I like the look of jeans more than riding pants so ride with a pair of Forcefield Pro Armored Pants http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/forcefield-pro-pants under a pair of Draggin Jeans and a pair of Alpinestars boots.
On top either a Dainese leather or a Corazzo textile jacket, Dainese gloves and a Nolan or Suomy helmet. Echoing Eon, which I’ve done a number of times over past year or so, I would urge you to check out the Rev It stuff; not cheap, but you could spend a lot more on a lot less. Everyone who has it seems to love it. I like the look of the CR jacket which comes in both textile and leather versions.
Most of us on this site take protecting ourselves very seriously, but there are reasons why 99% of riders would not choose a one piece for the street. I don’t think that anyone should think of their gear as a forcefield that will protect them from anything that might happen. All it can do, regardless of what you choose, is lessen the damage that would occur if you were not properly protected. Don’t think that you’re totally shielded from harm regardless of what you’re wearing, that could lead to a reckless, overconfident riding style.
In closing, buy good stuff, from a reputable manufacturer, made for riding in the street, and then wear it every time you swing a leg over your bike. That’s your best bet.
ranetteParticipantDon’t get too down on yourself. Lots of people experience an “Ah Ha” moment and it starts to come together. However if you like the feeling of being on two wheels but continue to be uncomfortable with shifting, there is nothing wimpy about a scooter. Smaller 150cc scooters are practical machines for riding around cities and small towns and maxiscoots like the Burgman can cruise comfortably on the interstates.
Most people end up conquering the clutch, however, thinking back 30+ years when I learned to drive a car, I’m pretty happy that I learned on an automatic, got comfortable behind the wheel without the added step of shifting, before I learned to drive a standard two years later. Though that doesn’t seem to be a standard way of learning on two wheels, there’s no reason why it couldn’t be for you. In fact it worked for me on two wheels as well; I got a scooter, got my endorsement on a scooter, bought a motorcycle and took and passed(though I already had my endorsement) the BRC in that order.
ranetteParticipantIf you’re concerned about dropping your bike and being embarrassed, nothing that I, or anybody else, can do about that. However, if you’re concerned about dropping the bike and not being able to pick it up, take the BRC. They’ll show you how to use leverage so that even a smaller person can pick up just about any bike.
I’m certainly not an expert but I haven’t heard about lowering kits being dangerous. They would certainly alter the geometry of the bike but many riders use them without any issues whatsoever. You’d probably find more information on lowering the bike on the Ninja 250 specific sites like ninjette.org and ninja250.org/.
ranetteParticipantI am also vertically challenged, 5’6″, with an inseam of 29″ on a good day. I also started on bike larger than most would recommend, a Ducati GT1000. A few more HP than the Scrambler, a bit lighter, certainly a little more there on the top end, but probably pretty similar in power delivery and as an overall experience.
If a Scrambler is the bike that has you up at night thinking about it, I’d say go for it. You might find a more optimal bike to learn on, but you could certainly do much worse. As for the oft repeated mantra of how easy it is to buy a used Ninja 250 and sell it later for pretty much what you paid for it, I personally hate buying and selling used vehicles(the main reason I lease all of my cars). The one advantage I did have was 6 weeks on a 150cc scooter that got me somewhat used to being on two wheels. That was invaluable, and I’m not 100% certain how I would have done on the Duc without those miles. I know it might be easier said than done, but if there were any way to borrow or rent something small for even a few weeks that would probably be a huge help.
I don’t know about lowering options on the Scrambler, my Duc has a seat height of 31.6″. I can’t flatfoot it, on level ground I can get the balls of my feet down, on uneven pavement it can sometimes be an adventure. However, with time, you’ll develop a system that will make the height of the seat a minor issue. After my first year I investigated lowering brackets (none readily available for the GT1000) and some custom seat work(about $250), I decided to hold off and now don’t even think about it. I went into to it thinking that if the height of the bike cost me a low speed drop or two it was something I could live with. For the first year plus I had a few near misses, but never dropped it, then late last summer I had a brain freeze and dropped it, thankfully the only part that had to be replaced was a shift lever which I picked up for $25.
It goes without saying that the MSF is a must. I also work weekends but made it my business to take a weekend off to take the class. If that is impossible, it is more of an investment, but my bet is you could find a school that offers individualized coaching at a time that would be convenient for you.
Hope my somewhat similar experience is of some help.
ranetteParticipantI’ll also echo JackTrade and Eon. There’s nothing in the ERC that will surprise you after 2+ years on the streets, but definitely worth taking if for nothing else than riding your own bike in a class setting and getting feedback from a professional.
The one thing that I found, and this may vary by location, is that the coaches weren’t as concerned with the minutiae; holding your wrist a little too low for example. More concerned with the big picture; looking through turns, finesse on the throttle and brakes, knowing that not everyone will do everything exactly the same way.
Will have to disagree with JackTrade, after about $1000 and 5 days of my life invested in motorcycle classes, not to mention the hours of PLP, that box can still drive me nuts.
ranetteParticipant“Is this not exactly what should be written on the first page of a 600+cc crotch rocket manual !”
I laughed when I looked at my Ducati manual for the first time and read something along the lines of “gently release the clutch while simultaneously applying the throttle”.
Imagine actually trying to learn to ride that way.
ranetteParticipantThat definitely looks like more fun than the ARC, too bad it’s 3000 miles from home.
ranetteParticipant“and there was even a guy in steel toes (even though it said not to)”
I never heard of MSF not recommending steel toes. Do you know if their reasoning is that you don’t get enough of a feel for the shifter, or that the steel can actually do more harm than good? Before I got motorcycle specific boots I wore a pair of Wolverine steel toe hiking boots. Never had any problem with the feel of the shifter, as where my foot contacts the shift pedal is behind the steel toe, and as far as steel toes actually being less safe than regular boots, thankfully I never put them to the test, however, that theory has been disproved many times, most notably on the TV show Mythbusters.
ranetteParticipantI read somewhere the reason that most police departments stick with half helmets is because they are less intimidating to anyone they might pull over. The difference between being pulled over by Officer Friendly and Darth Vadar. Another reason might be whenever a police officer comes into contact with any unknown person, including traffic stops, I do believe they are supposed to keep their eyes on them at all times. You never know when an innocuous situation can turn dangerous in a fraction of a second. This would be nearly impossible with a FF as there is a moment or two when you’re taking the helmet off that you are essentially blinded. Don’t know for certain if either of these factor into gear decisions for police departments or not, but they might. Of course, the latter could be alleviated with a modular.
ranetteParticipantIn my BRC we were on GZ250’s. There was one guy probably about your height, maybe 30 – 40 lbs heavier than you, definitely a big guy. He was not comfortable at all on the bike, he looked like I(5’6″) might look on a mini bike. I don’t think his discomfort stemmed from his added bulk, simply that his 6’5″ or so frame did not fit well on that bike. I’d listen to some of the suggestions in this thread, as I”m not familiar enough with most of these bikes to offer any additional choices, but I can tell you that the one time I did see someone around your size on a GZ250 it was definitely not a well matched pair.
ranetteParticipantI had picked up the current issue of Cycleworld, a good portion of it dealt with the demise of Buell. The articles seemed pretty informed and I don’t remember any mention of Erik still having any input on HD products. They ripped out his heart and spat on his soul; I can’t imagine that he’d have anything to do with them. Hope you’re right though.
ranetteParticipant“I’m not exactly sure what the differences are since they both focus on cornering but I went for ASS.”
ranetteParticipantSorry to hijack the thread, but to say that Harley Davidson is not a REAL American motorcycle is a ridiculous statement. If you had said that “we really need a REAL American sportsbike” I don’t think anyone would have disagreed with you, but there’s no way I can let your initial statement go unchallenged.
I don’t currently ride a Harley, and probably never will. It doesn’t suit my personal taste, however, they are certainly American and if they aren’t motorcycles, what exactly are they? Are Ninjas motorcycles but Vulcans something different? You seem to feel that cruisers are not motorcycles, something that I, definitely not a cruiser rider, would have to disagree with.
Interesting article I read last night that probably prompted me to react to briderdt’s initial comment, http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcycle-reviews/harley-davidson-road-glide-custom/
ranetteParticipantThis class was described to me by someone in my ERC as the step between the ERC and a track school. To prepare for the class I read Lee Parks’ book, Total Control, which was helpful, but not necessary, as a portion of the day is spent in a classroom and the parts of the book that you are going to work on on the range are discussed in depth before attempting them. From reading the book Mr. Parks seems to be, in somewhat equal parts, a motorcycle racer, philosopher, glove designer, comedian, and teacher. The book is well written, and exceptionally detailed. Where David Hough provides a framework to become a good rider, Parks delves into the minutia for those who want to take the next step. If anyone were to pick up the book, or take the class, without being very comfortable with the subject matter in Proficient Motorcycling, I think they’d be totally lost when attempting to absorb what Mr. Parks is attempting to teach; like trying to learn physics without a platform of basic math skills. I have a little under 2 years and about 8000 miles under my belt. There were a few riders with a little less experience than me, however, most had been riding for 5 years or more, some for decades. From my observation riding experience did not correlate precisely to competence in the exercises.
When I arrived in the morning I was surprised to see how many people were in the class, somewhere over 30. However, there were enough instructors that the drills were done in groups of 6. Every exercise we were regrouped so that we were with different students and different instructors through the day. The bikes were a wide range, though the Big 4 were a little under represented. Certainly there were some Ninjas, CBR’s etc, but BMW’s seemed to be the most prevalent, probably more than 10, with a few Ducatis, 5 or 6 Harleys and even an Aprilia Dual Sport. The smallest bike was a Honda Rebel, the largest were a Harley Road King, a beautiful new Goldwing and two BMW K1300’s.
As far as the class itself, when taking the two MSF classes I felt that by the end of the classes I was doing exactly what the coaches wanted me to do(I guess except for “The Box” which I’ve never totally mastered), and felt that I was one of the stronger riders in the group. This class was somewhat different in that I don’t think anybody could have been described as acing every exercise. The skills that you are attempting to learn are very precise and cannot be absorbed in the course of a one day class. You have to look at using the class to gain the basic knowledge to practice these skills and hopefully be able to apply them to your everyday riding. At this point, less than a week after the class I can’t say if I will be able to do that. I intend to, but we will have to see. If I am not able to make these skills part of my muscle memory it won’t be the fault of the class, it will be me taking the easy way out and not practicing what I learned.
The first exercise was trail braking. It was demonstrated to us, applying the brakes while still on the throttle. While waiting in line to perform the exercise it was the first time in quite a while that I had a lump in my throat while riding, probably the first time ever that I was scared while riding in a parking lot. This was contrary to everything I’ve learned, everything I’ve ever practiced. However when I applied the brakes, two fingers on the brakes, two holding the throttle steady, I didn’t immediately fly off, and yes the bike did slow down without the front suspension diving, it was a very cool, natural, feeling. After applying the brakes the next step was to ease off the brakes and accelerate back to our initial speed, this is where my lack of upper body coordination seemed to hinder my progress, but again, we weren’t expected to perfect every exercise that day, it is something to be integrated into your riding over the coming weeks and months.
Trail braking was the only exercise that did not deal very specifically with making a perfect turn, and in fact after the initial exercise braking was not dealt with at all. I believe in the Level 2 class you integrate trail braking into the other things you’re learning.
Whereas the MSF teaches you slow, look, lean and roll. Lee Parks takes it to the next level with ten steps to turning,
1) Reposition your foot to make sure it doesn’t hit the ground.
2) Preposition your body to where you want it to be in the middle of the turn
3) Push on the outside grip to keep the bike straight(since you’re already leaning)
4) Pick the proper turning point
5) Look through the turn
6) Release the pressure on the outside grip
7) Push on the inside grip
Accelerate through the turn
9) Push on the outside grip
10) Return to your neutral positionand that is pretty much how the rest of the class is spent, drills that enforce one or two aspects of the ten steps, then in the second to last exercise putting the skills together, the last exercise being a Figure 8 which necessitated an immediate transition from a left turn to right, and vice versa on the next try.
All in all I would absolutely recommend the class for anyone looking to take their skills to another level. However, I found it to be many steps beyond the ERC. More importantly I found the class very humbling. After the two MSF classes I realized that I wasn’t an experienced rider, but I did feel that maybe I knew more than I didn’t know, even if I didn’t yet have the saddle time to consider myself an experienced rider. This class teaches you that you only know the tip of the iceberg, and though you realize that you can take the next step, you also see that getting to that next level might take more time and practice than you might have imagined. Just before we were to do the final drill, the Figure 8’s, I felt a little discouraged and confused after not doing as well in the previous drill as I might have hoped. An instructor, maybe picking up on my body language, pointed to Christine, the owner of the school, the head instructor and an extraordinary rider. She was off in a corner of the range practicing the Figure 8’s before demoing in front of the class. He also told me that Lee Parks himself came to one of the classes last year, and before he was going to demo the Figure 8’s he went and practiced; the point being that these are very precise, very technical exercises, no matter how skilled of a rider you are, even if you designed the freakin curriculum yourself, these are skills that take continual practice to master. Hearing that was exactly what I needed to hear, to know that maybe I wasn’t perfect, but at least I didn’t suck, and I did manage to correct some errors and negotiate the Figure 8 with some basic level of competency. It ended up being probably the most challenging day I’ve ever had on two wheels, a class that I would absolutely recommend to an intermediate rider looking to upgrade his or her skills.
ranetteParticipantStoner’s mystery “virus” last year ended up being diagnosed as lactose intolerance.
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