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The “Five to Survive” Rule & Why You Should Use It
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uncle_bernieParticipant
I took the MSF course here in Texas, and it was VERY much worth the time and money. I read somewhere that you can very literally learn in two days what most riders will take two years to learn just by trial and error. For instance, they teach you the proper technique to use when encountering loose neighborhood dogs that charge you. I’ve literally used that technique now four times in the last five months and it’s worked like a charm every time. Without the course I wouldn’t have been prepared for the situation.
~He who laughs last didn’t get the joke…
uncle_bernieParticipantI live in Houston and am very envious of Austinites who ride. There are a lot of very cool roads in your area. Ask all the questions you want. We promise not to make fun of you or anything…*much*
~He who laughs last didn’t get the joke…
uncle_bernieParticipantIt’s a very pepppy little bike and if you roll the throttle wide open, it’ll take off. The reasons I found it good as a first bike is that the weight, wheelbase, and height were *almost* identical to the Suzuki GZ250 (the S50 is about 50 pounds heavier). While it does have good acceleration, the power band is pretty darn forgiving and the only thing that I think would get you in trouble might be if you’re too heavy on the throttle. If you take off with the throttle open wide the bike *will* respond accordingly.
I’ve recently moved up to the S50 and have been riding that regularly. My review on my transitional experience is posted up on the front page. I haven’t sold my S40 yet and took it out for a ride just a couple of days ago just for fun and while the S50 will leave it in the dust, the S40 can be a pretty zippy little machine. It’s a lot of fun to ride and the transition from riding on a 250 in the MSF safety course to the S40 wasn’t a very hard one to make. Just remember to be a little careful no matter what bike you’re starting out on and get a bike that won’t overly tax your abilities. In my case, I found the S40 filled the bill very nicely.
Keep reading and researching. All the information you store in your head prior to even getting on the road will likely reduce the amount of time it takes to come up with what the “right thing to do” when you have to quickly react. If you are really interested in increasing your knowledge, I can’t recommend the book “Proficient Motorcycling” by David Hough enough. It’s a great place to start in learning riding techniques in the comfort of your own living room.
~He who laughs last didn’t get the joke…
uncle_bernieParticipantThe first time I saw one I thought it was a restored bike! Came home and looked up the name and saw that they were originally British bikes now made in India I think… The only reservation I would have is the availability of parts and finding people to work on them. Also, they’re not very powerful bikes so I’m not sure what they’re like out on the freeway. They DO look very cool…I’m just reticent to buy bikes that aren’t well known. Royal Enfield has been around a long time but there presence here in the states is not very prominent. Just make sure to thoroughly do your homework and make sure you’re confident what you’re getting into when you buy you’re bike.
Good luck!!
~He who laughs last didn’t get the joke…
uncle_bernieParticipantThe death grip is more than likely a direct result of tension. There’s a mantra in sports, especially in golf and tennis, where you’re told to be in a relaxed state of tension. In other words, your body and brain in are in high alert but not straining to be so. As you get more comfortable riding, you should find yourself in a more relaxed state…but don’t relax so much that forget to think! As far as your hand drifting on the throttle, are you using a good pair of gloves? If so, they *should* assist you in keeping a light but firm grip on the throttle.
The stalling part is probably just a matter of confidence and experience. Megaspaz is right in that you should practice a lot getting comfortable with where your friction zone is and remember, as long as you’re not rolling the throttle wide open, the bike can only go so fast in first gear. Also remember that all you movements on a bike, letting out the clutch, rolling on the throttle, or applying the brake should always be done smoothly. Practice and the confidence it provides should get you where you want to be as a rider.
~He who laughs last didn’t get the joke…
uncle_bernieParticipantI was a bit surprised as to how much colder you get just riding in what feels like mildly cooler temperatures. The lawyer guy who blogged about his Honda Rebel lives in the same general neighborhood as me (if you’re talking about the same guy). That guy got a LOT of mileage and experience out of a 250! I have yet to email him about doing a ride but have thought that would be really cool.
~He who laughs last didn’t get the joke…
uncle_bernieParticipantIf you’ve not done much street riding, get the one closer to home. Also, it’d be a good idea to have the person who drives you there “watch your six” on the way home (or…follow you . I’d also make sure the seller has good documentation on the engine replacement as well.
~He who laughs last didn’t get the joke…
uncle_bernieParticipantI’ve never seen one of those but will definitely be looking into it. Summer in Houston is a brutal thing.
~He who laughs last didn’t get the joke…
uncle_bernieParticipantLooks nice! Not sure what the right or wrong price is for a 1982 Nighthawk but I view most all purchases with the mindset of the house inspector we used when we were house hunting in Houston. He said “there’s no such thing as a bad house, just a bad price”. If it’s what you want, in good shape, and reliable, then there you have it.
~He who laughs last didn’t get the joke…
uncle_bernieParticipantI don’t have any experience with Hyosung but what I do know is that as far back as I can remember in my 40+ years on this planet that Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Honda et al have always been around. Hyosung might be just fine but I would be very careful and do your research as to overall brand quality and especially in what kind of service you get after the sale, availability of parts, etc.. Knowing that Suzuki has made the brand of bike I ride for over a decade and dealers are very familiar with it’s needs is something that in my mind makes them more valuable than the selling price indicates.
~He who laughs last didn’t get the joke…
uncle_bernieParticipantI’ve never ridden a GSX-1000 but, considering all that I’ve read about bikes and my few thousand miles of ride experience now I can only imagine the potential problems a new rider could have on one of those beasts. It wasn’t too long ago that 500cc bikes were the largest allowed in sanctioned racing.
In this case, if it truly was a gust of wind and there was an oncoming truck I could easily see trying to do the right thing by doing a quick right swerve, not getting quite enough pressure on the right throttle to get the bike leaned quickly enough and doing what I am still fighting with a bit which is the tendency to roll on the throttle a bit (or even alot) when executing evasive right swerves. I bet that GSX takes off like a rocket when you roll on the throttle, it’s what it was designed to do. Easy to see, that even in the case he tried to do the right thing any number of mistakes could happen. It’s a sad story any way you look at it.
In any case, that is a monster of a bike for an inexperienced rider.
~He who laughs last didn’t get the joke…
uncle_bernieParticipantSales people aren’t interested in your well-being a quarter as much as you are. Read what others more experienced that you have written, do your own research and make your own decisions. I rode a Suzuki S40 for the last three months, one of those rides being a 120 mile highway ride and the bike performed just fine. I have recently traded up to the s50 but the s40 is a fine, fine bike to start on.
~He who laughs last didn’t get the joke…
uncle_bernieParticipantAs Tom Petty said so aptly many years ago…the waiting is the hardest part. Congratulations on the new ride. I will be picking up my new bike on Friday and have a long, holiday weekend coming up to get my motor runnin and head out on the highway. For gods sakes, Steppenwolf references on a site about bikes is so lame…*sigh*. Have fun and don’t forget the space between your ears out there
~He who laughs last didn’t get the joke…
uncle_bernieParticipantYeah, I like that a lot I think it looks really cool all “nekkid” with the lower faring removed.
~He who laughs last didn’t get the joke…
uncle_bernieParticipantIt’s definitely got more heft all the way around…weight, acceleration, and thrust. It is a shaft driven bike. I will update more via a review when I get some more seat time.
~He who laughs last didn’t get the joke…
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