Just another wobbling psycho

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Veda
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#31 Unread post by Veda »

jstark47 wrote:
Veda wrote:I also keep forgetting about that pesky rear brake being under my foot, used to the scooter having hand brakes.
You forget to use the rear brake, or you hit it when you didn't intend to?
I forget to use it. The scooter had the rear break on the left handlebar, so I would pull both levers. Now I'm pulling both levers still but it's the clutch and front brake.

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jstark47
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#32 Unread post by jstark47 »

Veda wrote:
jstark47 wrote:
Veda wrote:I also keep forgetting about that pesky rear brake being under my foot, used to the scooter having hand brakes.
You forget to use the rear brake, or you hit it when you didn't intend to?
I forget to use it. The scooter had the rear break on the left handlebar, so I would pull both levers. Now I'm pulling both levers still but it's the clutch and front brake.
One doesn't necessarily have to use the rear brake for routine stopping, most of the stopping power is from the front brake. On the full-blown "race replica" sportbikes, riders are sometimes actually advised to avoid the rear brake due to risk of locking of the rear tire.
2003 Triumph Trophy 1200
2009 BMW F650GS (wife's)
2012 Triumph Tiger 800
2018 Yamaha XT250 (wife's)
2013 Kawasaki KLX250S

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Veda
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#33 Unread post by Veda »

I finally get it! I was out of town for a week and returned to another week of horrible weather. Sometime during those two weeks someone must have turned the "how to use the clutch" button on in my brain. One of the things that helped was to stop paying attention to the tach. I did get a new bike and I've always tried to follow the break in specs for all the vehicles I've owned. However doing that on this bike just felt ridiculous... the specs say to stay under 4k. That had me riding around in city traffic in 5/6th gear. It was constantly, take off, shift shift shift, oops, slowing, shift shift shift... etc. So I've backed off that a little bit. I still want to be gentle on the bike but without driving myself crazy from shifting.

Friday was the first real spring day out and it was gorgeous. I did not ride my bike to work because I still did not feel very comfortable on it. However, all my co-workers rode their bikes in and it seemed like every other vehicle on the road was a bike. I couldn't stand it anymore and at lunch time I took my car home and returned in my bike. I had a good ride! Sure, at the end of the 30 minute commute I was tense, my mouth was dry and I felt like I needed to lay down, but it was a good ride. No close calls, no stalling, no missing second gear, etc. Horay! :mrgreen:

Yesterday we went out and did another 50 miles around town. It was also a good ride, although I feel like we spent more time sitting in the sun in traffic then anything else. I think today we are going to head west and just try and beat it out of the city and get on some non-trafficy roads. We will see how that goes. I would make a horrible "adventure rider." I am scared of riding to places I have never been. I always have all the what-ifs in my head. Like what if my bike breaks down in the middle of no where, or how will I get home if I get in a wreck, etc. I think I would be perfectly happy finding a couple nice roads near home and riding up and down them all day. Okay, maybe not, but it sounds much less stressful.

I still miss my scooter. :scooter: You all may laugh at this, but my 250 still feels enormous to me.
Last edited by Veda on Sun Apr 22, 2007 2:17 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Veda
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#34 Unread post by Veda »

Now that it is a few weeks later and I have gotten over some of the embarrassment and I'm ready to tell the story of dropping my bike. This was a few weekends ago on my first ride of any length on the bike. We rode out to one of the motorcycle shops that is about 20 miles away. Apparently, they were hosting a big start of the season event. So as I am pulling up to the lot I can see that there are about 50 motorcyclists standing around outside chatting and checking out the people pulling in.

I am at mile 50 on my bike and am feeling a little intimidated because all these experienced folks are watching. As I am riding through the lot a red Ducati pulls in front of me a bit and stops rather quickly. I turn my wheel to head around him but then he swings wide to back into a space. I stop, on an incline, with my wheel turned to let him do his thing. All I can think about is that I'm on a hill and I hope I don't stall with all these people watching. I start to get going and I stall. The jerk of the stall combined with my wheel turned a bit start me tipping over. I don't get my foot down fast enough and by the time I catch the bike it is over too far to pull back up. I gently lay it down.

This is where it gets funny... Remember there were like 50 people watching this all happen. Nalian was on her bike behind me watching it all go down and she says that ten guys swarmed in to help. I'm not sure my bike completely touched the ground before these guys had it back up. Nalian says they were elbowing each other out of the way trying to get to the bike. Before I even realized what had happened they had it standing back up, were checking it for damage and got it running again.

I thanked people the best I could and fled the scene before I died of embarrassment :oops: :oops:

With the exception of my ego there was barely any damage. My footpeg snapped in half and I've already picked up a used one from Ebay. Really though I like my halfsie peg, it gives the bike a little character. :wink:

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Veda
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#35 Unread post by Veda »

It's funny how easy you forget fears and frustrations. I just re-read through my blog and can't even imagine a time I was not comfortable on my bike. I know I was scared to ride my bike for a while, but I can't really remember it.

Needless to say, everything is going well with the Ninja and I am very happy with it. I'm about to roll over 1,800 miles. Not a ton since I got it in April, but whatever.

I commute on my bike most days, probably 4 out of the 5 days of the work week. I even outfitted my bike with blues2cruise style luggage. Mine is the upgraded model though, complete with reflective tape. Beat that, blues!

Image

Shown here with 3 throw pillows.

I'm still waiting to experience the "growing out of" my 250. I recognize that it would be useful to have more low end power. I'll give bigger bikes that... but this bike fits me - physically - so perfectly. Any other sport/sport standard bike I sit on just feels too tall and heavy. I'm sure everyone plays the scenario through their head, "what would I get if my bike were stolen tomorrow?" I would be really torn. I would love something fuel injected and maybe a few more cc's, but I would be hard pressed to give up the fit of the ninja 250.

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#36 Unread post by Shorts »

So where do you work that you need to pack throw pillows??? :humm: :tomato: :lol:

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Veda
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#37 Unread post by Veda »

Shorts wrote:So where do you work that you need to pack throw pillows??? :humm: :tomato: :lol:
Haha, good catch! I actually bought the pillows while shopping on my lunch break.

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#38 Unread post by Apollofrost »

Lunch break? Were they tasty?
I'm starting a petition to cull narrowminded dull people - be afraid Peter, be very afraid....
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jstark47
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#39 Unread post by jstark47 »

Apollofrost wrote:Lunch break? Were they tasty?
'
Well, she said she eats gear:
Veda wrote:I eat gear... I'm a gear monster. MUHAHA :twisted: :twisted:
Maybe she eats pillows, too??? :humm: :mrgreen:
2003 Triumph Trophy 1200
2009 BMW F650GS (wife's)
2012 Triumph Tiger 800
2018 Yamaha XT250 (wife's)
2013 Kawasaki KLX250S

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Apollofrost
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#40 Unread post by Apollofrost »

Gear sandwich with pillows for bread?
I'm starting a petition to cull narrowminded dull people - be afraid Peter, be very afraid....
-Anonymous

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