Anni Coming Off The Truck! -giddy giggles- New Pics Added.

[Sheepdog]

My dad used to say that my love of motorcycles was simply an extension of my love of bicycles. He was right...

[Chuck in Indiana]

Yeah, I'm a bicycle dork, too.. 

[Waltr]

  Here is a little trick that helps develop the left hand clutch sensitivity.  With the bike at idle ever so slowly release the clutch without stalling the bike. Allow it to move forward on its own power.  It can be done. You need a flat straight sop to do this.
 Also getting and using one of those grip strength things that you squeeze will help.  Hand and forearm strength will give you better control. That is something you can do watching TV at night.

[Guzzi Gal]

  Here is a little trick that helps develop the left hand clutch sensitivity.  With the bike at idle ever so slowly release the clutch without stalling the bike. Allow it to move forward on its own power.  It can be done. You need a flat straight sop to do this.
 Also getting and using one of those grip strength things that you squeeze will help.  Hand and forearm strength will give you better control. That is something you can do watching TV at night.

Her clutch is nice, and soft.  She'll move easily, without adding throttle, in most cases.  As a matter of fact, that's how I move her off the dolly, but I need to add a little juice to get her tail end back on it.  Most of the starting/stopping/maneuvering problems, I've discovered, stem from her weight.  I have a hard time controlling said weight mostly when stopping/slow turning.  This week I'm practicing starts/stops mostly (20 minuets each morn, an hour+ on weekends), in the hopes that next week I can add turn improvement.  I see lots of figure eights in my future!

 

[jas67]

Never stop mid turn, always make sure you've gotten the bike back to vertical, before stopping, or you will drop it (don't ask me how I know) 

[kingoffleece]

You'll be fine.  Slow and steady practice gets it done.
If it has not been said don't touch the front brake in a slow speed turn.  Rear only.  Lightly, please.

[TimmyTheHog]

You'll be fine.  Slow and steady practice gets it done.
If it has not been said don't touch the front brake in a slow speed turn.  Rear only.  Lightly, please.

SLOW SPEED = Clutch and Rear Brake controls...learn to how to feather them

enjoy 

[johnr]

Lovely bike! Congrats. I'm a tad jealous.   'twere mine I'd add gaiters, and side cases.

[rodekyll]

I like finding a nice deserted parking lot with painted lines.  I find a clear block of 4 spaces -- in 4-square configuration -- and practice keeping my figure 8's inside the lines.  I aim for the intersections of the lines and try to get the same track each time, and then reverse direction for a while.  Paint line intersections on long rows make a good slalom course, and I try to go as tightly around the lamp posts as I can.  I lose points if my foot leaves the floorboard or if I blow a maneuver. 

But there are a lot of pre-made slow-drill courses if you get creative.  Find where the bicycle rodeo is held in your neighborhood.  That parking lot will have the tracks and cone locations painted on the pavement.  If you can do the bicycle courses at low speeds you're getting pretty good.

In Sitka the University campus is the old Navy PBY base from the war.  The classrooms are hangars and the parking lot is the old taxiway.  It's about a half mile long, a hundred yards wide, and is level except for the ramps that the aircraft would use to get in and out of the water (Sitka Channel).  It has all the parking paint, some painted  basketball and field hockey layouts, the Trooper academy's driving training layout, and rows of PBY tie downs embedded in the pavement.  I liked taking noobies out there to work on slow speed stuff, and entertained myself for hours doing drills.  It's usually where I went to do the initial shakedowns of new builds.

Here's my son playing "Tear Along the Dotted Line" in the trooper's section when the trike first ran.  It was raining of course. You can see lines for various maneuvers and spots for cones in the foreground.

[twowheeladdict]

If you are really keen on honing your slow speed maneuvering skills, pick up a vintage trials bike like the 1975 KT250 in my signature.  They can be bought for $1000 or less, are bullet proof and I call it motorcycling yoga.





There might even be a local club in your area that you can join and have fun competing.

[Guzzi Gal]

I like finding a nice deserted parking lot with painted lines.  I find a clear block of 4 spaces -- in 4-square configuration -- and practice keeping my figure 8's inside the lines.  I aim for the intersections of the lines and try to get the same track each time, and then reverse direction for a while.  Paint line intersections on long rows make a good slalom course, and I try to go as tightly around the lamp posts as I can.  I lose points if my foot leaves the floorboard or if I blow a maneuver.

We did exactly this last weekend, and plan to do regularly.  I have an aunt, and a bunch of cousins in Sitka.   

If you are really keen on honing your slow speed maneuvering skills, pick up a vintage trials bike like the 1975 KT250 in my signature.  They can be bought for $1000 or less, are bullet proof and I call it motorcycling yoga.

There might even be a local club in your area that you can join and have fun competing.

I'd love to go play in the dirt!  However, we don't have a trailer, let alone a tow vehicle.  I've looked for places to take a dirt bike class, but none are in AZ.  Odd for a state with so much dirt, sand, and rocks. 

[Rhodan]

However, we don't have a trailer, let alone a tow vehicle.  I've looked for places to take a dirt bike class, but none are in AZ.  Odd for a state with so much dirt, sand, and rocks.

Business opportunity!

[twowheeladdict]

We did exactly this last weekend, and plan to do regularly.  I have an aunt, and a bunch of cousins in Sitka.   

I'd love to go play in the dirt!  However, we don't have a trailer, let alone a tow vehicle.  I've looked for places to take a dirt bike class, but none are in AZ.  Odd for a state with so much dirt, sand, and rocks.

To have fun on a vintage trials bike you only need an acre and some obstacles to have a great workout.

[Guzzi Gal]

Business opportunity!

HA!  Was thinking the same thing!  Great minds...   

[rodekyll]

Do you mind naming your Sitka contingent?  I probably know them.  PM if you don't want to publish it.  Ask them if they knew the computer guy, Pazar.  I was the town's tech there for almost 30 years.  I used to get local mail addressed to:

Computer Guy
City

Felix, the mail dude thought it was hilarious.

[Guzzi Gal]

I'm not normally a Nervous Nelly, but something about riding a motorbike makes me feel that way.  Small aircraft in turbulence, zip lining, repelling, bicycling, wooo-hooooo!  Put me on a motorcycle in light traffic, and I become a shrinking violet.

I have put an embarrassingly low number of miles on Anni, but thanks to my hubby's reassurance, I added a few more this morning.  He sussed out a calm route to a cafe' we've never tried, and off we went.  I didn't want to do it, and felt no pressure from the hubbs, but pushing personal boundaries usually isn't a negative for me.  Plus, if I let myself give into fear, it would get very easy not ride at all.   

I can't wait to see what he has planned for tomorrow (within reason  )! 
 

[Gliderjohn]

It will get better with experience and as you gain confidence from that experience. A bit of nervous Nelly is not necessarily a bad thing, keeps one alert. You are doing fine so far.
GliderJohn

[Guzzi Gal]

I don't want to become so comfortable that I ride on "autopilot", but I hate feeling like my stomach is going to burn a hole in itself.  I'll get there, guaranteed.

 

[TimmyTheHog]

I don't want to become so comfortable that I ride on "autopilot", but I hate feeling like my stomach is going to burn a hole in itself.  I'll get there, guaranteed.

 

CONSTANT TRAINING your mind to be on full alert at the same time SMOOOOOOOOOTH...

best way is thru school, if not, once a while parking lot/empty back ally is the best

you will get there :)...no one is perfect right off the bet :)...we all need to thru this! :)