| Author | Message | ||
     Cyclonecharlie |
Wow, 76 miles. Your probabely due an oil change now.  That's only one son moving, the older is still down here(with half the grand kids)get the picture.  So when are we going to see the infamous helmet? I want to see how many states it's banned in.  I think we are still good for the Open Vintage title(local track)but Nationally(AHRMA)we are bust.Still got three races to go locally.  ....Charlie | ||
| Tank_bueller |
Took her for a quick street ride today. She'll do 70  (in a 45 ) without much trouble. Definitely a different animal than I'm used to, but special just the same. It saved me a trip to the ER already. I almost plowed the back of a Geo. Idiot slams on the brakes and is turning NOW! I layed on both brakes, slid the back to the right, let go of the brakes, and I'm on a totally different trajectory. Missed the car by 3ft. Lucky there was no oncoming traffic. I think I'll keep her. | ||
| Cyclonecharlie |
Tank, You need to leave that kind of stuff for the dirt, where it doesn't hurt as much. Seventy in a forty five could be a lot of trouble if the right person see's you( at least you don't have knobbies on the asphalt) I used to have a little bike that I rode back and forth to work when I was in the service, had those grasss hopper tires like yours. I dumped that thing more times than I care to count on the wet asphalt going around traffic circles with cars stopping without warning. Sorry, keep it where it's fun, in the dirt............Charlie | ||
| Luvthemtorts |
Charlie, I am absolutely brimming over with excitement about the prospect of getting Tank on these mountain trails with those tires! My knobbies are only partially worn and I can tell a BIG difference in performance. Course' on the bright side there will be 3 of us to pull his bike out of the ruts . In all honesty with my recent string of offroad crashes it will probably be my bike that ends up being vertically challenged! | ||
| Cyclonecharlie |
Jackie, You are absolutly right, those tires aren't really good for street or dirt( except on trails bikes). If you ever have an oppertunity to ride one , do it. You will be amazed at how much fun they are....... Charlie | ||
| Nutsosane |
979 miles in three days. WV seems to tolerate speeds over 100mph well. NUTS | ||
| Tank_bueller |
Charlie, I mostly agree, and I'm not trying to justify anything. It was a back road that I know well, and there are No side entrances/driveways/etc. I was only doing about 25-30 when I encountered the "evil Geo" later in the trip. I was wondering if the tire thing might come up... They do well in gravel, and plowing my own trail through the woods, and not too bad on the road. But I do have concerns about traction in the deeper stuff. I have an advantage though. The bike plus my little butt likely weighs-in right around 400 lbs.(though I can't prove it at the moment)(and don't ask me to pick up the bike and stand on the scale  ) Anyhoo, I was considering these two options for the next pair of shoes. Ya'll have any experience with Maxxis?(leaning toward the Bridgestones) Maxxis Tire Link Bridgestone Rear tire Link | ||
| Cyclonecharlie |
Tank, Sorry if I got on your case, to me you guy's are still kids. Your younger than my youngest. And I know some of the crazy stuff I did at your age.( Im still here because it just wasn't my time)I scold Nuts and Jackie too, I'm just getting old. Lost all my riding buddies that keep me young. I tried to get Nuts and Jackie to get the smaller bikes but they love that power. To me the smaller ones are more fun and you don't get as tired at the end of the day. In the tight stuff you should run off and leave them. But not the clearcut fire trails.Your gonna need those knobbies though. .....Charlie | ||
| Luvthemtorts |
Charlie, Contrary to popular belief size DOES matter and I have one of the biggest around (dirtbikes that is  ). Actually there have been a few occassions where the size of our bikes have been a hinderance but for the most part the power has been nice to have on tap. I for one appreciate the comments. I know they are simply out of concern for our safety and well being. Tankosaurus Rex, Think you can bring your TPS reset sofware and cables with ya'? I sold mine when I was seriously contemplating selling the bike (sometimes I am overwhelmed with sheer madness ). I figure after the fun you have on this trip I won't need it anyway since you'll probably be coming every few months afterwards. | ||
| Tank_bueller |
Charlie, I too, appreciate the concern, as well as the advice. If we don't learn it from somewhere, then we learn it the hard way. Jackie, I have the Palm set up and ready for a TPS reset anyplace, anytime! I'm using the ECMSpy software, and I had to make my own cable. It works fantastic. I'll bring it.(won't leave home without it) It's "new stuff", but I trust it. If you want me to bring the ol' faithful for your own peace of mind, all we need is the cable. The software is free on the Technoresearch website.  (unless you still have it on your computer??) | ||
| Luvthemtorts |
Tank, I have the software still installed but don't have the cable obviously. I doubt Al will sell just the cable but I guess I could call to see. I appreciate the offer of the Spyware version but you know how I am. I need peace of mind my brutha'. I'd lay awake at night wondering if it had damaged something HEHEHEHE!! | ||
| Nutsosane |
tank, in the off highway world there are knobbies and then the rest. Either you suffer with knobbie's on the street or suffer with street tires in the dirt. I choose to run wicked, aggressive tires and behave on the street. I have a ChickenHawk for that! | ||
| Luvthemtorts |
Tank, Don't worry too much about getting new tires before the trip. The ride we have planned is a mix of gravel roads and moderate skill level trails. All kidding aside you should do fine if you keep a level head and forget about showing us what you can do. Nuts used to have similar tires and he did fine. A little slower paced than me but fine nonetheless. We will not run off and leave you. Matter of fact we rarely get out of second gear. Save your money for your liquid refreshments at the end of the day . | ||
| Tank_bueller |
Jackie, I''l bring the cable for ya. Why do you need a tps reset anyhoo??? I wasn't planning to re-shoe before the trip, but the back has a slight bit of dry cracking, so I will plan to do it soon after I return.(if it holds out that long) | ||
| Cyclonecharlie |
Tank, Didn't you read where Jackie took that LONG trip on the Firebolt? Those tires will do OK as long as you don't let Jackie sucker you into the mud.After that it's all over. You might as well get a stick and start cleaning them.  ....Charlie | ||
| Nutsosane |
Hey Yo Jack! Here's a list of needs. Please prioritize! Stand set-up/woods practice Sight in rimfire scout Pops' Scout Rendezvous re-string XR maintenance | ||
| Luvthemtorts |
Charlie hit the nail on the head. I rode that thing 76 MILES the other day man! Probably need new rings and a top end rebuild soon . Poor thing deserves to be treated better but I can't help thrashing it like I do. Nuts, I have an idea how we can kill two birds with one stone. When we get the string put on we leave early enough to go check out Pops' place that evening. We should be able to get all that done and still get home by 10:00p.m. Scouting and stand setup at the club can be handled easily during the opening two weeks of squirrel season. Rendevous scouting can be taken care of on the opening day of squack season as well. That way we avoid Bobby and his whizzing .22 delusions. Rimfire sight in can be handled tomorrow (post if you want to so I can stop and get ammo). That leaves XR maintenance. Mine is purring like a kitten with no excess valve noise so unless yours needs it all we have to do is an oil change and double check the spokes. Should be able to knock that out on both bikes in just a few short hours. Hows that for a plan? | ||
| Luvthemtorts |
Charlie, I have been meaning to ask you a question so here it goes. If you enter a turn and find you are going too fast or get nervous what is the safest thing to do? If you apply front brake the bike wants to stand up. If you let off the throttle it unloads the front end. What is the best thing to do? Is it better to just hold steady and lean into it more hoping the front won't wash out? I know you shouldn't go in too hot in the first place but stuff happens. I seem to have a problem trusting that the bike is going to stick when approaching an aggressive lean angle. Thanks in advance! | ||
| Nutsosane |
Lean or die! Seriously, as long as you maintain constant throttle, push on the bars, it'll go. Better yet... I have learned to ride at a pace that requires minimal use of the brakes. If I need the brakes, I'm going too fast. The other option is to brake hard before the turn and then power out of it. C'mon man, you know how smooth I am. Just do what I do.  Charlie: insert kickstand joke here Otherwise the priority list sounds good. Are we going to the auction Saturday? NUTS | ||
| Cyclonecharlie |
Jackie, The Firebolt is a strange bird(not a chicken hawk)most of what Nuts says is accurate, but if your in over your head the only thing you can do is apply a lot of REAR brake.Smooth and steady,don't stab it and don't chop the throttle. This is something that you will need to practice when you still have your wits and not staring over the edge of a cliff. This does not apply to other bikes (that I have rode anyway) This works, but it's better not to get yourself in this kind of situation, stay focused. I don't want to read about you in the news paper......Charlie | ||
| Cyclonecharlie |
Nuts, Jackie or Tank, Do you know of anybody interested in a two piece Aerostich (Roadcrafter I believe) suit.Gray w/ black trim, size 42 ? I have one that I bought several years ago for my son when I got my CBR1000.He wore it a couple of times and it has been in the closet ever since. Looks perfect. Thought I would check before I throw it on Ebay..............Charlie | ||
| Nutsosane |
Apparently, I ran FoghornLeghorn about a quart low for the trip. No sweat, it's a Honda.  I do like them new Uly's too. NUTS Jackie, all ready for this afternoon. The mach squirrel wants to eat. | ||
| Tank_bueller |
Charlie, I could always use more riding gear, but I have this problem. I wear a 42(large) jacket, and 32/30(small)pants. I had to go with a 2-piece track suit just to find stuff that "almost" fits. Soo, what size again?, and how much? Jackie, The last thing you want to do when leaned over is grab the front brake, unless you want the front to totally wash out. I agree with charlie to a point. Experienced riders do use the rear brake, while also on the throttle, to tighten the line a bit. I agree with Nuts, too. Lean that bad boy over. She will safely lay over alot more than most would think. But if you are pushing that hard, double check the tire pressure before you go. Funny this should come up now. I have realized that something needs to change. Be it tire pressure, suspension settings, rider.....something. I seem to get a feeling that the front wants to let go unless I'm on the gas pretty good before mid corner. First thing I thought was tire pressure might be off, but no dice. Suspension feels good. Nice and smooth, with no wiggling/wobbling/etc. But the front just feels like it isn't holding the line unless it gets help from the back??? I dunno. I'll get some good "research" at VIR next month. | ||
| Luvthemtorts |
So is the rear brake thing a technique or a save your a$$ only procedure? There have been times when I go into a familiar turn and for some reason half way through I get worried the front is going to wash out. The ones that really freak me out are downhill/right turns. I have discussed this with Nuts before and he has some logical answers but I wonder if part of it is being left handed. For instance, on a level or uphill left turn I feel I can lean the bike WAY over but the same doesn't hold true for a right turn. Even on a steep downhill left turn I feel I have much more control over the bike. There have been several occassions where I have freaked and end up runing wide since I can visually see no car is coming the other way. I guess if a car was coming I would quickly find out if the bike would stick because I'd rather low side than play chicken with a car! Charlie, I'll give you an example which I am sure you are familiar with. When we ride Bent Mountain I can almost keep pace with Nuts in the left turns but as soon as we start making those wicked rights I fall apart and he is GONE. I'd like to get to the point where I am not always last or have people waiting on me to catch up but just don't feel confident enough to push the envelope a little further to increase my skills. I am afraid that one day I'll push just a bit too far and bail it. In all honesty this is part of the reason I avoid group rides. So is there any hope or am I stuck being a wannabe  ? I surely wouldn't mind having a nice set of leather like that. Unfortunately it ain't in the budget unless I can pay it off at $10.00 a week . | ||
| Cyclonecharlie |
Tank, You think maybe the roads are just getting a little too hot for that kind of cornering? Watch out for asphalt puddles.How many miles on that front tire? Has the profile changed? A lot of things come into play. The Aerostich is 42 top and bottom. They zip together. Everybody should have your problem, I haven't in 30+ yrs. Not sure on the price, some where around half what they cost. As to the advice I gave Jackie, my thought is that if he is off line before he gets to the apex,it's going to take an excessive amount of lean to get it back. Better to drop his speed so he can gain his confidence back.Nothing wrong with having options in a bad situation.This usually happens when:1 you don't know the road or 2 you where not paying attention. In either case,how clean the corner is, is going to play a big part in what you decide.......Charlie | ||
| Cyclonecharlie |
Jackie, I think we were posting at the same time. Sound like you need a track day. Turning up hill is always easier, just from the force of gravity on the front end and the fact that up hill naturally slows you.Now Bent Mtn., up hill your in the gas and down hill your off and on which makes things more unstable from unloading the bike. As far as left to right,it's probably in your head and just takes practice....Charlie | ||
| Cyclonecharlie |
Jackie, The brake deal can be used either way. You can use it to hold a fast line(that takes a lot of finesse) or for emergencies.Everything takes practice. A track day will give you a lot of confidence on the road.It's no fun riding scared, always ride within your ability. The other guys would much rather wait on you than go back and scrape you up. Left to right corner,ALWAYS look where you want to go and never where you don't. It's all practice and confidence. The Aerostich is an all weather riding suit, not leather. I think Nuts has one...Charlie | ||
| Luvthemtorts |
Charlie, When I hit the rear brake what should I expect? Is the bike going to react in a predictable way so I can anticipate it? I know a lot of it is in my mind since when I ride dirt I usually have very little fear. I have ridden dirt since I was a youngster and have wrecked literally hundreds of times and gotten air that I think would quite frankly surprise you guys. The worst injuries I have ever had was being knocked out, cracked ribs and a skin wound that took over a year to heal. On the flip side I have never wrecked on pavement but I know the consequences could be much more dire. The thought of high siding or low siding into a tree, guard rail or car scares the crap outta me. Remember the ride we all took to Paint Bank? I was the last in line except for Zack who was supposed to be in the rear. There was a girl on a yellow Bolt' who only had her license for 3 weeks and she could outride me. That was pretty demoralizing! The track day would be fun but since I can't control the environment or time the event is held I probably will never be able to participate. If it were too hot or sunny I'd never even make it on the track. Is there a book you can suggest that might help me become a better rider? | ||
| Nutsosane |
Charlie, The 42 'Stich is how old and in what condition? I may know of a resource for you to unload it if I can't fit. Jackie, you know I am rider supreme. Parking deficient. Proficient Motorcycling by David Hough is good. I read it several years ago and it was quite helpful. Right handers are considered by most of the motorcycling population to be more difficult. The throttle control is affected by pushing on the bar to enact the turn/lean. If you didn't bail so much maybe you'd be able to ask the expert. NUTS | ||
| Cyclonecharlie |
Jackie, There are a lot of good books: Twist of the wrist(three books best I remember) there are others, just can't remember the titles right now. The Buell has a very weak rear brake, so designed. As long as the road is clean it will merely slow you down. No surprises. Riding on the road has a lot different challenges than the dirt,but definitely not as difficult.A lot that you learned on dirt still applies.You just don't have all those 4 wheelers to deal with, plus on coming traffic. The books can make you aware of things, but practice is what gives you confidence. The young lady you are referring to has probably never had a wreck, that can give you a whole new outlook on following somebody into a corner. If you can ride agressively in the dirt,you can do the same on the blacktop. It's just a guestion of knowledge and confidence.......Charlie |
