tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35229539555479707412024-02-20T16:29:37.176-08:00TheFlyinghunTheFlyinghunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476369034818763198noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3522953955547970741.post-79824029476753173002015-06-15T19:00:00.001-07:002015-06-15T19:00:40.450-07:00What's Holding You Back?If you're not riding the way you'd like, what's holding you back? It's nice when we can externalize it, and say, "These tires are almost done. This bike has no cornering clearance. If I only had the latest magazine and webforum fodder under me, then I'd really be something." Nice, but often untrue.<br />
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What if it's really internal rather than external? Easier to fix or harder? Easier to recognize and examine, or harder?<br />
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This question has been on my mind for the past month. It started when I was behind another rider who appeared to be fundamentally competent, but excruciatingly slow (not hyperbole). He appeared to look through the corner, push on the inside bar, accelerate on exit, and so on, but the bike barely leaned, and was even slow on the straights. In my head I kept asking, "What's holding him back?"<br />
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It's an interesting question, because when you ask it in front of a mirror rather than in reference to someone else, it gets more challenging to answer. The blanket answer really comes down to beliefs. Do my beliefs hold me back? I'm pretty sure the beliefs of the rider in question were holding him back. Easier to say that than it is to identify which exact beliefs are culpable, and come up with a way to change those beliefs. <br />
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If beliefs might be holding us back, one approach I'm experimenting with is to write down my beliefs about any given situation - riding or non-riding - and my beliefs about myself and my abilities. Armed with that list, rather than ask myself how to change a belief, I ask myself what would happen if it's not true. What if the tires will still grip past 10 degrees of lean angle? Okay, how about 20 degrees? How about 40 degrees? How would the world be different? How would I ride?<br />
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These beliefs and their questioning need not be limited to motorcycling. You need to apply some judgment to the questions and the way you choose to test for truth. For instance questioning your beliefs regarding gravity, or the solid nature of the oncoming bus should probably be tested in some way that won't lead to grave bodily harm. <br />
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With the above caveat in mind, what do you believe? How do you know it's true? How would you ride and live if it weren't true? How can you (safely) test it? Challenge yourself. <br />
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<br />TheFlyinghunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476369034818763198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3522953955547970741.post-28164159002996415752014-08-11T22:09:00.002-07:002014-08-11T22:09:56.347-07:00Do You Believe in Tar Snakes?Sung to the tune of the Lovin' Spoonful's "<a href="http://youtu.be/R8ifTS5NEsI" target="_blank">Do You Believe in Magic?</a>"<br />
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Sunday I was out for a ride, and when passing over a mid-turn tar snake, the bike got a little wiggle on. Woke me up a bit. Then it reminded me of the famous quote attributed to Henry Ford, "Whether you believe you can, or you believe you can't - you're right."<br />
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Say what? Everybody hates tar snakes, right? That's what I believed until I met someone who didn't, someone who seemed completely unperturbed by the presence of tar snakes. How could that be? They're slippery. They're bad when they're hot. They're worse when they're cold and wet. They make your bike slide, your elbows stiff, your breathing stop, and other things pucker. How could anyone <i>not</i> hate tar snakes? <br />
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This guy didn't love tar snakes, he just didn't care. Wasn't he afraid that tar snakes would put him on the ground? That's what I asked him. His response was to shrug his shoulders and say, "They just make the bike wiggle a bit." Wait! These things put my heart in my throat every time the bike steps out over them, and he says it's just a "wiggle". Does this guy have ice water in his veins? If not, what explains his insouciance in the face of imminent disaster?<br />
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When I pressed him, he said it was pretty straightforward. If it's just a snake or three that he's going to be crossing when leaned over, that he gets his braking done so that he can get smoothly back on to a positive throttle, keeping his eyes up and looking for the exit, and stay loose on the bike. That way, when the bike moves it will only step out a couple of inches, then sort itself out. On the other hand, if he stiffened up, looked at the front wheel, slammed the throttle shut, and grabbed some brakes, there would be a little more drama. <br />
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The key insight that unlocked it all for me was the realization that most tar snakes are only a few inches wide, and this if your tire slips off of one that its next contact point will be asphalt, and grip will be restored. Brilliant insight, huh? The other stuff listed above is just good motorcycle fundamentals that I know I should be doing anyway. The breakthrough was the <i>belief</i> that traction would be restored in a split second. Just a wiggle. On the other hand, if I <i>believed</i> that the tar snake would put me on the ground, I might still stiffen up, close the throttle, look at the ground, and have quite a moment. <br />
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The usual caveats apply; if there is a whole nest of tar vipers, or a large tar patch, you will quite likely have a bigger slide, or even ruin your day, so deal with that situation accordingly. If you're just dealing with the usual confederation of disorganized tar snakes, get your braking done before tipping in, get your eyes up and toward the exit, and smoothly apply a light throttle, and your belief will pay off. When it comes to tar snakes, do you believe you can, or do you believe you can't? Henry Ford, nailed it - either way, you're right. <br />
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Oh, and all you dirt riders in the back of the room, you can quit snickering now. TheFlyinghunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476369034818763198noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3522953955547970741.post-33444907945589007202014-08-10T17:38:00.002-07:002014-08-11T22:34:39.373-07:00Stirling Moss Said It. What's It Got to Do With You?Stirling <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stirling_Moss" target="_blank">who?</a> Stirling Moss, perhaps the greatest racing car driver to never win the World Driving Championship. An immensely talented driver who was particularly good at open road races back in the 50's, like the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mille_Miglia" target="_blank">Mille Miglia</a> and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Targa_Florio" target="_blank">Targa Florio</a>. These races favored drivers who could read the road effectively because of the challenge of "learning" such a course. Stirling also raced Formula One, and endurance events like LeMans.<br />
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Once, Stirling was being interviewed by a motorsports journalist who asked him why he didn't late brake the same way many of his opponents did, and he quipped, "Better to go in slow and come out fast than to go in fast and come out dead."<br />
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Think about it. Here's a guy who's getting paid to win, and his method is to go in slow and come out fast. So many more choices that way. So much better opportunity to respond to the unexpected. So much more latitude to be on the gas to stabilize the bike once you get it leaned over.<br />
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You're not getting paid to win races down your favorite mountain road. That makes taking Stirling Moss' free advice even more affordable. TheFlyinghunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476369034818763198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3522953955547970741.post-49743898729053825592014-08-07T21:36:00.001-07:002014-08-07T21:36:29.535-07:00Want a Better Brain?A couple of years back, my friend "Budman" Kobza told me about a <a href="http://www.dijtokyo.org/events/SMP_DAY1_Kawashima.pdf" target="_blank">study</a> that indicated that riding motorcycles is good for your brain. Who knew? All about dealing with novelty, and solving problems, and predicting the future, and honing skills. How cool is that?<br />
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Okay, so novelty, and solving new problems is good for your brain, right? So, will you get that novelty and problem solving experience if you always ride the same roads? What about if you ride new roads? In new places? What about if you ride new roads, in new paces, and on the wrong side of the road? You'd be a genius, right? <br />
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Welcome to riding in the UK (or Japan, or New Zealand, or Australia, or...). Last month, we were in the UK for a bit of riding with friends, and a bit of race watching. Learning to always keep yourself on the appropriate side of the road, even when you are dealing with junctions, driveways, roundabouts (not that hard, really), or meeting an oncoming vehicle coming around a blind turn on a very narrow road (can be quite hard, really) is a great way to exercise your brain. Always having to hold part of your attention to one side to assure that "reflexes" don't take over and put you in exactly the wrong place. It's a good mental workout. Screw Luminosity! This is REAL fun! <br />
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Okay, so you can't hop across the pond to ride on the other side of the road, what should you do to stay sharp? (Cue the broken record) Yep, ride new roads. Dig out your Benchmark Atlas, or your Thomas Brothers map, and look at little roads a couple of counties away. Stuff running over ridge tops, or down in creek drainages will work. Places you haven't seen before. Roads where you don't know what's around the next corner. Towns with cafes whose pie you haven't sampled. You know, for science. <br />
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And if by chance you do find yourself in the UK with a motorcycle, find the smallest roads you can see, and go play. Not A roads. Not even B roads. Look for the ones that aren't even classified. The local roads out to villages with 8 houses and 2 pubs. That's where you want to be going. After all, it's for your brain. TheFlyinghunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476369034818763198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3522953955547970741.post-3938641826411111042014-08-05T20:30:00.003-07:002014-08-05T20:43:25.807-07:00Smooth Throttle - A Little Trick to Make it EasierSmoothness, the act of riding smoothly is a topic for a whole host of potential blog posts, maybe even a blog of its own. Instead of trying to address all that stuff that contributes to riding smoothly, here's a little tip to make it easier to be smooth on the throttle.<br />
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Ready for it? Cover the front brake. Come again? Yep, by putting a finger or two of your throttle hand over the front brake lever you provide yourself a kinesthetic reference point that you can then move the throttle in reference to. By looping a finger or two around there, you make it possible to consistently move the throttle in tiny increments, ever so important when:<br />
<ul>
<li>You're in a low traction situation, and you need to manage the throttle carefully</li>
<li>You've got one of those new-fangled fuel injected bikes that lurches when opening up from a closed throttle</li>
<li>You're deep into a turn and on the edge of the tire, and you need to feed throttle in smoothly</li>
<li>You're riding one of those terrible, bumpy goat roads I'm always raving on about, and every time you hit a bump the throttle moves and the motorcycle lurches</li>
</ul>
Yep, I know that the MSF teaches its students to not cover the front brake, and I understand their pedagogical purpose in taking that out of the mix while on the range with rank beginners. Are you a rank beginner? I didn't think so. Doesn't apply to you.<br />
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You're a big kid now. Try it out if you aren't doing so already, and see how smoothly you can manipulate the throttle. Keep it up and the next thing you know you'll be able to blip the throttle on a downshift while smoothly braking, astounding your friends and neighbors without the benefit of a slipper clutch. How cool would that be?TheFlyinghunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476369034818763198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3522953955547970741.post-52406207445317003652014-08-05T20:30:00.002-07:002014-08-05T22:03:04.063-07:00Throttle Like a RheostatNo, not a throttle like a Linda Ronstadt, or even a <a href="http://youtu.be/o4edvNAtAwE" target="_blank">Heart Like a Wheel</a>. A throttle like a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potentiometer" target="_blank">rheostat</a>, sort of like the dimmer switch on the wall in your dining room, or the volume knob on your old Pioneer stereo receiver. Turn it one direction, you get more. Turn it the other direction, you get less.<br />
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Doesn't the throttle on your motorcycle already work that way? Maybe. Does it behave in a linear fashion in both directions so that when you roll the throttle on, the bike accelerates, and when you roll it off, it decelerates in a similar fashion? Always? Sometimes? Never? Is it possible that you're doing something else with the controls of your bike that influences whether your throttle behaves like a rheostat? <br />
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I used to be a little lazy with my gear selection on my BMW R1150R. It was pretty good at tractoring out of turns when I was a gear too high. It was easy just to let it pull, even if it shook a bit in the process. Besides, I didn't need to have it in the meat of the powerband to ride fast enough. There was no issue. Kind of freewheel in, managing my entry with the brakes, then tractor out. Besides, all those guys on the forum said that I shouldn't slow by downshifting, or my bike would wear out, or I'd adversely impact the rotation of the earth, and that would be terrible.<br />
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One day I was following some fast, smooth guys, and I noticed their brakelights rarely came on, and that their bikes were always smooth going through turns, and they would accelerate away from me on the exits, so I began to carefully study what they were doing. What I found was that even though some of them were riding big lazy twins like mine, they were riding them further up the rev band than I was. Generally, they were riding their bikes with the motor revving in the vicinity of its peak torque, and what they got for their trouble was a bike that would smoothly and quickly accelerate when they opened the throttle. Not only that, but because they were riding in a RPM range where their bikes generated significant engine braking when they rolled off the throttle, resulting in notable deceleration. All this without touching the brakes, or in many cases, even the shift lever and clutch. <br />
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So, I tried it. What a revelation! Holy smokes, now I didn't feel like the bike was running away on the way into corners. Now I could accelerate smartly on the way out of corners. And perhaps most importantly, now I could carefully adjust my line in mid-corner using the throttle as well as other control inputs, and small inputs yielded results.<br />
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But wait! If I'm running near the torque peak so that if I open the throttle a tiny bit, the bike will accelerate, and if I close the throttle a tiny bit, the bike will slow, won't I just be a big, herky-jerky, wobbly mess out there? Nope, see my earlier post on covering the front brake as a method to smooth throttle inputs, and all will be good.<br />
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You may already do this. It's a common practice among racers. However, if you don't already do this, give it a try. I'll wager it will make you a better, smoother rider (with some practice), and that you'll be unlikely to stall a bike mid-corner because you were in a too high gear. TheFlyinghunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476369034818763198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3522953955547970741.post-74797803223472850292014-08-04T21:25:00.001-07:002014-08-04T21:25:33.400-07:00Pay Attention - Then Anticipate!Last week, I read a <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140729164706-36792-why-pay-attention-tops-wear-sunscreen" target="_blank">really great post </a>on LinkedIn in which the author argued that the best advice anyone could get is to pay attention, better even than <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-schmich-sunscreen-column-column.html" target="_blank">"wear sunscreen".</a> As someone who has survived malignant melanoma, that claim doesn't go down without skepticism, yet the author convinced me. I suggest you take a couple of moments to read the piece.<br />
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What has any of this to do with motorcycling? Well, there's the obvious:<br />
<ul>
<li>Pay attention to what other road users are doing</li>
<li>Pay attention to the road surface</li>
<li>Pay attention to the <a href="http://www.megarider.com/images/Vanishing_Point_answer.html" target="_blank">vanishing point</a></li>
<li>Pay attention to the condition of your machine</li>
<li>The list goes on....</li>
</ul>
All great stuff. All important to riding safely and well. And yet, not enough. Necessary but not sufficient. You can do all these things, and still be surprised. You can do all these things, and still screw up. You need to go further. You need to anticipate. <br />
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Paying attention is necessary, and utilizing the information gathered through paying attention, over time and with a little reflection, can anticipate that which has not yet happened, and that which we cannot yet see. <br />
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A few stories follow to illustrate the point:<br />
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Eight years ago when I had the opportunity to ride with Colin Barlow, one of the things I learned was that if I was going to keep up with Colin and company, I was going to have to pay attention. Riding an open road TSD rally in the high Alps meant that conditions were demanding and the pace was brisk. If I was going to hang with the guys doing the navigating and timekeeping for me, it was going to be necessary to know what they were doing before they did it, rather than react to it after the fact. I would have to anticipate. <br />
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Were they getting ready to overtake a line of traffic? Were they getting ready to turn at a junction? To do this I had to not only 'ride my own ride', but to ride theirs as well. Where was Colin, the team leader, in traffic? Were there cars holding him up? Was the oncoming lane clear in front of him? Were David and Dominic keying off Colin? What gear am I in? If they go, will there be room and time for me to follow?<br />
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Rather than waiting to be surprised by Colin's overtake, by anticipating it I could eliminate my own delayed surprise, and the need to work extra hard to catch back up. Paying attention to my ride, paying attention to their rides, and projecting into the future. <br />
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Second story, same event, but with another rider, we'll call him riderX. This rider had many years of experience, and decent bike handling skills. On the basis of strictly physical capabilities, riderX was well within his depth. And yet, he wasn't. RiderX was often caught by surprise by the actions of the rider in front of him even though he was keenly focused on that rider's every move. What was more dangerous was that riderX could not anticipate the actions of the riders behind him. When riderX would overtake, he would often linger at the completion of the pass, not realizing that the riders behind had followed him and that he was blocking, leaving those riders needlessly exposed to oncoming traffic. RiderX certainly could not anticipate in 360 degrees, and he probably didn't think or pay attention in 360 degrees. No tragedies occurred, but riderX didn't make many friends. <br />
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Third story, different place, different year, different rider, we'll call him riderY. RiderY has years of experience, and has ridden many places. He rides a very capable bike, and in many cases his bike manages to do his paying attention and anticipating for him. Riding narrow, poorly surfaced, technical roads on steep hillsides, when the road you can see going uphill around a corner suddenly disappears, you might reasonably anticipate that you're about to go around an uphill hairpin at a speed well under 20 MPH. You might further anticipate that no matter how wonderful your bike is, that a gear lower than third could be useful, or failing that, you might cover the clutch to make up for the too high gear. Conversely, you could hope that your bike might sort it out for you. Which bet do you want to make?<br />
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The moral of the story? As your skills increase, and your motor skills used for riding become more automatic, use the increased availability of your attention to pay attention to more things, to develop more situational awareness, and then take the next step - you might call it the meta step - and use all that information to anticipate that which <i>will</i> happen. The objective of this is to avoid being surprised<i> </i>. Surprise is the enemy of safe motorcycling. When you can't avoid being surprised, at the very least, put yourself in the position of being able to deal effectively with the surprise. For instance, by having your motorcycle in an appropriate gear for conditions, not the gear you're in as a habit developed by having a bike that's always bailed your butt out in the past.<br />
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Pay attention, anticipate, execute, have fun! TheFlyinghunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476369034818763198noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3522953955547970741.post-70758207158014881212014-07-26T20:41:00.001-07:002014-07-26T20:41:24.532-07:002014 - So Far, and a Bit About Group RidingWay back in February I posted about plans for this year. The BARF spring rally was scheduled for June in Quincy, CA, and it came off as planned. We ended up with more than 70 riders, and everyone had a pretty great time. Well, there were one or two people who had mechanical issues, but on the whole it was a fun, safe rally. No reports of performance awards either. Good stuff! <br />
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Quincy has a lot to offer as a rally destination, not the least of which is that it's smack in the middle of some of the more spectacular riding roads in California. Oroville-Quincy Highway has a long section that is as fun to ride as just about anything I've seen. Very little traffic. Great road surface, and the ability to see two and three apexes ahead on consecutive corners signed at 25 MPH. Seriously great riding. <br />
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Its neighbor to the south is a little known sweetheart called LaPorte Road. LaPorte is one of those roads in the Sierra that could just about convince you that you were in the Alps. Just about. Even more lightly trafficked than Oroville-Quincy, and somewhat more technical in its nature, it's a must ride. Be aware, that it's a road that can bite, and that help will be along way off if it does. Ride it with a healthy reserve. <br />
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There were a couple more pleasures forthcoming from the rally. It was my first experience with Lassen National Park. Starkly beautiful, and largely uncrowded, particularly compared to its more famous neighbor to the south, Yosemite. Active geysers and mudpots that emulate Yellowstone to boot! We followed my buddy, Andy west from there down Hwy 32 towards Chico, and went off on a goat trail roller coaster that brought us back around to Oroville-Quincy to head back to the motel. <br />
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Then on Sunday we headed back towards Lassen, then on towards the pleasures of the legendary Hwy 36 from Red Bluff to Fortuna, perhaps the greatest single piece of road in Northern California. 36 did not disappoint, though we turned south at Bridgeville on Alderpoint Road, for a goaty romp through the Coast Range. This is narrow, bumpy, demanding riding, and as a result is wildly entertaining. Plus it has the added benefit of little traffic. We joined Hwy 101 at Garberville, and all of us made our own way home from there. <br />
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So a word about group riding, as promised. All my riding during the rally, except for the last part of 101, was shared with anywhere from one to eight or nine other riders. No drama. Lots of joy. When you hear what some riders say about group riding, you have to wonder how their experiences could have been so different. <br />
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Here are a few things that help:<br />
<ul>
<li>Setting expectations about riding <a href="http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/flashback/122_0911_the_pace_nick_ienatsch/" target="_blank">The Pace</a>. Lots of credit to Nick Ienatsch for developing, describing and promoting this approach.</li>
<li>Letting everyone know what to expect - the route, the stops, where to get fuel, and so on</li>
<li>Getting alignment on how we treat our fellow riders in our groups so that no one gets sucked in or stuffed</li>
<li>I hate waiting around for folks to get ready to ride after a stop. I give a five minute warning prior to departure, then I depart when I say I will. It's not fair to keep a whole group of riders who are geared up and ready to go waiting in the sun because someone was too busy jawing to actually put fuel in the bike and get ready to go. </li>
<li>Make sure everyone knows that we'll hold (briefly) at any place where the route turns so that riders don't go over their heads trying to keep the next rider in sight. </li>
<li>Everyone rides his or her own ride - meaning a pace they can safely manage. The only time there's been a serious crash on one of my rides, the rider who crashed was pushing too hard on an overtake. We talk about this in advance now.</li>
<li>While there is no way to guarantee this, it's really, really nice if all riders can keep their heads in the game on a group ride, paying attention to not only what the other riders are doing, but at least as importantly, what they are <i>likely to do</i>. Is the rider ahead of you looking for an overtaking opportunity? <i>Anticipate</i> the move. Is the rider behind you likely to follow on the overtake? Make sure you leave that rider room to tuck in behind you. <i>Anticipation</i> is one of the most important skills any rider can develop, and it's particularly important for group rides. </li>
</ul>
Enough for now. I will post up another time about the recently concluded EuroBARF 2014, and our trip to the Isle of Man. Stay tuned TheFlyinghunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476369034818763198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3522953955547970741.post-23666906205575591932014-02-22T09:39:00.002-08:002014-02-22T09:39:42.097-08:00Upcoming 2014 StuffNearly two months in, what's 2014 holding in store? While in the UK at Christmas time, it became clear to me what needed to happen for EuroBARF 2014, <a href="http://www.bayarearidersforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=447312" target="_blank">details here</a>. The first 3 stages of the 2014 Tour de France are coming through the UK, and the second stage is going right through the town where my sister-in-law lives. Then just a few days later, the Southern 100 will be taking place on the Isle of Man. Brainstorm! Tour de France and real roads racing, all tied together will several days of riding in the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District! And that's the plan.<br />
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Learning to ride on the other side of the road is a great way to build brain plasticity and to broaden road reading and riding skills. Combine that with some great roads, an introduction to English pubs (after riding, of course), and the fact that the locals speak something we'll mostly understand, as well as the aforementioned events, and it will be a brilliant rally!<br />
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Next up will (first on the calendar) was to put a plan together for the BARF Spring Rally. We looked at several possibilities, but in the end we decided on Quincy, CA as our destination. We went to Quincy in May, 2011, but got chased out on Saturday by a spring snow storm. This year we've moved the rally back to early June, and besides that, it's a drought year, so we think we'll be safe. Actually, I'm more concerned about early season forest fires than last season snow storms. <br />
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Quincy is surrounded by some absolutely wonderful roads, with a little something for everyone, whether it's sightseeing up the Feather River Canyon, or riding the challenging twisties on LaPorte Road. Everything from race tracks to goat trails will be on offer, <a href="http://www.bayarearidersforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=449905" target="_blank">details here</a>.<br />
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One more thought on road reading. Last Sunday was a day to be out on some of my favorite Sonoma County goat trails. While this winter has been painfully dry, many narrow, shaded roads have still attracted a coating of moss on their less trafficked surfaces. It's not always easily seen, but it's pretty much always slippery. Don't let the dry weather fool you - lots of the roads are much more greasy than during the summer. Smooth on the control inputs, and relaxed on the bars, keeping your eyes up is the way to deal with this uncertainty. Last Sunday everyone had some slides, but none came to tears.<br />
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Shiny side up!TheFlyinghunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476369034818763198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3522953955547970741.post-23066768882918669172013-12-19T12:27:00.001-08:002013-12-19T22:09:01.524-08:00It's No Mystery Why I Love the Mystery School<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
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Last weekend was my fourth ever Fun Camp at Rich Oliver’s
Mystery School, and my first in a few years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Why do I keep going back, and why am I already planning next year’s
camp?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two reasons, really.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, it’s just amazingly good fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Second, it makes me a better rider.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Let’s go with the second reason first.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rich and his team put campers out on his
nicely groomed dirt track complex on a fleet of TTRs with upgraded suspension
to give us a good taste of how motorcycles handle at the limit of traction so
that we can learn what it feels like and how to deal with it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While there are some differences, the physics
of a motorcycle at the edge of traction are pretty similar whether that
motorcycle is a 175 HP liter bike, a 600 pound touring bike, or a 125cc minibike,
except that a mistake on the minibike on dirt is much less likely to involve
large medical and repair bills than would be the case to the tourer or
sportbike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br />
Rich takes all campers through a series of skill building
drills to accustom us to the limits of traction, how it feels, and the tools to
manage the motorcycle right on the edge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Each drill builds upon those preceding it, and by the end of the weekend
you’re doing things you scarcely imagined possible on Saturday morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br />
If I had already done it three times, what could be gained
by going back a fourth?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my case the answer to that question could
have been any of a number of things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When I compare what Rich can do one of these little TTRs to what I can
do, the opportunities for continuing improvement look endless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One really popped up over the course of the
camp, and that was what Vince Lombardi might have called “running to daylight”.</div>
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One of the realities – benefits, really – of pushing your
skills on dirt is that you’re quite likely to spend some time on ground.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your fellow campers are likely to as well, meaning
that there are lots of unanticipated obstacles to contend with – with the added
pressure of competition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unanticipated
obstacles are a reality of goat trail riding – maybe one of the most fun
reasons to ride goat trails – and anything that makes me better at dealing with
those obstacles is a plus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br />
So, what did I learn?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A few things weren’t new, but the camp gave the opportunity to knock the
rust off old skills and knowledge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
also provided some new revelations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s
go with the latter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One thing that was new
at Fun Camp this year was a threshold braking drill on dirt, and when I say “dirt”
I don’t mean nice tacky stuff, I mean dried out, dusty, slippery stuff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br />
The exact content of the drill isn’t what’s important, but the
technique is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rich had us apply the rear
brake slightly before the front to get the back of the bike to squat down prior
to applying the front.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This helps manage
the weight shift to the front wheel and the subsequent unloading of the
rear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Applying the rear brake once that
wheel has already gotten light is an invitation to lock it up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes that’s what you want, but for
threshold braking, not so much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was
surprised just how hard I could brake on the dirt. </div>
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Right after applying the rear brake it’s time to apply the
front.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is about smoothly applying
braking pressure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You apply them hard,
but in a progressive fashion rather than just stabbing at them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Doing the drill in this fashion shows just how
hard you can stop a bike in reduced traction conditions if you’re straight up
and down, and you’re smooth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a
huge skill for helping deal with obstacles.</div>
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<br />
Rich also spent a fair amount of time training us on where
to put our eyes in various circumstances, which can all be summed up in the
longstanding canard, “look where you want to go.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you focus on the bike that just crashed in
front of you, that’s what you’re going to hit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If you focus on the gap between that bike and the edge of the track,
that’s the “daylight” you’ll run to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br />
Other than one notable collision with another bike (ALL my
fault) on Saturday morning, I managed to get through the whole weekend without
hitting a downed or stopped bike by seeing those gaps and following my eyes
through them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Following your eyes and
running to daylight is critically important when you find something unexpected
in your path on a goat trail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
My friends and I have already signed up for another Fun Camp
next year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A big, big thumbs-up!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Try it. </div>
TheFlyinghunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476369034818763198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3522953955547970741.post-66565666790477673632013-07-27T16:16:00.000-07:002013-07-27T16:16:23.479-07:00Practice vs. Variety, "Laps" vs. Vanishing Point, and Riding on the Wrong Side of the RoadAh, long gaps between posts, many distractions, not enough riding (other than commuting), and the demands of a new job are all inter-connected, and make this blog too quiet. Who knows when I'll post again, but I might as well post today. <br />
<br />
The first half of July, Sue and I went over to the UK to visit family, friends, and the blue Versys. Riding wasn't the primary focus, but it definitely provided some spice.<br />
<br />
When we got to my sister-in-law's home one my first tasks was to roll the Versys out of the garage, check it over, the start it up. There's a lot to be said for Japanese bikes, and starting at the first touch of the button after sitting for a year (on the trickle charger) is one of them. Wash off the bike, air up the tires, lube the chain, check the fasteners, and we were ready to rock and roll! <br />
<br />
Our first destination was a overnighter to the Isle of Man. Neither of us had ever been there, and even though there was no racing happening the date we could slot in to go, I just wanted to see the place I'd seen so many times on DVD's and YouTube. It didn't disappoint! It was beautiful, dripping in moto history, and perhaps the friendliest place I've ever been. It seems that everyone you meet loves motorcycles and motorcycle racing, and they are so pleased you've come to their home to share that love. Having a license plate from a distant shore helps too. <br />
<br />
GaryJ's widow, Jill, gave me a little vial of Gary's ashes to leave on the island, a place he never got to visit, but like so many us, loved everything about the racing there. When we arrived on a Wednesday evening we had the good fortune to arrive just before the annual memorial ride for the great Joey Dunlop. If you're reading this and don't know who Joey was, do yourself and favor and Google the man's name. Not only was he the greatest and most successful racer in the history of the IOM-TT, he was a humanitarian committed to helping less the less fortunate. The ride was a fundraiser for one of Joey's charities, a house right on the course at Braddan Bridge set up to accommodate disabled race fans. <br />
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We joined up with about 400 other riders to do a lap of the course, passing through towns where the locals lined the roads to wave and cheer our parade lap. The evening news came out to video the event, and you can even find videos of the ride posted on the web. Unbelievable! We managed to honor Joey and give GaryJ a lap to remember. <br />
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The following morning we toured other parts of the island, were greeted by hospitable locals, and even met a podium finisher from the 1955 TT who told us where to find the best motorcycle museum on the island. In the afternoon, after enjoying a lunch at the legendary Creg-ny-Baa pub, we set off to do one more lap and to find a place to leave Gary's ashes. <br />
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We pretty much toured the lower portions of the island, but once we began climbing up from Ramsey on to the mountain we could pick up the pace to "sporting" (no speed limits on the mountain). As we rode the lap the question of where to leave Gary answered itself when we stopped to pay our respects at the Joey Dunlop memorial above The Verandah. It has a great view of the course, a beautiful statue of Joey, and is covered with wildflowers. It was a perfect spot to spread some of Gary's ashes, and I hope he enjoys being there. <br />
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What does all of this have to do with riding goat trails? None of the roads we covered could really be called goat trails, but there were a couple of interesting revelations from the roads we did ride. First, the roads are NOT smooth. Not terrible, but bumps and ridges are an important factor, and riders can't just blithely assume that the road is perfect. <br />
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Second, despite this being home of one of the world's most famous races, these are public roads maintained out of the public treasury, and any money spent on the roads is money that can't be spent elsewhere. With that recognition in mind, the local road authority was chip sealing significant portions of the course when we were there. Right. Chip seal. One of the largest causes of whining on BARF. Sure, it will all be swept before the Manx GP<br />/ Classic TT begin in August, it's still chip seal. The next time somebody on BARF goes off about how the local government is acting with intent to kill motorcyclists, I'm likely to go off. Think of Guy Martin, McGuinness, and Michael Dunlop whining about such silliness. Chip seal is a road condition, and it's one we all need to be prepared to deal with. /whining<br />
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My next big day out was with my friend, Dominic Gill. Dominic and I met during the 2006 Centopassi when he was part of Team UK, led by our great friend, Colin Barlow. I've written at length before about Colin. It's clear that Colin had a huge impact on many of the people who rode with him, and Dominic shares the same regard of Colin as I have. Dominic laid out a great day of riding in the Yorkshire Dales on a perfect, sunny day. We zig-zagged north and south, east and west, visiting some of the famous motorcycle destination towns, such as Hawes, but never really lingering anywhere for long. We were too busy riding. <br />
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When we stopped for lunch, we caught up, talked about other friends who were unable to join us, recounted stories of Colin's feats, and drank a toast to the man. Dominic told me about trips to the continent with our crazy Dutch friend, Peter, and his well crafted tours of Spain. <br />
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He also told me about another rider who often accompanies them on these tours, and who always keeps them waiting anytime they're on unfamiliar roads. The funny thing is, apparently this fellow is pretty quick on familiar roads. Yep, if he knows a road, he can go fast. If he doesn't, he's bog slow. Why is this worth writing about? Why, yes, you're right! It is another of Kurt's pet peeve rants!<br />
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Rant? Rant about what? Simple, the rant about "practicing" a road by doing "laps". That is, developing the belief that one can out-ride one's sightlines due to "knowing" a public road. This flawed belief often comes up that if a rider only knows the road, the rider can go more quickly. That means rather than leave margin for the unknown, the rider <i>assumes</i> that all important information about the road ahead is already known. This is a belief system that sows the seeds for an early exit from motorcycling. <br />
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Okay, if I believe this, shouldn't I be criticizing Dominic and Peter and the others for leaving their slow friend behind? That kind of depends. If Dominic and Peter and the others ride to the vanishing point on unfamiliar roads, and leave themselves adequate margin to effectively respond to the unexpected, there is no problem. Okay, if they're doing that, why is the other guy still so much slower? My guess - and that's all it can be without riding with the buddy in question - is that the slower rider is riding within the sightlines that result from looking too close to the front of his bike. If he doesn't lift his eyes and stretch his sightline toward the vanishing point, then he can't possibly see what Dominic and Peter are seeing as far in advance as they see it. <br />
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That's the goat road lesson here; push your point of focus relentlessly up the road. Let your eyes flow over the road and you'll flow over it with equal smoothness. Practice it.<br />
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Another goat road lesson from this trip is that when roads are busy, and there's strict enforcement, goat roads can offer a respite. Britain is a crowded island, and even though the north is less crowded than the south, on a beautiful summer day lots of traffic clogs the roads. Not where Dominic took me. The roads were often more crowded with open range sheep than with other motorists. Less traffic, less police, no speed cameras. Sounds nice, doesn't it?<br />
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My last big ride was with Stuart, a friend of Colin's who joined us in the Alps in 2010. Stuart possesses Colin's famous battlestar BMW, but the day we rode he chose to bring his Kaw-Strom, a bike we didn't see in the US. It's a DL1000 badged up as a Kawasaki. Stuart was a student of Colin in an advanced riding course, then Stuart advanced to be an instructor too. He joined Colin on many of their late summer blasts through France to attend the Bol d'Or. Yeah, you could say Stuart's a disciple too. <br />
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When planning the trip, Stuart asked where I wanted to go, and the answer came quickly - take me to the Lake District, particularly to ride Wrynose and Hardknott passes. The ever-hospitable Stuart was only too quick to agree, and he set us off on a big day in some of England's most spectacular scenery. A brisk ride across the top of England from Yorkshire to Lancashire and up into Cumbria started our day. Stuart thoughtfully pointed out the speed cameras en route, wove us through the traffic along Windermere and through Ambleside on our way to coffee an scones at Coniston Water, a spectacular lake in one of the many glacial valleys that give the Lake District its name.<br />
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He was letting me re-gather my strength before hurling us up a road known as "The Struggle" on our approach to the 1 in 3 grades (yes) of Wrynose and Hardknott. These roads have been in use since the Romans built them 2000 years ago. They're about as wide as a Roman cart track, and not quite as smoothly paved. I think I can say that Hardknott is the most challenging paved rode I've ever ridden. I LOVED IT! Stunning views, not much traffic, and a never ending mental and physical challenge to ride our bikes smoothly and safely through ruts, ditches, potholes, oncoming traffic, loose sheep, gravel, sand - all the fun! <br />
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The day went on like that. Great roads. A leisurely stream side pub lunch. A toast to Colin. A blistering ride on A-roads to get to the other side of England in time for dinner. Definitely on my list of all-time-great riding days. <br />
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What's the point beyond telling the story? Here's the point. I came home riding better than I was riding when I left. This almost always happens to me in the Alps too. The key to this improvement can be associated with two key characteristics of these rides:<br />
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<li>Riding unfamiliar roads. Don't ride the same stuff over and over because you've fooled yourself into thinking you "know" them. Deal with the variety and uncertainty and use them to improve your skills - all your skills. Your road reading skills. Your physical skills of providing inputs to the bike and dealing with its responses. Your ability to remain calm, focused and centered. You will only develop the ability to do this anywhere by doing it everywhere. Stop doing laps.</li>
<li>Ride behind skilled riders. If you don't know any, go looking for them. They're out there. They are not always the flashiest, or the loudest. They're the ones you see who are smooth, who are quick without apparent effort, who don't bobble or make obvious mistakes. That describes Dominic and Stuart, and it was a great luxury to be able to follow them, keying off their lines and their actions, learning more about what's possible, even if I didn't choose to always follow their approach exactly. Thanks, guys. </li>
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There was one more factor that can't be easily re-created here, but which was certainly a helpful tool for developing riding resilience; riding on the wrong side of the road. What? Yep, seriously. Having to set aside the familiar and learn new places to look, new places to be, new responses to other traffic and road conditions, and having to do it with while following a quick rider is a great exercise in developing flexibility in your riding. I had not expected this at all, and it explains why the Brits who frequently cross over to the continent to ride, thus having the mirror experience of this, are often such impressively capable riders.<br />
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Okay, if that wall of text was too much for you, here's a summary: variety, variety and more variety, all while following someone better than you. Try it.TheFlyinghunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476369034818763198noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3522953955547970741.post-37582889466518747452013-03-23T18:05:00.000-07:002013-03-23T18:05:01.012-07:00Spring!Long time with no posts. Long time with not much riding. I've got a new job that is pretty intense and time demanding. My beloved Versys has been a little difficult, and is, in fact, in the shop right now for a weird electrical gremlin. However, the weather could not be better, and the Hypermotard has new tires, so today was a day to ride, and ride I did. <br />
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Have I mentioned how much I love new tires? Something about the Hyper, these multi-compound tires, and maybe the way I ride, makes tires get REAL ugly before they wear out. I mean scary ugly. The most recent set of tires on the Hyper, Dunlop Roadsmarts, wore in the same pattern I've seen on Bridgestones (14's, 16's, 20's, 21's, 23's, they all do it) in which the sides wear off before the centers, leaving a tire with a profile that looks something like a stop sign. Lots of tread in the middle, wear bars showing on the sides, and a frightening transition as you fall off the center, and plummet to the side. Not confidence inspiring. You have to flick over hard and get on the gas like you mean it to catch it. New tires are so much nicer. Pirellis Scorpion Trails, which I've run on the Versys, but not on the Hyper before now. They were nice today. <br />
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A couple of great goat trails were on order today. Fairfax-Bolinas - running that direction - was delightful. Not much in the way of cars, plenty of bicycles, and only a handful of motos. The coast side was chip sealed late last year, and you'd think the winter rains - that we hadn't had much of - would have washed away more of the gravel than is the case, but it was still a good time. <br />
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Then I headed north to try out a highly recommended goat that starts near Guerneville and goes over near Healdsburg called Sweetwater Springs Road. This was really a good time. No cars, two bicycles, one other motorcycle that I passed. The road was technical and fun. Lots to keep you busy. Dirty, narrow, rough, short sightlines. Life is good!<br />
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One of the treats of living in Northern California, is that the great roads attract some neat vehicles. Today was no exception. How about what appeared to an Allard J2x? That's pretty unusual anywhere. Okay, how about a brace of Alfa GTA's? A gaggle of Morgans? And just for spice, a Ferrari 365 GTC, and at the other end of the spectrum, an MGA coupe? To top it all off, coming home from work on Thursday on the San Pablo Dam road, I see a red Vincent coming the other way! <br />
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Last but not least, I staggered into a nice little diner today at the edge of Sebastopol called D's - Diner. Great hamburger and malt, and neat ambiance. Not cheap, but definitely very good. Check it out.<br />
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Have a great riding season.<br />
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PS: The Aerostich folks have been in town for the past week. Went and got measured for Roadcrafter. Nice folks. Got to meet the founder, Andy Goldfine, the new CEO, Mark, and the fitter extraordinaire, Stephanie, not to leave out, Oora (sp?). The technical term is "Minnesota Nice". Oh, and Andy introduced me too well-known moto-journalist, Marc Cook. It was a great visit. <br />
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<br />TheFlyinghunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476369034818763198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3522953955547970741.post-84216671904955400732012-12-31T17:39:00.002-08:002012-12-31T17:39:45.581-08:00Looking Backwards, Looking ForwardsOh jeez, not another end of the year special?! Sure, why not? <br />
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Highlights for me of 2012? <br />
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Got to ride Europe again, and that's always a treat. Picked up my Versys from the garage of my late riding pal, Colin Barlow. Visited with his wife and friends before heading out to ride the Chunnel to France. <br />
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Met up with my good friend, Matthias in Dole, France, and the two of us had a lovely ride through rural France on tiny roads between Dole and Lyon. In some ways it was the best single day of riding for me in Europe this year. Matthias sorted it all through his GPS, and we had a ball zinging up and down tiny lanes. <br />
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Once in Lyon we were hosted at the home of a fellow whose videos I'd admired on YouTube, BenDYd. That was enough of an introduction that he invited us to stop by and spend the evening. He and his boys cooked us a delightful French meal enjoyed on a perfect summer evening, and providing us a good night's sleep before launching off into the Alps. <br />
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Best new-to-me pass this year? Colle Sampeyre in far northwestern Italy. At least I think it was new to me. It reminds me of a road we ran in the 2006 Centopassi. Not sure. If you like the goaty stuff, try it out. <br />
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After the Alps it was time to rendezvous with my lovely wife at her sister's home in North Yorkshire. It turns out that one of Colin's best mates - Stuart, who we rode with in 2010 - lives close by. That meant we got a brilliant guided tour of the Yorkshire moors and a lovely evening out. So fun to watch Stuart's effortless speed on the wild and nadgery lanes and humpback bridges of the rural UK. <br />
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Every year the high points have to include the BARF rallies, and thanks must be extended to those adventurous souls who trustingly follow me on all the most treacherous roads I can find en route to our rally destinations. I love you folks for your enthusiastic comradeship! <br />
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There's no way to pick a favorite rally. Hawthorne is always its own thing, not really comparable to any other rally. Paso Robles was fun, as always. One little highlight at Hawthorne this year was the opportunity to stop by to see Andy's (tzrider) vacation home and tree house. Not only was the tree house at least as cool as the photos, but Andy had a bigger treat for me. We had the chance to discuss my 2011 crash, and Andy offered a possible diagnosis of the contributing inputs that - in addition to excessive exuberance - put me on the ground. After reflecting on Andy's suggestion, it became clear that he'd nailed it (no wonder he's such a superb coach!), and now I have something to work on to keep me out of trouble. <br />
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It's always a treat to get some advanced training in each year, and in 2012 it was provided by the Alameda County Sheriff's training center and their civilian motorcycle training class. It's a bargain in motorcycle training, where they introduce you to the fundamentals of cop bike training (make sure to rent one of cop Kawasakis - they're a blast!)<br />
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Looking forward, what does 2013 have in store?<br />
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More training for sure. Maybe a return to something I've done before, like Rich Oliver, or CSS, or Lee Parks. Maybe something new. At least go back to the Alameda County Sheriff's training. There is so much opportunity to improve.<br />
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Hoping to get a small dual sport some time in 2013 so I can get some more off-road riding in. Partly for skill improvement, partly for the chance to do fun and challenging riding that keeps me away from cars, and where fun happens at lower speeds.<br />
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Back to Europe seems likely. The Versys awaits in the garage there. Not sure about the Alps in 2013. Maybe. Maybe Scotland or the IOM instead. Thinking that it would be fun to see the Southern 100 road race there in July. <br />
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Obviously, the BARF rallies, but I can't say whether I'll be able to rallymaster in 2013. Life gets busy. Still, the rallies are so much fun that there must be a way to participate even if I may not be able to lead.<br />
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Group rides with my friends are always a highpoint, and not to be missed. In that mix of group rides has to include the legendary highways 36, 162, and 25. <br />
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If all those things come to pass, 2013 will be at least as wonderful as 2012. <br />
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How about you? What was the best part of 2012 for you? What did you learn? What do you treasure? What do you want to make happen in 2013?TheFlyinghunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476369034818763198noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3522953955547970741.post-47838879288939546262012-11-25T23:27:00.002-08:002013-12-19T22:10:25.840-08:00Riding With FriendsToday was highlighted by participating in a ride celebrating a friend's birthday. Fourteen riders, some I knew, most I didn't. The birthday boy wanted oysters for his birthday, and you really can't beat fresh oysters from Tomales Bay enjoyed outside on a brilliantly sunny late November afternoon. It was wonderful!<br />
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Like lots of riders, I can be a little uncomfortable riding with folks for the first time. Plus, it was a little damp under the trees from recent rain, so when the route was planned to go straight up Hwy 1 from Point Reyes Station to Marshall, I separated myself from the group to go ride Marshall-Petaluma, a local favorite, then reunited with the group at the Marshall Store.<br />
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Listening to talk over lunch, it was clear I'd missed out some by riding apart from the group, so when the birthday boy said he wanted to ride Fairfax-Bolinas on the way home, it was time to re-integrate with the group. As it turned out, the group of fourteen fractured a bit going south, and I ended up in a group of four, all of whom I knew, but only one of whom I'd ridden with. As it turned out, all were superb riders, beautiful and smooth arcing down 1, sharp and surefooted over Fairfax-Bolinas.<br />
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Once we were over the top of the ridge and down the other side we stopped to talk, trade stories, ask question, and review the highlights of what we'd just ridden. The conversation was full of laughter, sharing the raw joy of a great ride in a way that can't be fully shared with anyone who wasn't there. What a pleasure!<br />
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It brought up a number of recent rides, with old friends and new, small groups and large, in which the intensity of the experience, combined with the need to be flexible and ride in concert with others over the road in a sort of dance, brings to light a part of the motorcycling experience that one can't really get riding by oneself all the time. There is much to be said for the quiet and introspection of the solo ride, and they are an important part of the riding experience. That said, the afterglow of today's ride is a vivid reminder that joy shared is joy squared. Enjoy. TheFlyinghunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476369034818763198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3522953955547970741.post-53507296289493914132012-11-24T09:50:00.000-08:002013-12-19T22:11:57.584-08:00Ride It/Pay It Forward DayNovember 24th. What a great day to remember all the folks who have help us out along our way as motorcyclists.<br />
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Time to remember that friend who used to let you rip around on his minibike because he had one and your parents forbid you having one. Time to remember the guys down at the moto shop who let you hang around. Time to remember the folks who helped you figure out how to work the throttle and the clutch - at the same time! Time to remember the friend who helped you do your first valve adjustment. Time to remember the folks who stopped to help you when you were broken down on the side of the road. Time to remember the cool guys who let you come on their rides when you were just starting out, and then made sure you didn't get lost or dropped when you fell behind. Time to remember the cop who cut you some slack when you were being a fool on your bike. <br />
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The list goes on and on, doesn't it? Folks often tend to view motorcycling as this intensely individual activity. When you're riding it's all up to you. Head in your helmet, by yourself (often), iPod blasting in your ears (sometimes), captaining your own ship (always), encapsulated in experience if not in steel. Yet when I think back, motorcycling has often depended on other people to a great degree. Not just the folks who helped, but the folks who've been there, who've shared the moment, the view, the road food, the buzz of a twisty road ridden quickly. The folks who helped us keep going. The folks who took care of us when we were hurt or broken down. The folks who showed us the way when we were learning or lost. The folks whose kindness made it all so much better.<br />
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Today is a good day to remember those folks, and having remembered them and all their many kindnesses to us, today is a day to make sure we pay those kindnesses forward. Today is a good day to help a newbie rider, to share a favorite backroad, to buy another rider's lunch, to help someone work on a broken bike, to show the smooth way through a turn, to stop to help a broken down rider, to lead or sweep a group ride. Today is a day to remember everyone who made motorcycling so much more than an intensely individual experience, and do the same for another rider. Ride it forward.<br />
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Miss you, Colin. <br />
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<br />TheFlyinghunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476369034818763198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3522953955547970741.post-48497591469322174202012-11-15T10:40:00.001-08:002012-11-15T10:40:20.504-08:00WeekdaysWeekday riding is for some riders a rare luxury, and this week I was reminded just how luxurious they can be. I'm not working right now, and Monday night a friend reached out to see if I could show some visiting Brazilians some of our local roads. So on Tuesday I met up with Lynn and Lygia who were visiting from Rio on their Moto Guzzi Stelvio.<br />
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My friend who'd contacted me had highlighted a map of great Marin and Sonoma country roads for Lynn and Lygia to follow, and it included some of my favorite backroads, but since it was a weekday, and they'd never been here before, it seemed worthwhile to try out some of the routes I usually avoid due to overcrowding. We rode straight to Tam Junction to pick up Hwy 1, then over the hill towards Stinson Beach. A brilliant road, and recently re-paved! Normally I avoid that section of Hwy 1 like the plague due to its usual crowding with frightened sightseers, overloaded minivans, stoned out surfers, and HOG chapter rides. On Tuesday is was nearly empty at 11 AM. Woo-Hoo!<br />
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Hwy 1 was so empty I even agreed to ride through Bodega Bay! And even better, my head didn't explode! <br />
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In the end, it was a great day of riding. Lynn and Lygia fly down the road on that Stelvio. We only rode goat trails for fun, not for the purpose of avoiding crowds. If you get a day off, you should try a weekday ride on a road that's normally too crowded. Like me, you may find you'd forgotten just how much fun can be had on a tourist road when the tourists are gone. TheFlyinghunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476369034818763198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3522953955547970741.post-14259161189992705342012-10-25T13:29:00.001-07:002012-10-25T14:07:17.969-07:00RAIN! AGAIN!I posted about rain back in July when I had just returned from a trip to France that featured a couple of heavy rainfalls. Back here in California, it's been the usual weather pattern of a dry summer followed by the resumption of rain in the autumn. Any of you who saw the Giants defeat the Cardinals in the NLCS know that rain has returned to northern California in earnest. With that in mind, what are some things to think about when riding goat trails during or after rain storms?<br />
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Since most of the roads here that we call goat trails are on hillsides, the number one concern regards run-off. What has run off the hillside and on to the road surface? It can be mud, sand, gravel, manure, etc. All slippery. With short sightlines and and the possibility of poor visibility when riding in the rain, it's good to be cognizant of the risks of run-off and adjust your speed accordingly. While you're at it, give some to where on the road the run-off is likely to be, beginning with the uphill side of the road surface. <br />
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Next, since one of the characteristics of California that gives us such fun roads is our area's geological instability, it's good to think about what that means - particularly if it's been raining heavily for some time. Sometimes what it means are mudslides, and while some of those can be similar to the debris on the road mentioned above, they can also turn into the road you're on sliding away down the hillside. No fun to round a turn and find there's no road! Another thing to consider when choosing the entry speed for a corner. <br />
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As the rain falls this time of year, it will also bring leaves and pine needles down on the road, creating a very slippery surface, and one which may take months to clear on the less traveled roads. Add to the the falling of some of the branches that held those leaves coming down in big storms, and in really big storms, even the trees that held the branches that held the leaves can be waiting to give you a surprise around that next bend. <br />
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Last for today, though we won't have to worry about it for a while, after a long damp period, roads that don't get much sun can develop moss. Moss is another one of those slippery items that can deliver a nasty surprise. Running in the tire tracks can help, but you need to be aware that the path your head takes around a corner won't be the same as the paths your tires take. If you cross over the area between the tracks, you'll find yourself in the mother lode of slippery!<br />
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Just a few thoughts rattling around in my head as I get ready to go out for a ride following our first real rain of the season. What did I miss?<br />
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<br />TheFlyinghunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476369034818763198noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3522953955547970741.post-60875324416986706012012-10-12T16:59:00.006-07:002012-10-12T16:59:58.164-07:00Visual Discipline<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's a truism in motorcycling that where you look determines where you go. If you focus on a a tree, the edge of the road, the bumper of the car in front of you, that's exactly where you'll steer the bike. You can find lots of discussion out there on motorcycle forums and in other literature that explains that, but let's just call it a given, and refer to it as target fixation. Below is a classic, if somewhat chilling, example. The rider visually locks on to something that frightens him, then crashes straight into it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There may be riders who've never experienced target fixation, but I'm not one of them. Come to think of it, most riders I know well will admit to having experienced it one time or another. Truth be told, I've experienced target fixation at least once per year for as long as I've been riding. Yet for me and most of these same riders, target fixation does not always result in crashing.</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why is that?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Looking at the above video gives us a classic example of how target fixation typically begins. In the video it appears that the rider brakes for the upcoming turn / intersection and inadvertently looks the rear brake causing the rear wheel to slide, and the rider to panic - stiffen up, foot off the peg, etc. - the rider sees the wall, stares at the wall, and proceeds straight into the wall. Ouch! The critical point being that target fixation is typically preceded by something happening that scares the rider, causing the rider to stare at whatever is the object of fright, then steering straight into it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If it's fairly common for riders to target fixate, but not that common for them to crash as a result, what is it that enables a rider to recover from target fixation incident, and safely avoid a crash? My experience is that somehow the rider recognizes what is happening, and breaks the fixation by choosing to look where he wants to go rather than at what he wants to avoid. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This ties to the topic of visual discipline - knowing where you're looking, knowing where you need to be looking in order to safely pilot your motorcycle, having the presence of mind to recognize when the two don't match and that corrective action is required, and having the discipline in the face to fear to put your eyes where you need them to be. No mean feat. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How do you accomplish this? Going back to an earlier post on self-awareness, it begins with knowing where you're looking as you ride. Where am I looking? Are my eyes scanning the road out to the vanishing point? Am I looking at the ground just ahead of my front wheel? Am I locking on to roadside objects that scare me? Some self-awareness and self-critiquing will go a long way towards establishing a baseline of experiential knowledge regarding where you <i>need</i> to look. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The next step is recognizing when your normal pattern of looking at the road has been disrupted. A good clue for this can be seen in the video - it's noticing that you're frightened. Have you suddenly stiffened up, stopped breathing, felt a jolt of adrenaline and a rise in your heart rate? Are you staring at something? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And this is where the "discipline" part comes in. Having noticed this, it's time to force yourself to look where you <i>want</i> to go. There are times when I've felt like I need to reach up and grab the chin bar of my own helmet to yank my head in the direction I needed to look! You know what? If that's what it takes, that's what you do. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lee Parks has an exercise he describes in his book, <i>Total Control</i>, that helps out with this. You'll need a friend and a parking lot to pull this off, but it will greatly help you in developing the ability to recover once you target fixate. Lee suggests that you figure out where you can comfortably ride in a circle with your friend standing in the middle. As you ride around the circle, your friend rotates in the middle so that the two of you can maintain eye contact. Every time you break eye contact your friend will point it out and tell you, "look at me." Keep doing this until you can consistently ride the circle without breaking eye contact. When you can do that, tighten the radius of the circle until it begins to be difficult to maintain eye contact, then stay at that radius until you master it, then tighten the circle again. Do this turning both clockwise and counter-clockwise, trading places with your friend so that you both gain experience looking consistently where you want to go, and recovering if you get distracted. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is a great way to develop and sharpen the visual discipline that will help you recover when you start to target fixate, assuring that your ride home is on the bike and not in an ambulance. </span>TheFlyinghunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476369034818763198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3522953955547970741.post-19045748792131708182012-10-01T15:09:00.003-07:002012-10-01T15:09:23.333-07:00Friuli?<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">An area in northeastern Italy near Slovenia and the Adriatic that I've not visited, but now I feel compelled. My favorite videographer of alpine riding is a German fellow whose YouTube channel name is TheMimoto, and he recently posted a video taken in August of riding in Friuli. My mouth is watering!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It's definitely worth a watch, and when you're done, if you still want some more, here's a video made by one of his companions on the same trip.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If you've ever wondered whether you should ride the Alps, these videos should make clear that the answer is an emphatic, "Yes!"</span>TheFlyinghunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476369034818763198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3522953955547970741.post-81301779146360333352012-09-24T20:48:00.004-07:002012-09-26T13:09:50.247-07:00Self-ReflectionNo, not that clown in the mirror. Well, sometimes.<br />
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Self-reflection in this case is your ability to evaluate your own performance of any skill, activity, knowledge, whatever. In this case, let's assume it has to do with riding motorcycles, and evaluating your own abilities, and based on that evaluation, make positive changes in the way you ride. Is this something you do? Is it something you think about?<br />
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Assuming you're not a riding god, and assuming you know that, and you're not a victim of <a href="http://www.spring.org.uk/2012/06/the-dunning-kruger-effect-why-the-incompetent-dont-know-theyre-incompetent.php" target="_blank">the Dunning-Kruger Effect</a>, most of us have some room for improvement in our riding. Barring having regular sessions with a riding coach who observes your riding and provides useful feedback, we're pretty much stuck with evaluating our own riding. We may read all the best books on becoming better riders. We may post questions on internet forums and eagerly sift through the answers. We may even ride with more accomplished buddies who demonstrate how they get up and down the local racer road. But even after we do all that, we still have to compare these ideals with an unvarnished look at the way we're riding now before we can hope to figure out the steps to take to improve. Yep, self-reflection. <br />
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Here's what got me thinking about this. A few weeks back I was with some motorcycle friends talking about (what else?) riding. One of these friends - who will remain nameless for now - knows more about what it takes to ride a motorcycle quickly and well than anyone else I have the pleasure to know. When the topic of conversation moved to embarrassing events, I related what happened when I crashed my motorcycle about a year ago.<br />
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Crashing my motorcycle is not something I like to do, and it had been 5 years since my prior crash, and 20 years back to the one before that. Last year's crash had been a bit of a mystery to me, and the only thing that seemed to explain it was too much throttle in a low traction situation, but the quickness and violence of the crash made that explanation a bit unsatisfying, and no one I'd talked to about it had any better of an explanation than that one.<br />
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When my friend heard how the crash happened, he said that he'd seen a lot of people crash by getting back on the throttle before they finished setting the lean angle for the turn, and in those cases these riders experienced losing the rear tire and low-siding even though their lean angle wasn't terribly steep and traction was not that bad. This seemed odd, and it stuck with me.<br />
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The next day a group of us were riding over the Sierra headed back to the Bay Area, and I began to reflect on what he'd said, asking myself, "Am I opening the throttle before I've finished setting the lean angle?" I didn't think about it every turn, but when I had time to think, I posed the question. Any time I felt like the rear tire had been squirming or skittering across the road, I posed the question. Here's what I found: yes, in some cases in some circumstances, I sometimes start opening the throttle before I finish setting the lean angle for the turn. Exciting! A new insight! Once home a brief exchange of messages confirming what had been suggested, and some helpful feedback, and more to work on.<br />
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The moral of the story is that it doesn't matter how much Code, Parks, Ienatsch, Hough or others you <i>read</i>, you've got to bring them with you when you <i>ride</i>. The only way to do that is save a little bit of bandwidth to observe and record your own riding, then - perhaps later - reflect on what you observed and how it compared to what you read. Is there a gap? Can you learn something from that gap? Can you bring that gap back to another reading of the book to see if you learn something else? I hope the answer is in all cases "yes"!<br />
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Self-reflection is a key skill to develop in becoming better at pretty much anything, including riding, just don't let staring in the mirror overwhelm everything else. We all know what happened to that Narcissus character. <br />
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<br />TheFlyinghunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476369034818763198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3522953955547970741.post-10989638769919311102012-09-06T16:33:00.000-07:002012-09-06T16:33:01.516-07:00Hawthorne!<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Tomorrow begins the annual Bay Area Riders Forum (BARF) Rydther Rally bound for Hawthorne, NV. I think this is the 5th annual, or thereabouts. We travel to Hawthorne each year in memory of a deceased member whose motto was Ride There, wherever it might be. Going there by motorcycle is better than going just about any other way. We ride to Hawthorne every year to remind ourselves of the truth of his motto.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Why Hawthorne? Lots of reasons, but I'll start with four:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Tioga Pass</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sonora Pass</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ebbetts Pass</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Monitor Pass</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Any of those can be on the way to Hawthorne and back, and they are among the highest, wildest, and most beautiful passes in the Sierra Nevada. Throw Yosemite NP in there if you're taking Tioga Pass, and there's another reason. We're going to make those passes even more fun by taking some entertaining goat trails leading up to the high Sierra to avoid the car traffic, and to have some fun!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Once you're over the passes, the fun doesn't stop. You can have lunch at The Whoa Nellie Deli at The Mobil in Lee Vining to experience fine dining in a truly improbable setting. If that doesn't suit you, there's always Mountain View BBQ in Walker, CA, a worthy destination even if you chose to turn around and head back home. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">While you're taking in the natural beauty, you'll pass right by the legendary Mono Lake, which is slowly returning to its earlier water levels.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As for Hawthorne itself? Well, Hawthorne is an old munitions town, with bunkers dotting the hillsides surrounding the town. It's a remote spot, a relatively quiet (unless they're disposing of old munitions) spot in the desert. It's inexpensive to stay there. It's inexpensive to eat there. The locals have always been happy to see us, and to share their hospitality over the course of a few days of days of riding and hanging out by the pool, and evenings of having fun over in Joe's bar. It's tough to beat. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">See you when I get back. </span> TheFlyinghunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476369034818763198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3522953955547970741.post-85040410283246392012-09-06T16:17:00.002-07:002012-09-06T16:17:44.108-07:00Hairpins (again!)<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Two weeks ago I enjoyed a great goat trail ride! Some of my favorite Marin and Sonoma roads, little traffic, nice weather, and ripe blackberries by the roadside for a little al fresco feasting. Combine that with riding with good friends, and that's just about ideal. Throw in a new learning, and it gets even better.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I've posted before on the topic of hairpin turns on a couple of occasions because they cause problems for lots of riders. One of the varieties of hairpins that I've seen cause the most difficulty are downhill right-handers, and I devoted a post to that particular variety earlier this summer. Our ride two weeks ago demonstrated that uphill right-handers can be problematic too, and that's the topic of this post.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What do the two varieties have in common beyond the obvious fact of turning to the right? In the ones I've seen cause the most problems the other common feature is very short sight-lines - the rider can't see where the road goes beyond some obstruction (tree, hillside, wall, house) that is on the inside of the turn. The result of that short sight-line is one of the following, or some combination; the rider slows (not a bad idea), stiffens (not so good), stares at the ground in front of the front wheel that is visible, stares out the opposite side of the road which is also visible, forgets to shift down to a gear appropriate for the slower speed, etc. With the exception of the first one, not optimal responses. Let's examine them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Slowing down is not a bad idea. The conventional wisdom is that you should travel at a rate at which it takes you four seconds to reach the edge of your line of sight so that you have adequate time to react to any obstruction of your path. It's pretty hard to argue against that even when your line of sight is so short that your speed drops to what feels like a crawl, however unless your path actually is obstructed, I can't remember seeing a hairpin so tight that you need to get your feet off the pegs. Keep your feet in the pegs, shift to a gear appropriate for your road speed, cover the clutch if necessary, and be very careful of using the front brake unless you actually have to stop. You're going uphill, so you should be able to control your speed by rolling off the throttle and/or using the rear brake.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Stiffening is pretty much always a bad idea, in hairpins or otherwise. It your elbows are stiff and/or you have a death grip on the bars, you're too stiff, and nothing good can come of that. This is the time when you need to be a little self-aware (difficult if you're frightened), and wiggle your fingers and waggle your elbows to loosen them up. Two of the most common causes are the following:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Looking at the ground. The old saying in motorcycling that shows up as more and more true the longer I ride is that you go where you look. Meaning in this case that if you look at the ground, that's where you're going. Looking at successive spots eight feet in front of you will mean that even at very low speeds the world will be a continual surprise, you'll be frightened, you'll stiffen as a result, and you make bad things more likely to happen. Get your eyes up.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Looking at the outside of the turn. Where you look is where you go, right? If you're looking at the opposite roadside, where do think you're likely to end up? Bingo! Across the road and in the ditch, unless you're really unlucky, in which case the local in the F350 heading to pick up the day's second sixpack may turn you into a hood ornament before you get there. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So, if it's okay to slow down, but it's bad to stiffen, or to look at the ground, or to look at the other side of the road, and your line of sight is blocked, where in the world are you <i>supposed</i> to look? I'm glad you asked. You want to keep your eyes probing the place where the road is <i>about</i> to appear. You're always pushing your eyes out in front so you can see the road surface at the earliest possible point of visibility. Your eyes won't be in just one place, you'll scan to the farthest point you can see, then let your eyes come back, then scan ahead, moving quickly to take it all in. Ideally, you should be scanning the roadside, the trees, the local geography to see what other cues about that emerging road you can pick up. I'll post something in the near future about reading the road, but for now keep looking ahead to where the road disappears (the vanishing point), keep on looking for the right-hand edge of the road, keep your eyes up, and your elbows and grip loose, and keep the bike on your side of the road. Enjoy!</span>TheFlyinghunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476369034818763198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3522953955547970741.post-91579359677340687972012-08-19T09:17:00.001-07:002012-08-19T09:19:29.614-07:00Why France (and Italy)?In my last post I addressed the question that comes up about why it's so great to ride in the Alps. Next up is the follow up question, of all the alpine countries, why France? Good question. The Alps span France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Slovenia, and you could even include Liechtenstein and Monaco in that list. You'd think that surely there must be great riding in those countries, and you'd be right.<br />
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After all, Austria is the country of <i>The Sound of Music</i> and its expansive alpine scenery. Austria is home to many roads - often toll roads - that seem to exist primarily for the pure joy of riding or driving them. The Grossglockner is a case in point. Austria is also home the greatest concentration of Biker Wilkommen signs I've ever seen. It seems the whole country is filled with restaurants and hotels competing for the business of vacationing motorcyclists.<br />
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Then there's Switzerland, the archetypal alpine country, all beautiful lakes, perfect houses with exquisite flower boxes, perfectly trimmed lawns, and roads without a speck of litter. Combine that with it being the home of some of the most legendary alpine roads (Furka, Bernina, etc.), and it would seem to be the one perfect place for an Alps motorcycling vacation.<br />
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Germany is a classic portal to the Alps. It's easy to get air connections from the US to Munich, visit the BMW factory, and take off into the Alps. The reality is that Germany is only a tiny portion of the Alps, and while there are nearby places to ride in Germany that are great such as the Black Forest, if you want to experience much of the Alps themselves, you won't be restricting yourself to Germany.<br />
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I can't really speak to Slovenia because I haven't ridden there yet, but what I know about it makes Slovenia very attractive, and I'm looking forward to trying it out. It looks wild and rugged and remote, and that's just what I most enjoy.<br />
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This brings us to France and Italy, and the things that are great about both of them. This may not win me any friends with the ministries of tourism for these two countries, but here goes. What I most love about France and Italy is that they are just a bit wilder, at bit less controlled, a bit more rugged,often a bit more remote, a bit more ragged than the other alpine nations. This is true in many ways, but seems particularly true around attitudes towards motorcycle traffic. It seems that both police and other road users in these countries understand that you're on a motorcycle and that you're going to be going quickly, and they make allowances for that. That hasn't been my experience in Austria, or particularly Switzerland - where it is joked that everything that is not <i>obligitoire </i>is most certainly <i>interdit</i>. France and Italy are just a little more like the wild west. <br />
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Where else can you come flying up behind a police car, have the officer look in the mirror, then wave you around? All this in a no passing zone! Where else do car drivers routinely move to their right a foot or so to enable you to easily overtake them on narrow mountain passes (truth be told, a lot of California drivers are pretty good about getting out of the way)? Where else is it acceptable to split between lanes of traffic moving opposite directions? Where else in the Alps can you find passes as wild, rugged, and simultaneously perfect and imperfect as the Col de la Cayolle or the Passo di Gavia?<br />
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An exaggerated analogy might be that France and Italy are to Switzerland as California is to Disney's California Adventure. One is the real thing; wild, imperfect, chaotic, and maybe a bit more dangerous. The other is refined, perfected, triple-distilled, constrained, controlled, and safer. Fair? No, not really, but fun. <br />
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For me, the greater wildness and tolerance of France and Italy make the experience of actually <i>riding</i> there ever so much more intense and enjoyable. As a rider it also requires me to be more on my game, more vigilant, more flexible, and more responsible for my own conduct because traffic enforcement isn't going to save me from myself. <br />
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France over Italy? Yes, by a slim margin. I somewhat prefer French food, but Matt prefers Italian. We both prefer French drivers, if only because they're slightly less aggressive than Italians. Both are a huge improvement over Americans. Oh, and I love the sound of the French language, whether I understand what I'm hearing or not, though Italian is quite nice too. <br />
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There you have it. Why I love riding some countries more than others. Some of the touring companies seem to concentrate on Austria and Switzerland. My suggestion is to try France. All those GS's with German plates seen each summer in the French passes may be on to something. <br />
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<br />TheFlyinghunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476369034818763198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3522953955547970741.post-15169291121235247202012-08-14T15:38:00.000-07:002012-08-14T15:38:53.498-07:00Why the Alps?<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
From time to time folks will ask what the big deal is about riding in the Alps. After all, we've got some pretty great roads right here in California. We've got Yosemite and we've got Tioga Pass. We've got Big Sur and we've got the Sonoma coast. We've got Hwy 36 and we've got Hwy 25. We've got Mulholland and we've got teh (sic) 9. Hell, we can even lane split here in California, and if you get bored with that we can ride to Oregon, or Montana, or Alaska ferchissakes! So what the hell is the big deal?</div>
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Good question and good points! There is a wealth of great riding here in California, and even more in adjoining states. You could keep yourself busy riding new California roads every weekend for years. In fact, you should. </div>
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The great gift of riding in North America is space. Once you get out of the big cities, north or south, or across the valley, suddenly you have space. Even here in populous California you can easily find places that are empty. Riders coming here from Europe marvel at the distances you can travel in Nevada, or Utah, or Idaho where there is nothing for miles. It truly is a gift.</div>
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The Alps are different. The area has been densely populated for centuries, millennia really. And much of that time the tide of governments and cultures and armies have washed back and forth over them. It's the inverse of the space of the West. Not that it's what you'd call crowded, but it is developed. The benefit of this for motorcyclists is that all this development involved building roads, and those roads go nearly <i>everywhere. </i>Every river valley was a path for commerce. Every high cirque that didn't have a glacier became summer pasture. In between were countless farms and villages, and roads were needed to connect all of them. So today the place is positively cross-hatched with roads and trails, and many of those roads are paved. And most of those paved roads are positively brilliant on a motorcycle. </div>
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What it comes down to is sort of the inverse of space. It's road density. You can base around one town, and ride exciting, beautiful roads day after day, with very little repetition, and not much time spent on big busy roads or and big crowded cities. For example, one day in particular this year, Matt and I left the inn at Serre Chevalier, rode Izoard, Vars, Restefond, Bonette, Lombarde, Sampeyre, Agnel, and Izoard again in one day - and that's just the high passes! That does not include some of the really fun roads that connect them through the countryside. There is nowhere that I know of near where I live in California where you could ride so many amazing roads in just 400 kilometers (~240 miles).</div>
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There are other reasons to ride the Alps. The scenery is obviously spectacular. When little kids draw mountains, the mountains their crayons depict seem to be inspired by the Alps. The architecture is often nearly as breathtaking as the natural scenery. The food is great. And in my experience, the people are wonderful. </div>
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That said, for me there is at least one more reason to ride the Alps. If you're a baseball fan, and you love the game and all of its history and pageantry, if you love all the great games and players that have come before, you may feel the pull to make a pilgrimage to the sport's hallowed ground. Maybe for you it's Yankee Stadium, or Fenway, or Wrigley Field. A place where you can go to feel connected to all that has come before, and all that is yet to come. The Alps are like that for motorcyclists. I recall reading about alpine touring in <i>Cycle World</i> when I was a kid, seeing B&W photos of tourists on BMW R69's and Triumph T100's, gear lashed to the seat, layered up against the chill, with stunning mountainscapes in the background. I knew then at age twelve that this was where <i>real</i> riding happened. This was where a motorcyclist went for great riding and to meet great riders. This was hallowed ground. </div>
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Now after four trips I can say with all honesty that it has been everything I'd hoped it would be. That the roads, the scenery, the food, the people, the quality of the riders, and the quality of the riding I was inspired to do exceeded anything I could have reasonably expected, and often even exceeded what I'd unreasonable dreamed. </div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Alps, you must try them. </span> TheFlyinghunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476369034818763198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3522953955547970741.post-55709156847082197752012-07-31T09:26:00.001-07:002012-08-01T10:11:53.643-07:00Just Like Casey<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
One of the signature characteristics of roads in the Alps are the switchbacks. Lots and lots of switchbacks. On my first day there it seemed like I'd ridden more switchbacks in a day than in the prior year back home in California. In an earlier post I covered some ideas about riding downhill - particularly right-hand downhill - switchbacks. Today let's talk about uphill. As with downhill, right-handers are typically tighter, so keep that in mind.</div>
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By definition, it's tough to carry much corner speed in a switchback. Depending upon the radius of the turn, 15 or 20 mph can be a lot of corner speed. That means that often the throttle is completely closed on the way into the turn. On many modern fuel injected bikes, opening the throttle from fully closed can be a bit tricky when you're over on the side of the tire dealing with a tight line and with less than ideal surface conditions (i.e. gravel, diesel spills, sheep manure, etc.). That's because for many bikes the fuel injection acts a bit like a switch, either on or off, and when it comes on mid-turn it can do so with a bit of a lurch. How do you deal with that?</div>
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Both Matt and I were riding bikes that don't have quite perfect fueling - he on a BMW F800R and me on my 650 Versys. One night, comparing notes over dinner, we discovered that we were using the same technique to control the line, attitude and acceleration of our bikes as we executed uphill switchbacks - we were both dragging the rear brake as we rolled on the throttle. </div>
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How does this work? It's a bit of a subtle thing, but it makes a big difference. As one begins setting up for the turn by adjusting speed (usually meaning shifting down, closing the throttle, <i>and</i> applying both brakes) and swinging out to get the best entry line and speed for the turn, as one begins to turn in, the front brake is usually fully released - but not the rear brake. At this point the amount of pressure on the rear brake is very light, but still there. As the bike reaches maximum lean, and one's eyes are well through the turn, one begins to roll open the throttle. This can be the danger point. The bike is over on the side of the tires. The bike is not yet pointed at the exit. If the throttle comes on with a lurch or a bang, this can unsettle the bike and greatly undermine the confidence of the rider - not to mention make you ride like a n00b. This is where that subtle pressure on the rear brake is key. Keeping some pressure on the rear brake keeps the bike's suspension settled, and it buffers the impact of engine torque hitting the rear wheel. This results in increased rider confidence as the bike accelerates smoothly rather than abruptly, making it easier to apply the throttle earlier in the turn to bring the bike back upright as you get it pointed towards the exit of the turn. </div>
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How does one go about developing this technique? Probably the easiest way is riding around at low speed in parking lots making turns as tight as possible. The usual tools for managing the bike at low speeds are smooth throttle control, use of the clutch friction zone, and dragging the rear brake to stabilize the bike. Working on these tools while riding in tight circles in a parking lot will enable development of the feel and habit that will make the use of the rear brake on switchbacks feel more natural and comfortable. </div>
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If you'd like to get more instruction and coaching on low speed practice, there are a couple of resources I can recommend based on experience. If you are located near the SF Bay Area, the Alameda County Sheriff's Training Center puts on an excellent <a href="https://www.sheriffacademy.com/evoc_detail.php?1-DAY-CIVILIAN-MOTORCYCLE-2" target="_blank">civilian motorcycle training class</a>. This class will teach you a huge amount about low speed management of your motorcycle. There are other training classes of this sort around the country that teach you police motorcycle riding skills. Another class that will introduce you to these skills in a controlled environment with help and feedback is <a href="http://www.totalcontroltraining.net/" target="_blank">Lee Parks' Total Control clinics</a>. Lee Parks' book can be a big help if you don't have access to one of his classes.</div>
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What does any of this have to do with Casey? When Matt and I were discussing this it reminded me of Matt Oxley's column in the August, 2012 issue of <i>Bike</i> magazine. Matt was describing all the reasons why we'll miss Casey Stoner when he retires from MotoGP, and he quotes Lucio Cecchinello, the owner of LCR, a Honda satellite racing team. Matt quotes Cecchinello describing Casey's first test on a 250 GP bike back in 2001, "He opened the throttle very, very, very early and he had this particular talent to use the rear brake when opening the throttle so the bike isn't so nervous."</div>
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See? Just like Casey. Whether you're riding tight switchbacks or MotoGP, you can use the rear brake to allow you to get on the throttle earlier without putting yourself on your head. You always wanted to say that you ride just like Casey, right?</div>TheFlyinghunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12476369034818763198noreply@blogger.com0