Sport Riding help

[Jimstan]

Anyone to help my sport riding at EOM 09 ?

EOM 08 was A blast, but it did start a little ruff (screwed up A corner and drooped the bike) By the end I was doing better, I even caught sight of HualinAshe and Herfjr once (I think they stopped for Coffee)

I am old enough to know when to ask for help and that crossing the yellow line at the Apex is A bad thing.

I am sure that others would enjoy A little crash proofing too.

Open to any help or suggestions.

Jim

 

[charismaticmegafauna]

Good on ya' for seeking suggestions/help.

Good sport riding technique doesn't always come easy -- skills training and practice can be key. MSF (BRC and ERC) can provide the skills training.

I think the FJR could be an imposing bike on which to learn sport riding skills/technique -- pretty heavy and lots of power (to its credit: the power is easily modulated and it has decent handling). But..., there's no getting away from the size and weight (it may have been designed with more 'seasoned' riders in mind...?).

There are many small to mid-size sport-bikes available on which to learn all the skills -- the Kawi EX500/500 Ninja comes to mind.... Skills once learned are easily transferred.

Good luck.

 

[BikerGeek99]

Lee Parks.

First, buy the book.

Read the book.

Then take the class.

It's worth it.

 

[Aasland]

I took my fjr on to this class:

https://advancedridingschool.net/

Had a blast and plan to do it again. Didn't go as fast as when I did it with my vfr, and the instructors keep telling me my wife is doing it better, but it's still a blast. Best of all, it really boosted my confidence in what the bike will do.

 

[luvtoride]

Anyone to help my sport riding at EOM 09 ? EOM 08 was A blast, but it did start a little ruff (screwed up A corner and drooped the bike) By the end I was doing better, I even caught sight of HualinAshe and Herfjr once (I think they stopped for Coffee)

I am old enough to know when to ask for help and that crossing the yellow line at the Apex is A bad thing.

I am sure that others would enjoy A little crash proofing too.

Open to any help or suggestions.

Jim

Uhhh, I have nothing to say... except the old addage that practice makes perfect.

 

[MartyA]

Jim, I'm sure you can get some basics from some of the tire-burners, like counter steering, looking where you want to go, stuff like that, to keep you in your lane.

Can't miss with the Lee Parks book, he has lots of practice diagrams you do in a parking lot that lets you try what you just read. This allows you to progress at your own speed. He gives tips on suspension setup, driving positions, all good stuff. It's a good start.

 

[winewhisperer]

I am no expert, but my best piece of advice is to always ride at a pace that you are comfortable with. If you find yourself

falling behind in the corners, then trying to make up the difference in the straights, this could lead to an accident. Be smooth,

watch your speed, and try to set your corner entrance well in advance, so that you can smoothly enter and exit with little to

no braking. Riding in groups should be fun, NOT competition! Enjoy your FJR, and spend time in the saddle, for experience

is your best teacher.

winewhisperer

 

[Intech]

Good advice all the way around. Experience and not riding above your level just to keep up. I ride with a friend that has a 'busa and he says he can't keep up, so I guess I ride fast, but I could still use some instruction too. I find myself questioning my technique all the time. always room to learn.

 

[Geezer]

I agree with BikerGeek99 regarding the Lee Parks book and Luv2ride regarding practice. Read the book. Try the techniques very carefully. Ease into it, one thing at a time.

A few of tips to get you started:

1) Don't ride over your head, it can cause you to panic and reach for the brakes instead of increasing your lean angle.

2) Don't ride too fast for your sight distance.

3) Look where you want to go, into the curve, rather than at the road right in front of you.

Few of us can keep up with the fastest riders. That's just the way it is. Enjoy the ride at your pace.

 

[Silver Penguin]

Lots of good advice already posted. The best of which is to Ride Your Own Ride. Newsflash! You MAY not be the fastest rider out there. So what? Be the safest rider you can be. If out and out speed is your goal, take it to the track and get some professional instruction.

OTOH, if you just want to be smoother and more comfortable in the twisties, practice is the key. Start slow where you can work on technique, and let the speed come later (or not, as the case may be). Each turn needs to be set up ahead, using Slow-Look-Press-Roll. Use your head and eyes to choose the line that the bike will follow. Let your peripheral vision take care of obstacles and focus on your line. Keep it smooth, and try to be relaxed.

And if you have the option to travel west, try the StreetMasters class.

 

[Art FJR]

Anyone to help my sport riding at EOM 09 ? EOM 08 was A blast, but it did start a little ruff (screwed up A corner and drooped the bike) By the end I was doing better, I even caught sight of HualinAshe and Herfjr once (I think they stopped for Coffee)

I am old enough to know when to ask for help and that crossing the yellow line at the Apex is A bad thing.

I am sure that others would enjoy A little crash proofing too.

Open to any help or suggestions.

Jim

Ride with the two up group and ask to be last. And if there is a group with 10 people and a group with 4 people, ride with the group with 4 people. It might sound stupid and it might sound like you are wimping out, but in reality I found that this group were extremely experienced and none were taking crazy chances (they had their wives on the back and they appeared to like their wives).

Riding last allows you to see what everyone else is doing and it gives you a chance to see how they set their speed in the corners, etc. And it you bail out on a turn it won't effect anyone. And remember to come out of the corner strong if you are falling behind to close the distance quickly and you can get set for the next curves.

I see you are from Chesapeak and that is a long way from the twisties. Take the opportunity to join a group ride to the twisties (WV perhaps) and do it (ride the twisties) all day. It might take a day to get there and a day to get back, but it will make you and the FJR happy. Others said to practice and I think this is what they are saying. I would do anything that LuvToRide suggests as she lives in your area.

I ride with friends in my area with Harley's and cruisers, etc. That is all I knew when I went to EOM '08. I rode with the two up small group and I was last. I was completely blown away by their speed and skills. I worked my ass off all day. It was way different then what I was used to. We ride the twisties here and we thought we were doing something when you went through a curve at 5mpg over the posted speed.

In Lewisburg last year, we started at a normal pace and then I was hanging on for dear life (I never felt uncomfortable, just suprised) the rest of the day. I was running too high a gear and I couldn't keep up. You can do over 100 mpg in 3rd by the way.

On the ride back home, I hooked up with PowerMan. He followed and when we stopped, we talked about riding the bike and what I was doing wrong. He adjusted my suspension and it made a world of difference. We rode, he followed, we talked. After lunch he lead and it all started clicking. We stopped we talked. We rode some more. We talked some more. It was the best time I ever had in my life. I finally found out why everyone loves their FJR. I had a smile pasted on my face for weeks after I got home.

And I think that is what you are looking for. I used to ride the FJR to Grandma's house, and some really great people showed me how to attack the twisties and unlease the beast known to all as the FJR. It is a whole different world when you get the RPM's above 6000 and there is one of them yellow signs "suggesting" a MAX speed for that particular curve.

Ride in small groups. Ride with people with similar bikes unless you get invited by a group of good riders to ride with. There are great riders that ride Harley's and other bikes. Try to be last so you don't screw with other people. And approach EOM as an opportunity to get engrossed in bike riding and learn as much as you can while riding and also while drinking beer at the end of the ride. FJR owners are the greatest people in the world and will help you. You can learn as much in the parking lot at the end of a ride as you can riding. And don't go with a big group nor with a group of really experienced riders. The really experienced riders are there to ride the hell out of their bikes and have a really great time. I don't have those crazy good skills (nor will I ever acquire them and I am good with that), and I don't want to slow anyone down.

I hope this rambling helps.

Art

 

[black cherry]

Slow down

 

[JimLor]

I've learned that all people learn differently. I'm the type that likes to read and study, practice, talk about it, and practice more and more. To be honest I'm not a great fan of riding in groups. If I do, I prefer being either lead or last in line. When I lead I tell everyone that we're out for a sedate ride and I'm not racing anyone. And as stated before, when Lorie is with me I don't take any chances. When you're learning and ride in a group I think you're focus is split between keeping track of the group, trying to keep up with the group, and trying to stay out of the woods! And to be honest, most of us have a competative edge and fairly well-developed egos and don't want to look like nancy boys when riding with someone else. That combined with a new rider is a recipe for disaster.

I think it's invaluable when you're learning to have someone follow you. They, assuming they know what they're doing, can look at you and tell you what you are doing right and what you're doing wrong. It can be a stark difference between what you think you're doing and what someone else can see you're actually doing. It's also valuable to follow someone else as long as they can keep their ego in check.

I study the crap out of stuff before doing. I've read numerous books on riding and for whatever reason Nick Isantasch's "Sport Riding Techniques" is my favorite. In fact to show how much I like it, it's next to the crapper -- I read parts of it every day!

Good luck - learning to ride well is worth it. In fact one reason I like riding is that it's a skill that you can study, practice, and improve on all the time. Here's an example, I was always having a hard time in the twisties. I was turning in and then more often than not I would have to turn in a second time, in the middle of the turn. I was doing this for about a year or so until one day, doing my business, I read a part of Nick's book that said that if you find yourself turning in twice in a curve then you're starting your initial turn too early -- that was a defining moment in my riding enjoyment. That simple sentence in his book let me figure out something that eluded me for 15k miles and a year or so. To be honest it gave me a huge jump in enjoying my rides.

Oh yeah, and "slow down" is very good advice!

 

[Intech]

I've learned that all people learn differently. I'm the type that likes to read and study, practice, talk about it, and practice more and more. To be honest I'm not a great fan of riding in groups. If I do, I prefer being either lead or last in line. When I lead I tell everyone that we're out for a sedate ride and I'm not racing anyone. And as stated before, when Lorie is with me I don't take any chances. When you're learning and ride in a group I think you're focus is split between keeping track of the group, trying to keep up with the group, and trying to stay out of the woods! And to be honest, most of us have a competative edge and fairly well-developed egos and don't want to look like nancy boys when riding with someone else. That combined with a new rider is a recipe for disaster.
I think it's invaluable when you're learning to have someone follow you. They, assuming they know what they're doing, can look at you and tell you what you are doing right and what you're doing wrong. It can be a stark difference between what you think you're doing and what someone else can see you're actually doing. It's also valuable to follow someone else as long as they can keep their ego in check.

I study the crap out of stuff before doing. I've read numerous books on riding and for whatever reason Nick Isantasch's "Sport Riding Techniques" is my favorite. In fact to show how much I like it, it's next to the crapper -- I read parts of it every day!

Good luck - learning to ride well is worth it. In fact one reason I like riding is that it's a skill that you can study, practice, and improve on all the time. Here's an example, I was always having a hard time in the twisties. I was turning in and then more often than not I would have to turn in a second time, in the middle of the turn. I was doing this for about a year or so until one day, doing my business, I read a part of Nick's book that said that if you find yourself turning in twice in a curve then you're starting your initial turn too early -- that was a defining moment in my riding enjoyment. That simple sentence in his book let me figure out something that eluded me for 15k miles and a year or so. To be honest it gave me a huge jump in enjoying my rides.

Oh yeah, and "slow down" is very good advice!

I ride 2 up a lot so I am with you Jim. I feel the same way about keeping egos in check when riding in groups. I like riding in groups, however I will make it clear that I will stay in my comfort zone no matter what anyone else is doing. I like the group thing because there is nothing better than to experience a ride and then stop and be able to discuss it with like-minded friends. If someone in the group wants to go faster, go ahead. I will catch up eventually. Safety is number one.

The desire to continue to learn is good too. I am the same way. I am always looking for tips on how to improve my skills. Improving your skills doesn't have to translate into increasing your speed. IMO it increases your enjoyment when you increase your comfort zone.

 

[toophast]

And if you want to know how to keep it up (the bike that is) while in the gravel at about 30mph off the left hand side of the road after the abrupt 4 inch drop off from asphault to loose gravel then back on asphault again and on down the road, let me know... :blushing:

(hint: you go where you look, in this case into and then out of the gravel)

Gary

 

[Mr Bill]

And if you want to know how to keep it up (the bike that is) while in the gravel at about 30mph off the left hand side of the road after the abrupt 4 inch drop off from asphault to loose gravel then back on asphault again and on down the road, let me know...

Ha ha,

I was behind an FJR rider, I won't name names, a few years ago on the BRP doing about 80 when he raised a lot of dust. I had never seen an FJR bouncing around like a mx bike before and he kept it in his lane when he bounced back on the blacktop!

It does help to have dirt riding experience :blink:

 

[Intech]

I was behind an FJR rider, I won't name names, a few years ago on the BRP doing about 80 when he raised a lot of dust. I had never seen an FJR bouncing around like a mx bike before and he kept it in his lane when he bounced back on the blacktop!

It does help to have dirt riding experience :blink:

YEEEHAAAA!

 

[RsvlFeej]

for whatever reason Nick Isantasch's "Sport Riding Techniques" is my favorite.

+1 on Nick's (I thought it was Inesatch, but it's been a few years) sport-riding techniques. The Yamaha shop had a copy floating around that I read cover-to-cover during service visits one year. For whatever reason, his writing style and my learning style clicked - made a huge improvement to my technique and helped me unlearn some stuff I'd picked up over the previous quarter century of riding. Need to pick up a personal copy to refresh my memory...

 

[luvtoride]

So, Jim learned a few new techniques this past weekend. When you're ready to go again, drop a line, ok?