I just attended the MSF Experienced Rider Skills Plus course. I know, I'm not experienced and I haven't skills, but it was a good excuse to ride a bunch. I did a little better than 65 MPH avg on the two hour ride there, but the roads are VERY open at 6:00 on Sunday morning. Three instructors, four students, two big Harleys, one BMW R100, obligatory FJ and six hours in a parking lot. One of the instructors had an FJR there and was telling everyone how cool the FJ was (is!). The course takes some of the riding elements from the Basic rider course and sharpens the focus with more repetition. No classroom work, more riding. I caught flak for only braking with 2 fingers, I explained about the brake mods and got some agreement after locking both tires on my next emergency stop. Extended stop and go plus heat plus ign. advance plus 87 octane equalled huge ping on every throttle application, sounded like an old Diesel most of the day. She got hot enough to boil fuel out of the carbs, but I think only I noticed because I distracted them by scraping pegs all the way through the 135 degree turns. I learned (again) that I don't look ahead enough, but me and the FJ got 'em all beat on stopping, lean angle, and slow speed maneuvering. Harder than it looks to ride within the lines, however it was a great way to knock off the winter rust on my riding skills. It was a very impressive bunch of folks, and I see that I have a lot of learning ahead of me to be as smooth and consistent as the professionals. Anyone else done this?
Quote from: carsick on May 25, 2011, 10:51:16 PM
I just attended the MSF Experienced Rider Skills Plus course. <SNIP> Anyone else done this?
I did this maybe 9-10 years ago. Seemed worth it at the time. Plus I think I got an additional 5% off insurance for it...
Funny thing is, my FJ got ridiculously hot during that class as well. In my case, it stalled and would not start again, until I realized that the battery needed water!
Check with your insurance co, it may be worth something... Glad it was a good thing for you too!
Dan
Hey carsick, try this type of riding. Doug :shok:
Freestyle Streetbike WM 2009 Zürich, CP Chris Pfeiffer, World Championship (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=No_vqA2A3KY#)
That would be the skills plus plus plus course. My trick portfolio consists of the rolling burnout and that's about it!
You scrape the pegs? I think mine scrapes the pipe first, it's been awhile.
He at least smokes the soles off his boots, I've seen it and it smells terrible. :biggrin:
Bob W
Yeah Bob, that wasn't my boots. :bad: Yes, the peg feelers scrape before anything else, pipe clears (so far) and my centerstand seems pretty far up but it may have been bent that way inadvertently by the PO.
Wow! A PO did something correct? Must be a typo :sarcastic:
Ed
Quote from: carsick on May 27, 2011, 01:33:50 PM
may have been bent that way inadvertently by the PO
When they crashed it.
Sounds like they've improved the course since I took the Advance Rider Course about ten years ago. We still had a half day in the classroom, then we got back from lunch in time for the rain to start. Didn't do anything new from the Basic Course, and I was a bit disappointed.
I did the Lee Park's Total Control Advanced Riding Course last summer and it was good to get a better feel for the FJR. Its a big pricey, tho.
As my signature states, I used to teach the Air Force version - the Sport Bike course. I instructed mostly with a heavy, long, fast ZX-11 (piece of CRAP). When I was trained as an instructor, the lead instructor was inspecting the bikes and came to mine. He said, "I hope someone GAVE you this bike." To which everyone chuckled. I said, "Yeah, but it's the fastest bike here."
It was a good course we taught. Initially we saw a 40% DECREASE in fatalities in our Major Command (AMC). That's pretty huge! We never got out of second gear, but I stressed to my students that if they put into practice what I taught them, they would notice a BIG difference in handling at highway speeds. It was a big shift in the military mindset. Instead of just saying, "Don't go fast" we taught more about how to handle your bike if you're in that situation. By the way, half the day was spent setting up suspension!
It was a good time. I'd like to think I did my part... :i_am_so_happy:
Quote from: Lotsokids on May 31, 2011, 07:21:04 AM
half the day was spent setting up suspension!
I wish I had taken that class!
The hardest bike we found to set up the suspension on was the rear suspension on a Honda 996 Superhawk. MAN, that thing bounced all over like a kangaroo!
I will say that I use the stuff I learned in the basic course every day, even after 15 years. It has literally saved my ass from being bbq'd on one occasion.
Quote from: FJ Flyer on June 03, 2011, 07:01:28 AM
It has literally saved my ass from being bbq'd on one occasion.
Now you have to tell the story.....I don't really care that you were almost BBQ (glad you were not), we all need to know how you avoided it....Some of the ways we all learn is by paying attention to others that have already been there. I am thankful for others that have shared and shortened some of my learning experiences....
Quote from: Lotsokids on May 31, 2011, 07:21:04 AM
As my signature states, I used to teach the Air Force version - the Sport Bike course. I instructed mostly with a heavy, long, fast ZX-11 (piece of CRAP). When I was trained as an instructor, the lead instructor was inspecting the bikes and came to mine. He said, "I hope someone GAVE you this bike." To which everyone chuckled. I said, "Yeah, but it's the fastest bike here."
It was a good course we taught. Initially we saw a 40% DECREASE in fatalities in our Major Command (AMC). That's pretty huge! We never got out of second gear, but I stressed to my students that if they put into practice what I taught them, they would notice a BIG difference in handling at highway speeds. It was a big shift in the military mindset. Instead of just saying, "Don't go fast" we taught more about how to handle your bike if you're in that situation. By the way, half the day was spent setting up suspension!
It was a good time. I'd like to think I did my part... :i_am_so_happy:
Throughout the 90's in Germany, only the MSF courses were available to us on the base, unless you wanted to pay big bux for one on the economy. I tried to take a refresher course annually, as it increased your skills and you got to meet some pretty cool people.
Regarding the ZX-11 comment. One of my friends had a ZX-11 that I rode a couple of times. Not NEARLY as comfortable as the FJ. I felt like I was _AROUND_ the bike, not _ON_ the bike. I'd rather go a little bit slower on a bike I'm comfortable with rather than one on which I'm miserable.
Good info. I found out many years ago that almost any one can go fast. (not all stop to well) Its hell of a lot harder to go slow. Thats where skill shows.
Quote from: FJmonkey on June 05, 2011, 09:49:59 PM
Quote from: FJ Flyer on June 03, 2011, 07:01:28 AM
It has literally saved my ass from being bbq'd on one occasion.
Now you have to tell the story.....I don't really care that you were almost BBQ (glad you were not), we all need to know how you avoided it....Some of the ways we all learn is by paying attention to others that have already been there. I am thankful for others that have shared and shortened some of my learning experiences....
Basic practice of keeping the bike in 1st gear and holding the clutch in while stopped at a traffic light. I was going to work at about 0530 heading into DC, on a four lane road, stopped at a light at an intersection. I was in the left lane, about three or four cars back. Just sitting there in my own world. Noticed one car on the opposing side. All of the sudden that car was coming through the intersection with fire spewing from the rear. It took out the wooden sign post in the median and hit the side of the first car, and was still coming. There was enough room between the cars in the right lane and I immediately pulled between them to the shoulder. It hit the other cars in front of me and came to rest against the car that was behind where I was, engulfing both in flames.
Turned out another car, guy in a Mercedes drunk off his ass, came flying down the road and slammed into the car stopped on the other side of the intersection. Poor guy that got hit was a DC cop, just getting off work and heading home so he could take his daughter to school. He did not survive. The drunk guy walked away from the wreckage.
Wow, that sounds like a close call.
One of the things that makes CA road laws motorcycle friendly is permission to practice lane splitting. This includes splitting at a traffic light and posting up between two cars at a redlight or stop sign. Using the stopped cars as mentioned previously as a shield and not getting wiped out from behind.
I pulled between a cop car and another car at a red light the other day. No problemo, light turns green and I pulled out ahead of the cop and took the lane ahead of him, just did not exceed the limit.
Sitting ducks are we all at stop lights if we can not shield our bikes by splitting the lane. In fact, we often pull left or right when riding with friends or with other bikes and even ahead a little in the split so others can join us in the shielded area. A good technique is to pull ahead slightly in the split as well to make sure the drivers can clearly see you. My body being ahead of their front tires at this point, often.
Rarely do I encounter a driver who does not know how to behave when the light turns green, people do tend to be cautious when they see the biker.