what first?

[Mike Peplinski]

Not sure, but I think it is "newby", or is a "noob" different. I'll have to check my Funk and Wagnals. My recommendations? The KLR is the greatest trainer I've found. It s great for practicing slow riding, cornering, stops with no foot down and so on. I've dropped it a couple of times and I gotta tell you, this thing is DAMN heavy-try lifting it off your leg when you're pinned in some wet grass sometime. Even though I didn't get hurt the pain from lifting the bike was enough that I'll learn how not to dump it. Regarding safety-don't be fooled by comments on "lack of power". The KLR will get up to dangerous speeds far faster than you can control the situation you've created. An attempt to spin thge tires on loose gravel or dirt can product not just a rooster tail but a spin out. This is not a toy. One more "duh" thing. When riding slowly in first gear and you have to snap something on your riding jacket, like a cuff or something, don't roll your arm to get at it. With only one hand on the bars and my mind focusing on a jacket snap, rolling the arm (which is connected to the hand on the throttle) probuced a most embarrasing exit. Not quite a wheelie, but damn close. I'm glad nobody had a video camera. Ride often and ride safe. Remember, the cagers are out to get you.

>From: "Stuart Mumford" >To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com> >Subject: [DSN_KLR650] RE: Tips for a noob >Date: Wed, 13 Apr 2005 23:08:19 -0700 > > > > -----Original Message----- > > That said, what would your best riding tips be for staying safe and >having > > fun on my new bike? (or, if you could just give a new rider one piece >of > > advice, what would it be?) > > > > > > Wes > >Hi Wes, >my one piece of advice for a new rider is "Just because you can twist it >that far doesnt mean you should". > > >Ride fast and take chances, >CA Stu > > > >Archive Quicksearch at: >http://www.angelfire.com/ut/moab/klr650_data_search.html >List sponsored by Dual Sport News at: www.dualsportnews.com >List FAQ courtesy of Chris Krok at: www.bigcee.com/klr650faq.html > > >Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > >

[matteeanne@yahoo.com]

I leave high beems on at night too. If I ever get flashed by a driver (rarely happens) I dim, but all it means to me is another car saw me, mission accomplished.... --- Bill Emmack wrote:

> > Just this morning I was almost creamed by a Big Ass > Truck that didn't > even slow down for his red light as I entered the > intersection with a > full green light. Luckily he slowed down *a little > bit* to make a > right turn into my lane, so my reflexes were > sufficient to save my > hide. When I caught up with him a block later, he > said (what else?), > "Sorry, I didn't see you!" "I know! You were too > busy running a red > light!" > > Be alert. The world needs more lerts. > > BE > SF, A9 > > --- John Eickerman wrote: > > > > What I did 5 years ago after I bought my brand > spanking new SV650 was > > > > to ride it around the neighborhood for the first > couple weeks to get > > use to the bike and not have to worry about > traffic too much. Once I > > > > got comfortable with it, I got on busier streets > and went faster. > > Getting on the interstate and going 55-60, I > thought I was going to > > get > > blown off the bike! Now, I just smile back to > those days. I took > > the > > MSF course before I bought the bike, and I had > NEVER ridden a > > motorcycle before taking the course, and excelled > at the class. I > > was > > hooked when I hit the starter button for the first > time. > > > > So, ride around slowly, get use to the bike, leave > your high beam on > > during the day and watch out for others. > > > > Enjoy your new ride! > > > > John Eickerman > > Seattle > > > > > > > > > > Archive Quicksearch at: > > >

http://www.angelfire.com/ut/moab/klr650_data_search.html

> > List sponsored by Dual Sport News at: > www.dualsportnews.com > > List FAQ courtesy of Chris Krok at: > www.bigcee.com/klr650faq.html > > > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > __________________________________ > Do you Yahoo!? > Yahoo! Small Business - Try our new resources site! > http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/resources/ > > > Archive Quicksearch at: >

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> List sponsored by Dual Sport News at: > www.dualsportnews.com > List FAQ courtesy of Chris Krok at: > www.bigcee.com/klr650faq.html > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > DSN_KLR650-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com > > > > > >

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[scttotis]

I Google searched Motorcycle accident, and searched the local papers archives, to see how most people make their fatal mistakes. Short answer, it's just like the "Hurt Report" says. I am surprised how many people go into curves too fast, certainly avoidable, are DUI, exceeding the SL( I have tested and found that if you drive say 45 or 50 in a 4 lane 35, you cant stop for stop sign runners (imaginary in these quick stop tests late at night w no traffic)) , where as you can at the speed limit. Oncoming Left turners are a big worry, so I time it so I wont cross when they are set to not see me and turn in front. On 4 lane roads I have seen people make uturns at the weirdest times from the r lane...its a bad idea to overtake slow drivers at speed. I make sure I have room to maneuver to the other lane when crossing intersections and don't trust for a second that those at stop signs wont pull out, I use speed and hard braking to clear the road quickly to avoid getting rearended if Im turning r sometimes. I dont sit at a light if I can help it, would rather cut through a parking lot. I cover the front brake anytime I am riding where cross traffic can pop up. I practice quick stops from 30, 50 etc and accelerations, because the 3 wheelies I have done have been surprises during adrennalin induced avoidance situations...not good, just so I know what the machine can do and how fast it will do it. I was surprised reading recently about these braking wobbles. The emergency situation should not be when you first discover this IMO. Maintain the bike, keep good tires, pre flight it, especially the air in tires. I have been surprised how many times I have discovered someone in my blind spot when checking with a head turn prior to changing lanes. Always turn your head to look prior, like gun safety where you assume a gun you 'know" is unloaded, you treat as loaded anyway. Get Keith Codes "twist of the wrist II" and learn to become proficient in the operation of your m/c. My neighbor for example ,w 30 years experience can probably get away with this as can we all, but he makes his turns with his brakes on. You should be off the brakes when you turn and accelerate out. Feels a little weird braking hard, letting off all the way as you fall into the turn, but feels good when you get the hang of it and it gets you out of the road faster...if it didn't the racers wouldn't do it that way. What that book also does well is explain attention management and how to keep it on "widescreen". You dont want to be too focused on the lady at the stopsign and miss the oncoming car that turns in front of you. I do have fun riding, am not worried, am relaxed, but it's only because I'm thinking of these things that I can . Watch the road, stuff in the road, stuff falling out of vehicles on the road, animals. This weekend a friend was telling me why he quit riding, 3 near misses, and he was thrown once by pavement irregularities that redirected his front tire.

[klr6501995]

wear real armored upper and lower gear. I used mine on the rode once and lowsided in a spinout hard with SU Racks (unfazed). Saved my elbow and head hip. Bright on during dawn-dusk. Go offroad to learn english on the bike. lock brakes, spinout fall etc. REALIZE that nobody sees you and even the few that do want to intentialy want to kill you. Use a mental/visual sytem of check/check/doouble check ; go - nogo for pulling into traffic. DO NOT TRUST that idiot to not change lanese while you pull into traffic. Use your advantage of throttle for your safety. Watch out for green cars, Ive missed two with my above sytem. I did c see the green car before completing a right on red,. Learn to use the front brake hard. (practice locking it up off road form a stop and then from movement. I ride 30 mi every day in a metro area and once a day there is a blind driver behinf the wheel. I have fun by pretending I a A-10 TankBuster (cage) in flight. Slow, rugged, and highly manuaverable. Was that more than one piece of advice ? FWIW I thought I was a 110% driver while behind the wheel of a rx-7. That was only sufficient for 80% when I got back on a klr after a couple of years.

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Bill Emmack wrote: > Just this morning I was almost creamed by a Big Ass Truck that didn't > even slow down for his red light as I entered the intersection with a > full green light. Luckily he slowed down *a little bit* to make a > right turn into my lane, so my reflexes were sufficient to save my > hide. When I caught up with him a block later, he said (what else?), > "Sorry, I didn't see you!" "I know! You were too busy running a red > light!" > > Be alert. The world needs more lerts. > > BE > SF, A9 > > --- John Eickerman wrote: > > > > What I did 5 years ago after I bought my brand spanking new SV650 was > > > > to ride it around the neighborhood for the first couple weeks to get > > use to the bike and not have to worry about traffic too much. Once I > > > > got comfortable with it, I got on busier streets and went faster. > > Getting on the interstate and going 55-60, I thought I was going to > > get > > blown off the bike! Now, I just smile back to those days. I took > > the > > MSF course before I bought the bike, and I had NEVER ridden a > > motorcycle before taking the course, and excelled at the class. I > > was > > hooked when I hit the starter button for the first time. > > > > So, ride around slowly, get use to the bike, leave your high beam on > > during the day and watch out for others. > > > > Enjoy your new ride! > > > > John Eickerman > > Seattle > > > > > > > > > > Archive Quicksearch at: > > http://www.angelfire.com/ut/moab/klr650_data_search.html > > List sponsored by Dual Sport News at: www.dualsportnews.com > > List FAQ courtesy of Chris Krok at: www.bigcee.com/klr650faq.html > > > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > __________________________________ > Do you Yahoo!? > Yahoo! Small Business - Try our new resources site! > http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/resources/

[Wes Hopkins]

Wow, thank you for all the excellent responses! Heh, I'm already putting that good knowledge to use -- yesterday I saved myself from a cager not paying attention while merging on to my path. I can't believe how many more morons I'm noticing on the road now that I'm on the bike. Cheers, Wes A17 -----Original Message----- From: Wes Hopkins [mailto:remix@...] Sent: April 13, 2005 9:34 PM To: dsn_klr650@yahoogroups.com Subject: [DSN_KLR650] Tips for a noob Hi Gang, This past weekend I picked up my new (to me) 03. I haven't been on a bike in many years, and when I used to ride it was in the dirt on my little XR. (I'm 26, so it wasn't *that* long ago, but still....) Needless to say, street isn't dirt. I've been reading the provincial Motorcycle Handbook, following this email group, and quizzing a buddy of mine who's been riding for a few years. I've also signed up for a proper bike safety course but that doesn't start until next month. Still, after talking with Ed in a seperate email I realized that I haven't quite slipped into my motorcycle mindset yet, and I can probably benefit greatly from the combined wisdom of the group. That said, what would your best riding tips be for staying safe and having fun on my new bike? (or, if you could just give a new rider one piece of advice, what would it be?) Also, any riders up in the Ottawa area? Many thanks! Wes [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Archive Quicksearch at: http://www.angelfire.com/ut/moab/klr650_data_search.html List sponsored by Dual Sport News at: www.dualsportnews.com List FAQ courtesy of Chris Krok at: www.bigcee.com/klr650faq.html Yahoo! Groups Links

[Rodney Copeland]

Just remember, my friend, in all situations, What ever the cagers can do to snuff Ya! That's exactly what they will do! Rod,,,,watchin out for the big black sunglasses especially

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "Wes Hopkins" wrote: > Wow, thank you for all the excellent responses! > > Heh, I'm already putting that good knowledge to use -- yesterday I saved > myself from a cager not paying attention while merging on to my path. > > I can't believe how many more morons I'm noticing on the road now that I'm > on the bike. > > Cheers, > > Wes > A17 > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Wes Hopkins [mailto:remix@r...] > Sent: April 13, 2005 9:34 PM > To: dsn_klr650@yahoogroups.com > Subject: [DSN_KLR650] Tips for a noob > > > Hi Gang, > > This past weekend I picked up my new (to me) 03. I haven't been on a bike > in many years, and when I used to ride it was in the dirt on my little XR. > (I'm 26, so it wasn't *that* long ago, but still....) > > Needless to say, street isn't dirt. I've been reading the provincial > Motorcycle Handbook, following this email group, and quizzing a buddy of > mine who's been riding for a few years. I've also signed up for a proper > bike safety course but that doesn't start until next month. > > Still, after talking with Ed in a seperate email I realized that I haven't > quite slipped into my motorcycle mindset yet, and I can probably benefit > greatly from the combined wisdom of the group. > > That said, what would your best riding tips be for staying safe and having > fun on my new bike? (or, if you could just give a new rider one piece of > advice, what would it be?) > > Also, any riders up in the Ottawa area? > > Many thanks! > > Wes > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > Archive Quicksearch at: > http://www.angelfire.com/ut/moab/klr650_data_search.html > List sponsored by Dual Sport News at: www.dualsportnews.com List FAQ > courtesy of Chris Krok at: www.bigcee.com/klr650faq.html > > > Yahoo! Groups Links

[Alan L Henderson]

You can get motorcycle goggles that are over the glasses, Scott 87 OTG are the first to come to mind. They are about 43 bucks. Fred at http://www.arrowheadmotorsports.com/ has them and many shops carry Scott. You can get motorcycle specific elbow and kneepads from shops that have motocross supplies or get them on the web. Aerostich has them at:http://www.aerostich.com/riderwearhouse.store Alan Henderson A13 Iowa