tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20666162.post2329352439559715080..comments2024-01-30T22:53:34.269-08:00Comments on Musings of an Intrepid Commuter: irondadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17821323482397075170noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20666162.post-84825916066966387792007-11-19T14:43:00.000-08:002007-11-19T14:43:00.000-08:00Joe,The interesting about "you go where you look" ...Joe,<BR/>The interesting about "you go where you look" is that it applies in life, too!irondadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17821323482397075170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20666162.post-86386946794442393692007-11-17T20:38:00.000-08:002007-11-17T20:38:00.000-08:00>>You go where you look, so be sure you're looking...>>You go where you look, so be sure you're looking where you want to go! The bike will go where you look, I promise you. Whether that's where you intended the bike to go or not.<<<BR/><BR/>This is so true, no matter what you're driving. Pilots call this "target fixation".Joehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14955078574626461009noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20666162.post-57852669400117317732007-11-12T13:46:00.000-08:002007-11-12T13:46:00.000-08:00Dan - Nothing in particular, just everyday things ...Dan - <BR/><BR/>Nothing in particular, just everyday things that could be used for honing skills... <BR/><BR/>How wide is a parking spot, and could a line of empty spots be used for a weave, or turning in a box, or...? Things like that. <BR/><BR/>And happy veteran's day. Thank you for your service. (And to the other readers whose service I don't know about, too.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20666162.post-67560565507476579592007-11-12T11:50:00.000-08:002007-11-12T11:50:00.000-08:00Bryce,You and your 'Wing show that man and machine...Bryce,<BR/>You and your 'Wing show that man and machine can fine tune to each other. Pretty cool.<BR/><BR/>As to trikes and sidecars, here's how it works in Oregon. The DMV's preference is that the riders have motorcycle endorsements. Which means that they either need to pass our beginner class or test at DMV on two wheels.<BR/><BR/>If a person is physically unable to do this, there are arrangements for a modified motorcycle test taken on the trike or with the sidecar attached. This is done off road as opposed to out on the streets like in a car. The test does not have a couple of things that only two wheels could do. It also has a couple of additions.<BR/><BR/>Once a person successfully completes this modified testing their endorsement states it's only for the sidecar or trike, not motorcycles in general.<BR/><BR/>Rick,<BR/>That must be a real bother when you encounter road construction, huh? <BR/><BR/>Jon,<BR/>Congratulations! Is it because of what was in the post or the motivation to challenge yourself?<BR/><BR/>Take care,<BR/><BR/>Danirondadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17821323482397075170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20666162.post-14468096901486506342007-11-12T08:22:00.000-08:002007-11-12T08:22:00.000-08:00DanThanks for another useful blog. I just did my...Dan<BR/>Thanks for another useful blog. <BR/>I just did my tightest ever U-turn!<BR/>JonAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20666162.post-31712857379840747602007-11-11T17:34:00.000-08:002007-11-11T17:34:00.000-08:00I still get the shakes when I see an orange cone! ...I still get the shakes when I see an orange cone! Great post!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14292888400812999160noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20666162.post-12229714137731741172007-11-11T10:28:00.000-08:002007-11-11T10:28:00.000-08:00All`very`interesting. The turning of the head as f...All`very`interesting. The turning of the head as far as one can do so is important both on a motorcycle ands in a car. Cars and motorcycles both have blind spots which mirrors don't show, ever!<BR/><BR/>As to the weave through the cones test; I watched last as a qualified examiner took my 25 year old Goldwing though the weave. He didn't make it and couldn't understand why. He had done it on<BR/>his friend's GL1800 and also on his<BR/>own Harley, but couldn't do it on my Goldwing. I then requested the<BR/>senior instructor (this was a public demo put on for motorcycles<BR/>by the Ontario Provincial Police at the start of the riding season.)<BR/>try the cone test<BR/><BR/>He'd come over to see me initially as I`was very tall, very big, in full black leathers wearing knee high Dehner riding boots. When we discovered it was my bike the other instructor was driving, he asked me to stop talking as he just knew <BR/>there would be troubles. There was, the rider dropped my Wing, then found he had trouble picking it up.<BR/><BR/>He made some comment about things<BR/>being odd. I`went over and easily picked up the bike and asked him<BR/>what was wrong. The senior instructor suggested I try the cones now and then he'd try the cones. I pride myself on how slow <BR/>I can ride the wing, I feather the clutch all the time as Dan suggested, it solves so many problems but you have to practice. I aced the trip through the cones<BR/>then did a very tight turn within <BR/>the length of the Goldwing and went back down the line. The senior instructor chided me for showing off "Bryce I've know you for over 30 years and you ride a bike just as well today as you did then!"<BR/>Go` play on the Harley sidecar<BR/>rigs and show the rest of them how to fly a chair. I can drive a combination just as well as a solo machine although I disdain Harley's for their poor chair mounting design. (3 point versus the normal 4 point mounting)<BR/><BR/>So I wandered that way, he got on my wing and spent some time ensuring<BR/>the suspension was just right. Our cone test used 25 cones with one cone at each end as the centre of the turning circle. He aced it the course one way, but not the next. <BR/><BR/>Of course too My Wing is not stock, <BR/>it has a very high centre of gravity, has Koni shocks front and rear and a solo seat. The handlebars have been spread very wide so I can turn the front wheel<BR/>and not knock my knees when turning.<BR/>Also my Wing is heavier than most, there is 35 pounds of lead in the front fairing to hold it down during high speeds (above 90 mph<BR/>which my 1981 machine will do quite easily). None of this was explained <BR/><BR/>As to side cars, how do you people test for these wonderful devices, does the person still have to take the examination of a two-wheeled machine, ditto trikes.Brycehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15760433604853253299noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20666162.post-82298003264029888112007-11-10T10:16:00.000-08:002007-11-10T10:16:00.000-08:00H & F,I saw the reference to scooter school in you...H & F,<BR/>I saw the reference to scooter school in your first post. As you say, the head turn is essential as long as you are on two wheels.<BR/><BR/>Balisada,<BR/>I know exactly where you're talking about. Up on the North end of Campus. Why is the motorcycle parking at that end? It would be neat if it were on the South side. I know, some people would complain if you hung them with a new rope!<BR/><BR/>I applaud you here for your skills. Perhaps I'll drop by early some morning and make you nervous in person!<BR/><BR/>Tinker,<BR/>There's still some of those running, huh? It was a great idea but just didn't seem to catch on. It would be interesting to see how a new model would do these days.<BR/><BR/>Snark,<BR/>I heard she had a long lost cousin in Malaysia! I don't know whether to congratulate you or feel sorry for the bike, you hooligan!<BR/><BR/>Krysta,<BR/>We don't do the figure 8 in a box here, anymore. Couldn't seem to make the connection to street survival skills. The DMV test does have a small U-turn, though. You're given a little more room for a bigger bike.<BR/><BR/>You asked about more information on slow speed maneuvers. Anything in particular?<BR/><BR/><BR/>Take care,<BR/><BR/>Danirondadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17821323482397075170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20666162.post-13976212130558157832007-11-10T06:51:00.000-08:002007-11-10T06:51:00.000-08:00Gee, I didn't know I was doing all that! Or, rathe...Gee, I didn't know I was doing all that! Or, rather, I didn't fully understand _why_ it works. <BR/><BR/>I've picked up the habit of practicing swerves by dodging the painted dashes between lanes (while travelling an otherwise empty road, of course). Any real-world suggestions for more slow-speed maneuvers? <BR/><BR/>One question about bikes that can't make it through the course: sidecars. What is done with them? Some people physically can't ride on 2 wheels, but should have the training & license that's possible for everyone else. <BR/><BR/>I remember the figure-8-in-a-box as being quite easy on the little 125, probably a bit of a challenge on any of our larger bikes, and impossible with the sidecar. (Can't keep from putting a wheel out unless you only have 2 of them on the pavement, & I'm not that good!) <BR/><BR/>Once again, thanks for the education & chuckles. (Most riders can't make a u-turn on a 2-lane road?!?!? Hard to believe.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20666162.post-62638798012736564192007-11-10T05:25:00.000-08:002007-11-10T05:25:00.000-08:00I bought Sophie's cousin.I bought Sophie's cousin.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20666162.post-16403971919687174952007-11-10T05:18:00.000-08:002007-11-10T05:18:00.000-08:00Riding a Hondamatic is very similar to riding a sc...Riding a Hondamatic is very similar to riding a scooter, except it weighs more (especially the 750A). Just put it in low gear and leave it there for the duration.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for the ride on the way back machine.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20666162.post-55107091784076986802007-11-09T17:37:00.000-08:002007-11-09T17:37:00.000-08:00I think it was David Hough who said in his book th...I think it was David Hough who said in his book that he would give a wild example "Say an elephant suddenly appeared in your path . . ." and after class, someone would come up to him and say, "you are not going to believe this, but this one time there was this Circus in town . . .".<BR/><BR/>So, at LBCC where I work, I actually do use my cone weave skills. At least for the time being.<BR/><BR/>LBCC is doing some renovations to the library and the contractors staging area is right next to the motorcycle parking in the back part of the college. <BR/><BR/>The opening to the parking is now a rather narrow "corridor" that can only be reached by performing a 90 degree turn while traveling down another narrow corridor that is only slightly wider.<BR/><BR/>So you end up making 2 really narrow 90 degree turns in a very rather short amount of time.<BR/><BR/>If you have practiced cone weaving since rider training, you can make both turns and then make a sweep of the spaces and end up only slightly ahead of the space you need to be, so you only have to back straight in.<BR/><BR/>And look cool doing it because you didn't put your foot down once.<BR/><BR/>Now if there was only someone around that early in the morning to oooh and ahhh at my accomplishment.Balisadahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08836878587693331978noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20666162.post-33867687541993359692007-11-09T15:31:00.000-08:002007-11-09T15:31:00.000-08:00Really good information! Although we ride scooter...Really good information! Although we ride scooters, we learned many of the same principles in Scooter School, and now apply them. For me the head turn was essential and if I had not taken a course would not know that. We did the cones too. Thanks for reinforcing things for us.Heinz N Frenchiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06073147068648793624noreply@blogger.com