Seat comfort

[DriftinGirl]

but that is negated by Good looking and charming..........

 

[CDNRatMan]

Then there is the double handicap...old and a beginner...

but that is negated by Good looking and charming..........

[DriftinGirl]

Beginning students don't have the benefit of experience...but we experienced riders have the handicap of old age...not fair, really!

Then there is the double handicap...old and a beginner...

[DC]

Try riding with a 12 second gap.  You either have everyone passing you and filling in front of you, or you will have everyone p!ssed behind you.

[Troll]

  Beginning students don't have the benefit of experience...but we experienced riders have the handicap of old age...not fair, really!

[John Hopkins]

My fingers find their own way to the brake and clutch levers as I see the brake lights of the vehicle in front, I try to keep about four seconds between me and the vehicle in front unless I am riding in poor weather and then I try for six seconds, When riding slow in poor conditions or over loose gravel both hands are on the levers..for good roads and slight traffic I don't have my hands on the levers..

It's not something I work at, it just happens that way..

John.

[Troll]

  In the beginning class, we want them to have all fingers on the levers so they remember to do it when faced with an emergency. Having one or two applying the brake means that they cannot generate enough brake force for a really quick, controlled stop at their level of skill. In the ARC, we not only ignore the number of fingers the student is using, but we teach trail braking in corners.

[chief]

After this many years my fingers are where they are going to be... its served me well.

As a certified safety professional of a#$@#$ years... I know most safety dogma is common sense and intended to be guidelines... wait a few years and it will change. As a NSC driver safety trainer we tell folks to cover the brake in traffic situations, coming to red lights etc... no difference in my mind to covering the brake on the bike IMHO.

[greenbarn]

So I want to know what's so bad about a finger or two on the controls?  It seems to me, you have quicker reaction and more control that way.... 

[DC]

Bake ...old man.....lol you are of my vintage then you will know...I went from kindergarten to grade 9 with Penquins as teachers. Lord they were a tough bunch, and I remember the strap on more then one occassion, putting a hair on your plam to cause it to bleed does not work, and when the teachers punished you for ..and really stupid stunts you pulled does not seem to have caused much harm now did it......At least unlike Troll, PC and Chief we did not have to use cave drawings to learn from......we had our slate and boards to use.....lol......

HA!  Penguins!  I haven't heard that term in years.  I wonder what the kids call them now.

Anyway, I also was getting told about fingers on the controls during the course.  Those habits are hard to break.

[CDNRatMan]

 Bake ...old man.....lol you are of my vintage then you will know...I went from kindergarten to grade 9 with Penquins as teachers. Lord they were a tough bunch, and I remember the strap on more then one occassion, putting a hair on your plam to cause it to bleed does not work, and when the teachers punished you for ..and really stupid stunts you pulled does not seem to have caused much harm now did it......At least unlike Troll, PC and Chief we did not have to use cave drawings to learn from......we had our slate and boards to use.....lol......

[greenbarn]

Better yet, skip the nice leather saddle.  Mount one of these. It would allow you to ride longer with no stops.

[greenbarn]

Well Greenbarn that's the whole reason I posted this,good catch.I figured being the mod expert here,with all the tools and knowledge you would be able to help me out ...lol that was funny though.

weld it

[David Baker]

GreenBarn if I had been the instructor I would have been whacking your fingers with a stick.....only should have had to tell you once.....
[/quote]

RatMan... I didn't know you were a Nun... lol

[Drift1]

Well Greenbarn that's the whole reason I posted this,good catch.I figured being the mod expert here,with all the tools and knowledge you would be able to help me out ...lol that was funny though.

[greenbarn]

That is sharp, man.   But the mount looks a little unstable, don't you think?

[Drift1]

Just received a picture of my seat completed from Singh,man I can't wait to install this.

[CDNRatMan]

  Yes I too used to have to really think while teaching not to cover the levers with my fingers during the street bike courses, then teaching the dispatch riders course for the military it was allowed......

GreenBarn if I ahd been the instructor I would have been whacking your fingers with a stick.....only should have had to tell you once.....

[Troll]

Remember, this was a BEGINNER class. We want the controls covered with all the fingers, or none, and the grips held firmly. The big problem is when the beginner death grips the controls, and grabs the levers. Teaching finesse is one of the hardest parts. When I'm doing a demo, I have to remember to take a couple of power walking steps as I start, instead of just picking up my feet and going...

[greenbarn]

... So what I did was to place my hands on the bars and my fingers on the levers, thumbs under the grips. This gives a really nice relaxed grip and total control ....

I got yelled at about 6 times a day for doing that when I was taking the bike safety course!!  I often use 2 fingers on the levers, 2 on the grip.  Old habit from riding on dirt track, I guess.  The instructor didn't like it.  at all...

[CDNRatMan]

  found that the bars are a lot different then my old bike. I had the tendancey to grip these bars tight for some odd reason, and could not figure out why. So what I did was to place my hands on the bars and my fingers on the levers, thumbs under the grips. This gives a really nice relaxed grip and total control ....

[John Hopkins]

A 1500 is a lot of weight to manage.  That's why I pretty much keep a tight grip most of the time.

At my age I can't hold the bike up without the sidestand, but I hold the grips gently and only use them to steer, If I need to I can grip the bars firmly quicker than I can think about it, but if the bike is on the way down, it will go and I will not be strong enough to lift it up again..

My opinion for what it's worth is that gripping tightly causes rider fatigue, I quite often deliberately relax and flex my back muscles while riding..although the 1500 is probably the heaviest bike I have ever ridden it is well balanced and a real pleasure to ride.

John.

[DC]

DC... Velcro your butt to the seat! lol

That may be an option.   

I'm working on a seat mounting bracket mod that will lower the front of the seat for me about an inch.  That will give some downward angle to the seat, which I'm thinking will tend to cradle my carcass better in the seat.  At the same time, it gets me closer to the ground, having better control at stops.

[waltervl]

Velcro
Reminds me of this (sorry, in Dutch) commercial of an insurance company about people who invented a safe passenger attachement system:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SE8SPpjM-Vc

[David Baker]

I think I need a seatbelt or something.  The bike wants to take off out from under me.   

DC... Velcro your butt to the seat! lol