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Visionary
Posts: 3006
San Antonio, TX | I have seen a lot of good riders of motorcycles over the years. I am taking about the ones that can daily handle their ride in a parking lot, in rush hour traffic or on rural highway. I fit in this middle group. I hope.
Few on the street (top 10% maybe less) can compare to the chops that VisionTex displayed riding as lead of four Visions on the back roads of central Texas one Thursday this past Spring. Bill moved as one with his Vision with an air of style and grace I have never witnessed on an 850 pound motorcycle. That day I learned what a Vision can do!
On the other end of the spectrum was a rider I witnessed with my wife this past weekend. We were in my truck at a light with a small car in front of me and a HD was first at the light and we were all turning left over an overpass of a highway.
The light turned green. The rider started to take off hard and hit a patch of something slick, most likely road tar, which made him spin his back tire. He hit his front brake almost taking himself down then put his left foot down repeatedly to hold the bike up. Fortunately, the car driver was watching and did not hit the rider in distress. My wife gasped! I told her it was ok and that the car driver was alert and will not hit him. He did not go down but after getting the bike pointed down the road, he went across the overpass to make the next red light and wait to turn left again. The car and I followed him across.
The whole time waiting at the red light he was nervous and kept looking down and then to the back of his bike. The light turned green. When he took off this time, he could not get the lean angle right for his left turn. The turn was in three or four jerky motions. I was getting seriously concerned for this guy but I did not say anything.
Then my wife spoke up, "This guy is not a very good!" I laughed! I said, "Yes dear, this guy is not very good at all. He needs training!"
The light in my head came on….."Honey that reminds me, I still want to go to Houston to take the Ride like a Pro course." She said that I could go next spring.
Ride Safe!
Photo by Songfan
VisionTex Lead, Smadge, Radioteacher (me) and Songfan's windshield, trailing.
Edited by radioteacher 2009-09-22 9:07 PM
(IMG_1068.JPG)
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 IMG_1068.JPG (73KB - 1 downloads)
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | ahhh, the never ending story. why? because there are so many out there that just don't know that riding a motorcycle is a craft to be learned. I guess the man thing is not to override one's self, that is, beyond their ability. I witnessed up in detroit a guy that knew who how to ride his sportster. I found myself in the "slow" lane going with the flow at 70mphs, the sportster was in the "fast" lane which was moving at a greater clip than us slowpokes. So all of us was in heavy traffic and in one of the harder turns as this sportster is weaving in tight quarters and over taking the traffic and was gone in no time. Though I would not put him in the upper level of intelligence, he certainly looked like he knew what he was doing, and the thought of tracking him gave me chills. as a side note he had one of those racer looking sportsters and the helmet and garb to match. good point RT as we can never get enough training and every ride I take is a lesson. beautiful pic...
Edited by varyder 2009-09-22 9:26 PM
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Visionary
Posts: 3006
San Antonio, TX | varyder,
Since Spock's video was released, I have trying to eliminate one of my bad habits learned over many years.
Before taking the Experienced Rider Course from the MSF, I never used four fingers on the front brake. Two maybe three were employed but not four. It was a bad habit. Man it is hard to kill muscle memory burned in for decades.
Every time I ride, I am working on creating a new muscle memory: First, covering the front brake and then using all four fingers on the front brake every time!
Ride Safe |
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Visionary
Posts: 3204
Memphis | Ditto on the VisionTex skill. He truly rides at a different level of smoothness. We rode Arkansas Hwy 7 together and I was experimenting with a new video camera mount on my bike. It turned out to have too much vibration to even watch the footage but if it had come out it would have been by far the best Vision footage ever posted on the web. At the beginning of our run it was misty/foggy out and he actually had contrails coming off of his SSG bike as it carved up the twisties. Absolutely makes me sick to my stomach that it didn't come out. One of the best riding days I've ever had.
Edited by SongFan 2009-09-22 10:05 PM
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Cruiser
Posts: 64
Hot Springs Village, Arkansas | Now I'm not doubting his skills, but............. he is on a SSG Vision !! Hwy 7 is a challenge, but I am lucky to live within a couple miles of it (my playground). |
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Cruiser
Posts: 249
Montreal, QC Canada | I'm still pissed that we missed the ride by 1 week. |
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Visionary
Posts: 3204
Memphis | The video on the Vision-Riders homepage is footage I shot of VisionTex in Big Bend. If you notice, he only taps his brakes one time, at about 2:15 as we set up for the twisties. After that, he never touches the brakes again, even in the 10 mph switchbacks. He is always in the right gear and head up, looking through the next turn. Since we were in a National Park we were not as aggressive as we might have been but even in the twistiest stuff he makes it look effortless. He honed his riding skills on a Honda CX-650 Turbo back in the day. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 127
| I consider myself a novice rider, and I'm not shy about making that point clear. I just don't have the 30 years experience on motorcycles that many guys my age do. But I go for smooth every time I mount up, whether stopping at a light or carving through a turn. I challenge myself to make it look natural. It's slow improvement, but I see it working and I'm learning- as one of my riding buddies on his V-Rod commented after a tight U-turn "you made that look too easy for that bigass bike". |
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Visionary
Posts: 3006
San Antonio, TX | On Sunday's the MSF range is open for anyone to use. At least no one has told me "No. You can not use it. Ever!"
It is in a parking lot about 6 miles from my house. I make a point to go by there and practice a few patterns from time to time.
I never miss the practicing the 20' by 60' box. The first U-turn is a piece of cake but I pick up too much speed cutting across the figure-8 and run wide on the second u-turn. I need better control of my speed pulling out of the first u-turn. "Ride like a Pro V" is the best video I have found so far on this type of speed control. Running about 2000 rpm, slipping the clutch and dragging the back brake to control power and speed is very effective. I just need to practice more.
Songfan is right on the money about the Big Bend video. VisionTex is a really smooth operator.
Ride Safe
Edited by radioteacher 2009-09-23 10:00 AM
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Cruiser
Posts: 271
Belding Michigan | Trust me have 38 years on bikes time does not solve all the problems. I learned before MSF clases came to be. I now am trying to unlearn 38 years of bad habits. I am careful and knock on wood the only time I have been down on a bike was 36 years ago when I was 21 thought I knew everything about riding and was 10 feet tall and bullet proof. I found out that was not true. The crash did not do a lot of damage to me or the motorcycle but it taught me humility real fast.
I learn everytime I go out from something I do or one of my friends. Just last weekend I watched one of my buddys save a Harley from a bad one as two deer ran out in front of him. He locked up both ends of the bike and was still able to release before the bike got too out of whack and still misssed the deer great save on his part.
I must have more to do as God has put his hand on me many times when I got stupid or in over my head and he saved me from taking a dive.
I appreciate what everyone shares here so I can learn some more and be a better rider for the next 20 years. Archie |
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | amessen - 2009-09-23 11:10 AM I must have more to do as God has put his hand on me many times when I got stupid or in over my head and he saved me from taking a dive. .... Archie Amen! I ask myself many times why I'm on this bloomin' thing, but can't seem to keep my hands off of it. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 162
Extreme Southern, AZ United States | I have been riding for a few years and probably 75% of my time on the seat has been in the dirt. You have to be smooth when you are riding the dirt. All the guys who rode with me called me crazy, I always rode hard but with my head up and into the next turn. I believe that experience in the dirt cannot be replaced. I have taken the MSF riders course four time and experienced riders course three times. (I was in the Army and every time I deployed they made me take the course before I could ride on post.) I have a friend who has been riding almost as long as I have. He is not a bad rider, but I also am very leery about riding with him cause he just doesn't seem to get it. Others who haven't been riding as long as I have are better than I. A lot of it is attitude, care and keeping your head on a swivel. Most of it is just being aware all the time. I'd truly love to see Mr Tex ride. You can learn a lot from watching a man ride. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 127
| varyder - 2009-09-23 8:23 AM
amessen - 2009-09-23 11:10 AM I must have more to do as God has put his hand on me many times when I got stupid or in over my head and he saved me from taking a dive. .... Archie Amen! I ask myself many times why I'm on this bloomin' thing, but can't seem to keep my hands off of it.
I suspect it's the same for a large percentage of us on the site(s). Most of us have much safer options, and many years of witnessing the reasons not to ride. |
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Visionary
Posts: 3006
San Antonio, TX | Diamonback,
I am not so sure my truck is safer or better for my health.
On the way home tonight in the truck, I had my worst indigestion attack in a long time. I could not wait to get to my medicine cabinet when I walked in the door..
It is never this bad while on the Vision. What can I say the Vision settles my stomach and calms me down. Well, most of the time it calms me.
Ride Safe |
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