speaking of hardware (jake or fred)

[jonathan.sykes@ps.ge.com]

On Mon, 12 Nov 2001 mighty_oak1@... wrote:

>Class M license. Sunday I drove over to the course they have laid out >next to drivers license beureau (just to practice) and man is that >thing small. I don't know how you could get anything much larger than a >250cc around that course. Is there anything I can do to make the bike a >little easier to handle in a confined area.

I'd recommend you practice riding as slowly as you can, before the test. Get someone to walk beside you and see if you can ride SLOWER than them by using a combination of throttle, clutch and front brake. Once you've mastered this the test will be a piece of cake.

[scott_squire@hotmail.com]

just my two cents here--and I'll preface this by saying nothing personal and no offense-- If a person can't ride that course cold on a particular bike, a person has no business riding riding that bike on the street. I'm not saying it shouldn't be challenging--it's supposed to be. I'm also not saying it presents a rider with an adequate test of every kind of skill they'll need to use in street riding. But it does test some useful skills. American's have it pretty darn easy when it comes to getting licensed to pilot vehicles over the roadways, and it shows anytime you ride, walk, drive, crawl down the streets. I'm an American, and a victim of bad driver education. I've lived in places where it's worse and places where it's better. I like the road situation more in countries where they give a dang what people know/can do behind the wheel. Again, I'll emphasize that this is not a personal attack, and I'm not trolling for flames. It's just a personal hot button, as they say. Off soap box mode now. Cheers Scott Squire

[Brad Morris]

Scott, I appreciate your comments, but I let my brother (who has been riding motorcycles since he was 17 (22 years ago)) try the course it on my KLR and he couldn't even do the slalom the first time. Let me tell you, he's a very competent rider. He's ridden thousands of miles on everything from screaming dirt bikes to the Valkirie (spelling?) and currently rides a Vmax. So in theory your comments sound great, but reality they are not applicable. The KLR is a top heavy bike that is very hard to ride slowly. I was just asking for riding tips on a tight course. I assure you that I am a very safe operator of all motor vehicles. I haven't had a ticket of any kind in 20 years (I'm 37), and I am astutely aware of what's going on around me at all times. As far as what other countries regulations are...(i won't say it). No offense Brad --- scott_squire@... wrote:

> just my two cents here--and I'll preface this by > saying nothing > personal and no offense-- > > If a person can't ride that course cold on a > particular bike, a > person has no business riding riding that bike on > the street. > > I'm not saying it shouldn't be challenging--it's > supposed to be. > I'm also not saying it presents a rider with an > adequate test of > every kind of skill they'll need to use in street > riding. But it does > test some useful skills. > > American's have it pretty darn easy when it comes to > getting > licensed to pilot vehicles over the roadways, and it > shows > anytime you ride, walk, drive, crawl down the > streets. I'm an > American, and a victim of bad driver education. > > I've lived in places where it's worse and places > where it's better. I > like the road situation more in countries where they > give a dang > what people know/can do behind the wheel. > > Again, I'll emphasize that this is not a personal > attack, and I'm > not trolling for flames. It's just a personal hot > button, as they say. > Off soap box mode now. > > Cheers > Scott Squire >

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[trevor.walton@verizon.net]

At 08:04 PM 11/12/01 -0500, you wrote:

>On Mon, 12 Nov 2001 mighty_oak1@... wrote: > > >Class M license. Sunday I drove over to the course they have laid out > >next to drivers license beureau (just to practice) and man is that > >thing small. I don't know how you could get anything much larger than a > >250cc around that course. Is there anything I can do to make the bike a > >little easier to handle in a confined area. > > >I'd recommend you practice riding as slowly as you can, before the test. >Get someone to walk beside you and see if you can ride SLOWER than them by >using a combination of throttle, clutch and front brake. Once you've >mastered this the test will be a piece of cake.

All this talk of the DMV test has me curious. I took the MSF Beginner Rider Course, and in California they waive your DMV test if you present the MSF certificate. I'm about 1 mile from the nearest DMV,, now I'm tempted to ride down there after hours sometime and check out this infamous circle... Are the skills tested by the DMV the same ones you practice in the MSF course? -Trevor

[John Irvine]

--- Brad Morris wrote:

> Scott, > > I appreciate your comments, but I let my brother > (who > has been riding motorcycles since he was 17 (22 > years > ago)) try the course it on my KLR and he couldn't > even > do the slalom the first time.

How big a box are we talking about, sounds like a challenge. I like playing on the KLR and trying to do a circle with the bars all the way to the lock. And since we are on practicing skills I was doing some hard braking on dirt and locked the front wheel a few times just to learn the limits. What other practice routines are there out there? Think I'll take all the bikes in the garage out to see what the smallest circle I can do really is. I ha a feeling the KDX will walk away with this effort. KLR250 - KLR650 - GS500E - KDX200 - CBR1100XX __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Find the one for you at Yahoo! Personals http://personals.yahoo.com

[monahanwb@yahoo.com]

--- In DSN_klr650@y..., John Irvine wrote: What other practice > routines are there out there? I sometimes enjoy seeing how far I can roll the bike backwards down a slight incline without putting down a foot. Usually, not very far. But it's still fun.

[John Irvine]

I managed an unplanned backwards slide down a slanted sheet of ice, feet down all the way, about 30' and then I dropped it trying to get around it on my next try. --- monahanwb@... wrote:

> --- In DSN_klr650@y..., John Irvine > wrote: > What other practice > > routines are there out there? > > I sometimes enjoy seeing how far I can roll the bike > backwards down a > slight incline without putting down a foot. > Usually, not very far. > But it's still fun. > > > > > Checkout Dual Sport News at > http://www.dualsportnews.com > Be part of the Adventure! > > Visit the KLR650 archives at > http://www.listquest.com/lq/search.html?ln=klr650 > > Post message: DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com > Subscribe: DSN_klr650-subscribe@yahoogroups.com > Unsubscribe: DSN_klr650-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com > > List owner: DSN_klr650-owner@yahoogroups.com > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to > http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > >

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[Renn Rivers]

Also, run the test with as little fuel in the tank as possible. Later.

----- Original Message ----- From: Brad Morris To: DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com ;scott_squire@... Sent: 11/12/01 8:58:41 PM Subject: Re: [DSN_klr650] NKLR Motorcycle License Scott, I appreciate your comments, but I let my brother (who has been riding motorcycles since he was 17 (22 years ago)) try the course it on my KLR and he couldn't even do the slalom the first time. Let me tell you, he's a very competent rider. He's ridden thousands of miles on everything from screaming dirt bikes to the Valkirie (spelling?) and currently rides a Vmax. So in theory your comments sound great, but reality they are not applicable. The KLR is a top heavy bike that is very hard to ride slowly. I was just asking for riding tips on a tight course. I assure you that I am a very safe operator of all motor vehicles. I haven't had a ticket of any kind in 20 years (I'm 37), and I am astutely aware of what's going on around me at all times. As far as what other countries regulations are...(i won't say it). No offense Brad --- scott_squire@... wrote: just my two cents here--and I'll preface this by saying nothing personal and no offense-- If a person can't ride that course cold on a particular bike, a person has no business riding riding that bike on the street. I'm not saying it shouldn't be challenging--it's supposed to be. I'm also not saying it presents a rider with an adequate test of every kind of skill they'll need to use in street riding. But it does test some useful skills. American's have it pretty darn easy when it comes to getting licensed to pilot vehicles over the roadways, and it shows anytime you ride, walk, drive, crawl down the streets. I'm an American, and a victim of bad driver education. I've lived in places where it's worse and places where it's better. I like the road situation more in countries where they give a dang what people know/can do behind the wheel. Again, I'll emphasize that this is not a personal attack, and I'm not trolling for flames. It's just a personal hot button, as they say. Off soap box mode now. Cheers Scott Squire __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Find the one for you at Yahoo! Personals http://personals.yahoo.com Checkout Dual Sport News at http://www.dualsportnews.com Be part of the Adventure! Visit the KLR650 archives at http://www.listquest.com/lq/search.html?ln=klr650 Post message: DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com Subscribe: DSN_klr650-subscribe@yahoogroups.com Unsubscribe: DSN_klr650-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com List owner: DSN_klr650-owner@yahoogroups.com Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ rennrivers@... A15 (Rocinante) [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[PauL Bober]

Guys and Gals, OK ... I've been lurking around here for a while. Little fuel as possible? What are you talking about? The KLR is a heavy bike. Gold Wings are huge and you need a clearance light to figure out where the front of the bike is. The full dressed Harley has a windshield that prohibits you from looking at the cones on the slalom and is twice as heavy. Top heavy is irrelevant. Good balance at low speeds is obtained from keeping your eyes up and level. I teach MSF courses every weekend. I teach the Harley Davidson Riders Edge class once a month .. every other month ( I am 1 of only 90 Harley Instructors in the world). I teach the MFS Off Road Riding course. I have seen HUNDREDS of experienced riders who can't make turns, stop with out almost falling or can't pass the riding test .. all due directly to head turns not being done before the bike turns or looking down .. so the bike is leading through the maneuver. Can't make the test and been a dirt bike rider ... watch where most of them look ... not far enough ahead and mostly down. Want better balance ... head and eyes up. He'll make the test if he looks before he goes around the cones .. not at the. Sorry for the tone of the letter .. it is just sometimes ... there needs to be a dose of reality as well as the voice of authority. PauL M.Bober MFS # 23201 A9 -----Original Message----- From: Renn Rivers [mailto:rennrivers@...] Sent: Monday, November 12, 2001 9:47 PM To: scott_squire@...; DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com; Brad Morris Subject: Re: [DSN_klr650] NKLR Motorcycle License Also, run the test with as little fuel in the tank as possible. Later.

----- Original Message ----- From: Brad Morris To: DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com ;scott_squire@... Sent: 11/12/01 8:58:41 PM Subject: Re: [DSN_klr650] NKLR Motorcycle License Scott, I appreciate your comments, but I let my brother (who has been riding motorcycles since he was 17 (22 years ago)) try the course it on my KLR and he couldn't even do the slalom the first time. Let me tell you, he's a very competent rider. He's ridden thousands of miles on everything from screaming dirt bikes to the Valkirie (spelling?) and currently rides a Vmax. So in theory your comments sound great, but reality they are not applicable. The KLR is a top heavy bike that is very hard to ride slowly. I was just asking for riding tips on a tight course. I assure you that I am a very safe operator of all motor vehicles. I haven't had a ticket of any kind in 20 years (I'm 37), and I am astutely aware of what's going on around me at all times. As far as what other countries regulations are...(i won't say it). No offense Brad --- scott_squire@... wrote: just my two cents here--and I'll preface this by saying nothing personal and no offense-- If a person can't ride that course cold on a particular bike, a person has no business riding riding that bike on the street. I'm not saying it shouldn't be challenging--it's supposed to be. I'm also not saying it presents a rider with an adequate test of every kind of skill they'll need to use in street riding. But it does test some useful skills. American's have it pretty darn easy when it comes to getting licensed to pilot vehicles over the roadways, and it shows anytime you ride, walk, drive, crawl down the streets. I'm an American, and a victim of bad driver education. I've lived in places where it's worse and places where it's better. I like the road situation more in countries where they give a dang what people know/can do behind the wheel. Again, I'll emphasize that this is not a personal attack, and I'm not trolling for flames. It's just a personal hot button, as they say. Off soap box mode now. Cheers Scott Squire __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Find the one for you at Yahoo! Personals http://personals.yahoo.com Checkout Dual Sport News at http://www.dualsportnews.com Be part of the Adventure! Visit the KLR650 archives at http://www.listquest.com/lq/search.html?ln=klr650 Post message: DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com Subscribe: DSN_klr650-subscribe@yahoogroups.com Unsubscribe: DSN_klr650-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com List owner: DSN_klr650-owner@yahoogroups.com Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ rennrivers@... A15 (Rocinante) [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Checkout Dual Sport News at http://www.dualsportnews.com Be part of the Adventure! Visit the KLR650 archives at http://www.listquest.com/lq/search.html?ln=klr650 Post message: DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com Subscribe: DSN_klr650-subscribe@yahoogroups.com Unsubscribe: DSN_klr650-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com List owner: DSN_klr650-owner@yahoogroups.com Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

[Duvall Ed]

--- In DSN_klr650@y..., "PauL Bober" wrote:

> Guys and Gals, > OK ... I've been lurking around here for a while. Little fuel as > possible? What are you talking about? The KLR is a heavy bike.

> They're talking about the fact that as little fuel as possible is a great idea. It definetly makes a difference during low speed manuevers, especially as its carried very high on the KLR. Your other suggestions about keeping your head up and looking at where you want to go, not at the cones (target fixation) are excellent ideas too, but don't discount the affect of the unnecessary extra fuel. It does make a difference and I would definetly run the bike down before the test. At a minimum it can't hurt, and at best it will help the slow speed handling of the bike a lot. Its a no-lose suggestion. Ed CanDefineltyFeelTheDiffernceBetweenAFullTankAndAnAlmostEmptyTank, WA