Tips, Tricks, Advice learned from experience

[Ricochet]

Linger On The Outside.

A subtle variation is shown in B. The rider pulls the line inward and decreases the distance to the inside lane edge. When the distance to the inside edge is least this point is called the APEX of the corner. This is the classic line.

If the view around the corner is blocked by terrain or vegetation a safer line is shown in B1. The rider moves to the outside of the corner before the corner entrance then clips the apex in the middle of the corner before smoothly moving to the outside of the lane heading for the corner exit. By lingering on the outside at the entrance of the corner the rider can see further into the corner. He extends his sight line past the vegetation or terrain and has more distance (time) to cope with obstacles as they come into view. The apex is still roughly in the middle of the corner. This is the outside-inside-outside line.

Good advice. Only thing I would add is that if you are riding unfamiliar roads or even in twisties you are relatively familiar with, on a right curve leave yourself enough room to the outside (your left) that you won't kiss the windshield of the inevitable cager that is going to cut the corner and cross the line. Usually 2-3 ft from the outside of the mirror is a good margin. Unless you just have awesomely fast reaction time and mad recovery skills (which if you're a beginner, you won't) you will thank yourself the first time the cage mirror zips by your mirror/head.

 

[Ricochet]

View attachment 29840

Cut that tape on a angle when you start at about a 30-45deg. This allows you to keep a "straight" end of the tape without any corners/edges hanging out the top. I also "sets" your wrap angle making easier to not get wrinkles when you start stretching to go down the length.

View attachment 29842
Don't stretch the last little point, just press it down, and try not to get your oily fingerprints on it like I did!

If you can "round" the end bit of the cut. Sharp edges have a way of rolling back or loosening easier/quicker.

Last but not least use the method known as half lap, double wrap. Meaning you start at least 3/4 tape width over original insulation, overlap the 2nd turn over 1/2 the width of the 1st and keep overlapping 1/2 the width of the next turn over the previous. This gives you a nice clean 2x tape thickness wrap that will also provide a little more support to your connection.

All this is of course you don't have heat shrink or a free end small enough to slip on the heat shrink.

 

[netizen]

Ok, this is a very recent addition, after spending about 1000 miles riding in the rain over several days.

I've added a waterproof sleeve (tight fighting bag) to keep my cell phone nice and dry but still fully usable and viewable (even able to use the touchscreen).
The sleeve has a built in Audio cable with a port to plug in your audio cable in the back. Turning the bag upside down and NOT cinching it closed with the clips on the bottom will allow you to plug in your charging cable. You are actually putting your phone in the bag upside down from the way it is shown in the picture.

To make using the touch screen display easier you should tie a stylus onto your phone mount... best to use a stretchy type string. That way you can use the touch screen display without taking your gloves off. I am not advocating using the touch screen while riding... but when you stop to use it, you won't have to take off your gloves and put them back on again when your done. In rain this can be a real chore if you liners in your gloves that like to pull out when you take your hands out of the gloves.... and are difficult to get your fingers back in (especially wet fingers).

Anyway here is the Link to the one I ordered https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01AFUQ9HM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And here is a pic of the sleeve (bag)

 

[Doc True]

Do not pull all the way into a parking space. Park toward the end.
Cars pull all the way in and that's where they leak oil. I did this the last time on a misty day. When I put my left foot down, it slipped on a wet oil spot and kept going. I was on a DL1000 at the time and I'm short. There was no way to keep that beast from dropping, but I tried anyway and pulled groin muscle that hurt for a week.

 

[dduelin]

Do not pull all the way into a parking space. Park toward the end.
Cars pull all the way in and that's where they leak oil. I did this the last time on a misty day. When I put my left foot down, it slipped on a wet oil spot and kept going. I was on a DL1000 at the time and I'm short. There was no way to keep that beast from dropping, but I tried anyway and pulled groin muscle that hurt for a week.

Good one and there is another reason to park out in the end of a standard parking space. An impatient driver cruising a crowded lot will see an "empty" spot behind or between other cars and whip into it only to see you taking up the first 6 feet of it. It's too late to stop and he hits the bike. A fellow on the ST forum was crushed and nearly killed just like this.

 

[supertux1]

Good one and there is another reason to park out in the end of a standard parking space. An impatient driver cruising a crowded lot will see an "empty" spot behind or between other cars and whip into it only to see you taking up the first 6 feet of it. It's too late to stop and he hits the bike. A fellow on the ST forum was crushed and nearly killed just like this.

I always back the bike in whenever possible. Sure it takes a bit time when you're parking, but when you're ready to leave it makes it easier to see the traffic and the guy across who decides to back out without looking. I also avoid parking spaces that are angled lengthwise, such as in parking ramps where everything is tilted upwards. I usually go to the top where it's flat.

 

[supertux1]

Ok here is a general riding tip on how to handle scooter riders.

If you live in a college town or major metropolitan area, you will see a lot of 49cc scooter riders buzzing around. Most of them are wearing backwards baseball hats, headphones and fip flops and change lanes without signaling, if they even have signals at all.

However, every once in awhile you will see one in a full face helmet with gloves and actually paying attention. I've even seen some 150cc scooters. You might be tempted to wave at them. However, you must not do that. They are not real motorcyclists and depending on the state may not even be required to hold an M endorsement.

If you're enthusiastic about sharing your love of riding with a fellow oncoming rider, and start to raise your hand from a mile away and it turns out to be a scooter rider with gear, it acceptable to abort the wave, and raise the middle finger instead like you meant to do that.*


*Edit: Just remember on an NC700X, especially DCT, you are a glorified scooter rider in the eyes of bigger bikes and do not be offended if you get a finger from one of them in return.

 

[netizen]

On the subject of parking..... if there is an uphill or downhill grade, especially a considerable one ALWAYS PARK SO YOUR FRONT WHEEL IS UPHILL. Otherwise gravity is pulling your bike forward and your side stand COULD fold up and you bike fall over.
If you are on a steep grade consider leaving the bike in 1 st gear, so when you mount it doesn't immediately try to roll downhill.
I've seen newer riders drop their bikes this way, I've even seen bikes fall over as their riders begin to walk away.
It is also easier to back a bike out of an uphill parking spot than to mount on a downhill forward facing parking spot. Your legs can control you backing down a hill much better than the opposite.

Sent from my Moto X Pure using Tapatalk

 

[supertux1]

Here's one for us DCT riders:

Stopped at drive through getting as many McNuggets as you can stuff in the frunk at 2am?, paying for parking at a booth at the same rate as a car which is so unfair?,
at a state park entrance and need to buy a permanent sticker to ruin your plastic windshield?, in stop and go traffic and hands need a rest, need to bang out that quick text?

Use the parking brake.

 

[ld_rider]

However, every once in awhile you will see one in a full face helmet with gloves and actually paying attention. I've even seen some 150cc scooters. You might be tempted to wave at them. However, you must not do that.

I was fooled once by a dood on a really cool looking scooter that at first glance looked like a scaled down GSXR...I got my hand about half-way up when I realized my faux pas and instead just faked that I had to adjust my visor.

Whew! It was a close call ...

And please, PLEASE don't ever wave to one of those three-legged praying-mantis looking abortions that are starting to show up on roads. They will think they are in the motorcycle brotherhood...News flash.....the're not! Just old guys with inner-ear balance issues..


J/K sorta ;-)

 

[670cc]

Ok here is a general riding tip on how to handle scooter riders.

If you live in a college town or major metropolitan area, you will see a lot of 49cc scooter riders buzzing around. Most of them are wearing backwards baseball hats, headphones and fip flops and change lanes without signaling, if they even have signals at all.

However, every once in awhile you will see one in a full face helmet with gloves and actually paying attention. I've even seen some 150cc scooters. You might be tempted to wave at them. However, you must not do that. They are not real motorcyclists and depending on the state may not even be required to hold an M endorsement.

If you're enthusiastic about sharing your love of riding with a fellow oncoming rider, and start to raise your hand from a mile away and it turns out to be a scooter rider with gear, it acceptable to abort the wave, and raise the middle finger instead like you meant to do that.*


*Edit: Just remember on an NC700X, especially DCT, you are a glorified scooter rider in the eyes of bigger bikes and do not be offended if you get a finger from one of them in return.

Let me get this straight. When I'm on my 49cc Ruckus scooter, I should expect to get the finger from NC700X riders, but when I'm riding my 1800cc Goldwing, I should give NC riders (DCT only) the finger? If I'm on my NC (manual, not DCT) and my wife is on her 250cc scooter, do I give her the finger? Or is it only when she's on her 49cc Ruckus? If we're both on scooters, can we wave? So confusing. . . .

 

[sumo]

Let me get this straight. When I'm on my 49cc Ruckus scooter, I should expect to get the finger from NC700X riders, but when I'm riding my 1800cc Goldwing, I should give NC riders (DCT only) the finger? If I'm on my NC (manual, not DCT) and my wife is on her 250cc scooter, do I give her the finger? Or is it only when she's on her 49cc Ruckus? If we're both on scooters, can we wave? So confusing. . . .

It depends, do you live in a college town?

 

[670cc]

It depends, do you live in a college town?

I live in the woods. We wave at the deer.

 

[netizen]

This is the free raindar app.
I've used this when riding in potentially heavy rain and thunderstorms. The blue dot is your location, the radar is a continually updating 30 minute animated loop, so you can see the direction it's heading at a glance. You can zoom in and out and adjust what area you want to see, and in how much detail. The cones show the direction of each weather cell.

You can see the roads your traveling on, so you know real-time what your riding into, and can adjust your speed and route to best avoid the nasty yellow and red stuff.
Raindar is a very fast loading app that uses minimal resources as far as weather radar goes.
It makes riding in rain a much better and secure feeling experience giving you the information you need to avoid the worst of the weather around you.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ghvandoorn.Raindar

For keeping your phone dry while using raindar see post #43 in this thread

Sent from my Moto X Pure using Tapatalk

 

[supertux1]

Let me get this straight. When I'm on my 49cc Ruckus scooter, I should expect to get the finger from NC700X riders, but when I'm riding my 1800cc Goldwing, I should give NC riders (DCT only) the finger? If I'm on my NC (manual, not DCT) and my wife is on her 250cc scooter, do I give her the finger? Or is it only when she's on her 49cc Ruckus? If we're both on scooters, can we wave? So confusing. . . .

The Ruckus is special. If you remove the seat and support braces from your Ruckus and stand where they used to be and wheelie it, you can wave at everyone and expect a thumbs up in return.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[670cc]

The Ruckus is special. If you remove the seat and support braces from your Ruckus and stand where they used to be and wheelie it, you can wave at everyone and expect a thumbs up in return.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'll teach my wife to do that. She can have all the glory.

 

[supertux1]

And please, PLEASE don't ever wave to one of those three-legged praying-mantis looking abortions that are starting to show up on roads. They will think they are in the motorcycle brotherhood...News flash.....the're not! Just old guys with inner-ear balance issues..

Not to get too off topic, but our state used to have a thing where these were classified as motorcycles and people would pass the DMV test on them and get an M endorsement without ever knowing how to ride...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[spets]

Ok here is a general riding tip on how to handle scooter riders.

If you live in a college town or major metropolitan area, you will see a lot of 49cc scooter riders buzzing around. Most of them are wearing backwards baseball hats, headphones and fip flops and change lanes without signaling, if they even have signals at all.

However, every once in awhile you will see one in a full face helmet with gloves and actually paying attention. I've even seen some 150cc scooters. You might be tempted to wave at them. However, you must not do that. They are not real motorcyclists and depending on the state may not even be required to hold an M endorsement.

If you're enthusiastic about sharing your love of riding with a fellow oncoming rider, and start to raise your hand from a mile away and it turns out to be a scooter rider with gear, it acceptable to abort the wave, and raise the middle finger instead like you meant to do that.*

I hope you are kidding. I started out riding scooters. I wave to everyone, scooters or harley. we are all on two wheels, and are all just as likely to get smashed by the Suburban who is texting and not paying attention. No need to hate just because a scooter rider prefers a CVT trans and built in storage. If anything, our NCs are basically a larger scooter.

 

[Therapy]

Good tip on the offset splices. My preference is to use heat shrink tubing as it looks tidy and it will never unwrap.

Same here but I add blue RTV to it and have the heat shrink squeeze it out. My salt water dunked lights are 15 years old.
I tend to overbuild stuff too.

 

[Therapy]

Let me get this straight. When I'm on my 49cc Ruckus scooter, I should expect to get the finger from NC700X riders, but when I'm riding my 1800cc Goldwing, I should give NC riders (DCT only) the finger? If I'm on my NC (manual, not DCT) and my wife is on her 250cc scooter, do I give her the finger? Or is it only when she's on her 49cc Ruckus? If we're both on scooters, can we wave? So confusing. . . .

Fingers or not please, please don't slow all the traffic. Get OUT of the WAY!!