Passed BRC!

Passed BRC today, barely. Got the maximum amount of points off possible without failing. Had issues with the usual U-turn and stopped too slowly during the quick stop, however in my defense I'm pretty sure I was going too fast.

Going to DMV in the morning

Going too fast has nothing to do with your stopping distance. We time every rider coming down the chute, and the faster you go, the more stopping distance we allow you to get your motorcycle stopped.

This takes extreme mental and physical skills, it's not easy but it's something that will save your life, so do not take it lightly. You found out what areas you need to improve on, so go out and practice on your bike before even considering riding out on the streets. Remember, our natural human reaction whenever a hazard unexpectedly appear right before our very eyes is to SLAM on our brakes. Yes, you can get away with it in a car, but do it on a motorcycle, you will find yourself crashing before you even get to the hazard. Maximum braking is applying both brakes without locking either wheel. Or Swerve might be another option which a lot of riders forget to do. A crying shame in my opinion. If you never practice braking or swerving on a regular basis, you most likely will fail when the time comes to execute your corrective action.

Don't worry about the U-turn, it's a convenience skill. If you can't do it, you just end up walking the motorcycle back and forth, or you end up riding around the block because you can't do a U-turn out on the street.

Congrats, but I'm sorry to tell you your defense does not hold water :BLAA:
We take speed into account when we measure stopping distance.

Does your score actually mean anything? Not really.. doesn't matter if you got 0(perfect) or 20(max without failing).. you now need to practice, practice, practice to get good at it all.
I'm sure your coaches explained to you that u-turn is not a critical, life-saving skill. Stopping, on the other hand, is.. so don't skip on practicing this!

If you happen to own FZ6 (or plan on getting one) and do want to get good at u-turns, the following technique worked best for me on that bike:

Stay in gear (cover the clutch, but there is no need to use friction zone).. use a bit of throttle and drag the rear brake. Steady throttle and control the speed with rear brake. Works beautifully on FZ6 (somewhat unforgiving friction zone, but easy low gearing).

To each their own, of course. Different approach may suit you better.. the only way to find out is to practice

Be safe out there and have fun! :thumbup:

VEGASRIDER said:

Going too fast has nothing to do with your stopping distance. We time every rider coming down the chute, and the faster you go, the more stopping distance we allow you to get your motorcycle stopped.

This takes extreme mental and physical skills, it's not easy but it's something that will save your life, so do not take it lightly. You found out what areas you need to improve on, so go out and practice on your bike before even considering riding out on the streets. Remember, our natural human reaction whenever a hazard unexpectedly appear right before our very eyes is to SLAM on our brakes. Yes, you can get away with it in a car, but do it on a motorcycle, you will find yourself crashing before you even get to the hazard. Maximum braking is applying both brakes without locking either wheel. Or Swerve might be another option which a lot of riders forget to do. A crying shame in my opinion. If you never practice braking or swerving on a regular basis, you most likely will fail when the time comes to execute your corrective action.

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D'oh.. you beat me by 1 minute!

Congratulations! and yes what they said ^^^^^^^

I saw the scoring sheet and it said specifically anything over 14 feet was either -10 or -5 points.

Doesn't make a difference either way. I planned on practicing when I got on my own bike to see the distance and "feel" it anyway.

Congrats on passing!:cheer:

Like the coach's have said....practice, practice, PRACTICE!

After having my FZ for a year now, I still practice slow speed maneuvers during my daily rides.

My favorite place is the parking lot of my storage unit, its laid out with perfect 8 x 12 rectangles in the concrete. I pick 4 of them and make the crosshairs my transition point for doing figure 8's in 1st gear.

Good luck on your license test:thumbup:

Congratulations!!! :cheer: Wishing you many safe miles!

Congrats! I definitely agree with all of the above comments.

I've had my motorcycle license for 7 years, but just got my first bike this year (rode my older brothers 600's on and off over the years) -- the stopping, swerving, evasive maneuvering skills were all something I needed a little bit of extra practice on when getting back on a bike!

Be safe!

Just rode up and down my street which is usually quiet at night with little cars but there actually was quite a few cars driving up and down the street. Seems later than it actually is

Man, those little 250's we were riding are nothing compared to this. EVERYTHING on my bike is more responsive, brakes, throttle, steering. Just ran around the block a few times and made sure to adjust my mirrors before I went out. It's SCARY not knowing what is behind me! On a closed course you aren't worrying about it but being on the street freaks me out

Anything I can do about that or is that one of the things about riding? Also might need to pick up some heated grips, that cold really goes through my gloves!


Also: There is no license test, the class waives DMV tests

Yes, being on the roads feels very different than the class. And the bike feels quite different, too.
When I first started, I went to a new subdivision and rode around the vacant streets, doing TONS of stops and starts.
Take your time getting used to the bike. And gear up head to toe!!! :BLAA:

LVNeptune said:

It's SCARY not knowing what is behind me! On a closed course you aren't worrying about it but being on the street freaks me out

Anything I can do about that or is that one of the things about riding?

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Sure there's something you can do! Adjust your mirrors properly and use them! Be sure to position yourself properly at stops (lane position should depend on situation) and keep checking those mirrors.. you should have your escape path planned out and be in first gear.. ready to get the heck out of there if someone approaches too quickly (provided you flashed your brake and cager is not slowing down).

Check your mirrors frequently as you ride.. you should know what's going on around you, full 360 degrees. It will eventually become second nature.

I tried adjusting them to see behind but I don't see how you possibly could see behind yourself unless you are a small guy. I'm a pretty big dude no matter how I adjust I see my shoulders where I would be able to see behind me.

LVNeptune said:

I tried adjusting them to see behind but I don't see how you possibly could see behind yourself unless you are a small guy. I'm a pretty big dude no matter how I adjust I see my shoulders where I would be able to see behind me.

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My favorite subject.....

PM JBLK9695, he makes mirror extenders. A few members have bought them, including myself. They make a HUGE difference, no more having to tuck your elbows and swerve to see whats behind you.:rockon:

Do you have pictures of the mirrors? I messaged him.

:cheer: Congratulations!

Now ATGATT, ride your own ride and stay safe

I would suggest not riding at night for a while, and try not to ride when it's really cold either. Right now you need to focus on what's around you and what you need to do rather then things like dark (limited visibility) or being cold. Practice as much as possible on low volume streets in daylight, the street is a lot different then a parking lot. I've ridden on and off for over 20 years and still have a lot to learn, so just be sure to take it slow and PAY ATTENTION to EVERYONE else. You will get used to it and it will become second nature, but it takes time so don't try to do too much too fast.

Happy riding an congratulations on passing your test!

+1 on what gtp said plus as far as you saying that its scary being out on the rode, imo another thing in order to be a good safe rider you need to loose all fear as soon as you start the bike up. I say this because in general when we have fear or nervous about something we tend to focus more on that rather than what we need to be focused on. If your constantly worried about what is behind you then you will most likely be checking your mirrors more for longer periods of time, its good to always check them but focus on whats behind you is not your number one priority. It only takes a split second for someone in front of you to slam on their brakes. Also being scared on the road imo tends to make drivers or riders more timid when as we are the smallest things on the road timid is the last thing we need to be. We need to be very defensive riders in order to keep ourselves safe. Now im not saying to be aggressive and go out there like you own the road, you just need to be on the defense the second you turn it on from the second you turn it off because in the end your the only one who can ensure your safety while on the road.

Sent from my Pocket Rocket with Tapatalk

LVNeptune said:

Do you have pictures of the mirrors? I messaged him.

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http://www.600riders.com/forum/fz6-mods/37996-07-09-mirror-extenders.html

I'm sure your coach had mentioned this during his or her wrap up, but work your way from parking lots to neighborood streets then onto busier streets. When you feel comfortable, go on the freeway during off peak hours, like early Sunday morning.

It is best to ride with an exprerienced riders to help you along your new journey, not as an instructor, but as a guide. I usually direct a lot of new riders to the local forum I belong to here in Vegas, they pretty much take over from here. The seasoned members will guide you, emphasize riding gear and they go on weekly group rides, usually through Red Rock. Sign up and introduce yourself. There are a bunch of riders there who were just in the same situation as yourself so they know exactly what you are thinking!

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