14 years after my MSF course, it's all coming back
 

Well, I been doing short trips, getting used to my VTR. Its amazing that since my MSF course back in 1994 I have not rode a motorcycle. It's amazing how it "all comes back", all the stuff i was taught in that week long course...

I still struggle a little bit with slow right handed 90 degree turns, but all in all I am settling in well with my VTR.... when I am riding, i feel "with it" like we bond... and just go. Even if its a 15 minute session in my neighborhood, each time out, i am feeling more confident... thinking less of what my hands and feet have to do... its becoming more natural.... my eyes always on the lookout for "cagers"


logged on 65 suburban miles..... and getting the whole feel of it all, this is a great bike, a great machine!

I think my VTR and I will be buddies for many years and many miles.

Glad to hear you are enjoying the ride. My wife has had problems with 90 degree right handers from a stop. I tell her to look down the road, where she wants to go, instead of looking at the center line. It's called "target fixation", you tend to steer in the direction you are looking, so look where you want to go.

You are doing the right thing, gradually increasing the distance of your ride. It's all about living to ride another day. Have fun and ride safe.

Check out Nick Ienatsch's book, "Sport Riding Techniques" and Kieth Code's "A Twist Of The Wrist II". Both books give great coaching cues that stay in your head at critical moments. My wife has read them over and over, and she now has over 17,000 safe miles.

Tight circles to the right and 180 degree turns to the right are still a challenge. There's not a lot of clearance at full lock between the right clipon and the gas tank. I've got to be very deliberate about the position of my hand on the twistgrip. I control speed by slipping the clutch, using the back brake and keeping the throttle opening the same. It's an important skill to develop but practicing it is boring as hell.

The Superhawk in tight spaces is not a happy animal. Our forum administrator has been down three times. Twice in parking lots.

Listen up and pay attention. This guy is good but it happens. I'm not going to preach for him because he doesn't do much of that either.

He is an MSF instructor.

Nice to see i am not the only one struggling with the slow right hand turns

I've been riding since 1964, but I didn't own a motorcycle until 1981 (largely due to restrictions from my ex wife). So I was 35 when I started riding seriously, which is probably a good thing. But I had a lifelong friend who has ridden and worked in the motorcycle industry since the mid sixties (it was mostly his bikes I would ride before buying my own).

We rode together on weekends for several years, and he taught me how to have fun, and more importantly how to survive. I don't know how you would find someone like my friend, Clay, to mentor you, but the 2 books I mentioned in my earlier post really are great. My wife swears by them, which is better than having her swear at me :rolleyes: which you might know about if you ever tried to teach anything like riding to a significant other.