smakawhat
07-01-2006, 07:28 PM
Well finally got the wheels out for a short-time, but it was needed.
I got geared up and ready to ride, gave the bike a blessing and spent sometime getting her started and warmed up.
then I had to "CAREFULLY" powerwalk her between my parked car and my neighbours parked car. HA HA first sucess.
Next!! :-D
So ironicaly my first task was to go to a parking lot nearby, HOWEVER, I discovered that my tire pressure was WAY too low so I had to hit a gas station.
I took neighbourhood streets to get to it cause I didn't want to hit main traffic as much. Made it, topped up and then headed out. Ironically there was another biker I passed on the way and believe it or not I gave a wave (he/she was in full gear) and I got a very recepricated head nod.
I hadn't stalled too much at all (maybe once) but then I got to the parking lot and it was... closed???
What the hell?? so I just decided to drive around the residential streets in my DC neighbourhood (which actually is a challenge in a car regardless). People around DC drive BADLY just in general.
I was doing pretty good, then all of a sudden I decided that instead of finding another parking lot I had enough practice and was getting tired. I was doing a ton of stop and go, no complaints. Unfortunatly I found myself stalling more often I am not sure why... I have a feeling I might not have been starting in 1st. Why you may ask? My theory is because when I returned home and shut my engine off outside my driveway, I had a very hard time putting my bike in neutral..
I have the Positive Netural Finder on my Kawasaki 500r (which means that at stop when in first you can't shift past neutral), and I think I shut the bike off while I was in 2nd?? :confused:
I don't know what happened I must have spent 2 minutes STOMPING on the lever, I finally turned the ignition on and still nothing was jiving. I was all the way down and then pulled up as far as it went and the green N wouldn't come on. Then somehow it just got in.
I am hoping there isn't a problem. I'll assume it was me and see if it happens again tomorrow.
Had to roll it in backwards in the driveway between two cars which is on a slope which was tricky but managed fine. I had to use sum MUSKLE to push the dam thing.
So all in all SUCCESS! :thumbsup:
findings....
I did find some good feel on it, but I need a lot more practice.
I think I may have had a top speed of 30 maybe 32 at max
I am finding using my turn signal to turn off is really tricky. I find I hit it and then to turn it off I push it back and the other side goes on. I am hitting it too hard, and then it distracts me. I'll need work on this it wasn't something practiced in the MSF for me.
Total miles accrued.... about 5
It was a perfect day to go riding, lots of sun and shine (especially after all the dam rain), and many bikers were out. But there were LOTS of squids out there too (basically t shirts, shorts, tennis shoes, and sometimes helmet [most of the time not though] )
Going to find the elusive parking lot tomorrow.
Everyone enjoy! :wavey:
I got geared up and ready to ride, gave the bike a blessing and spent sometime getting her started and warmed up.
then I had to "CAREFULLY" powerwalk her between my parked car and my neighbours parked car. HA HA first sucess.
Next!! :-D
So ironicaly my first task was to go to a parking lot nearby, HOWEVER, I discovered that my tire pressure was WAY too low so I had to hit a gas station.
I took neighbourhood streets to get to it cause I didn't want to hit main traffic as much. Made it, topped up and then headed out. Ironically there was another biker I passed on the way and believe it or not I gave a wave (he/she was in full gear) and I got a very recepricated head nod.
I hadn't stalled too much at all (maybe once) but then I got to the parking lot and it was... closed???
What the hell?? so I just decided to drive around the residential streets in my DC neighbourhood (which actually is a challenge in a car regardless). People around DC drive BADLY just in general.
I was doing pretty good, then all of a sudden I decided that instead of finding another parking lot I had enough practice and was getting tired. I was doing a ton of stop and go, no complaints. Unfortunatly I found myself stalling more often I am not sure why... I have a feeling I might not have been starting in 1st. Why you may ask? My theory is because when I returned home and shut my engine off outside my driveway, I had a very hard time putting my bike in neutral..
I have the Positive Netural Finder on my Kawasaki 500r (which means that at stop when in first you can't shift past neutral), and I think I shut the bike off while I was in 2nd?? :confused:
I don't know what happened I must have spent 2 minutes STOMPING on the lever, I finally turned the ignition on and still nothing was jiving. I was all the way down and then pulled up as far as it went and the green N wouldn't come on. Then somehow it just got in.
I am hoping there isn't a problem. I'll assume it was me and see if it happens again tomorrow.
Had to roll it in backwards in the driveway between two cars which is on a slope which was tricky but managed fine. I had to use sum MUSKLE to push the dam thing.
So all in all SUCCESS! :thumbsup:
findings....
I did find some good feel on it, but I need a lot more practice.
I think I may have had a top speed of 30 maybe 32 at max
I am finding using my turn signal to turn off is really tricky. I find I hit it and then to turn it off I push it back and the other side goes on. I am hitting it too hard, and then it distracts me. I'll need work on this it wasn't something practiced in the MSF for me.
Total miles accrued.... about 5
It was a perfect day to go riding, lots of sun and shine (especially after all the dam rain), and many bikers were out. But there were LOTS of squids out there too (basically t shirts, shorts, tennis shoes, and sometimes helmet [most of the time not though] )
Going to find the elusive parking lot tomorrow.
Everyone enjoy! :wavey: