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GalaxyBlue
Well-known member
For those of you who have not met Smitty... He is simply amazing riding his 04 :agent: .
I am waiting for his reply to this thread! B)
Adam
I am waiting for his reply to this thread! B)
Adam
FJRME
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Read This
Much more than this is a hazard on public roads. "Practicing for the Dragon"?- PLEASE.
Practice swerving out of the way of some dumbass in a minivan full of kids that is pointing out the fantastic view while creeping into your lane. That'll change your turn radius and lean angle in a hurry. Hang off on that blind hard left while trying to duck the camper mirror coming at you at head level. Ever notice the gravel left on the road at a turnout that you intimidate the car in front of you to use? If you can't make the turn sitting in the seat, you're going too fast for a public road. I too have scraped the peg nub, but that is about all. I don't hang off. Try a track day. That's where the real men(and women) go to race and look cool. In socal where I live, there are way too many dickdrips with screws in their hockey pucks to spark(fire hazard) when they touch their knees on the ground while riding Palomar or Ortega hwy. When they get over their head, or just meet the unpredictable hazards of a public road, they cause the cops to look harder at the rest of us, insurance rates to go up, and motorcycle haters another reason to creep over the line or turn in front of us, etc. So next time you scare the shit out of some unsuspecting tourist while playing Mamola in a national park, remember that you are a contributing factor to the "cagers" attitude you will no doubt bitch about in this forum at one time or another. :rant:
Standby for incoming unheard, unrequired, opinionated lecture.........
Much more than this is a hazard on public roads. "Practicing for the Dragon"?- PLEASE.
Practice swerving out of the way of some dumbass in a minivan full of kids that is pointing out the fantastic view while creeping into your lane. That'll change your turn radius and lean angle in a hurry. Hang off on that blind hard left while trying to duck the camper mirror coming at you at head level. Ever notice the gravel left on the road at a turnout that you intimidate the car in front of you to use? If you can't make the turn sitting in the seat, you're going too fast for a public road. I too have scraped the peg nub, but that is about all. I don't hang off. Try a track day. That's where the real men(and women) go to race and look cool. In socal where I live, there are way too many dickdrips with screws in their hockey pucks to spark(fire hazard) when they touch their knees on the ground while riding Palomar or Ortega hwy. When they get over their head, or just meet the unpredictable hazards of a public road, they cause the cops to look harder at the rest of us, insurance rates to go up, and motorcycle haters another reason to creep over the line or turn in front of us, etc. So next time you scare the shit out of some unsuspecting tourist while playing Mamola in a national park, remember that you are a contributing factor to the "cagers" attitude you will no doubt bitch about in this forum at one time or another. :rant:
Standby for incoming unheard, unrequired, opinionated lecture.........
madmike2
Shtirrenuppenmeister
Hey, administrators, is there a way to "pin" the article The Pace under ride planning. You know, where the hand signal post is. This is really great info, and what I use in my pre-ride lectures. And it works, if everyone will participate.
FJRME, no complaints from me. There are places I ride briskly, but not on busy or well travelled roadways. That's way to dangerous for me and not the way I plan to be taken out . Busy roads=touring mode! Of course, my '04 was toatlled by someone riding over their heads and forcing me over a cliff in the Sierra's, so I might have a different take than some others.
And, talk about BMW riders with an attitude, the CHP will give you all the attitude you can handle! Wait until you find out they are serving and protecting others by penalizing you .
FJRME, no complaints from me. There are places I ride briskly, but not on busy or well travelled roadways. That's way to dangerous for me and not the way I plan to be taken out . Busy roads=touring mode! Of course, my '04 was toatlled by someone riding over their heads and forcing me over a cliff in the Sierra's, so I might have a different take than some others.
And, talk about BMW riders with an attitude, the CHP will give you all the attitude you can handle! Wait until you find out they are serving and protecting others by penalizing you .
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C
Centerline
Guest
Standby for incoming unheard, unrequired, opinionated lecture.........
Yes. PLEASE. practicing for upcoming ride to the Dragon. I have a desire to be comfortable when riding on that road on the FJR. Plan on riding it on WEEKDAYS when I am told traffic is light. Have been riding roadbikes since 1968 and have had one very minor (warrantied mech. failure) accident. Never been stopped by any LEO or ticketed* while operating a motorcycle.
Was riding the Ortega Highway and up Palomar Mountain and most of the rest of California when the average price of a home in Orange County was about $35,000.
Been "practicing" many long years and will continue to do so. :clap:
*I have, however deserved ticketing on more than one occaison. B)
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FJRME
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Sorry, I guess I misunderstood. I thought that statement was an invitation for a rant.It's nice to see you pull that finger out long enough to use it for something else.
Sorry again. Most people practice to race, not ride. I didn't know the FJR was new to you. My point is still that you can ride safely without endangering others and still get all the thrill, fun, and excitement that riding has to offer. Whether you're on an unfamiliar road, or your old favorite, conditions change. Around the blind corner may be a guy changing a tire, an animal crossing, a bicyclist, whatever. Spirited ride, you betcha!
Hanging off, doubling the caution speed on an unfamiliar road, not me. To each his own.
1968 huh? Then I guess the experience you've gained in 38 years of riding makes up for the increased reaction time and decrease in eyesight. Sorry in advance.
Ride safe, and have a fun Dragon day!
S76
Well-known member
If you're riding the bike in your avatar, I don't blame you for not leaning! :haha:
Well, uhm, actually, yes!
As far as the muffler scraping, hey, to each his own. I don't ride to that level. Don't feel the need, and don't feel confident doing it. I can have a great time just tooling around and saying, "Was that a John Deere or a Masey Fergeson behind that barn?" It's whatever works for you. I already know that the 06 (If it ever comes,) will be way too fast for my riding. I already plan to pull 2 plug wires off for normal operation. (I know it's not good for the engine but if you alternate plug wires on each ride I see no harm.)
But for those that do like a high spirited ride, please be safe!
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madmike2
Shtirrenuppenmeister
Bob, if you are adult enough to appreciate the bike and modulate your right wrist, you won't have any trouble with the FJR. It's a great touring bike. Most of the people I ride with in Norcal ride 2-up and enjoy the scenery as much as the ride and the comraderie.
Leave the plug wires alone, just ride the bike and keep it under control.
Leave the plug wires alone, just ride the bike and keep it under control.
Dangerous Dave
The older I get, the faster I was...
I'm going to have to echo these sentiments. I raced bikes for about a decade with WERA. I've destroyed knee and toe sliders in a race weekend. But if you need to hang off, you're going too fast for the street. I ride fast, I have fun, I DON'T hang off on the street.
Second, there's no such thing as practicing FOR Deal's Gap, only practicing ON Deal's Gap. It's a tight, twisty, technical, gnarly, relentless piece of pavement. There's a reason that the first big curve at each end of the Dragon are called "beginner's end". It's because guys go charging into the Dragon thinking they're ready for anything, and realize (a little too late) that it's not like anything they've ever seen.
The smart thing to do is to go through a couple times at a modest pace and get a feel for the road. Turn up the wick gradually as you become more familiar with it, but don't turn it up too much, lest ye end up a statistic there as sooooo many do every year. The Deal's Gap resort NEVER runs out of fresh bodywork for the tree of shame.
And heed those warnings about RVs (or semis) coming at you in your lane around a blind curve...it really does happen there!
Not trying to preach Bro, just trying to save a fellow rider from becoming a statistic. I go to the Gap every year for more than a decade now and LOVE IT! But I also know firsthand that the Dragon bites...hard!
Ride smart and live to ride another day.
Dangerous Dave
The older I get, the faster I was...
Lord I hope you're kidding! That would be a REALLY bad idea! For one thing, the imbalance in the engine will be pure hell on everything. The fuel being injected into those cylinders but not burned will; A) Destroy your catalytic converters, most likely melting them down and plugging them up. B ) Contaminate your oil with fuel, relieving it of it's duty to actually lubricate the engine. And you run the risk of possibly destroying the coils and woefully expensive igniter circuit from all that voltage with nowhere to go.
My suggestion??? Don't twist the throttle so hard.
painman
Well-known member
How does Deals Gap compare with Hwy 1 where it turns inland over to Leggett in northern CA? I think it was 36 miles and real tight. I road the old HD over that road this year and thats one reason I ordered the 06 FJR. I would really like to try out a new FZ1 on that streach though. Waiting and waiting and....PM. < ((((((>< :huh:
((((((>< :huh:
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Dangerous Dave
The older I get, the faster I was...
Well, having never been on Hwy 1, I can't really say, although it certainly looks twisty on the map. Here, however, is a little blurb in this month's issue of American Motorcyclist. It's a brief story about two guys ride from maryland to Cali and back in 17 days. The writer says his favorite part of the trip was the 120 mile trek down PCH from Santa Cruz to Cambria. He says;
"After our cruise down the PCH, I decided that no other set of curves in the country could compare. Seven days later I was convinced otherwise as I met the "Dragon". Deal's Gap, a part of US Route 129, is famed for its hundreds of turns, and if the PCH's curves were treacherous, the Dragon's curves were diabolical. How diabolical? During the 17-day trip, the only incident that got my heart pounding was a tight left-hander on the Dragon that I almost failed to negotiate. We didn't just ride the Dragon. We survived it. But like the rest of the trip, I was happy I did it. Man I had fun."
The rest of the story is on page 52 in the Feb '06 issue.
I'm sure there are plenty more roads in the country that are as complex as the Dragon. But people come from all over the world to ride the Dragon for a good reason. It's an indescribeable thrill when you get it right, but something 'a little less so' if you get it wrong. I've helped more than one rider pull their bike out of the ditch, or back up the cliff, on the Dragon. It doesn't exactly make your day or theirs.
Just start out slow down there...you'll be fine.
S76
Well-known member
Lord I hope you're kidding! My suggestion??? Don't twist the throttle so hard.
Yeah I was. I will actually use the power more for just rolling up and down hills two up with out much shifting. To me that is the definition of a power advantage. edit: Hey that fng thing is gone!
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madmike2
Shtirrenuppenmeister
Yeah, it's like...a mystical experience.....Wow.....nobody knows why, but after 25 posts or so your status changes. Waaaay kewel!edit: Hey that fng thing is gone!
Ed_Grant
Well-known member
For Dragon status go to Killboy.com. He has weekly reports on it that go back several years along with lots of photos. I've never ridden any roads east of the Mississippi but I hope to sample some Tennessee roads later this year.
C
Centerline
Guest
with all due respect about "there is no practicing for the Dragon, just practicing on it, etc... While I am not a motorcycle racer or instructor, I do know lots and lots about practice.
I have been a professional pilot since 1974. Much of that time has been as an instructor, and most of the years have been spent "practicing."
In the flying done for the Marines, we practiced and practiced before doing the real thing. We "practiced" learning to land on a carrier by first flying HUNDREDS of passes at a "carrier deck" painted on a land runway, complete with the optical landing aid. Although I was not a Fighter Weapons School instructor, (Top Gun) I was a graduate of the course, where we practiced fake aerial combat.
I have most recently, the past 14 years, been instructing pilots in Boeing 767 and 757 jets, not in a simulator, but in the real jet. Before the pilots come to the real jet, they get hour after hour of, you guessed it--practice. Much practice in an artificial, controlled environment, so that when the real world is introduced, the basic operation and maneuvering is second nature to the pilot.
The necessity and gains possible with practice riding of a motorcycle in various maneuvers is quite comparable, you may have even noticed that MSF rider classes train and practice in an artificial environment, and that graduates of these "practice" courses are licensed by state authorities to operate motorcycles in the real world w/o even a real world skill demonstration...the artificial practice is deemed enough for licensing.
You can bet that although I will be practiced nearly as thoroughly as I can be B4 arriving at the Dragon, that it will be MANY, in the dozens of runs B4 I attempt an intentional FJR peg dragging.
Dangerous Dave
The older I get, the faster I was...
Centerline, let me first say that I'm not trying to be condescending at all. If I'm coming across that way, then please accept my immediate apology. I'm just trying to save your ass.with all due respect about "there is no practicing for the Dragon, just practicing on it, etc... While I am not a motorcycle racer or instructor, I do know lots and lots about practice.<snip>
The necessity and gains possible with practice riding of a motorcycle in various maneuvers is quite comparable, you may have even noticed that MSF rider classes train and practice in an artificial environment, and that graduates of these "practice" courses are licensed by state authorities to operate motorcycles in the real world w/o even a real world skill demonstration...the artificial practice is deemed enough for licensing.
You can bet that although I will be practiced nearly as thoroughly as I can be B4 arriving at the Dragon, that it will be MANY, in the dozens of runs B4 I attempt an intentional FJR peg dragging.
Your flight record certainly would bare out that you're far from an idiot. Let me ask you this though, do all the training runs and simulations truly prepare one for everything the real world can dish out?? I think not. As far as the MSF and licensing issue...the MSF instrusctors usually end their sermon with something to the effect of 'congratulations on passing, but understand that this course doesn't prepare you for everything you'll encounter in the real world'. My 75 year old mother has a driver's license, even though she totalled 3 cars in 18 months. The state didn't take away her driving priviledges...I did...before she killed or maimed somebody. But I digress.
If you want an exercise that will come close to getting you ready for what the Dragon has to offer...here it is. Find yourself a clean deserted piece of pavement two lanes wide. Now ride around in a circle two or three times in each direction quickly, transitioning from clockwise to counterclockwise and back every two to three loops, without falling down, slowing down, putting your feet down or going outside the width of those two lanes. When you can do that proficiently, you just MIGHT be ready for what the Dragon serves up.
I'm not saying don't go ride the Dragon, I'm just saying don't go in there after doing some fast laps around a parking lot and think you're 'good to go'. It ain't the same.
Fastfar
Well-known member
I began draggin pegs on my stock suspension 03 about 500 miles after I got it. As I learned the bikes handeling characteristics, I began grinding the peg bolts to dust, but there was still chicken strip on the front tire (MEZ6) tho the rear was stripless. I have kissed the center stand once on a compression in a left hander, just a bit of the can as well, and only once. Once down on the peg, the bike is quite stable thru long sweepers or short left to right sequences, and once I learned where the pegs hit, it was my limit.
Enter the "professional coaching" phase and Avon tires (MEZ's/'stones no more) and I now enter and exit corners faster but without touching pegs...I finally figured out how to slide off the seat (Russell Day Long) lean forward, and inside and lean with the bike instead of just sitting on it. The tires are just better, the body position and my anchor points are effctive and I control the bike way better. I keep a little front chicken strip in reserve, but I have taken the tires to the edge and they are excellent.
And I practice every time I ride...always trying to make my technique simpler and more efficient. For me, practicing and improving are part of the fun of riding. I can never just sit there again.
I'll probably never be more than a "B" pace street rider, and I don't ride it like it was a Sport Bike, I ride it like it's a "Super-Sport Touring" bike
Enter the "professional coaching" phase and Avon tires (MEZ's/'stones no more) and I now enter and exit corners faster but without touching pegs...I finally figured out how to slide off the seat (Russell Day Long) lean forward, and inside and lean with the bike instead of just sitting on it. The tires are just better, the body position and my anchor points are effctive and I control the bike way better. I keep a little front chicken strip in reserve, but I have taken the tires to the edge and they are excellent.
And I practice every time I ride...always trying to make my technique simpler and more efficient. For me, practicing and improving are part of the fun of riding. I can never just sit there again.
I'll probably never be more than a "B" pace street rider, and I don't ride it like it was a Sport Bike, I ride it like it's a "Super-Sport Touring" bike
Shadowfax
Well-known member
So the left muffler and the centerstand have both been listed (independently) as first contact points? No one touches on the right side?
I'm only concerned about touching on the track. At Road America I hang off as much as I can and still drag the pegs on the carousel and turn 3 (I like turn 3).
I'd rather not scrape the mufflers as I don't have the cash to replace them and go to CLASS.
I've got the Wilbers w/ ride height adjust and I'll raise it for next time, what other useful tips can anyone offer?
When grinding the right peg feeler, it raises the peg and starts to squish my foot. Would removing the peg feelers be a good idea, our just give me no warning before I hit the muffler?
I see Dunlop lists the 208ZR as an option for the FJR - with the CLASS discount I'll be running their replacement (Qualifiers) this summer. Anyone try the 208ZR or qualifiers yet?
I'm only concerned about touching on the track. At Road America I hang off as much as I can and still drag the pegs on the carousel and turn 3 (I like turn 3).
I'd rather not scrape the mufflers as I don't have the cash to replace them and go to CLASS.
I've got the Wilbers w/ ride height adjust and I'll raise it for next time, what other useful tips can anyone offer?
When grinding the right peg feeler, it raises the peg and starts to squish my foot. Would removing the peg feelers be a good idea, our just give me no warning before I hit the muffler?
I see Dunlop lists the 208ZR as an option for the FJR - with the CLASS discount I'll be running their replacement (Qualifiers) this summer. Anyone try the 208ZR or qualifiers yet?
