Looks like a great class. When I took the Experienced Rider Course for the second time in order to do it on my "new" FJR, I took up the challenge when they did the figure 8's, to stay inside the box and not put a foot down. And as they kept tightening them up by closing down the box you're in, I kept right on doing those 8's inside the box. I was the only one in the class who didn't put a foot down (nobody dropped their bike) to get through the figure 8's even when they tightened it down to the minimum training specification. And I'd say my height (I'm 6'3") isn't a benefit, because when the bikes going that slow and leaned at that angle, if she goes over, she's going over regardless of how quick you get a foot down.
But it takes cojones and confidence in physics and gyroscopes and counter-balancing (what in the $%*&@ am I talking about!?), when you've shifted your weight to the outer peg and looked through to where you want to go, to press the handlebar closer to the ground and give it throttle... But upsa-daisie she comes right up and goes right around. The trick is to take your time, move your body actively across the seat, use lots of accelerator while feathering the clutch, and never look at the ground beneath you, but deep over your shoulder to your destination.
Later on after I was strutting like Da Man, the other students said, "Sure, I can do that. But it wasn't worth dumping my bike for." And I believed them. Me, I really wanted to work the FJR to the limit, and this was the controlled opportunity to do so. And I'd always heard it's easy to ride a bike fast; not easy to ride it slow, so that if you want to know who's really an expert, see how they handle it slow. I really wanted to reach that skill level.
Now, at an FJR gathering, I will always paddle-walk the bike in front of the crowd instead of trying to show off doing a tight U-turn and risk dumping it. That's too much pressure and I couldn't concentrate.
But in retrospect, I might not have gone as far down the path as I did, but like the others in the class, opted out by going over the lines of the box. And so that's my advice to anyone practicing that skill, is to give yourself permission not to max out your lean-over angle or whatever. Set personal goals and try for those.
Jb
