GPJake Posted April 15, 2021 Share Posted April 15, 2021 This is not my info, but a member recently shared this in Discord, and I thought it was very interesting. Because nothing lasts in Discord, copy + pasting here. Background Bike: R1200RT I had not done any low speed maneuvers to speak of with the new bike, and the little I did was back in October. I had ridden about 600 miles this year so far, boring highway work commute stuff, nothing to teach me anything. I had hoped to get some parking lot practice in before the class, but I was working long hours for the last month and could not make it happen. Consequently, I was a little self-conscious or nervous, as being less then assertively competent after the winter break. I wanted to appear competent to my passenger, and I was was DISTRACTED by the fact that I wanted my passenger to trust my ability on the bike. Preparation I maxed out my possible insurance coverage for the bike, because I was going to have a passenger. (focus on medical coverage for the passenger. The bike is replaceable) An extra $100 a month is a no-brainer, certainly while we figure out what we are doing. (It is easy to dial it back if we want to) She felt very cared for and knew I was taking her safety seriously. Trust was being built. I gave her a curriculum of videos to watch on 2-up riding, and some articles on the subject. She learned some things, and again saw I was taking it seriously for us both. Bonus: When I got the BMW, I got riding gear with it from the former owner, and his wife. The gear was all a good fit for my passenger. (Size S) The evening before This was the first time my passenger and I were on a bike together. We did some basic parking lot practice for mounting and dismounting practice, and some braking and stops and starts. (10 mins tops) Then we rode about 50 miles on I-75 at night. No drama. Everybody felt good at the end of it. The morning We rode up in the morning. 95 miles to the class site in Delaware, Ohio. Beautiful sunrise. Empty highway. Nice ride. 42 degrees when we left at 6:15am. The class Some of the exercises I did solo, and some I did with my passenger. Some things I noticed about my skills on the new bike: Because the bike has ABS and linked brakes, I have been using the front brake almost exclusively. The downside is that I have not developed that nice light controlled touch of the rear brake AT ALL. Also, the BMW has a LOT of braking power so it demands more precise inputs. That was an eye opener and I COMPLETELY SUCKED at the 20x8 weave and the U-turn in the box. (I actually could BARELY do them. humbling moment) I mentioned that I was a bit self conscious because I had a passenger. That affected my willingness to commit fully to some moves because I was a tiny bit conscious of being watched. I was in my head too much and not relaxed enough on the bike. I did not follow every instruction in class when I had the passenger on board. moment-to-moment safety trumps perfection on the range. Operate Navigate Communicate In that order. Physically There is a lot of starting and stopping in these exercises. By the end of the day, I was more tired from managing all of the top heavy weight for the 200 or more starts and stops. Still, it makes me appreciate the fact that starting and stopping with a passenger is not something to take for granted. Physical conditioning MATTERS. Thighs, hip mobility, shoulders, forearms. Side note: The rider coach asked my passenger "What helped you manage your movement on the bike through the exercises?" She answered "Years of Pilates" She was rock solid back there, completely fantastic, cool headed, and having a lot of fun. We rode about 50 miles that night. No drama. Everybody felt good at the end of it. Specific lessons learned I need to practice the skills specific to this (sport touring) bike because it is quite different than the other (cruiser) bike. Rear brake skills still matter. (A lot) Even though I am looking out for my passenger, I need to ride the bike assertively and with MORE authority because of the top heavy load. (i.e. not be distracted) After 95 miles of highway, I must be careful of having some muscle stiffness and coming to a complete stop with the extra weight. Physical conditioning. Including my passenger in advance of the class set the expectations and attitude. The result was relaxation, trust, and FUN. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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