First ride.
 

The wifey and I took her new bike for a spin. Worked a bit on feeling out the clutch and turning from a stop. Tomorrow, we're gonna try getting her speeds up a little bit and maintain 'em. Here's a few pics. I don't want to hear shit about her gear. Keep in mind we were just rolling around our immediate neighborhood.

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...Picture071.jpg
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...Picture072.jpg
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...Picture074.jpg
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...Picture077.jpg
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...Picture088.jpg

Damn, her new camera is good.

looks awesome! is the bike lowered?

congrats to you and your wife!

one thing though... you might remind her to "cover" the clutch and break... it's easier to just squeeze than move the fingers than squeeze... :2cents:

Fuck covering that shit. I don't do it. Why should she? Whatever she feels comfortable with. I use to cover the clutch and I was trying to drag knee for the first time. I decided not to cover the clutch and I dragged knee. Gripping the bar with all my fingers seemed tohelp. No, the bike's not lowered. You can't. Maybe the back, but not the front.

Looking good D.
Bike looks good, and the wife looks good. Can't remember if i've seen a pic of her before.

either way congrats and keep it up!

wish our weather was that nice...

humm... interesting... it was what I was told at MSF and it's what I'm comfortable with... I just use two fingers on either lever though...

but as far as my understanding as to why... it was because in a panic... your gonna grab a lot harder when your moving your fingers to the lever compared to when you just have to squeeze... it also takes a split second longer...

but like you said... what ever she's comfortable with:dthumb:


ok just looks lowered I think it's my screen though... the aspect ratio is all fucked up.

:lmao::lmao:

In a panic, you're likely to grab too much brake regardless. That's where you have to keep your brain about things like that. If my two fingers are on the brake, I'm gonna squeeze just as hard. But that's me, I'm very experienced. New riders will probably squeeze the fuck out of it no matter what. I was telling my wife about not sueezing the brake too hard in a panic situation. The front end will just wash out.

yeah actually now that I think about it they told us to NOT cover the break but cover the clutch... I got my only points taken away for having two fingers cover'n the brake...

they wanted to emphasize you to pull the clutch in a panic rather than slam on the brakes...


how was it with her? I know it can be a bit frustrating teach'n someone you care about... things go smooth?

Yeah, they went smooth. Just reminded myself not to get carried away.

:wtfru:
Gear, Gear, Gear, Gear!!!

Just kidding. Here is my 1st time riding a bike. And that stayed my normal gear for about a month...
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1107/...1447fe8191.jpg

The bike looks great. Now I want one to throw around up there at the Gap.

Damn Dlit, what's your wife, like 4'9" and 80lbs?

I want wheelie pics next time.

:werd:

:shrug: I'm not sure either. There was a lowered one by one of the custom bike shops down in Daytona, and it appeared to be lowered all around, but not sure (it was just LOW, that's for certain :lol: )

But it looks like it fits her great!!! So happy for her!

Looks good man :dthumb: Makes me wish I could get a new one.

nice work :cheers:
I never cover anything... or at least not consciously

Looks good. My friend Dean teaches the basic course and asked me if I wanted to teach. It would be fun, but I have no patience. Learned that when I tried to teach people how to drive a stick-shift. Dean says his two biggest problems are teaching how to use the clutch and how to keep new riders from looking just ten feet in front of the bike. I thought it would be turning.

I was the same way when I first started. It wasn't uncommon for me to rock the t-shirt and shorts. I was an idiot. But she has me and I won't let her go on rides with anything less than her jacket, helmet, gloves, jeans and the boots she was wearing in the pics.

I'm hoping by the end of this coming week we'll be on the open roads.

I too am a reformed squid.

My wife's 5'3" 100lbs.

Great pics bro...that little Ninja looks kick ass ! Back in the 80's I was looking at the Ninja 250 for my first bike.....they've really come a long ways !
Be easy on her ....keep it fun and you'll be riding together for years to come !

Spinner

Good job!! :dthumb:

I'm with you on the covering... always cover clutch, never cover brake. Even though you don't want to hear about gear (ok, so I won't preach...) but, if she is going to be riding AGATT, you might want her to get used to the feel of it on. It's a different feel, that's all ;)

looks good

time check

Its good to see Im not the only reformed squid. Went from jeans or shorts with a tshirt and helmet and gloves to jacket helmet gloves and sturdy boots with jeans. Next comes the leather and higher end gloves and hopefully boots this summer. Now I just need to get my riding buddies on here to get them away from being squids...

yea you do . then come ride with me.

Ill see what can do. And Im sure Ill be able to make a few trips down to akron to ride. Probably wont be able to keep up but Ill come follow along.

fuck akron, we're goin down south bro. better plan on makin it an all day thing.

I figured that, but I gotta meet up with you somewhere.

make it peninsula (cuyohoga river valley). we'll hit rt 8 from there, down to new philly, and on to the twisties from there.

That works, Im about 10-15 minutes from peninsula depending on traffic and thats where I used to have cross country practice every day during hs.

nawice. just lemme get my license back.

Thats fine, I still gotta let my face heal and get a few refresher miles in before I go play on anything too crazy.

j/w, did you end up paying 5K for it?

I think anyone who rides with gear is a "Reformed" squid. Really I doubt but a handful of people do what we suggest.

I mean how many times do you think someone went out with no motorcycle experience and bought a Ninja250 or even a SV650(Instead of the Gixxer600/750/100). And at the same time bought some Dainese leather pants, jacket, Boots, Gloves, Arai, and then took the MSF course both beginner and advanced before hitting the streets.

Most people start out with a helmet becuase they have to and that's it. I started with nothing but a helmet. But I did have goals of eventually getting atleast a Textile jacket as soon as I could(Which I did). That took a month.

Now all I need is some riding boots which is next on my list and I'll be fully geared and possibly trackday ready.

i started out in helamt and gloves boots and jeans, coming from a dirt racing back ground, i know what it feels like to bail

*raises hand*
I did almost exactly what you said, except minus the leather pants and the advanced MSF course.

I bought my gloves boots and Jacket before I got my bike... got my helmet with my bike... it did take me 3months to get into a riders course... of course only 2 weeks of that was ridable weather... (damn Alaska springs)

I have no problem with what DLit's doing... if she goes down she'll fuck up her sweatshirt and jeans... MAYBE end up with some rash... (more likely some rug burn from the sweatshirt) and a little hurt pride... at most she might break a wrist or something if things go really wack... but she'll be fine.


it's the guys on the freeway... (usually they're the ones fuck'n around with stunts in traffic too...) that are Squids IMO... fuck'n around in parking lots and side streets... at like 25mph... as long as there's a helmet on and skin is covered... have fun :2cents:

She never went above 20. Once the speeds get higher, she'll have all her gear. Now go fuck yourselves. I love you.

Honestly even though I try to avoid being a squid at this point, if I was just riding around in a basically traffic less neighborhood, I would probably just be wearing a t-shirt. Thats actually all I had on when I dumped my bike last summer and walked off the side of it.

:lol: Me too almost. Bought my helmet, jacket, leather chaps, gloves (yes, gawd, chaps-it was January!!) all at the same time I got my bike, I already had my boots. But I thoroughly like my skin and have had family members go down, so that made a huge difference for me...

DLIT, she looks great out there, we know you wouldnt be letting her squid if it was unsafe, cant wait to get the next progress report!

???...

I like to follow my insults with words of kindness.

Those Ninjas are great looking bikes! Looks like she is getting the hang of it, I am sure she will benefit from your experience.

I think my first day was in shorts and a t shirt for parking lot practice. My first rides on dead end/ low traffic roads were in the same gear I think. Since I have started getting into traffic I try to make sure I wear jeans and my bright yellow hoodie, but I should have real gear on the way shortly.

I hope so! hate to see ya get hurt bro... it's not worth it

Sweet mang.

The rear is lowered by getting a shorter dogbone. I don't know if you can move the triple clamp down the forks though. My niece's old Ninjette was lowered a bit.

BTW, Yoshimura 2-in-in and K&N air filter. Enough said. :pat:

My riding progression: Full gear on a TTR125 for a day. Full Gear for the MSF. Full gear for a couple hundred miles local, Full gear for my first track day, full gear for all riding after that.

That's awesome Derek.

Must have felt pretty cool to watch her riding around and learning. Like a proud parent or something. Except you get to nail her after.

In some places that's acceptible anyway....