Woooo Hooo[sm=yeahsmile.gif],
My neighbor told me of a place that was right up the street to go riding at. So I listened to his advice and loaded my bike into the bed of my pick up and I was off.
The place I went was about as big as a high school baseball field and was perfect for riding in. I had to get used to the motorcycle being so much more stable than my mountain bike, as in it didnt nearly slide as much, and breaks worked much better!!!. It was a great time. they had this big vertical hill to get up and this being the 1st time going up it I had it in 1st and gunned it up the hill hanging on to the handle bars for dear life as it drug me up the side of this cliff[sm=burnout.gif], it was crazy but very fun. My wrists are sore as anything for hanging on the whole time. I'm so used to a mountain bike, where you really just steer, here the bike is actually pulling you hard as you hang on not trying to fall off the end. I was practicing my turns in the dirt, WHAT FUN!! You can lean that bike over a good deal, aim the front tire where you want to go, then kick up some dirt as you go there. I really can't imagine nor do I want to know what is like to ride those 650cc 2 stroke dirt bikes, I figure that my arms would be ripped off and going with the bike as I just plopped to the ground. Serously, this bike is more then powerful enough for me, I know I haven't been riding in forever, but this thing pulls me everywhere I want to go and I was just going slow today.
One question, how do you guys shift while standing up on the pegs going over really rought terrain??[sm=dontgetit.gif]. It just far too bumpy to shift up or down, I guess I just got to get used to it huh. Anyways this is way more dirt riding then I got the bike for, I really just want to take it up to the Mountains and ride the trails all day long, Not go up and down steep hill, jump over little bumps, ect.. but it sure is fun knowing that this bike is more then capable of it.
Now I have to go wait in line at the local DMV[sm=shootshoot.gif] to take my written exam so that I can drive this on the local back roads. I have been taking the bike up to an abandoned kroger parking lot doing all the excersizes which the msf has in the hand book and also from a bunch of other sources I have found on line. I feel really good today, I don't know, its just getting out there and having a blast, just makes you feel good and tired, but in a different way then if you went jogging. I felt the exact same when I was White water kayaking, but if you think that a motorcycle is dangerous, just try white water kayaking, that will make your adrenaline pump out of your ears[sm=jawdrop.gif] I will try to add some pics on the next trip I take. I wish that I did have my license so that I didnt have to load it just to take it 5 minutes down the road, that was just extra work, especially putting it back up there the 2nd time after I was all wore out from riding, arggg.

 

Sounds like a lot of fun, and you are ahead of the game if you have experience on mountain bikes. Just remember when you stand on the pegs you will be using muscles that well for me have not been used that way for years, I couldn't hardly walk for days after my first day of ridding. Have fun and be careful, oh and as far as shifting while standing it's just something you have to figure out.

deej

 

Comming from a 900cc sportbike with 130HP, that accelerated to 120 faster than this bike hits 60... I'll tell you that the key it NOT to use the bars to resist the acceleration forces... especially whne braking. Use the pegs and set ot hold you as much as pissible on accleration and use the tank and pegs when braking. compared to a MTB it's defnitely a different set of dynamics, but the same basic rules of staying upright on 2 wheels apply. I find my bicycles really helped my reflexes when reacting ot the front end tucking or the rear end sliding. Those small steering inputs ot sty upright are key.

Glad you're enjoying the bike.

 

Good call, if I had I bike like you described then im sure every full throttle take off would be pissible[sm=smiley5.gif]. So you use the pegs to leverage against as the bikes shoot off, I think that i had figured this out today on the track as the only way to stay on, but I wasnt aware of it, Now that I recall that is exactly what I was doing going up the side of that cliff, I was standing up vertically with my bike on the pegs, and that sucker just pulled me up all the way, no problem . The 1st time was hairy, but after the 1st time I knew the right line and did it every time better and better, WHAT A BLAST!!!. I only have 40 miles on my bike so far though, and 38 of that has been in the neighborhood[sm=bangbang.gif]. Hopefully I won't have to wait at the dmv this saturday for 4 hours while I wait to take my written bike exam. Thanks for all the replies guys, this bike has been a blast, and you guys have been great.

 

Incabiker- You're in the Atlanta area right? I just took my road test a couple of weeks ago in Cartersville at the DMV. The instructors are nicer there I was told. If you can take it there. It's a lot less busy than around Woodstock where I live and even though I showed up an hour and a half early they got me right out to the course.

The riding test was suprisingly easy. I had my motorcyle license in Illinois about 10 years ago and the test was much harder up there. Make sure and practice you're quick stops from 15 miles and hour. In the last excercise, which there are only three, you have to accelerate to a speed between 12 and 18 miles an hour in about 40 feet and watch the light ahead of you which tells you to either stop straight or swerve to the right or the left. I watched two people fail ahead of me. One could not get the speed right and they failed him and the other came to a gradual stop everytime. You get 6 chances on the last excersize. Just stop fast not gradually and you won't have any problems. I found it easier to watch the tachometer than the speedometer. My bike is between 12 and 18 between 5,000 and 6,000 rpm in 1st gear.

 

Hey Awsome Crash, Thats great, I was trying to find someone who has taken the bike test online, to no avail, now you just drop me this great line . Do you have to have your permit before you can take the test for the real license, or can you just go strait to taking the on bike test? If your no crazy rider and want to go riding sometime crash up on some fire roads, I would be happy to go along with you, safer for the both of us.
Also what were the other 2 things that you had to do, just so I can practice those extra hard?? Please let me know, I really do appreciate the help

 

The trick is whats called "pre braking" try braking gently till you get the feel then gradually apply more pressure until you feel the front is just short of locking. If the front locks (be ready for it) release the brake immediately and try again. Practise this many many times until you are comfortable with maximum braking. Its a good idea to practise on various surfaces until you get the feel of it. When you are used to this you are ready to take that test.
Of course once you have practised you will do the prebraking very quickly and you won't even notice you are doing it.
This is the way I was taught at Stay Upright. BTW I have practised this once since I have had the KLX, don't bother with the rear at all it just locks up [:'(]
I left a long long liquorice strap on the road [8D]

 

Yes, you need you're permit first but I took my driving test the day after I got my permit. There is no waiting period. By the way the written test is no problem either. Just read the free booklet that you get from the DMV first a couple of times and you won't have a problem. I studied it for about 1 hour before I took the computer generated exam.

The other two excercises on the driving test are very simple. The first thing you have to do is which I don't consider an excersise is to ride in a straight line for about 50 feet and then stop with you're front tire on the green line. This is a gradual non-skid stop, very simple. The first real excercise is a sweeping turn to the right and to the left. You are timed on this one and you have to stay between the lines on the turn, which are about 6 feet apart. Don't worry it's very easy! The turn is not sharp, it is about like you are going to turn onto a side street from a main road. Just take it at a steady pace, and ride right through it. The second excersize is a sharp turn to the right To practice make yourself an L shape with tape on your driveway. Make it about 4 feet long on the short side and 8 feet long on the other. Imagine an two L's with the top of the L's tipped over to the right, you drive up to the short side and make a sharp right turn staying inside the two tops of the L's. Basically the shape is a half a square and you have stay within the lines to pass. The two L lines are only about 4 feet apart on the top section so make sure and stay to the far left when you enter so you have enough room for you're back tire not to hit the line. This one is not timed, you can go as slow as you want but don't put you're foot down.

The last excersize I explained in my last reply and this is the most difficult but as long as you can stay around 15 miles an hour and stop very fast you will have no problem.

I would highly recommend checking out the course when you take you're written test. The lines are painted on the parking lot and you can watch the other bikes try their tests. If you get a chance ride over to the test course when it is not being used and try it. I walked the course when I didn't see anybody out there and it really helped figure out what I needed to do but ride on it if you can.

I hope I explained that O.K. I couldn't figure out how not to make it sound confusing but let me know if you have anymore questions. Good Luck!

 

Funny it's the same 4 driving tests that I took back in 1982. The place here in my small town where the test is given is a transit center parking lot. I want down there the other day and all the lines are on the blacktop, so I practiced a few times, almost felt like cheating, LOL, oh well. Good luck, and just remember don't make any sudden moves or front brake endo's in front of the instructor, and hopefully you can watch someone else do the test first to see how it's done.....or what not to do. The lady that gives the test here has dragged her feet for the last 3 months, so I had to renew my permit again, and she still doesn't seem too interested in giving out the test until the weather is just perfect. Probably waiting until Jupiter is aligned with Mars too....Grrrrr. Oh well I think what I have decided to do is to drive an hour north where I can take the Motorcycle Safety Course Class, rain or shine, and then I can go right down and get the license, no waiting, no problem. One thing the guy said that runs the class, is that their class requires you to have insurance on the bike in case you run into someone during the class, so I am looking on line, and for a 10-25-25 insurance policy (liability only) policy it's only $7.00 a month. In Washington State, insurance is not even required, but you had better either have enough money in the bank to cover damages that you cause to someone else, or you better be dead...(sorry don't like to think about that) So I am going to do a little research and I will probably be getting Not just liability but some more to cover the bike until it's paid off.

deej

 

WOW!!!
Please let me know who you carry your insurance through. I called progressive and they wanted $350 a yr, which came out to be $35.00 a month in some odd way, thats what the guy told me, but this includes full coverage of the bike and damages to other people. I thought that you had to have full coverage if you have a title which has a lien holder on it?? Again give me the number for that insurance company please. Yes my driving record is perfect, so thats not why its so high.