sirepair

Sorry to hear about your dad. Thoughts and prayers to him, you, and your family.

If you know someone with a Spot tracker that you could borrow, that would be good. I don't venture far without mine. Cell phones are OK as long as you are near "civilization", but they can not be counted on when in the middle of nowhere. A few years ago, while leading a group ride, one of the riders crashed and broke his back. We were in the middle of B-F Nowhere, with no cell coverage and I utilized the "Emergency" feature of the device to summons help. It literally was a life-saver. A "Cramp-buster" is also good (and cheap) for long runs (if you don't have cruise control)

A good read from the IBA HERE.

Check/balance/replace front tire if needed. Check/replace front and/or rear wheel bearings. Check the steering stem bearings; pitted races seem to add to this issue. Replace with tapered roller bearings if original are ball type. Also, try jacking up the rear preload a notch or two. I know, sounds crazy, but increasing rear preload changes the loading on the front. The ST1100 (what I ride) is notorious for a decel wobble about 40-35mph and changing the rear preload had more positive results than expected! Simple to do and worth a try (unless yours is set full already!)

I have to disagree with this. There is no reason to consider this a "racing thing". It may be considered more of an "advanced technique" of shifting. Done properly, there is LESS wear and tear on the bike, because you are not using the clutch (wear item). I am riding a '93 ST1100 with 151,000+ miles on the original clutch and gear box. I utilize clutchless shifting frequently, almost always when shifting from 2-3-4-5 (still hunting for 6th ;-) ) As with ANY riding technique, it takes practice. Even shifting WITH a clutch takes practice! But I would not discourage a rider from learning how to do this.

Motorcycle transmissions do not have synchronizers. They utilize "constant mesh" gear boxes, which keep all the pairs of gears meshed together, then slide the gears on/off of the splined portions of the transmission. Couple of videos: Clutchless shifting (power-shifting, quick shifting) has been utilized for many years. Not something new! IIRC, constant mesh gearboxes were first used in race cars in the 50's. Basically, all you need to do is relieve the torque being applied to the gear-set to allow the sets to slide on the main and/or counter shafts. Using the clutch is one way, reducing power (rolling slightly off the gas) is another. By applying a slight amount of pressure on the shift lever, then rolling slightly off of the gas, the gear change is quickly made. Up-shifts are easiest, but down-shifts can be done this way too. Takes more practice and is less "forgiving" though. With the slipper clutches now available on many sport bikes, clutchless down-shifts are a piece of cake.

My '93 STeed, just turned 151K miles last week. She aint purdy, but she'll run all day long! We both are getting more and more silver on the top!

Cool vid, almost like I was there.... Wish I had been! Spent the weekend in the rain around St Louis.

Unfortunately I will not be able to join in; I have a previous commitment. I would like to add that during this time of year, many farmers will be working their fields. On roads like 555, it's not uncommon to pop up over a blind crest and find a tractor putting along at 3.5mph! They also leave copious amounts of mud and crud on the road, all in an effort to keep things interesting! I don't know if the organizers (dis-organizers/herder of cats) utilize a sign-in sheet, but that's a good idea too. Have riders list their name/handle/bike/cell #/emergency contact name and #, make 2 copies, if possible (one for lead, one for sweep). There may be an iPhone/Android app that could make this easy, IDK. You may also want to make sure that you have some type of medical information on your person, just in case. Might I recommend "the ICE Device" or "RoadID"? Having led a group ride in which a rider crashed (broke his back!), in the middle of no-where, with no cell coverage, having something like a Spot tracker is also a good idea. I had to "push the button" to summon help to our location. At that time, I DID NOT have good contact information about the rider, so it was difficult to contact his wife. Heck, I didn't even know how to spell his last name, so that complicated matters ALOT! A few precautionary steps before the event can save alot of hassles, and maybe even someone's life! If group sizes get to be 10 or more, consider using the "Drop and Sweep" method. This is the ONLY way I will conduct a group ride now, having used it for several years. Considering the wide range of bikes and riders that will be participating in this event, it really should be considered. It's not complicated at all and MOST people pick up on how to do it very quickly. Feel free to PM me if you want more info. I hope no one thinks that I'm "dissin" this event, or it's organizers. I just want to pass on some knowledge (mostly learned the HARD way!) that I feel can make a difference! Here's hoping you all have a safe and enjoyable ride!

Here's hoping she has a quick and full recovery.

Here's a great little starter bike: LINKY No knowledge of seller, your mileage may vary, yadda yadda....

Welcome to OR!

Welcome to OR! NEW *PROPERLY SIZED* helmet, which should require effort to put on/take off (not just fall on, or off!) and decent jacket, at least. MSF for sure! 600 will work till you scare the bijesus out of yourself! Hopefully you will survive! Have you talked to your INSURANCE agent about the 600?? You may be in for a big surprise there! If you ever think a 250 is not enough of a bike to learn on, watch some http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDct52Km6L8! Yea, I know there aint no 250 Ninjas running around out there, but it really gives you an idea of what a 250 is capable of! Fast guy on 250 whoops squid on 600/1000 in the twisties!!

Welcome to OR! Gear and MSF course, then bike shopping! GS500F is another decent starter bike, and cheap!

Nothing like a "practical demonstration" to drive home a point!! Seriously though, heal quickly and fully!