http://www.fz6-forum.com/forum/blogs/bledubd/ Yamaha FZ6 Forum: Yamaha FZ6 Motorcycle Forums: Discuss your FZ6 Motorcycle on our free discussion forum. Join The international FZ6 forum and information resource for the Yamaha FZ6 and Fazer today! en Fri, 10 Sep 2010 01:21:17 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.fz6-forum.com/forum/images/misc_mns/rss.jpg http://www.fz6-forum.com/forum/blogs/bledubd/ http://www.fz6-forum.com/forum/blogs/bledubd/137-riders-guide-demo-survival.html Wed, 01 Apr 2009 15:30:19 GMT There are about 4 demos going on in central London to coincide with the G20 summit (read Some Eat out dough LOL). Anyway was just thinking of... There are about 4 demos going on in central London to coincide with the G20 summit (read Some Eat out dough LOL).

Anyway was just thinking of things that as a rider I need to do to survive the demo scourge. And because I had not fallen into the scuffles here is a my small list.

1. If you usually carry a back pack, leave it at home and make sure you have your protective gear on you. Ensure that you are putting a high Viz jacket especially.

2. Keep your ears open for any trouble that is brewing on the news websites (which seem to be fanning the demo fever IMO). http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7973178.stm

3. KYC, to bastardise the banking (Know Your Client) acronym mine here means Know Your City. Ensure that you are familiar with the roads around where you work and have a plan of the different routes that you can take to get home for that home cooked meal. Google now comes with street view so you can check parts of your route.

4. This is the time when your riding skills should be at their top. Remember to use Seek, Evaluate, Execute. All that pain you endured learning the slow motion and the quick start-stop maneuvers might be rewarded (hopefully not)

5. If you are a believer then pray to your God or gods or whatever the case might be. If you are not a believer then today is one of the days you and you alone have to believe in your self and your skills in case of trouble

6. Remember to enjoy your ride as always because if you are tense you fail to spot anomalies. ]]> bledubd http://www.fz6-forum.com/forum/blogs/bledubd/137-riders-guide-demo-survival.html http://www.fz6-forum.com/forum/blogs/bledubd/126-commuting-1-year-part-1.html Fri, 13 Mar 2009 12:52:27 GMT Ok its slightly a bit over 1 year since I started commuting to work using a motorcycle. I started off with the Honda CBR125, and frankly speaking I... Ok its slightly a bit over 1 year since I started commuting to work using a motorcycle. I started off with the Honda CBR125, and frankly speaking I really looked ridiculous on that toy. That day in October 2007 sounds like a long time away.

I went for my CBT with GetBike based in Northfields. I remember the instructor we had that day. He was a nice chap can't remember the name though. But I did see (on the road) him time and again when he was taking other students on their paces with the scooters.

I think riding in the rain with a CBR125 is a tough act. This was me going over the A40 bridges in driving rain. What got me through teh journeys was the hope that one day I'd ride a bigger bike like the ones which constantly over took me. The max speed I managed to wring out of it was 60mph and that doing down slope.

January 2008 was to bring good tidings. I got my big bike license. First I went for a Direct Access Scheme (DAS) with FastTrack who are based near Arnos Grove. we used the Suzuki Bandit and boy did that thing have power. I then completly fell in love with biking.

A year does sure fly by fast.

Read Part 2 to hear more about my 1+ commuting to work. ]]> bledubd http://www.fz6-forum.com/forum/blogs/bledubd/126-commuting-1-year-part-1.html http://www.fz6-forum.com/forum/blogs/bledubd/97-demoralised-isle-man.html Fri, 14 Nov 2008 16:36:56 GMT I am a very demoralised man and have been since I came over to the isle of man about 2 months ago. The source of my agony is that I am on this great... I am a very demoralised man and have been since I came over to the isle of man about 2 months ago. The source of my agony is that I am on this great island but not with my bike. And to add insult to injury my beloved has been chained to some rotting steel frame so that its not nicked.

I'd have loved to follow the TT route. But instead I am stuck in Douglas with no where to go unless if I have to get on the bus or hire a car. But I can't bring myself to do that. So I am hoping that next year I can make it over here and join one of the greatest shows on earth The Isle of Man TT.

Then I pray I will be coming with my Black Beauty (unless if we get nicely priced upgrades from Yamaha), kicking out all its horses. ]]> bledubd http://www.fz6-forum.com/forum/blogs/bledubd/97-demoralised-isle-man.html http://www.fz6-forum.com/forum/blogs/bledubd/73-blink-eye-see.html Fri, 25 Jul 2008 10:04:31 GMT Yesterday as I was going to buy my bike tyres, I witnessed a fresh accident scene. Damn, I had seen the biker just a couple of seconds earlier.... Yesterday as I was going to buy my bike tyres, I witnessed a fresh accident scene. Damn, I had seen the biker just a couple of seconds earlier. Thankfully though the biker was not injured badly, but the bike was worse off as was the cager bumper.

From the looks of it the accident was caused by a cager who was coming out of a parking slot. The twat must not have seen my fellow biker because the car was parked on the left side of the road but facing the direction of the incoming bike. (us guys in the Uk ride on the correct side of the road).

Unfortunately I could not stop because I was in a rush, but I wasn't too worried about the biker because I saw him picking himself up.

which brings me to the whole point of this post. when we ride we should use SEE
S - Seek
E - Evaluate
E - Execute

I have plagiarised the following info from this website (No need to reinvent the wheel)

Riding Mental Processing

1. Safe riding habits is more a mental attitude than a physical one.

2. SEE = Search, Evaluate, Execute.

a. Search - Seek aggressively for any possible potential hazards. Look in front, the
side and behind you for potential problems or hazards. Check your blind spots
often.

Scan your environment quickly and learn to prioritize.

#1 - check the road and surface conditions
#2 - traffic control markings and devices
#3 - other vehicles and highway users on the road

b. Evaluate - Anticipate problems and plan ahead. How will the given situation
accumulate to create a single problem? Assume the worst and then plan ahead to
deal with it.

Your safety margin is determined by the following factors:

i. Your capabilities, skills and experience as a rider.
ii. The capabilities and limitations of your motorcycle
iii. The conditions of the road and traffic.

eg. Any solution that is beyond your skill level, the capability of your motorcycle,
or that which is beyond the current road or traffic conditions are not
considerations or viable options.

c. Execute - Superior mental strategy makes superior riding skills unnecessary.
But it would be great to have both. Keep the superior mental strategy always in
mind.

1. Adjust your speed to match traffic and road conditions.

2. Adjust your position in traffic to create more space.

3. Communicate your intentions to traffic so they can anticipate your move and be
aware of your position.
-----

So guys remember to ride safe on the road ]]> bledubd http://www.fz6-forum.com/forum/blogs/bledubd/73-blink-eye-see.html http://www.fz6-forum.com/forum/blogs/bledubd/16-urban-guerrilla.html Tue, 19 Feb 2008 22:38:58 GMT I am happy with my commuting since I got my Fazer 600. The only other problem I have had so far was when I was failing to properly hold my clutch. I... I am happy with my commuting since I got my Fazer 600. The only other problem I have had so far was when I was failing to properly hold my clutch. I think that day I stalled the bike about 3 or 4 times such that I was now very slow on the take off at traffic signals.

I usually use the A40 Western Avenue to go home but today I thought I would use the A4. I can safely say that I will not be using that route very often. Of course you ride past scenic places like Harods and the like but no thanks I will happy take the dull scene on the ring road past Kings Cross/Euston. If only they Madame Tussads put their statues on the windows then it would make the ride much more worthwhile when there is congestion.

So today I went past

• St Pauls Cathedral
• Fleet Street
• Trafalgar Square
• St James Park (using Pall Mall)
• Hyde Park
• Harrods
• and a couple of other famous landmarks I couldn't place (maybe I need to play more Brain training games)

Tomorrow its back to my A40/Ring Road route ]]> bledubd http://www.fz6-forum.com/forum/blogs/bledubd/16-urban-guerrilla.html http://www.fz6-forum.com/forum/blogs/bledubd/15-london-congestion.html Tue, 19 Feb 2008 22:38:18 GMT Ok, on the first work day for the Fazer, it did not account itself very well. Just less than 100metres from home the bloody thing decided to just... Ok, on the first work day for the Fazer, it did not account itself very well. Just less than 100metres from home the bloody thing decided to just switch off. I had to push it back home and by the time I got there I was sweating like a dog.

Seeing that I did not fancy going to the train, I had to grab the manual and try to figure out what was the problem. I was getting a fault code 33 on the 'dash board'. I then left it running after going round the block for a bit. After that the bike seemed ok, but I decided to take it to the Yamaha dealer that same day or the day after.

When I got to the A40, I was happy with power that was coming through the bike. I hardly went past 7000rpm and this is a bike which has upto 14000rpm. There is so much power that I am not using. This is a detuned R6 engine after all. All I could do was smile to myself as I could finally go past the 50mph that I was limited to on the bloody CBR 125. And as for the congested roads in central london, the bike was quite nimble and had a good feel to it. What I like the most is the way I can break away from the crawling cars when the traffic light/robots change to green. I will be having a big grin on my face everytime.

The Fazer is quite a good street bike, it feels much better than the Kawasaki ER5 that I had considered. There is definately power in this bike 90BHP. WOW ]]> bledubd http://www.fz6-forum.com/forum/blogs/bledubd/15-london-congestion.html