DS Skilz-drill 01 - April '07 - Orientation

DUAL SPORT SKILZ DRILZ:
TO STEER WITH THE REAR

What . . . . . . . . . Dualsport Skills Practice, short day
When . . . . . . . . . . Meet Sunday, 15 April, 7:30 AM
Where . . . . Meet @ Ojai Coffee Roasting Company
Contact . . . . . . . . . . Laine_MacTague@verizon.net

DS Skilzdrill 01: ORIENTATION

The green sections of this document are different from previous Orientation documents. If you have not seen this document before, please read it all. Everybody read the green bits.

If you are going to be a wussout, let me know asap, so I can give folks on the waiting list time to get their permits straightened out.


WHERE WE GO

Meet @ The Ojai Coffee Roasting Company, 337 Ojai Ave, Ojai, across from the Chevron station, @ 7:30AM Sunday April 15th. We will fill up there or nearby, before heading for the hills.

We will be heading up Hwy 33, leaving pavement after a little less than 20 miles of pavement.

I intend the session to take less than a full day. How long we are out is really up to the group. There is more material to cover than there is time to cover it in. I picture us quitting around one or two, but that is just a guess.


WHAT GOES

Wear your knobbies and ATGATT, bring some snacks and a camera, maybe a stash of pain relievers (I fell down a lot, doing these drills).

YOU MUST BRING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . YOU SHOULD BRING
Proof of insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Basic tool kit for your bike
Water (I bring a 3L camelback) . . . . . . .ATGATT
Driver’s license . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Camera (video capability is handy)
Vehicle registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Snacks / lunch
NFS Permit

YOU MIGHT LIKE TO BRING . . . . .I STRONGLY SUGGEST YOU DON’T BRING
Air pump . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100% street tires
Cash (in case of restaurant stop) . . . . . . . Saddlebags
Pressure gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Passengers
2-way radio

We won’t be covering much distance, and will usually be close together, so radios are not a huge issue. RE permits, they should all be in one envelope at the NFS station, which I pass on my way into Ojai. I will pick them up and bring them to the coffee shop. If you are passing through Santa Paula on your way in, and would like to ride up together, email me. I will be leaving SPla at about 7:00 am.


HOW WE GO

We are a fairly small group and have all ridden together in the past. Also, we aren’t going far, either on pavement or off. I left the Tech. Issues section in here – good reminders. My suggestion for this Skilz Drill Ride is to not lower pressure in your rear tire.

— Technical Issues —

Here are a few technical suggestions regarding off-pavement riding that I often forget to share:

At this point, we are still just developing riding skills, and aren’t focused on learning about longriding equipment. Consider removing extra items that won’t be much use on these short rides, but could easily get broken. The most obvious leave-at-home at this stage is saddlebags, but you might consider removing GPS units, extra lighting, etc.

Consider lowering your tire pressure before beginning long unpaved sections. It increases traction. I found that becoming more comfortable with partial traction saves me the stop and the pumping up the tires later, but until you are comfortable sliding around a bit, enforce a tire pressure stop whenever you like. Remember though: Sliding the rear end around can be extremely useful off-road, and just being comfortable when it happens is itself of great value. I think it is easier to learn this skill on fully pressurized tires.

Crank up the preload on the rear shock to provide a firmer, more stable ride on bumpy roads.

You might want to turn that little flathead screw head on the bottom of your rear shock (I am talking BMWs here; I don’t really know re other makes); it seems to greatly improve off-road suspension. It is especially helpful on moguls. I recommend turning it completely to H, for starters. Check your manual on how to do this if unsure.

You may want to bring along a wrench with which to remove your mirrors. The mounting bolts are only about six bucks, but they are about the most likely thing to break when you tip over, and they are easy to remove and install.

Remove the rubber inserts in your foot pegs – if not before leaving pavement, before leaving home.

We stand up a lot. If your brake and clutch levers are angled up high, sticking more or less horizontally off the handlebars, it will tire your wrists and forearms unnecessarily, to try to use the controls while standing. I find that when I turn the levers down so that they angle downward from the bars (on my Dakar, about as far down as possible) it makes controlling the bike while standing much less tiresome. You will likely need to loosen and lower the hand guards as well.

Disconnect your ABS before leaving the pavement!


PLANNED STOPS

P1) Ojai 76 – Fuel stop

P2) Rose Valley – Unlock gate, adjust bikes

D1) Open Area – We’ll ride a bit, ‘til we find an open area where I can bore you all with lecturing, and we can circle around on the bikes and try basic maneouvers.

D1) Open Area – I have broken up the ride into two sections. Ideally, we will find a second open area after some time practicing skills on the trails. This stop may end up being the same place as the last one.

D1) Rose Valley – Passing out through the gate on the way back down.

P2) Best part: That nifty Mexican restaurant we found on DSR 05…

KNOWN HAZARDS

The area we will be riding in has recently been completely reworked by grading equipment. It should be quite smooth and well maintained, but I haven’t been there since before the work was done, so all I know for sure is that it will be completely new terrain.

Keep your eyes peeled for other users: Trucks, mountain bikes, hikers, other motorcyclists.

You’re oriented! Skilz Drilz Outline to follow soon…