DS Skilz-drill 02 - Sep '07 - Orientation

DUAL SPORT SKILZ DRILZ:

REAR-STEERING II + WHEELIES

What . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Dualsport Skills Practice, short day
When . . . . . . . . . . . . .Meet Sunday, 2 September, 7:15 AM
Where . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vince's Coffee Shop in Santa Paula
Contact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Laine_MacTague@verizon.net

DS SKILZ DRILL 02: 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.


WHERE WE GO

It looks like only one of us got their permit taken care of in time, so I am moving the ride. Our meeting place is still TBD; we will meet @ Vince's Coffee Shop, 827 E Main Street, Santa Paula, @ 7:15AM Sunday September 2nd. We will fill up there or nearby, before heading into the Los Padres National Forest from Fillmore.

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

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.


HOW WE GO

We are a fairly small group and we aren’t going far, either on pavement or off. I left the Tech. Issues section in here – good reminders.

— 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) Somewhere – Coffee, shop talk, fuel stop

P1) TBD – Tire lofting intro.

P1) Climb out of Fillmore – various brief stops possible to discuss cornering body positions.

D1) Open Area – We will circle up and discuss the day, and begin drills.

D1) Straight section – There is a straight section on this ride that lends itself to practice of each skill we will work on today.

D1) End of road – Rest break.

P2) Lunch on the way back -- somewhere…


KNOWN HAZARDS

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

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