Weaving through cones at speed is awesome. "At speed" is probably only 15 MPH, but second gear!!!!!11!!eleventy!
This sure looks like fun, too. The kids look like they're only 5 or 6. Best. Parents. Evah.
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Sunday, July 14, 2013
Reflections on riding
You can tell which of the people in the class have never driven a manual transmission. They are invariably young, no doubt a reflection on the decline of the west. One kid simply can't get it through his head to let the clutch out slowly. He pops the clutch and stalls, even after a full day yesterday on a bike.
Weaving through cones at speed is awesome. "At speed" is probably only 15 MPH, but second gear!!!!!11!!eleventy!
This sure looks like fun, too. The kids look like they're only 5 or 6. Best. Parents. Evah.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Weaving through cones at speed is awesome. "At speed" is probably only 15 MPH, but second gear!!!!!11!!eleventy!
This sure looks like fun, too. The kids look like they're only 5 or 6. Best. Parents. Evah.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
They let young kids take the course? Must be nice to live in a free country. Here in the People's Republic of New York you have to have your MC permit to even register for the course, and you have to be 16 to get the permit.
ReplyDeleteMakes me feel old i started riding motorbikes in 1965/66 in the UK started on a 200cc Tiger Cub and went through clutches for a past time, wish i still had a motorbike at the moment the weather is great miss it badly,gave up riding on Doctors orders in 87/89 sold my FXE Harley for more than i payed for it in 1979,
ReplyDeletetrouble is with no hearing or balence on my left side would not be a good idea.
So the fact that young kids can't drive something that is old and outdated technology means its decline of Western civilization?
ReplyDeleteI'll bet none of them know how to use typewriters either.
The world is quite obviously going to end.
All of this being playful of course.
I blame them or if they were actually manual transmission options available anymore. Personally I love a manual transmission, but I was also a truck driver for several years. But you can't hardly blame the kids these days because there are hardly any manual transmissions available anymore, and those that are typically in the stippedt down models.
For instance find a GM pickup with a manual transmission in it. They stopped making them in everything but their small halfton work truck models with v six engines.
I'm not aware of any SUV's with them.
Subaru and walks wagon still release them. But I'm relatively sure that Mazda Nissan and Honda do not. Could be wrong there.
If you want to get one in a Ford or dodge pick up they release them but the engine will be derated with less horsepower than the automatic models. And the new lock up 6-speed automatic so just as efficient fuel economy wise.
Goober, the Wrangler doesn't come with an automatic, and I'm told that the Young Folk think it's pretty cool.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I'm making sure that the boys can drive it because a Real Man needs to be able to handle a stick shift.
We did a drill that was designed to get a feel for the clutch and help with the critical and separate-but-equal clutch/brake operation/function. With the motor on and clutch engaged and right hand OFF the front brake, the rider sits back with legs straight out on heels and slowly released clutch, allowing the engine to pull him/her forward and onto the upright flat-footed position. Then pulling-in the clutch allowed the bike and rider to roll-back and return to seated, legs-out position.
ReplyDeleteA lot of beginning people forget to engage the clutch while braking, and actually often panic-rev (just grabbing and pulling and twisting levers in blind panic) and overcoming the force of traction wash-out the front wheel and go down.
This drill repeated many times was to emphasize that the clutch engages the motor, and that it's critical to engage the clutch as a separate part of braking.