Survival Reaction, and How I Could Have Crashed

Hey Friends,

This will be quite a long post, and I hope it will be useful for some. Maybe to learn something from my mistake perhaps?  Let's begin!

Took my bike for a first service yesterday.  Got it done early morning, and then went around town a little bit.  I was sitting in Panera eating a blueberry bagel, when the father at the table next to me started talking about his foray into motorcycling as a young man.  He was telling son about experiences he had on his bike.  I wasn't sure if he was very truthful though, or rode very long because he said he had a "ninja," followed by making chopper type sounds to represent what it sounded like.  He proceeded on to saying about how his wrists and forearms would ache pretty badly so he gave up riding (poor posture? maybe just repeating what he heard somewhere else?).  He then started on the whole "motorcycles are dangerous" speech, and "I was confident in my own abilities, but not the cars around me, so much that I gave up riding."  The very last bit I can kind of agree with, but not giving up, just needing to be extra careful. Oh well, I finished my bagel and rode home.

After taking a little break at home, I decided it was too nice to stay indoors, and left to hit Waggoner's Gap road, a twisty road over one of the "mountains" here in Central Pennsylvania (the banner image on this site was shot from that road!).  It started off well...on the uphill section I hit the first tight sweeper with good throttle control.  I got my entry speed, looked up and around the bend, flicked the bike over to the right, and then rolled on the throttle.  Perfect!  Then I hit the next corner, an uphill hairpin to the left.  Slowed, looked, leaned, and throttled up..no issues there.  I went around the blind sweeper at the crest of the hill, and then proceeded to the downhill section, where I soon ran into an issue.

I was coming down the hill at about 55 MPH (45 MPH speed limit), and began to see signs for the downhill left hairpin.  I took this a few times before on my 250R, and while not really an issue then, was still a little nerve racking.  I started slowing down, but overestimated my proper entry speed.  I was still going about 25-30mph for the 15mph curve.  Sure, a more confident rider would have no problem going 30, but I am not quite there yet, not on a downhill curve anyways!!

In the next second, I had a few survival reactions, SR's, as termed by Keith Code (watch Twist of the Wrist 2).  I will break them down so you can get a feel for what was going through my head at the time.

Coming down the hill I was starting to lean the bike over when I realized I was going too fast for my comfort level.  I had SR #4, visual panic, when the combination of speed and road surface kicked in. I saw that my speed was a bit too much, and there was gravel on the side of the road.  Instead of focusing on the turn, and looking down the hill, I let my attention to elsewhere and this kicked off the massive error.

Then there was SR #5, target lock.  I noticed heavy gravel on the side of the road, not even on the actual road surface, and it freaked me out.  All I could do was pay attention to the gravel.  I lost sight of what I should have been doing, and in the second I had to initiate my turn, I lost the opportunity.

This caused the resultant SR #1, chopping the throttle, and SR #6, steering towards my attention.  When I noticed I wasn't going to make it, instead of renewed commitment to the turn, I let off the throttle, stood the bike up, and steered straight off the road.  Had I been going faster, this could have resulted in great injury, or possibly death (the side of the road dropped down a cliff).

Finally came SR#7, frozen on the bars, and SR #8, jumping on the brakes.  I didn't commit to the turn, and "froze" on the bars.  I decided quickly to bring the bike up, and squeezed on the brakes.  I scrubbed off enough speed on the road surface so when I entered the gravel, I was going just a few MPH.  I managed to remember to go easier on the front brake when I felt it diving downwards into the rocky surface, and apply more rear brake.  I stopped a few feet into the zone, and managed to keep the bike upright.  I was about 10-15 feet away from the guardrail (and the cliff beyond it).  I got off the bike and cleared my head, thought about what I did wrong, and also noticed that the guardrail had been hit before, possibly by a car as it was pretty beat up and had red paint all over it.

There are two other SR's that I didn't mention here.  SR #2, counterleaning against bike, and SR #3 tightening grip on bars.  I didn't counterlean, rather just stopped leaning in, and as I was gripping hard with my knees, I did manage to stay loose on the bars.  At least I didn't check off all the SR boxes on the list!

When I had calmed my nerves, I then had to figure out how to get the bike out of the gravel (which was lower than the road surface).  I could not push the bike backwards as it was too heavy for me, so then I tried to push it forwards.  I couldn't get the bike up to the lip of the road going forwards either, so finally I turned the bike on and carefully applied a little throttle to move it along.  This was while I was walking beside it, praying that I didn't send it flying down the road without an operator.  It took me 10 long minutes to get my bike out of the gravel and back onto the road, but the whole time I was very much relieved that I did not destroy my beloved new bike, and more so, that I didn't die!

Back on the road, I tried my best not to focus on the mistake I just made and instead focus on the present time. I wanted to beat myself up, and had to constantly tell myself to stop focusing on the mistake, because that could cause another mishap.  All was well until later, I was entering a little town and a pickup driver was creeping out making a left turn.  At first I thought he was trying to creep out and finish his turn after I passed, but then I had to swerve around him when he was halfway into my lane, right next to me!!  I have a feeling he didn't even see me at all.  Oh man, I did not need this as well, my brain was already on the verge of exploding from trying to process everything.  In retrospect, as soon as I saw him creeping out, I should have slowed even more than I did.

After this, I headed straight home, which still was some 30-40 miles away.  I was thoroughly disappointed in myself and still am today.  I need to find a parking lot to practice my turning skills, big time. It's supposed to snow tonight into tomorrow, so I have the bike covered up.  Maybe this weekend, I'll find somewhere to practice.  Have you guys had any mistakes like this?  Did you recover in time, or did you crash?  If so, have you figured out how to improve?  Feel free to comment!

- Pandabear

Bye =(

Well Friends,

Sad day. Was hurrying to leave my apartment this morning and in that rush, I put my phone in my jacket pocket instead of in my tank bag. Got on the bike, forgot to zip the pocket closed, and somewhere along the way to work, my phone flew out and got lost. I had a Galaxy SIII, which I used to take all these awesome pictures! Always remember to zip your pockets if you put things in them!! Pretty common sense but sometimes we have other things on our mind...

I decided to order a Google Nexus 4. Should be interesting! It has a 360 degree panoramic shot, so hopefully I can take some great pictures for you in the future. My ContourROAM camera should be arriving late next week too, so get ready for some get visuals!

Zip your pockets!!

 - Pandabear

Camera for this season!

Hey friends!

I pulled the trigger and just ordered a video camera for this season. I had looked at the Gopro Hero 3 but heard it had issues, plus I'm on a budget for now, so I ended up choosing the ContourROAM. Got "last year's model," for a good price, only $120. I watched some video reviews and it seemed pretty decent, so we'll see how the quality is. Get ready for some awesome videos!

 - Pandabear

Out to the Countryside and through the Forests!

Hey Friends,

Today I went out on a scenic ride, which lasted about 70 miles covered in two hours or so.  I was on the hunt for some nice twisty roads, but was more or less disappointed, as the wide open tracts of land generally are painted in straight lines by left brained engineers.  However, the sprawling landscapes did make up for that with some great scenery of rolling hills and nifty little towns.  I ventured down to Michaux State Forest, about an hour south west of my apartment.  Google maps showed some marginally snaky roads, so I said why not!  It was a bit chilly, perhaps 38F give or take a few goosebumps, but I was geared up to stay warm enough.  Thank you RS Taichi!

On the straights down to forest I went, zipping by houses and many cute fuzzy cows.  I waved to them as they watched me curiously, and laughed when I saw one scratching its face on a pole.  I guess we underestimate how lucky we are to have hands and fingers to scratch ourselves with!  Down the straights I went, kicking up through gears, clutchless shifting up to sixth.  I enjoyed the moderate hum of Fiery's engine as I puttered around a 5k RPM for most of the trip down the forest.  I used these straights as my playground, practicing downshifting without the slipper clutch, upshifting smoothly, and experimenting with body positioning and tucking.

Before I knew it I into the forest.  I quickly lost all sense of direction, but I let Fiery lead me to the right path.  Though it was cloudy out to begin with,  and the trees hunched over the roads, cooling the air even further.  It was also very quiet, not a sound but the buzz of my bike.  Opportune time to open her up?  You know I did!  With a loud wail, I was flying through the forest, a straight shot until I ended up in more countryside.  I came out into some random little town where the speed dropped to 25, so I rev matched smoothly (success!) from 6th to 1st.

Fortunately did not meet any axe or chainsaw wielding people in this little town!  

I stopped for a little to relax and find out where I was.  My phone's GPS said "Middle of Nowhere, Pennsylvania."  "Great!" I thought, and took a few pictures like a hopeless tourist.  Stretched a little bit, and then back to the fun.  Zipped through more countryside, passed a pretty neat old iron bridge over a stream, and eventually also passed a large blue lake, and a dam with a waterfall.  Sadly no pictures, as I was zipping along at a pace maybe a tad faster than I should have been going!

Do Not Pass?  Whoops, I must have passed everyone on the road!  (Well, in my mind anyways.)

I pulled over once again when I saw a neat little store with a lake behind it.  I snapped some more pictures, and found that this place was actually around part of the Appalachian Trail!  How cool!  I think it would be fun to one day go for a long hike, but for now, I'd rather make Fiery do the hiking while I enjoy the ride.  I did manage to get a good shot of the lake, with gazebo, driving green??!, and plethora of duckies alike.

Hitting golf balls into the lake, the American way!?  I'd aim for that house!  (Just Kidding!)

I finally made my way back to roads more familiar.  Interestingly enough, the last mile or two were actually the most rewarding (motorcycle wise).  Challenging too, as the corners were sharp, with changing elevations and many blind spots.  This is where Fiery proved that the hunched over riding position is valuable in handling.  It was so easy to hang off, grip the bike, and throttle through the corners.  I flicked the bike over from side to side, hitting pretty decent lean angles with not one sense of doubt.  The bike was planted, and assured, and let me focus on picking my lines and rolling on smoothly.  But just as I was starting to have a hell of a time, it was over, and my apartment was in sight.  I pulled in, did a little u-turn, and rode into the little space between my car and the curb.  Put a towel on the windscreen (to prevent scratches) and put the cover on.  

Today was a great ride.  I learned a lot, saw a lot, felt a lot.  Cue the poor weather for this week!

Hugged my beloved bike, patted her on the head, and went inside.  Can't wait for the warmth!

Have a good week!

- Pandabear

Pic :)

2011 ZX-6R

New Title!

Hey Friends,

Came up with a new title for this blog, based on my new bike!  I will still will be going on some great adventures, just on a new trusty steed!  The new title for me represents the escape from the everyday that motorcycles provide, and in my life right now, I think I need it!  Definitely helps keep me a little more sane (though my coworkers would probably say insane!).

Anyways, these past few days I've been developing a new bond with the ZX-6R, herein still temporarily named Fiery.  She is quickly warming up to me, and I to her. Though right now we simply commute together, I am becoming more proficient at handling Fiery at slower speeds, and beginning to trust the immense amount of grip that her shoes provide (tires, for those who are not following along!).

I think the next battle coming up will be practicing U-turns.  I am a bit out of practice, but now to park at my new apartment, I must make u-turns everyday!  Practice makes perfect, I suppose.  I will keep you all updated for sure.

Have a great day!

- Pandabear

Highway and Back

Well friends,

Took that trip home and back, about 2 hours on the highway each way.  The bike is moderately comfortable  for me.  When I say that, it's kind of a trade off between having a nearly fully relaxed back while being jostled by the wind (250R), and being tucked over and aerodynamic but at a small expense of a slightly more tired back (ZX-6R).  I think I favor the latter since tucking on the 250 can get pretty tiring after a while!

As for rideability, while the 250 had no trouble merging onto the highway, nor cruising along mile after mile, the 6R makes it silly easy to merge and cruise.  Twist and overtake everyone, no challenge.  6th gear roll on is also very strong for moderately fast overtakes.  At 75mph, the bike hums along around 7,000 RPM, with 9,000RPM left to go.  Not shabby at all!

Gas mileage came out to about 40-43MPG.  Didn't hammer down exact mileage due to having to fill while off the bike, but it won't make a huge impact.  Not bad, still much better than my car!

I definitely love this thing, I think I made the right choice.  However again, I noticed you really need to be careful with all the power.  It almost wills you to ride faster than you should.  I easily was cruising at 85+ MPH, something I'd never do in my car or on the 250.   Had to often times look down, check my speed, and slow down!  The tires stick like glue on the ramps too.  I had an oh-shoot moment on the offramp when I went to roll on the throttle a little bit and went from 35 to 50mph in a blink of an eye, which wasn't a problem whatsoever, but it did take me by surprise a little bit.  Again, another thing that reminds me to be always on guard!

Today I rode in the rain.  Stayed perfectly dry with all my gear!  Unfortunately the area around me is quite dirty, so my gear got pretty splattered with dirt.  Can't say I mind riding in the rain now, nothing will stop me!! (Though my coworkers think I am crazy!)

- Pandabear

First Time at the Pump (For the ZX6R)

Well friends,

I decided to go ahead and fill my gas tank tonight, since I am riding home tomorrow to see my parents and friends.  I put about 73 miles on the odometer, and filled 2.3 gallons of premium fuel.  My mileage came out to 32 miles a gallon! Ouch!  However, a few things could be the reason for this.

First, coming out of the showroom, the tank possibly wasn't absolutely full.  Even a few tenths of a gallon would reduce my calculation by 3-4mpg at least.  Second, I filled the tank to the very, very top. Those two reasons combined could be why it came out so low.  And finally, and this may very well be the biggest reason, as I was starting out, I primarily rode around in first and maybe second gear.  This probably eats gas like crazy!! Om nom nom nom!!  I started testing how the bike pulls from higher gears, so now I ride in 4th and 5th around town to keep my RPM's as low as possible.  Hopefully this helps!

I'll report back what I achieve after my highway ride, which hopefully will be all in 6th gear.  It may still be a bit lower since I plan to vary the RPM's since the bike is still being broken in, but it might be a little more on par with the 40mpg that I heard this bike gets.

One final note, I'm not a stickler about gas mileage.  Sooooo before anyone is like, "Well it's a supersport, if you want good gas mileage, get a scooter," I just wanted to throw that out there ;).  While I aim to get the best gas mileage possible when riding around town or to work, at the end of the day, I do like to have fun and give it a little extra throttle, and I didn't buy this bike to pinch pennies heheh.

Have a great weekend, should be nice out.  Bring out your bike!

- Pandabear

Short Ride

Hey Everyone,

Took the new bike out for a ride today for about 30 miles.  Didn't want to go too far in case anything happened!  Did two things on this ride, check out my new jacket and boots, and of course, get used to the bike!  Keeping this post relatively short, I'll just go over the main things I experienced today.

For the jacket, it was 32 degrees Fahrenheit outside, and windy.  I had a tshirt on, and my jacket on top.  Before, I would have worn several layers, with my ICON jacket on top, and still have felt a little chilly.  Not anymore!  This jacket is great! Also didn't even notice I was wearing it, and no more neck burns, amazing!  The boots were a little different.  They were warm and not too intrusive, but I kept my jeans and overpants on top like I normally do, and my left leg started getting irritated by the boot at the upper shin level (the leg I use to hold the bike up).  To be fair, I was in a lot of stop and go traffic..a longer continuous ride would have avoided this.  The fix will be simple most likely, tuck jeans into the boot!

As for the bike, I'm still having trouble getting used to upshifting.  I think I am so used to where the clutch engages on the 250R that it's interfering a bit.  Not to worry, I did have a few better shifts on the way back home.  The other thing I found was sitting at lights is torture.  The clutch pull is a LOT heavier and my little girly hands (no offense ladies!) got a bit tired holding it in at lights.  I like to remain in first in case I need to move, but after a while I just had to put it in neutral.  I guess my hand will get stronger over time.  As for the brakes, I'm getting a little more used to how strong they are!  I also really like that they are a shorter reach now, much quicker and easier to get to for a little person like myself!  And finally, I didn't have any problem holding the bike up at stops.  I'm rapidly getting used to one footing, and if I need to change legs I gently transition to the other foot.  Only had a little "AH BOTH FEET OUT!" moment on my final parking attempt near my apartment!!  Overall, I love this bike so far.  Once I get more accustomed to it, I'll be able to post some more fun adventures!

Well, time to sleep.  Pesky thing called work in the morning!  Let's all dream of our bikes :D

- Pandabear

More Gear, Part 2!

All right friends,

Continuing on from the previous post, here's a review on my new RS Taichi Armed All Season Jacket.  I ordered a Japan Medium, hoping to everything under the sun that it would fit my tiny body.  Just for reference, I'm about 5'3" with a slim but somewhat muscular build (for my size anyways hehe).  Put the jacket on and it fit very well and was extremely comfortable!  It is a textile jacket, also waterproof, and is very warm with the liner in.  It comes standard with two chest protector hard plates, and CE shoulder, elbow, and back protector.  The elbows and shoulders meet EN 1621-1. The back protector is EN 1621-2, though I haven't been able to find if it was level 1 or 2.  Most likely level 1 is my guess.

The Front!

Certain things I'll touch on, it's got quite a few buttons, straps, zippers, etc for getting just the right fit. That will also help keep the armor in place a little better, in the case of a crash.  It's got vents for warmer days, and a nice soft liner for cold days. The material feels pretty durable, enough for the purpose I'll put it through. I opted for a textile jacket instead of a leather one, as much of my riding is done in cooler, or wet climates, or for commuting or town riding.  I may occasionally take it on the highway, but then again, I'm not a highway hooligan and more or less stick to the speed limit, or normal flow of traffic.  The warmth/waterproof component is what made it a more viable option.  Days which are warm and sunny, I'll wear my leather suit anyways!  Power ranger up!!

The Back!

The back of the jacket has some motion panels, making it easier to stretch and reach.  There is some nice design on the jacket, and some reflective panels for night riding.  There are some foam padded areas, and you can see the two zipper vents.  The inside of the jacket is nice and plush up near the collar.  This is much nicer than my Icon jacket, which has literally burned my neck when I do head checks.  I have a small scar on my neck from that jacket.  This jacket has a higher collar, and is plush.
There is an internal pocket for your phone or wallet, and pockets for the chest protectors.  The jacket is  so nice I just want to wear it indoors too!

Inside View..So Warm!

One small gripe with this jacket is the back protector.  It does cover the majority of my back and shoulders, but it ends about 2-3 inches above my butt, which means the spine is a bit exposed there.  I'm not sure if this is normal with slip in back protectors, but I figure it must be.  If you want a full blown back protector, a strap on protector will probably be a better option. Besides that though, this jacket is wonderful.  Even though it's a textile, if you go sliding on your back or chest, and the fabric wears away, you'll still have some decent armor in the way of you and the ground.  Don't quote me on that, but it seems logical ;)

Here's me with all my waterproof gear, minus helmet and gloves!

I do wish I could have gotten the jacket in the white and black combo with green screen printing, but I wanted this jacket soon and STG did not have it in stock sadly.  But on the bright side, black will hide the dirt a bit better!!

Next up, I have a Cortech tank bag coming in.  I'll review that when it gets here, and when my helmet comes in, I'll go for a ride with all this new gear and write a followup!  Thanks for reading!

- Pandabear

P.S. My friend came over and showed me how to adjust my brake lever, which ended up being very easy!  The stock setting was set to pretty far out so my little hands had a hard time quickly reaching the brakes, and covering was impossible.  Simple push the brake lever forward, turn the silver knob to a higher number (I maxed it out to level 6) and voila, brake lever is much closer!  Now I can cover the brakes easier in traffic!!  Always be aware and ready for evasive maneuvers and emergency stops!

More Gear, Pt 1!

Hey Friends,

Got a few new pieces of gear into the lineup.  Remember that time I got soaked on the way back from Ocean City?  Well I learned my lesson and decided to get full waterproof gear.  When my beloved 250R got scrapped, so did my helmet and boots.  I am replacing the Spidi VR6 boots with the Alpinestars SMX 5 Waterproof boots.  I'm not sure how swamptastic my feet will get during summer, but at least in current temperatures, they will stay warm.  If they are too unbearable I will report, and buy summer boots. Anyways, here's my first impression (off bike).

Overview Shot of Alpinestars SMX 5 Waterproof

 I got size 8 (42 Euro).  I wear a size 8.5 in street shoes and the boot is comfortable.  They are relatively narrow, but not too bad.   They fit very well, and are a bit more versatile than my Spidi VR6's.  They do come in a little bit pricier though, at about $270.  I did manage to get a deal and get them for about $220 from sportbiketrackgear.com  so it was a bit closer to the VR6's.

 They have a bit less flex (could be because it's still new) and a tiny bit more protection as the boot seems a bit more rigid in areas such as the toe and heel.  It also has a little more protection at the back of the leg, though not much more.

Instead of a single flap up top as on the Spidi's, Alpinestars designed a continuous flap all along the zipper path.  This actually gives a better fit and more customization based on what other gear you are wearing and how big your leg is (mine are twigs!).  You can pull the bottom part tighter and secure it so your ankle doesn't move as much, which is what I really enjoy about the boot as it feels more comfortable and safe.

Unzip the boot and you can see the full velcro strip.  Also, and I'm assuming because it's a waterproof boot, it has a continuous curtain of material instead of an opening like the VR6.  This I found handy because it adds to the fit once on the foot.

 Now we can take a look at the boot on my foot!  Ahh so comfy!  Please ignore my hairy twiggy legs.  On the left, you can see that the boot can be worn a bit more loose, as to let you tuck pants in.  If I were to wear this with my leather suit, that is how I would fasten the boot.  On the right, the boot is fully tightened.  This will give a nice "cushy" fit and works well when having pants out, such as when I ride in overpants.

Boot Out!

Boot Not Out! I mean..Boot In!

Now the only small thing that I didn't like about the boot was the toe sliders.  They seem really cheap compared to the VR6. Pulled these bad boys out of the box and I immediately noticed that they look like they are ready to pop off!  They don't really conform nicely to the boot, but after a yank or two, they didn't come off so I suppose they should be ok.  It just doesn't look as nice, that's all.  Small issue I suppose!

Toe Slider..Not Planning on Testing These Anytime Soon!!

All in all, I like these better than my other boots.  They fit better, look better, and seem like they will do the job well.  They are waterproof (ran them under the faucet) but I'll have to test them out in a downpour to verify.  We will see how they are in the summer too, I'd ideally like to use these year round, but we will see how it turns out!  So there's new gear #1.  I also got a new RS Taichi Jacket which I'll go over, but instead of making this post really long, I'll just post as an independent entry.

Oh yeah, and of course, one more bike pic!!

2011 Kawasaki ZX-6R - Big Ninja!

- Pandabear