Another ride video just posted - twisties and fog

[mister]

This was shot during a 430km day ride. There were six of us and it was a Pre Ride, Ride. That is, a ride you have before you take a larger group of people on the ride. To help you double check times and distances and fuel stops and the like. So that when the larger group rides, it all goes off without a hitch.

Well. The day looked like rain. Mostly it was dry. But, wet at the twisties and then Fog! Awesome!!!

For those interested, the bikes in order were... Honda Shadow (Ride leader), Suzuki Intruder 250 (ride leader's wife and boy she can ride and we reckon her bike is on steroids). FJR. A Harley of some description. My GS. And behind me a Triumph Daytona.

During the ride we were asked by a police escort to pull over on the side of the road to let a 350,000kg transformer go by. It was being towed by three trucks with a fourth truck pushing from behind. Seen on the vid.

The Harley in front of me had balding tires. So a few times when he looked skiddy I backed off to give him recovery room.

Anyway. Enjoy... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcI_PQPx2fM

Michael

[spriteboost]

looked like a lot of fun makes me miss mine even more whens winter over damn Michigan making me wait for spring LOL where was that at btw the scenery was very nice

[romulux]

Pretty roads.  Good music -- who is the female singer in the second track?

[mister]

Thx for enjoying it.

This was part of the leg between Esk and Cooyar http://tinyurl.com/ycbbkg2
If you look at the map I just linked to, the twsities start somewhere around Redbank Creek, we rode into the fog as we got into the State Forest. Did the right/left/right in the fog and it lifted as we rode over Perseverance Dam.

The entire route is here http://tinyurl.com/ybh26kg and we got absolutely drenched riding between F and G on the map. Four of us kept riding while two pulled up to put on wet weather gear - they need to harden up, eh?
We stopped at C to top up the fuel and the GS needed no more. And we had lunch at G (Kilcoy) before heading back down, stopped at H (Fernvale) to have a chat and say our goodbyes before riding back to where we started and parting ways along the way as we headed in our individual homeward directions.

We consider this run for Experienced Riders Only. As it's two hours in the seat before the first stop, maybe another couple before the second stop and some twisty roads between that need to be ridden At Speed to Make Time. If you Sunday Ride / Dawdle through the twisties the day become longer than necessary. As it was it was around 5.5 to 6 hours in the seat. Long way for lunch  but worth it 

The way back riding through Somerset Dam twisties was dry and we were nice and tight and at speed. But I wan't filming then. Maybe when we go on the larger run - the run with more bikes.

The artists in order are...

Muse - Supermassive Black Hole
Anna Egge - Motorcycle
Richard Clapton - Capricorn Dancer

Michael

[spriteboost]

Oo Australia very nice  all year riding season long drive tho would like to take one of those hows the comfort level for such a long drive on the gs? i've only got my bike so still newb lol but can't wait to become pro ofcourse i don't expect this anytime soon but practice makes perfect

[mister]

The trick to being comfortable on long/longer rides...

Just like you probably had to get used to your left hand changing gears without hurting, your body will get used to longer stints on the bike. This takes repetition and building. If the longest you've been in the saddle is 15 minutes, ride for half an hour and see how it feels. Have a break, follow the "off bike" steps below, then get back on and ride back for half an hour. Next time, try 45 minutes each way. Then an hour. And when you have a break between stints, have a good break (like 30 minutes) and then shorten it (15 minutes) and see how you feel. It's about getting your body used to it.

While on the bike:

#1: Wear boxers. Normal underwear seams will begin to get very annoying after a while. Wearing boxers eliminates that problem.

#2: Wear pants that do not cut into you or feel tight on your legs. Back in the 80s women were beginning to suffer "Numb Bum" and "Numb Thigh" - caused by wearing tight jeans for too long and sitting in them for too long as well, which would restrict blood flow to the skin and underlying areas.

#3: While you should really concentrate in the twisties, looking ahead and ignoring your mirrors, on the straighter sections have a look around. Turn your head and glance at the scenery. Not prolonged looking. Short and repeated glances. This gives your neck a little movement.

#4: Occasionally, let go of the left handlebar and rest your left arm straight down, or rest your hand on your thigh, or in your lap, or on the gas tank.

#5: Grip your throttle in various ways, or get yourself a cramp buster (I don't own a cramp buster but one of my riding buddies does and he swears by it).

#6: Change the position of your foot resting on the pegs. Heel, middle, toes. Toes up. Toes down. Occasionally stretch your leg forward. Or reach it back and place your foot on the pillion pegs (this might take practice while on the center stand).

#7: Change body position. Make slight adjustments to how you're sitting. Sit on one side of the seat or the other. Move back a little too. Consciously straighten your back. Make some upper body movements as if you're listening to a groovy tune on an mp3 player - it works the muscles a little.

And ideally, make such adjustments and little movements Before you need to. While you can get relief once you start to feel certain areas tightening up, small movements beforehand keep them free-er longer.

Off the Bike:

#8: Do some stretches. Do some leg stretches (quad, hamstring, calf, for example). Do some arms stretches - straight up, across your body, bend side to side & reach for the sky. Some gentle neck work can also be welcoming. Do these before you get on and at each stop.

#9: Drink water. Air flowing over our skin strips it of moisture which is then replenished from inside only to be evaporated again. Gradually dehydrating us even in cooler weather. (In hotter weather there is a temperature which ceases to be cooling and has a heating cumulative effect, like sitting in front of a heater as we ride - it's something like 33C / 91F). As well as keeping our skin moistened from the inside, water helps keep our muscles plump and able to work with less effort (we see this as more stamina) and keeps our brain functioning better. So before you get on the bike, empty the bladder - and - then have a good drink of plain water and get on and ride. Do this at each stop. (Gatorade type drinks are actually salty and Dehydrating internally, even if they appear to quench our thirst, and coffee and black tea are dehydrating as well.)

#10: Eat light. A large heavy meal will make it uncomfortable to lean forward. And your body devotes a lot of blood to the stomach to absorb the nutrients. Blood that is normally helping the muscles work fully.

#11: Pop some Paracetamol (acetaminophen). I try to remain free of all drugs of any kind in my life. However, my safety on the bike comes first. And soreness and stiffness on long rides is distracting and thus unsafe. Paracetamol is essentially a muscle relaxant. Yes, it's the ingredient in headache tablets (Panadol, Tylenol), but that's how it relieves headaches... by relaxing the stiff muscles that could be causing the headache. No ibuprofen or aspirin. Paracetamol only. It's the least harmful. And only if you need it. I usually take nothing, but this ride saw me getting a niggling sore neck - which usually turns into full blown headache for me - so popped a couple after 2 hours on the bike and I was all good for the rest of the day.

For me, the seat on the GS is comfy enough. But I also have an AirHawk Seat Cushion which helped relieve an achy back I'd get on another bike. Whether it raised my leg angle or gave just that little bit of extra cushioning from road bumps, or reduced vibration coming from the seat, I don't know, but it worked and was quite comfortable. But I don't have it on the GS. I leave the GS as is.

I think one of the most least acknowledges aspects of longer riding is the mental one. Riding a bike requires concentration - specially in the twisties. So large meals followed by brain fog as insulin floods our system to reduce the sugar entering our bloodstream, are hazardous to us. But it can be mentally tiring to concentrate for so long even without the hazards of high carb foods, alcohol, soreness and stiffness, etc. This is why rest stops are needed even if the tank is still capable of further riding. If you build your body up to it, you'll also be building your mental side as well - and - your riding skills too. 

Michael

[BaltimoreGS]

Cool vid and excellent tips by mister   

I have a cramp buster that I use on long trips at steady speeds.  It allows you to relax your grip and change hand positions.  Like mister said about resting your left arm on your thigh I also do with my right arm and can still push my fingers on the cramp buster.  Around town it is more annoying than useful.

-Jessie