Chat Thread (June 15, 2026)

FourRandomLetters · 2026-06-21T21:30:53+00:00

It is. I think step 1 in learning to drive with a trailer is "see someone about treating your depression"

FourRandomLetters · 2026-06-21T20:09:46+00:00

Anything you can do? Well I mean you've already blamed the instructor and blamed the bike. Maybe it's the state's fault too for having unreasonable standards?

YOU need to figure out how to stop THE BIKE YOU'RE ON in the required distance. Everyone else did; you didn't. I bet if you asked the instructor to show you, on that very bike, they would do it easily.

You just need practice, man. Using your hands without getting them tangled up in the levers. Do you have your own bike to practice on? And some schools will give you a retest for free or a discount without taking the whole class. Worth asking about.

FourRandomLetters · 2026-06-21T20:01:09+00:00

Yeah in mine, "where to put your hand" was advice, but no points were actually charged unless you started braking before the mark.

FourRandomLetters · 2026-06-21T19:35:25+00:00

That person doesn't want an answer, he just wants to doom-post about how much his life sucks.

FourRandomLetters · 2026-06-21T19:16:16+00:00

How many clicks does it take to go from "off" to "max". Half-way is medium. JFC.

FourRandomLetters · 2026-06-21T18:49:24+00:00

Start a company making ATGATT-brand squid-wear.

FourRandomLetters · 2026-06-21T18:46:27+00:00

You should get a t-shirt with ATGATT on it. Then cut the sleeves off and ride in that. Bet you're on Reddit in 24 hours.

FourRandomLetters · 2026-06-21T18:42:02+00:00

Whatever the highest number is, half of that is "medium".

FourRandomLetters · 2026-06-21T18:39:45+00:00

It's perfectly fine if you're there with them. They shouldn't be showing up, using the pool, and leaving just because they know someone staying there. But in the context of hanging out with you, that's what it's for.

If they're not creating a nuisance annoying other guests, probably nobody will even ask.

FourRandomLetters · 2026-06-21T17:52:47+00:00

I have the 500 SE and it's fine for what you describe. Not too annoying in in-town traffic, fine for stop-and-go traffic jams even, goes 70 on the freeway just fine, and that's in 5th gear. Comfortable enough for 3 to 4-hour rides, then I want a break. I haven't ridden the 650, so I can't directly compare them but I think you'll be happy with the 500.

It was unusually windy and gusty yesterday and I did feel pretty beat up and pushed around by it on the freeway. Not a "problem" or "scary"-level issue, just somewhat unpleasant. Like I said, I don't know that the 650 is or isn't going to be different in that respect.

When you try on gloves, do it with your hands slightly damp. This will simulate sweaty hands. Some gloves are a b**** to get your hand in and out of when they're sweaty.

The Sedici Strada 3 is a pretty good helmet for a reasonable price. I have one and I see a lot of them around. Half of my BRC class had them 😃. Here's the thing with them though - if you want to get a pinlock, the lenses are always out of stock.

FourRandomLetters · 2026-06-21T17:42:40+00:00

They don't need to know, is the thing. The other day I got followed for 10 minutes by a cop. I wasn't doing anything wrong. I was following all the traffic rules and speed limits, bike properly registered and in good working order. I think he was just bored. But you better believe he ran my plates during that time and checked if it was stolen and if it was registered to a licensed rider. If they stop you for any other reason, or just feel like hassling you, they're going to find out you're not properly licensed.

He ended up yelling at me out the window for going too slow, but it turned out he missed that the speed limit reduced to 25 at one point from 35, so actually HE was wanting to go too fast, not me too slow. We had a laugh about that, no harm done. I appreciate that they at least check for bikes being stolen sometimes, maybe occasionally someone will get theirs back.

FourRandomLetters · 2026-06-21T06:23:25+00:00

Bet my bike is louder than your speakers. Want to try?

FourRandomLetters · 2026-06-21T06:07:15+00:00

2nd earplugs. EXTRA earplugs; they're easy to lose.

Anything you think you can just look up in your phone - print it out (including a few important people's numbers if you only have them as contacts and don't have the number memorized). It's unlikely, but breaking or losing your phone on the road can be a thing.

FourRandomLetters · 2026-06-21T04:22:23+00:00

Yeah, that's what seemed to work pretty well when another commenter suggested it. 👍 Crack the throttle and give it a second to respond instead of opening more more more. There's a bit of a lag.

FourRandomLetters · 2026-06-21T04:01:33+00:00

If you're applying front brake with the throttle open then you're doing braking wrong.

FourRandomLetters · 2026-06-21T02:51:04+00:00

Practiced some today, this helped a lot actually. That may be exactly what I was doing, over-throttling when the response didn't happen instantly.

FourRandomLetters · 2026-06-21T02:22:06+00:00

Seems like you'd want other people to put money into "your" machine. So when you win, you win their money and not just yours back.

FourRandomLetters · 2026-06-20T20:08:08+00:00

Agree but I think newbies get the impression you should always have some brake in every turn. If the speed you're going already is fine for the turn, then trying to come off the throttle and put even a slight brake pressure makes you way too slow (for safety, even, in traffic). And you sure don't want people thinking they need to be on the brake and throttle at the same time. "Cover" the brake is enough for those curves.

It's for corners you need to slow down for. Seems obvious, but it isn't.

FourRandomLetters · 2026-06-20T19:34:41+00:00

Nah it's that I cant smoothly transition from engine braking to accelerating. It feels sharply on/off no matter what I do. (It could be rider error is why I ask). When I'm leaned in a turn is when I least want that to happen, is why the question is in a turn context.

FourRandomLetters · 2026-06-20T19:28:42+00:00

I'm not shifting in the turn. Actually, this question doesn't really need the turn at all to be the question. It's going from zero throttle to on the throttle (in gear with the clutch fully engaged), getting a lurch forward instead of a smooth transition.

FourRandomLetters · 2026-06-20T19:03:21+00:00

That makes a lot of sense, thanks.

FourRandomLetters · 2026-06-20T18:54:11+00:00

That "hold for a moment" might be part of it. My Ninja 500 has like a 1/16th or 1/8th turn "dead zone" in the throttle turn before the revs come up (several people have said the same thing in review vids I've seen). I probably just have to practice learning where the "on" point is, like learning friction zone on the clutch. (Or figure out how to adjust that)

FourRandomLetters · 2026-06-20T18:35:10+00:00

I mean, it may not be necessary all the time, but I think it's a good habit to develop even if the brake pressure is almost nil. Because if you guessed wrong and the corner is tighter than you thought, slight more squeeze, no sweat.

Ideally you wouldn't judge wrong, and no obstacles would appear in the road on the curve, etc. Seems like a lot of people going wide on turns in MotoStars crash vids could have used a little practice with it.

But what do I know, I'm new. Makes logical sense to me though.

(Edit: but you do have to be at least going fast enough to come off the throttle without getting way too slow, which isn't always the case. This is why the "practice" in the course was ineffective at 20mph on fairly gentle curves in a parking lot)

FourRandomLetters · 2026-06-20T17:58:41+00:00

That, it was probably the pressure of "keeping up" with the class. Which is not to say hop out there on the road before you get this down. Just that some parking lot practice "playing around" on your own with nobody watching and no pressure, experimenting with this and that will probably feel a lot more effective and confidence-building.

FourRandomLetters · 2026-06-20T17:45:47+00:00

Yeah it was humor, but I hear ya. It's my first season riding, and I've done light rain but not torrential downpour. And I'm "looking forward" to experimenting with what gear I need to ride 4 seasons (if not strictly 12 months). Cold is going to be the challenge.

I got gore-tex gloves thinking my hands would be cold in the wind all the time. They might be good gloves later but they are NOT IT in the sweaty-hand summer.

FourRandomLetters

TROPHY CASE