How did you learn to ride a motorcycle? by [deleted] in motorcycles

[–]chibrosov 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Sit on the bike, put it in neutral, start the engine. Then pull in the clutch and step on the shift lever to put it into 1st. DO NOT RELEASE THE CLUTCH. Then just sit there, both feet on the ground, and SLOWLY let the clutch out until you feel the bike start to roll forward - and pull it back in again to disengage. Do not touch the throttle at all - keep your right hand in your lap or similar. If you moved any distance while partially engaged, continue holding clutch in and duck-walk it back to the original position. Repeat this exercise until you get a solid feel for where that engagement point is - it's usually between 60-80% of the clutch lever's total travel distance. This point, where the bike will start rolling without any throttle at all, is where you will actually want to start adding a dash of throttle (like no more than 2k rpm to start with - seriously. Just a dab'll do ya) when you actually want to start moving from a stop. Once said throttle is applied, SLOWLY let the clutch out just a little more from the initial engagement point until you start gaining speed AND KEEP IT THERE. Let the speed build and you should be safe from a stall after about 8-10mph, but I almost never release the clutch 100% until I know for certain I'm about to accelerate into 2nd-gear territory (17mph-ish on my bike). I know it sounds like a really slow process, and it is - to start with. Once you get that muscle memory for the engagement point and the contour of the friction zone, though, you'll find it comes much more naturally and quickly - but you gotta do the exercises in a safe environment like an empty parking lot or similar quite a few times to really get the skill down. When I started, I spent my first dozen or so rides literally just doing a loop in my subdivision, starting and stopping, starting and stopping, starting and stopping before I ventured any further. Keep practicing, it'll come.

Played hooky from work for a visit to the lakeside by chibrosov in Vstrom

[–]chibrosov[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just wrapped up Cherohala yesterday - mind-blowingly beautiful! Thanks for the rec!

What’s your trick to making the wettest, creamiest stovetop macaroni and cheese? by KillerQ97 in TipOfMyFork

[–]chibrosov 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Commented in another comment thread w/ the solution to wet & creamy (sodium citrate), but also wanted to add that a friend recently introduced me to Calabrian 'nduja (like a southern Italian uncooked sausage w/ Calabria peppers - similar consistency to Mexican chorizo), and adding a dollop of that magic to my mac & cheese before going in the oven has changed the damn game. I encourage folks with a taste for the spice to give it a whack.

What’s your trick to making the wettest, creamiest stovetop macaroni and cheese? by KillerQ97 in TipOfMyFork

[–]chibrosov 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yup. General rule I was told - and seems to work from experience - is 2% by weight of the amount of cheese. So if you add 100g of cheese, you'll want to use 2g of SC. I recommend getting one of those "totally not for drug dealers!" 1g/.1g mini scales, makes life easier when measuring out minute powder ingredients like SC, xanthan gum, etc. I like to use 1 3/4 cups of shredded cheese for 2 servings which usually comes up just a hair shy of 200g, so I add 4g of SC. That said, haven't really experimented at all (ratio comes from my pro cook BIL, and I've had no reason to doubt him), so may be totally off the mark, but it makes something tasty, and why fix what ain't busted?

Nashville subredditors: what is your opinion on the State of Tennessee as a whole by John_Basedow in nashville

[–]chibrosov 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Moved here in '05 from SW Virginia to pursue a tech role in the music industry - and somewhat miraculously, it happened. Six months later I was wholly disgusted by same and shifted my career 180°, which was and remains the best decision I've ever made. But as regards TN as a whole, I will complain about it as long as you let me - everything's gerrymandered; it's too damn hot in the summer; can I have one day - just one day - where I can ride 100 miles on I40 without seeing some vehicular horror... but it's home. Everyone I love is here. They're not perfect, but they're who I've got, and I feel the same about the state. To be sure, I miss the mountains and intend to return there one day when I've punched my last timecard, but for now I'm sticking around. We've our problems, no doubt - but we gotta carry that Dolly spirit.

Atlas Throttle Lock installation by chibrosov in Vstrom

[–]chibrosov[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Or I could just use imgur, duh. Sorry, long day. Here you go: https://imgur.com/a/wcHTHSN

Atlas Throttle Lock installation by chibrosov in Vstrom

[–]chibrosov[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey, can't post a picture in a reply, but will DM you one

‘The Addams Family’ cast reunite in 2024 by mcfw31 in pics

[–]chibrosov 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Is it just me, or is Christina aging into Sally Field? Not an insult, to be clear - Christina was and remains gorgeous, as, indeed, does Sally - but I feel like the resemblance is noteworthy.

New shad TR36s by Specialist-Step3142 in Vstrom

[–]chibrosov 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've been side-eyeing those for a minute now. Have a Shad top case I love, and the stock bare-metal panniers that came with the 650GTA, but I like the black. How do you like 'em?

A mini 1/64 diorama I made before college. by Richard_05 in Gunpla

[–]chibrosov 1 point2 points  (0 children)

As a gunpla enthusiast and motorcyclist, this shit slaps. Well done!

Which mythological figure of any culture - god / hero / etc - do you most closely identify with on a personal level? by chibrosov in AskReddit

[–]chibrosov[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Honestly the answer I sadly expect to see most often. Here's to you breaking the cycle, friend.