Are there any options to relieve sore elbows?

[QBS]

Rikard, Thank you very much for your kind reply.  For really exciting examples of countersteering at work, watch some bike road racing footage.  I just love it when the camera is shooting head on as a group of bikes thread some tight switchbacks, flipping from peg to peg is the blink of an eye, sometimes popping little wheelies between turns.  That's countersteering taken to its highest level.

A good situation to use the light touch in is with gusty cross winds.  Once again letting the bike self correct.  However, I would recommend that an inexperianced rider experiment his or her way up the touch scale as cross winds can be frightening and absolutley potentialy dangerious.  This is especially true in the wet.  Worst case scenerio is cross winds, mixed with large truck traffic, in the wet, at night.  And, for the ultimate experiance, add cold weather.

Staying up on a bike is all about traction recognition and traction consumption  management.  Be aware that counterstering consumes traction so steer accordingly.  Cheers.  

[Rikard]

@Lucky: Hee... That's actually where I read about counter steering in the first place. =)

But it's a great resource, and couldn't be posted enough. The parts about riding in what's virtually 18-wheeler-land was especially interesting, although it's not really appplicable to swedish environments.

Still... Recognizing that for most people(?), the Vision is a first, or starter, bike, don't we have a kind of 'responsibility' for giving tips on riding techniques as well as the more technichal/mechanical parts of Vision ownership? (The obvious answer is, of course we don't(have a responsibility)! But... If we would... Maybe we could save lives?)

Just speaking for myself, I know I read just about everything on this site, time permitting, but few others, so any riding tips on _this_ site would help me...

@ QBS: Yeah, I watch those maniacs any chance I get on local service - and that's really what they seem like to inexperinced riders like me (I should say hopefully - I see many riders who are _way_ out of their actual competence - and yes, most of them on modern sports bikes) - what they (the race drivers) do with their bikes just doesn't seem physically possible. I realize they have the advantage of perfect surface and tires, but still... Mostly an awe-inspiring sight.

/Rikard

[ps2/bikevision]

ive grown up hearing about superbikes. in a thight turn you should be able to almost let go of the bar with you top hand. that is, if your in a right hand turn you should be able to let loose with the left. i havent found this to be true with the vision with its higher bars but on my fizzer it no problem. im just learning to ride on the track and as soon as i get enough hours ill be getting my race licnese. (think they will let me use it on the road) i found im learning alot that i didnt know from just riding, in race school. the stuff like the proper way to take a tight switchback and such. the next time i make it to the dragon they better watch out cause here i come.

heather the best thing to relive sore elbows is go so fast that you dont think about the pain. all you can do is smile ;D

[Coil Coyle]

 8)

Set the bars until your wrists are comfortable.

Lean exactly into the wind, ride balanced.

Push the other bar to steer.

Get a throttle lock and practice laying down on your back with your feet on the bars while you chill.

                 ;D                                        Just kidding about your feet on the bars    :-*      ..
;)

coil

[Serendipity]

Thanks again for all the suggestion guys. I'm going to mess with her tommorow and see if I can make some adjustments.

PS2: It's Patti, not Heather actually who started this thread. I am the *other* Vision Chick. ;) Funny you should mention the speed lightening the pain....Dave and I were coming back from a ride this afternoon and on a long straightaway where Dave was riding the speed limit (55 mph) I got such a wild hair to just open her up and blow past him. (evil grin) But I controlled myself....but now that I am getting more comfortable with every mile, and I riding a well-running V it's getting awful hard to stay humble. LOL

Rikard: Have you read "Proficient Motorcylcing" yet? I know I mentioned the book elsewhere on the board, but I can't say enough good things about it, in regards to how it explains in DETAIL how to master traction control and just in general how and why a bike does what it does. I read it for the first time just before I started my MSF course so I had to read and re-read paragraphs over to "get it" but once I read it again after having some experience it all made a lot more sense.

[tailwheel]

Just try to pass me and we will find out which V is faster  :o Game on  ;)
Dave

[Serendipity]

Mua-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!!!!!!

[dj]

I believe that sounds like a challenge.

Do we have any members out by Tailwheel and Serendipity that could act as a moderator for this challenge? ;D

[Lucky]

Bad idea, 'Dipity is a new rider, lets not challenge her to ride beyond her abilities.  We haven't lost a Vision rider yet...(knock wood)

[tailwheel]

That reminds me, I should up her life insurance  ;). Actualy Patti is doing very well and her riding has improved on every ride we have done. I am still pretty protective of her and she is not one to test the limits of the bike. I'm not really one for speed or racing but I can't have a girl show me up  :).
Dave

[Serendipity]

Not too worry Lucky. If you knew me better you would know that I may have the desire to do such things: ride my V real fast, ride (my horse) like I stole it at the endurance rides, etc....but my wuss-factor and more importantly my BRAIN stop me from doing so. Even when my skills have improved I am not one for racing, now if we ever get a chance to play on a track that might be something else...but not regular streets, too many variables for my taste.

But thanks for worrying about me.  :-*

[haunter]

what size handgrips do you have on the bike Serendipity?

my V has BIG COMFY ones that I thought were nice, till I kept getting cramps

with the V down I have been riding trouble bikes form the MSF Shop i work at and my hands love the small grips, I have rather small hands for a guy of my size and big ones were killing me!

[Serendipity]

I don't really have petite, femnine hands, but I do think the grips are on the large side....and on top of that my gloves are very padded. Just this morning I moved the bike without my gloves on and the grips felt sooo much smaller. Hmmmmm. Maybe I should think about that.

[Night Vision]

on the subject of grips...........

I got some Wilson Softshock tennis grips (2) and wrapped one each around the stock grips.
not puffy.... real comfy... looks unique too

[Rikard]

Rikard: Have you read "Proficient Motorcycling" yet?

Nope, but now I will. =)
I learned to ride on my brother's -94 (I think) GSX1100R (why? My dad wouldn't let me ride his -82 Honda CBF900. Go figure..), and I find that the Vision requires a bit more of its rider. I just don't "feel safe" on her yet. But I will. Thanks for the tip!

I only wish my first proper ride of the year didn't have to be a 500km one day haul down to my summer job. Oh well, I'll take it slow, do lots of pit stops, and hopefully all will be well.

If i get my new stator before the weekend that is. Grrr.

/Rikard

[kiawrench]

DIPITY!!,
    you didnt say you were using oven mitts to ride!!

    Go down to your local wal-mart-- i know they have a few hudred in your area,,, slip into sporting goods dept, someplace in there , you will find hunters gloves, smooth leather(elkhide) well stitched and very lady hand friendly( as in too small for most guys to wear) they are meant to be shooting gloves, but walmart messed up the number when they ordered several hundred thousand pairs of themand got the elkhide driving gloves instead. i think they sell for about 9.00 per pair. perfect for those of us with smaller hands, can take a beating like bick birthday cake and are nearly waterproof by mother natures design.
this means they are good bike gloves, almost wind proof. i wear mine year round,, but after soaking in shampoo and hot water , i added a set of wool liners to my winter set. (makes the leather stretch)

    With these you are protecting your hands, reducing the padding of regular gloves ,and saving bucks too. and the grips wont feel so darn big .
   All of this will help in the goofy thumb feeling .