Road Work Ahead

[ZenMan]

... for me, that's for sure!

Took ol' #99 out for a workout today, there's a 35-mile stretch on SR160 that has a lot of tight twisties, one after another. I know the road fairly well, so I figured to do a little thrashing on the bike. 70 miles up and back.

Well, turns out the bike did a little thrashing on me! My freshly healed shoulder has a bit of catching up to do. I am one sore puppy!

Working that bike around all those curves at speed requires quite a bit of muscle... another reason they call it a muscle-bike, huh?    I mean, she handles great for a big standard, but it ain't no RZ350, that's for sure! Still, I did manage to get the last of my chicken strips worn off, even made a little "string cheese" slough off the edges... hot day. Tires were definitely up to temp.

All the torque is definitely spoiling the crap out of me. I'm finding myself shifting a LOT less... mainly for braking, it doesn't matter much what gear I'm in powering out the exits. Sometimes I'll just leave it in 4th through a series of esses and wind 5th out in the short straights. Hardly used 6th at all. Probably could do the whole stretch with just 2 gears... 4th and 5th.    

There was suprisingly little traffic for a Saturday, just a few pickups and a couple of Hardley riders that probably had mutual heart attacks when I blew by.  

Anyway it was a fun day. I need to do that stretch at least once a week, no pain no gain, as they say.  Now excuse me while I go take a Vicadin...  

[pmackie]

but it ain't no RZ350,

Yup...not the lightest bikes (even the 600!!), but compared to the old Yamaha two strokes, you've also got a LOT of engine inertia/gyroscopic action working against letting you change directions.

Good to hear you're feeling up to starting to thrash it a bit. Now you can start fiddling some more as well. More rear preload, drop the forks, play with front preload, etc.

Just like the 1st and 2nd gen's, I'm sure the new 1250 can be made to turn easier...

[ZenMan]

but it ain't no RZ350,

Yup...not the lightest bikes (even the 600!!), but compared to the old Yamaha two strokes, you've also got a LOT of engine inertia/gyroscopic action working against letting you change directions.

Good to hear you're feeling up to starting to thrash it a bit. Now you can start fiddling some more as well. More rear preload, drop the forks, play with front preload, etc.

Just like the 1st and 2nd gen's, I'm sure the new 1250 can be made to turn easier...

Yep, exactly what I was thinking... gonna take the rear shock up another notch tomorrow.    I already had it up one from stock, #5 out of 7. Going to #6 next. The rebound is just right, about 1/4 turn counterclockwise from midpoint. The front preload feels good at 2 lines showing. I don't think I'll have to drop the forks unless I run out of rear preload, I like the straight-line stability... ya gotta compromise on some things.  

That's the first time I really worked this bike. I've been riding mostly in "relaxed" mode, which is still kinda sporty to most folks, but today I cranked it up a notch. Whole different set of muscles come into play when you're working the bike hard, shifting your weight and wrestling 500 lbs. around, trying to make her flick like a GP bike. Muscles I haven't used for a very long time. I'm sure feeling it now.  

I know there are exercises for most muscle groups, and I have been doing a lot of PT for both shoulder surgeries, plus some knee and leg stuff. But there's really nothing that can totally prepare you for rigorous sport riding except just doing it.

Bicycling used to work pretty well for me, but where I live now, mountain biking is the only alternative, and I'm just too crippled and beat up to handle this terrain at my age. Besides, why ride a bicycle when I can have a 1255cc beast between my legs?