Size DOES matter...(longish)

That's what happened in my case. If you re-book within 3 weeks, you get your
next go at the course for free. Being an "educator" myself, though, I was
well aware that group learning was not for me for something I had such
difficulty with - I was the proverbial "special needs" student - the slow
learner who needed to take very small steps, one-to-one, rather than the
giant leaps that you get in a 2 day intensive course of group instruction.

My confidence (not to mention my legs!) took such a blow that first day that
it was several weeks before I could get back on, but I decided to go the
individual lesson path rather than rebooking to do the course. For the first
two lessons I was so bloody terrified I couldn't even move the bike in case
it fell over. I was literally shaking so hard that I had to get off -
pounding heart, shaking legs/hands, tears - the whole bit. It was very
embarrassing. I used to get overwhelmed and super-stressed after only 10-15
minutes, and had to take regular breaks to calm down. (yeah yeah, basket
case.... but a bloody stubborn one!) The good thing about individual lessons
is that there's time to do that. Eventually I was able to build up to a
half-hour, then 45 minutes before I had to get off - and by the time I was
up to about lesson 9 I could spend the whole hour on the bike and still want
more afterwards.

After a few lessons I was still managing to fall off at least twice every
lesson. I'm unco and unconfident anyway, and I had never had a pushie as a
kid either - and I reckon your survival instincts and awareness of your
mortality sharpen up when you get over 40 as well... Big odds... An
unexpected advantage of falling off so often was that I got a special
portion of one lesson devoted to "picking up a dropped bike" - so I actually
got to learn some special skills that you don't normally get on the pre-L's
course, hehehe. Also, having SO MANY lessons meant that a lot of things
ended up being almost second-nature by the time I got out on the road
because I'd had to practise them so often. For a slow learner that sort of
reinforcement and consolidation of learning in a safe environment was
invaluable, I reckon.

By the time I did the course a second time (and I think SU took pity on me
coz I'd already forked out so much cash - they didn't make me pay for the
second course) I was a lot less nervous, and managed to complete the two
days without embarrassing myself. Still made mistakes, of course, but I was
no worse than any of the other raw beginners...

That's a real problem on some of the courses - you get a bunch of people
who've been on dirtbikes since they could first walk, and then somebody like
me (or your friend, Cam) - recipe for disaster! I think it's brilliant that
Stay Upright offer "women-only" courses - every teacher knows that girls and
boys learn differently, so it makes sense to segregate something like a
beginners' motorcycling course. I would've been far too scared to join a
mixed class.

The difference between instructors is staggering. While they're all
motorcycle hot-shots, some of them are fantastic "mainstream" teachers who
are hopeless with "special needs" students, and others have the knack of
putting slow learners at ease and making us blossom. Luckily I had only one
of the former, and four of the latter. Sounds like your friend got some of
the latter as well, Cam. Lucky for us!

It's like any educational milieu, I think - the majority is catered for and
the rest have to sink or swim (or get a private tutor/attend remedial
classes or whatever - or drop out.)

betty

 

Yup! It happens. Some folk are like that.

The standard (NSW) course is pretty good, as a standard sausage machine
course, but it can't work for absolutely everyone.

Dunno what SU would have had you on, HART would have been a CB250,
which, to a smallish, beginner, is a big lump of motorcycle.

I've often thought that the schools should find a few smaller bikes.

Even for largish folk, the two half days can be bloody hard work when
they are trying so hard.

Indeed.

While it may have cost you a few dollars more than the "standard", it
sounds like it was money well spent.

As I said, it can sometimes be good in that it gives the instructor a
few extra minutes to spend on the slower learner, OTOH, it can be very
discouraging for that slower learner, when the rest of the class just
breeze through each exercise.

The varience also is more noticeable at weekends, where rather than
full-time instructors, the schools often use casual part-timers.

Exactly.

That's why, over the years, I have had a number of folk arriving at my
doorstep for private tuition.

regards,
CrazyCam

 

Just off the top of my head: something like the Suzuki GS550 or the
Kwaka ER600 - although I'm not sure if the latter comes in a faired
version - might be worth a look?

---
Cheers

PeterC [aka MildThing]
Before an accident, most city drivers say "****!", whereas most country drivers
say "Hang on to this stubby, mate, while I show you some awesome driving"
'81 Yamaha Virago (XV) 750H (work in progress)
'01 Yamaha FJR1300

www.dmcsc.org.au
http://eladesom.com.au/ulysses/
# 37181

 

Bugga. I meant GS500. When did they go down from the 550? Or where they
NEVER 550. I know there was a 450 (love of my life - my first - sigh)

Anyway, looking at the datestamp on these posts, I'm waaaaaaay behind
the conversation. I'll keep reading.

---
Cheers

PeterC [aka MildThing]
Before an accident, most city drivers say "****!", whereas most country drivers
say "Hang on to this stubby, mate, while I show you some awesome driving"
'81 Yamaha Virago (XV) 750H (work in progress)
'01 Yamaha FJR1300

www.dmcsc.org.au
http://eladesom.com.au/ulysses/
# 37181

 

only about 20 years ago.. so don't feel too bad about it

Nev..
'04 CBR1100XX

 

Yeah but the 550 was a 5cyl (and it may have been a GSX too....)

 

There was 25% inflation those days...

 

Is that when they went from the 550 fours to the 500 twin?

btw: I've heard the yanks are thinking of pulling their troops out of
'Nam.
---
Cheers

PeterC [aka MildThing]
Before an accident, most city drivers say "****!", whereas most country drivers
say "Hang on to this stubby, mate, while I show you some awesome driving"
'81 Yamaha Virago (XV) 750H (work in progress)
'01 Yamaha FJR1300

www.dmcsc.org.au
http://eladesom.com.au/ulysses/
# 37181

 

So, in other words, they went from the 450 twin to the 500 twin, NOT
from the 550 four to the 500 twin.

[i'm getting the hang of this]

---
Cheers

PeterC [aka MildThing]
Before an accident, most city drivers say "****!", whereas most country drivers
say "Hang on to this stubby, mate, while I show you some awesome driving"
'81 Yamaha Virago (XV) 750H (work in progress)
'01 Yamaha FJR1300

www.dmcsc.org.au
http://eladesom.com.au/ulysses/
# 37181

 

I think the The ER6-F is gorgeous, and I've heard people that own them
saying how beautiful they are to ride.....I've sat on one and fitted it
just fine - but I'm impatient. Would have to get my Ps and then wait a
whole year....(and have another winter battling the stalling GPX in
sub-zero temps, which is really quite scary).

The Suzuki GS500F is learner-legal in the ACT.... and I sat on one the
other day and was pleased to note that I fitted so right now it's
the main contender - next step will be the big test ride (eek!)

betty

 

Gee, maybe I should just get myself an updated version..... I also love
the GPX, but mine seems a little tired. Not sure why - I have been
meticulous about having it serviced regularly ever since I got it,
haven't thrashed it (wouldn't know how to, ha ha ha!) and it had only
done 20,500kms when I got it last year (it's a '97 model, or is it '98,
I forget!) and it's only done 35000 now... (I noted gleefully as it
ticked over today!)

Apart from the sub-zero stalling issue that I've mentioned before, it's
also started making some weird noises that somebody else mentioned in a
different thread (and I can't find the original post, so forgive me for
repeating!!!!!) Whenever I throttle-off and slow down (and especially
in lower gears) there is a weird clicking/clunking noise that sounds
like the chain is about to pop off....It seems to be coming from the
front of the bike.

Talking to friends has yielded the following:
"Have the cush drive checked"
"Sounds like you need new sprockets..... bike's done 35K after
all......"
"Clutch might be fucked. Get a new bike."

I notice this noise quite often when I pull in the clutch. Oh, there
have been some odd occasions when I've taken off in first gear and the
bike has popped back into neutral by itself. Not sure whether that's me
being too soft on the gear shift, (I suspect so) coz it doesn't happen
often, or a clutch problem... Had the cam-chain tensioner replaced a
little while ago. Also got a new clutch cable.

Sorry to sound like a dumb-arse, and I know this is probably a Bike
Mechanics 101 dumb-arse newbie question - not even sure what to ask for
here! How do I know if my clutch cable needs adjusting, and how do I do
it? Could that be anything to do with the noises the bike is making????
The clunks and clicks all seem to relate to downshifts and
deceleration. When I was on the home stretch after my long ride the
other week I noticed the clutch lever had a bit of a wobble in the wind
- probably about 1.5cm of play. I have my clutch lever adjusted for my
small hand, so I wasn't sure whether the extra "play" at that end was
ok, and just a result of the higher speed on the open road - hadn't
noticed it in my daily commute..

Too many questions? Sorry folks - will phone nice Bruce tomorrow and
book poor baby bike in - I just think it's nice to be able to
articulate the problem when I get there, and I'm not sure I have that
bit figured out yet!

mechanically inept betty

 

An updated version? I don't think they've changed much besides the
colours since 1988.

Nev..
'04 CBR1100XX

 

35k? Glad I stick with shafties!

Cheers
Goaty
--
_--_|\ John Lamp - in beautiful downtown Highton
/ \ DoD#:1906 Ulysses#:10185 Vulcan Nomad
\_.--._/ mailto: Phone: 0409 512 254
v Hear no Evo, See no Evo, Fear no Evo

Militant Agnostic - I don't know and you don't either

 

But the red ones go faster Nev !

JL
(indeed, Kwaka have done almost as good a run of "If you're on a good
thing stick to it with the GPX, as Honda did with the finally about to
be superceded after 25years CB250)

 

There is no such critter I'm afraid. The GPX has been unchanged for lo
these many decades.

That screams cam chains to me (although I bow to the superior knowledge
of people like BTH who have actually pulled one apart). Get the valve
clearances checked, the cam chains checked, the compression checked. I
don't recall Ally's bike making noises like that and it had about 90 or
a 100K on it from memory.

Highly unlikely. When a GPX gets to about 120,000 it's properly run in,
before that....naw, not unless someone's been using it for stunting !

Not terribly uncommon, but unlikely to be related - usually either worn
gear selectors (unlikely after 30K I would have thought), or just, as
you suggest not being careful to get it in gear properly

Very sus now - the above symptoms sound like a dodgy cam chain tensioner
- wonder if the job was done properly.

The amount of free play between when you pull the clutch lver in and it
starts to engage

There are cable adjusters at the ends of the clutch cable for taking up
the slack.

Maybe, but I would have thought only if the clutch was actually
slipping, depends on the noise though.

JL

 

I think you missed the recent discussion where it was determined that
shaftie owners didn't save that much money in a lifetime, they just had
to find it all at once when a replacement was required.

Nev..
'04 CBR1100XX

 

Thanks heaps JL - it's nice to be able to go the the mechanic armed with
something that sounds intelligent. I always feel like an idiot when I ask
about "thingies" and "whatchamacallits". As for the cam-chain tensioner
replacement - it was done by Bruce and loads of motorcyclists down here
swear by (as opposed to AT) Bruce's work - so I think it's unlikely that he
botched it (hope so anyway!)

betty

 

except the CB changed in the early 90's ?
and now finally replaced all together

 

except if they get rid of them before a shaft is required

 

Nameless Boy had a noise coming from the top of the motor that sounded
like a very badly loose tappet, but louder (a metallic *tick* that got
faster & louder as revs increased).

I redid the valve clearances three times, removed & disassmebled the
head to check for bent/sticking valves, lubricated the camchain
tensioner (it only had about 20,000km on it), and replaced the head
with a known-good one, all to no avail.

So I sold it.

Say Betty, your GPX isn't red-and-purple with dodgy paint on the LHS of
the upper fairing and a very nastily dented tank, is it?

Oh yes, and a thunk-thunk-thunk noise at idle in neutral from the RHS
of the motor that gets much quieter when you pull the clutch in, is
perfectly normal for GPX/ZZR/EL250 motors. ;-)


BTH