ero4444
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weekender
Posts: 176
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Thank you for sharing your experience. I think it can help any new or old rider that sees it, and I'm glad you are still around and willing to share it.
I am a new rider and my first time going faster than MSF class speed (parking lot course), was last Sunday morning at 9am (low traffic). I just bought my 2001 Savage and in order to get it home, it was a difficult choice of going at twice the speed I've ever ridden at, or through heavier traffic downtown. The whole time on the beltway, my wife was following about a block behind me and the trip was exciting but uneventful, as it had be, or else my wife would have made it impossible to keep the bike. But she did not notice as I certainly did, when I fixated on the last elevated two-lane ramp, left-curve outside jersey wall at about 55 mph, which was the speed of the other traffic. And the bike, I mean I, did not lean fully into the turn, so we quickly headed for the wall... it was very scary as I rolled off the throttle and leaned as much as I dared. I didn't and I couldn't push the left handlebar into the left turn - instinct told me that I would steer into the wall... instinct gave me brain-lock and I had NO thought or memory from class instruction of handing a fast curve. Instinct allowed me to lean away from the wall but it also prevented me from steering into it in order to initiate or help the lean.
It hammered home the MSF class lesson, to look where I want the bike to go, look into my turn. And practice practice practice. I won't be going on the highway again anytime soon, and not without a lot of curve practice.
I am NOT comparing my experience to yours and I wish you a speedy recovery.
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c2001, 3800miles, 3rd owner, adjusted idle, raised seat, Tkat brace, Raptor petcock, cleaned carb, replaced some jets, Dyna muffler, Fiamm horns, Shinkos, future Ed L. forward controls, fork boots.
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