BMW R1200RT/R1250RT Forum

It's a beautiful day in Portland today, and I have nothing to do but practice all day long.  Now the trick becomes, how do you practice without risking dropping it again.  I got out the book from my rider training course I took years ago, and one good reminder was about leaning.  When turning at speed, of course you lean with the bike.  At lower speeds, or from a stopped position, keep your body upright and lean the bike only.  I'm signed up for this course in May, look forward to learning what additional strategies they can teach me. http://team-oregon.org/training/intermediateridertraining/

This was part of a slow riding course with a local training organisation run by two ex-police motorcyclists.

This guy is pretty good worth a watch, and there are plenty more on utube


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-BDrAxjAFI


bit about NO front brake is very important


get comfortable with the slow straight line control first, then progress to turning and u turns, go for a big turn first, then slowly reduce the radius of the turns it will come.


In an empty parking lot.  ha


BTW I am not an instructor, I am just as keen as you to improve.


Marty

Great video, Marty.  And you're right, there's a lot more out there.  How did we ever learn to do anything before YouTube?!?

Here is a video of part of the training course mentioned above, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1v3-5Gs5KOw

DaygloDavid wrote: Here is a video of part of the training course mentioned above, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1v3-5Gs5KOw

Yes good stuff, really shows how looking constantly where you are going ie at the blue marker aids the turn, when the rider was focused on the marker he made a tight turn you can see his head really turned , but when not looking the turn failed. hope that made sense.

Tango wrote:Shows how looking constantly where you are going ie at the blue marker aids the turn, when the rider was focused on the marker he made a tight turn you can see his head really turned , but when not looking the turn failed.

Listen carefully to the commentary & check out the number/position of the blue cones on the final run.

Did the same on my '15 model a couple of months ago.  About $800 to replace the parts.  I ended up putting the Wunderlich rear bag protection bars on to keep from having to do that again.  The front bars kept the cylinder head off the ground, so only the mirror and pannier were involved.

mercator1 wrote: Did the same on my '15 model a couple of months ago.  About $800 to replace the parts.  I ended up putting the Wunderlich rear bag protection bars on to keep from having to do that again.  The front bars kept the cylinder head off the ground, so only the mirror and pannier were involved.

Hey mercator1 - Sorry to hear about your drop, so frustrating!  Do you have pictures of your RT with the bars on it?  Curious what they look like, I would consider doing the same. 


Tim

Now that you have your first scratch on it, you won't be afraid to ride the heck out of it!  :-)

Dropped mine three times in 2 years and 18,000 miles. All under very similar circumstances (zero speed) because I misjudged the surface, its easily done, (but I learn Mr Fawlty, I learn). I also had fitted the valve cover protectors :-). First time I did not have the panniers fitted, small damage to the topbox and mirror, easily fixed by me. The second time parking on a sloping carpark after an exhausting days ride, the third time on a road that sloped downhill - the prop stand just folded... Luckily the last two times were both on the left side so only one pannier needed respray ($120). The damage is surprisingly light and the mirrors are tougher than they look...
Its good for the soul.
Geoff

timminator wrote:
Hey mercator1 - Sorry to hear about your drop, so frustrating!  Do you have pictures of your RT with the bars on it?  Curious what they look like, I would consider doing the same. 

Tim

Here you go.

mercator1 wrote:
Here you go.

Thanks @mercator1, that looks like it came from the factory with those installed.  Very nice.  Can I ask, do you ever take a passenger on the back and if so, do the bars bother their legs?


Thanks, Tim

I haven't carried a passenger since I had the bars installed.

No wonder he dropped it - it's all the extra weight from the scaffolding poles!!


:alas: :alas: