maidenjade

Transported, can you and your troupe please consider doing a mass relocation and move to Washington state? It will greatly benefit ~T and her social life and I can have a mentor.

You guys really make me wish I live in Oregon.

ddonacazx12

Like we used to say in the Navy...

"I think you guys are Nuking it"

(translation you're thinking too much, making it harder than it needs to be)

I got a pm, from a rider who works more-or-less the same schedule I do, so we are gonna hook up on a day off.

Just get together and start with the basics... talk about riding.

(the below to be done in a parking lott)

- I'll start em off with a basic eval of riding position (loose arms, balls of feet on pegs, dont hang your toe, cover levers, etc...)
- Check controll setup (lever position, etc)
- Check suspension set-up (then try to get em to go to GP )
- Basic maintenance (chain tension, brake bleed, etc)

These things alone should give enough stuff for the ol' noggin to chew on for a couple days.

Then I was gonna get into:
- Lane positioning (in traffic, in group, solo cornering, etc)
- Hazard assessment
- Basic lines, cornering concepts (eyes up, look through, outside in, etc)

Most of the stuff you can discuss and try to visualize before you ever even leave Starbucks.

Now granted for the more "advanced" beginner, most of this will be a no brainer, but review / discussion never hurts. Right?

Come on guys / gals... send a pm, meet up.

Look at the worst that can happen, you're out an hour or two and the cost of a burger or some coffee.

Midnightmotorsports

Thats Bulls*@t! I called Dave in the first couple posts!

Transported

Wow, that's an invitation! We wish you all lived in Oregon, too!

ddonacazx12

LOL... man you don't need me, you've got Grant. He lives with ya for cryin out loud!!!!

Not sure how long he's been ridin, but I know for a fact he's every bit as good (maybe better).

Now the hard part is gonna be getting him to slow down long enough for ya to watch him and learn...

Transported

^^^Grant has gotten very good in a short time! My first ride with him last year, while leading, he went down in front of me when he applied the rear brake in an overcooked turn. But, now, he's smooth, fast and composed, a real pleasure to ride with in all conditions.

Midnightmotorsports

I've been riding several months longer than Grant. He's got more miles though.

xqsme

Bump!.. this should be sticky'd.

"H"

Thanks Vaun for getting this awesome idea going! This is one of the best things I have seen! Thanks for everyone for offering to be mentors and thanks for all those that helped come up with the initial idea!!!

This is a great list of mentors!

Transported

Hey, Mike, I don't see your name on the coach list...

Dragon Rider

Dang Vaun, 255 am?
don't you ever sleep?

I've debated signing up to mentor, I am getting out for fewer and fewer rides, so I didn't want someone who is raring to go having to wait and wait for that mentor that never gets to ride.

So, feel free to ask me, if you see me on a ride, for a quick one ride session of follow me and watch my lines, countersteering, etc, or have me follow you, at your comfortable speed and crique at the stops,

before I have to turn around and head back early

dcamgixxer

Im with this guy, considering i only have a learners permit its hard to go on rides and improve my skills unless i can find someone to come to my place to meet me, which isn't very easy. Im going to take my endorsement test wed this week so it would have been very helpful if i had a mentor or sensei to take me on rides or to a parking lot to just go over basics like a tight u-turn without touching your foot down or tight low speed menouvers and whatnot.

anyways, I would like it if someone could take me under their wing. pm me if your interested.. heres my experience.

bald peak ride..
skyline a few times now
everyday traffic rides with a friend
some freeway,
under 2 months of rides and over 1200 miles

Transported

^^^Yep, there's a whole class of lawbreakers that the clueless Oregon State DMV has created: people with learners permits who can't find another licensed rider to ride with.

It's one of those laws that everyone ignores, as far as I can tell. I read that when I got my permit and snorted out my coffee—before getting on my bike and riding the piss out of it all by myself.

DGA

It's a hefty fine, somewhere arond $250, for riding around without an endorsement. That is even with a permit. One of my friends that has a 150cc scooter found out the hard way.

BlackSabbatical

Im Open to Coach Noobs, or be coached by experts as Im sort of intermediate, I know alot about being in a group and how to corner (although I dont always apply my rules!)

Transported

Already have you down for both!

ddonacazx12

Well had my first ride with my newbie today, up to the ranger station and back (cougar, amboy, yacolt, etc)

He's good... (Rob) I guess he's a cyclist and decided that an engine was easier then pedals.

Anyhow, balls of the feet on the pegs, loose arms and sholders, good head turn / look through, smoothe on / off the brakes / throtle, decent lean angle (only been riding a month), outside in lines, good self controll (rides his own ride) ... hell I'm stoked.

Little bit of seat time, and then some work on getting off the inside of bike and he's gonna be tearin it up.

( i'm such a good teacher : )

Bagged RAM

I owe it all to your superior teaching skills.

Thanks for the kind words Dave. It was nice to meet you & your daughter. I look forward to many more rides and learning how to bring my speed up in the corners and any other tips you can give me.

Rumblebee

This is a great Idea.

Mr. P

WTF?!! I thought SpeedGeek was my dedicated bottom rung ho?

*In all seriousness, looking forward to reading up on your experiences (mentor and the mented).

Rumblebee

lol nice one p

mfrankpdx

Shall I throw my name into the hat?

[sarcasm]I've only been riding for a month, but basically know everything there is to know. I specialize in wheelies, stoppies, and police chase getaways (you know, the really advanced skill stuff). I only ride when it's sunny out so I can wear my tank top and flip flops, and you can usually find me in my driveway, at Starbucks, or somewhere in between. I'm also an expert at chillin on my bike in the Starbucks parking lot dropping pickup lines on high school girls.[/sarcasm]

In all seriousness, I guess I will throw my name in as both mentor and mentee.

I live in SE Portland, but ride west side a lot. I'm originally from that area, so I know it pretty well. I do the sporty twisty type of riding. I'm an intermediate beginner? Whatever that is... 25k miles (and 4 crashes) under my belt w/ 2 track days, so whatever that is classified as. Available quite a bit until late September when school starts. I only work 3 days a week. I think I learn and teach best by hands on, so anyone who prefers to teach or learn by lots of riding and little talking would probably sync well with me.

Saki.Girl

so vaun you got any ideas when we are going to do this?

Transported

^^^Yes. Glad you asked!

I am going to schedule the introduction ride for next Saturday. The route will start in Troutdale and go through Bull Run to Zig Zag and back again. (Some of the best local twisties around.)

We will meet at a place we all can get breakfast or coffee and put names in a hat to match up according to skill level and geography, for those mentors and mentees who haven't yet contacted one another.

I'll post up a thread on this later this evening.

Twisties4me

I like to ride can I help? I'm busy the next couple weekends though. I've been known to go out in the eve here and there for a bit when I can.

mfrankpdx

Dibs!

Transported

I was wondering when MY mentor was going to sign up!

Let's see. I wanna learn to wheelie two-up, beat liter bikes on a 250 Ninja, drag my elbows, outrun sportbikes on an ancient BMW two-up. Can you teach me all of that, Obi?