Brilliantly done. I passed my test in 1984 and still practice like you do and reflect on my riding. Your videos are really enjoyable. Enjoy your riding!
Seems llke have improved. To really check improvement find a twisty road. Preferly more twisty than this. Go same speed. If use shorter time with same conditions, riding have improved. Same if ride heavier bike in same time. Try keep up with a 125 on a very twisty road on a 250kg motorcycle. It can take some effort to keep up
Quick answer to your question....YES I felt your were more confident, relaxed & competent. Your positioning better....but here is the controversial input. In my opinion positioning in bends "can" be overrated. The cornering pace differences, (at around legal speeds), & any extra vision we gain are often less than many might believe on significant radius bends, (motorcycle PWR has a great vid on this ...also a mate who is very recent ex-police rider agrees with me on this). That said...On minor bends or straights with significant kinks the advantages are far more noticeable & beneficial. In cold/damp conditions I often prefer to look for favoured grip surface. Bracing pegs & tank plus using core also helps me have better confidence control & feel in bends. A fixed mindset to prefer nearside posiion into a right hander can cause us to end up in camber from sunken asphalt. Surface advantage is often my preference over more fancy lines....(as much as I enjoy taking them - when appropriate). There were a couple of occasions I was backing off earlier than you (in my mind) ...you identified one of them. I accept your bike is more responsive at higher RPM....BUT it will be more settled in higher gears..... especially in corners when keeping a steadier speed In cold/damp , a higher gear gives us less chance of slip...the bike will also feel less more calmer & settled. "Brakes are for slowing - Gears are for Going"..(mostly.)....Whilst its good to be able to ride using acceleration sense, I don't tend to rely on engine braking if wanting to scrub speed significantly. ...Try a higher gear but plan ahead a bit more If not wanting to brake when not needed. (Do remember we don't show our brake lights to others if engine braking only). Having encountered mud, gravel cow pats, wildlife, diesel etc.... I tend to be a little cautious on blind corner pace if I don't have adequate visible road in which to slow &/or safely adjust position mid-bend. Whether we do or don't have a decent view, the question to ask is ....How skilled/practiced are we at adjusting our line IF we need to deviate course mid corner ?? ....Lots of factors here such as rider experience, technique & the bike we are riding.....Your Z400 will be quite accommodating of mid corner adjustments in good hands. Of course some bigger bikes will typically need more encouragement OR even not respond as well to line adjustments mid corner. Frowned against by some but I have practiced (gradually & progressively), braking into/on bends &/or adjusting line mid corner. (WARNING this can end badly if we get it wrong - if in doubt don't do it). I personally like to have options in my rider tool kit in event I am faced with the unexpected. As for the van when you turned major to minor...maybe try slower approach &/or look at a point nearer apex of opposite turn in curve....(hard to put into words) Turning too slow and its a bit clunky...too fast & it can be messy. Swan necking is often frowned upon in purist advanced world, but done subtlety it can arguably make turning into junctions smoother & more fluid. ...Just remember full obs & lifesaver....Incidentally I could do with improving right turns major to minor as I am not always consistent in best execution. Crucialltly, you seemed to be enjoying your ride 🤩👍and more at one with the bike. I would have felt pretty happy riding along behind, (albeit I aim to ride my own ride. Your riding better than many who have many years experience...Much improved 👏 Good for captions rather than chatting when riding 👍👍👍 Take my comments at face value....I am not an observer & am definitely NOT the perfect rider...(I am brutally self critical)..Delete or ignore as you wish. Sorry for essay....genuinely wanted to add value for you. Thanks Ride Safe 👍🏍
This is brilliant, thank you! I was keeping it in 3rd here to see what that felt like, but I definitely could have been in 4th at some points and ready to downshift again before the next corner. Good point about blindly following lane positioning rules rather than looking for the best road surface; you want to be doing the latter I think I turned in too early from the major to minor right turn. If I waited until my shoulder was in line with the centre line or so it would have been a bit cleaner. If there was no traffic there it would have been less of an issue, but there was
@@ayserides Got that. Glad of some use. If you want to improve right hand turns maybe do so on empty roads or industrial estates etc. I hope what I said about where to look & (initially) aim made sense. I accept this was just one manouvere in video and may have been a one off....as always treat my comments according to need or relevance
I ride the same bike on similar roads. I find the engine produces enough torque to ride similar speeds in higher gears at lower revs. I will drop a gear or two for overtakes if required or for accelerating out of bends. I’m not saying that’s better but is interesting the contrast in riding styles on the same bike. It’s good to see your confidence is back following the incident last year. We talked mirrors before and I’ve now put a set from a Triumph Scrambler on. I have a full view behind on both sides now. Much better.
I used to keep it in 5th or so at these speeds but a few times I've really needed the engine braking and it hasn't been there. Was playing around in 3rd here but could have been in 4th at some points for sure! It's fun to play around with different rev ranges and see what works best Those mirrors sound cool! I think my next mod will be some comfier footpegs for longer journeys
Definitely better 👍I love the sound of my bike as well. When I am out with my husband, I forget we have intacoms when I let out a big woohoo in my helmet when giving the throttle a big twist, it make him jump. 🤣
Haha brilliant! Yours has that exhaust on it too right? I really wanted to stick an sc project exhaust on mine but it just sounded way too loud in the video I saw. The akra one seems about stock volume though as far as I can tell in videos
@@ayserides When I bought my z400 I bought the perfomance addition so it came with an akrapovic exhaust, it is road leagal and does not sound that much difference from the stock exhaust. I prefered the look of it and upgrading to the performance pack was a cheeper way to get them. I probably will not change it sometimes I wish I got the stock bike and could chose the exchust I want. On my Monkey bike I have a yoshimura exhaust, which is ridiculous for a 125 but looks amazing. That was way too loud and I had to put a spark arrester to reduce the DBs. Otherwise people would hear me comming expacting a massive bike and see me on a small monkey bike. 🤣
Theres some roads here with a 60mph limit, but you really can't do more than 20 on them because they're so narrow! And then the roads that you can easily do 70 on have a 40 limit 😂
Nice ride and well observed. I was taught, many years ago, to keep the revs in the top half of the range. Mind you, I used to ride strokers, which were peaky to put it mildly. But once you have a habit it is hard to break.
Glad to see you’re back out on your Advanced rides. I had my first IAM Observed ride last Sunday and have a few bits to polish up on. Didn’t help that it rained - still a little nervous about pushing the bends and roundabouts in the wet. Thanks for the video.
Dean, My two penneth..Relaxed arms - slow hands...Don't fight the bike but remain proactive, (avoiding metal covers paint & poor grip areas - ideally without sudden changes of line if grip is an issue). All the best for your course.
@@ayserides Your studio on screen captions show you identify hazards & relevant aspects of your ride...You will know if you identified during ride &/or during playback of footage. You likely silently give some commentary. Maybe start with key words..."Junction left car" (identifying hazards) mirrors, position, speed (identifying & using relevant system components). Start with bullet points. I have been commentary trained....it has pros & cons. It can help but can also hinder until mastered. If trying same perhaps do so at a conservative pace initially.
@@ayserides K.I.S.S (keep it simple stupid) works for me (despite being an overthinking rider at times). Some people talk a load of irrelevance in commentary - no need and causes other issues.
True, not a bad idea. In that particular case though I would have chosen to dart around him most likely rather than braking. But in other cases braking is the only option Edit: actually it would depend when the car chose to pull out whether I would have had room to pass or not. If it pulled out straight away I would have had to have stopped
Brilliantly done. I passed my test in 1984 and still practice like you do and reflect on my riding. Your videos are really enjoyable. Enjoy your riding!
Thank you!
Seems llke have improved. To really check improvement find a twisty road. Preferly more twisty than this. Go same speed. If use shorter time with same conditions, riding have improved. Same if ride heavier bike in same time. Try keep up with a 125 on a very twisty road on a 250kg motorcycle. It can take some effort to keep up
Quick answer to your question....YES
I felt your were more confident, relaxed & competent.
Your positioning better....but here is the controversial input. In my opinion positioning in bends "can" be overrated. The cornering pace differences, (at around legal speeds), & any extra vision we gain are often less than many might believe on significant radius bends, (motorcycle PWR has a great vid on this ...also a mate who is very recent ex-police rider agrees with me on this). That said...On minor bends or straights with significant kinks the advantages are far more noticeable & beneficial.
In cold/damp conditions I often prefer to look for favoured grip surface. Bracing pegs & tank plus using core also helps me have better confidence control & feel in bends.
A fixed mindset to prefer nearside posiion into a right hander can cause us to end up in camber from sunken asphalt. Surface advantage is often my preference over more fancy lines....(as much as I enjoy taking them - when appropriate).
There were a couple of occasions I was backing off earlier than you (in my mind) ...you identified one of them.
I accept your bike is more responsive at higher RPM....BUT it will be more settled in higher gears..... especially in corners when keeping a steadier speed In cold/damp , a higher gear gives us less chance of slip...the bike will also feel less more calmer & settled.
"Brakes are for slowing - Gears are for Going"..(mostly.)....Whilst its good to be able to ride using acceleration sense, I don't tend to rely on engine braking if wanting to scrub speed significantly. ...Try a higher gear but plan ahead a bit more If not wanting to brake when not needed. (Do remember we don't show our brake lights to others if engine braking only).
Having encountered mud, gravel cow pats, wildlife, diesel etc.... I tend to be a little cautious on blind corner pace if I don't have adequate visible road in which to slow &/or safely adjust position mid-bend.
Whether we do or don't have a decent view, the question to ask is ....How skilled/practiced are we at adjusting our line IF we need to deviate course mid corner ?? ....Lots of factors here such as rider experience, technique & the bike we are riding.....Your Z400 will be quite accommodating of mid corner adjustments in good hands. Of course some bigger bikes will typically need more encouragement OR even not respond as well to line adjustments mid corner.
Frowned against by some but I have practiced (gradually & progressively), braking into/on bends &/or adjusting line mid corner. (WARNING this can end badly if we get it wrong - if in doubt don't do it). I personally like to have options in my rider tool kit in event I am faced with the unexpected.
As for the van when you turned major to minor...maybe try slower approach &/or look at a point nearer apex of opposite turn in curve....(hard to put into words) Turning too slow and its a bit clunky...too fast & it can be messy. Swan necking is often frowned upon in purist advanced world, but done subtlety it can arguably make turning into junctions smoother & more fluid. ...Just remember full obs & lifesaver....Incidentally I could do with improving right turns major to minor as I am not always consistent in best execution.
Crucialltly, you seemed to be enjoying your ride 🤩👍and more at one with the bike.
I would have felt pretty happy riding along behind, (albeit I aim to ride my own ride. Your riding better than many who have many years experience...Much improved 👏
Good for captions rather than chatting when riding 👍👍👍
Take my comments at face value....I am not an observer & am definitely NOT the perfect rider...(I am brutally self critical)..Delete or ignore as you wish.
Sorry for essay....genuinely wanted to add value for you.
Thanks
Ride Safe 👍🏍
This is brilliant, thank you! I was keeping it in 3rd here to see what that felt like, but I definitely could have been in 4th at some points and ready to downshift again before the next corner. Good point about blindly following lane positioning rules rather than looking for the best road surface; you want to be doing the latter
I think I turned in too early from the major to minor right turn. If I waited until my shoulder was in line with the centre line or so it would have been a bit cleaner. If there was no traffic there it would have been less of an issue, but there was
@@ayserides Got that. Glad of some use.
If you want to improve right hand turns maybe do so on empty roads or industrial estates etc.
I hope what I said about where to look & (initially) aim made sense.
I accept this was just one manouvere in video and may have been a one off....as always treat my comments according to need or relevance
I ride the same bike on similar roads.
I find the engine produces enough torque to ride similar speeds in higher gears at lower revs. I will drop a gear or two for overtakes if required or for accelerating out of bends. I’m not saying that’s better but is interesting the contrast in riding styles on the same bike.
It’s good to see your confidence is back following the incident last year.
We talked mirrors before and I’ve now put a set from a Triumph Scrambler on. I have a full view behind on both sides now. Much better.
I used to keep it in 5th or so at these speeds but a few times I've really needed the engine braking and it hasn't been there. Was playing around in 3rd here but could have been in 4th at some points for sure! It's fun to play around with different rev ranges and see what works best
Those mirrors sound cool! I think my next mod will be some comfier footpegs for longer journeys
nice ride
i enjoy watching how you ride as it helps me a lot.
thank you
stay safe and safe ride
Kev
Awesome!
Well done. Practice Practice and it’s great you self reflect as well. Always here if you need Gordy
Definitely better 👍I love the sound of my bike as well. When I am out with my husband, I forget we have intacoms when I let out a big woohoo in my helmet when giving the throttle a big twist, it make him jump. 🤣
Haha brilliant! Yours has that exhaust on it too right? I really wanted to stick an sc project exhaust on mine but it just sounded way too loud in the video I saw. The akra one seems about stock volume though as far as I can tell in videos
@@ayserides When I bought my z400 I bought the perfomance addition so it came with an akrapovic exhaust, it is road leagal and does not sound that much difference from the stock exhaust. I prefered the look of it and upgrading to the performance pack was a cheeper way to get them. I probably will not change it sometimes I wish I got the stock bike and could chose the exchust I want.
On my Monkey bike I have a yoshimura exhaust, which is ridiculous for a 125 but looks amazing. That was way too loud and I had to put a spark arrester to reduce the DBs. Otherwise people would hear me comming expacting a massive bike and see me on a small monkey bike. 🤣
Very nice zoomies. Think I'll try one of these courses when it's warmer. ;)
For sure, it's so worth it!
Speed limits are way way lower here, so I feel like you're flying through those NSL zones.
Theres some roads here with a 60mph limit, but you really can't do more than 20 on them because they're so narrow! And then the roads that you can easily do 70 on have a 40 limit 😂
Those gloves are lovely.
Theyre the Racer High Racer gloves!
Thank you!
Nice ride and well observed. I was taught, many years ago, to keep the revs in the top half of the range. Mind you, I used to ride strokers, which were peaky to put it mildly. But once you have a habit it is hard to break.
I've also heard to keep the revs in the top half or even in the top third on twisty roads especially
Glad to see you’re back out on your Advanced rides. I had my first IAM Observed ride last Sunday and have a few bits to polish up on. Didn’t help that it rained - still a little nervous about pushing the bends and roundabouts in the wet. Thanks for the video.
It's really worth it to leave a bit of extra room for error in slippery conditions. I certainly do. Good luck with the course!
Dean, My two penneth..Relaxed arms - slow hands...Don't fight the bike but remain proactive, (avoiding metal covers paint & poor grip areas - ideally without sudden changes of line if grip is an issue). All the best for your course.
Good to see your thought process. Have you tried doing a spoken commentary?
Looks like you're making good progress 👍
I havent tried but im not sure I'll be able to. Might give it a go actually and see how it comes out
@@ayserides Your studio on screen captions show you identify hazards & relevant aspects of your ride...You will know if you identified during ride &/or during playback of footage. You likely silently give some commentary. Maybe start with key words..."Junction left car" (identifying hazards) mirrors, position, speed (identifying & using relevant system components). Start with bullet points. I have been commentary trained....it has pros & cons. It can help but can also hinder until mastered. If trying same perhaps do so at a conservative pace initially.
I definitely talk to myself in my head, but I've never tried saying it out loud
@@ayserides K.I.S.S (keep it simple stupid) works for me (despite being an overthinking rider at times). Some people talk a load of irrelevance in commentary - no need and causes other issues.
Good road positioning.
Thanks!
Can I ask how you got into riding... I'm watching videos at the moment about basic riding skills and bike controls etc etc...
I think one of my friends got me into bikes!
Maybe covering the front brake with one or two fingers at hasards 🤷♂️ the horn will not save us.
True, not a bad idea. In that particular case though I would have chosen to dart around him most likely rather than braking. But in other cases braking is the only option
Edit: actually it would depend when the car chose to pull out whether I would have had room to pass or not. If it pulled out straight away I would have had to have stopped
Come on, when are you going for the test?
Watch this space!