The Motaur
Goal: invisible bike
The theory goes that you're completely at one with your bike once it disappears while you're riding it. Getting to that point with the Valkyrie is taking longer than I thought. After 12 months and 30,000km I'd say I'm only halfway there. Others?
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geeps, you are getting a might bit too friendly with that chunk of alum n plastic.. if you spent more time riding it FAR to new destinations, your MENTAL time will be spent on a zillion other things other than that chuck of alum n plastic 'tween your legs. ONLY then will you forget about it and enjoy the ride for what it is... or just sit in your chair and imagine riding to distant places and make vroom vroom noises while you pretend to crack the throttle.. ps. if you do this nekid, do NOT post any pics!The theory goes that you're completely at one with your bike once it disappears while you're riding it. I'm only halfway there.?
I’m riding plenty far. You’ve missed my point.
The Motaur
How does he take a piss? Inquiring minds want to know.
I've had mine 15 months (12,000 miles) and have noticed feeling that comfort level in the last two months or so.
Its the point where I don't have a thought about the weight or length when taking a right from a stop sign, it just feels natural and is more akin to muscle memory. I've cornered and am off running in third before it occurs to me that I'm still on the bike - everything is just fluid and second nature.
Hmpf, sounding a bit Zen, didn't mean to! I just understand what you are saying about it disappearing under you.
Its the point where I don't have a thought about the weight or length when taking a right from a stop sign, it just feels natural and is more akin to muscle memory. I've cornered and am off running in third before it occurs to me that I'm still on the bike - everything is just fluid and second nature.
Hmpf, sounding a bit Zen, didn't mean to! I just understand what you are saying about it disappearing under you.
I read you ride it plenty much.. it being bone stock, you aint going far in that set up.. from your post, you seem to be fixated on this machine, soley, so much so, that you are missing the RIDE aka FLYING w/o leaving the ground..I’m riding plenty far. You’ve missed my point.
If all you do is think about the bike beneath you, you are missing ALL the good points of its deliverables.. The Scenery alone certainly should be all up in your face and consuming your thoughts. Changing temps (not the CC crap), Humidity, Smells - good and bad, Speed and Road condition feedback all are part of Sensory Overload is what most all/any bike delivers. Who has got time to be consumed with just the machine that is providing this venue?
that is why I tell you to pack up your mule and head out into the boonies and experience travel life on two wheels. this may be a fine race horse, but it is not the only pack horse than can get the job done and haul your arse around that little island of yours.. tell shrubbo, poncho is gonna hafta come down there and show you how to get it done.
Still not getting it, eh? Read what bparish says. He gets it.I read you ride it plenty much.. it being bone stock, you aint going far in that set up.. from your post, you seem to be fixated on this machine, soley, so much so, that you are missing the RIDE aka FLYING w/o leaving the ground..
If all you do is think about the bike beneath you, you are missing ALL the good points of its deliverables.. The Scenery alone certainly should be all up in your face and consuming your thoughts. Changing temps (not the CC crap), Humidity, Smells - good and bad, Speed and Road condition feedback all are part of Sensory Overload is what most all/any bike delivers. Who has got time to be consumed with just the machine that is providing this venue?
that is why I tell you to pack up your mule and head out into the boonies and experience travel life on two wheels. this may be a fine race horse, but it is not the only pack horse than can get the job done and haul your arse around that little island of yours.. tell shrubbo, poncho is gonna hafta come down there and show you how to get it done.
I get it plenty.. you wrote "Goal - Invisible Bike".. I am telling you point blank is that you spend too much time and energy thinking about this particular Bike and not the Ride. if you did, it would be in your words that you write. the Ride is the Experience Adventure, the bike is just the means that provides it. It is the same as being Fixated on the Airplane and not on the Flying.. when you get past your amore for your Flyer, only then will you experience the Flying and the bike will disappear.. your stated Goal for it to be Invisible. I am telling you how. but if you don't want to hear it? horse / water. you know the story. ponchoStill not getting it, eh? Read what bparish says. He gets it.
Having the bike "disappear" is nothing to do with riding long haul. ANY bike disappears after an hour out on the highway. I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about around town in everyday use. There comes a point where all the starting, stopping, turning etc becomes completely comfortable and you're not conscious of the bike. THAT's the state I'm looking for. Nothing to do with long trips. In fact, in my experience, the fastest way to this state is to put more time in to slow-speed maneuvers - ie parking lot practice. Will probably double down on that actually. No shortcuts unfortunately.
the long haul. spending endless hours on your sled. doing things and going places that require you to react instinctively and your bike responds as if it were just an extension of yourself.. muscle memory motor skills make it happen and don't even reach the level of conscious thought. everything is just reflex.. that is what your goal is. this big piece of alum is built for the long haul. it is in its element aka sweet spot when put to that use. just riding around it is big, long, heavy and requires a fair amount of attention.
If this were a smaller sport bike, then my admonition would be to go find you some knarley twisties and wring the daylights out of her and the roads. a different task for a different beast. it is in the Doing that gets the muscles to have memory, relieving your thinking to other venues and the bike becomes invisible , just an extension of self. or just ride it around and enjoy it. poncho
If this were a smaller sport bike, then my admonition would be to go find you some knarley twisties and wring the daylights out of her and the roads. a different task for a different beast. it is in the Doing that gets the muscles to have memory, relieving your thinking to other venues and the bike becomes invisible , just an extension of self. or just ride it around and enjoy it. poncho
Yep, fair call.
Poncho, just for the record, Australia is almost the same size as the USA mainland. It's not a small island.
I agree that you have to forget about the bike and pay attention to the ride. My bike gets maybe 5% of my attention when I ride. the rest is my surroundings. You can never forget about what your riding, totally. You will end up in the ditch if you do.
I agree that you have to forget about the bike and pay attention to the ride. My bike gets maybe 5% of my attention when I ride. the rest is my surroundings. You can never forget about what your riding, totally. You will end up in the ditch if you do.
well ok, it is fairly large chunk of mostly desert but it is surrounded by oceans on all sides and doesn't have any pesky neighbors constantly breaking in an stealing their stuff.. at least they cant just walk in, like those Canuks who are always getting lost walking in the woods and just happen to show up in St Louie, just how the helldid that happen?..Poncho, just for the record, Australia is almost the same size as the USA mainland. It's not a small island..
so I call it an island. small, is just cause mos aussies will put up a good fight if they think theyr bein dissed.. but they do enjoy good ribbing. ever listen to 'em try to 'splain where someplace is and how to get there? well, schitts for grins, good luck tryin to unner stan that.. more wobbly verse than a three legged horse pullin a two wheel wagon. poncho
My intention has never been to “be one” with my bike. Unless I can plug in my humanity into a machine, being one with any machine is a danger… and this includes all of the hype over self-driven autos.
I ride for many different reasons just like all of you. I’ve had my share of mishaps to the point that I constantly work and focus now to know exactly what to expect of this valk should the unexpected occur. And it will occur!
When you ride every day like I do, almost anything can happen. The thought of this to me is more of a challenge than a fear. I may not have as many long distance rides as many of you but I can bet that I may have more experience with idgits.
I can’t think of any machine a human can operate that requires more mental and physical dexterity than a motorcycle. In the laid back 2 lane less traveled roads, piece of cake. On the highly traveled busy highways and byways, you gotta be at your best mentally.
However, in Jackson, Ms, it makes no difference. You gonna die from something! LOL! No! I’m not kidding…
I ride for many different reasons just like all of you. I’ve had my share of mishaps to the point that I constantly work and focus now to know exactly what to expect of this valk should the unexpected occur. And it will occur!
When you ride every day like I do, almost anything can happen. The thought of this to me is more of a challenge than a fear. I may not have as many long distance rides as many of you but I can bet that I may have more experience with idgits.
I can’t think of any machine a human can operate that requires more mental and physical dexterity than a motorcycle. In the laid back 2 lane less traveled roads, piece of cake. On the highly traveled busy highways and byways, you gotta be at your best mentally.
However, in Jackson, Ms, it makes no difference. You gonna die from something! LOL! No! I’m not kidding…
I get it , I’ve got 3,800 miles on my Valkyrie and finally I am one with the bike . Coming off a 2017 Indian Chieftain the Valkyrie is like a sport bike. It’s so smooth I would go into corners to quick for my comfort level. The seating position and controls are very different from my previous rides (3 Harley’s, 2 Indians, 1 bmw, triumph, etc.) This is my favorite bike and with your guys help I finally have great wind protection with no buffeting (slipstream) next month San Diego to British Columbia so will see how she does on a long haul .
Geepers - I get it 100% and I agree 100% that slow speed handling is a major part of the problem (unless the basic body position you're in on the Valkyrie for long periods is just not good). No shortcuts. I just want to ride; too lazy to do parking lot practice. And, if you really want to master an effortless tight U-turn or tight confident figure eight, the odds of dropping it a few times are fairly high. The wide crash bars on my VTX1800 saved me damage many times during practice. But now, the new Valkyrie has some pretty small crash bars, so we might have to accept some damage potential to get that "one with the bike" feeling fast. I'm not afraid of falling; I'm afraid of damage (and embarrassment! - stupid but true). I might just bite the bullet and take one of those "Ride Like a Pro" weekend courses that that ex-cop runs.
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