Rode in my first group ride...Toys for Tots Run. Been riding a motocycle for 3 weeks now after my MSF course. I've only rode by myself on the road. I decided to ride in the local Toys for Tots ride. It was a GREAT experience. Learned a lot about group riding...met alot of nice people...and just generally had a great day today. Thought I'd share just a couple of photos from early on in the day before the lot got packed full.


http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q10/motogpfan26/11-18-2006-08-2.jpg

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q10/motogpfan26/11-18-2006-14.jpg

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q10/motogpfan26/11-18-2006-15.jpg

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q10/motogpfan26/11-18-2006-20.jpg

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q10/motogpfan26/11-18-2006-21.jpg

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q10/motogpfan26/11-18-2006-10.jpg


And guess what else...when I got home from the ride...my SIDI boots were on the doorstep!! Woohooooo!! My wife went and picked em up for me while I was on the ride and surprised me with them when I got home...I love my wife!

Far be it from me to make fun of the Toys for Tots ride. I'm glad you got to go, and I support your effort.

But that fifth photo looks like your camera might have ended up at a Village People impersonators' convention on its way to your ride. :lol:

But seriously, I'm glad you had a good group ride and again I congratulate your participation in the Toys for Tots run. It's a very worthy cause. Good on ya. :thumbsup

You have the best looking bike in the crowd from what I see! :) Charity rides are fun. I just have to avoid the side-by-side formation they like to ride in sometimes. Give me staggered formation with 2-3 seconds behind the guy in front of me and I'm good. Toys for Tots is a good cause. Ride on!

You have the best looking bike in the crowd from what I see! :)

DITTO. There were some really nice looking Harley's there...the ride was sponsored by the marines of course, but organized by the local Harley shop. Our Ron Ayers shop did their ride last weekend, but I had to work.

Actually, all the Harley guys rode in staggered formation with about 2 seconds in between. They were all VERY nice and VERY friendly.

There were a few sportbikes that were there...a Gixxer 600, two R1's, one CBR600, two CBR600RR's, two SV 650's, one SV 1000, two R6's, an Aprilia V60 (nice looking bike too), one 929, one ZX10R, two ZX-6's, one ZX 636, and one CBR1000RR...and of course me.

Most of the rest of the 2500 that showed up were riding Harley's. There were a few stray Nighthawks, a couple of Ninja 500's, and a few cruisers.

After the Toys for Tots run I just rode ALL day long the rest of the day. People say the seat is not comfortable for long distances. But I've been doing A LOT of riding that starts about 8am and goes till about 6pm everyday...with like an hour break at lunch time (this is how much I am in love with my bike). Anyway, I guess the seat does get a LITTLE stiff after 4 or 5 hours...but I don't think the seat is all that terrible.

I will say I have adjusted the rear shock up to position 5 and I am liking it more and more everytime I make it a little more stiff. I only weigh 165 pounds...about 172-175 with full gear...but I really like the bike with a stiffened up rear. I'm thinking about moving it to 6 and seeing how that is.

Got my new Pilot Powers on with the front set at 40 and the rear at 40...which puts them both to about 42psi when warm...and for the street they work well for me with these pressures. Feels like I'm riding on a rail man. Get the tach up to 9k-12k with a stiff rear and tire pressures at 40psi cold...and the bike rides on a freakin rail I'm telling you. No sloppiness. You point and the bike goes right where you point.

Man...I just can't quit riding my bike. My wife and I are going to her dad's house for the Thanksgiving holidays...I think I'm going to go crazy having to go without riding my bike for four whole days.

How is that windscreen treating you?

Awesome! I'm really glad it was a good experience. Riding is fun, but riding with other people is even better. I was surprised to find how much more fun i had riding with one of my friends. There's just this inexplicable bond between riders...it's like we always have something in common, despite however otherwise different we may be.

Sounds like you've been getting a lot of time in the saddle, there bucko. You better do it while you still can. I know it would have killed me to get my first bike in the fall with no summer to look forward to. Of course I just got mine too and am having to go through the same thing you are...except it's already in the 40's out here... :cry:

Congrats on participating in the Toys for Tots Ride and having a great time. I generally avoid group rides unless they're with people I know well.

I'd recommend dropping the pressure in your front tire to get better grip. The maximum recommended PSI for the Pilot Powers (one of my favorite tires, btw) is 36F, 42R. Those are the pressures I run on the street in order to maximize tire longevity, although I'll drop them to 34F, 36R during trackdays.

Yep, it's getting pretty cold around here, too, but my heated Gerbings gear enables me to ride into the mid 30sF. I could go lower, but the threat of black ice makes it too dangerous. :shock: I tend to ride my Ducati ST3 more often than my 599 during this time of the year since the full fairing and windshield reduce the wind chill considerably.

I agree the bike gets better muuuch better with the rear stiffened up and also agree to try lowering the front it will still go like rails but better grip there

I'd recommend dropping the pressure in your front tire to get better grip. The maximum recommended PSI for the Pilot Powers (one of my favorite tires, btw) is 36F, 42R.

Actually, I just looked at my front tire while I was outside adjusting the throttle slack, and on my tire is says Maximum PSI is 42. My rear also says Maximum is 42.

I might lower the front to 40 and see how that is.

I'm gonna knock the rear up to position 6 today. It gets so much more sporty feeling, and just generally rides and handles better (not to be confused with "more plush").

...I am liking it more and more every time I make it a little more stiff...but I really like the bike with a stiffened up rear...
No. I'm not gonna do it, just too easy :lol:

Grown men in chaps are soooooooo cool but glad you had fun! Group rides are a great experience but try to find a "sport" group to ride with and you get an even better experience.

BTW rode a big Harley bike this weekend...thought I'd hate it but it was really quite relaxing (don't know if that is a good thing) Like sitting on your couch and driving around in the open air. Legs and arms all stretched out, was really a different experience and can see taking long lazy rides on one...hummmmmmmm :roll:

Actually, I just looked at my front tire while I was outside adjusting the throttle slack, and on my tire is says Maximum PSI is 42. My rear also says Maximum is 42.
Oops, my bad. I should've said the recommended PSI for the Michelins on the 599 are 36F, 42R. The maximum PSI for a given tire isn't necessarily the optimum one for a given bike, and different bikes have different recommended PSI even if they're equipped with the same tire. For example, my 599 and ST3 use the same size tire, but the manufacturers' recommended PSI are very different (32F, 34R for the Ducati; 36F, 42R for the Honda). Of course, you can experiment but in general, you'll get better cornering performance with lower tire pressures since a tire's "footprint" will be bigger when the bike's leaned over.

Actually, I just looked at my front tire while I was outside adjusting the throttle slack, and on my tire is says Maximum PSI is 42. My rear also says Maximum is 42.
Oops, my bad. I should've said the recommended PSI for the Michelins on the 599 are 36F, 42R. The maximum PSI for a given tire isn't necessarily the optimum one for a given bike, and different bikes have different recommended PSI even if they're equipped with the same tire. For example, my 599 and ST3 use the same size tire, but the manufacturers' recommended PSI are very different (32F, 34R for the Ducati; 36F, 42R for the Honda). Of course, you can experiment but in general, you'll get better cornering performance with lower tire pressures since a tire's "footprint" will be bigger when the bike's leaned over.

Gotcha...thanks for the info. Will definitely try dropping the pressure in the front some. Where do you get the manufacturers "recommended" pressure info from??

Where do you get the manufacturers "recommended" pressure info from?? It's on the sticker on the chain guard and in the MOM.

Yeppers psi rating on the tire is the max setting for the tire not necessarily a recommended pressure same with cars usually the psi for ur car is on the sticker in the door jam again the "max psi" on a tire is the max for the tire not what u need to set the pressure at :D

I've done one big group ride with a bunch of Harely riders. I didn't actually do MSF, I did Rider's Edge (Harley backed/sponsored MSF). I took that because I wanted to learn to ride and I couldn't get into the state classes.

Anyways, I rode with a group of about 100, mostly Harley's, this spring in what's called the R.E.A.R (Rider's Edge Alumni Ride) ride. It was okay. I was a little freaked out by the guy with the viking helmet with 3' Texas longhorns coming out of it though. I shit you not!

It was me on my new 599, had about 400 miles on it, a Suzuki SV650, some 80s Kawi ninja and a Katana as the only sport bikes. Rather funny. It was an interesting experience though.

I didn't actually do MSF, I did Rider's Edge (Harley backed/sponsored MSF).

I did the Rider's Edge course also. It was a great class, and I recommend it to anyone in my area interested in motorcycling. Did your class use the Buell Blast? That was a fun but quirky little bike! I don't think I'll ever be comfortable with a belt driven bike.

I soooo wanna test ride one of these...red line is like 7k!
http://www.buell.com/common/07/lightning/xb12scg/colors/black_right_front_angle.jpg

One of my friends has a XB12R Firebolt. He had to take the header off for some reason and got a video of it. Absolutely amazing sound. Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Gc2Ms7yd-E