Stro,

Just read all 34 pages, somehow I had missed this thread. Like others, I wanted to say thanks, it was a great read and congratulations on Top Gun.

I'm a little bummed though, I took the Riders Edge advanced course last fall and felt pretty good about my abilities until I read what you had to do. I feel like a total Noob now Oh well, time to sign up for another course.

Wonder if I could ask you a couple questions. What to the instructors teach you to do when you drop the bike so you lessen the chance of injuries? I'm thinking that "hugging" the bike would be best, to let the Engine Guards protect you?

Also, what is the trick to moving a non-running bike while walking beside it? I always feel like the bike is gonna lean too far away from me and I am going to drop it.

Thanks

 

Do you mean as you're going down? The best advice I can possibly offer, based on my own mistakes, is to keep your feet on the boards and your hands on the bars. You might be able to put a foot down and save it, but you may very well mangle your foot in the process. I did, and my ankle still bothers me from time to time almost a year later.

No tricks, just practice. I'm still not entirely comfortable doing it and am amazed when I see this tiny little guy at the dealership wheeling them around like they weigh nothing. Practice breeds confidence I guess!

 

Thanks Stro, appreciate the answers! Be safe.

 

Awesome read and Belated congrats on Top Gun! I ride with local motor officers and they have shown me the "secret" training course. I have been out there several times and worked on it but cant find the nads to go all out on my own ride. These are mad skills and hope to watch them train this year, feel like I will learn alot just by observing.

Best thread on this board since I've been here!

 

I also just discovered this thread and read it all the way through in one sitting! Belated congrats Stro! Our newly promoted Sgt that transferred in was a motor officer in Los Angeles and was a CMTO to boot. He is going to give me some one on one instruction as soon as the weather gets better here. His first words were "get ready for some off road riding to get your friction zone where it needs to be". Luckily we have a Kawasaki run-out bike to practice on, not sure I will want to use the new RK for the dirty work! Thanks for sharing your experiences.

 

Yeah let me know. I don't think we are going to make a big trip this year so I'm hoping to do several shorter ones, and I think I would really enjoy watching that competition. Well, in all honesty it will probably make me feel incompetent, but what the heck I'd still like to see it.

 

wow, i sit here not being able to sleep tonight and read every post in this thread. great post!

 

Nice! Very informative! I know this is an old thread and everything, but I loved it!

I work for a large department in one of the busiest counties on the east coast as a robbery/ carjacking detective.....been seriously thinking that I wanna make a move to motors in the next year or so. The problem is they very seldom have classes anywhere around here. I have a couple friends on another local department that has promised me some seat time on a practice bike next time his department does training, but it would be informal and not count towards any kind of certificate.

The other problem is that out of approximately 1600 or so officers on my department, we have about 18 bikes on the road (not counting the ones used for training). That makes openings for our motors unit even more scarce......I don't care about that, when it comes open I can get in there, I just wanna take the class as soon as one comes up!

I have not read the last few pages....have you actually gotten assigned to your motors unit yet?

 

I went to Midwest police motorcycle training it is top notch and the instructors are excellent.

 

Hey! My old thread surfaced!