Experienced Rider Course (ERC)

So today I took the Ottawa Safety Council's Experienced Rider Course. Offered as frequently as the Gearing Up class, this one focuses on refining the emergency and slow-riding skills learnt from the beginner's course.

The course usually costs around $100 but OSC will offer a discount to groups. I signed up as part of the Ott-Motorcycle group and received a considerable discount so it may be worth your while to find a bunch of friends who ride in order to take advantage of this offer. Don't worry if you can't find twenty friends, OSC will fill the empty slots with other riders!

I arrived at the Mitel parking lot for 8:45 and there were already half a dozen riders waiting around for the instructors, who showed up a few minutes later and quickly began checking over the participant's bikes.

Afterwards, we started the morning off with slow circles around the parking lot to get the brakes and tires warmed up - good thing, it was chilly! From there, we moved into slow-speed maneuvers around cones in the parking lot. This was very challenging since you had to be on the clutch and brake at the same time while keeping the throttle constant - skills that were themes for the day!

From the cones we moved onto braking in a straight line and then we tried something new, deliberately trying to slide the front end. By putting the front wheel on a piece of plywood, the instructors coached us on how to make the front end slide in order to give us an idea on what a front-wheel lockup would/will feel like. The moral of the story with this exercise: if your front brake locks up, release it and reapply ASAP! After lunch, we did another new activity: going over an object in your path. The trick here is to stand up a bit on the pegs (so your legs can absorb the shock) and then gas it just before you get to the object. Of course, like most non-tarmac things - try to hit it perpendicular to your travel line!

When we finished the new stuff, we wrapped up with some old favourites: figure-eights, circles, u-turns, and finally, braking on a curve. Nothing really new here but the instructors gave us lots of practical feedback on improving our techniques and things to look out for/be aware of.

Since the course doesn't count towards licensing, everyone passed. Some insurance companies will take the certificate provided and give a discount for riders who are successful. Finally, they filled us on in on options/opinions for further training (dirt riding near Peterborough, FAST at Shannonville, Track Days... Mmmm... Can't wait!)

Definitely recommended!

Leather Repair & Alterations

Leather is a great material for protecting a rider during a fall or crash. Though more expensive than textile, they can often be repaired afterwards too.

Buying off-the-rack clothing for my first set of gear meant that stuff doesn't exactly fit perfectly. I'm not that tall (5'8") but fairly broad through the chest and shoulders yet narrow enough (34") through the waist.

All that said, here's a list of leather repair and alteration places that seem to cater to motorcyclists. Keep in mind, I haven't used any of them so I can't vouch for the quality of their work.

Leather Repair in & around Ottawa

Brebner Manufacturing and Repairs Inc.
613-729-8178
Peter (Owner)
http://brebnerottawa.ca
Ottawa

International Tailor
Carleton Place

Leather Loft
613-489-1511
Kars

Regional Shoe Repair
613-824-3325
Orleans

Bells Corners Shoe Repair
613-829-8394
Nepean

Kanata Shoe Repair
591-0832
Kanata

First Looks: Shark S-800 Motorcycle Helmet

Well, a professional reviewer I am not but I feel reasonably qualified to give my $0.02 here.

I was given S-800 as a gift from my then-girlfriend. She bought it from a local Motorcycle shop not long ago. As some may know this model has since been discontinued, replaced instead by the Shark S-650. Needless to say, I got a smokin' deal on it ($200 out the door).

Since there's still 2 feet of snow outside, I have yet to try it on the road. I will update this First Look into a full review at that time.

Compared to my old lid, this one seems to have a smaller shell. That's interesting because they're both similar sizes (my HJC was an XL and the Shark is a L).

The liner in the Shark is VERY comfortable. I would call it plush even. It fits snug all the way around my head with no pressure points. As a result of all the padding, it seems to be much quieter than the HJC however, that's in the house, not on the road. In addition,

For venting, there is a chin vent and a forehead vent. Both operate in the same way - push on the front of the vent to open it, push on the little button to close. Very simple and easy to use with gloves on - a major consideration at speed.

Weight-wise, I haven't measured the two lids but on my head they're both easy to manage. I would guess they're in the average range for helmets (see Web Bike World for articles on this).

The graphics on the Shark are very slick. It has a nice matte finish to it. I'm not big on crazy graphics but the paint scheme on this helmet matches my jacket so at least I'll be a colour coordinated Power Ranger!

Purchased from: Gearhead
Price paid: $194.25 (incl. taxes)

Pros:

+ Comfortable!
+ Good lookin!

Cons:

- Discontinued

Links n' stuff

Here are a few links I use regularly in my learnings on motorcycling:

Web Bike World

Great website full of candid reviews on just about anything motorcycling related.

Great Ontario Bikeroads

Extremely dated but full of good information. I'd like to take some local routes and update them for Google Maps.

Ott-Motorcycles

The defacto standard for my hometown. Generally well-populated with good information and links.

SV Rider

THE website for the Suzuki SV650. Lots of information on riding and modding. Definitely recommended if the SV floats your boat (and why wouldn't it???)

First Post!

So here I am, new to this whole blogging thing. I'm also new to the motorcycle thing. However, the two of them are things I've always wanted to try and since my separation from my wife, I now have some time for both.

After my ex left, I decided the time was right to take my motorcycle course. I guess it was my way of showing myself (and her, in some strange way I suppose...) that I wouldn't let this terrible event hold me back or keep me down. I had done some research a few years back and decided the course for me was the Ottawa Safety Council (OSC) Gearing Up Course. So at the end of June, I sent off my cheque for $350 and my paperwork and waited to hear back from them.

A week or so later, I received my confirmation in the mail. I went out and bought a helmet (used, yikes! I know, I know...), studied and wrote my test. Then took my course in the beginning of August (more on this in another posting). A few weeks later, I bought and picked up my first bike (again, more on this in another post).

I've been riding for almost 2 months now and love the feeling of soaring along the open back roads. I have a lot to learn but as this season comes to a close, I'm really excited to mount up again next spring!