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novemBeR 2009 Ride 105www.ride.co.uk

INTERACTIVERIDE WITH

YOUR MATESSAFER &QUICKER

Theres nothing better than a good ride with a few mates, blasting down a favourite road. Its fun and can be a great way to sharpen your skills, picking up

techniques and getting advice from other riders. In fact, its probably even truer to say theres

nothing better than having shared a good ride with a few mates sitting in the sun afterwards, comparing notes, jokes and a drink. Its the spirit of camaraderie from the common experience that reaffirms just

what it is that makes riding bikes so great. But theres also a dark side. Crash investigators are

only too aware of how often group rides can go wrong. If a ride becomes competitive, with riders racing or showing off, or if normally cautious novices find themselves riding with faster, more experienced riders, what should be a great day out can end in tears.

So heres our guide to group riding, compiled with help from readers and road-safety professionals. Stay safe, learn loads and have great ride after great ride.

Riding in a group can be a great way to get more out of biking but it can so easily go wrong. Heres how its done

Words Simon Weir Pictures Mark Manning

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INTERACTIVEINTERACTIVE

leak. He then gave me samples of hydraulic fluid (for the suspension), brake fluid and coolant to smell, feel and taste. I was all up for dipping my finger in and tasting the stuff, until I realised everyone was laughing at me. Turns out I wasnt the only one John has tried this prank on.

Although John doesnt actually advocate ingesting toxic substances, he does have a serious point to make about familiarising yourself with the various fluids that help make your bike work so you can figure out where the problem is if you find a puddle under your bike one morning.

I was pleasantly surprised by the workshop. Far from being a dirty back room behind the swish showroom, it was just as organised, clean and spacious as the front.

John said one of the most important things in motorcycle maintenance is cleaning the bike. It ensures you have a good looking bike and it gives you

So what did I learn this month? It was all new to me and I was pleasantly surprised by how easy a lot of basic maintenance seems to be.

Where am I at? I finally have some basic mechanical skills under my belt.

Whats next? I need to buy a paddock stand to make future checks easy. And now I have a rough idea how to maintain my bike, I need to learn more about how to ride it.

early warning of trouble thats brewing. Better to spot damage, corrosion or leaks while youre cleaning the bike, rather than when youre out on the road.

Ive barely cleaned my bike at all during the seven months Ive owned it, partly out of fear that I might be using the wrong products, or cleaning something I shouldnt. John explained that the only area to really be wary of is the electrics.

He couldnt find any corrosion or leaks on my bike, which I was glad to hear, and advised me that I could help keep it that way by using a water repellant such as WD-40 so long as I was careful not to get any on my brake discs.

John realised that even the most basic check was a mystery to me, so next he showed me how to check my bikes tyre pressures, and explained how many problems can be caused by incorrect tyre

Staceys hands-off policy hasnt done her SV650 any harm it sailed through its first MoT. But from now on shell be checking it regularly

pressures. Fuel consumption, handling, braking and grip are all affected. Luckily, mine were exactly as advised in the owners manual.

This also highlighted how little time Id spent reading the manual. It can tell me just about everything I need to know about my bike and its maintenance I really should take some time to read it, then.

Next up: how to adjust my chain, which was a bit slack. Although I used the workshops tools, everything I needed was in the toolkit stored under

Simple jobs like adjusting the chain and getting the tyre pressures just right pay dividends

Mechanic John explains the basics

my seat. Chain tension, like tyre pressure, is a maintenance task that is easily done, and makes a big difference. Too slack and it can come off, too tight and it can snap, and any misadjustment can affect gearchanging and sprocket wear. Obvious now its been explained to me. After correcting my chain to the correct tension, I had to make sure it was properly aligned as this can affect handling and tyre wear.

Since my bike is now three years old, John also put it through its first MoT test, which mostly involved checking the brakes and lights. It passed comfortably, which was a relief as I was worried that Id inflicted something far more serious than a bent clutch lever and broken indicator on the SV when I dropped it a few months back.

And you feed it spinach to make it faster

www.ride.co.uk NOVEMbEr 2009 Ride 119

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GETONEMONTHFREETHISSUMMER*

.co.uk

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