Safety class and ST's

[Jack Hays <rude@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

	I completed a Motorcycle Safety Foundation class last Saturday. While
the class doesn't offer any high speed work they do point out many tips
and reinforce the basic things you need to do in order to ride aware and
safe. The class is broken up into a four hour class room session, lunch
break, and then a five hour parking lot class. The highest speed
attained was 25MPH. However after reading the T5 list it seems to me
that most falls happen at low speeds, etc. It was a good class and even
though the other eight bikes were all Goldwings, Nomads, and Harleys
with low center of gravity my ST made it without a hitch. You gather up
and have the exercise explained and demonstrated to you and then start
up and go to the start gate and practice the exercise when signaled. I'm
no Mick Doohan but I was quickly assigned the lead bike position and
enjoyed the role. It was good practice and the reinforcement of looking
at the corner exit and smooth applications was hammered over and over.
Emergency stops in mid-corner were the order of the day. Good practice.
The motors were stopped and restarted around fifteen times with a
practice exercise between each start up. One of the other bikes battery
gave up but the ST never faltered. On most shutdowns my fan came on and
ran about 3-4 minutes but it was cool. The most amazing thing was the
instructors trying to get everyone to really use the front brake. What's
wrong with these riders! Don't they know how to stop! It was pretty
awesome to bring the bike to a stop with a max stop one finger brake in
the length of the bike almost as the others were taking around 22-30
feet. The look on the instructors eyes was a keeper when they signaled
my first stop and I was stopped by the time their hands were over their
head! Did I say the ST had great brakes back in January? Still does!
Wonderful! If you have a Saturday to spend sharpening up at low speed
tactics, swerving, etc., and have an extra $25.00 take the course. After
the course I called Progressive and found that I would now receive a
$30.00 insurance discount each year. Good news.
	On the ST issues. I still have not received my two bag set up or the
alarm. However, I have enjoyed the bike since January 19 and the rain
has kept me to about 1,500 miles without any problems except that one
time Merlin wouldn't idle until after I shut it off and then back on. 
	My fuel gauge seems to be very accurate at this time. It immediately
goes to full, stays there about 50-75 miles, slowly goes down, the light
comes on after about ten miles on the last mark, and she then holds
about 4.5-5 gallons of high test.
	Question. Does the screen height that I like as the wind catches me
about top of visor high help make the helmet visor a bug magnet? I
cannot remember riding any other bike that had as many bug hits on my
visor. Big time bug collection. Any comments? I love this bike but would
prefer a slightly higher bars and I am on GenMar and Heli's list to be
notified when available.
	Good riding and I'm headed off to Colorado the first two weeks of June
with the family but planning on taking the ST to get in some good road
riding. It's a lot difference from here in Texas. If there are any of
you ST riders around Colorado Springs, Lake City, Qouray?, or Mesa Verde
give me a shout and maybe you can show me the roads.
- -- 
"Off to see the Lizard"

Jack "Rude Dog" Hays
'99 Triumph Sprint ST
Harpoon Manufacturing Engineering
E-mail rude@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Voice Number: 972-952-5065
Pager Number: 972-598-0346
Fax  Number : 972-952-2968

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