Gymkhana

[southwade]

[Harvey Krumpet]

Yet another dimension.......
That cracked us up, cheers. Learned to put the side stand down before I pick the bike up to. Crever.

[TheWall]

Well...I guess that's one way to overcome your fearing of falling on a bike! I really got excited by watching the scene where they were practicing in the mud; I still think off-pavement gymkhana would be a hoot!

Slightly off-topic -- those are beautiful bikes that they were using on the pavement. Viffers, it looks like? Definitely one of my short-list bikes!

Somewhat more off-topic: thanks, everyone, for helping me to keep my head in the game while it's too icy and slick out for me to be out riding

[Motogymkhanaman]

I still think off-pavement gymkhana would be a hoot!

Will have some news on this very soon. We will be doing an experiment with an off-road version of this wonderful sport sometime in the next couple of weeks.

Will post up pics and video when we get it and a report as to how we got on.

[Bogfarth]

Originally Posted by TheWall

Slightly off-topic -- those are beautiful bikes that they were using on the pavement. Viffers, it looks like? Definitely one of my short-list bikes!

Somewhat more off-topic: thanks, everyone, for helping me to keep my head in the game while it's too icy and slick out for me to be out riding

Looks like they're on VFR 800s from what I can tell.

If it makes you feel better, I'm reading the Ride Like a Pro book and watching YouTube clips of GP8. It's 36 outside (F not C) and spitting hail/snow/rain, otherwise I'd be out, too. Gymkhana and RLaP make me want to kick off to a vacant lot and practice for hours!

[TheWall]

This is what I've been up since the snow started in October:

[ohgood]

Originally Posted by Motogymkhanaman

Will have some news on this very soon. We will be doing an experiment with an off-road version of this wonderful sport sometime in the next couple of weeks.

Will post up pics and video when we get it and a report as to how we got on.

Two words:

Ain't easy!

[Motogymkhanaman]

Ain't easy!

Too true. We first had a go in the field out at the back of HQ when we were working out a suitable course for the event we did on electric bikes at the London bike show last year. I managed to shoot some video of Andrew struggling round on the TW farm bike. As you say, it ain't easy!

[liquid_ice]

A few more bikes over that lawn and it's gone all together, haha

[Vulfy]

Originally Posted by liquid_ice

A few more bikes over that lawn and it's gone all together, haha

Yeah, I was gonna say that. After a few rounds with multiple bikes, you will have a mini motocross course, instead of a flat lawn.

[Motogymkhanaman]

The lawn destroying possibilities are why we are doing an experiment on a large flat field so we can see just how much damage it causes. The fact that we can do something exciting on what would otherwise boring area is what is giving us cause for optimism. There are so many areas that we could use for normal Moto Gymkhana that are denied to us because they are covered in gravel or generally have a degraded surface. Hurling a trail or adventure bike around such a course is going to be very interesting indeed.

[ohgood]

Originally Posted by Motogymkhanaman

The lawn destroying possibilities are why we are doing an experiment on a large flat field so we can see just how much damage it causes. The fact that we can do something exciting on what would otherwise boring area is what is giving us cause for optimism. There are so many areas that we could use for normal Moto Gymkhana that are denied to us because they are covered in gravel or generally have a degraded surface. Hurling a trail or adventure bike around such a course is going to be very interesting indeed.

The time differences from first lap to end of day should be huge, assuming they aren't pro motoxers already.

Can't wait for the video.

[Motogymkhanaman]

Just to give everybody something to think about, we have added a new training/practice obstacle into the catalogue. Called a Pernilla (don't know why) this is a great test of riding ability as it involves all of the skills required by a top Moto Gymkhana rider, yet it can be done in a small area.

There are a couple of videos, the first is of one of our Japanese friends making it look easy and the second is of our very own Jonathon Morris making it look hard.

[Motogymkhanaman]

Confusion over. The exercise is NOT called a Pernilla, but as that was the translation that Google came up with, that's what we thought it was called.

In actual fact the exercise was dreamed up by a chap called Siso, so the correct translation is Siso's GP. We think that is Siso-san in the first video.

[Harvey Krumpet]

Originally Posted by Motogymkhanaman

Confusion over. The exercise is NOT called a Pernilla, but as that was the translation that Google came up with, that's what we thought it was called.

In actual fact the exercise was dreamed up by a chap called Siso, so the correct translation is Siso's GP. We think that is Siso-san in the first video.

Do you have the cone distances? I reckon I could do that in under 10 minutes.