Thanks.. so what RPM are you guys shifting at? Both up and down.
Start downshifting when the bike gets below say 5k or 4k. Do it at lower RPM's until you get good at rev matching and get a good match, then you can start doing it higher in the rev range. Doing it higher in the rev range makes the bike suspension more upset if you don't get a perfect rev match - so keep it at low rpms to start.
I usually downshift now based on speed (also RPM, but it's easier to see the speed and it's independent of gear if I want to skip a few gears), example - ~30 I can downshift to 2nd safely (will still be in higher RPM's but not too bad - don't try that until you get better at rev matching).
What is wrong with the sliders I have?
Not really anything -
@Kojiiro mentioned this too and I also mentioned "appropriate" sliders for clarification. Some sliders like you have that stick out the sides are more prone to grabbing something in the road. It's known to damage a bike or cause it to flip when low-siding. There are some sliders that are lower profile that are
less likely to do this.
I use the Yamaha factory sliders for this reason - they have rubber grommets that rest against the frame, not in a bolt hole so the whole assembly can rip off won't damage the frame - they're also really low profile and they way they're shaped leads me to believe they won't catch much at all. The Yamaha factory sliders also look great IMO.
Either way sliders are really meant to protect more against a tip over due to the points above not really "slide" contrary to the name. Kojiiro also mentioned the fairings are cheap to replace - which is 100% true for our bike - probably cheaper to replace the fairings than to buy some sliders.
I am set on gear other than maybe some riding boots and possibly kevlar jeans. Again, I have:
Your post mentioned, other than riding boots and jeans -- then you're not set
-- the most common way to go down is a low side (while in motion at least, not counting drops). The FIRST thing that will be in contact between the road and the bike will be your foot/leg. I honestly think boots are probably the
#1 most important piece of gear for that reason, ligaments cannot be repaired and certain injuries to the small bones in your ankles can leave you pretty messed up and may never heal properly.
I like walking unhindered - I wear TCX-S speed boots (entry level track boots) with torsion control to help protect my ligaments/tendons from hyper extension. Some think it's overkill - but I never notice them and I gladly welcome the extra protection.
Also you usually can't have enough gear, I have 4 pairs of gloves, all for varying conditions (only 3 of them actually get used now that I found ones I like). I alternate between my summer/waterproof and sometimes my non mesh/non vented summers.
I have two separate jackets - one for cooler weather and a mesh for straight out hot weather (two varying protection levels here). I own one pair of riding jeans - looking into some protective overpants that also offer more airflow. I also own 3 helmets - took a while to find one I really liked and now I have passenger helmets/spares if mine goes down.
Always think about varying riding gear, it helps extend the season greatly - I think gear can be one of the biggest investments for that reason, it lets you get more time in on the bike. Take the extra money from levers and get some boots and/or some riding pants!
EDIT: Also forgot to mention - not sure if you've seen many crash videos or aftermath, but regular jeans explode on impact and leave you road-rashed pretty bad, just some food for thought
.